Chapter 21
Disclaimer: I do not own anything. Everything belongs to their rightful owners and I am not making any profit from this.
AN: Thank you to all who have added to alerts, read, reviewed or any combination of the three. It means a lot to me.
AN2: Thank you so much for your support of this story. I really loved this chapter so I hope you do too.
THANK YOU SO MUCH TO STARFIRE25 WHO EDITED THIS CHAPTER FOR ME
"We got to go." Bucky says, "Tripp you okay?" Bucky asks and he receives no answer, "Antoine?" He asks worried and he finds that Tripp is unconscious and due to likely a combination of the force of the explosion and the fact that he threw Tripp forward he has a cut on his head, "Come on Antoine, wake up." Bucky says as checks Tripp's pulse and is relieved to find that he has one and that his breathing seems okay, "Okay, I've got to get both of you out of here." Bucky says to Skye and Tripp as he hears sirens in the distance.
Knowing that he doesn't have another choice and being thankful for his strength Bucky, picks up their weapons that are around and clips them to different places in his armour because he knows enough to know that they would be dangerous in anyone else's hands. Once the weapons are secure he puts Tripp over his shoulder with the fireman carry and he carefully picks up Skye, being careful of her legs because he doesn't want to make what he assumes are serious injuries worse and makes his way back to the car.
Twenty minutes after he picked up both Skye and Tripp Bucky is driving them back to the tower. Skye is laying in the back and Tripp is laying in the passenger seat, both of them are still unconscious and that fact seriously worries Bucky.
As he drives through the streets of New York Bucky just thinks about how much he wants a sign that they are okay, that he just wants them both to wake up.
For several minutes Bucky continues to drive as he does he realises that one good thing is that he doesn't think he is being followed.
"Skye? Tripp? Bucky?" Simmons's voice asks and Bucky realises just how close he is to the tower.
"Simmons?" Bucky asks.
"Oh thanks heavens." Simmons relieved voice says.
"Are you okay?" Fitz's worried voice asks.
"Are you hurt?" Simmons asks.
"Both Tripp and Skye are unconscious." Bucky answers.
"Do you know what their injuries are?" Simmons asks going into doctor mode.
"Apart from a few cuts and bruises Tripp seemed fine until the second explosion, I think, judging by the cut on his head, that a combination of the force of the explosion and the fact that I may have used a bit too much force to try and get him out of the way of the explosion may have caused a minor head injury." Bucky explains, "And we all definitely have smoke inhalation." Bucky explains, "I'm pulling into the Tower now." Bucky reveals.
"We see you." Simmons responds and Bucky sees them too, standing inside of the garage with a gurney is Fitz and Simmons.
"You didn't mention Skye, how is she?" Simmons asks as Bucky gets out of the car.
"She was briefly awake after the second explosion but she was unconscious for five minutes and pinned by a concrete pillar from the fist." Bucky explains, "She likely has major crush injuries in her legs." He explains.
"Have you had medial training?" Simmons asks curious as she and Fitz wheel the gurney over.
"Just the basic training I got in the army but I've just picked a few things up over the years." Bucky answers.
"What about you?" Fitz asks, "Are you hurt?"
"I'm fine, just focus on them." Bucky tells them.
"I want to check those cuts." Simmons informs Bucky referring to the pretty deep cuts that Bucky has on both his non-metal arm and face.
"Its fine, I heal quickly." Bucky responds, "Who do you want on the gurney and who do you want me to carry?" Bucky asks.
"With the potential head injury Tripp on the gurney." Simmons answers, "Can you carry Skye without moving her legs to much?" Simmons asks and Bucky nods.
"I'll get Tripp out of the car." Bucky says and being as careful as possible he lifts Tripp out of the car and carefully places him on the gurney. Once he has done that he picks up Skye and the five people, two of them unconscious leave the garage.
"Put her on the second table." Fitz says to Bucky as they enter the medical lab a few minutes later.
As Simmons rolls Tripp over to the middle of the room Bucky places Skye on the other medical table which is off to the left, and the second he is no longer holding her, he start to cough and Fitz starts to connect different machines to Skye.
"What can I do?" Bucky asks.
"Sit down." Fitz and Simmons say together.
