Chapter 4
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After leaving Skye's bunk Ward heads down to the lab to talk to Fitz and Simmons.
"Jemma, I'm sorry." Ward tells his friend, his little sister, when he enters the lab.
"You're not the only one who's worried about Skye you know." Simmons tells him.
"I know, I'm sorry for how I acted. I'm just worried about her." Ward tells her.
"We all are." Fitz says walking over to the pair. "But that's no reason for you to act like a jerk."
"I know, I'm sorry." Ward tells them.
"I forgive you. Just don't do it again." Jemma says.
"I'll try not." Ward responds and the pair hug.
ive back in New York several hours later Coulson, Melinda, Fury and Hill are waiting for them. They head straight up to the upper level of the plane and Melinda and Coulson head to Skye's bunk.
"Has she woken again?" Coulson asks Natasha.
"No." Natasha answers.
"How was she when she woke?" Melinda asks as she brushes the hair out of her daughters face
"Week, tied, had a headache, trouble speaking, seeing double." Natasha answers.
"Did she say how long she would be like that for?" Coulson ask worried.
"She said she would be okay, but she needed to sleep for a while." Natasha explains.
"May, Coulson, Romanoff, in here." Fury orders from the command centre.
Natasha is the first to leave the bunk. Melinda and Coulson spend a little more time with their daughter, both of them giving her a kiss on her head before they leave.
When Melinda and Coulson enter the command centre everyone else is there.
"What exactly did Skye say?" Fury asks looking at Natasha and Clint.
"She said that we had to warn you." Natasha tells him, "She said we had to tell you that Quinn was alive and that he was working with someone in S.H.I.E.L.D, she said she would explain more the next time she woke." Natasha explains.
"Does she know who Quinn is working with?" Maria asks.
"No, she said she didn't" Clint answers.
"Hopefully once she is healed enough she can use her power to tell us who, we need to deal with whoever it is as soon as possible." Fury says doing his best not to let the worry he feels about their being a mole in S.H.I.E.L.D show.
"It's likely that she wouldn't be able to even if she tried." Melinda comments.
"What do you mean?" Hill asks.
"Quinn told Skye that the Clairvoyant couldn't see her because she is like him, it is possible that she won't be able to see who the mole is because of their connection to the Clairvoyant." Coulson explains, "Also it will be days likely over a week before she has enough strength to use her abilities, and I will not have her use them before she is strong enough, and I won't let anyone force her to. It would be best if we investigated other options in finding the answers that we need" Coulson tells his boss.
"I will not ask her to use her abilities before she is ready." Fury tells his friend, "You have my word on that."
"But you will ask." Clint comments.
"If I have to." Fury answers, "But as I said when I first learnt of her abilities, I will not let her be used. Just like none of you will, if I ask it will be her choice as to whether she agrees or not." Fury says.
"Thank you Boss." Coulson tells his friend.
"We should get back on topic." Maria comments, "We've still got to decide what we are going to do and how we are going to find the mole."
"I don't know if knowing Quinn is alive changes anything really." Ward comments.
"Explain." Coulson requests.
"It has been two months since we last interacted with the Clairvoyant's people, they haven't come after us once. I don't believe that us knowing that Quinn is alive will change that." He explains.
"You could be right." Natasha answers, "Or the fact that we know Quinn is alive could change everything. The sent guards after us which means someone knew that we found out something. The fact that we didn't know anything could have been why we are safe, but now we know things which could mean that our safety is in jeopardy." Natasha argues.
"You both have good points, but I think our focus at the moment has to be finding out who the mole us because until we do everyone is at risk." Fury comments and no one speaks for several minutes, "IDEAS PEOPLE."
"We draw the mole out." Skye says from the door which she is holding onto to remain standing.
"How?" Fury asks taking several steps closer to the girl as Coulson rushes to his daughters side and holds her.
"We use what we know Quinn and the Clairvoyant want, me." Skye tells everyone.
"No." Everyone in the room say.
"No you are not using yourself as bait." Melinda tells her daughter.
