Chapter 14
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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 your support for this story. I am currently increasing the number of chapters in my reserve which hopefully means that sometime this week. Likely Thursday Australian time I will update two chapter instead of one.
"His stories." Melinda realises, "He would always mention his time at Blair Athol."
"We're they there at the same time?" Garrett asks, "Quinn was only there for a term." He comments.
"I'm checking now." Natasha says, "The Mole can't be Sitwell." She says not wanting to believe that one of the few people that they trust the most is betraying them, "Sitwell was there from the time he was fourteen to when he graduated which is from 1983 until '88." She explains.
"Quinn was there in 83." Maria reveals.
"No, this is Jasper we're talking about, Jasper our friend, who we've all had to carry home, who has vomited on each and everyone one of us a hundred times, who we've all knocked out. He can't be a traitor." Clint comments not wanting to believe it, even though he pointed out the connection.
"None of us want to believe it." Melinda tells her brother, "Jasper is one of us, he's all of our friend, and we've trusted him for over fifteen years. Ever since he came out of the academy, but we've got to at least talk to him." She says, "Phil? What do you think?" Melinda asks as she realises her husband has been very quiet.
"How do we know that they knew each other, it's a big school right?" He asks
"In 1983 there were approximately two hundred students enrolled." Maria answers, "I agree with Melinda, we've got to talk to him, he should have at least mentioned that he knew Quinn, but he never did." She tells the others.
"We don't talk to Fury until we've talked to him, after all these years we owe him that, especially if he is innocent." Coulson says to the others.
"Agreed." They all respond.
"What do we tell Ward and the others?" Garrett asks.
"We tell them what we are doing but they are to stay on the plane, talking to Sitwell is our job." Coulson says and the others nod.
"Just the six of us need to do this." Clint comments.
"I hate to bring this up but what about Blake?" Maria asks.
"What about him?" Natasha asks confused.
"There is no one that Sitwell is closer to, no one." Maria reminds the others, though they really don't need the reminder, "He might know something."
"Let us talk to Sitwell first Maria, then we'll deal with Blake." Garrett tells his friend.
"Where is Sitwell at the moment?" Coulson asks Maria assuming that she knows.
"The Hub, Blake is there too." She tells him.
"Melinda." Coulson says,
"Setting co-ordinates to the hub." She says and she gets up.
"I'll join you, I could use some flying to clear my head." Clint comments also standing up and he and Melinda leave the office.
Half an hour later the plane is only half an hour away from the Hub. As Melinda and Clint haven't left the cockpit and Garrett, Maria, Coulson and Natasha haven't left Coulson's office Ward, Fitz and Simmons are all very confused about what is going on but none of them have gone to investigate.
"You don't think Sitwell is the mole, do you?" Clint asks his sister.
"I don't know, and I won't until we talk to him." Melinda tells her brother, "I know I don't want to believe it and I know you don't, but we might have to." She tells him.
"It's just so hard to believe, Sitwell who would challenge Garrett to pool even though he would always loose, the guy who would annoy you, Nat, and Maria so much that you would knock him out, the guy who always be willing to do our dares no matter how insane they were, could be a mole." He says not wanting to believe it.
"I know." Melinda tells him, "Do you remember the Cairo op in 99?" she asks and Clint laughs.
Ten minutes before they are due to touch down Coulson calls Ward and Fitz up to his office.
"We will be landing at the Hub in ten minutes." Coulson informs the young agents, "While we are their Melinda, Natasha, Clint, Maria, Garrett and I need to have a conversation with Agent Sitwell and while we do that you are to remain on the plane." He tell them.
"And each of us need one of your guns." Natasha informs Fitz.
"The Night Night guns?" Ward asks surprised, "Why do you need them for a conversation with Sitwell?" he asks.
"I call them ICERS now." Fitz corrects.
"Do you have six of them?" Natasha asks ignoring Ward's question.
"Yes." Fitz answers.
"Go get them ready." Garrett instructs and Fitz nods and exits the office.
"What's really going on?" Ward asks once Fitz exits the office.
"The guns are just as a precaution." Maria tells him creatively dodging the question.
"Why we are gone you need to keep everyone safe." Coulson tells Ward, "And make sure that Skye doesn't leave the plane and that no S.H.I.E.L.D agent sees her."
"Of course Sir." Ward responds.
"Dismissed." Coulson says and Ward exits the office, more confused than he was when he entered the office.
Ten minutes later the plane has touched down and Melinda, Coulson, Natasha, Clint, Maria and Garrett are standing on the cargo bay ramp, each one of them armed with an ICER.