"No, let me help." Bucky request and he once more starts to cough, being in a smoky warehouse for as long as he was finally starting to catch up to him.
"Sit down over here and put this on." Simmons says forcefully as she connects up an oxygen mask.
"I'd listen to her." Fitz advices and Bucky realises that he is probably right so he walks over and sits down on the chair which is in the space between Skye and Tripp's beds.
"Her oxygen levels are low." Fitz says several minutes later once Bucky is sitting on the chair with an oxygen mask on and Simmons is checking Tripp.
"So are his." Simmons says, "This wound isn't serious my best guess that between the force of the explosion and the low oxygen levels and high CO2 levels he's going to be out for several hours." Simmons says as she places an oxygen mask over Tripp's face, "I'll do a scan on his head to be sure." She tells the other two who nod.
"I'll do scans on Skye." Fitz says and it is in that moment that two of them are very thankful that after the fall of shield when Pepper and Maria pointed out that them going to the hospital when they are hurt isn't something that they could do often Tony invested in quite a bit of high quality medical equipment for the tower.
For the next twenty minutes Fitz and Simmons runs the test that they need to run while Bucky just sits in the chair with the oxygen mask on, he would do more but every time he moves slightly Simmons glares at him.
"I was right about the head injury, it's not serious." Simmons informs the Fitz and Bucky, "He is unconscious due to the smoke inhalation and the amount of CO2 and carbon monoxide in his blood." Simmons explains, "I would say that within the next five to six hours he should be awake." Simmons explains, "You're lucky that none of you have serious burns." She tells Bucky.
"Jemma, come have a look at these." Fitz request referring to Skye's x-rays.
"What's wrong?" Bucky asks worried, removing the mask and walking over to Fitz and Simmons.
"You said that Skye's legs were crushed by a pillar?" Simmons asks Bucky glaring at him for taking of the oxygen mask which he ignores.
"Yeah, it was heavy, Tripp couldn't lift it." Bucky explains.
"Then I would have to say that she is incredibly lucky." Simmons reveals, sounding relieved as she puts the x-rays down.
"How bad is it?" Bucky asks.
"She has a couple of fractures in each leg, I've got to put casts on them both but she should only need them for a couple of weeks." Simmons says as she picks up the tablet that has all Skye's information from the machines that are monitoring her, "Judging by her levels I would say that Skye will be unconscious for at least seven hours, potently longer if you include the exhaustion from her power use" Simmons explains and she turns to Fitz, "Can you treat Bucky's cuts while I do the casts on Skye's legs?" She asks and Fitz nods.
"No need, like I said I heal fast." Bucky tells her.
"They still need to be cleaned." Simmons tells him, "So you will sit down and put that oxygen mask back on your face and let Fitz treat your injuries, am I clear?" Simmons asks sounding more forceful than Bucky has heard her in the time that he has known her.
"Yes Ma'am." Bucky says sitting back down.
"Good." Simmons says and she starts to prepare what she needs while Fitz prepares what he needs and Bucky puts the oxygen mask back on.
Due to the fact that Skye is person who seems to get injured the most she keeps a more comfortable pair of clothes, which are a couple of sizes too big for her, in the medical lab just in case. Because she knows that she has to remove Skye's pants and boots to treat her legs, Simmons puts curtains up around Skye's bed and collects the pair of sweat pants that Skye keeps in the medical lab which she will put on Skye once she has put the casts on.
For the first time in a few days Skye is having a truly good dream but suddenly it is interrupted by an overwhelming feeling that her family needs her and that she has to do whatever it takes to wake up.
It has been forty minutes since Simmons finished putting Skye's leg's in casts and in that forty minutes Bucky has been filling Fitz and Simmons in on what happened with them.
"And you haven't heard from them since?" Bucky asks Fitz and Simmons.
"No." Fitz answers.
"Something's wrong." Bucky tells them absolutely no hesitation in his voice.
"How do you know?" Simmons asks.
"Because I know Steve and I know that if he could he would have called every five minutes for an update." Bucky explains, "And from what I've seen in the last few weeks Coulson and May would too." Bucky points out.
"You're right, they would." Simmons says exchanging a look with Fitz, "Something's happened." She comments.
