Agents of SHIELD: Agents of Redemption

by JFuzzyWraith0587

With dangerous change on the horizon, Director Coulson tries to stem the tide, but he can't do it alone. With his team still recuperating from the Jia Ying/InHuman assault and Simmons missing he has to recruit an old ally to aid him. Jaxx is a former soldier and a 0-8-4, but are his skills alone enough to help rebuild SHIELD, or will the secrets from his past make him a danger.

9. Ep1 Ch4 Crucible pt1

Disclaimer: First and foremost I would like to thank everyone who follows, and have both favorite me as an author and the story itself. I am honored and grateful to continue writing and hope that all of you like what is to come. Secondly, I wanted to give you a heads up that I might not be posting for a little bit, but I will post. As always I do not own, nor claim to own any or a Marvel characters that appear in this story; I only own my unique imagination and of course Jaxx. Thanks again and leave comments or reviews if you like or have any questions about the story or characters themselves. THX

5 minutes later

Location: Unknown

Skye

(Her eyes slowly flutter open; her vision is blurry, making it difficult to make out anything in front of her. Slowly, she sits up, groaning and grunting as she grabs her head.) What the hell…(If she didn't know any better, she would think that she had been in a head on collision; at least that's what the pounding in her head told her. After stretching a bit, she looks up and finds that she's not on the plane. She grips the frame of the bed and uses it to push herself to her feet.)

(Her muscles screech out, as the dull, numbing pain shoots through her entire body. The pain almost caused her to tumble back down onto the bed, and yet, she regained her balance just in time. She looked around a bit, first looking at the bed she was laying on, then at the three walls surrounding her. This place felt familiar, but she couldn't quite place it; she turned around and saw a concrete staircase leading up to a door. A possible way out perhaps, either way she couldn't stay here, wherever here is.)

(She starts to take a couple of steps forward, meanwhile she the familiarity of the room started to gnawing at her. After her 4th step she hits something, something that stops her cold. Her heartbeat started going faster; she held out her hand and found that there was an barrier blocking her escape.) "Oh no!" please no, nonononono, this isn't real! (It was like she had been thunderstruck, as she finally realized exactly where she is. She was back at the Playground, but instead of waking up in her bed, she found herself locked inside of Grant Ward's cell.) "This can't be happening!"

"Oh but it is Skye…" (When the voice came from the shadows, it seemingly froze her in place; she was barely able to stand up as fear suddenly took over. She knew that voice, knew it all too well, and she was afraid. The lights on the other side of the cell slowly brightened, and there he was, standing there before her; her former CO, and traitor, Grant Ward. He stood there, smiling at her, but she was not focused on his, sinister, mistrusting smile.)

(She instead focused on the 5 people sitting on their knee's behind him. Their heads were covered by cloth bags, but the bags themselves, had splatters of blood all over them. Ward noticed this, and he started to walk around behind them. He stood at the far left and removed the bag, revealing to Skye an bloodied and beaten Agent May.) "Oh my god, May!" Jesus, what did he do to her-wait, if she's here then…(He continued on down, revealing the next to be Simmons, who had beads of sweat dripping from her forehead, and the look of terror in her eyes.)

"Simmons!" I've got to find a way out of here, I need to-(He moves down and removes the bag. Coulson sits there on his knees, barely conscious, blood dripping down the side of his face; Skye's eyes start to well up, and her heart pounds even faster than before,) "*whimpers* Coulson…" how is this possible, how the hell did he get out! (Ward removed the next bag, showing Trip, who struggled against his restraints, only to have the butt of Ward's handgun meet the back of his neck.)

(Trip falls forward, his head hitting violently against the floor,) "Trip!" Ward you sonuvabitch, I'm going to kill you! (He took his time walking over to the last one, even toyed with removing the bag, making Skye angrier.) Damnit no, not Jaxx, no way would he go down that easily. (Ward removes the bag, and when she saw his face, she could hold back the tears no longer. She placed her hands against the barrier, causing it to shimmer across.) "*whimpering*Fitz…" how is he, when did he wake up?

How long have I been trapped-(Ward interrupts her train of thought) "You remember, when you said I was a monster Skye?" Ward, don't…don't do whatever your about to do, please, "Ward listen to me-" (Ward holds up his gun, causing her to pause, giving him time to speak) "You were right, I am a monster." Why's he smiling, what's he-(Fitz whimpers) "Skye, please help me, plea-"*BANG* (She couldn't register what had just happened, not at first; only when she saw the light in Fitz's eyes dim, and blood rushing down the center of his face did she finally realize what had happened.)

(The world seemed to slow down as she watched Fitz fall forward; she could swear that she heard someone screaming, but it was muffled, like someone was trying to shout through a pillow. Skye tried to scream, tried to shout but found her voice missing, instead she found herself out of breath and barely able to stand. She sees Ward move behind Coulson, still smiling that devilish smile as he aimed the gun at Trip's head.) *BANG* Trip, Fitz! Stop Ward, please just stop. (She tries to speak once more, but again finds that she is without a voice; frustrated she pounds on the barrier keeping her from saving her friends.)

(As the barrier shimmers, Ward aims his gun at Simmons, but then stops suddenly.) NO STOP! WHERE'S MY VOICE, WHY CAN'T I TALK!? (Ward kneels down behind Simmons, and brushes a strand of her hair behind her ear,) "Shhhh, Shhhh, don't worry, it's ok." (Ward pets her hair, as if he was petting a puppy or cat, like he was reassuring her that everything was going to be fine, but Skye knew better.)

"Simmons!" finally I can speak again, but she's too afraid to look at me. "Simmons, look at me!" shouting caught her attention, and when I look into her eyes I could see the horror and fear in her eyes. I won't let Ward take someone else I care about away from me, I won't! There has to be a way out of here, but until I do I need to reassure her, "Simmons, everything's going to be fine, you're going to be fine just…just keep looking at me okay?" (Simmons nods, even though they both know that there's nothing that can be done, for they are at the mercy of the psychopathic Grant Ward.)

(He looks up at Skye, and his smile slowly fades,) "Skye, don't make promises you can't keep." No Ward please no *BANG BANG* (Unlike the others, Ward shot her in her right lung. After which he held unto her, slowly lowering her to the ground, all the while shushing her as she whimpered out in pain.) "Shhhh, Simmons, that's it. It'll be over soon, I promise." (Skye pounds furiously against the barrier, shouting,) "SIMMONS NO! *pounding and kicking against the barrier* You sonuvabitch, I'll kill you Ward."

(Tears flow down her face, more so now as she watches as her friend tries to gasp for air. With each gasp she comes closer to the end, until finally she gasps one last time. Her head falls to the side, and that was that. Skye couldn't stand anymore, so she falls to her knees and starts to cry.) Please god, no more; don't let him take anyone else, please, somebody help me!

