A/N: Long waited update. I apologize if the backstory is a bit confusing, I was trying to work elements of the original one with some twists, plus Darien is not good at relaying information. Anyway, hope you guys enjoy.
Summary: Skye has a secret, one that no one else can ever know. As a child, people wanted to exploit her genius. As a teen, they took advantage of her mind. For two years, Skye had been free but, when she gets on Shield's radar, she has to tread carefully or else they might learn her secret and history will repeat itself.
Chapter Twenty One
When Skye turned twenty one she imagined what it would be like to go out with a bunch of friends and get drunk legally for the first time. Although the alcohol she had consumed in the past had little effect on her, she enjoyed the idea of forgetting. Technically too much alcohol consumption inhibits the ability to create new memories, thus not remembering the night before, but it was easier to simply say that the memories were forgotten.
Her birthday was still a ways away, but the idea had come to her when Darien left her a card the other day. She never saw him, only the card he left in her room. The only reason she knew it was from him was because he called her Daisy in the message and was the only one who knew her birth month unlike the others. The orphanage had her birthday marked in April, Skye never corrected them even though she knew her birthday was in July. The exact day forgotten, but in the early part of the month, likely not later than the tenth.
Skye didn't particularly care, it wasn't like she was ever celebrating her birthday. Either she spent it alone or she spent it with scientists as if nothing had changed or nothing was different. Derek has mocked her for a few weeks about her birthday or lack thereof. She tried to pretend it didn't bother her, but his words shook her to the core.
Now at twenty two, she couldn't really imagine what her life would have been like without the chaos and pain. She looked at her drink with little interest, this would do her no go and she likely wouldn't be able to drink her sorrows away.
"Any reason you're sitting here at the bar looking pathetic?"
Skye smirked weakly, "Thanks May."
The older agent appeared beside the young hacker with a stoic expression. It was fairly late in the evening, everyone else had retired for the night and though Skye had gone to her bunk an hour ago, she began to feel claustrophobic in the small space. Flashes of her 'time out' room filled her mind and she had to get out. It lead her to counter with a bottle of scotch sitting beside her.
"What's bothering you," May questioned as she took a seat.
Skye merely shrugged her shoulders, "A bit of insomnia, decided to come out here for awhile. I did consider getting a punching bag and hitting it, but the energy for that isn't in me right now. You?"
May gave her no verbal answer, but Skye understood. Though May did not spend all night awake, she did have her moments where she was up in the later hours because of the peace and quiet it offered. It was best in the early morning when the likelihood of anyone being awake was slim and it gave her energy for Tai Chi. Skye supposed tonight was one of those late nights.
"Do you," Skye started hesitantly, "Do you think the plan will work?"
May glanced at Skye before nodding, "I'm confident things will go well. My main concern is Fitzsimmons, we can't predict how they will act or where they will fall should things go south for us."
Skye nodded numbly, "Fair assessment."
"Something else," May asked with a raised brow.
Skye shook her head and pursed her lips, "Nothing of consequence."
"I find that hard to believe," commented May.
Skye was mostly concerned with the problem of Hydra and the upcoming plans In case they were revealed sooner than later. The plan was nearly finalized among Skye, Coulson, May, Bobbi and Hill. Bobbi and Hill were working on the front lines while the two agents and rogue experiment here were staying under the radar and gathering more information.
Hydra was being quiet as usual, but Skye knew their recent hidden activities were revving up for something important. She suspected with Darien's work on Wade that Hydra would likely make some kind of appearance. When was the question, so planning had to bed sped up in order for them to be prepared. With a Hydra agent joining them in the coming days, this left Skye more anxious about the entire operation she had.
However other things floated around her mind that she was unwilling to share. As she continued to sit there absently looking at the glass in her hand and May's scrutinizing gaze on her, Skye decided it wouldn't kill her to say what was on her mind. Though she would focus on the baseline of the upcoming operation for now. Identify more Hydra agents, tag the known ones and wait. The rest of the plan had so many scenarios with nothing concrete, it actually gave Skye headache thinking about all the different situation and outcomes.
"I'm afraid," whispered Skye as she removed her hand from the glass, "There are so many different outcomes that we haven't even considered yet. All we have now is to tag agents and wait. It's likely they will reveal themselves soon which will cause a whole mess of problems."
