"Are you sure this is going to work?" Kaitlynn asks from where she's standing next to Coulson on the cargo deck.
"It has too." He says as they watch Agent Garrett, Triplett, Hand, Sitwell and Blake all enter the plane.
"You realize Agent Coulson, they have these things called teleconferences now." Hand says once they are close enough.
"Nice to see you too, Agent Hand. Thank you all for coming on such short notice." Coulson says "You all remember Agent Robinson."
"Yes. The legend that came back from the dead." Hand says as she looks the blonde over "Nice to see you alive." She says
"A little unconventional meeting this way, isn't it?" Sitwell says
"Oh from the repots I've read, 'Unconventional' seems to be Coulson's middle name these days" Blake says
"Fight breaks out, let me take Blake." Garrett says "He's coy but scrappy." He says making Blake chuckle.
"I'll explain everything as soon as we hit 50,000 feet." Coulson says "This way." He says as he and Kaitlynn walk away, leading the agents further into the plane.
"Cruising altitude reached, bearing 90 degrees just over the north pole." May says joining the group of agents.
"Thank you." Coulson says
"Apologies for the song and dance, but we brought you here as a precaution." Garrett says
"A precaution against what?" Sitwell asks
"The Clairvoyant." Coulson says "If there is someone out there who can read minds, at least up here we're as far away from him as possible."
"Figured maybe the northern lights will knock a few bars off his psychic Wi-Fi." Garrett adds
"Coulson you know S.H.I.E.L.D.'s stance on Psychics." Blake says "The don't exist."
"Are you suddenly a believer?" Hand asks
"Not definitively." Coulson says "But I had a recent experience with an Asgardian, who can control people's will with her voice. Forced me to open my mind, so to speak."
"All we know for sure is that the Clairvoyant's been a step ahead of us, stealing plays from our playbook." Garrett says
"And its pissing me off." Coulson says "I take it you've all read Agent Garrett's latest report."
"The hit on the safe house." Sitwell says "Mr. Peterson's alive and kicking."
"We call him Deathlok." May says
"It was the projects code name." Kaitlynn informs
"Agent Garrett and I have been tracking him the last few weeks." Trip states
"And we think the Clairvoyant's super-soldier bodyguard came after us for a reason." Garrett says "We're getting close."
"To what? His identity?" Hand asks, Garrett and Coulson look at each other before Garrett says
"We've narrowed the list to 13 candidates."
"Narrowed it how? From what?" Blake asks
"Agent Garrett has been taking a second look at S.H.I.E.L.D.'s gifted index, specifically the rejects." Coulson says
"Individuals S.H.I.E.L.D. interviewed who are believed to have psychic abilities but were ultimately dismissed." Garrett says
"So you think we've encountered the Clairvoyant before." Sitwell states
"Think of how many cases we've encountered across the globe" Coulson says "How many we vetted. Its more than possible. Its probable."
"I need more coffee." Blake says tiredly
"Lets assume what you're saying is possible." Hand says ignoring Blake "What then? If we're going up against an actual Clairvoyant, how do you suggest we combat that?"
"By compartmentalizing the information." Kaitlynn says
"A member of my team is an expert at pattern recognition and analysis, finding needles in haystacks." Coulson explains "She'll prioritize the candidates on Garrett's list, locate them, then pair us off into random teams."
"That way only one person knows the full scope of the mission." Garrett says
"You do understand that this person you're referring to she'd need to be a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent to be granted that level of access." Hands says
"I'm glad you brought that up." Coulson says before looking at Kaitlynn and telling her to bring Skye up. Kaitlynn nods before going down to the lab where Skye is with Fitz-Simmons getting more blood drawn.
"Skye Upstairs. Top brass wants to see you." Kaitlynn says making it sound like she's going to be in trouble. Skye looks at the two scientist worriedly before following the blonde.
"What's going on?" Skye asks as she walks upstairs
"They just want to go over the mission." Kaitlynn says trying to hide the small smile that wants to come out, Skye nods her head not seeing the blonde's struggle.
"Pairing off makes total sense." Skye says once she's with everyone "Just one thought though, what if we make it a double-blind?" Skye asks
"How so?" Hand asks
"Well I'll give one person from each team the potential Clairvoyant's coordinates, and I'll give the other one the identity." The hacker explains "That way, no one person knows the full specs of the OP until you get there." She says, Coulson smiles at her proudly.
"I like how you think." Garrett says before looking at everyone else "I like how she thinks."
"One question how am I supposed to access all the classified files without someone in the room?" Skye asks "I don't have clearance."
"Now you do." Coulson says before taking out a badge "Welcome to S.H.I.E.L.D. Skye." He says as he hands her the badge, Skye looks at him in shock making them all smile. Skye turns and looks to see May walking towards her with Fitz-Simmons following behind her, all of them smiling proudly.