"WARD! I'm going to kill you, you son of-" *BANG* (Agent May's threat was silenced by Ward. And she too fell forward, her head slamming against the cold concrete.) MAY! (Skye had not forgotten what May did to Ward, as revenge for how he used her to get what he wanted. And as he stood over her, his head tilted to the left, he apparently didn't forget either, *BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG* After the last shot, he gazes up at Skye, giving her a humorless terrifying stare.) "*shrugs, says smugly* Can't be too careful, isn't that right Skye?"

FUCK YOU! I'M GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU, FUCKING KILL YOU! (Ward turned, and to his time walking over to Coulson. Once there, he knelt down next to his former superior, placed a hand on his shoulder, and said,) "It has been, an honor serving alongside you and S.H.I.E.L.D. sir." (Coulson, beaten and bloodied looks at him,) "Go to hell," (Coulson spites blood into Wards' face, causing him to coil back a bit. It was Coulson's last stand, his final defiance as he knew his end was near. Ward stood up, and using a rag from his back pocket, he wiped the blood and spit from his face, before tossing it away.)

(He pulled back the slide, checking to see if there was a bullet in the chamber, then he pointed the gun, point blank at Coulson's skull. Coulson could feel the barrel against his skin, it was still warm from before. Skye pounded on the barrier, crying out, trying to find her voice once more, and try to appeal to the only thing that Ward still craves in this world.) "I'll do anything, do you hear me, anything just please, don't kill him!" (Ward froze in place, his eyes glancing up at hers; moments later he slowly lowers the gun.)

Thank god, thank you. Just hold on Coulson, oh god, (She looked at her fallen friends; mainly she stared at their faces.) I'm so sorry; (Skye's eyes locked onto Fitz's lifeless, colorless face.) Fitz, oh god Fitz. (It would only get worse from there. Though she couldn't see his face, she could still feel the pain of losing Trip; Trip who has been the rock and heart of S.H.I.E.L.D. ever since Hydra resurfaced.)

(Her eyes swiftly move over to May's body, but her face was covered with her blood-soaked hair. Her back riddled with holes, as part of Ward's own sadistic revenge. Then, her glance drifted over to Jemma, her lifeless, cold body, lying there in front of her.) Jemma, damnit no. You didn't deserve this, none of you did. (Her tears flowed more frequently, like a stream overflowing during a rainstorm. She tried to hold them back before but now, what was the point.)

I couldn't save them, but I can save Coulson, I have to. (She looks up at Coulson, the man who has been like a father to her ever since they met. Seeing him so beaten, so bloodied, it was almost too much for her to take,) I can't lose you Coulson, if I do, I would nothing left, except anger and hate, I'd would become- "You would become a monster," (Ward says,) "Just like me." (He shows her that creepy, devilish smile of his,) Wait how'd he-(Suddenly, it hit her. And once more, an all-powerful fear grip her,)

This is what he wanted, he wants me to become—Oh god no, "COULSON!" (It was already too late, she knew it, Coulson knew. The world once again seemed to slow to a crawl, as Ward lifted the gun back up to Coulson's head, *BANG*. Skye pounded on the barrier,) *screaming* NOOOOOOOOO!" (Her mind went blank, as she once again tumbled to her knees, still pounding at the barrier in front of her. She closed her eyes begging God to let this all be a dream, that she'd give whatever she had to make this so.)

(She sat there for a moment, waiting for Ward to do whatever he was going to do. She wouldn't fight back, why would she; she had nothing left to fight for. Someone's hand found its way onto her shoulder, but she refused to look at him, not now, not until-) "Skye, wake up," Coulson? "Skye wake up."

Location: Solomon Islands 5 minutes later

Onboard the Iron Wing – After a "Rough" landing

Skye

"SKYE!" (Her eyes snap opened,) *cough, cough* what the hell, *grunts out in pain*. "*mumbles* Son of a," (She looks over to her left, and appeared both stunned that Coulson was leaning over her, holding her by the shoulders.) "*mumbles* Coulson, your-" (Coulson interjects) "Yeah, we're all a little banged up, but we made it in one piece; sort of." It was a dream, just a really, really messed up dream. "Thank god."

(Coulson nodded,) "You might want to thank Trip, though, I'm sure god helped out. Here, let's get you out of this." (Coulson helped Skye unbuckle herself; afterwards he held onto her arms and helped her out of the cockpit. Skye's body felt sore, but her head got the worst of it; a small cut above her left brow, it was hardly bleeding. Coulson leaned her against the hull, and took a better look at her wound.)

"How bad is it AC?" please tell me it's not going to need stitches, I hate stitches. "Well, you'll need stitches," "Seriously," (She gives her Director an exasperated look, but he just simply grins back,) "I'm kidding Skye, it's not that bad." Ha ha, very funny AC, very funny. "Not funny AC," he just shrugs, "It's a little funny." *sighs* (She pushes herself off the hull, and stands next to Coulson, and looks around,)

"How'd everyone else make out?" I just now notice that the ramp is down, and that the only ones here are me and AC. I hope everyone's ok. "Trip made it out without a scratch, he was the lucky one. Simmons and I both got a little rattled, nothing serious." Good, that's good-wait, what about Jaxx? "And Jaxx? Is he-" (Skye tries not to panic, but it's already starting to set in. Coulson could see the look on her face, so he interjects,) "He's alive, but he got the worst of it." Oh god, "How bad?"

(Coulson starts taking off his suit jacket,) "His palms have 2nd degree electrical burns, and Simmons says that he has a mild concussion." Jeez, that's…(She was happy that Jaxx was alive and well, albeit a bit battered, but he is alive nonetheless. Seconds later Simmons rushes up the ramp, and over to Skye, giving her a constricting hug.) "It's good to see you too Simmons." But could you let up just a bit, I still need to breathe after all.

"I'm so glad to see you up and about," (Simmons releases Skye, but still keeps both hands on her shoulders. She then notices the cut above Skye's brow,) "Oh dear," (Skye shrugs it off) "It's nothing Simmons, really, I'm fine." Hopefully she doesn't make a big deal of it, (Simmons pats Skye on her shoulders then, like a good doctor,) "Well, big deal or not I still need to take a look at you. Make sure you don't have any serious brain trauma." (Once more Skye tries to shrug it off as nothing.) "Okay seriously I'm fine," (Coulson interjects) "Skye, everyone else has gotten checked out by Simmons, now it's your turn. Plus it's-"

"Protocol, yea, yea I know." He's been using the whole "It's protocol" thing a whole lot lately; especially when it comes to whatever he's keeping secret from me, from the team. But now's not the time, later. Besides, my neck is kinda killing me. (Skye walks over to an empty seat, while Simmons grabs her medical bag. She examines Skye's cut closely, determining soon after that it was nothing more than a shallow cut, nothing life threatening.)

"Well, lucky for you it's not that deep." Simmons reaches into her bag, I'm hoping it's not a needle and thread. The last thing I need is for her to go all Rambo on my head. (Simmons pulls out a small band aid) Whew. (Simmons tears off the wrapping around the band aid, and begins applying it to Skye's cut, gently.) "You're lucky, it could've been much deeper considering our current circumstance." Yeah thanks Jemma, not really making me feel any better.

