Chapter 21
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For three days after the battle ship incident Skye avoid Ward as much as possible. Something that is easy to achieve when it becomes clear to everyone else that he doesn't want to see or talk to him as they do their best to help.
Skye herself is down having a dance lesson with her Aunt, something which she has gotten very good at and enjoys quite a bit, which Natasha is quiet happy about as she loves teaching her niece something that they both love.
"Hey you two, I need your help." Clint says racing down the stairs with the Nerf crossbow once more in his hands.
"What did you do?" Natasha asks as Clint comes and hides behind them.
"Started a war." Clint responds, not even bothering to pretend to be insulted that she immediately assumes he did something, as Fitz and Simmons both come running out and start firing at Clint.
"You're on your own." Natasha tells her partner, "We'll continue this later." She tells Skye.
"I'm in." Skye tells her Uncle, "Can we pause until I'm armed?" Skye asks her siblings.
"Five minutes." Simmons responds, "We'll meet upstairs in five minutes." She says and she and Fitz head back to the main part of the plane.
"You sure you don't want to join?" Skye asks curious.
"No, I'm good." Natasha tells her, "I'm going to go see what your mother is doing, try not to do any damage to the plane, anything or each other." Natasha tells them.
"We'll do our best." Clint responds and Natasha heads upstairs, "You've got the other Nerf crossbow in your bunk don't you?" Clint asks his niece.
"Yep." Skye responds as ever since Fitz gave her the Nerf crossbow to distract her from using the actual one she has kept it.
"Good, go get it." Clint tells her, "I'll restock." He says and Skye nods and heads upstairs.
Five minutes later Simmons, Fitz, Skye and Clint meet in the middle of the main level of the plane, when they do Fitz and Simmons realise that they are out matched.
"The teams aren't fair." Simmons realises.
"You're right about that." Clint realises.
"Well how about me and Jem against you and Fitzy." Skye suggests.
"That will work." Clint respond and the others nod.
"We need rules fist." Fitz points out.
"Cockpit and Coulson's office are off limits. Everywhere else is fair game." Clint tells the others and they nod.
"Lola's off limits too." Skye tells them.
"Oh yeah." Clint says agreeing, "That's better for all of us if it is." He tells them.
"Every time you get hit you have to add one to tally in the lab before you continue play." Simmons suggests. .
"Sounds good." Clint tells them, "Two minutes to spread out then we play." He says and the others nod and Skye and Simmons go one way why he and Fitz go another all four of them preparing for their war.
Garrett and Hill have just returned to the Hub after their mission. They have been de briefed and they are waiting for their new orders, well Garrett is, Hill has gone into a meeting. Being bored with waiting around Garrett starts to look into the personnel files of some of the higher ranking S.H.I.E.L.D agents feeling like Stark's program is taking too long for his liking.
After leaving Skye and Clint Natasha goes to the cockpit to see her best friend.
"I thought you were having a dancing lesson with Skye." Melinda says to her friend when she sees her.
"I was." Natasha confirms, "Until Clint decided to crash our lesson because he's having a Nerf war with FitzSimmons." She explains.
"I really wish I never showed him them." Melinda comments.
"So do I." Natasha tells her.
"So did May join them?" Melinda asks.
"Yeah." Natasha confirms, "But then again that's not surprising she likes those things as much as Clint does." Natasha points out.
"Just the crossbow." Melinda tells her, "When Fitz got that new machine gun version a few days ago he showed it to her but she showed no interest."
"Also not a surprise." Natasha comments, "She is her mother's daughter and she has spent a lot of time with the best Archer in the world and happens to be a pretty good one herself, even if she doesn't remember." She comments remembering what Clint told her, "It makes sense that she prefers to use the crossbow."
"Yeah it does." Melinda confirms
"Are you alright?" Natasha asks a hint of concern clear.
"I'm fine." Melinda responds.
"Yeah, you want to try that again?" Natasha asks, "This is me you're talking to."
"I'm worried about what Quinn is up to." Melinda admits, "And what it means for Skye." She admits.
"Oh." Natasha comments, "Glad I'm not the only one." She comments.
"You find it odd too." Melinda says to her friend.
"Of course. He sent Deathlok after us then nothing." Natasha reminds him, "That doesn't bode well for us."
"What do you think he's planning?" Melinda asks curious.
"Who knows, but whatever it is, I'm betting it's pretty big and we should be ready." Natasha tells her friend and both drift into silence.
At the Hub Garrett has been going through files for several hours when he finds something unusual, something that contradicts several things that he knows to be fact. He stares at what he's looking at for several minutes thinking that maybe it could be a mistake but then he remembers the stakes and knows that he has to check it out anyway, especially considering what one of the things he knows is.
Clearing any record of what he's been doing and logging off Garrett gets up and heads to the person's file he was looking at office, knowing that while that person won't be there he can leave a note and come up with the second part of his plan.
As he exits the area he was in he hears someone calling his name and he turns and when he sees who it is he can't help but smile.
"Hey, done with your meeting?" Garrett asks Maria curious.
"Not quite, just excused for a break." Maria responds.
