Author's Note: Glad to see so much concern over Ward, who, we all of course love and want good things for. Even if they are planning on making him uber evil on the show . Don't even get me started on that one. You guys are so great and I love reading ALL your reviews, it means a lot that all the little attention to detail is being picked up on, not only in the last chapter but all the previous ones as well.
Warnings for gore and more gratuitous liberties taken with powers and the amount of bullets a handgun holds…just run with it. ^.~
You guys are freaking fantastic! The title of the chapter is based from another song that was done for a Skyeward fanvid by Fridaydayy that ya'll should check out because it is awesome.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything, or anyone aha aha
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Skye sprinted through the base, sliding around corners, now and then slamming into a wall or two in her haste to get to the lab. She had stupidly not grabbed a weapon from the open locker before she went pelting off to protect her friends.
It was time to stop worrying about Coulson and Ward playing nice together. It was out of her hands. Rounding the last corner she breathed a sigh of relief when she found the doors to the lab safely locked and obviously not breached. Her fingers flew over the keys on the security pad and she entered the quiet and seemingly empty room.
No.
Where in the hell were those two? They'd been headed here after the briefing, she was sure of it. Regardless, in the event of an attack, Fitz and Simmons always agreed to hold down the fort in the lab. She began panicking until a thought crossed her mind.
"Fitz?" There was a heartbeat more of panic before a voice sounded from the back corner of the room.
"Skye?" Taking a few steps in that direction she looked down at an empty space.
"So you were able to put a prototype together for that individual cloaking huh?" She asked with a smile, addressing the place she'd heard the voice come from. There was a wave of movement close to the ground and FitzSimmons appeared, huddled in each other's arms in the corner.
"Thankfully, yes." Fitz answered with a tight nod, neither scientist moved from their entwined position as they began speaking quickly, nearly in tandem.
"I told Fitz we should come and help."
"Which is totally mad."
"We are more than capable of defending ourselves."
"And let those hacks get their grubby hands on my inventions? Not bloody likely."
"The rest of the team might need us Fitz!"
"To what? Scream girlishly and get in the way?'
"You don't scream that girlishly."
"I meant you, and obviously, those better trained have it well in hand Simmons."
"You were saying that Ward was-"
"Right Ward, how is Ward Skye?"
Skye blinked several times in the face of their spitfire conversation until her mind was able to catch up with what she'd been asked. For the next few minutes she gave the two the basic rundown of what had happened, minus the losing of her pants and undergarments, and was encouraged by the curious scientists to give minute details about what her power had picked up on.
She was listening to theories when she felt a draft send a chill down her sweat soaked neck and back, raising the tiny hairs there and sending a solid weight of dread into her gut.
She'd forgotten to relock the door.
Without another thought she dropped and spun as the sound of suppressed gunfire came from the open doorway. The rounds slammed into the concrete wall, showering the scientists with a light hailing of debris. She couldn't get hit with an I.C.E.R. she had to keep the intruder away from FitzSimmons. Rolling, Skye leapt behind the nearest work station's desk as another impact sounded from the area she'd just vacated.
How the hell did you get by the barricades so fast?
Her opponent was a nondescript male of average height and build. On her retreat he entered the room and moved to intercept her. If she allowed one of her party to be taken they could be used as blackmail against Coulson and the rest of the team, she had to get FitzSimmons out of here and disengage or neutralize this enemy as soon as possible to relocate the group or reclaim the safety of the lab.
Looking to where the intruder was making his way carefully to her location she saw his gaze suddenly snap in her friends' direction. Her own attention quickly mirrored his to see one of Fitz's sneakers re-disappear into the safety of the cloaking.
Damn it!
Slamming her hands into the ground below her, she sent a short range wave the attacker's way. Skye focused intensely in order to send it only as far as the man's unfamiliar frequency before cutting off the vibration, rising a little from her cover to make sure he left the other two alone. It was barely enough to make him stumble but the act itself made him hone back in on the biggest threat in the room.