May nodded as she took a seat, "So you're afraid of the unknown?"
Skye shook her head, "I think it's more than that. If things go well, we all get out alive and Hydra is taken down with little fight. If things go wrong, anyone can die, Hydra could rise to power and, and…"
"They would take you away," May supplemented with a knowing look.
Skye looked up at May then, her brown eyes glazed over with fearful tears. Wade and Hydra may have served different causes, but they could not have been more alike when it came to methods to getting what they wanted. For all Skye knew, Wade could have branched from Hydra or the other way around depending on years and foundations that she wasn't sure of.
It terrified the young woman to think that if Hydra gets away and rises to power, they will no doubt try to use her to and she would fight them until she had no fight left in her. They would kill anyone and everyone who stood in their way, Skye would likely help them and the thought horrified her. Hadn't she already done enough damage to people? Weren't Akela, Deathlock, Miles, Fitz and so many others enough? How many more people could she damage?
"Skye," May started, but the hacker stood up sharply.
"Don't say anything," Skye said sharply, "I don't need reassurance, I just need this nightmare to end."
May stood before the young woman with an understanding expression. Over time May had found herself very attached to the girl standing in front of her, she was a good person who just happened to have a horrible lot in life. If there was anything May could have done to protect her, she would have done it in a heartbeat.
Studying Skye, May realized that for the first time in ages Skye actually looked her age. No longer was the brilliant mind and mature persona that screamed experience and knowledge. Gone was the passive and goofy girl who was clinging to the past. Here was a young woman who carried the weight of the world on her scarred shoulders.
Skye wore a tank top exposing some of the scars that Wade, foster homes and clients had left on her. May couldn't imagine what other psychological scars covered Skye, but she hoped that none would hurt her anymore than they already had. There was so much cruelty in the world that Skye had to witness, it caused white hot rage to fill May at the thought of this girl facing it all alone.
"I make no promises for the future," May said softly, "But I will do everything in my power to be there for you. Coulson, Fitzsimmons, agent Morse, we have your back. Focus on the present, we will get through this."
Skye glanced away from May, "You don't know that. My plan could explode in our faces, everyone and everything could be lost and- gah just who knows."
"No one of us know, but we can do our best to be prepared," May told her with a knowing look.
"Perhaps," Skye admitted gently, "I don't know May. These plans we have could lead us nowhere and I don't want you or the others to get hurt because you trusted me."
May placed her hands on Skye's shoulders, "Listen to me Skye. You are a brilliant girl who can get out of most situations with only a few moments of thought. If anyone can help all of us, it is you. Is that too much pressure for someone so young? Probably, but here we are. Trust in your abilities and have faith that we will work through the obstacles and get out of this together."
"I haven't really been one for faith," Skye sighed.
"First time for everything," was all May said.
Skye nodded her head slowly, she swallowed a lump in her throat as her fears came washing over her. Despite herself, the tears fell down her cheeks as she struggled to keep the cries she wanted to release at bay. May took Skye's wrist in her hand and guided her away from the common rooms. The senior agent lead Skye to the van downstairs, that had been sitting in the hangar for the past couple of days.
Skye climbed into the car without question, her younger self had always loved the safety being in a vehicle provided her. Though she could never understand why, she never questioned it. Cars were one of the few things that brought her peace, she didn't want to lose that by thinking too much into it for fear she may not like what she finds. Some things were better left unknown.
"I'll be right out here if you need anything," May told the younger woman.
Skye said nothing, she nodded as May closed the door leaving Skye to herself as she cried.
She had no idea how much time passed, it could have been some minutes or maybe even hours that she had stayed in this car with tear stained cheeks and a hoarse throat. The only thing that alerted her to the passing time was seeing May leave and another figure take her place. At first she thought it was Ward, but upon closer inspection she couldn't tell who it was with their back to her and her vision already blurred from the tears. For a little while she ignore the person, until the door on her opened to reveal a somewhat familiar face.
"Darien," asked Skye with slightly widened eyes.
He offered her a gentle smile, "Hey little sister. What are you doing in here?"