"Are you ready for this?" Maria asks the others.
"You mean are we ready to find out if our friend of fifteen years has been betraying us?" Coulson asks.
"Let's go, you said we can find him in his office?" Melinda asks so that no one has to answer Coulson's question as she doubts that any of them are ready for that.
"Yeah, as far as I know that's where he'll be." Maria respond and the group of six head that way.
Five minutes later the group walk into Sitwell's office and as soon as he sees them he is surprised.
"What are you all doing here?" Sitwell asks confused though inside he is worried that they could have found out his secret.
"We need to ask you a question Jasper, and we need you to answer us honestly." Coulson tells him.
"Of course, what is it?" Jasper asks filling with dread as for them to be here and speaking the way they are he can only think of one reason.
"Are you working for Ian Quinn?" Melinda asks.
"What?" Jasper asks pretending to be shocked though it's in that moment when he realises that six of the best human lie detectors in the world are standing before him, "Why would you even think that?" he asks.
"You are." Natasha realises, "You're working for Ian Quinn, why?" she asks, needing to hear his reason.
"Jasper please, just tell us. Why would you do this?" Coulson asks when a minute later Jasper hasn't said anything and it looks like he is despite to.
"He protected me from bullies in school, even after he left no one would go after me because Ian Quinn was my friend." Sitwell reveals, "We stayed in touch but we weren't close until I joined S.H.I.E.L.D, he asked me to tell him things, just a few things in the beginning, which I told him because I owed him, but it didn't stay that way, he wanted to know more I tried to lie but he would always know, so I continued, I told anything I though he would want to know." Sitwell reveals.
"Where can we find him?" Clint asks betrayal clear.
"He's…." Sitwell begins to say but before he can say more there is the sound off a gunshot and Sitwell falls forward to reveal Blake standing there with a gun.
"I'm sorry." Blake tells Sitwell pain and regret clear on his face, "But I have my orders."
"Blake put down the gun." Garrett instructs as they all raise their ICER.
"I can't." Blake tells them, "I have to do this, he's making me." Blake tells the people that he considers to be his closest friends, some of whom he's known since his fist day at the Academy.
"Let us help you Felix." Natasha says taking several steps closer to him, "Help us find Quinn and end this, get your revenge for what he made you do to Jasper."
"No, I am not going to be anyone's puppet anymore, not S.H.I.E.L.D's, not his." Blake says, "He's gone, I have nothing." He says looking at Sitwell, "There is another Mole. We're just the minions, you need to find our leader." He tells them.
"Who? Who else is a mole?" Coulson asks urgently.
"I don't know." Blake says honestly as that was done for a reason he and Sitwell only dealt with Quinn or Rania, "Keep us together." He requests before raising the gun and firing before even Natasha can get the gun out of his hand, a move that isn't easy to pull off.
A minute after Blake fires the gun a S.H.I.E.L.D security team comes bursting in the room, Coulson, Melinda, Natasha, Maria and Garrett all standing exactly where they were when Blake killed himself because they are in too much shock to move.
"Rooms secure, get them to Medical I want full reports on both, send them directly to me, no one else, I'm handling this." Maria orders.
"Yes Ma'am." The team respond.
"Let's get back to the plane." Coulson response as Melinda, Natasha, Clint and Garrett are all staring at the bodies in shock as while he doesn't trust much and neither does Maria, they definitely trust much more than the other four who would be seeing this as the ultimate betrayal.
The nod and they make their way out of the room, Maria pausing to talk to the security team once more as they do.
Ten minutes after leaving Sitwell's office they arrive back at the plane where Fitz, Simmons, Ward and Skye are waiting in the upper level all clearly worried.
"What's going on?" Ward asks, "We heard the alarms." He tells them.
"Get us in the air Ward, doesn't matter where too." Coulson tells him as the others head upstairs.
"If you have any problems patch Couslon's phone through and I'll give my authorisation." Maria tells Ward as she and Coulson head upstairs with the others.
"What just happened?" Skye asks confused.
"I don't know." Jemma answers truthfully, exchanging a worried look with Fitz.
"I better get us up in the air." Ward comments and he heads to the cockpit.
"I don't like this." Skye comments, and once more Fitz and Simmons exchange a worried look both knowing that either though they don't know what is going on they need to distract Skye as now that she is a bit older she is likely to understand more.
"I know." Fitz tells her, "But you know there is a very special show that makes me feel better, especially when something I don't like is happening." Fitz tells Skye.
