AN: Woohoo on everyone being happy with the last chapter! Sorry for the repeated delays, let's just jump in, thanks as always for all the support, you guys are awesome!
Warning: Randomness along with storyline to follow. You've been warned.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
AoS. AoS. AoS. AoS. AoS. AoS. AoS. AoS. AoS. AoS. AoS. AoS. AoS. AoS. AoS. AoS. AoS.
Ward stuffed the last bite of macaroni salad in his mouth while listening to one of Coulson's old field stories. Unlike with most of Garrett's, Ward knew he could actually believe 99% of the Director's. Generally of course, because Coulson was honest, but also because May sat to his left clarifying the parts she felt he embellished. The team sat together in the rec room, all jammed around the only existing table, bumping elbows and stealing each other's food.
Mostly the latter was Skye, Ward, and Judas, the last being the only one brave enough (and flawlessly successful) in stealing chunks of apple from May's plate. Coulson had eyed the small pile of fresh fruit but apparently hadn't liked his chances.
FitzSimmons had taken time at the beginning to grab what they knew the other liked and exchanged dishes accordingly.
Even with the shadow of Gonzales lurking around the corners of their minds, the six ate and joked in relative ease, Hunter having excused himself about ten minutes into the meal. When he knew everyone was focused on Coulson's tale, Ward covertly scanned the faces ringing him and felt for the first time truly at home. These people weren't just as they'd been before, but optimistically his return had helped to heal the remaining fracture.
Tuning back into Coulson's story, the ending, that had May saving him from a group of religious zealots who had him pinned in one of the giant barns of a local dairy farmer, but not before he'd been forced to dive for cover through a full day's worth of cow patties on the barn's floor.
"So there I am, out of ammo and trying to figure out what I can use as a weapon, when there's shouting and sporadic gunfire and the next thing I know May pulls open the damn door, that I swear I'd locked, and waltzes in with a smirk." Coulson said, with a gesture towards the specialist.
"There was no waltzing." May countered, but her lips twitched and the edges of her eyes were crinkled, flashing with carefully contained humor.
"Oh there was waltzing and smirking." Coulson continued, eyes narrowed good-naturedly. "She takes one look at me and says, 'Find a hose, you're not riding in my car like that,' turns around and walks back out. Leaves me covered in nervous sweat and cow crap to find a way to wash up."
"Did you?" Skye questioned, nose wrinkled up like she could actually smell the manure, completely enthralled in the tale. Ward had to reign in his sudden need to kiss her as Coulson answered.
"Not soon enough." The Director turned raised brows to his left.
"You're telling me, I almost left you there." May supplied, on cue, over the brim of her water glass.
"I had to find something to sit on so your seats didn't get wet!" Ward shook his head at their antics as he drained the rest of his own water.
"Sir, don't you mean glisten?" Simmons said teasingly with one of her own rare smiles, wordlessly handing Ward the half-filled pitcher that clacked quietly with its floating ice. Ward took it with a nodded thanks, ignoring the way his lungs stalled when Simmons's smile didn't falter when their eyes met. After a quick moments thought Coulson grinned and nodded before saying as straight faced as he could.
"Right, I had a bad case of the nervous glistens."
"Hate when that happens." Fitz muttered with a much better poker face as he fed Judas small pieces of carrot.
Ward couldn't stop himself from chuckling a bit as the rec room door opened and Mike Peterson stepped in with a couple foot soldiers flanking him. Hunter, dragging his feet behind the unit, completed the set. The man had barely touched his food, then begged off to 'grab' something from his room (whiskey) maybe get a wink or two of shut eye (brood and guzzle said whiskey).
The happy chatter quieted as everyone turned to greet them. During the attack, Deathlok and May had taken the surprise incursion in stride, stopping Gonzales's forces before they could get a true foothold. Their actions made it possible for Coulson and his team to bargain this tentative merger that was perhaps even now happening. Hunter had abstained from ostentatiously being himself, which Ward knew had been hard for him, but which also contributed in its own small way.
"I was politely asked to inquire about the remaining timeframe of this intermission." Mike intoned, eyes sparking something that belied his careless smirk as he relayed the message.
"Gonzales getting impatient?" Coulson asked knowingly. Peterson opened his mouth, thought better of whatever he was going to say and closing it gave the Director a frank look.
"The truth?" He asked, and Ward fought to keep a straight face. For all the prior bullshit that had happened between everyone in this room, Gonzales's irritating personality acted to give them a common ground. Grant highly doubted this would please the older man to know.