If not for the onslaught of emotions, Skye would have laughed at him. That was what he decided to ask after all this time. The pair had a little less than a handful of conversations since her return to the living. They never spoke of anything about them, it always about what was going on. His mission of dismantling Wade, or her missions going on here or Hydra or the symbols from the obelisk. They never really spoke about anything in regards to their relationship.
Skye sniffed, turning her attention to her hands, "Having a mental break down."
"Looks that way," commented Darien as he slid into the back seat beside her, closing the door behind him.
"Why are you here," Skye decided to ask.
She wanted to be happy that he was here, but she was angry. For years he was just the boy down the hall, the one who always wore a grey shirt. Why didn't he ever say anything? Or send some type of sign to her? Why couldn't she remember him before when he so clearly remembered her?
"You saw my card and I came to check on you," answered Darien, Skye knew that was a lie.
Skye leaned back in her seat, "No you didn't. Why are you really here?"
Skye looked at Darien and studied his face with a challenge in her eyes. She almost wanted him to lie to her again, to for a moment listen to the falsehood that he was here for her benefit. It wasn't true. Odds are, he probably didn't give a shit about her. That thought stung more than she would ever admit.
Darien answered smoothly, "To tell you a story. About our origins."
Skye raised an eyebrow, "Why would I be interested in that? Why come tell me this now?"
"Because I can tell you're unhappy with me Daisy," Darien explained ignoring the wince on her face at the use of her birth name, "I want to shed some light on the subject and it will explain why I'm here. You can't remember our origins because I blocked them from you."
Skye made a face, "What do you mean you blocked them?"
Darien sighed heavily, "I was trying to protect you. I pushed the memories of our lives before, of mom and dad and myself in order to keep the truth from you."
"What would hiding our past do for me," asked Skye leaning closer to him with an angry expression.
"To keep the pain away," Darien answered.
Skye laughed bitterly, "Ignorance isn't bliss Darien."
Darien puffed his cheeks, but relented, "In some cases no it isn't. That's part of the reason I'm here now, to show you."
He lifted his hand, pressed his index finger and middle finger to the center of her forehead. Warmth spread throughout her body before darkness clouded her vision until all she could see was the void. Her heart started racing faster in panic, what was happening? While she knew she was still in the van with Darien and was away of the pressure of his fingers on her forehead, she was still unsure.
It was just darkness, her standing in nothing, but darkness without being able to see anything except herself. She was wearing old blue jeans with a purple plaid jacket that had grey sleeves. She wrapped her arms around her stomach as more questions raced through her mind, then she heard Darien's voice echo around her.
I'll explain more when I get there.
Before Skye could answer him, she heard the sounds of an infant crying and a small child screaming. Skye turned around to see two figures, a infant that appeared to be floating in mid-air wrapped in a blanket crying while a little boy stood further away screaming with an arm raised in a high position, as if someone was holding his arm.
Voices muddled together, she couldn't make out much of what they were saying only a few words here and there. Words such as 'this time' or 'Zabo' and 'blue blood'.
"What the hell is going on," Skye asked looking around the darkness, still seeing nothing, but the two children.
Darien materialized beside her, his appearance the same except for his eyes. Here they were the same brown as her own.
"We're in a... mind field of sorts," said Darien, though he looked uncertain, "I'm going to show you some things. It will add to the story. Dramatic effect."
Skye said nothing in response.
"Our parents spent most of their lives in the shadows," Darien explained as the children faded away, replaced by a Caucasian man with light eyes and a Chinese woman with wavy hair, "Our dad grew up in America, he was a doctor above and underground. Our mom was studying to be a doctor as cover, in reality she was a record keeper of a secret society that I will get to later. There was a program about doctors between borders or something like that and our dad came over to where our mother was in China. The two met, one thing lead to another and they fell in love."
Skye watched as her 'parents' wrapped their arms around each other, before dancing through the darkness as if it weren't there. Her heart ached at the sight of them, she felt as if she should know them better than she did. As if she did really know them, but only as a stranger would know a friend from childhood.
"Our father not only worked as a doctor, but also as a scientist who was borderline obsessed with making humans stronger and immune to poisons, diseases or whatever he could think of," said Darien with a bitter tone, "His intentions may have been good, and he never did experiment on anyone except himself, but still. IT was twisted."