And speaking of current circumstances, "Speaking of crap situations, what exactly happened?" (Coulson walks over beside Skye, just as Simmons finishes applying the band aid. He replies,) "What do you remember?" Not much, unless you count the worst nightmare that I've ever had, which you probably don't. "I remember that we were going down and that Jaxx had some sort of plan."

(Simmons reaches into her medical bag once more and pulls out a pen light, and after clicking it on she shines it into Skye's left eye, then her right. Afterwards she holds the pen in front of her, and says to Skye,) "Follow the light please." Does the light have to be that damn bright, geez. (Skye continues,) "I also remember flipping some switches, but after…it's all a blur." (Coulson replies)

Coulson

She must've hit her head harder than I thought, of course; I was a little fuzzy on the details myself, so who can blame her. "After you flipped the last switch, everything seemed to be fine." (Simmons interjects) "Well, that is until a few seconds later when one of the power conduits overloaded, which sent an electrical surge through the main systems, causing them to shut down." (Skye looks at Simmons with a concerned look, then says) "Not my fault." (Simmons, still kneeling, placed the pen light back into the medical bag and stated redundantly,) "Of course it wasn't your fault."

Skye barely touches the cut on her eyebrow and cringes. Now she looks up at me, probably waiting for me to tell her what happened next. And I won't disappoint. (Coulson says) "The surge also knocked out our thrusters, as well as our vertical takeoff and landing abilities. After that, it didn't take us long to go into a nose dive." (Skye appears more even more concerned and curious than previously) Maybe I should've left that last part out, (Skye asks with a curious tone) "How the hell are we still alive?"

Yep, definitely should've left that last part out. Well, too late now. (Simmons zips up her bag, then replies to Skye's question) "Jaxx and I re-wired a few of the secondary systems to some of the primary systems which allowed us to power up the main thrusters." (Simmons shoves the bag to the side of Skye's seat.) "Trip managed to get us to the island, before the main systems gave out." (Coulson states, meanwhile Skye reaches up to her brow once more, contemplating how exactly she got the cut. With Simmons aiding her, she stands up and looks at Coulson once more and asks)

"Okay quick question; if we survived a near-death crash and made it to the island, then why do I have this cut?" (Coulson replies) "The thrusters started to give out just as we entered the island, then after a few meters inland, all systems shut down at once. Needless to say it wasn't exactly a smooth landing." And that's it, that's all the Intel we have at this point, hopefully Jaxx and Trip can figure out what happened and get this ship up and running, just in case we need to make a quick exit. But first, (He looks at Simmons, who looks back at him, and he asks) "How's she doing Simmons?"

(Simmons replies) "Besides the minor laceration, she could have a minor case of whiplash. Other than that, she's in perfect health sir." Glad to hear it, I can't afford to lose anyone else, not today. (Trip walks up the ramp, with a slightly bruised Jaxx following suit.) From the looks on their faces, I'm guessing it's not good news. (Coulson asks Trip and Jaxx) "How bad?" (Trip replies) "Bad sir." I called it, why did I call it? (Coulson asks) "Can we fix it?" (Trip shrugs and replies) "There's nothing we can do."

(Jaxx intercedes) "Physically there's nothing wrong with'em, all circuits and wires are intact; there's just no juice flowing." That's unusual, (Coulson replies) "How did that happen?" Trip and Jaxx look at each other, briefly, and then they look at me and…shrug. Great, Jaxx is supposed to know this plane inside. (Trip speaks) "And we got even more bad news, sir." *sighs* Come on, (Coulson replies) "Why am I not surprised.?" (Jaxx explains) "It's not just the thrusters; all systems seem to be affected by…whatever keeping the thrusters shut down."

(Coulson asks) "Any ideas as to what could cause a system-wide shut down?" Hopefully one of us can figure out the cause and how to fix it, otherwise… (Skye's suggests) "Maybe we were hit with a EMP; could explain why none of the systems are working." Good guess, but I don't think that's the case. (Simmons responds) "An EMP would cause all electronics to fail, but it would have overloaded the circuits themselves, burning them out essentially."

(Trip says) "None of the circuits we saw were fried, so that rules out that." Well, until we figure this out, we're not going anywhere. (Everyone ponders for a moment, going through the possibilities. Then, Jaxx looks at Trip, then counter-clockwise all the way to Coulson, then back at Skye, asking her,) "Skye," (She looks up at him, and Jaxx continues) "Can you pull up the thermal image of the island?"

Why would you…Ahh I think I know where you're going with this. (Skye shrugs, turns, and reaches for her pack. She unzips it and reaches in, pulling out her tablet. She presses the power button, but nothing happens; she presses the power button once more and still, nothing. She looks up, her eyes shooting from person to person until they lock onto Jaxx, then she replies,)

"*confused tone* My tablet isn't working, I-" (Jaxx and Coulson give each other a look, acknowledging that they both knew what was going on.) I should've known, I mean it was right there in front of our faces the entire time. (Jaxx says) "Check your laptop." (Skye lays down the tablet and reaches into the bag once again and retrieves her laptop. She opens it up, presses the power button and once more nothing happens. She looks up at Coulson, and replies,) "Nothing."

(Coulson and Jaxx share a look, and simultaneously say) "Electro-Refraction Stasis Field." Why did it have to be Stasis fields; I hate those things. But at least now we know the cause, and-(Coulson stops, and looks at Trip, Skye, and Simmons only to see each one just as confused as the next. Skye raises her hand, like child in a classroom. Coulson nods and says,) "Skye," she wants to know what an Electro-Refraction Stasis Field is. (Skye lowers her arm and asks,) "What is an Electro-Refractor Stasis-thingy?" called it.

(Simmons turned to her and replied,) "Essentially it's a generator that is capable of rendering an entire area invisible to satellite imaging and in some cases camouflage certain individuals." (Skye's eyes widen in amazement, and say,) "That sounds cool." It would be, except for the small problem of our current situation, but other than that; yea, it is pretty cool. (Coulson walks over to the corner where the bags were being stored, he grabs the heaviest and brings it over to the team. He sets it down on the seat that Skye vacated, and unzips it.)

(Coulson replies) "Unfortunately the device in question has a nasty little side-effect. (He pulls out a Smith & Wesson, he pulls the slide back, checking inside the chamber,) It shuts down all electronics with 200 foot radius, of course those were the hand held ones, (He uncocks the hammer, and tucks it in the holster. After securing his weapon he reaches in the bag once more, and pulls out another handgun,) This one is obviously a lot bigger." (This time handing it off to Trip, who quickly takes it without question and performs the same inspection.)

