A/N: I fixed up this chapter a bit and added something new, so kind of a repost/ update. Hope you guys have a great night/day!
Summary: Summary: Agents Melinda May and Phil Coulson are put on a new assignment to look after an object of unknown origin, an 0-8-4. The only catch is this 0-8-4 is a person. A fourteen year old girl who's spent her life in the foster system is now in more danger than ever. A man beast is hunting her and SHIELD has to make sure that it doesn't get close to her. AU
Chapter Twenty
Somewhere in China Mountains
Jiaying glowered, "What were you thinking?!"
"Something had to be done Jiaying," growled Cal, his hands clenched into fists at his sides.
The woman he addressed had her arms crossed over her chest, more anger in expression than she dared to show. As leader of this world, she had to maintain a professional and stoic appearance despite whatever emotions may have raged on inside of her. For years they had been far from reaching their secret goal and now due to his rashness, there was a chance everything they had been working for, everything they had been doing to bring their baby home was going to be nothing.
There was also the threat this posed on her power. Though there was no singular leader of Afterlife, Jiaying was someone who held the most power and authority. It had taken her a very long time to obtain this control and she could not let all of her hard work go to waste because her once lover did not understand how to be subtle.
Her nails dug into her bare arms as she struggled to keep her temper under control. It was only the two of them in this red room and the walls were thick enough that no one would be able to hear unless their ears were pressed up against the door.
Jiaying took a sharp breath, "You have now risked the exposure of Afterlife, Inhumans and have placed our daughter in even more danger than before. Bringing out her powers while she is in their hands was the worst possible thing you could have done!"
Cal's nostrils flared, "NO. No, I have now brought her closer to us."
"How does activating her powers bring her closer to us Cal, please enlighten me how exactly this will bring my daughter back into my arms," Jiaying snapped at him.
The anger left Cal almost instantly, he actually smiled at her. It should have unnerved her, but she had become used to his switching and constantly changing moods. Though sometimes the switches were more jarring than the others.
"Because," Cal said still smiling, "Daisy will see that the world will treat her differently because of her beautiful gift. She will realize on her own that she doesn't belong out there, but here."
"You couldn't just remove her," Jiaying remarked bitterly.
Cal shook his head, "No. When she realizes that she no longer belongs in that world, she will call to us. If simply took her away, her attachments to those people would remain and drive her away from us. Now those attachments will break."
SHIELD
Skye thought she and Lincoln would have been allowed to leave already, at least that was the dream Mel-May- Mom had been telling her. Only a few days, but it had been a week since their arrival and still no signs of them leaving. Lincoln was having a much harder time adjusting to his newfound abilities. He could control electricity, Skye would have enjoyed calling him Pikachu if he wasn't so serious and sour the entire time. Though Skye couldn't blame him, the walls in their rooms were starting to close in.
Glass walls maybe, but still they couldn't get out and go anywhere, but this small room. Well the bathroom to, but someone had to go with them to make sure they wouldn't run away and if their powers got out of hand, they would be sedated. Lincoln had short circled the lights in the bathroom, they knocked him out before he could do more damage which sent both fear and anger through Skye.
Luckily Ph- Coul- her dad fought them hard on that. Saying unless their powers were really out of control, the building losing power or an earthquake, then the dendro-whatever could be used. However for minor things, that was excessive. Currently it was night time, Lincoln was knocked out having asked for sleeping pills, but Skye refused and wanted to remain awake for as long as she could. And then, she received a visitor.
"Hey Skyler, what are you doing up," said the familiar red haired agent.
Skye sat up to get better look at her foster sister, "Don't feel much like sleeping. I really miss my bed."
Natasha nodded in understanding, "Believe me I get it. Quarantine is the worst place to be, but I think you're getting discharged tomorrow."
Skye quickly rolled her eyes, "I doubt it. Me-May said that we'd be out of here days ago."
"She's doing everything in her power to get you guys out of here," Natasha told her her, "But the scientists and agents want to make sure it's safe for-"
"For others, I know, we're dangerous," Skye interrupted with a frown.
