Ahhhh thank you everyone! I loved reading your reviews they made me so happy! Per request I have tried to make this chapter longer but I didn't want to go any further as I'm planning the next chapter to be full of excitement... Please leave a review and I hope you enjoy! :)
Skye woke up a little while later, stumbled to her feet and crept up to the door peeking through the bars. To her relief, there were no guards outside, the hallway was dark and deserted. Skye pushed her tiny hand out in front of her and screwed up her face in concentration. With all her might she focused a small shockwave to erupt from her palm, breaking the lock. Smiling, she let out a small fist pump of triumph before carefully pulling the door open. She had to see the sky.
The hallway was cold on her bare feet but she ran as fast as she could down the winding corridors, after what felt like forever she began to lose hope. What if Whitehall was right and as soon as she saw the sky she was hurt? What if Whitehall found out she was trying to go outside? Skye shuddered as images of previous punishments flashed through her mind but she couldn't give up. She had to see the sky. Suddenly, Skye heard heavy footsteps and yanked open the nearest door, throwing herself inside and slamming it shut behind her.
"Hey! Who are you?"
Skye squinted in the bright light and saw a boy standing in front of her. He seemed a lot bigger than her and scary.
"Jonathan leave her alone! Hey little one what's your name?"
Skye followed the voice and saw a slightly bigger girl crouching down in front of her. She had long dark hair and a pleasant smile. Skye blinked, she didn't have a name. Whitehall called her Daisy but that was his special name and she didn't think he would be pleased if she shared it… The nurses called her 225 but she didn't like that very much. The boy in front of her was called Jonathan which meant everyone here had 'normal' names so she decided to chose one. She had always wanted to see the sky…
"Uh… Skye" she replied, her wide eyes analysing the girl.
"I'm Kate, how old are you? Are you new I've never seen you before?" Kate asked.
"Uh I'm not sure how old I am… maybe five or six? And I've been here as long as I can remember. I've never seen all of you before though, or this room and I've seen a lot of rooms." Skye replied.
Skye slowly stood up and moved into the middle of the room. It was long but thin with seven bunk beds all lined up on either side of the walls and another door at the end. Each bed contained a pair of eyes bar two which must belong to Kate and Jonathan. Skye tried not to seem scared. She had never seen so many children in one room before, hell she thought she was the only kid here! Part of her was excited at the thought of more friends but another part was worried at what they would do to her. They all seemed a lot bigger.
"Well I'm ten. Everyone in this room is between ten to fifteen but I know there's some younger one's in other rooms. I've never seen anyone as young as you before though. How come we've never seen you at meals or in lessons?" Kate asked.
Skye shrugged as several others began to climb down and make their way to join the circle now surrounding her. "I dunno… I usually just stay in my room unless Whitehall wants me to do stuff or it's time for my tests"
A different boy with black hair gasped "Whitehall? You've met the boss?"
Several whispers circulated through the room and Skye shrunk back "Yeah he's my… uh he see's me like every day unless he's away then it's usually some doctor." Skye thought it was strange that they had never met him like she had. He was in charge. "Wait, there's more of you?"
Someone else laughed "Is she serious?"
Kate suddenly grabbed her wrist "Look she has a number! That must mean she already has her powers…"
"But she's so tiny!"
Skye wasn't sure what to do or who to look at "I don't understand. Why are you here?" she asked timidly.
"Guys!" Kate yelled and everyone fell silent "You really don't know anything do you? Some of us were taken from our homes or families and others were chosen and we came willingly. Either for the academy or to get powers, they decide after they've finished our initiation tests. Once they decide we get moved. In the meantime, we have lessons, mostly in combat but some in science too."
Skye nodded "I wish I could have come here, it seems… better" she settled on "you have beds and a bathroom and people, I don't have that."
Kate felt a surge of sympathy and Skye decided to try her luck. She puffed out her chest and tried to stand taller "Which way do I go to see the sky?"
Jonathan laughed "You are some messed up kid, what are you talking about?"
"I wanna see the outside. You know the sky with the sun and the… moonoon…"
"Moon" Kate corrected, "Skye have you never seen the moon?"
Skye nodded "Of course I have just not for ages and I don't remember no more. Sometimes it comes back to me when I sleep but I don't know if it's real or not… I just wanna see the outside again"
Suddenly footsteps could be heard just outside the door and all the children rushed to their beds.
"It's the night check, quick!" Kate hissed, dragging Skye to the bed furthest the door and pulling her under the covers, out of sight.
A tall woman dressed in a black suit entered the room, walking down and inspecting each bed. Skye could feel her pause right in front of the bed she was hiding in and felt her heart pound faster. After a minute she heard the lady shuffle and whisper "Room 285 all present, no sign of 225. I will move onto the laboratory's now"
As soon as the lady was gone all the children sat up, talking in excited hushed tones.
"Skye they're searching for you, you should go or we will all get into trouble!" Jonathan whispered.
Skye huddled closer to Kate and shook her head "but I like it here, they took the doctor before she could show me the sky so maybe you guys could show me now?"
