Chapter 15
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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 your support. You're reviews made me feel so much better when I was doubting myself in a pretty big way.
Skye and Clint watch Firefly to the early hours of the morning. Once they finish Clint warns Skye once more not to use her powers. Once he leaves Skye packs up the few belongs that have spread around the room before heading to bed.
As she lays in the bed Skye becomes more and more worried about her Mother, Aunt and the man that she is beginning to start to see like an Uncle. After a large amount of difficultly Skye manages to fall sleep. The worry not fading from her mind.
After leaving Hill's office Melinda, Natasha and Steve make their way to the same plane that Melinda and Natasha arrived on.
"Weapons?" Steve asks as they arrive at the plane.
"I've got mine, you've got yours, and Melinda takes what she needs. We're good." Natasha comments, "Will you be okay?" Natasha asks Melinda worried, "It's been a while since you've done a mission like this." Natasha tells her as the last time that Melinda did a mission that was close to what Fury described this one to be was Istanbul.
"I'll be okay." Melinda assures her, "I want to do a system check before we go anywhere." Melinda says and she heads into the cockpit.
"Natasha what is it?" Steve asks worried as he notices the worried look that Natasha has on her face.
"About sixteen years ago a Mission in Bahrain went wrong, Melinda saved lot of people but she lost herself. She continued to do field work for years, until the two of us went on a mission in Istanbul that went bad. We barely got out of there alive and we lost some good people, really good people that we couldn't save. Melinda blamed herself and she quit field work. Until Coulson dragged her back into the field last year it had been years since she did this kind of work." Natasha explains feeling like Steve has the right to know considering the mission.
"You're worried that she can't do this." Steve realises.
"No, I'm never worried about that, because I know she can." Natasha tell him having complete faith in her best friend, her sister, "I worried about what this will do to her." She explains.
"She wouldn't have agreed to come if she didn't think she would be able to handle it" Steve tells Natasha as he has learnt that in the time he has spent with Melinda.
"Do you remember Fury asking if we are okay with this mission?" Natasha asks her friend curious, "Giving us any choice?" she asks "Because I don't."
"Have we got everything we need?" Melinda asks walking back out before Steve can answer Natasha's previous point
"Yeah, the plane is stocked with water and med supplies, with the three of us we don't need extra weapons. Steve's got his Shield, I've got my bracelets, and we've got two parachutes, we're good." Natasha tells her.
"Wheels up in two then." Melinda tells them and she heads back into the cockpit.
A few hours after she finally managed to get to sleep Skye wakes. Once she showers she changes into an outfit that she will both be able to do all her training in for the day in and that will be appropriate if she and Clint have to leave in a hurry to get back to the plane and help out.
Once she is dressed Skye debates whether or not to go to the dining hall. She knows that thanks to her Uncle that James won't be there but Paige and the rest of the people she really doesn't want to deal with will be there and she isn't sure if she can control her anger enough to put up with them. She has almost decided to head straight to the gym without breakfast when she realises that if she does then she can't have coffee so she reluctantly heads to the dining hall.
When Skye arrives at the dining hall just like every day in the past week the whispers start as soon as she walks in, "Oh I really can't deal with this today." Skye thinks to herself as she walks over to the coffee maker and gets a to go cup. As she walks past the food bar Skye picks up several triangle halves of grilled cheese and heads to the door.
"Oh, not staying today are we Coulson?" Paige asks, "Running off to have another private tutoring session that the rest of us can only dream about?"
"You know what, I'm done dealing with you." Skye says as one thing she has realised in the last weeks is that while Paige is likely to talk big James is the one who is likely to do something, which he proved the day before, "I've got more important things to deal with that dealing with your childish crap because that's what you're doing." Skye tells her, "You're being a child and I don't have time for that." Skye says then she raises her voice and faces the whole room, "None of us do. There are bigger things going out in the world than the petty problems you have with me. Soon enough we're all going to be out there in the real word, the weird world that others can only dream about and you're going to realises how much of an idiot you've been, how tiny all this really is. You can continue to waste your time with this crap, but I'm done. I'm done letting you make me feel like crap for something I earned. I've got a class to get to and so do you." Skye says facing Paige, "If you put half the energy into your classes that you put into being jealous of me then you could be a great agent." Skye tells Paige before walking out of the hall leaving a shocked Paige and a shocked silent room behind her.