"You take breaks?" Garrett asks amused, "From talking?" he ask as it seems like a stupid thing to take breaks during to him.
"When me and Hand are in the meetings, yes, because otherwise it ends in a fight." She explains.
"I'd like to see that, though we both know you could kick Vic's ass if needed." He tells her.
"Thanks for your confidence." Maria tells him.
"It's a no brainer, you're the better fighter." John tells her.
"Thanks." Maria responds, "I should be getting back." She tells him.
"Well go, give Vic hell." He tells her.
"Oh, I will." Maria responds and she walks several steps before turning back around and facing you, "Are you free tonight? After dealing with Hand all day I could use a drink." She tells her friend, the person that she considers to be her best friend.
"I'm staying at the apartment, about six." He offers the apartment being a place that he, Melinda, Coulson, Clint and Natasha brought together a long time ago when they were spending a lot of time at The Hub between missions and they realised housing in the area sucked.
"Sounds good." Maria responds
"Good. I might have something to talk to you about then." He tells her.
"That's mysterious." Maria says with a frown walking back over to him, "What are you up to?"
"Not here." Garret tells her in a whisper, "I might have a lead on our problem." He explains his voice barely loud enough for Maria to hear as he makes sure he's not looking in any direction that has a camera, "I'm not sure yet, I need to look into something. I'll tell you everything tonight." Garrett tells his best friend, the person he trusts the most.
"Be careful." Maria says accepting his explanation but worried for him, "With whatever it is that you're going to do, just be careful." She tells him.
"I'm always careful." Garrett tells her and Maria rolls her eyes,
"Of course you are, and that's why you've had the most injuries out of all of us." Maria tells him both of them knowing that all of us refers to them, Coulson, Melinda, Natasha and Clint.
"No I haven't." Garrett says being pretty sure that Natasha and Melinda have had more injuries than he has.
"I'm pretty sure you have." Maria tells her, "Crap, I've got to get back before Hand takes over, see you at six?" she asks.
"See you at six." Garrett confirms and Maria turns and jogs back to the meeting room and Garrett continues on to leave his message for the person he really wants to talk to.
On the plane Skye, Clint, Simmons and Fitz have been playing their game for a while and Clint and Fitz are winning mainly due to the fact that Clint is such a good shot, though Skye and Simmons are holding their own and even Fitz is doing a pretty good job of fighting back.
"TIME, all of you." Coulson says form the stairs which leads to his office as he sees Clint standing on the kitchen Counters, Skye hidden behind the couch, Fitz shooting from out his bunk and Simmons from in the command centre.
"Dad we're in the middle of a game." Skye objects.
"So I see, but you've been playing for an hour without a break, it's time for one." Coulson tells her.
"He's right Kid, I should have gotten us to take a break a while ago." Clint says jumping down from the counter that he is standing on top off.
"Okay fine." Skye says and her, Fitz and Simmons move out of the open rather than the places they were hiding in.
"Here, catch." Clint says throwing his niece a bottle of water which she catches.
"Any chance of food?" Skye asks curious.
"I think I can whip up some grilled ham and cheese for all." Coulson tells his daughter.
"Awesome." Skye responds, "Can I help?" she asks her Dad curious.
"Sure, wash up first though." Coulson requests and Skye nods and heads to the sink.
"Is that a good idea?" Fitz asks Simmons in a whisper.
"Shhh." Simmons whispers back and Coulson and Skye get started on working on food.
When he arrives back at the apartment at quarter past five Garrett sets up a few things that he is going to need. The first is several listening devices and cameras just in case something happens to him and he can't tell the others what he found out if his suspicion is proven to be correct which would be the only reason why he couldn't tell the others.
Once he has all the cameras and listening devices in place Garrett sits down and writes a letter to Maria which explains everything which he goes and puts in the box of tissues in the bathroom cabinet which would be the last place that anyone except for Maria would look.
Garrett has just returned from placing the letter when there is a knock on the door, knowing exactly who it is Garrett walks over and answers it,
"I didn't think you'd show." Garrett admits.
"Of course I showed." Hand tells Garrett entering the apartment, "You made a convincing case." She tells him, "Leaving me a note claiming that you know my biggest secret but that you wanted to give me a chance to explain before going to Fury. What is it that you think you know?" Victoria asks.
"Well you just confirmed if for me so I don't think any more, I know for sure." Garrett responds.
"What do you mean?" Hand asks.
"Drop the act Vic, you and I both know that if you were innocent you wouldn't have bothered to show up." Garrett says to her closing the door and walking across the room, "You're Ian Quinn's sister, the Clairvoyant's daughter, and a mole." He tells her.
"First don't call me Vic." Victoria says knowing that she is busted but curious as to how he knows, "And second if you had any proof to your accusations we would be meeting in an interrogation room rather than your apartment." She tells him.
"I wanted to give you a chance to come clean before I brought you in, but I guess that's not going to happen." Garrett tells her.
"You still haven't said what your proof is." Victoria says never letting her mask fall for a second, "And you know I think it's because you don't have any." Victoria reveals, "Because you can't, because your accusations aren't true and I resent that you would even think that I was a mole." She tells him.