That's right buddy, pick on someone your-
He aimed and fired, causing Skye to duck quickly in order to dodge. How many shots was that? Could she draw his fire long enough to get the others to safety, or did that risk them getting caught by a stray bullet? Did she have a choice?
Two more shots slammed into the desk she was hiding behind.
Make that a no then.
"Jemma! Fitz! Get to Coulson!" She yelled as with one last steadying breath she leapt over the desk aiming a well-placed booted foot into the nameless man's chest, sending him staggering back. There was a flurry of movement as the hidden pair attempted to make good their escape. The intruder's eyes flicked in their direction but Skye noticed distractedly that even though his gun bearing arm was already stretched towards them, as a result of her impact on his chest, he didn't shoot. Instead, the arm came swinging back in her direction, and she had to focus again on nothing but keeping those paralyzing rounds away from her.
As her arms flew up to deflect and attempt to subdue her opponent, in her peripheral vision she saw the couple come to a sudden stop only a step or two from their previous hiding place. Fitz said something in a shocked voice but she couldn't hear it over her own grunts of exertion and her combatants low cursing.
"Dear God." Simmons' voice filtered into Skye's focus. Taking a calculated risk Skye glanced in the twos direction to see Jemma with hands pressed to her mouth and Fitz looking Skye's way in shocked horror, mouth moving without sound.
"Guys?" She prodded, landing another punch to her adversaries face.
"They're not using…" Simmons' was drowned out by another shot that grazed Skye's shoulder, leaving a trail of fire in its wake.
Fire.
Fire?
"He's not using an I.C.E.R.!" Fitz yelled, as both her friends took uncertain steps in her direction. Another curse and the man's aim went wide, then turned until he aimed at the two shocked looking noncombatants.
It was rage.
She realized that in a detached sort of way, as the fire in her arm spread and met the inferno that coursed out from her core. Everything slowed and she felt the burning, molten, all-consuming rage in her fill every pore of flesh, and every nerve ending she possessed. She could see the terrified expressions on her teammate's faces; she could feel the way it made the pitch of their frequencies spike. The entirety of her being fixated on the alien tone from the attacker in front of her, and like a heartbeat, she pushed the rage filled pulse of her power into that tone.
The gun dropped from lifeless fingers as the intruder crumpled to the floor. Bone pierced flesh in dozens of places, and red slipped across the floor until it could drip down into one of the sunken floor drains. Skye's heartbeat stuttered and threw itself against her ribcage as soon as she was able to form a thought.
Freak
Murderer
Monster
She was able to suck in a gasping breath before the room around them began to shudder in time to the wracking breaths that battered their way in and out of her lungs. She couldn't look away from the mutilated remains at her feet. From a long way off noise pressed in on every side of her, and she could suddenly feel everyone and everything in the base. All pressing and clamoring to be heard above the others.
Movement, drug her eyes upwards, to the duo that made careful steps in her direction. Fear lanced through her already laboring heart and with a great effort she threw herself backwards until the base of her spine hit desk.
"Run." Numb lips gasped, as the dust from the shaking ceiling coated them all. The living and the dead, all trembled together in the juddering quaking that surrounded them. "I can't control it. RUN!" She screamed finally, another wave lifting them and the desks off the floor with a sickening lurch.
"Ok, ok, we'll go." Simmons answered, tugging at a stationary Fitz's sleeve. "If you can make it to one of the Vaults, Coulson had them reinforced. Remember?"
Skye jerked out a nod, mostly just to get them moving. As her eyes sunk to the floor to again look at what she'd done she heard a hissed argument take place before Jemma's voice picked up loud enough for Skye to hear as the biochemist drug the engineer out the door.
"We have to get Ward, Fitz! Now!"
Ward…
The thought of him pulled her back and she shouted for them to keep him away from her too, but they were already gone and she was alone.
With the body.