(He continues doing this, pulling out another pistol and handing it off to Jaxx, who asks,) "How much bigger we're talking here?" No idea, but there's someone here who might know, (Coulson stops, looks over at Simmons and asks) "Simmons," she seems a little flustered, I probably shouldn't have let her come out into the field, not so soon after…well, it's too late for that. (Simmons quickly regains her composure and replies)

"Well, from the thermal imaging that Skye showed us, this field extends nearly 3.5 miles in a circular pattern. In order to maintain a field like that for an extended period of time, the generator would have to massive sir." (Coulson asks) "How massive?" (Simmons shrugs, and replies with an unsure tone) "In layman's terms, to say it could be the size of "The Bus", wouldn't be out of the question." Greeaat. Well, now we got yet another objective, (Coulson continues what he was doing, reaching into the bag with both hands and this time pulling out two pistols, and hands them off to both Simmons and Skye.)

(Skye and Simmons both reluctantly take them, yet Skye asks,) "What about the Icer's?" (Simmons turns to her, answering her question,) "The Icer's are powered by a bio-nonmetric power cell. Which means-" (Skye nods, and interrupts) "They won't work. So guns it is." I never thought I would ever say this, but I hope she remembers Ward's training. (Coulson looks at her looking at the gun, then asks curiously) Remember to-" (Skye ejects the clip, examines it then slaps it back in and quickly pulls back the slide.) "I remember AC." (She uncocks the hammer and tucks the pistol behind her, inside her belt.)

(Coulson nods,) Good, but I'm still nervous bringing her and Simmons into the field, especially on this particular mission. Yet, I understand why Skye wanted to come along; this is personal, for her and me. (Trip interrupts) "Given our current situation, what are your orders, sir?" (Coulson says) "Dr. Streiten is still top priority. But first, we have to find where they're keeping him," (He pauses and once again starts reaching into the bag, this time holding loaded pistol clips. Coulson starts giving each member of the team two clips each.)

(Trip turns around and grabs one of the other bags stowed in the other corner. He unzips it and start pulls out a tactical vest, passing it off to Jaxx. He continues doing this, passing each vest off to Skye, Simmons, Coulson, and finally the last one for him. Everyone starts tearing the Velcro straps off and sliding the vests on. After getting his vest on, Coulson tossed the now empty bag to the side, and grabbed yet another, this one however had 3 M1A1's along with 9 magazines inside.)

It's been a while since I used one of these, but hey, like riding a bike right? (Coulson pulls out an M1A1 and hands it off to Trip, who pulls back the slide and checks the chamber once again. After he finished his inspection, Coulson hand him 3 magazines, one of which he thunked against the rifle itself before slamming in. Trip put the other two clips in the pouches strapped to his vest. Coulson reaches in and pulls out another rifle, this time handing it to Jaxx, who scoffs and walks over to the overhead compartment behind him.)

(He opens it up, pulls out a army green colored duffle bag; he closes the compartment, then sets the bag down on the seats and unzips it. He pulls out and shows everyone his customized P90. He grins then states,) "Thanks, but I got it covered." I should've known as much, (Jaxx quickly reached in the duffle bag and pulled out a magazine, he then slides it in and slaps it, locking it in place. He pulls the slide back, cocking the gun then flips the safety on. He slid the P90 behind him as he collected 6 more magazines and placed them inside the pouches on his vest.)

(The rest of the team looked back at Coulson, who decided to keep the rifle he had in hand and grabbed himself 3 magazines. As he slapped one of the magazines in the rifle, he stated,) "Jaxx will take point and find us a trail leading to Hydra's super-secret base. Once he finds it, we'll determine point of entry. After that, our objectives are simple." Or, at least as simple as one could expect for walking into a potential trap.

(Coulson slid the bag off the seat, and gave everyone a intently serious look, then said) "Find Dr. Streiten, disable the ERSF generator, and get the hell out of here." (Simmons struggled to find the words she wanted to say, until finally she found them and ask,) "What about the research sir? If, and that's a very big if; if Hydra was able to somehow reproduce the serum or derifitive of, what do we do if we find it?"

I knew that's why she wanted to come along, for the serum. She thinks that Streiten can reproduce the serum and use it to save Fitz, but…the side-effects…we can't take that risk, I can't take that risk, not with Fitz. (Coulson replies) "We'll figure that out when we come to it, but for right now our objective is the doctor and the generator. Understood?" (Trip and Skye nod immediately, Simmons however hesitates. Coulson looks at her and after a few seconds, she too nods. Coulson then says,) "Good. Now, is everyone ready?" (Trip, Skye, and Simmons say simultaneously) "Yes sir."

Like a well-oiled mach-wait a minute…(Coulson noticed that Jaxx didn't reply, so he looked over at him, as did the others. Jaxx was putting on the finishing touches of his equipment. He slid two 11 inch bowie knives into the sheaths on his legs. He then pulled the Velcro straps tight and slapped them back onto the vest. Afterwards he looked up at the group, swung his P90 forward and replies,) "Well now, let's go find us a super-secret base, shall we?"

15 minutes later

Coordinates: unknown

They had trekked nearly a mile and ½ inward in just a little over 15 minutes; most of the group thought that they were making good time, but Coulson, his mind was elsewhere. There was an echo in the back of his mind; images of glyphs, the same ones he had just carved into his desk this morning, kept appearing every so often. It was a minor annoyance to a more serious problem; he had hoped that it would eventually go away, but after nearly a week it still keeps coming.

Yet, like always, he put on a brave face and tried focusing on the mission at hand, but a little piece of him hoped that Dr. Streiten could fix it; hopefully before it drove him insane, like it did Garrett. Meanwhile, Simmons looked around and starts talking about the local wildlife and their contribution to their ecosystem. Trip listened, and at times, pretended to understand all the scientific stuff she was talking about.

Skye felt exhausted, and often mumbled to herself how out of shape she is. Mainly though, she was wondering who or what was waiting for them at the end of this yellow brick road of theirs. And Jaxx, well, he was focused on tracking; a few minutes back he had found a trail and some fresh footprints, ones that he determined were only a few hours old. He had followed them until they simple disappeared, like something swooped down and scooped them up. He kept all of this from the team, no sense in worrying them unless absolutely necessary.

But shortly after losing the prints, he had smelled something, something that he's never smelled before. The others didn't notice it, but then again, he's nothing like them; so now, he followed and tracked the smell, hoping that it leads them to their destination quickly. Skye grew tired of hearing Simmons giving a lecture on the reproductive aspects of the local fauna, so she walked up next to Coulson.

Skye

Okay, I really don't want to hear how, bat's or whatever mate, okay. If I wanted to know any of this, I'd watch the Discovery Channel. Guess I'll just see how we're doing on the whole tracking Hydra thing, (She looks up at Jaxx, who is almost 10 secs ahead of them, and leans her head a little towards Coulson and whispers a question,) "He's lost isn't he?" God I hope not, that is the last thing we need. (She waits for an answer, but gets none. So, she looks at Coulson and nudges his arm with her elbow, and says) "Hey AC," (Coulson snaps to attention, and looks over at Skye, who seems a little worried about him. She asks) "You good?"

