In the Event…


Chapter 12

"Electro, this is Quake. We are T minus two minus till arrival. What's the statues situation down their people?" Daisy called over the com channel. When the team were out in the field Daisy tried not to use her team's actual names as much as possible, as you never knew just whom might have hacked into their coms signal so that they could gather information about some of the Inhuman's that S.H.I.E.L.D. worked with on a day to day basis.

"From the shear size of the emergent event I can infer that we are dealing with a low-level alpha to high level Betta Inhuman gifting. I recommend extreme caution as this person obviously had no control at this time as the radius of the affected area is still continuing to grow." Lincoln responded. Daisy looked out the main cockpit window to take an areal inspection of the seen, and what greeted her had her concerned for the safety of not only the civilians in the area but also her team as well. This was even worse then what they had encountered when Donnie Gill had purposely frozen the tanker in the Port of Casablanca.

"By mine and Agent Fitz calculations if the rate of affected area continues as it had been in the last twenty minutes of observation, this emergence will have affected a five square block radius's with in the next three to four hours." Jemma's voice broke into the conversation. This would mean that 'Back-end' had also arrived and was hovering at ten thousand feet and keeping an eye on how this event was unfolding.

"I have determined from thermal heat scans of the seen that there are five life signs at the epicenter of this emergence. It is unclear as to just whom it is that is causing the incident as all signatures are starting to diminish dew to the freezing temperatures. But if you can get 'Hellfire' up to the roof then he should be able to melt enough of the ice so that you may enter at that point. Then Agent Mackenzie and I can basket the bystanders out threw that same opening." Fitz confirmed as they circled around the building so that they could land their quin jet next to the one the rest of Daisy's team had used to get hear before them.

"Hellfire hay? Is it just me or does that sound ostentatious?" Lincoln asked threw the com.

"Considering he has yet to pick a code name and with his past interactions with S.E.I.L.D. along with his new gifts I felt that the name was rather fitting. However, I am more then willing to set it aside if a more viable option can be presented." Fitz countered as everyone on the ground slowly started to gather just outside of the two quin jets.

"You like the name. Don't you Fitz?" There was an audible pause after Grant poised the question. This was the first time that he had spoken directly to his ex team mate alone since the mission to the arctic Hydra base.

"Well considering I came up with the designation and used it for the purposes of identifying you from the others, that along with my previously stated reasoning behind the choice and… ya, ya I do like it." Fitz rambled on. During this hole exchange Daisy watched as a small smirk started to brake out on Grants face. Listening to Fitz go on like that was also reminiscent of their days together on the 'Bus'.

"That's all that matters, and I humbly except your designation-al choice." Daisy laughed, and rested her hand on Grants arm to show her thanks at his attempts to start mending the fences between himself and the man that he had caused so much pain to in the past. Both knew that it would take the rest of the older team a long time to feel comfortable around Grant again let alone trust him. As far as the Lovers were concerned this was a huge step forward for both men. Around them all the other Inhuman's smiled as well, realizing that they had just witnessed a changing moment unfolding before them.

"Well, Hellfire" Daisy said to get not only Grant but all the other team members attention. "I would like to introduce you to Yo-yo and Smithy. As you heard Agent Fitz, scans indicate the roof is the best way of getting to those people. Yo-yo I want you to scout the surrounding buildings and make sure that there are no civilians inside any of them. Last thing we need is to find out that someone died because of this. Agent Mackenzie I doubt I need to ask that you keep an eye on our lady as she goes zipping about." Mack confirmed that he would always be watching over Yo-yo. "Electro I want you to make sure that all the electrical systems for the orphanage itself are down and will not cause us any potential problems should we have to make an impromptu exit. Then I want you and Agent Simmons to prep the extraction pod for our new friend. We are going to need to get them out of hear as quickly as possible when everything is secure. Smithy you will join Hellfire and I in getting into the building." With in moments the team spread out and started to get into the positions that they had been assigned to.