I'm gonna tell him
"Of course." Coulson responded, that dangerous little smile appearing as he waited.
"He said he'd, 'appreciate it if when Coulson and his team get done slacking off and eating their happy meals' he'd really like to begin planning this mission to the Hydra base. Says he's got some info you'll want to hear sir."
A tight silence followed as everyone decided whether to laugh or yell. Ward always took pointless insults and name calling as a sign of a flustered opponent. Not that he'd ever admit that to Skye, who took great pleasure in, and had a special knack for, all forms of profanity and verbal warfare.
"Now can I shoot him?" May muttered conspiratorially to Coulson.
"No he's right." Coulson said with a nod, all gazes swiveled in unison to their sassy leader. "I am slacking." Simmons let out a burst of surprised derisive laughter, holding Coulson's gaze incredulously. "No I am." He looked around quickly and paused. "I cannot believe I forgot to bust out the board games for this."
There was an outbreak of laughter from all but May, who just stared at Coulson in a way not unlike how she did her next target before unleashing all kinds of hell. For his part the Director didn't look too terribly worried as he smiled blandly back at her.
"Seriously?" Ward heard May grumble halfheartedly as the noise began to die down.
"Yeah seriously, did we not stock this room with board games when we moved in?" Coulson asked, genuinely craning around in his chair to take a more expansive look around.
"Uh, we did." Skye said evenly, immediately drawing Ward's attention to her careful tone. It had much the same effect on Coulson who zeroed in on her and waited with raised brows. "I may have used them for some cathartic release, to their, uhm…extreme detriment."
"You destroyed the board games?" Coulson inquired flatly, Ward was just wondering as to why anyone would choose to do such a blasphemous thing, when Skye's gaze tripped to his and then quickly away.
Awe seriously?
"You took it out on the board games?" He asked, mock crest fallen, watching as she pressed her mouth tightly together to stop from smiling and nodded fervently.
"Yes." Skye confessed, dramatically dropping her head forward in her shame as slow smiles started appearing around them.
"Even. Battleship?" He asked haltingly, eyes puppy dog huge.
"Especially Battleship." She replied, head rising so he could see her evil little smirk. His mouth fell open in 'surprise' and he was all the time aware that this ridiculous conversation was making Gonzales wait even longer, which made it all the more enjoyable.
"Really?" Ward responded, and it was all he could do not to break into a smile when she nodded emphatically, evil smirk growing.
"I shot the shit out of Battleship." Skye answered, making sure to enunciate each word definitively.
"Terrible." He stated in turn, shaking his head.
"With the Destroyer Gun." She finished, with a jaunting tilt of her head.
"Hey!" Coulson protested, though his amusement was unwavering.
"And I wiped the footage from the security feeds." Fitz added, drawing semi-shocked looks from both Coulson and Simmons. "What? I wasn't completely useless, doesn't take fine motor skills to do that now does it? Anyway May knew." Shocked looks intensified and swung in the specialist's direction, who simply shrugged and then grinned disturbingly at Ward.
"I watched. It was great."
"Gonzales is just grumpy because I had the conference room supplied with chicken noodle soup, mashed potatoes, and jello the weird kind with the fruit in it." Coulson explained, stretching back with a slight groan, patting his stomach reflexively.
"Why?" Simmons asked, after a few confused glances were exchanged.
"Old people food." Coulson answered succinctly.
"I love chicken noodle soup over mashed potatoes." Ward countered. Coulson considered him for a few moments, before shrugging like that in no way proved him wrong. Skye bumped him with an elbow getting his attention.
"Chicken noodle soup and mashed potatoes huh?"
"What? That's weird?" Grant asked, almost defensive at the looks of incredulousness he was garnering from the table and those by the door.
"You were the bad guy." Simmons answered helpfully, and while he appreciated the 'were' Ward was still not sure how that made any more sense.
"You're not supposed to like anything but whiskey, money, women with questionable morals, and world domination." Fitz added, picking up Judas and placing the diminutive monkey on his shoulder.
"Right." Ward agreed with a nod and slight shrug. "I do like all those things-" He caught an unenthusiastic swing from Skye, placing a quick kiss to the knuckles before continuing. "But what celebrates world domination better than a nice bowl of homemade goodness?"
"You lot are completely mental." Hunter drawled, looking more pleased with the idea than concerned.