He seems out of it, I mean like, more than usual; (Coulson replies) "I'm good. Don't worry." (Skye replies) "It's kind of hard not to when your mind is somewhere else. What's up?" and don't try telling me that everything's fine and that you're just focused on getting this mission done, because we both know that, that's a load of bull. (Coulson looks away, remaining silent as they continued following Jaxx.) Okay, now I'm concerned. He's never shut me out like this before, so what gives?

(Skye places her hand on Coulson's shoulder, yet he continues looking forward. She says sincerely,) "AC, don't shut me out, please." I'd never admit this, to anyone but; you're the closest thing to a father that I have, which is why I can't lose you, not like this. (Coulson looks at her, and he could see the look of concern and fear in her eyes.)

He thought about telling her, hell, he desperately wanted to tell her, to tell everyone. But he was afraid, not of what they would think, or how they would react, but of what they wouldn't understand. He knew that Dr. Streiten was his last hope, but if that failed; he knew what would happen next, and he refused to go down the road of John Garrett. So he did what he had to, the only thing he could do to protect them, to protect Skye from his dark truth.

(Coulson replied) "I'm not shutting you out Skye, I'm just…" c'mon just tell me AC. (Skye asks) "Just what?" (Coulson looks over his shoulder at Simmons, still prattling on about their current surroundings. He then looks back at Skye and tells her, lowering his voice) "I'm worried about Simmons." Simmons? Why are you worried about her? (She looks back at Simmons, then back at Coulson and says, also lowering her voice) "Worried that you made a mistake bringing her with us, or-" (Coulson interjects) "That's not what I'm worried about. And to be completely honest, I think she needed to get out; away from the base and from…"

(Coulson hesitated on finishing that sentence, for fear of disrespecting Fitz, which he did not mean or want to do. So instead he change course and stated) "I'm worried that she's not completely honest as to why she really came along." Okay, where are you going with this AC? (Skye questioned Coulson's comment) "You don't think she came to help?" (Coulson gave her a look, the same look he gave her right before he told her about her origin.) That look in his eyes, it's the same one he had when he told me about…so, it's that serious.

(Suddenly, like a bolt of lightning, a certain thought hits her out of nowhere.) Wait a second, this is about that! (Skye whispers to Coulson,) "Your worried her finding the new GH serum," (Coulson once again gives her a look, then nods faintly,) So, that's why he's been acting so strange and distant. Why didn't I see it before, (Skye asks) "So I'm guessing you don't want her to find it, right?"

(Coulson looks ahead of him, but responds to her query) "We don't know the side-effects of this new serum, hell; we don't even know the full side-effects of its predecessor, but that won't matter to her." (Once more he looks back at Simmons, who still prattling on, then back at Skye and continues) "If there's the slightest chance it could save Fitz, she'll take it, no matter the consequences." Okay AC, I can see your point, but still, it's Simmons we're talking about here.

(Skye responds) "Still, if there's a chance, why shouldn't we take it?" (Coulson looks at her, questioningly, then replies) "Did you forget about Garrett? What happened to him when he took the original serum?" Yea no, I haven't forgot, and once again I see your point. Geez, what the hell are we supposed to do then, (Skye looks forward, and asks) "So, what exactly is the plan? Destroy it?" that's the only option left, but I hate to do it, especially if it could save Fitz.

(Coulson looks forward, replying with) "I don't know, like I said, we'll cross that bridge if or when we come to it, but for now, we stay focused." (He looks over at Skye, and she at him, and he says) "And we don't tell her, understand?" I don't like lying to her or anyone else here, but until we know what we're dealing with, I'll follow your lead AC. (Skye nods, and replies) "Yes sir."

Keeping secrets wasn't uncommon S.H.I.E.L.D. practice, in fact, it was essential in most cases for Coulson, but ever since he quote on quote "returned from the dead", those secrets have begun to weigh heavy on him. Now he's not only lying to his team, but he's asking one of his own to lie to them as well. He wanted it all to end, for all the lies and half-truths to be over, but he knows all too well that some things never end.

(Jaxx suddenly stops, raising his arm up, his hand clenched into a fist; Coulson recognized this, and copied the motion for Trip and Simmons to see. Now everyone has stopped, wondering what exactly Jaxx is up to. He slowly drops to one knee, and the others once more copy his movement. Jaxx looks behind him and jerks his head, and whispers) "Coulson!" (Coulson quickly walks over next to him, and the two start to converse. Meanwhile, Trip and Simmons come up next to Skye, waiting for orders.)

What are they talking about? They better not be playing a game of grab ass up there. (Simmons whispers a question to Skye,) "What's going on Skye, did Jaxx find something?" I have no freaking clue Simmons, none. (Skye shrugs and whispers a response) "No idea, he just stopped all of a sudden." (Trip looks ahead, then asks in general) "I wonder what they're talking about?"

Coulson

"What is it?" (Jaxx brings one finger up to his lips, and shushes; he then asks) "Do you hear that?" (Coulson takes a moment to listen to his surroundings.) I'm not quite sure what I'm supposed to be listening for, so the better question is, what does he hear that I can't? (Coulson responds) "Nothing." (Jaxx turns to him and states) "Exactly." Okay, now you've lost me, (Jaxx looks all around, stating) "According to the satellite image that Skye showed us, we're about a mile and ½ inland, right?"

I'm still not sure where you're going with this, but, (Coulson responds, with uncertainty in his voice) "Give or take I guess, why? What are you getting at?" (Jaxx looks down at the ground, as if he spotted something there he hadn't before. He replied sarcastically) "You must be losing your touch sitting behind that fancy desk of yours." Not as much as you'd think, smart guy. (Jaxx continued) "Listen, and this time tell me what you don't hear."

*Sighs* fine, (Coulson closes his eyes and listens closely. But after nearly a minute, he heard exactly what he did last time; nothing, no birds chirping, no mysterious growls no…That's when it hits him, and he says shockingly) "How did I miss that?" (he looks over at Jaxx, who looks up at the tree next to him, and asks) "How long has it been like this?" I heard Jaxx was good at tracking, but I never thought he'd be this good. Romanoff would be jealous.

(Jaxx looks back down at the ground and replies) "5 minutes, give or take. And I've got to tell you Coul; 7 years as a marine, and liaison to S.H.I.E.L.D., I've seen some unexplainable things, but this…" (Jaxx picks up an old bird's nest, and holds it in his hands. He continued to say) "It's like every single creature that lived here, just up and disappeared. Or was frightened off by...something." Most likely by whatever experiments Hydra was doing here, (Coulson looks forward, assessing his surroundings and states) "That's no coincidence," (Jaxx shakes his head, then gently lays the nest back down on the ground.)

Well, at least we're on the right track, and now, we follow it, no matter where it leads. (Coulson pats Jaxx on the back, and states) "Let's get back to the others, and make a game plan." (Once again Jaxx nods, but he continues staring off ahead; it was almost like he saw something, briefly, and was trying to find it once again.) Why's he staring off in the distance like that, does he see something? (Coulson asks curiously) "Do you see something?" he doesn't say a word, he just stares off ahead. I've never seen him this focused.