Grant was impressed with how well it was that Daisy took control of the situation and could see why it was that Coulson had made her the leader of her own team. After getting back aboard, Grant flew the quin jet up to the roof of the building and put it into hover mode until Fitz could remotely take over and park the bird back on the ground. It was decided that Grant would go first so that he could clear a walkable path on the roof for the others so that they would not fall and slip on the ice that was almost a quarter foot deep in some spots along the roof. When they had reached the coordinated of the epicenter, Grant reached out his hands and after amping up his own internal heat he directed it threw his hands and into the ice around him so that it would melt. After a few minutes, he had cleared a five-foot area so that they could work within. Grant was happy when he noticed that the roof of the orphanage was a tin roof. The mettle had helped in getting rid of all the ice and snow that was on the building.

"Smithy your up. Make me an in, pleas." With that Grant watched as Joey ran his hands over the mettle and it seamed to magically melt and peal itself away for them. Once the opening was complete Daisy pat Joey's arm in thanks and then jumped down into the hole, using her vibrations to cushion her fall.

"Show off." Joey called after his leader as he walked over to the chimney stack that was a few feet away and started to tie himself off to it so that he could also join Daisy inside. Grant fallowed Joeys lead with creating himself a tie off and when they were both done they joined Daisy in what could have been the games room.

On opposite sides of the room Grant could see that the survivors had split themselves into two groups. After closer inspection, he could see that the two children in the north-east corner of the room that were being guarded by one of the orphanage sisters were in fact frightened of the other two small children in the opposite corner. One a boy of African decent who could not have been older then five or six and was trying to rap more blankets around a little Caucasian girl who could not have been older then three or four. It was the frost and ice that would before their eyes start to cling to the blankets placed around her that made the Inhuman team aware that this was where the new emergent gift was coming from.

"Oh fubar me and triple poop on a stick. Electro we have a grade A seriously never anticipated before problem." Daisy called out over the com's. slowly she got closer to the two new Inhuman's, as Daisy could see both of their chrysalis shells on the floor around them, and tried not to seem threatening.

"Did Quake just cuss cleanly?" Elena asked in return.

"Children."

"I know there are kids present Quake. It is an orphanage after all." Elena quipped.

"No she means the new Inhuman's are children. Like toddler children." Joey called out as he checked over the others and Grant was trying to bring the extraction basket in from the roof. Mack and Fitz were now up on the roof and had lowered it in so that Daisy and the others could get the civilians inside of the orphanage out of the frozen building.

"Inhuman's, as in more then one and they are children. Shit! This changes things. We need to get those kids out of there pronto. Quake give me a detailed description of what you are seeing. Our ice wielder, does it look like they might be stabilizing into their new gifts at all?" Lincoln asked as Grant and Joey were still directing the Sister and the other two children out of the Building.

"Not from the looks of things. The little boy keeps piling blankets onto the little girl but it looks like she is just icing them to herself. I'll try to assess them directly. Just give me a moment. Hay there you two. Can you tell me what happened at all?" Daisy asked the children on the floor, as she knelt to be on level with them. Both children looked very scarred and the boy was even trying to shield the girl from them, as if Daisy and her team might cause them harm. "I promise that we are not going to hurt you and that we will do everything we can to make you feel better."

"Sister Augustus said we had to take our vitamins." Said the boy.

"They didn't taste good." The little girl whispered past chattering teeth.

"Then it hurt. Rock started to cover me up and when it broke it all got so cold." Daisy watched as the young boy continued to stoke the hair of the younger girl. Ever time his hand contacted her skin she would stop shivering for just a moment until he would lift his hand and start the motion again. Already Daisy suspected what the young boy's gift was. Reaching into her utility belt she pulled her pocket knife out and held it up so the children could see what she was doing.