Their father stood alone at a desk, several vials and bottles of colored liquids scattered with several books and papers that Skye couldn't make out from where she stood. The man before them looked the same, but with a slightly more frantic look about him. He faded away and was replaced by their mother who stood looking as young and radiant as she did in the first mirage. She stood there wearing a red kimono with gold and black lines swirling all around it in vine like designs.
"Our mother was an inhuman with the gift of longevity. I have no idea how old she actually is, but I know she is at least a couple centuries old. It was her job to keep inhuman traditions alive, elders would give their lives to her so she could continue living and passing along the traditions," Darien explained as the scene changed to their mother draining the life from an older couple, "Our mother had been prisoner of Hydra long before she met our dad, but even when she did get free thanks to SHIELD, it was not the last time she would see them."
Alone in the darkness now stood someone Skye had not been expecting, two people actually she wasn't prepared to see. Dr Whitehall and Boss.
"What are they doing here," questioned Skye as she took a slight step back.
Darien gestured to them, "Dr Whitehall had been on the hunt for anyone who could get a positive reaction to the obelisk, he found mom one day before the fall of Hydra and she was the only one of thousands to not lose her life to the object. Boss there had an interest in improving the human race, he found dad and the two had somewhat of a partnership. Boss funding him mostly."
Skye looked up at Darien, "What happened? When do we come into this?"
"You see Daisy, Boss was annoyed with the lack of progress being made by our father, so when he found out mom was pregnant with me, he jumped on the opportunity to, to" Darien took a shaky breath, unsure of how to continue, "get back at his puppet doctor. He took me away after I was born, locked mom up somewhere and used some of dad's elixirs on me. It was only because of the stuff dad had in his system that he was able to break me and mom out of there. Nothing dad could do would help me, so... mom put me through Terrigenesis."
"What," Skye screeched in horror, "You were a newborn, that would kill you. A child could barely handle the effects of the mist, how could an infant?"
Darien didn't answer right away. His attention was focused ahead forcing Skye to look forward as well. She watched as her parents kneeled over what looked like a statue of an infant. It took a few a moments, but the statue broke revealing their infant son who's brown eyes were gone and replaced with clear grey ones.
"I was dying anyway," hissed Darien after the scene faded from view, "They were lucky, I was lucky. The mist worked for the most part, it altered my DNA. Our parents knew staying would mean more danger, so they tried to run only to be stopped by Boss. He and dad made a deal."
"What was the deal," asked Skye staring at Boss who stood before her father.
"Dad had to work more on his research and stuff, if he continued to have less than positive results, it was mom and I who paid the price. Plus he got to observe me and my abilities as I grew older," Darien said sadly, "I possess the ability to tap into people's essence, not just their head and emotions, but if I try I can see into their soul."
Skye asked softly, "That's your gift then? A form of telepathy?"
"In a manner of speaking," commented Darien sourly, "Odds are it wasn't supposed to be, but all the stuff in my system must have messed me up enough that terrigenesis couldn't fix me entirely or maybe it did and we never realized it."
"Okay. What happened when I came," Skye questioned next.
Darien looked away from her to the scene he created, it was Boss and his still pregnant mother fighting each other. His mother efforts were in vain, but he was pleased to see she had put up a good fight.
"Boss knew mom was pregnant again, instead of waiting for you to be born he would come by every other week and inject mom with something our father created in the labs," Darien said as he changed the scene to his mother sitting in a chair as Boss held a syringe to her arm.
"And she just let him," Skye asked with a look of hurt on her face.
While Darien would have loved to make the woman look bad, he knew he couldn't let his present opinion interfere with who she was in the past for the sake of Daisy at least knowing who her parents once were. He sighed heavily.
"It wasn't that she let him do anything," Darien said slowly, "It was more of if she didn't I would tortured. Plus she trusted our father, after the incident with my injections, he made sure everything was for the most part safer than before. Mom also hoped that her healing abilities would have protected you."
Darien changed the scene where his mother is on the floor with tears in her eyes as she stared at the men who held her newborn daughter, "The first thing I showed you was the crying newborn and screaming boy, that was your birthday. Boss showed up when you were born along with some muscle and believe it or not, a young Derek."