(Suddenly, he snaps out of whatever trance-like state he was in, and looks over at Coulson.) I know better than to push him for answers, so for now, let's just get back to the others. (Coulson jerks his head, towards the Skye, Trip, and Simmons. Jaxx acknowledges and the two re-join the group. After a very brief moment, Skye asks her question) "So, what's the deal?" Well, good news, then, not so good news. (Coulson replies) "Good news, we're on the right track."

(Everyone looked confused or unsure, everyone except him and Jaxx, who still looks uneasy. Trip speaks up, asking) "How can you be sure?" (Coulson replies) "Well, for one, Jaxx is one of the best trackers in the world. So if he says we're going in the right direction, then we are." (Everyone gives each other a look, then they look back at Coulson and nod. Simmons speaks up and asks) "Well, what do we do now sir?" (Before Coulson could answer, Jaxx makes a suggestion) "Coul, I could scout ahead, look for any signs of recent foot traffic, or if nothing else; scout out any traps that might be ahead.?"

(Coulson nods in agreement, and says) "Not a bad idea." (Trip speaks up and asks) "Mind if I come with?" (Jaxx shrugs, then looks at Coulson and says) "I wouldn't mind some company? Or an extra gun, Coul." I was just about to suggest that, (Coulson replies) "Go, but be back in 15 minutes. If you're not back by then, we'll come looking." (Coulson looks over at Trip, who nods in agreement, then back at Jaxx, who responds by saying,) "Roger that. See you in 15." I hope so, and for our sake, I get back in one piece.

(Jaxx takes point, with Trip covering him and the two rush off ahead. Coulson walks over to a tree, brushing off a spot on the ground before sitting. Skye and Simmons find a tree adjacent to him and do the same, and all three began to wait. The humidity made it a bit uncomfortable, as the moist air seemed to make everything musky. Skye lets out a sigh while Simmons takes a drink of water from her canteen. Coulson just sat there, rifle resting in his lap, reminiscing on the past year.)

Jungles, why do the bad guys always have to build their secret bases in jungles? It must be a bad guy thing. (Skye interrupts his train of thought, asking) "Hey AC," (he immediately looks over, and see's Skye sitting there, smiling a bit, and taking a sip from her canteen.) Oh no, I know that grin, I hate that grin. (Skye continues) "You never did give any details on how you and Jaxx met up; I mean, you just said that it involved a 084 and that was it. So, what was the 084, was it an alien artifact or some sort of super-secret-soldier serum type deal or something?" I couldn't help but smile a little, I mean; even after all this, she's still so curious about Jaxx, it's unbelievable.

Well, I guess I gotta give her something to sate her curiosity. (Coulson says) "Something like that." She continues to smile; even this heat can't seem to dampen her spirit, or her need to know things. (Skye insists) "C'mon, AC, details. Don't let us die of boredom and…moistness." She's never going to let this go if I don't tell her something, (Coulson readjusts himself, leaning against the tree, and starts to sport a snarky grin; one that both Simmons and Skye notice. Coulson replies simply with,) "How about, instead, I tell you about…

7 minutes later

Trip

(Beads of sweat start dripping down Trip's forehead, which he constantly has to keep wiping off.) Man, I hate jungles; always so damn hot, it's crazy. (He looks up at Jaxx, who doesn't seem to be sweating as much as him.) How the hell is he not fatigued, like at all? The guy's tough I'll give him that. (Jaxx suddenly stops, which causes Trip to do the same.) What now? (Trip walks up next to Jaxx, the asks) "You find something?" (Jaxx nods, and kneels down; Trip does the same, after which Jaxx looked at the ground in front of them. Gently, he brushed away a few leaves with his hand, while still gripping the P90 with his other.)

Boot print. The tread pattern is different, definitely not S.H.I.E.L.D. issued. Man, this guy is good. (Trip asks) "How old is it?" Jaxx places his hand on both sides of the print, then he dabs the inside with two fingers. (Jaxx responds) "2 days at most. But it means we're on the right track." (Jaxx and Trip stand up, and continue heading through the foliage, side by side. Suddenly out of nowhere Trip asks) "You mind if ask you a question?" (Jaxx looks over at him, before looking back ahead of him and states) "You kind of just did." (Jaxx grins)

Smartass, (Trip grins a little, but reiterates) "No I mean, really." He just shrugs, but still wears that grin, (Jaxx replies) "Shoot," (Without hesitation, he asks the only question that's been bugging him since he met Jaxx.) "How are you and Jemma related, if you don't mind me asking?" (Jaxx looks over, with a look of mild surprise on his face. He then jokingly says) "Jemma, huh? Do I have to ask about your intent with my lil sis?" (The two share a chuckle, even though it was clear that Trip had feelings of some sort for Simmons, he wasn't about to tell her brother about them.)

"*chuckling* No seriously, I mean you to don't exactly-" (Jaxx cuts him off and says) "Look like bro and sis?" no, but now that you mention it, you don't really share any of the same features. (Trip replies) "Sound like her brother." (Jaxx nods as he looks forward, watching for any hint of a trail or anything out of place. Yet he responds by saying) "Well, that's because I'm not actually her brother," (Trip's grip on his rifle tightened,) if this is the part where you tell me that your some, I-don't-know-what, and you're here to kill us; then we about to have a problem.

"I was adopted, sort of…" (Jaxx's statement relieved him, and he slowly loosened his grip.) Sort of, what does that even mean? (Trip asks) "What do you mean, sort of?" (Jaxx's grin lessened each time Trip asked a question, which he noticed. Jaxx replied) "It wasn't exactly official or anything, but nonetheless, I consider her family. Coulson too; it's like I told Jem way back when. 'Family isn't earned or bought or even about blood. Family…is who you are willing to die for." Wow, that was…wow.

(Jaxx continued looking ahead, paying close attention to his surroundings.) I shouldn't push my luck, but I just need to know one more thing. (Trip asks) "If she's family, then why don't you want her to know about you being 'The Sword' and all?" (The question stopped Jaxx dead in his tracks, and when he stopped, so did Trip. The grin that Jaxx once had was long gone, and was instead replaced by a stern, brooding scowl. He looked over at Trip) Maybe I should've just kept my mouth shut.

(Jaxx takes in a deep breath, and looks around briefly. Soon his eyes returned to Trips, and he answered, honestly.) "Before I tell you, you have to understand something first. I made her a promise, a long time ago, that I would never lie to her, no matter what. Not even to spare her hurt feelings, you understand?" of course, (Trip nods, and replies) "I get it," (Jaxx looks away, shaking as he does so. But he quickly looks back at him and replies) "No you don't,"

(Jaxx continued) "See, I told her when I joined up with the Marine Corps; hell, I even told her about how Fury tried to recruit me to S.H.I.E.L.D.; all because she asked, and I told her, but…" (Jaxx hesitated, but continued making his point) "The stories they told about me, 'The Sword' at the academy…their just that, stories. The real missions, they are the ones I'm trying to protect her from, but if she asks," I know what you're saying. (Trip says) "Then you'd have to tell her the truth."

