Chapter 3
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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 all the support.
For three days Skye, Natasha and Fitz remain at the company undercover. Skye and Natasha both manage to blend in remarkably well, Natasha because it's what she does and Skye because it's not the first time she has pretended to be someone she's not. Even though Fitz doesn't have much experience going undercover he also manages to play the part of his cover without too much difficulty.
Skye is just arriving at the office for the third day. She arrives at the same time as Fitz but because she has to pretend like she doesn't know him she does great him and he doesn't great her. Once she passes through security Skye heads up to where she works. When she gets up to her floor she sees several of her co-workers standing around talking.
"Hey, what's going on?" Skye asks walking over to the three guys, Jake, Harry and William, that she has been getting to know since she's been working at the company.
"Hey Sam." All three of them respond.
"Hey, so what am I missing?" She asks curious.
"The new lady in HR, have you see her?" William asks curious.
"I just started two days ago, I have no idea how long people have been working here." Skye points out though she has a suspicion about who they are talking about.
"Well there's this new chick in HR, started the same day as you actually." Harry realises, "She's tall, has red hair and is so hot." Jake explains.
"I think the word you're looking for is beautiful." Skye corrects.
"So you know who we're talking about then." William realises.
"I've seen her around but even if I have to you should choose your words better." She tells them.
"Sorry Sam." Harry tells her. "What do you think her story is?" he asks the others interested.
Skye roll her eyes and walks over to her cubical a little amused that they are taking about her Aunt but at the same time concerned, and feeling a violent need to get them to stop objectifying her. Once she's at her computer she starts work on her two different tasks. The job that she needs to do for her cover and trying to find out if there is alien tec or formula's around.
For the three days that Skye, Fitz and Natasha have been undercover, Clint, Ward and Simmons have been keeping an eye on them. Sleeping in shifts so that at least two of them are always awake. So far they have seen nothing that makes them worry about the safety of their agents.
"How it going?" Ward asks Clint having just woken up from his time sleeping.
"Fine, they are all inside working." Clint answers.
"You can go get some sleep if you want, I've got this." Ward tells the other agent.
"No need, I'm fine." Clint responds.
"When was the last time you slept?" Simmons asks concerned.
"Yesterday, I'm fine." Clint assure them. "Stop focusing on me and focus on our people." Clint say putting an end to all other conversation about his sleeping pattern.
A few hours later Skye has once again managed to hack into the company's internal servers and pick up where she left off. In all her searching she hasn't found anything unusual or anything that would make her think that the company is using alien technology.
Skye is just managing to hack the last of the private files when she notices that there is another layer of encryption hidden in the encryption.
"Now what are you hiding?" Skye wonders to herself ignoring the files in exchange for focusing on the encryption.
For ten minutes Skye focuses on getting through the encryption. Once she does she realises that everything she has assumed so far has been wrong and they have a really, really, big problem.
"I think this classed as an emergency." Skye thinks to herself as she quickly deletes any evidence of what she has been doing "But it would be best if I had an excuse." She realises as she gets up and walks over to Harry, William and Jake.
"Are you guys still arguing about who will take the papers down to HR?" Skye asks interested as if they are still arguing about it then she has her excuse.
"Sadly they are." Kristen the only other female on the floor answers for her.
"You've been arguing for an hour, you've had your chance. I'll do it." Skye says grabbing the papers out of Jake's hands and walking over to the elevator.
Once she is inside the elevator and after getting in the best position to avoid the security camera's seeing what she is doing Skye pulls out her emergency phone and sends a message to Clint without looking at her phone, "Found something big, going 2 N."
Once she gets to the right floor Skye exits the elevator in search of her Aunt or more specifically Naomi Roads, Natasha's undercover alias.
"Hi can I help you?" A woman when Skye first enters the Human resources department asks
"Um yeah I'm from IT, I'm looking for." Skye says opening the folder and pretending to look for the name, "Naomi, Naomi Roads." She says looking back up the woman.
"Down the hall last cubical." The woman tells her.
"Thank you." Skye says.
"Ms Roads." Skye says when she gets to her Aunt's desk. "I'm form IT, I have some files for you." Skye tells her Aunt.
"Of course, I've been waiting for them." Natasha responds.
