Runaway Home - Part 3 ~ Chapter 12
Disclaimer: I don't own anything, but the odd OC etc.
Tamara: thank you very much for your review, its reviews that make this worthwhile.
Coulson and Melinda were in his office, they were having an argument about their latest recruits.
"I don't care, they aren't trustworthy. If they jump on the winning boat every time the wind changes."
"We don't have the agents. We need all that we can get especially a specialist like Agent Morse."
"What happens when they decide a different side might win?"
Their little heart to heart was cut short when Melinda's phone started to buzz. "Yes, May here."
Coulson watched as Melinda's face lit up in a smile at whoever was in the other end.
"Hi mum, we've just got back from rescuing the kids and we got a visit from the Avengers."
"How did they find you?"
"I didn't ask but more importantly, they've agreed to let us stay."
"That is great news, but that's not really why you've rung is it?"
"Am I really that see through?"
"Haha, I've known you too long," Coulson was amazed Melinda was laughing, he'd not heard her laugh since the Bahrain mission, he still couldn't hear who she was talking to.
"Stryker, the one who kidnapped the students was HYDRA and we managed to get into his computer. Well I say we I did nothing it was all Skye and Kitty."
"Oh really, you didn't happen to get a souvenir while you were there?"
"We did, that's why I'm calling, we found some information on HYDRA's bases. The main one appears to be run by a Von Strucker, does that ring a bell?"
"Yeah he's one of HYDRA's top from what we gather."
"Then you owe us big time."
"Hahaha, your not too old for a beating."
"I'm hurt, anyway I'll see you in a few hours, no doubt."
"Yeah I'll get a team together and we'll head your way, bye take care."
"Bye mum see you soon."
"Bye son," she whispers to herself too quiet for anyone to hear.
Closing her phone she turned to Coulson to see his stunned face.
"What are you grinning at."
"Nothing," said Coulson, "I've just not seen you this happy since Bahrain."
Melinda's eyes darkened showing she still wasn't fully over the decision she'd had to make.
"Personal," was all Melinda said. She still wasn't sure how Coulson would react to her knowledge of Leo and the mutants. Well there was no time like the present, apparently.
"That was Leo."
"What, Fitz?" Coulson was confused, 'why was Melinda calling Fitz by his first name?'
"Yeah he's got some information for us."
"Why is he Leo?" Blurted Coulson unable to help himself.
Melinda took a big breath, here it was, time to tell all.
"After the Bahrain incident, d'you remember I went off the grid for a year or two."
"Yes," Coulson was concerned Melinda had come of the mission and disappeared no matter who he asked he got the same response, 'she's on a sabbatical.'
"I was not... myself as you know, that mission reminded me how alone I was."
"Andrew?"
"Was no help, as soon as I got back I found him in bed with a patient of his. I buried myself in the administration department, until I had a visit from Maria."
"She's always been one to care underneath that facade," smiled Coulson.
"She took me to a mansion in the Salem district home to a school of mutants. There I met a young boy who had only just gone through the loss of his mother. I guess you could say we bonded through our losses, eventually we became so close he started to call me mum." Coulson saw the ghost of a genuine smile flash across her face.
Quick to realise Coulson asked, "Leo?"
"Indeed, after my two years I kept in contact with the school, this came to Fury's attention and so he made be the ambassador," she saw the recognition in Coulson's face. "I became Fury's link to the mutant community. After a few years Leo got it into his head that he wanted to join SHIELD, not the specialists I forbade that, instead he joined the science division."
"Fitz a specialist?" Coulson couldn't believe the thought.
"Yeah he became a good scrapped when he felt someone was being bullied. Then there's his mutation..."
"What Fitz is a mutant, how did you cover his medical results up."
"His mutation isn't an obvious one unless he uses it, that made it easier to hide. Because of his mutation he can't get ill and injuries heal far quicker therefore there was no need for a full medical very often. When a full medical was needed he called in a specialist to make sure he was ok who could then forge his results as being normal."
"That doesn't sound hard actually, I suppose if Fury's in on it."
"The problem we had was when HYDRA got hold of his results, why d'you think Garret was so keen on getting Leo to join them. They must have thought there was something special about him," she smiles fondly, "they were right."
"Why was he ringing you then?"
"He and Skye have managed to hack into an active HYDRA base and retrieve some data, they think it could be of some use."
"Skye's there," now it was Melinda's turn to watch Coulson smile at his unofficial protege. "In that case we could do with finding out what they've got, see if its of any use."
"I've already told them to expect us we should be there by evening."
"Where are they?"
"The school," she said as though it was obvious, "I'll prep the bus, you pick the team."
Please read, review, follow and favourite.