"Give it a rest Vic, I know who you are." Garrett tells her, "You probably don't remember but when we were stationed together, the only time I have ever seen you drunk, you ranted and raved about your half-brother Ian, and how much of an annoyance he is but that he's your best friend though it disturbs you how much like your father he is. I didn't think about it much at the time, but imagine my shock when I'm looking through your personal file today and it says that you don't have any siblings, that you've never known your father and that apparently your blood type is different to that I know you to have." Garrett explains, "You're Ian Quinn's sister and you switched your DNA sample for another's in the system. You're a traitor to S.H.I.E.L.D, and I'm brining you in." he tells her.
"You bring me in and you get what a pat on the head from Fury?" Hand asks and Garrett just stares at her, "You keep my secret and you'll have whatever you want, when S.H.I.E.L.D is no more you can be as high ranking as you want to be in what will take its place." Hand says seeing what her chances are of getting him to change sides as she knows that there is a small chance that he will agree.
"You, your brother, and your Father, have made life hell for the people that I care about. There is nothing you can offer me that will make me join you." Garrett tells her a look of disgust on his face.
"Well I'm sorry you feel that way." Victoria says and then before Garrett can react she pulls a gun with a silencer on the end and shots him twice, once in the stomach once in the upper torso, near the top of the right lung, which if her calculations are correct it should cause said lung to collapse.
As she knows Garrett well enough to know that he likely has listening devices and cameras in the room Victoria starts to look for them until she hears a knock at the door.
"John?" Victoria hears Hill's voice call as she knocks the second that she does she races into the bedroom and climbs out of the fire escape knowing that she has time because Hill will be more concerned with checking on Garrett that finding the shooter. As she races down the fire escape Victoria pulls out her phone and calls her brother,
"I'm texting you an address. I need you to send a clean-up team there as quick as possible, it needs to get there before SHIELD and pretend that that's what they are." Victoria tells her brother when he answers without even saying hallo.
"Tori? What happened?" Quinn asks concerned, "Are you alright?"
"I'll be there soon, I'll explain everything then." Victoria assures her brother, "Just sent the team." She requests.
After her meetings Hill had to compete paperwork on her latest mission which she manages to complete earlier than she had planned so instead of hanging around the hub she decides to meet up with Garrett earlier than planned, knowing that he won't mind and not being able to help but be worried about him because of whatever it was that he was up to.
When Maria arrives at the apartment that she has stayed at before and visited more than once she knocks and when she receives no response calls out "John." When she does receive any answer from that either she can't help but be concerned as she knows that John left the hub over an hour ago. Thankful that she has her own key due to the fact that she has stayed there before she goes to unlock the door but is very surprised to find it is already un locked because that isn't like John.
Pausing the door open she hesitantly enters but the second she sees the sight before her being careful is thrown out the window, "John." She says racing to her best friends' side. John is barely conscious and as soon as she is at his side she starts to hold pressure on his wounds.
"John, look at me, who did this to you?" Maria asks and John tries to talk but he starts coughing and struggling even more to breath which makes Maria realise that he's got a collapsed lung.
"Just hold on John, I'll get help." Hill says looking at her friend as she pulls out her phone, "This is Commander Hill A 946430, I need an emergency medical team at my location, I've got an agent down, repeat I've got an agent down." Maria says before hanging up her phone, "You stay with me, okay." Maria tells her best friend, "I haven't given you permission to die." She tells him as it becomes clear and clearer that he is struggling to hold on, "Just stay with me John." She tells him as she continues to do her best to prevent his injuries from getting worse.
As she holds pressure on the wounds she realises that unless she does something about the collapsed lung he is going to die before she the medical team can get there. Reaching over and grabbing a pillow from the couch she puts that onto of the stomach wound and runs to the kitchen to grab a bottle of vodka, a knife and takes apart a pen so she has a tube, thankful for the fact of just who's apartment she is in because all of the items are easy to find.
Trying to remember the time that Melinda had to talk her through how to re inflate a lung Maria opens the Vodka and pours it all over the pen, the knife, her hands and John's chest. Then with shaking hands she makes an incision in his chest and inserts the pen, which re inflates the lung, allowing John to breathe a little easier,
"Just hold on John, please." Maria requests tears coming to her eyes as she continues to try and hold bleeding on his bullets wounds determine to do whatever she can to make sure she won't lose her best friend.
On the plane everyone except for Coulson are down in the living room watching a movie of Ward's choice much to Simmons, Fitz and Skye's dismay because they really don't like his choice in movies, the only reason Coulson isn't downstairs with them is because he still hasn't finished doing the budgets for Fury.
"Mel, Clint, Tasha, Ward please come to my office." Coulson's voice says through the coms and the second it does the four agents become worried because there is a hint of pain in his voice.
Exchanging a look the four get up and make their way up to Coulson's office.
"What is it Phil?" Melinda asks worried when she sees the look that her husband has on his face.
"I just received a call from Maria, Agent Garrett was shot a little under an hour ago, he's alive but in critical condition." Coulson reveals to the shock of the other four agents in the room.
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