(Jaxx nods, then looks down at the ground, and shortly thereafter; he readjusts his weapon, and looks up at Trip and states) "And the truth is I'm not the man she thinks I am. *sighs* She only sees her big brother, someone who's understanding and fun and kind, a hero. I don't want her to see the truth." (Trip looks back at him, and asks) "And what's the truth?" (Jaxx clenches his jaw, causing the muscle on the side of his head to bulge out. He then replied, with a cold, emotionless tone.)

"That I'm, not the hero she thinks I am. Not after what I've done, what I've had to do; for S.H.I.E.L.D., for the Marine Corps…for her." (Jaxx turned and started walking again, and Trip followed, walking side-by-side. Jaxx spoke,) "I don't want her to be tainted by my darkness. Which is why, she can't know about me or 'The Sword', understand?" I understand man, I do, really, but…(Trip responds) "Look I get it, really I do; you want to make sure that she still sees you as you and not some…bad guy. But here's the thing about family…they can tell when your hiding something and sooner or later it will come out."

(Trip continues) "It's better to tell her now, than to have her find out later. Plus, it'd be better coming from you than someone else." Jemma is the most kind-hearted person that I've ever met, and if she truly considers you to be her brother, adoptive or otherwise; then she'll find some way to forgive you. No doubt about it. (Jaxx takes a moment to consider what Trip said, but the moment doesn't last. A gust of wind rushes through the trees, and along with it a rank, decaying odor finds its way to Jaxx. When he catches the whiff, it takes every ounce of training not to throw up.)

(Trip however doesn't react, instead he stands there, wondering what's gotten into Jaxx,) he doesn't look so good, almost like he ate a 2 week old taco. (Jaxx turns to his left, and stares of into the distance. He stands there, like a statue, not moving or saying a word.) Okay, now he's starting to freak me out, seriously; what's wrong with him? (Trip places a hand on Jaxx's shoulder and asks) "Hey man, everything good?" (Jaxx doesn't look at him, doesn't move, he just continues standing there staring off. His nostrils flare, and he responds) "No it's not."

(Jaxx looks over at Trip, astern and uneasy look plastered on his face, and he asks) "I'm guessing that you can't smell that huh?" smell what? (Trip shakes his head and replies) "Nah man, I don't-" (Jaxx takes of sprinting before Trip could finish his sentence.) WHAT THE HELL!? (Trip pursues Jaxx, chasing him, trying to catch up. But Jaxx seems to be keeping a good distance between him and Trip.) Damn this dude is fast! (Trip shouts,) "Jaxx, stop!?"

(Jaxx continues to running, ignoring Trip's order.) Seriously, what is this dude's deal? (Jaxx runs through some heavy foliage and brush, knocking away the limbs and leaves in his path. Trip too knocked away leaves and limbs, but found himself in a clearing and Jaxx nowhere in sight.) Damn…not good, not good at all. (Trip tries to catch his breath, and breaths in through his nose, but almost immediately inhale something rank and putrid.)

(He holds back the urge to vomit, which is difficult, given how overpowering the smell is. He places his arm over his nose and mouth, using it as some makeshift respirator.) What in the hell is that? (The smell seemed to be coming from all around him, but as he looked he saw nothing. He started to wonder,) Maybe I should head back to Coulson, give him a heads up on Jaxx, maybe he could-(Before he could finish his thought, he felt something behind him touch his shoulder.)

(Like a knee-jerk reaction, he immediately spins around, clicks off the safety, and aims his rifle at…) "Jaxx!" (Trip says relieved to see a familiar face. He lowers his gun and takes in a deep breath, only to once again to be forced into inhale the putrid aroma.) Damnit. (Trip clicks the safety back on, and tries the hold back the urge to throw-up his quesadilla that he had for lunch.)

(Trip asks, with a annoyed tone) "Where the hell did you run of to? And what the hell is that smell?" (Jaxx didn't say a word, he just stood there, not nearly as out of breath a Trip. But Trip saw the look on his face and became concerned,) Man, he looks like he saw death or something…(Trip asked, concerned) "Hey man, you don't look too good, Are you ok?" his jaw clenched, and from the look in his eyes; he definitely found something, although I doubt it's anything good.

(Jaxx says with a cold-emotionless tone) "This way, and it ain't pretty." (Jaxx turns to his left, but this time he walks, giving Trip the chance to actually keep up with him. The two walk for about a minute, but then Trip got more concerned and asked Jaxx) "Did you find something?" (Jaxx remains silent, like a ghost or shadow.) I may not know the guy all that well, but he seems shaken. And I'm not sure I want or see what could do that to him.

(With each passing second, the odor becomes stronger and stronger, until it starts to become unbearable for Trip. Yet, as Trip coughs and hacks due to the intensity of said smell, Jaxx just remains unaffected. Eventually they find it; they find the source of the aroma. As the two looked down, into a not-so-freshly dug pit, Trip lowered his hand from his mouth and a look of horror encompassed his face. All his years at S.H.I.E.L.D. and with Garrett, he had never seen anything like this before.)

(His mind could barely comprehend what he was looking at, and the sudden urge to vomit became increasingly difficult to ignore. Trip says, with a shocked and sorrow-filled tone) "Oh my God…" (Those were the only words he could muster at the time, and given the horrid scene he was looking at, who could blame him. Jaxx on the other hand, he wasn't horrified at what he was seeing, this wasn't the first time he had seen something like this. No instead, he was angry.)

(He got angrier and angrier the more he looked at it. It took every fiber within him to keep his emotions under control; to keep himself under control. It was hard, but he was determined to finish his mission. He says to Trip,) "Coulson needs to see this, NOW."

Coulson, Simmons, Skye

Simmons

I can't believe what I'm hearing! This can't be true, can it? (Skye says with excitement) "No Freaking Way! Are you for real, right now!?" calm down Skye, I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation to…all of this. (Skye and Simmons had just spent the last few minute listening to Coulson talk about some of his adventures with Jaxx. How they met, what mission they were on and surprisingly, it all involved a certain Avenger.)

(Coulson sat there, straight faced, and replied to Skye's glee-filled question) "It's true." This is…I'm just shocked to hear this, I mean; why didn't Jaxx tell me any of this? Why would he keep this a secret? (Skye looks over at Simmons, still shocked and awed by what she had previously heard, and asks her) "Did you know about Simmons?" of course not, and even if I did, well, (Simmons replied,) "I had no idea, he never told me. *mumbles to herself* Why would he keep something like that a secret?"

(Though she mumbled, everyone could still hear her, including Coulson who replied) "Well, in his defense; he was ordered not to tell anyone, plus it was a favor for a friend, but I'm sure that if you asked, he would've told you." Right, your right sir, because he made me a promise, but still…(Skye shakes her head, still smiling from ear to ear, and states) "Wow, it's just…I can't believe that he knows 'The' Tony Stark, Iron freakin Man."