"What's that?" Skye asks curious.
"A magical show called Doctor Who." Fitz tells her, "Do you want to watch it?" he asks.
"Ohhh, can I?" Skye ask as Fitz has made it sound so amazing.
"I think you have to." Fitz tells her with a smile.
When Coulson, Melinda, Natasha, Clint, Garrett, and Maria walk into Coulson's office Natasha, Melinda and Maria sit down on the couch while Clint and Garrett sit down on the two chairs near the windows and Coulson walks behind his desk.
"I think we could all use this." Coulson says pulling the bottle of Scotch that Tony got him for his birthday out and putting it along with six glasses on his desk. Once he has poured large amounts of Scotch into each glass he passes them around then pulls his desk chair around.
"I think we're going to need a lot more of this." Garrett says after drinking his drink in one mouthful.
"Not a problem, I have several bottles." Coulson reveals.
"Good, we're going to need them." Garrett says, "Sitwell and Blake, I never thought they would betray us."
"All they've ever done is betray us." Natasha corrects, "That's what we get for trusting people." She comments.
"We've lost two friends today." Maria tells them, "Two friends, that even with everything they've done still matter to each and every one of us, let's morn our friends then be pissed at them." She suggests.
"You can do what you want, but I'm just going to be pissed." Melinda tells her friend, "Pass the bottle Phil." Melinda requests and that's what Coulson does.
For many hours Skye watches Doctor Who with Fitz, Simmons and Ward. Ward being confused about most of it but Skye quite enjoying it.
"Jem, I'm hungry." Skye tells her sister.
"Well we can't have that can we? Let's go see what we can have to eat." Jemma comments as Fitz pauses Doctor Who.
"Do you think Mom and Dad will come down soon?" Skye asks.
"I'm not sure." Jemma response.
"Maybe I should go get them." Skye suggests.
"How about you go and help Jemma with lunch and I'll go see if they are not busy." Ward tells Skye not sure if letting her go up to Couslon's office would be a good idea at the moment.
"Okay." Skye says and Simmons, Skye and Fitz head to the kitchen while Ward heads upstairs.
When Ward reaches the top of the stairs he knocks then enters, when he does he finds all six of the adults sitting in the same places they were hours earlier.
"What is it Ward?" Coulson asks when he sees him.
"We're getting started on lunch downstairs, Skye was wondering if you would like to join us." Ward tells them having a feeling that by mentioning that it is what Skye wants then he'll have more chance of getting them to agree.
"We're not hungry." Melinda answers.
"What happened?" Ward asks.
"You are dismissed agent Ward." Maria tells him.
"Yes Ma'am." Ward says and he leaves the office, he heads back downstairs where Jemma and Fitz look at him over Skye's head and he shakes his head in response.
"Are Mom and Dad coming down?" Skye asks Ward when she sees him.
"Not right now, they are busy doing work." Ward lies.
"Oh, okay. We'll save them some right?" Skye asks.
"Of course." Jemma responds and the four get started on making lunch.
For the rest of the night and into the next morning Coulson, Melinda, Natasha, Clint, Maria and Garrett do not venture out of the office resulting in Ward, Fitz and Simmons becoming worried.
"What do you think happened at the Hub?" Fitz asks Ward and Simmons as the three of them are talking in the kitchen why they wait for Skye to wake up.
"Who knows?" Ward answers, being up so early as he has landed the plane in New York because he hasn't received any more instructions, "But it must have been big for them to react like this." He comments.
"Have they even left the office?" Simmons ask.
"I don't think so." Ward answers.
"We've got to help then." Simmons comments
"How?" Fitz asks "How can we help them?" he asks confused.
"I don't think we can, but I have an idea on who can." Ward says heading into the command centre.
"You going to explain that?" Simmons asks as she and Fitz follow.
"Coulson why are you calling at 7 am?" Tony's voice asks as he appears on the screen.
"It's not Coulson." Ward answers.
"What's going on?" Tony asks when he realises that its Ward calling him.
"Something's up. Coulson, May, Barton, Romanoff, Garrett and Hill went to have a conversation with someone at the Hub yesterday morning and ever since they have been up in Coulson's office, I don't even think they have eaten." Ward explains, "I was thinking that maybe you and the others might be able to help, or at least find out what's wrong."
"Where are you?" Tony asks.
"New York, normal place." Ward tells him.
"I'll be there in an hour." He tells him.
"Thank you." Ward says before ending the video conference.