"I-I…I don't know what to say." Skye says as she looks down at her badge before looking at Coulson "Thank you."
"Don't thank me." Coulson says "You've passed every required S.H.I.E.L.D. exam with flying colors. "
"For a level 1 agent." Hand adds, Kaitlynn turns and glares at the red head for trying to ruin Skye's moment.
"You've assisted us on multiple field missions, put your life on the line." Coulson says ignoring Hand "You earned this."
"Hell you took two in the gut." Garrett says "More than Sitwell here's ever done."
"Okay everyone back to work." Coulson says, everyone nods before walking away except for Fitz, Simmons, Ward and Kaitlynn. Kaitlynn and Ward watch as Fitz and Simmons say their congratulations before walking off. Sensing that Ward and Skye want to talk, Kaitlynn hugs Skye and whispers her congrats before saying she'll be in the kitchen leaving them alone.
"Couldn't have done it without a great and very patient S.O." Skye says
"Yeah you could have." Ward says "I'm no Clairvoyant, but I do believe some things are meant to be." He says before walking away. Skye sighs happily as she looks down at her badge before going over to where Kaitlynn is.
"So how do you feel Agent Skye?" Kaitlynn asks teasingly as she finishes making herself a sandwich.
"Good. Actually…I never thought I'd ever get here." She says with a small smile
"Naah…you were always meant to be here Skye." Kaitlynn says as she gives the brunette her sandwich "You should eat." Kaitlynn says as she begins to make another for herself, Skye smiles at the blonde.
"Are you nervous?" Skye asks, Kaitlyn looks up and gives the brunette a questioning look "About the mission?" she clarifies
"No not really…" Kaitlynn says as she finishes making her sandwich
"How?" Skye asks, the blonde looks up to see the other girl's nervousness all over her face. She gives the brunette a small smile.
"Because I know you got my back…and so does the rest of the team." Kaitlynn says "And we all got yours." She says, seeing that did nothing to calm the girl she continues "Your going to do great. You always do…its just another mission."
"But I can't help feeling that I'm going to be leading one of you guys into a death trap." Skye says
"You're not. And even if something does happen, then we'll handle it. Like we always do." Kaitlynn says, Skye nods her head and gives the blonde a small smile. Kaitlynn returns the smile before changing the subject, the girls falling into an easy conversation trying to ignore what's going to happen in the next few hours.
"So you still nervous?" Kaitlynn asks as Skye assigns her, her partner
"Not as much as I was before." Skye says with a small smile, making the blonde smile.
"Good…so who'd you pair me up with?"
"Well…. there are an uneven number of people so I had to pair you with two other people."
"Its not someone annoying is it?" Kaitlynn asks hopefully making Skye let out a mischievous smirk.
_TIME SKIP _
"…used up my whole mag, and hit the final guy right in the chest with a flare gun." Garrett says from the passenger seat, as he retells a story from one of his missions. Kaitlynn rolls her eyes at the man from the back having already heard this story a couple time from him a few years prior to her kidnapping. Coulson smirks from the driver's seat. "Boy, you should have seen the look on his face when that thing went off."
"What?" Garrett asks seeing Coulson's face "I already told you that one?"
"I was there." Coulson says
"For which part?"
"The whole thing." Coulson says as if it was obvious making Kaitlyn chuckle.
"Really? Damn I must be getting old." Garrett says "Either that or I drank a whole lot more in my 30s than I remember."
"Or both. And you didn't go through the skylight."
"I know but it makes for a better story." Garrett says, Kaitlynn looks down when she hears the Sat phone beeping.
"File came in." She says as she reads it "Noriko Sato, 19, Junior at Ball State." She says as she hands it to Garrett to look at.
"The Co-Ed—I remember. She's got an I.Q. over 200." He says "Ran circles around every agent we sent in to interrogate her. We had no indication she was gifted. Family's got ties to the Yakuza, though."
"Heads up." Kaitlynn says when she sees construction ahead
"Detour." Garrett says
"Imagine that." Coulson adds as they take the detour
As they take the detour onto another route they are stopped by a construction truck pulling out, blocking the route.
"Oh. Convenient timing." Coulson says as he stops the car
"Think this'll make a good story someday?" Garett asks as he pulls out his gun.
"Probably." Kaitlynn says as she does the same when Coulson points out another car pulling in behind them.
"All backup teams—move in. We have an Agent down. Repeat. Agent Blake is down." Hand says through the radio. As soon as the message finishes, Coulson throws the car in reverse and swerves around the car behind them until they are back on the road and driving to May and Blake's location.