After a few more jokes, and a lot more ribbing the team finally climbed to their feet. They walked back to the conference room with a slightly less mopey looking Hunter, a positively joyful looking Mike, and their retinue of slightly confused looking foot soldiers. Ready once more to deal with their not so welcome guests.
AoS. AoS. AoS. AoS. AoS. AoS. AoS. AoS. AoS. AoS. AoS. AoS. AoS. AoS. AoS. AoS. AoS.
Several extremely aggravating hours later…
"I hate him!" Skye seethed, arms tightly crossed, foot tapping out a drumbeat of irritation.
"We know." Chorused the three spectators in the lab with her, this was not the first time they'd said those two words, but it did little to placate Skye's anger.
Simmons gave her a reassuring pat on the back, Ward tried to look as supportive as he could from where he stood, being Fitz's test dummy for the new cloaking gear. Fitz showed his agreement with her statement only by not berating her for distracting from his task.
Taking deep breaths through her nose and exhaling from her mouth Skye did what she could to find her center, but by no means did she achieve this goal. At best she only stopped the random curse words from ripping their way unexpectedly from her lips. Logically she knew things with Gonzales could have gone much worse, but the man was so obnoxious. The merger of the two factions was nearly complete with Coulson still in the director seat and the committee working as a checks and balance system that seemed to placate the majority of those involved.
The new intel had it that this Hydra base held not one powered person but two. This told them that not only did they need to get going on this mission but that they'd also require the other team's help in order to infiltrate and extract both parties. Gonzales had at first argued with Coulson about Skye, Mike, but mostly Ward, being allowed to go on the mission at all. Then he wanted absolute say so on where the two Inhumans would be kept, because of course it was a given that they'd need to be contained once extracted.
Asshole
Skye knew people like her represented a threat to not only Gonzales but to her team as well. It was the prickly committee head, however, that made her so aware of her differences. Things had been rocky with her friends as they tried to understand and deal, but at least the team tried to make her feel at ease with herself. Gonzales acted like he had to bite before being bitten. That all there was to her was danger.
Watching as Fitz tweaked and prodded at a quietly impatient Ward, Skye recalled what he was always so quick to remind her of. That everyone was dangerous in their own way. She felt the quick throb of her heartbeat slacken while looking at the two guys mutter back and forth. Fitz making the bigger man twist and arch, though it didn't sound like they were discussing the cloaking material at all.
"But…Turbo, seriously?" Grant was saying, arms raised comically above his head.
"It's not like I picked the nickname, Ward." Fitz answered distractedly, tugging at a piece of the material and shaking his head in irritation with however it was reacting.
"Ok sure." Ward conceded, fingers linking over his head. "But you two were already discussing gear and specs by the end of the meeting."
"Well, I depend on you others to do the throat punching." Fitz muttered, poking Grant sharply in the side to make him drop his arms by a couple of inches.
Skye tried not to roll her eyes at the cheese factor of finding the two totally adorable, but turning to see a similar look of wistfulness in Simmons's eyes, shrugged and decided to enjoy the show.
"What I'm saying is," Ward continued doggedly, "it just seems pretty quick to be, you know, pallin' around with this guy."
Fitz's fidgeting and such came to a sudden stop before he straightened to stare at Ward wordlessly for several moments. Skye and Simmons exchanged a look.
"Why do I feel like I'm having a conversation with a jealous girlfriend?" Fitz finally deadpanned, crossing his arms and considering a scoffing Ward who mimicked the Scotsman's pose.
"You're hilarious." Ward replied, lips pursed and eyes narrowed.
"Right, also a genius and cute as a button but we were talking about you." Fitz answered, eyes dancing with mirth as a grin broke through Ward's stubble.
"You ever gonna get tired of giving me a hard time Fitz?" He asked, uncrossing his arms to scrub a hand through his hair.
"Highly unlikely." Fitz quipped, reaching and tugging the cloaking material from over Ward's head. "And it's because I like you more." He finished without any inflection, and turning made his way out of the lab as Ward called after him in confusion.
"Like me more than you did? Or you like me more than Mack? Fitz! Which is it!?" Looking at the women for some kind of confirmation and receiving nothing but smiles and a chuckle or two decided to follow the little engineer. The two could hear him holler down the hall. "Fitz! Which is it!?"
"How're you doing with everything Jemma?" Skye asked after they got done laughing at their boys' antics. Simmons's smile dissipated a little but stayed mostly in place as she met Skye's gaze.