"Yeah, sorry about that my co-workers we're debating who would bring the files down to you." Skye explains.
"Really?" Natasha asks.
"Really. You wouldn't believe it if I told you what I saw." Skye says counting on her Aunt to pick up on the double meaning on what she is saying.
"Oh?" Natasha asks, "Try me." Natasha requests of her niece.
"Okay then, I will." Skye responds, "It was like… Forget about the codes, we've got to run." Skye tells her Aunt when she notices several armed figures coming towards them.
"Right, let's go." Natasha says turning around and to see what Skye is talking about. "There is another stair well this way." Natasha tells her.
"We've got to warn Fitz." Skye says worried as they head to the stairwell.
"Already on it." Natasha says pulling out her emergency phone, "Get out of the building." Natasha says as soon as Fitz answers.
"On it." Fitz responds and he hangs up.
"Do you think they made us because I came down to see you?" Skye asks as they run down the stairs.
"No, they organized too quickly for that to be the reason." Natasha tells her niece, "What did you find out?"
"Later." Skye responds.
"Doors locked." Natasha realise when they get to the bottom of the stairs and she realises she doesn't have her lock pick so she is going to have to break it.
"It's a good thing I'm here then." Skye says pulling out a bobby pin from inside her bra before Natasha can break down the door, "Sam Clark may have no idea how to pick a lock but May Coulson can do It in seconds." Skye says and that is just what she does.
"Nice, the bobby pin your mom's idea?" Natasha asks curious.
"Yeah." Skye responds, "Are we heading the right way?" Skye ask as they turn a corner.
"Yeah." Natasha responds and as they hear Gunshots.
Not focusing on anything other than the desire for them not to be hurt Skye manages to push out and create a force field out of her electrical energy which protects them from being hit and due to the guards surprised at what she did allows Natasha enough time to incapacitate the guard and steal his gun.
"Sky? Ребенок? Are you alright?" Natasha asks worried when after she has dealt with the guard she turns to see Skye leaning against the wall clearly struggling to remain standing.
"I'm fine, go. Get Fitz, I'll be right behind you." Skye tells her Aunt, not wanting her aunt to be slowed down and hers and Fitz's safety at risk because of her.
"Not going to happen." Natasha says walking over to Skye and putting her nieces' arm around her shoulders, "One of the first thing's your Uncle taught me is that you never leave a man behind." Natasha informs her niece as they walk together, Skye leaning on Natasha for support after walking a few metres Natasha's phone beeps.
"Got Fitz, south entrance, five minutes then I'm coming in." Natasha reads.
"Let's move faster." Skye tells her Aunt.
"Are you sure you can?" Natasha asks worried as when Skye seems to attempt to speed up she seems to have more trouble.
"I have to." Skye says as they continue down the corridor, both of them looking for threats as they do. Looking over and behind them Skye sees someone with a gun pointed right at her Aunt. Using the small bit of strength that she has left Skye pushes Natasha out of the way and puts everything she's got behind pushing her electrical power out and she manages to push a small but of energy into a thin line, a bit like a bolt of electricity, and hits the person who was pointing a gun at Natasha with it, and she stuns him like he was hit with a Taser blast. As soon as the electricity has hit its intended target Skye collapses and Natasha rushes to her side.
"No, no, no." Natasha says worried expecting the worse.
"NAT, SKYE." Clint's worried voice yells as he enters the corridor and sees two of the people he cares about the most on the floor.
"She's got a pulse, it's week but it's there." Natasha informs Clint when he gets to her side.
"We've got to go. Ward's got the van running. Come on." Clint says as he picks up Skye.
Two minute later Natasha and Clint who is carrying Skye get in the back of the van.
"What happened?" Ward asks worried.
"DRIVE." Natasha and Clint say worried.
"What happened?" Simmons asks worried.
"Best I can tell she used way too much of her powers." Natasha explains. "She saved me, more than once." She explains.
"Ward, how long until we're back at the plane?" Clint asks interested.
"A few minutes." Ward responds.
"Once we get to the plane I'll run some scans, it will help me to figure out how she is." Simmons tells the others.
Fifteen minutes later the group are at the plane and Clint has carried Skye into the medical bay.