She felt connected to everything and everything in turn felt connected to her, and the rocking around her intensified with her panic. She took stumbling steps towards the door, if she could make it to the Vaults, she could use the control tablet to lock Ward and everyone else away from her.
She'd killed someone.
She didn't need to do that. She could have shaken the gun to pieces. Why hadn't she done that to begin with? When she realized they were live rounds why didn't she do it then, or just focus-knock him into the nearest wall? What the hell was wrong with her?
He was an agent.
He probably had a family. Friends that would miss him, mourn him. Her hastily eaten granola bar from that morning threatened to make a reappearance, and she staggered to a halt, the hallways wavered and trembled in her site as the ground still moved and the walls still shivered.
What would the others say? How could they trust her?
Coulson.
Thoughts of her surrogate father made tears cloud her vision as the Vaults came into site and with quavering cries she unlocked the nearest one she knew to be empty and entered.
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Right After Skye Left.
Ward finished clipping on his tactical vest and loading up on Coulson approved weapons, which meant nothing that could be lethal. Grant stayed silent and non-argumentative during the Director's tirade about why they were only using I.C.E.R.'s and nothing debilitating because their opponents were fellow S.H.I.E.L.D. agents.
Blah blah blah greater good right.
It hardly mattered, as long as Ward had both functioning hands, he'd be as fatal as any live round. So he nodded and gave the expected 'yes sirs' as they made their way down the hall to where all the commotion was coming from. A certain amount of combatants had gotten through the blockade and had the group of Coulson's foot soldiers pinned down in an alcove.
Ward checked out the two groups' positions and after a moment of consideration Coulson looked at him with a questioning look. He felt a wolfish smile spread and nodded confirmation of the unspoken inquiry. Could he take out the five agents that were using the barricades he'd made in order to give Coulson's soldiers a chance of reclaiming this sector?
Oh absolutely, my pleasure.
"No casualties." Coulson whispered, face set, probably willing to I.C.E. the other man just to make sure Ward didn't disobey him on this. He couldn't help the slight roll of his eyes that happened, with a quick nod Ward ducked around the corner. Creeping along the wall he moved silently until he was in striking distance.
Lashing out he slammed the butt of his gun into the back of the nearest man's neck, dropping him like a stone. The clatter attracted the attention of the other agents in time for them to each receive an I.C.E.R. round to the face.
Coulson hadn't said anything about them going down painlessly.
He checked over his shoulder to see Coulson moving deftly from his position to the blockade. Turning back Ward barked a command to the soldiers in the alcove and proceeded forward with a mind to eliminate the threat from the breach point. He could hear more agents there, metal grating against cement, shuffle of boots, the occasional murmur as they tried to figure out what had happened to their suddenly silent brethren.
A sudden nagging made him double check Coulson, the other man was there, leaning out from behind the recently secured barricade. The splayed bodies of the knocked out agents cluttered around the Director's feet. There was a slight movement and the man that Ward had hit in the neck stirred. Coulson was too focused on what Grant was doing and didn't notice as the enemy unholstered his weapon and began to aim it at the Director's back.
Turning on his heel, Ward took two steps to clear his shot, and snapped off a round into the man's forehead. Coulson looked a little shocked for a moment before he turned back to Ward with another glower.
"This does not make us ok." Coulson said flatly, as Ward walked back to the barricade in order to check the again motionless agent.
"Understood sir." Ward answered with a nod as he checked the number of shots left in his mag, then motioning the awaiting men in the alcove to retake the other barricade in the choke point across the hall from them.
"It also doesn't make me forget what I saw." Coulson continued deadpan.
"Ah, does this mean I don't have your blessing to take Skye to the annual S.H.I.E.L.D. sock-hop? Because I've really been practicing my hand-jive, sir." Ward grinned in spite of Coulson's apparent lack of levity.
"You know Ward, as Director I know some deep holes, some that I feel comfortable in saying, no one else in the world knows about." Coulson finally twitched into a benevolent smile as he finished with. "No one will find your body."