"I am going to prick my finger. Then I would like you to hold my hand for a moment. If I am right, you little man are going to do some magic and after I wont even need a Band-Aid for my cut." Both children had wide eyes at the idea that ether of them could do magic. Daisy looked over her shoulder to see that Grant and Joey were just finishing up with getting Sister Augustus onto the lift and out of the building. Turning back to the children she opened her knife and quickly, before they could get even more scared, she nicked her thumb on the blade and put away the knife again. "Now little man how about that magic?" She asked as she held her hand out to him.

Slowly the boy took Daisy's hand into his own and they waited. For a moment, nothing happened before slowly the little cut started to close all on its own. "Oh wow. Did I do that?"

"Yes little man you did. What's your name sweetie?"

"Caleb, this is Crystal." Caleb said pointing to the little girl beside him.

"That's a pretty name Crystal. Now we are going to get you out of hear but I need to know if you are hurt or if you can stand up for me." Slowly Crystal tried to stand but when the blankets all fell away Daisy could see that the young child's limbs where already starting to show signs of the early stages of hypothermia. When Daisy tried to grab her so that she would not hurt herself as she fell back onto her knees, Daisy found that Crystal was very cold to the touch. "Electro, the cold is affecting Crystal and starting to turn her legs and arms purple. I'm not sure how much more of this she can take."

"Hellfire, can you use your flames to help warm her at all?" Lincoln asked.

"I would not recommend that. That's not the kind of thing I can do yet. Mine is still more fire balls then anything." Grant mentioned as he came to stand next to where Daisy was with the children.

"No but if you were to give her a hug and crank up your body heat like you did on the hill. That should more then warm her up." At this Grant nodded and gathered Crystal into his arms. As Grants body started to warm up the room Crystal's eyes started to droop into contented half lids. "Now Caleb, let's say we get you out of hear. I have a good friend who would love to meet someone who can do your kind of magic." Daisy then gathered Caleb into her arms and they also made their way over to the hole in the ceiling to wait their turn to take the extraction basket up to the roof and then the containment pod up to 'Back-end' where the rest of the S.H.E.I.L.D. agents would be able to help get the kids the medical attention that they needed.


Daisy stood out side of one of the containment rooms that were in the 'Playground' and observed Grant Caleb and Crystal, whom had refused to let Grant go since they had left Saint Agenus Orphanage. Lincoln had explained to her that Crystal was using Grants body heat to help stabilize her own system. What Crystal was experiencing was one of the main reasons as to why Jiaying had always been so selective of whom would undergo teragnosis and at what stage in their physical and mental development. With Crystal and Caleb being as young as they were, it was a miracle that they had even survived the process. This could ether mean one of two outcomes for them both. The more favorable outcome was that both would end up as Alpha level Inhuman's who's powers would grow as they did. The less pleasant but more likely outcome was that the introduction of their gifts at such a young age would affect their growth patterns and their gifts would in essence burn them out, as was likely to be the case with Crystal if they could not keep her warm. It was for this reason that Grant had offered to stay with the children as Lincoln and his team of medical tec's set up a much more elaborate transitioning machine that would give Lincoln the ability to make micro adjustments to both Crystal's electrolyte flow but also her DNA sequencing if it were determined that some of the changes would hinder her body rather then help her.

"He's not the same anymore is he." Coulson asked as he stepped up to stand next to Daisy. They watched as Grant and Caleb played a game of go fish with Crystal helping Grant. "He seams calmer. More stable."

"I believe it's the Inhuman in him. All the Inhuman's I have spoken with experience a drive or longing until their change happens. In some the drive causes instability, in others a need to be the best as they search for what is missing within themselves. With everything that Garret and Grant's family did to him in the past I think it also warped his need for acceptance into an almost manic drive." Daisy could only guess as to what it was that Grant was going threw based off what she had felt herself while growing up and what others had told her about the change that they had felt within themselves after their own teragnosis had finished.

"What are the odds that he will be sticking around after everything with the kids gets settled?"