When Skye walks into the Gym ten minutes later, having finished the food and coffee as she walked, Skye finds her Uncle standing in the middle setting up the targets, when he hears her approach he turns and as soon as he sees her he claps, "Nicely done." He tells her a proud grin on his face.
"How? I'm not even going to ask anymore." Skye comments walking over and placing her bag down and taking off her jacket so that she's in a tank top and her jeans.
"How's the wrist?" Clint asks worried.
"A little sore, but okay." Skye tells him, "Thankfully it's the wrist I hold the bow with so I'm fine to practice again."
"You sure?" He asks wanting to be sure.
"Positive." Skye responds.
"Okay, put on the arm guard and get ready." Clint tells her as he finishes setting up the target.
Once he has sets up the targets Clint picks up his own bow and fires a shot at each one of them without looking to make sure they are in the spots he wants them to be, unsurprisingly he gets perfect hits with each of them.
"Show off." Skye says with a playful smile.
"Skilled." Clint corrects.
"Is there a difference?" Skye asks curious.
"A small one." Clint tells her as he goes and gets his arrows of the boards.
"So when's your break today?" Skye asks.
"About an hour after I finish with you." Clint answers.
"Okay, let's see how I go today." Skye says picking up the bow that she has been using and walking over to the targets
"Hold on." Clint tells her, "I've got something for you." He says walking over to the case where he keeps his own bow where for the first time Skye has noticed that there is another below it.
"Uncle Clint, you didn't have to. I'm fine using the Academy bow." Skye tells him realising what is going on.
"I know, but this way once you leave the Academy you have a bow of your own if you want to use it." Clint tells her.
"You think I could?" Skye asks surprised, "Up until a few days ago I couldn't even hit the target." Skye points out to here.
"Which is better than most people in my third year ops course are doing." Clint reveals to his niece, "If you continue to practice, if that's what you want, I don't see why you couldn't be great one day soon." Clint reveals.
"Really?" Skye asks surprised.
"Really." Clint confirms, "Come have a look." He tells her.
"You know in fairness to your third years we did spend all of Saturday practicing." Skye reminds her Uncle as she walks over to him as the long hours she spent practicing on Saturday resulted in her sleeping most of Sunday, but still managing to get a couple of hours of practice in.
"True." Clint admits, "But I did offer them the same option for Sunday and none of them showed." He reveals, "What do you think?" Clint asks his niece picking up the bow which looks almost identical to Clint's except that it has a blue line, the same blue that her electrical power is, painted on the outside going from the top to the bottom.
"Wow, Uncle Clint, it's so awesome." Skye tells her Uncle collecting it off him, "It must have been so expensive." Skye comments.
"Consider it a late Christmas present." Clint tells her knowing that Sky tends to be uncomfortable when accepting expensive gifts from someone.
"It's June." Skye points out as she inspects the bow closely.
"Early one then." Clint corrects.
"Thank you Uncle Clint, so much." Skye tells her Uncle hugging him.
"You're welcome Kid." Clint tells her giving her a kiss on the top of the head as he hugs her, "Why don't you give it a try." Clint says handing her a Quiver which is identical to his except where his is purple hers has the same blue as her bow and the arrows have blue fletchings.
Skye nods and walks over and stands the distance from the targets that Clint has been having her stand. She gets her correct stance, lines up the shot and for the first time she manages to hit the bullseye of the target.
"I did it." Skye exclaims excited.
"Good work. Keep going." Clint tells her a proud smile clear.
"You know people don't give you enough credit for how well you do this, it's really hard." Skye says shooting an arrow and hitting the target but not in the bulls' eye like she did the previous time, "Damn it."
"Keep trying, you won't hit it perfectly every time." Clint tells her, "I didn't when I was learning." He reveals.
Over seven hours after they left Hill's base Melinda, Natasha and Steve near the location that Fury directed them to.