Natasha gave her a look, "And your safety as well. If someone saw you use your abilities, imagine what they would do to you. They could bring the attention to you and some big bad group could sweep in and take you away. Turn you into a weapon."
Skye's eyes shimmered slightly at that. Though she knew very little about Natasha's real identity hear in SHIELD, she could tell by her tone that the woman was speaking from experience. Curiosity stirred inside of Skye then, she wanted to know exactly how did Natasha become involved with SHIELD, however she was worried that it might be too much to ask.
"Nat," Skye said hesitantly, "Will you, will you tell me one day how you became involved with SHIELD?"
Natasha tilted her head to the side, she looked thoughtful for a moment before nodding, "I would tell you now, but it's late and it might give you nightmares."
Skye's brow quirked at that, she figured that would the response, but still she was slightly surprised. She didn't remember falling asleep. Only that Natasha was talking and sleep took over her. Natasha didn't leave her spot, just watching Skye as she fell into a deep sleep. It was sneaky and maybe underhanded that she had sleeping medicine pumped into the room, but she knew Skye needed to get some rest.
After everything that had happened, the teen had a lot on her plate and sleep was her only true repreive. Natasha wasn't sure how long she had been there, but she knew it had been a couple of hours since two of the overhead lights came on signifying some of the agents would be filing in. Some had come by in the night to check the vitals of Lincoln and Skye, but that was only one or two compared to the dozen that would be working in the background while the teens struggled to keep themselves occupied.
Maria had brought them their school work, much to Skye's irritation, so that was helping to distract them, but it only went so far. Natasha was getting worried and she didn't worry often. The world was filled with all kinds of hidden and mysterious things, people with powers and enhanced abilities. Technically she was one of those people, but not quite the same as this. If anyone dared to come after Skye and her friend, Natasha knew that she would have to add some more blood to her ledger. That was something she could sacrifice for her kid sister.
"She'll be fine," Coulson said beside her, "Skye's strong."
Natasha replied, "I know. I also know if anyone tried to hurt her, they wouldn't get past us."
Coulson nodded, his gaze focused on the sleeping teen, "You aren't wrong there. Unfortunately we still don't have any hits on who did this or why."
Natasha glanced at him, "I thought it was the manbeast."
"Speculation," Coulson remarked dryly, "It very well could be that guy, but anyone who's ever seen the thing is dead and neither Skye nor Lincoln saw who took them."
Natasha frowned, "Didn't one of their friends mention a red symbol?"
"Trip, said that, but couldn't remember exactly what."
"How many red symbols do we know of?"
"Less than a handful, but for all we know it could be one we have never heard of."
"It can't hurt to rule out the ones we do know then."
Coulson turned his gaze to look at Natasha, he studied her for a moment. Her body was more rigid than usual, her jaw clenched. It had been mentioned that the Black Widow program could have been involved, but they were never for the flashy abilities. Their goal was physical and mental enhancement, not so much on this playing field, unless they were changing things up.
If it was the Black Widow program, Natasha should be the most concerned. She may have gotten away from them and be under SHIELD's protection, but that did not mean she was safe from the organization as a whole. Natasha had been their top widow, of course they wouldn't let her go without a fight and even as the years passed, they were still coming for her. However that wasn't something she wanted to think about now. She needed to focus on Skye.
"I highly doubt they're involved in this," Coulson told her, "It's not their speed."
"Then who," Natasha asked more to herself.
Coulson shrugged his shoulders, "That is the question of week."
Natasha shook her head, "And what about the other kid they brought in?"
"She's stable for now," Coulson told her, "We still need a better translator for her though."
"I am fluent in Spanish," Natasha reminded him with a side glance.
Early the previous morning a teenager had been found in a brown husk similar to what Lincoln and Skye were in before. The girl had powers as well, though it was a little hard to discern what her powers were besides her ability to move fast. However no matter how far she moved forward, she would always return back to her previous position which made it hard for her to escape. A young agent who had been working under Mockingbird the past summer called her a yo-yo.
The girl had been traveling with some other people, smuggling was the better term. The exact circumstances surrounding the incident were lost to Natasha as he only knowledge was the fact someone else had been hit. There didn't seem to be a pattern yet considering there were only three teens affected by this. The only difference now was that two were just at the age of fifteen where this new addition was nineteen.