"What other option do we have?" Skye asks, "The Clairvoyant stole me away from you and stole my childhood from me. He tortured Dad and his people killed you. I am done hiding from him, I will not let him take anything else away from me." Skye says surprising everyone at how forceful and strong she sounds when she is barely able to stand.
"You do this and he could take your life." Coulson tells his daughter.
"There is a chance that he could take that anyway, at least with my idea I stand a chance, we all stand a chance." Skye comments.
"What's your plan?" Fury ask. "I'm not agreeing to it." He says quickly before anyone else can say anything "But I want to know, what is your plan?"
"I've been thinking for a while now that I want to go to the academy, I want to become a real S.H.I.E.L.D agent. I know it's difficult to get into and before anyone suggests it I don't want any favouritism, I want to get in on my own merits, but the reason I haven't brought it up is because I knew that the with the Clairvoyant out there it would be too dangerous. But I think if I pass all the entrance tests and get accepted to the academy then I should go, I'll be away from all of you, your protection, and the mole or Quinn or the Clairvoyant hopefully won't pass an opportunity like that up." Skye explains to everyone.
"You realises if you go to the academy that you would be gone for years, right." Ward comments.
"No she wouldn't." Maria answers, "She already has field experience and has had training by some of S.H.I.E.L.D's best agents. I would be surprised if she attended more than a year before graduation."
"She also has the whole being able to know anything she want's thing working for her." Tony's voice comments.
"Uncle Tony?" Skye asks surprised turning to the screen, "How did you hack the system, I set that up. You couldn't have hacked it."
"Well I did. Took me a while because you're amazing when it comes to this stuff but I got in." Tony explains, "Continue, you all seem to be having an end of the world size issue at the moment, I can wait."
"What are you doing Stark?" Fury asks.
"Like I said I can wait, go on." He tells them.
"Is becoming an agent what you want?" Melinda asks her daughter.
"Yeah, it really is." Skye answers.
"There is no guaranty that this will draw out the Clairvoyant, Quinn or the Mole." Coulson tells his daughter.
"I know, but it's a chance, and I want to go to the academy, I want to be a proper S.H.I. agent." She explains clearly having more and more difficulty.
"You don't have to go to the academy to be a proper S.H.I.E.L.D agent. I never did." Natasha tells her niece.
"Yeah, but you are special тетя Наташа." Skye tells her Aunt.
"So are you." Natasha tells her.
"If you want to become an Agent than considering everything you have done, if you are prepared for some incredibly hard work you could do a six week intensive course at the academy. It would be similar to what Agent Romanoff did in the field when she first joined except yours would be focused on computer science and take place actually at the academy. " Fury tells the girl he considers to be his god daughter.
"I don't want any favours." Skye tells the director.
"I'm not giving you any." Fury tells her, "It is the same thing that I would offer any consultant who has done as much field work and who has as much skill as you." Fury tells her. "It will be hard work but if you are prepared to do it then I will sign off on it." He tells her
"I'm not afraid of hard work. Yes, I would like to do that." Skye tells him, "That's if you guys are okay with it." She tells her parents.
"If it's what you truly want then we are not going to stand in your way." Coulson tells his daughter.
"Thank you Daddy." Skye tells her father giving him more of a hug rather than just leaning against him.
"Mom?" she asks her mother
"If it is what you want then you have my support." Melinda tells her daughter before giving her a hug.
"Sir, you know that short shooting class you've been wanting me to teach at the academy I think it's time I did it." Clint informs Fury.
"You've been telling me no for ten years." Fury comments.
"Now I finally have a reason to say yes." Clint comments because he knows that Skye is likely to be danger at the academy and if he is near then he can do his best to protect her.
"I though the academies didn't interact." Skye comments, "Wont your shooting course be at ops and won't I be at communications?"
"Ops and communications share a campus." Melinda answers.
"Oh, cool." Skye answers.
"We need a backup plan for if this doesn't draw the Clairvoyant out." Ward informs everyone. "And a protection plan."
"We can't have protection and security obvious or tell anyone outside this group about the threat, it's too dangerous with there being a mole in S.H.I.E.D." Skye tells everyone.