Skye frowned in confusion, "Why was he injecting us with da... with dad's things?"
Darien shrugged his shoulders as the images disappeared, "To mess with our father or maybe he had his own agenda."
"This doesn't make any sense Darien," huffed Skye as she stared at him annoyed, "You are horrible at storytelling."
"I'm not done yet," said Darien with an eye roll, "After you were born, they took you and mom away leaving me and dad behind." Skye studied her brother as he swallowed the lump in his throat before continuing the story, "Boss handed mom over to Whitehall. He was surprised to see her again looking exactly the same as before. Whitehall dissected our mother, he cut her open and then left her for dead in the woods. Dad, he found her and stitched her back up while I wasn't allowed near her. A village was massacred in order for our mother to heal. Once mom was healed, she went after you despite dad trying to stop her and go himself. Someone had to stay with me here, it ended up being dad…. Mom was gone for a week, but she did return with you in her arms."
The images faded in and out. A woman covered in dirt, blood and leaves was being cradled in the arms of her father, tears falling down his cheeks as he kissed her forehead. A young Darien standing off to the side watching as his father worked to revive his mother. Countless dead bodies scattered around as their mood stood at the center with a dark look on her face. Her mother, who was covered in scars, standing with a small baby in her arms and a cold look in her once warm eyes.
"Did Boss do anything else to me," Skye asked hesitantly.
Darien nodded absently, "Yeah. According to mom he did a lot of stuff to you, all from dad's crazy concoctions."
"And they didn't put me through the mist," Skye asked with a frown, "Why not?"
Darien chuckled bitterly, "They considered it, but they were worried. I was a mess Daisy, a disaster of a child with outbursts of power. I accidentally caused our dad to forget who we all were for days until I finally fixed it. It was luck that I didn't go insane like the others who lost their mind when they went through the transformation at such a young age. Our parents weren't going to risk it on you just yet."
Skye inhaled before asking, "What happened next?"
"Dad packed us up. He managed to get us out of their and we moved to America, luckily without a trace for years," sighed Darien with a small smile.
Images of a growing Darien and Daisy playing around with their parents filled the darkness, all over were happy and sad memories of the family Skye could hardly remember. Hot tears slipped down her cheeks, a mixture of sadness and happiness filled her. These memories were so happy and she wished she still had them, she wished this would have been her life. Why did life have to be so cruel? The little girl called Daisy looked so happy with her parents and brother, she looked like a completely different person than who she would turn out to be. It broke Skye's heart just a little more.
"Those were some good times… A shame it couldn't last," Darien whispered as all the images faded away, "You know the rest. There was an accident, we were taken away and mom and dad were taken elsewhere. Now we're all scattered and-"
"Wait, they're alive," Skye said whipping herself around to look at Darien, "How do you know?"
Darien's expression turned sour and darkened, "Listen carefully. Yes, our parents are alive and no, I won't take you to them."
It was as if someone had poured ice cold water all over Skye. Her shoulders fell as she stared at him in confusion and hurt. Not only did Darien know where her parents were, but he wasn't going to tell her?
Skye shook her head, "No. Where are they? Take me to them now."
"That would not be a good idea," Darien warned her with narrowed eyes.
Skye hissed angrily, "I don't care. I've only recently been able to recall anything about them because you kept their memory hidden from me with your gift for years! Now you're telling me that they are alive and you won't take me to them, implying you know exactly where they are."
Darien bit his lip, "Our dad is on the verge of a mental breakdown and our mother is a heartless bitch. You shouldn't see them that way."
"I've never seen them in any way," Skye growled, her fists clenched at her sides, "You're going to take me to them. Stop trying to protect me from this, wasn't that the whole point of you coming here and telling this story?"
"The point of me telling you was for you to know," Darien said not meeting her gaze.
Skye huffed, "That's not good enough. Where are our parents?"
Darien sighed, "If you really want me to take you to them, you would have to halt your operation against Hydra. All of it would have to come to a pause."
"What, why," Skye asked in surprise and concern.
"Do you trust me," Darien asked her.
Skye crossed her arms over her chest, "Debatable."
Darien chuckled, "Cheeky girl. You want to see mom and dad?"
Skye nodded.
"Then push back the operation, we leave in two days."