"Now the question is how do we find out what?" Fitz asks and all a sudden they hear coughing from Skye and they look at her to see that she is awake and removing her oxygen mask,
"James? Tonio?" Skye asks in a hoarse voice, causing Fitz, Simmons and Bucky to rush to her side.
"We're fine, we're both fine." Bucky assures Skye being the first one to reach her, "I thought you said she wouldn't be up for seven hours." Bucky says to Simmons.
"She shouldn't be, not with what the levels of chemicals are in her blood." Simmons informs Bucky as she checks the tablet.
"She is right here and can hear you." Skye says pulling herself up a bit so that she is sitting a bit, "It's amazing what I can do when I know my family needs me thanks to my powers." Skye explains and then she spots Tripp, "I thought you said he was fine." Skye says to Bucky.
"He is." Bucky, Fitz and Simmons say together,
"He'll wake in a few hours." Simmons tells her sister, "How are you awake? And what do you mean your family needs you?" Simmons asks.
"I got a wave of knowledge when I was unconscious telling me that my family needs me and why they do." Skye explains, "So I basically used my power to electrocute myself so I would wake up." Skye explains as she moves her legs with her arms so that they are hanging over the edge of the bed, "I've got to get to The War Room." She tells them.
"You're not going anywhere." Simmons tells her, "You can't."
"I have to." Skye tells Simmons stressing the have.
"Why?" Bucky asks calmly, "What's going on."
Skye looks at the three people who are standing around her and she realises that she isn't going anywhere without an explanation, "Grace Pierce sent all the fake intel she had that blamed us for the bombings to Congress, as we speak everyone we all care about are doing their best to defend themselves against fake intel." Skye explains.
"But the bombings didn't happen." Fitz says.
"Doesn't matter." Skye explains, "They have been waiting for an opportunity like this for months and now they have got one. They are being railroaded and I've got to stop it, I'm the only one who can and that's only because they are scared of me." Skye explains.
"Why are they scared of you?" Simmons asks.
"Because knowledge is power." Skye says simply finally understanding the meaning of what Jessica told her when her heart stopped beating weeks ago, "They are not scared of me exactly, they are scared of what I know." She explains, "I need to get to the War Room," Skye says attempting to stand, but she screams out in pain instead the second she puts weight on her legs, and Bucky catches her to keep her from falling and once she is steady he helps her to sit back on the bed.
"It's doesn't look like you're able to go anywhere." Fitz comments.
"There could be stupider things I could do." Skye mutters though it is loud enough so that the other three heard her. Before anyone has a chance to ask what she is doing, or stop her Skye has reached down and put her hands just above the casts on her legs and the others see a tiny bit of blue white light go from her hands into her legs.
"What did you just do?" Simmons asks.
"Short circuited my pain receptors." Skye explains, "I'm still hurt, but I don't feel it." Skye says as she attempts to stand up again, this time Bucky holds her until she is steady, but she doesn't scream "I need to do this and I need your help." Skye says looking at Bucky.
"You've got it." Bucky tells her.
"I know that this is stupid, but I don't have a better idea and we don't have enough time figure out a better one." Skye tell Fitz and Simmons.
"Go." Fitz says seeing how serious she is.
"Bucky help her to walk as much as possible." Simmons requests, "I want you to put as little weight on those legs as possible." Simmons instructs and Skye nods.
"Lean on me." Bucky says putting his arm around Skye once he gets her nod saying that it is okay.
"We need to stop by the lounge room on our way." Skye says and Bucky nods as the pair make their way out of the Lab, Skye leaning against Bucky as they do.
Five minutes later after stopping at the lounge room to collect Skye's laptop Skye and Bucky arrive in The War Room.
"Over there." Skye says pointing to where there is a PC set up which is connected to the large screen, "I created this for a different purpose but this is more important." Skye says as she starts working on her laptop which she has set up in front of the computer and is now quickly typing on it.
"What are you doing?" Bucky asks.
"Several things." Skye answers, "For the last week I've been working on something to hide my location when I hack into something, I created it for a different purpose but once I finish tweaking it should work for this purpose." Skye explains as she continues to hurriedly type, "Jarvis are all the main and backup mazes active?" Skye asks.
"Yes Miss Coulson." Jarvis responds.