"I don't know. We never talked about that. I mean a part of me does want him to stay but at the same time I wonder if its for the best. Being back hear even though he's not in his old cell, I can sense his nerves and mood. His vibrations are off. He may be playing it cool for the kid's sake, but I can tell." Coulson was surprised at how excepting of all this Daisy was. If anyone had told him two weeks ago that Grant Ward would be back on the base and not in cuffs or in his usual cell, he would have told them that they had an active imagination. But now after observing the two lovers together Coulson had a feeling that Grant would unintentionally insert himself back into their lives permanently. It was for this reason that Coulson brought up his next topic.

"The 'Cocoon' is ready by the way. And after this last mission I think that it is time to start bringing in all of our wayward and displaced Inhuman friends." Daisy looked at him in surprise. They had talked about creating the new base for the Inhuman's but she had thought that was at least a few years off. "Start small like we did hear at 'Playground' after the fall. Your team and their partners along with some of Lincolns associates and of course the kids." Coulson said indicating to those in the containment room. "If there are any others that we have helped over the last year that would need a safe haven right away then extend the invitation to them as well. Think of this as a second chance at 'Afterlife'. Just make sure that you don't make the same mistakes that your mother did."

Daisy could hardly believe what it was the Coulson was willingly doing for her and her people. This would change how it was that they helped and worked with other Inhuman's. If S.H.E.I.L.D. could offer newly changed people a safe place to go after they had changed it would mean that they would no longer have to hide. People from all walks of life would have somewhere to go that they would not feel like outcasts for being different and if one of her people were to have a flare up or outburst dew to their gifts they would not have to worry about others persecuting them for what they had done.

"If that is the case then I am sure that I could convince Grant to stick around. This way you could have access to both his training and gifts with out having to have Grant reside hear on 'this' base." Daisy went back to observing Grant as he interacted with the children and smiled as she witnessed just how good Grant was with them. This was a side of him that she never would have thought that he possessed. Thinking back to what he had told her about his past with his younger brother and sister however, Daisy could then picture how it was that he must have been with them all those years ago.

"I think that Ward may have stayed anyway, even without the new base."

"How do you figure?" Daisy asked.

"I think he would have stayed for you. Now I think he would also stay for Crystal." Coulson pointed out. One could say that the young toddler Inhuman had taken quite the shinning to Grant Ward as she had not let him go since he had picked her up inside the orphanage over three hours before.

"I think having someone to care for that will shower him with unconditional love will do Grant a lot of good. I have a feeling that he has not had that in his life since his younger siblings." Daisy suspected that Coulson already knew everything that happened in Grant Wards life before S.H.E.I.L.D., it also led her to believe that this was also one of the reasons that Coulson had no problems with Grant looking after the children as well. "I just hope that everything goes well with Lincoln and his team in regards to Crystals transitioning. Lincoln went into detail about everything that he was going to do to try and easy the process of Crystal's transition but after a while I had to tune it out as he was using phrases and word choices that only Jemma understood. Not that I mind, you know. It is wonderful to know that we will have someone on the new base that understands more about Inhuman biology then I could ever hope to understand in a life time. It just that sometimes the science behind it can all be a bit much."

"I know that you mean. There are still times that I have to just smile and nod when I am done a debrief with FitzSimmons. Not that I would ever tell them that I don't understand half of what they are telling me, but I figure that if it gets the job done then does it really matter if I understand just how the widget was constructed with what parts and so on." At this Daisy just laughed which caused Grant and the children to look over at her. When Grant waived for her to join them, Coulson just patted her elbow and left them alone. Soon enough Cristal would be going in for the transitioning session that hopefully would end up saving her life and then would ultimately change how the dynamic of the base would work from hear on out.


In story word count: 3692

Sorry for any delay in getting this out to you. Most of my writing time comes late at night after children are sleeping, so sometimes what I wrote the night before ends up being gibber and I must re write what I did the night before so that it is more palatable.

Anyway, special love goes out to AshleyStewart09 who has reviewed consecutively on 9 of the 11 previously posted chapters. If there are more of you SUPER FANS of this story, then know that everything you write to me about what you think of my stories I take to heart and always look forward to any suggestions that you might have.