"What is wrong with you freak? Get out of here before they punish us!" Jonathan yelled.
Skye tried to run from his grasp but her foot got caught under Kate's blanket so she fell out of the bed straight into Jonathan's path. Jonathan grabbed Skye roughly by the arm. She kicked and tried to push away but she couldn't her arm twisted and she let out a small cry of pain. Without thinking she threw her free hand out towards the boy, sending him flying backwards into the opposite wall.
Silence followed. Kate immediately moved away from the girl whilst the others clambered back into bed, gasping and hiding in terror. Skye on the other hand, was close to tears. She hadn't meant to hurt the boy, she was just trying to make friends. She had never seen any other children here before and she wanted to join their club not hurt them!
"I'm sorry!" she gasped but no one cared. Instead she sprinted from the room and ran down the corridors. She decided she should go back to her room but she wasn't sure which direction that was… she was lost…
Skye awoke with a start. Her head hurt and her brain felt fried. Every time she closed her eyes she remembered more and more, now her previous memory loss felt like a blessing. The more she remembered the more she hated her life. She didn't want her powers anymore, all she done was hurt people with them.
Suddenly, the door banged open and two men entered. They both grabbed Skye painfully under her arms and dragged her from the room and down several corridors. Her feet were stumbling beneath her to keep up but her body was weak, eventually giving out and collapsing. As she was dragged along her eyes were drawn to two figures huddled against the wall. Her eye's widened as she recognised Ward and the blonde haired agent from the time she escaped. What were they doing? Wards eyes seemed to light up and Bobbi seemed relieved to see her, why? Skye's hunches were usually out there but this time she had a feeling like this was important.
A door opened and Skye was abruptly thrown into a chair in the corner of the room. Glancing around she could see several doctors and nurses who stopped talking when Whitehall himself entered.
"Ok everyone we only have sixty hours left until our company arrives. When they get here it's imperative that we see them to their rooms which have been set up for them and then the demonstration will take place that evening, followed by the infusion of the Gravitonium. Obviously, I would have liked for more time to prepare our subject. We needed to make her comply much like she was very near to doing as a child. However, we do not have enough time to make her docile. This means that as soon as we infuse her with the Gravitonium there is a possibility that she will use her newfound strength to rebel. I cannot guarantee that the ways in which we control her powers now will work then. Therefore, in the next two and a half days we will have to break her. Make her too weak to rebel and her mind fragile enough to comply" Whitehall ended his speech and immediately, everyone got to work.
Skye sat silently, she felt sick and weak as it was and couldn't help but wonder what else they had in store for her. Slowly, Whitehall turned to face her "Ah Daisy. I don't suppose you've been aware but we've been constantly monitoring you. Those nightmares… your remembering aren't you? When we re captured you it was clear your brain had, uh, locked away all of your previous memories, but they must be starting to come back. Now, what do you remember?"
Skye summoned up all her remaining courage to spit on the floor in front of him "I remember that you're a nasty, child thief who should rot in hell!"
Immediately, her comment was followed by a painful sting on her cheek. Whitehall laughed "Now, now, you are a strong one aren't you. Even as a child you never learnt when to keep your mouth shut. If only you could remember the things you done, well, then you would see we aren't so different. Anyway, soon you will be too confused to make out what is real or just you imagination. You will be too weak to fight back"
Whitehall exited the room and Skye felt her body slip to the floor as the world blacked out around her.
As soon as Skye had been dragged past Ward went to follow but Bobbi pulled him back. "Are you mental? We will get out chance to fill her in okay? Calm down."
Ward let out a frustrated sigh "Your right. Let's go over the plan again. Your buddies on the outside will infiltrate the committee coming to visit, pretending to be their security."
"May, Hunter and Mack you will infiltrate the committee just before they leave to head to the base. Meanwhile, Simmons, Fitz and I will lead a couple of Quinjets to land near the base, cloaked." Coulson turned to face the map which was projected behind him. "As soon as you enter the facility, Bobbi and Ward will make their way to Skye and the other powered individuals to start an attack from the inside. We know Skye's powers are strong enough to be able to cause some damage. May and Hunter will make their way to the labs where they will take as much as they can and destroy the rest. Mack it's your job to take care of the children. Everyone clear?"
A chorus of 'Yes Sir's' echoed through the office.
"Fitz and I will be prepared for any casualties, according to Bobbi, Skye is severely injured and who knows what else they've done to the others" Simmons replied.
"I have some new gadgets that will be helpful" Fitz added.
Coulson nodded "good. We don't know how this will go but we have to try. Our main priority is rescuing the prisoners"
"Uh one question boss" hunter chipped in "how do we know Skye will help us and not turn on us? As far as I could tell Bobbi said the plan hinged on Skye's co-operation. And we're working with Ward! He could stab us in the back at any time!"
"Hunter's got a point sir. What if Skye is too injured to help us?"
"They are all things I have considered but we have no choice. Something bad is going down in the next few days and we have no choice but to stop it" Coulson replied.