"Do we call Coulson and May?" Ward asks interested as Simmons starts to run the scans.
"There is no outside contact at the Carter conference." Fitz reminds the others.
"One Simmons has some answers I'll get in contact with them." Natasha tells him.
"How? Like I said there is no outside contact." Fitz point's outs.
"There is if you go through Fury." Natasha answers, "And if that doesn't work I have a few other ideas." She reveals.
"Simmons you got anything?" Ward asks worried.
"Her vitals are all fine but from what I'm getting it looks like the level of electrical activity in Skye's brain is normal." Simmons explains.
"Then why is she unconscious?" Fitz asks worried.
"The levels are normal for a regular person, not her." Simmons explains.
"Crap." Clint says worried as he remembers what Skye said after she brought Melinda back, "Her brain needs the excess levels." He remembers.
"Exactly, that's why she is unconscious." Simmons comments.
"I've got to call Fury, get us in the air and set a course for New York." Natasha says looking at her nice one last time before leaving the room.
Clint nods and he also leaves the room.
"Do you think she knew how much damage she was going to do to herself?" Fitz asks curious.
"Yeah I do." Ward comments walking over and grabbing his girlfriend's hand, "But she did it to protect Agent Romanoff, we all know that when it comes to people she cares about there is nothing she won't do." He remains them. "Is there anything you can do?" He asks Simmons curious.
"No, I've been looking into it, but I haven't found anything. It's up to Skye, she's got to heal in her own time." Simmons explains.
"Will she be able to heal from this?" Ward asks worried
"I don't know, only she does." Simmons answers.
After leaving the Lab Natasha heads up to Coulson's office where she can call Fury from.
"Director its Agent Romanoff." Natasha says when the director answers.
"Natasha, what did you find out?" Fury asks interested.
"Something, but Skye found it and she can't exactly tell us what at the moment." She explains, "I need to talk to Melinda and Phil." She tells her boss as she feels the plane take off.
"What happened?" Fury asks a hint of concern clear.
"Skye found something and our cover was blown." Natasha explains, "We we're getting out when we were fired upon, Skye used her powers to create a force field out of electricity and it stopped the bullets, she was weakened, but okay. We kept going, I had to help her walk but she was okay. We were almost at the end of the corridor when Skye suddenly pushed me out the way and once again she used her powers. This time she used the energy kind of like a Taser blast and stunned him, but it caused her to collapse. Simmons has runs scans and has said that the levels of electrical activity in Skye's brain is that of a normal person, which is dangerously low for Skye." Natasha explains.
"I assume that you are on your way back to New York." Fury comments.
"Yes Sir."
"Was Skye able to tell you what she found before she collapsed?" He asks interested.
"No sir." Natasha responds
"I will inform Phil and Melinda about what happened, you should expect a call from them." Fury tells Natasha.
"Sir would it be possible for you to take the phone to them. Skye is how she is because she was protecting me, I should be the one to tell them." She tells her boss.
"Of course." Fury responds, "I'll put you on hold and get Maria to bring them out of the lecture they are in." Fury tell her allowing Natasha to do it her way because he knows that it is important to the spy.
"It's not your fault." Clint's voice says from the doorway when the tone that signals that Natasha has been put on hold is heard.
"What?" Natasha asks looking at her partner.
"What's happening to Skye, isn't your fault." Clint tells his partner walking over to her.
"Isn't it?" Natasha asks, "Skye was already weak, she could barely stand and then she pushed me out of the way and used her power to save me. Who else is to blame?" Natasha asks.
"The guy that was shotting at you." Clint tells her, "You know that if you were the one who saw the shooter first you would have pushed her out of the way and dealt with the guy just as Skye did to protect you. I know that knowing our niece is week because she tried to protect you isn't a good feeling but you have nothing to feel guilty about." He says taking several steps closer to her.
"Yes I do." Natasha answers, "I should have protected her." She comments and Clint comes to the realisation that there is nothing he can say to convince her otherwise.
Far away from what is going on the Bus, Melinda and Coulson are sitting in a lecture theatre listening to a talk by an agent whose name neither of them can remember.
"Are you two playing tic, tac, toe?" Maria who is sitting next to Melinda who is sitting next to Coulson ask.