"Good." Skye responds, "Now I am hacking Congress's internal video feed but thanks to the fact that Uncle Tony has done it before I have a way in and should only take a few…. done." Skye says, "I'm in but they don't know it yet." Skye reveal, "Okay, this part I need your help for." Skye tells Bucky.
"I don't know how to use computers." Bucky tells Skye.
"It's simple, I just need you to press this button when I say so." Skye says pointing to the enter key, "And press it again when I give you the signal." Skye explains.
"What's the signal?" Bucky asks.
"This." Skye says as she moves her hand from side to side in a cutting motion, "Okay everything is in place." Skye says and with extreme difficulty she walks over so that she is standing behind the table in front of the video screen, "This will have to do." Skye says glad that even though she looks quite professional thanks to her mission jacket and tank top she is wearing that the sweat pants are hidden by the table.
"You could sit." Bucky suggest.
"Nah, I look more powerful standing." Skye tells him.
"Until you fall over." Bucky points out.
"Gee thanks." Skye says sarcastically.
"Just saying, it is a possibility." Bucky responds.
"Jarvis I need you to be silent while this video call is in place, no exceptions." Skye requests, not liking that she has to do it but knowing that she has to.
"Yes Miss Coulson." Jarvis responds.
"Now James." Skye requests and Bucky presses enter and within a second the screen on the video screen shows the inside of the Congress hearing room and Skye knows that they can now see her.
"Good Evening members of Congress." Skye says and she is amused that she managed to scare several of the members, and every single member of her family have a smile on their face either from relief that she seems okay or amusement over what she is doing, and though she isn't positive she is pretty sure that Tony's smile is that of pride, like he knows what she is going to do.
"Who are you?" The most senior member of the panel asks though it is clear by the look on his face that he knows exactly who she is, something that she isn't surprised about.
"You know who I am Sir, but because you need me to say it I will, my name is May Skye Philippa Coulson, and don't bother trying to trace my location because you won't find it so you might as well save yourself the time and effort." Skye says and as he watches her speak Bucky is impressed of how she isn't even giving away the slightest hint that she is standing on two fractured legs.
"I think it is for us to decide what is worth our problem." The most senior member informs her, "What reason do you have for illegally hacking into a secure government feed?" The man asks her.
"To stop you from making a horrible mistake." Skye responds.
"Excuse me?" The member asks clearly insulted.
"The information you received early this evening is false. The people sitting before you weren't apart of any plan to set off bombs at Federal Agencies and Police stations in New York. It was Hydra's plan and they sent you the information to get you to deal with their biggest opponents the only people who can stop them, the people sitting before you. Hydra's plan has been foiled, innocent people have been saved, and you should be thanking the people sitting before you not crucifying them." Skye tells Congress.
"And we're just supposed to believe you on that are we?" Another member of congress asks.
"You should, and you know it because you all know what I can do. But I get it, you want proof." Skye says, "And I'm going to give it to you, Deputy Director of the CIA Harvey Jones, Senior NSA analyst Frank George, ADA of Washington DC, Anthony Cabot, Senator George Ridley." Skye tells Congress.
"Who are those people?" one of the members of congress who has been silent up until now ask.
"They are Hydra sleeper agents Ma'am." Skye answers, "Their identities were so hidden that they weren't in any information that has been discovered before. Hidden in their respective offices you will find the proof you want." Skye tells them.
"You're prepared to give us names of all Hydra agents." The senior member asks.
"No." Skye responds.
"Why not?" The member asks surprised, "I thought stopping Hydra is what you would have wanted." He comments.
"It is." Skye answers, "But I won't be a part of the way you are planning to do it." Skye inform Congress, "You don't care about all the innocent lives that will be lost if you do it your way. Hydra needs to be stopped no one knows that more than me because I know exactly what they have done, and I know what they will do, and yes I can't let that happen, but to stop them I won't let innocent people die, I won't." Skye tells Congress.
"Casualties are a part of war even your Captain America understands that and accepts it." One of the Congress members say.
"I understand it but I do not, nor will I ever accept it." Steve's voice says.