"Well, if you were the one that killed me Coulson, no one would be looking for the body." Ward answered with only half the humor he'd meant the statement to have. The two looked at each other in silence for half a breath before Coulson's eyes narrowed and he shook his head in irritation.
"Oh like I'd ever hear the end of it from Skye and Fitz, dead or alive you are assuredly going to be a pain in my ass Ward."
Opening his mouth to respond, Ward was suddenly cut off by another voice sounding from near the breach.
"I would like to speak to Phil Coulson." The voice was authoritative, assured, and Ward immediately disliked whoever it belonged to.
"Director Coulson." Ward corrected under his breath, and heard a puff of a laugh from the man next to him.
"Stop it, I might start liking you or something." Nerves and adrenaline made the two chuckle quietly together, all the while receiving concerned expressions from the other troops awaiting the Director's orders. "Agent Gonzales," Coulson called back after a moment, "we have to stop meeting like this."
"You leave me no choice, Phil." The voice answered with a slight edge.
"Then to trash my base? But ultimately fail at accomplishing anything else but to cost me ridiculous sums of money on reconstruction? I think we can both agree on the futility of that arrangement."
"I've come better prepared this time, we can't allow for such weapons to be consolidated by a man with unknown affiliations." Ward applauded himself on his gut reaction to dislike the disembodied voice.
"Did Fury not send out a memo or something?" Ward asked quietly. Coulson opened his mouth to answer, but thinking better of it shook his head and replied to Gonzales instead.
"I don't know what it is that you think I have, but perhaps a conversation could have saved both of us a lot of time and money."
"From what I've heard, honesty is not one of the virtues you possess Coulson."
"Can I shoot him?" Ward hissed, he hated pompous authoritative figures, they reminded him too much of his brother.
"No. Though I appreciate the sentiment." Coulson answered, ducking his head around the barricade in order to get a look at the breach. Raising his voice he addressed Gonzales again, as always sounding congenial and hospitable. "Apparently the things I possess are of great interest to you."
"Yes." The rival answered. "Namely the dangerous things, the weapons, Fury's Toolbox, Deathlok, Grant Ward, and the Gifted prior agent."
Ignoring how well informed the man was, Ward began considering the different ways he would be able to cross off Gonzales. The other man obviously had no interest in reaching a diplomatic resolution. All he needed was a clear eye line on the man, that's all it would take. He hadn't been allowed a knife, but a wall of cement could act as a decent bludgeoning tool. Coulson would be furious but he'd have to get over that, Ward had promised Skye that these ignorant bastards wouldn't take her again.
He'd promised.
He kept his promises to Skye.
Coulson's voice sounding steely, totally devoid of warmth, was what brought Ward out of his reverie of snapping their enemy's neck…or finding an accelerant of which he could use to set the threat on fire…
"Skye is not a weapon."
Maybe Coulson will let me shoot him after all.
"She's dangerous." Gonzales replied, sounding like he thought that should end the discussion, and Ward couldn't help himself.
"I'm dangerous." His voice flooded the hallway, and like a predator he could feel the shocked fear and stillness that filled his prey on the other side of the breach. "Be happy Coulson's too good of a man to set me loose, because unlike him, I'm the kind that believes the ends justify the means, and know that I would go through some incredibly bloody means to keep Skye safe."
That's when the world started shivering beneath his feet and every muscle in his body tensed to the point of breaking.
Skye
He didn't know how but they'd gotten to her, and if they'd gotten to her then they'd made it through one of the barricades, possibly made it to the lab where her, Simmons, and Fitz were supposed to be. His specialist gears started clicking into place but he pulled back from the usually calming feeling that accompanied the experience, he couldn't trust himself to go too deeply into that mindset. He couldn't be unstable if he was going to help Skye.
And he would help Skye.
Eyes meeting Coulson's, he flashed the man a look of gratitude when the Director nodded his approval to Ward's obvious train of thought. Ward hesitated uncharacteristically; Skye would kill him if he let anything happen to Coulson.