"Auto pilot's set." Melinda comments walking to the back of the plane, "Are you sure you don't need a parachute?" She asks Steve curious.
"Positive." Steve tells her
"Here." Natasha says handing Melinda a parachute as Steve opens the ramp to the back of the plane.
Just as Melinda and Natasha put the parachutes on there is a beep heard throughout the plane, "We're over the drop zone." Natasha realises, "After you Cap." Natasha says and Steve jumps out of the plane, Melinda and Natasha right behind him.
Steve is the first to land inside the compound, Melinda and Natasha land about a minute after him but before any of them can do any more than, in Melinda and Natasha's case remove their parachutes, there are no fewer than twenty flashes of light and all three of them a rendered unconscious due to twenty dendrotoxin grenades being released at the same time.
"Get them to the cell." A woman's voice says from the shadows, "I want Rogers dosed ever five minutes, May and Romanoff every ten. They are to stay unconscious until father gets here." Victoria Hand informs several armed individuals as she steps out from the shadows.
"Yes Ma'am." They respond and they collect the three.
Back on the plane Coulson barely slept due to his worry over Melinda, Natasha and Steve. He has called Fury but all Fury will tell him is that they are on a mission that is classified. He wouldn't even tell him when they were meant to be back.
As he debates whether he should get Ward to fly to Hill's base to find out what is going on his secure phone rings, "Melinda?" Coulson asks worried.
"Still know nothing then." Clint says on the other end.
"No. I haven't heard from them." Coulson responds, "I don't like this Clint, Fury won't tell me anything and you know how his voice gets different when he's concerned but he's doing his best not to show it?" Coulson asks curious.
"Of course." Clint responds.
"It was the most obvious that I have ever heard it." Coulson informs him.
"Okay, stay where you guys are, I'm going to get Skye and as soon as we're off Academy grounds I'll ask her to use her knowing power. We'll go to New York and get Tony to get us to you." Clint tells Coulson his worry for his sister and partner clear.
"And what if she can't use it?" Coulson asks.
"Then we know it's the Clairvoyant who is behind it and we figure something out." Clint responds.
"This is going to put her in danger." Coulson realises, clearly worried for his daughter.
"She's already in danger. I need to come to you so we can find our girls and there is nothing I can do except not tell Skye I'm leaving to get her not to come, and if I do that who knows how much danger she'll be in." Clint points out, "That could be the point, dragging me away from Skye so that she is unprotected." Clint explains.
"Let me know If you find something." Coulson requests.
"Will do." Clint responds and he heads back to Campus.
As soon as he gets back to campus Clint breaks into Skye's room and get's her stuff and the car keys. After stopping by his own room getting changed into his tactical gear and grabbing his stuff, including both his and Skye's bows and Quivers he heads to the gym and arrives there just as Skye is finishing her lesson with another ops teacher.
"We've got to go." Clint tells Skye as soon as he sees her and the pair are out of hearing range of the other agent.
"Not good?" Skye asks worried.
"Fury won't talk, no word from Nat or Mels." Clint explains.
"Defiantly not good." Skye confirms answering her own question.
"I know." Clint comments as they arrive at the car. "You better buckle your seatbelt. I won't exactly be sticking to speed limits." Clint advices.
"Good to know." Skye responds and they leave.
They get an odd look from the guard when they leave but Clint is able to smooth talk their way through without too much of an issue.
"Okay can I use my powers now?" Skye asks curious five minutes after they leave the academy but as Clint is driving extremely fast, more than double over the speed limit, they have travelled quite the distance.
"Go for it." Clint tells her and Skye closes her eyes.
"No, damn it." Skye says angrily.
"What's wrong?" Clint asks worried.
"I'm trying to focus on what Mom and тетя Наташа are doing but I can't know it clearly. It's like there's static and I can't see the picture through it." Skye explains.
"The Clairvoyant is involved." Clint realises.
"I'm almost positive." Skye responds and the phone rings, "Hello Uncle Tony." Skye responds.
"What the hell are you to doing?" Tony asks, "Why did you go off campus?" He asks.
"Tell Tony we will be at the tower in between an hour and an hour and half, we'll explain then." Clint tells Skye and Skye repeats what he said to Tony.