"His timing should be perfect, Skye usually wakes in about an hour." Jemma comments and the three head back out to the main area of the plane.
Forty minutes after Ward made his call to Tony, he Simmons and Skye are down in the lab while Fitz is up in the kitchen making breakfast. Skye is having her normal morning tests run on her and Simmons has discovered that she has aged another month.
"Are Mom and Dad still busy with work?" Skye asks Ward.
"Yeah, they are." Ward tells her as it's the only thing that he can tell her.
"Oh, okay." Skye says looking disappointed that she can't see her parents and it's then that Ward and Simmons remember that Skye experiences time different to them at the moment which means it likely feels longer than it really has been for her since she last saw her parents.
"I am sure that when they aren't quite as busy then you'll see them." Ward tells her and Skye nods, but she looks away, as she does she spots Tony walking up the cargo bay.
"UNCLE TONY!" Skye says happily, jumping down and running to him.
"Hey, Kiddo, when did you get so big?" He ask surprised about how much she has aged since the last time he saw her.
"I haven't seen you in forever." Skye tells her Uncle, "I've missed you." She tells him.
"I've missed you too." Tony tells her.
"Skye, why don't you go help Fitzy with breakfast while Ward and I talk to Uncle Tony." Simmons suggests.
"Okay, don't go without saying goodbye." Skye tells Tony.
"I wouldn't even think about it." He says and Skye goes upstairs.
"We don't know what's going on, all we know is that none of them, Garrett and Agent Hill included have left the office since they got back from the hub." Ward explains to Tony.
"Blake and Sitwell are dead." Tony explains.
"But they only had ICERS." Simmons comments.
"They weren't killed by them, Blake shot Sitwell and then shot himself, all further information and investigation is to be undertaken by Commander Hill." Tony explains.
"That explains it." Simmons comments, "They've lost two friends, not just any friends but two friends that they were very close to and trusted."
"Who it seems, were traitors." Ward adds.
"We don't know that for sure." Simmons tells him, "Do we?" she asks Tony.
"The information I accessed was very limiting, the only people who know are the six people upstairs." Tony tells the others, "I talk to them, see what kind of shape they are in." He says heading upstairs, Simmons and Ward behind him.
When they reach the main level of the plane Tony goes up a floor and Ward and Simmons go into the kitchen.
When Tony reaches the upper level he finds Coulson, Melinda, Natasha, Garrett, Mara and Clint all sitting on the floor with several empty bottles of scotch and each of them with a glass in front of them.
"You look like you're doing great." Tony comments sarcastically when he sees the six.
"What do you want Stark?" Maria asks from where she is sitting next to Garrett with her legs up on him.
"You're Tony Stark." Garrett comments.
"I am."
"Your old man was a dick." Garrett informs Tony.
"I know." Tony answers.
"Then you're alright." Garrett response, "So what are you doing here?" he asks curious.
"Ward called. He said you hadn't left the office since yesterday, now I see why." He comments, "It's a little early don't you think." He comments, "Even for you?" Tony adds, as while he knows his friends do drink it is quite odd for them to be drinking this early because they usually put their work fist.
"It's not early if you never stopped." Melinda tells him.
"You going to join us or are you going to be a hypocrite?" Natasha asks.
"Neither." Tony answers as he has enough self-preservation to know when to start a fight and, this, with six agents who could kill him in seconds who have been drinking, apparently a lot, and mourning the loss of two friends, isn't the time, "I'm here to tell you that Fitz and Simmons are starting breakfast downstairs and that I think it would be a good idea if your all had something more than scotch." He tells his friends, truly concerned about their well-being as while he doesn't know Maria or Garrett as well he knows he has never seen the other four like this, and that worries him.
"Why?" Clint asks, "We're good with scotch and we've been drinking bourbon too." He tells Tony.
"What happened at the hub?" Tony asks needing to know what is going on so that he can know if there is a way to help his friends as seeing them all so broken doesn't sit well with him.
"We found out why we shouldn't trust people." Coulson answers, "Blake and Sitwell were working with Quinn." He reveals, "Who has the scotch?" he asks and Clint passes him the bottle.
"I'm sorry." Tony tells his friends.
"Close the door on your way out." Maria request and Tony does just that realising that there is nothing he can do to help them, but he knows who can.
When Tony walks downstairs he sees Ward, Fitz, Simmons and Skye sitting at the table, but he walks straight past them and heads towards the command centre,
"Tony? What are you doing?" Ward asks catching up with him.
"Calling in the big gun." Tony comments and he walks into the command centre to call the only person who can help.
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