"No death is acceptable." Skye says, "The deaths that occurred tonight to prevent these attacks aren't acceptable, which is why every measure was taken to avoid harm." Skye informs Congress knowing that they will find out soon so there is no point hiding from them, "No death is okay, the loss of innocent life shouldn't be the price we pay for peace or freedom. I can't accept that saying 'collateral damage' makes the loss of life okay, I won't, and that's exactly what is going to happen if I give you the names of Hydra Members, people will die, and I can't accept that and you know what, you shouldn't either. if you do, if you think it's okay, if you don't care, then you're just as bad as them, because caring about people, about what happens to them, about the consequences of our actions, is what makes us different." Skye says.
"How dare you." One of the members say angrily, "You were S.H.I.E.L.D. You let Hydra grow right under your nose. You should have realised sooner what is going on, you and the rest of your organization is to blame for everything they do."
"You're right I should have seen it coming." Skye admits, "But I'm going to explain to you something that you clearly don't realise, not everyone in S.H.I.E.L.D is Hydra and not everyone in Hydra was S.H.I.E.L.D." Skye informs Congress, "When S.H.I.E.L.D was founding it had a goal and that was protection, to be the shield that the public needed, that it still needs whether you want to admit it or not." Skye tells congress, "S.H.I.E.L.D started out as something great and yes over time it was corrupted, but that doesn't change what S.H.E.L.D stands for and it doesn't change the fact that there are still those of us who believe in those ideals, who want to re build, to do the right thing, to once more be the shield, to be what it always should have been, what we believed it to be, and you're stopping us." Skye says and as she says it she realises she's sounding a lot like her Dad, which isn't a bad thing.
"You want to answer to nobody, that's what this is about, you want to be able to do whatever you want with no consequences under the claim of protection." A congress member tells Skye.
"You're wrong." Skye says simply, "We do answer to someone .We answer to each other and we answer to ever other S.H.I.E.L.D agent who came before us, those who died to uphold the oath that we all swore, that gave their whole lives in the service of protection." Skye tells them, "You know that what I am saying is true and you know that the world needs a shield, but not as what it became, but as what Peggy Carter and Howard Stark started it to be, what they hoped it would always be, what we believe it can be again, and you know that we are the best qualified, the most willing, and the only ones with the resources to do it." Skye tells congress.
"You have a week." The senior congress member says.
"Excuse me?" Skye asks actually confused, doing her best not to look over a Bucky to see if he has a better idea of what just happened.
"In exactly one week you, May Skye Philippa Coulson will present to congress your plan for the rebuilding of SHIELD and you will include all policies and procedures of this new SHIELD as well as the names of the new Directors and other agents" The Senior Congress member tells Skye who is now completely shocked, "You say you are the best qualified to protect the public, it's time for you to prove it."
Skye is about to start to object but as she looks at the part of the screen where he family is sitting she sees that they are all telling her with the tensest gestures, ones that you would only notice if you know them, not to argue, so she listens.
"Yes Sir." Skye says managing to get past enough of her shock to speak, the support of her family meaning everything to her, "I'll do it, but you're going to let Anthony Stark, Virginia Potts, Maria Hill, Jonathan Garrett, Philip Coulson, Melinda May, Steven Rogers, Bruce Banner, Natasha Romanoff, Clinton Barton, Sharon Carter, James Rhodes, and Samuel Wilson go." Skye informs Congress, "You had no right to bring them in the way you did and you will let them go now." Skye requests, finding more confidence even though with every minute that pasts she is finding it more difficult to stand, even with her power helping her In that department.
"We still have questions for them, their activities and actions are still in question." The senior member informs Skye.
"No they're not." Skye tells them, "You know everything you need to know, you know that the actions of those who sit before you saved lives, which is what they all dedicated their lives to. They haven't done anything wrong and you're going to stop treating them like they have." Skye says.
"Miss Coulson you may be under the mistaken impression that we answer to you, but we don't. You answer to us." The only congress member who has been quite for the whole time says.
"You're right you don't answer to me, but you're forgetting something, I know everything." Skye says and the colour noticeably drains from every council member's face, "You might want to keep that in mind." Skye says, "Because I will come before you next week and I will jump through the hoops you want me to in order to rebuild S.H.I.E.L.D, because that is worth whatever you put me through, but you should never forget what power I have." Skye says, "Which reminds me while where on the subject, while I am impressed with the fact that you used a phrase from Doctor Who to hide it, destroy what's in the Mauve Bunker, it won't do any good it will just cause harm." Skye says and every one of the council members faces get even paler and Skye's family exchange confused looks, "You are going to let my family go, with full apologies, and I will see you next week." Skye says as she signals to Bucky to cut the connection, the second he does she collapses but Bucky manages to catch her before she hits the ground.