"I don't want anyone to die today Coulson, but you have to understand the implications your team could have to those of us outside looking in." Gonzales sounded worried, or at least less self-assured as he had a moment ago. He hadn't expected Skye to have a chance to use her powers, Ward's awareness reeled with all the possible strategic possibilities. A nasty thought wriggled into his mind.
Assassination.
What lengths would the man go to in order to neutralize the threat that had collapsed half a base in a few moments? Ward's teeth creaked as his jaw clenched together in suppressed rage, the shaking around them continued and the walls groaned with the activity. Coulson was about to reply when there was a clattering of footsteps and two forms came pelting around the corner at the opposite end of the hall. The team of foot soldiers at the other barricade raised their weapons only to have Ward throw them a murderous look and a bark of command to stand down.
Fitz and Simmons came to a panting stop in front of Coulson and Ward, both chattering, they were obviously terrified but trying to keep it together.
"Guys slow down, you're safe." Ward said, as comforting as he could be, while wanting to dash off the way they had come in order to find Skye. Both looked at him in mild tones of disgust, which was actually an improvement on Simmons' part.
"Yes thanks Ward, we were able to deduce that ourselves." Fitz chided, as Simmons stayed silent only offering an eye roll.
"What're you two doing here? Where's Skye?" Coulson hissed.
When the two scientists recounted what had happened in the lab, Grant felt ice creep along his veins. Simmons held a hand out to him and he was unable to grasp her meaning while the world shook. Skye was alone somewhere after having to defend herself and her friends. Taking a life no longer registered with him, but he knew this loss of control was Skye's internal self-loathing being broadcasted.
"Give me one of your extra guns, we'll stay here to back up Coulson, she should have tried to make it to the Vaults by now. Vault J is the closest unoccupied cell." Simmons commanded and Ward realized as he handed over a pistol that he no longer really knew the woman in front of him.
Without another word he turned and ran in the direction of Vault J, hoping that both the base and Skye could last long enough for him to reach her.
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When Skye heard the door to vault open she was both relieved and infuriated. Didn't he understand that she couldn't control herself? When reaching the bottom of the staircase, she had reached to the control tablet only to have it shatter explosively. She could hurt him. She could bring the Playground down around their ears. Why was he so damn stubborn?
What if it's not him?
She looked up from her balled up place in the corner of the small bunk. Unable to ignore the huge wave of relief that cascaded over her when she saw Ward's long legs taking the stairs down three to four at a time. When their eyes met she felt the sharp jarring around her even out to a gentler swaying. He looked so relieved to find her, not an ounce of fear or calculation showed in those bourbon eyes, and he didn't hesitate in making his way towards her.
But he should be scared.
"Don't." She gasped, rolling to her feet on top of the bunk and wedging herself into the corner. He must know what she'd done, how else would he know exactly where to find her so quickly?
"You're not going to hurt me." He said, taking slow measured steps forward, hands upraised in supplication. His voice was so steady and calm, warm, like when he'd whispered things to her the night before. It seemed like weeks ago now, the confidence in his movements, the worshipful way he'd held her after.
"Won't I? Haven't I before? Even before I got changed." She answered, shaking her head quickly as the shuddering around her intensified and the dust continued to rain down towards the golden tones reflected back from the lights hitting Ward's upturned eyes. Not even a whisper of uncertainty touched his expression as he came to a halt in front of the bed.
"You do what you have to Skye, you always have."
"I don't! I didn't have to kill him, I-"
"So help me if you call yourself a monster one more time, I will come up there and show you what one really looks like." His voice was equal parts lust and warning and it sent a different kind of shiver down her spine.
"Ward." She pleaded shaking her head once again.
"You're not anything besides strong, good, and beautiful, and for fucks sake Skye, you sure as hell don't need me to be telling you this. Don't let Gonzales or anyone get you thinking you're anything else. You aren't anything like me." He muttered at the end, and went to take the step up on the bunk.