"Yes." Melinda answers as Maria feels her phone vibrate.
"Wait, why are you allowed a phone?" Phil asks her interested as Maria pulls out the phone.
"Because I'm the deputy director." Maria answers and frowns when she reads Fury's message 'Something's happened to Skye, bring Melinda and Phil out of the lecture but don't tell them why.'
"Come on, Fury wants us." Maria tells friends.
"Why?" Phil asks as the three friends stand.
"No idea, just come on." Maria answers.
Confused Coulson and Melinda exchange a look but still follow Maria out of the theatre, both of them worried about what is going on.
When they leave the theatre they follow Maria into a separate meeting room where they see Fury waiting.
"What's going on Sir?" Phil asks worried.
"For the last three days Skye, Natasha and Fitz have been undercover at a British electronic company in Bahrain trying to determine if they are using alien tec and formulas. Natasha wants to speak to you." Fury says handing his phone over to Melinda and Coulson who are now expecting the worse.
"Tasha, what happened?" Phil asks worried collecting the phone of Fury and putting it on speaker.
"Skye came down to the part of the company I was at and she was tried to tell me in code that she had found something, but before she could our covers were blown." Natasha explains, "We contacted agent Fitz telling him to get out of the building and we ran. We escaped through an emergency stairwell and we were fired upon. Skye used her powers to create a force field out of electricity which stopped the bullets, she was weakened but fine. She told me to leave her and get Fitz out but I told her that that wasn't going to happen. We were almost out of the building when Skye pushed me down and once more used her power but this time she used it as a Taser and stunned someone who was about to fire upon me. She collapsed and Clint who had arrived just to see what happened carried her out. According to Simmons her vitals are fine but her levels of electrical activity in her brain are that of a normal persons, and she is still unconscious." Natasha explains to her friends.
"Will she be all right?" Melinda asks worried.
"I don't know." Natasha answers, "The only one who can give us answers is Skye and she is unconscious."
"Are you headed back to New York?" Coulson asks.
"Yeah, we should be there in about ten hours." Clint answers.
"Melinda, Phil I apologise, it was my duty as both her Aunt and team leader to protect her on his mission and I failed, I'm sorry." Natasha tells her friends.
"From what you have said you would have been shot if she didn't intervene. You know Skye Tasha, she can't stand people she cares about being hurt. It wouldn't have mattered how weak she was she would have used her powers no matter what." Melinda tells her friend, "It's not your fault."
"Mel is right Tasha, don't blame yourself." Coulson tells her, "Please look after our girl until you get here, both of you.' Coulson requests.
"Of course." Clint and Natasha replies.
"We should get back down to the lab to check on her." Clint comments, "We'll call if anything changes." He tells his friends.
"Of course." Coulson and Melinda reply and the end the call.
"You didn't want us on that mission, that's why you sent us here." Melinda says to her boss.
"No, I didn't know about the mission until after I ordered you here." Fury answers, "You're dismissed for all further events." Fury says before walking out of the room.
"Did you know that they were on a mission?" Coulson asks Maria.
"No, I didn't" Maria responds, "I'll see you later." She says before leaving.
"Brain activity the same as a normal persons, that's not good." Melinda tells Coulson.
"I know." Coulson says reaching out and grabbing Melinda's hand and pulling her into a hug. "But at least Tasha and Clint are with her, if we can't be there then I'm glad they are." He comments.
"So am I." Melinda confirms hating that she isn't by her daughters side but at the same time relieved that Natasha and Clint are.
When Natasha and Clint head back down to the Lab they find the other in the middle of a conversation.
"It would be better." Ward argues.
"It could take longer to help if she needs something." Simmons argues.
"What would be better?" Clint asks.
"Moving Skye to her room Sir, so that she is more comfortable." Ward explains.
"And you don't agree with Agent Ward Jemma?" Clint asks.
"I think that while it is a good idea, it could be problematic if she needs help." Simmons explains.
"But you said it yourself you don't know how to help her." Ward points out.
"You're right, I don't know how to help her, there is nothing I can do, I am useless." Simmons says before walking out of the room.
"Now look what you have done." Fitz says to Ward angrily before following her out.
After leaving the lab Fitz finds Simmons in the storage area behind the lab.