"You did fall." Bucky says to her as he does.
"I told you so's really?" Skye asks amused.
"You do realises that you just threatened the American Government don't you?" Bucky asks curious as he helps Skye so that she is standing upright.
"I didn't mean to." Skye says in a sheepish voice, "It just kind of came out." Skye explains.
"Well, I've got to say, nice speech Miss Coulson." Bucky tells her.
"Thank you Mr Barnes." Skye says back as looks at him right in the eyes and he looks right back.
"Right, um, so how much of that was planned?" Bucky says about a minute later when he realises that the have been just staring at each other without saying anything for a while.
"Very little." Skye responds, "Hence the whole, threatening the government thing, oh god I threatened the government." Skye says the realisation finally catching up with her and she removes herself form Bucky's arms which she is still in "Oh god, oh god, what did I do?" Skye asks panic clear as she attempts to pace.
"Hey, look at me." Bucky says and Skye looks back at Bucky and once more looks at him in the eyes, "You did well, from what I know you said exactly what they needed to hear." Bucky tells her, "You might have been able to do it without the threat but, it wouldn't have been the same, and I might not have known Peggy and Howard as well as Steve did, but I know without a doubt that what you just said is exactly what they would have wanted" Bucky tells Skye and without a word Skye hobbles over to him and hugs him.
"Thank you." Skye tells him.
"Any time." Bucky responds, and Skye smiles at him and he smiles back. This occurs for about a minute until Skye starts to cough and for several minutes it doesn't seem like she is going to stop.
"Are you alright?" Bucky asks concerned when she finally does.
"No, I really shouldn't be awake." Skye explains, "My body's not ready for me to be." She tells Bucky, "In fact if I wasn't internally shocking myself with my power I wouldn't have even made it through the first minute of that call." Skye explains.
"Was that smart?" Bucky asks concerned.
"No, but a lot of what I do isn't." Skye admits, as she squeezes her eyes closed and then opens them again.
"We've got to get you back to medical." Bucky tells Skye.
"I know, Jem needs to obsess over me." Skye says and Bucky notices that even though he is still basically holding her she is shaking a lot more, "I'll be okay, stop looking at me like that." Skye says when she notices the way that Bucky is looking at her.
"And I believe you, but you're not at the moment." Bucky tells her, "Will you at least let me carry you back to medical?" Bucky asks curious.
Skye is about to tell him no right away but the word is stoped on the tip of her tongue when she notices how concerned he looks, so instead she says, "Okay." And with a nod Bucky picks Skye up and carries her back downstairs.
"I can't believe you did that." Simmons says to Skye when Bucky walks into the lab still holding Skye a couple of minutes after they left the War Room.
"You saw?" Skye asks.
"Yes, we saw." Fitz answers.
"You threatened Congress." Simmons says completely shocked and on the verge of being hysterical.
"I didn't mean to." Skye defends as Bucky sits her on the bed she was on earlier.
"Do you think they will let everyone go?" Fitz asks curious.
"Yeah I do." Skye says, "Because I said just the right thing to make them realise what I know and what that means." Skye explains, "The only part of my words that were truly carefully chosen was the second last sentence I said." Skye explains.
"The Mauve bunker." Bucky realise, "What is it?" He asks curious.
"You don't want to know." Skye tells him, "I wish I didn't know, that should tell you something, I just hope they destroy it." She comments before coughing more and Simmons has an oxygen mask over her before she even stops.
"You need rest." Simmons tells her sister.
Not even having the energy to fight anymore Skye nods and lays down on the bed and within a few seconds she is asleep.
"You go get cleaned up, get some rest yourself." Simmons says to Bucky, "Both of them will be out for a while."
"I'm not leaving them." Bucky says and he sits down in the chair so that he is directly between Skye and Tripp, watching out for them, watching over them.
Simmons and Fitz exchange a look and without a word they just sit back down in their chairs too, and like Bucky they watch, in silence. The only sounds in the lab being the beeping of the medical equipment and the sounds of breathing.
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