"I doubt that even the Clairvoyant will be brave or stupid enough to try something on a S.H.I.E.L.D academy base but we've got to be prepared just in case." Maria tells everyone, "Clint you will be the eyes on the ground, protecting Skye in person, but as you can't be near Skye all the time we need untraceable electronic surveillance." Maria tells everyone.
"We can't go through normal S.H.I.E.L.D channels for that." Fitz tells everyone.
"I'll do it." Tony comments. "My tec is the best there is and with the exception of She-Coulson no one can get into it without me knowing."
"I have." Coulson reminds him.
"Yeah, but I knew you were doing it." Tony tells him.
"Okay Stark we'll use you." Fury comments, "Are you three okay with that?" he asks Skye, Melinda and Coulson.
"Yes." Melinda says and Coulson and Skye nod.
"Why I would love to help come up with backup plans I have minutes before I'm going to collapse." Skye reveals to everyone, "Why did you hack in Uncle Tony?" She asks curious.
"My birthday party Friday night. You all are going to be there, no arguments or excuses." He reveals.
"You really think that is a good idea?" Natasha asks curious, "I remember your last birthday party I was at."
"In my defence I was dying then." Tony reminds her, "And you gave me the advice to do whatever I wanted."
"I didn't tell you to do what you did." Natasha tells him.
"You're right you didn't, you just gave me the idea to." Tony says amused.
"We'll try and make it." Coulson says ending the conversation between Tony and Natasha.
"Don't try, do." Tony comments, "Skye I'm counting on you to make sure everyone comes." Tony tells the young girl.
"I'll do my best." Skye responds, "Dad can you help me back to my bunk?" Skye asks her father as she feels herself getting weaker and weaker.
"Of course." Coulson responds and he helps Skye back to her bunk.
"How you feeling?" Coulson asks once he's helped her to lay down.
"Weak." Skye answers, "Can you tell тетя Наташа that you don't blame her, she's blaming herself for me being weak, but it's not her fault." Skye reveals to her father.
"I'll talk to her." Coulson tells her.
"Good." Skye tells her father.
"So, going to the academy becoming a real S.H.I.E.L.D agent is that what you truly want?" Coulson asks his daughter, "You're not just doing this because it's what you think your Mom and I want you to do, are you? Because if It is then you don't have to, we don't care about whether you're a S.H.I.E.L.D agent or not." Coulson tells his daughter.
"I know." Skye tells him, "I'm doing this for me. It's what I want." Skye tells her father her eyes drifting open and close as she does.
"Good, get some sleep Baby Girl."
"Night Dad."
"Night Skye." Coulson says giving her a kiss on the head and making sure that she is all tucked in before heading back out of the room and over to the command centre, leaving the door open as he does.
When Coulson walks back into the command centre everyone is in the middle of a conversation.
"What's going on?" Coulson asks Melinda as he walks back in.
"Ward and Maria are arguing about the best way to find Quinn." Melinda reveals.
"It's amusing I think they are a couple minutes away from storming away from each other In a huff and going somewhere to blast music, kind of immature if you ask me." Clint explains.
"Please, like you haven't done things that are less mature." Natasha tells her partner.
"Have they had any promising ideas?" Coulson asks.
"Doesn't seem like it." Melinda says, "But I think they are going about it wrong."
"What are you thinking?" Natasha asks.
"The Clairvoyant won't be drawn out in the open, whoever they are, are too careful for that." Melinda explains, "We've got twenty five years of proof of that." She points out, "We need to focus on the people who we know keep in contact with the Clairvoyant; Quinn, Mike Peterson, the mole, maybe even Quinn's lawyer. They are who we know contacts the Clairvoyant, they have to be the key to finding him." Melinda explains.
"But they are almost as hard to find." Clint points out.
"But we can find them." Natasha points out, "We've done it before."
"Exactly." Melinda comments, "All of them have a lead on a way to find them. Quinn uses his lawyer and his other employees, before too long Mike will check on his son and he's likely the one who is going to the have the hardest time staying hidden." Melinda explains the four friends not realises that everyone else has stopped talking to listen to them.
