Disclaimer: Once again, all rights go to the AoS producer, Joss Whedon and Marvel. Skye and Ward are not together; therefore I own nothing. Zip, Zilch, Zero, Nada. This chapter is based on Episode Five: The Girl in the Flower Dress.
Chapter Five: Battleships & Jealousy
Skye stared absentmindedly out of the bus's window. She could see the white, puffy clouds, the blue skies, for which she was named for. She held a bowl of pretzels in her lap and had a battleship game in front of her. Agent Ward sat across from her, staring intently at her.
"Every decision you make from here on out has consequences... You have been warned." His dark eyes never left her face. "The kitty clubs are off..."
"G7," she said, quickly.
Grant pursed his lips while looking at the board. "Hit," he sighed.
"Yes!" She cheered. She was actually winning for once in her life. "Haha! So explain to me what this has to do with my training?" She asked, while reaching for a pretzel.
"It's important for every SO to evaluate their rookies thought process..."
"Mhm..." Skye nodded, a smirk etched on her pretty face.
"And I look board games," he admitted. "B10"
"Nope." She popped the 'p'
"Damn."
"This isn't thinking," she replied. "This is stabbing in the dark, but it's nice to take a break from the workouts."
Well... You deserve a break," he gave her a knowing, albeit small, smile. "Gotta give Coulson credit... I never would have pegged the next Rising Tide hacker as a good fit... But you're picking up things pretty quickly..."
"Did you just give me a compliment?" Skye asked her robot of an SO, putting a hand over her heart.
"What? No- I - No. I made a comment."
"A kind one," she cried. "Did it physically hurt to do that?" She leaned forward, grabbing his hand and subconsciously stroking her thumb over his knuckles. "Do you need an ice pack?" She asked, faking concern. He smiled and let out a small chuckle. That brought a beautiful smile tugging at her lips. When she smiled, her whole face lit up. "Wow! A compliment and a smile..."
"Comment," Grant corrected.
"I don't want to ruin the ruin momment... But," She paused for a dramatic effect. "I'm going to have to respond with... G4." The smile abruptly left Ward's face as his Rookie's words sunk in. Skye smirked triumphantly. "Say it." Ward sighed in defeat. "Say it, Ward."
"You sunk my battleship," he muttered.
"I'm sorry what was that?" Skye asked, the picture of innocence.
"You heard me," Ward growled.
"One more time, please?"
"Alright fine! You win!"
"Yes!" She cheered.
"Happy now?"
"I love battleships," she chirped.
Ward strode into the box, the bus's jail and slammed the door behind him, hearing it lock. Skye and her "friend" were sitting in metal chairs, chained to table in front of them. Her heartbroken face stared up him, pleading with him. It took all his will power not to run to her, scoop her in his arms and just hold her. He wanted to tell her that everything was okay, and that he trusted her, that he would always be there for her. But if he said those words he would be a liar. He instead turned to her friend, Miles.
"She's been defending you, saying your a stand up guy," he told Miles. "But I don't believer her. None the less, I'm going to give you a chance." He threw a blue checkbook in front of the male hacker. "You wanna tell her or should I?"
"I don't have to listen to you," Miles spat.
"You lose your chance," Grant snarled. "Your boyfriend here made a few deposits a few days following the leak..." Grant made a show of taking each check out of the envolope and laying them in front of Skye.
"All set... That's about a million dollars." Grant watched with satisfaction as Skye's eyes snapped up to Miles and glared at the other man.
"What?" She demanded, deadly calm.
"Real stand up guy..." Grant taunted.
"I can explain-" Miles began, weakly.
Did you sell information?!" She cried. Although Grant hated Miles' guts, he was, begrudgingly, impressed by the hackers ability to remain silent and meet Skye's fiery glare.
"Miles? Skye prompted. "Yes or no?! Did you?"
"Yes, but-" Skye stood up, ready to attack the man seated across from her, but found herself restrained by the metal cuffs. "Oh, you are so dead," she yelled. Grant sent Miles a winning smirk. "What the hell were you thinking?!"
"It was a million dollars, Skye. One million. It would change my life." Skye shook her head in denial. How could he do this to her? "Our lives," Miles continued. Skye shot Miles a glare that could freeze a lake. If looks could kill Miles would be a pile of ashes. Skye didn't notice, but her SO's face hardened at these words. "Make no mistake," she said to Miles, coldly. "After this stunt? I'm not a part of your life. I'm happy here. I have a family." Miles ignored Skye.
Besides that woman was harmless, I looked into her..."
"No one with good intentions pays that kind of money for information! Did you ever think about that?!" Skye cried.
"Of course I did! Miles shot back. "I wouldn't have done it if I thought-"
"Whose the woman?" Grant interrupts.
"A fan of the Rising Tide... Some rich girl in a flower dress. She knew all about me... Said I had a gift... she thought people like us deserved more," Miles stated wistfully.
"Oh, you deserve more of something." Skye replied.
"She led me to a Chinese SHIELD feed and wanted me to crack it..."
"You thought that was harmless?" Grant asked, crossing his arms.
"I checked the data stream. It didn't seem like anything you or I hadn't done before . I traced the account to where the money was deposited to make sure it wasn't seem evil corporation. It as just an Eco-Research lab. Otherwise I never would have-"
Ecological research?" Ward asked, putting his hands on Skye's shoulders to steady himself. He didn't like where this was going.
Miles glared at Ward before replying. "Something to do with insects, with centipedes..." Skye gasped and looked up at Ward, her brown eyes wide with fear.
"What's more harmless then that?" Miles asked nonchalantly.
Coulson, May, Fitz, Simmons, Ward, Skye and Miles were crowded over a Three-Dimensional model of Centipede's temporary headquarters. "The entire building's on lock down," Simmons cried, her nails digging into her face.
"Are you sure about this?" Fitz asked, gently prying Jemma's hands away from her face. Miles leaned over and whispered, "This is pretty cool..." Skye rolled her eyes.
"The alarm's disconnected the system from all exterior servers," Skye observed, taking in the building's security systems. Ward stood next to her, drumming his fingers against the interactive table. "Well can you fix it?"
"Yes. But you have to get me on site..."
"No chance." Both Ward and Miles told her. Their eyes met over Skye's head, where a staring contest ensured. Skye looked back and forth between the two men, a small smile playing on her lips.
"You are a hacker, Skye." Miles said, conviction threading his voice. "Not Seal Team Six..."
"No," she sighed, before turning to look at Ward. "But he is..." Miles glared at Ward as Ward smirked at him. His face clearly said, "Hey, buddy? Whatcha gunna do now?" Ward placed his hand on the small of Skye's back, guiding her from the lunge. "Come on, Skye. We don't have much time..." Skye let Ward lead her from the room and didn't look back. Ward however, couldn't pass up the chance. His last glance at Miles filled him with joy. The hacker just stood there... Fuming. Ward silently cheered. Ward-1, Miles-0
A/N: So this chapter is broken into three parts... When Skye and Ward are playing Battleship (omg my friends and I die when Skye asks if he needs ice) When Skye finds out that Miles sold information (I love how Ward's like the protective older who hates the younger sister's boyfriend) and then I loved the scene were Miles and Ward are basically challenging one another (Good news people: Ward won :) Please click on the review button below and tell me what you thought! Remember: More reviews makes me motivated to update faster!