(Coulson interjects, stating) "Well, technically the two never met; Jaxx just tracked Stark from the convoy to within a 2 mile radius of where he was found." So wait, (Simmons asks) "How long had he been tracking Mr. Stark for?" (Coulson replied) "Don't know, all I know is that he found where Stark was being held, and he tracked him from there. Once he had eyes on him, he radioed Col. Rhodes and the rest is history."

I had no idea that my brother was so good at tracking, I mean he must be, seeing as how that terrain is extremely difficult to-oh girl, your completely overthinking this, again. (Then it suddenly hits her, what Coulson just said and she asks) "Wait, Jaxx knows Col. Rhodes?" Coulson simply nods, doesn't say a word. (Skye says excitedly) "War Machine? He knows War Machine, dude," (Skye turns to Simmons, who looks back at her, and says) "You bro, is like, really impressive."

Was that a hint of admiration towards my brother, why Skye, I do believe that you've become infatuated with him. (Coulson jests) "It sounds like you might have a little bit of a crush on Jaxx, doesn't it Simmons?" (Simmons grins a little, and also jests) "It does doesn't it sir?" (The two simply grin as they look at Skye, who was becoming a little uneasy with what they were implying.)

(Skye retorts) "What, I *stammering* I mean, he's cute don't get me wrong but I would never-" oh I do believe it's time to have some fun with her, (Simmons says, with a straight face) "Are you saying that your too good for my brother, is that it?" (Skye looks over at her, a little shocked and flustered by her accusation) oh the look on her face, so worth it.

(Skye replies) "No, no that's not what I'm saying it's just, that he's not really the type of guy I go for, that's all." (Simmons replies) "Oh I see," (Simmons turns to Coulson and says) "It sounds like she's saying that he not in her league, doesn't Director Coulson." (Coulson replies) "It does, doesn't it?" (Skye looks back and forth between Coulson and Simmons, unsure of what to say, becoming more and more flustered to the point where she can barely get any words out.)

(Skye tries to reply) "*Stammering* Wait no, that's not what I'm saying, it's just…" (Coulson and Simmons couldn't maintain their 'poker faces' any longer, as smiles started to slipping. Skye noticed them, and was no longer flustered, instead she was annoyed and perhaps a little irritated and responded by saying) "Oh ha ha, very funny. Not cool guys, not cool." (Coulson and Simmons burst out in mild laughter, unable to hold it back any longer.)

(Simmons replies) "*Chuckling* I'm sorry Skye, but it was so worth it." don't be spoil sport, it was all in good fun. (Skye shook her head, and began laughing a little too. After a minute, the laughter stopped and everything was quiet once again. The mood however, was much lighter, fun even. Skye then looks over at Simmons, who still had a smile on her face, and said) "I've missed that." (Simmons looked at Skye, and replied) "Missed what?"

(Skye replied) "The laughter, it's been too long. I've missed it." Yes it has Skye, unfortunately. (Simmons replies) "Me too Skye, me too." (The three of them slowly grow quiet. Each one starts reminiscing on a time when they were happy, at peace. But the quiet doesn't last, when they suddenly hear moist leaves crunching off in the distance, and getting closer. Coulson immediately stirs to action, gripping his rifle and clicking off the safety.)

(He slowly stands up, and moves quietly over to Simmons, aiming his weapon in the direction the noise is coming from. Skye reaches behind her and removes the pistol from her waist. She too clicks off the safety and readies herself. Simmons reaches for her pistol, but fumbles around with it, meanwhile the sound of crunching leaves gets closer and closer. Coulson waits, Skye takes a couple of deep breaths, and Simmons finally finds the safety on her gun.)

Oh god, oh god, I haven't used an actual gun since the academy, and poorly at that. (Suddenly from the brush emerges…Trip, Coulson and company breathe a sigh of relief. Everyone lowers their guns, and everyone stands to greet their companion.) Oh thank god, Trip, you nearly scared the bloody hell out of me. (Simmons says with a sigh of relief) "Trip, thank god." (Coulson and Trip meet up, and Coulson asks) "You back, early…" wait a second, where is-(Simmons asks, concerned) "Where's Jaxx?"

Trip looks horrifying, like he's seen a ghost or something. Now I'm even more worried, please, don't let Jaxx be…(Coulson interrupts her train of thought by asking Trip) "Did you two find something?" (Trip hesitates, but soon answers) "You need to see it for yourself sir." Why won't he just tell us? Please oh please, let Jaxx be alright. (Coulson takes a step forward, placing him just a few inches in front of Trip. He whispers his question) "How bad?" I can barely hear them, what don't they want us to hear? (Trip replies) "It's bad sir."

8 minutes later

It had been only minutes since anyone has said anything, but for Simmons, and Skye, it felt like days. It wasn't the increasingly eerie silence that was troubling them; instead it was the continuingly ghostly expression on agent Triplett's face. He was extremely vague about what had him so distraught, but he kept reassuring everyone, Simmons especially; that Jaxx was in fact alive and uninjured, but that they had to see what had been found. When it came to Hydra and they're experiments, they tried to brace themselves for what was to come; however, nothing could have prepared them for horrifying scene that they were about to come upon.

As they got closer to the recent discovery, Coulson, Skye, and Simmons began to smell a most putrid odor, the same odor that Jaxx and Trip had smelled previously. The three covered their mouths, using their arms and shirt sleeves as makeshift respirators; much like Trip did at first. Trip could never get used to such a horrendous odor or the scene that he was just a few feet away from showing his teammates.

Trip had stopped walking, and turned around to look at the three. Just beyond the leaf-covered limb, was what they needed to see, but he hesitated. Part of him thought that it might be for the best if he didn't show them, but the other part knew that he had to. He turned back and parted the limb out of the way and holding it so that the others could pass through first. The first sight they saw was Jaxx, just standing there looking down into a pit of some kind.

Simmons was relieved, so much so that she nearly ran to him so that she could hug him. But, when Jaxx looked up from the pit and into her eyes; his look alone stopped her cold in her tracks, just mere inches away. She had never seen that look in his eyes before, which made her curious and concerned. His eyes drifted down and to the left; she looked down where he was previously, and when she saw what was in the pit, she finally understood what had made her brother and Trip, so uneasy.

She gasped, taking a few steps backwards, nearly stumbled until Jaxx caught her. Skye and Coulson, without thinking, rush over to her, looking worried. Before they could even get out a question, the two looked down and to the right. They looked into the pit and they too became horrified by what they were seeing. Coulson's face went pale as the shock began to set in; he had seen a lot in his years as an S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, some good, some not so much, but this…

Skye raised her hand up to her mouth; part of her wanted to scream though she didn't know why. The other part wanted to vomit, so much so that she had to turn away from the others and run over to some shrubbery. Coulson turned when he heard the familiar sound of vomit hitting the grounding, but when he saw Jaxx rushing over to her; he returned focus back to the pit. Trip walked over and stood on the other side of Simmons, who horribly enthralled. Coulson continued staring, and deep within the pit of his stomach; he felt like this was only the beginning of what they would find.