"Don't listen to Ward, he's an idiot." Fitz tells his friend.
"No he's not, he's right there is nothing I can do to help Skye." Simmons admit.
"There is nothing any of us can do, not just you, but that doesn't mean you are useless." Fitz tells her, "Ward is Skye's boyfriend he's letting that worry overshadow everything else." Fitz tells her
"I hate that I can't help her." Simmons tells him.
"I know, me too." Fitz says and he pulls her into a hug.
Several hours later it was decided that moving Skye to her room would be best. Even though it is a very small space all of the team are sitting around in Skye's room. All of them waiting for her to wake up.
Even though he hates what caused her to get it Clint realises that it is probably the most sleep that Skye has gotten in weeks.
As more time pass, Fitz and Simmons leave Skye's room and head down to the lab leaving, Clint, Natasha and Ward sitting in silence around Skye's bed.
As even more time passes Ward gets up and heads down to the lab to apologise to Simmons and maybe punch something.
"Who took that picture?" Clint ask curious as above Skye's bed she has several pictures on the wall, one of her with her parents, one of her and Coulson in Lola, the one Melinda took of them when he had her over his shoulder and one of Skye, Melinda and Natasha, all laughing clearly none of them realising that the picture was being taken.
"You or Phil." Natasha answers.
"Well I don't remember taking it so I'm guessing it was Phil." Clint comments.
"Ouch, keep your voice down Uncle Clint." Skye's says.
"Skye." Clint and Natasha say worried going to her side.
"I'm alright." Skye assures her Aunt and Uncle attempting to sit up.
"Take it easy kid." Clint says helping her to sit up.
"Are you alright?" Natasha asks worried.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Skye says with some difficulty. "Week, headache, and I'm currently seeing two of you." She tells her aunt.
"That doesn't sound fine." Natasha says worried.
"I'm using Dad's definition." Skye says with difficulty. "I'm going to pass out soon but first you need to warn Fury." Skye tells her Aunt and Uncle, "Quinn is alive and he's working with someone in S.H.I.E.L.D" She reveals.
"Are you sure?" Clint asks worried.
"Positive." Skye tells him, "I don't know who and I'll explain what I found next time I wake, but you've got to warn him." She tells them.
"I'll do it." Clint says getting up, "You've got to stop scaring us Kid." Clint says giving Skye a hug before leaving the room.
"You shouldn't have done that ребенок. You we're already weak." Natasha tells her niece as she sits down on the edge of her bed.
"I had to, I couldn't let you get shot." Skye responds. "I have a real family for the first time. You, Mom, Dad, Uncle Clint, Uncle Tony, FitzSimmons, Ward, you guys are my family and so are Pepper, Steve, Hill, Banner, hell even Fury, and I'm not going to lose any of you, I won't. I will never apologise for saving you, I will always do whatever it takes to save you guys no matter what it does to me, because I would rather something happen to me than to one of you." Skye tells her aunt clearly struggling more but because she is determine to say what she wants to say she manages to get it all out.
"When you're doing better we've really got to have another conversation about your self-worth." Natasha tells her niece remembering the conversation that they had on the plane back from Egypt. "Skye you are an incredible person and are loved by every single one of those people you just named. All of us would be just as devastated if something happened to you as you would be if something happened to one of us." Natasha tells her niece showing her more caring side, the side she only shows to very few people.
"I know." Skye responds as he eyes drift open and shut.
"One more question, ребенок then you can rest. How long before you will be okay?" Natasha asks worried.
"I need to sleep, for a long time, in thirty six hours my levels will be back to where they are meant to be. I'll be fine. Can I sleep now?" Skye asks.
"Yeah, you can sleep now." Natasha answers, "I'll be right here ребенок." Natasha says moving of her niece's bed and back to where she was sitting on the floor right next to her.
"Fury and Maria are going to come with Melinda and Phil when we get back, so we can all have a long talk about what this means." Clint explains walking back in and sitting down next to Natasha.
"Good. Quinn being alive and working with someone in S.H.I.E.L.D isn't good." Natasha comments.
"No its not." Clint says agreeing as he reaches out and grabs Natasha's hand, the pair drifting back into silence as they do.
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