No one could be certain if it only affected teenagers, there wasn't any evidence to suggest it, but the fact that only teenagers had been hit and changed couldn't have been a coincidence. At least Natasha didn't believe it was. She was certain that whoever was doing wanted younger people involved, it was easier to get the youth to follow something than it would be for someone older and set in their ways. If an army of super powered people was being formed, starting with teens could be a way to go.
Coulson replied after a few moments of silence, "We need you out in the field finding the ones responsible for this and stopping them. Clint's here for you now."
Natasha suppressed a sigh, "You got it boss. I would bring the new girl in here with Lincoln and Skye, it might help to calm her down knowing there are others here going through the same thing."
"Already ahead of you there," Coulson told her with a small grin, "She's on her way to being placed in that unit beside Skye."
Natasha thought that was pretty good. The other girl had been so frantic while alone with strangers she didn't know and could barely understand. Though her english wasn't bad, it was a little hard for her to find the right words given the stress of the entire situation and the powers knocking her around so much. The bright side was they had learned her name was Elena.
Thinking back to that situation made Natasha wonder where May was. There had been another incident which meant whoever was doing these attacks was either getting bolder or more reckless. If the attacks continued at this rate, this building would be filled with super powered teenagers by the end of the week.
"Has May gotten back yet," Natasha asked next.
Coulson visibly tensed at that, his gaze shifted from Skye to Natasha as he said with a regretful expression, "She's on her way back with another boy who was affected."
Natasha's brow quirked at this, "Okay, why the tone?"
"It's someone Skye knows," Coulson told Natasha as he looked away from her, "A few weeks ago, I told Maria about getting two boys placed into May and I's care. They're uncle had been taken into custody by our agents almost a year ago, not that the boys knew, but they had been on their own for years and had no contact with him. Seeing that Skye knew them and their connection to SHIELD, I thought it would be fine to take them in."
Natasha nodded a bit absently, "I think I remember hearing about that. Are you saying the boys were attacked?"
"Only one, the oldest," Coulson answered.
"And you're worried about Skye's reaction to it," Natasha said.
Coulson didn't answer her. He hated to think that way, to think of Skye as possibly dangerous. Even when he had first gotten the assignment to look after an 0-8-4 teenage girl, he hadn't wanted to think of Skye as this dangerous weapon. Yet as he saw her powers in action, he knew that if she didn't have control the chance of her destroying this place, hurting others and herself because of her emotions was high.
Neither his daughter nor these other teens should be here now with these abilities that they weren't ready for, that they didn't even ask for. Coulson and Natasha left the room to head downstairs once they got the alert that a new arrival was coming in, May with them. At the loading bay, they saw May walking beside a squirming teenage boy that Coulson recognized as Robbie Reyes. As they came closer, Coulson heard May speaking to him.
"It's going to be okay Robbie, you need to focus on me and nothing else," May told him.
Robbie squirmed more on the bed from the pain and fear, "No, I, I can't. Where's Gabe, I need to get to Gabe."
"Gabe is going to be alright, and I'll bring you to him once you're taken care of," May said, but Coulson heard a twinge in her voice.
May's brown eyes met his blue ones, she was trying to tell him something, but he couldn't figure out what the message was. However as she came past him, his feet moving in step with her, he noticed that her hands were covered in fresh blood. Coulson's eyes widened just barely at the sight of it. Checking over Robbie, he saw there was some blood on him as well, but no injuries on his frame. That meant the blood must have come from Gabe.
May had said something bad happened, but couldn't give any specifics because at the moment Robbie was having a breakdown. Once Robbie was taken care of, they'd have to talk. They rushed him up to the main floor, May and Coulson were still by his side with Natasha trailing behind. At one point they passed the observation room that allowed them a view inside the main room where Skye, Lincoln and the other girl, Elena, were. Coulson glanced up at the window to see Skye was awake along with Lincoln, both looking in their direction with fear and concern.
"She needs to know," Coulson said as they passed the room.
May nodded, though Coulson saw the hesitance, "I know, but we'll handle that later. For now, we need to get Robbie stabilized."