"Tell your Uncle not to kill you with his insane driving, I'll see you soon." Tony tells Skye.
"Yep, see you then." Skye tells him.
"What are you doing?" Clint asks when several minutes later Skye has once more closed her eyes.
"I have to keep trying." Skye tells him, "The desire behind my power matters. I don't know if it work but I have to try." Skye explains, "That's the difference between me and the Clairvoyant, I have selfless desire when it comes to the big things I use my powers for, like brining back Mom. I've got to hope that it works." Skye says getting herself relaxed again.
For most of the car trip but Skye and Clint spend it in silence apart from Skye's occasional swearing because she can't make sense of the static.
They have just reached the outer suburbs of New York when she begins to see through the static, "They're Unconscious, all three of them." Skye suddenly knows, "Hang on let me try something else." Skye realises and instead of focused on what her Mom, Natasha and Steve are currently doing she focuses on where they were going. "I've got the coordinates of where they are." Skye realises.
"Call Tony tell him to gear up and get to the airport where he keeps his plane, I think we're going to need him." Clint tells Skye.
"On it." Skye responds and she pulls out the phone once more, "Uncle Tony, get to the airport where you keep your plane." Skye requests.
"Why, what's going on?" Tony asks
"We know where Mom, тетя Наташа and Steve are, they are unconscious but I can't see any more than that because the Clairvoyant is involved. Uncle Clint told me to tell you to gear up and get there." Skye tells him. "Oh and bring one of your secure laptops." She adds.
"On it." Tony responds before hanging up.
"Are you okay?" Clint asks worried as he notices that Skye is tightly closing her eyes then opening them.
"Have you ever tried to keep your eyes open for a really long time in really chlorinated water?" Skye asks her Uncle Curious.
"Yeah, why?" He asks confused.
"That's what trying to make sense of the static feels like, that or staring directly into the sun. Not sure which one is a better description." Skye explains.
"Don't try again." Clint tells her, "We know the location and that they are unconscious that's got to do for now." He tells her.
"But we don't know how many people are there or what we are walking into." Skye objects.
"You need to save your energy, you might need it." Clint tells her.
"You think I'm going to have to use my powers." Skye realises.
"It's likely that you will." Clint tells her, "And I would feel better if you were as strong as possible when that happened." He tells her.
"Okay." Skye responds and for the first time since they left the academy they are going less than a hundred kilometres per hour as they make their way to the airport.
About five minutes after Skye and Clint arrive at the airport Tony does,
"You're in luck." Tony says as he gets out of his car and heads to his boot.
"What do you mean?" Clint asks getting both his and Skye's bow and Quiver out of Melinda's car but leaving everything else.
"After Egypt I did some upgrading on the plane, it's now got a much better engine, should shave a couple of hours of our trip." Tony explains, "The laptop you requested." Tony says handing it to Skye as he get out his suit.
"Thanks." Skye says accepting it.
"We've got to let your Dad know what is going on so he knows where to go." Clint tells his niece.
"We can't let them go by phone, but I've got a better idea" Skye says and the trio walk to the plane. Skye throwing her jacket, which has the phone Steve gave her in it, back into the car as she walks past.
"You're going to hack into the plane's system add the coordinates to the navigation system and plant a message in all the basic working of the plane computer systems to tell them what is going on, aren't you?" Tony asks assuming that that is what she is going to do because it makes the most sense.
"Yep." Skye tells him as they enter the plane.
"I need the coordinates if we want to go anywhere." Clint says as the entre the plane.
"Right." Skye says looking for a pen and some paper.
"Here." Tony says handing her both the objects.
"Thanks." Skye responds grateful and she writes down the location and hands it to Clint, "I'm going to wait on letting Dad know until I've looked into the location a bit." Skye tells her Uncles, "I'm positive that they are closer than us but I think we should know something about what we are walking into before I talk to Dad." Skye tells them.
"Sounds good." Clint tells her placing the bows and quivers down on one of the chairs, "Wheels up in five." He says heading into the cockpit leaving Skye and Tony in the main part of the plane.
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