"And the Mole? How can we use them if we don't know who they are?" Coulson asks.
"We've got to find out who they are, that's what Mels is saying." Clint realises, "If we find the mole then that's going to be our best lead to the Clairvoyant." He realises.
"Exactly, but it's figuring out who the mole is that is going to be the problem." Melinda says.
"They've got to be someone high level." Clint comments, "The Clairvoyant wouldn't want a low level person."
"Level wouldn't matter." Coulson points out, "The Clairvoyant has the same power that Skye has, he can know anything he wants. There has to be something else."
"Access?" Natasha asks.
"Maybe." Coulson responds uncertain.
"He can't use his power all the time, and from what Skye has said you need to focus on something specific maybe he has a mole to tell him things that he wouldn't think to focus on." Clint comments.
"There are a lot of reasons why the Clairvoyant could want a mole in S.H.I.E.D, it could be any of the reasons we have said or none of them." Melinda tells them, "All that matters is that we find them."
"Which is the hard part." Clint says.
"You four do realises that your conversation is going around in circle right?" Tony asks interested.
"Now we do." Coulson comments.
"I think the one thing we all agree on is that we have to find the mole." Fury comments, "When I go back to base I'll start the paper work for Skye's course it will start in two weeks. A bulletin about this will go out to all agents' level six and above just like it would if any other course like this was started but Skye's name will be redacted from all level six agents bulletin and a large portion of level sevens." Fury tells everyone, "That along with the fact that Agent Barton will be on temporary assignment at the Academy will hopefully draw the attention of the mole and may just give us some answers." Fury tells everyone.
"I know that going to the academy is what May wants but I don't like her being used as bait." Melinda comments.
"None of us do." Clint tells his sister, "But Mels I will do whatever I can to protect her, and so will Stark."
"Of course." Tony confirms.
"We don't even know if this will draw Quinn or the Clairvoyant out, they could see it as to big of a risk." Maria comments.
"Which is why we've got to work on the leads we do have." Natasha comments.
"What leads?" Ward asks confused as last time he checked they had no leads.
"Quinn, his lawyer, employees and Mike Peterson." Natasha points out, "Finding them has to be almost a big of priority as fining the mole." She tells everyone.
"I agree." Fury says, "We can't trust anyone else besides those of us on this bus and you Stark to try and find this Mole and Quinn and Peterson." Fury tells everyone. "Coulson, you wanted autonomy you've got it. While Skye and Barton are at the academy you do whatever you can to find a lead. Natasha you will stay apart of Coulson's team for the six weeks that Skye and Clint are away but after that you and Barton are to do the same thing, but your way, on your own." Fury tells them.
"Yes Sir." Natasha and Clint responds.
"This whole operation is off book. No one outside this room and Skye and Stark are to know. Maria and I are to be your only contacts." He tells everyone.
"Yes Sir." Everyone responds.
"Maria, we've got to get back to the conference." Fury tells his second in command.
"Yes Sir." Maria responds.
"The rest of you, I'll be back Saturday and we can decide where to go from here then."
"Does that mean they can all come to my party?" Tony asks interested.
"Yeah, they can go." Fury says before leaving the command centre, Hill right behind him.
"Drink?" Clint suggest.
"Oh god yes." Melinda says agreeing.
"We'll sit with Skye." Simmons says and her, Ward and Fitz head over to Sky's bunk while the older ones head to the bar for a drink.
Clint pours Melinda, Coulson, Natasha and himself each a drink, making sure not to give Melinda or Natasha vodka when he does because he knows that it is the last thing either of them need at the moment. Once all four of them have' their drinks they all head back over to Skye's bunk where they join Ward, Simmons and Fitz sitting on the floor around Skye's bunk.
"She doesn't want you to blame yourself you know." Coulson tells Natasha quietly.
"I know." Natasha tells him.
Apart from Clint getting up to get FizSimmons and Ward a drink no one leaves Skye's bunk and apart from Coulson's and Natasha's conversation no one speaks. The seven agents just sit together in silence watching Skye, all of them hoping that she will be okay soon.
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