"Don't!" Skye panicked holding her hands out in a stopping gesture, and horrified, saw him flinch as her power hit him in a gut punch that knocked the wind from his lungs. Instead of moving back or stopping he planted the foot solidly and stepped up. Skye felt waves of absolute fear crash into her when the warmth of his body enveloped her.
He took a small step forward and a silent scream opened her mouth as her power knocked into him again and again. The look of trust and calm never wavered in his eyes even when she could feel the frequency crack his ribs, jar his organs like the percussion of an explosion.
Until his fingers were sinking into her hair, hands cradling the back of her head, his mouth pressing against hers with a laziness that belied the damage done to him. She sobbed into the kiss as he unyieldingly deepened it and used the wall at her back to hold their bodies together. She felt her power slide back and everything stilled and quieted as with a sigh Ward raked his teeth over her bottom lip.
"Hmm, there, see? Everything's fine." He murmured against her swollen lips as his fingers massaged small circles into her scalp.
"You can't honestly think that." She accused quietly, refusing to open her eyes and possibly ruin the calm she felt at this moment. "And I know Gonzales won't."
"I think." Ward growled as he slowly and carefully pulled her down with him to be laying on the bunk, his breathing a little tender as he settled her carefully in the place between his shoulder and pec. Carefully avoiding contact with his ribs. "That he should be grateful you gave that bastard a much quicker death than I would have if I'd gotten my hands on him."
Skye didn't answer as she watched his breath hitch every now and then on the intake. Looking up she saw his eyes were open and surprisingly peaceful, considering the base was for all intents and purposes still under attack. Not to mention she was pretty sure his wounds would be causing a less stubborn man to cry like a baby. Even stranger than every odd thing about her bunk companion was her own reaction.
The deep tenor of his frequency, without a trace of disharmony, made her own nerves calm and his peacefulness seemed to bleed into her slowly. The wracking guilt and panic was held at bay right now by the solid length of arm that wrapped around her back. Her power held in check by the all-consuming hum of him. For the first time since the incident she breathed evenly and continued to look up at Ward, using him as a center.
"Ward," she said, after several moments of silence, "are you alright?"
"For right now Skye, I could not be more alright." He answered, looking down at her with a smile.
"But, your ribs?"
"My ribs will heal, and since you're ok I don't have to act on my plan to hunt down and execute Gonzales and every single member of his squad that came here today."
"You've just got so many jokes these days." She deadpanned with a roll of her eyes, stilling slightly when his smile turned predatory.
"Yeah, I'm a funny guy."
She felt a kind of thrill shoot through her at his look and without thinking she moved up his body and kissed him. Working her mouth against his until with a groan he opened his lips and she slid a questing tongue inside. She leaned into him only to break the kiss when he grunted in pain, his free hand going to his ribs.
"Oh God! Sorry!'
"I'm fine, get back over here." He rumbled tightening the arm wrapped around her to move her closer.
"You know there are cameras in here right?" She asked, kissing him again, humming appreciatively against his lips as one of his hands kneaded the space from her hip to thigh.
"Hey, whatever you're into beautiful." He answered, smiling into their next kiss. She sighed and laid back against his arm, laughing a little when he made a growling noise in his throat.
"Easy tiger, you know I'm not that kind of girl." She teased, smile broadening at the look on his face.
"Oh but you could be Skye, remember, I believe in you."
"Coulson would see."
"Right. So snuggling?"
"Snuggling."
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Right so, there's that, reviews help me write faster (aha obvious blackmail is obvious) hope that worked for people. Did it feel a little too much? Let me know, not trying to go all harlequin romance here.
I dislike the Gonzales character so be prepared to read him in a negative light, warning for all those that like the character. Upcoming chapters promise the return of Bobbi and Mack, plus there's still that Inhuman in Hydra's clutches, so lots to do lots to do, plus lots more smooching and such.