"Much better than I expected honestly." She gestured to Skye and then out to where Ward had disappeared through the door. "I thought him being here, and then you two being together, would surely break the team apart for good, but it was so good to work with Fitz again and see him really progress you know?"
Skye watched as Simmons looked towards the still open door and the riot of emotion that occurred behind her eyes but never made it passed her lips. Skye had heard about what had happened in the pod, and knew that the things that had and hadn't happened afterwards had caused a desperate strain on the FitzSimmons relationship. She also suspected though that the very events of the pod and Fitz's resulting injuries had colored Jemma's decision not to take things further.
The idea of something like that happening to Ward of seeing him like that, well, it certainly made it easier for Skye to understand where her friend was coming from with all that fear and rage. Not knowing if Simmons would welcome her thoughts on giving it a go with Fitz, Skye simply reached out a hand and clasped a faintly slumping shoulder.
"Things are getting better. It might not be totally nuts to try and enjoy that." Skye said, trying her best to convey everything she was thinking into the statement. Simmons nodded and took a steadying breath before smiling over bright, showing that British stiff upper lip attitude and changing the subject as per the usual.
"So do you think Fitz will actually give Ward a straight answer?" She gestured to the doors again, but before Skye could answer the two came back in bickering continuously and Skye decided just to give Simmons a jerking head shake in the midst of the arguing.
"One layer of the material will not be enough, unless you want to move at a snail's pace, look like a dollar store ghost with a sheet over your head, and greatly decrease your chance of survival by getting caught up in said sheet when the bad guys are shooting at you." Fitz lectured, still holding the cloaking material.
"I think if I can survive going on a mission with you as my only backup, I can handle some Hydra lackeys." Ward grumbled, his own arms filled with the standard tactical gear any of them would wear on a normal mission.
Placing his armload onto the nearest work table and pulling things from Ward's grip, Fitz placed all the gear in an array around the prototype material.
"Well, the ex-Hydra lackey would know I suppose, and may I remind you that it was you who acted as the backup for me."
Ward opened his mouth to argue but Skye clapped her hands to draw both of their light hearted glowers her way.
"Alrighty boys." She said with a big smile that made their eyes narrow further. "If you two are done with your cat fight can we please discuss this mission, that we have all of a week to prepare for?"
"Quite right." Simmons agreed, stern and business like, striding over to tug Ward away from the table. Dragging him over to the small medical tray she'd set up earlier she began placing the sensors, after motioning for him to hold his shirt out of the way. Skye smiled in satisfaction at the sight, not only at the two getting along, but that her man had such a pleasant looking torso.
"Oh stop your gawking and come help me with this." Fitz ordered, making her hop a little in surprise. "We've got to get all these tactical pieces covered in this material before I can even start on the underlying layer."
"Fitz how in the world is this going to be done in time?" Skye asked, handing him pieces that he began measuring in quick practiced movements.
"And tested properly." Simmons added. "It won't do any good to be cloaked Fitz, if they pass out in the middle of the base from heatstroke."
"Would all ye of incredibly little faith just do as I say and reserve your criticisms until it's time for the mission?" Fitz lectured mildly. "At such time I will be happy to take your thanks and groveling apologies."
"Tell me O wise one." Skye began, tapping a pair of night vision goggles against the Scotsman's shorn hair until he snatched them from her grasp. "If you're able to get this first prototype finished and unhazardous, what about the rest of us? There's going to be, what, six of us going in altogether? Is Ward the only one that gets the super suit?"
"I am the most effective." Ward said, leering jokingly down at Simmons until she ripped one of the sensors from his abdomen.
"Apologies, it didn't look soundly attached." She replied airily to his exclamation of pain.
"It was." He gasped, touching the abraded skin tenderly.
"The first one will take the longest, after that the drones in production can follow the schematics and begin making the others in no time. Anyway if I was going to make a 'super suit' for only one person it'd be May." Fitz explained with a sideways glance at Ward who made a sound of disgust and batted away Simmons's hands as she tried to place a new sensor on his stomach.
"So Skye, it's you, Ward, and Hunter making your way passed the front and May, Mack, and Bobbi going through the back?" Simmons questioned, ignoring Ward who was placing a new sensor gingerly next to the reddened patch of skin along his abs.
"Yeah, I thought Coulson was going to pop a vessel when Gonzales vetoed him being the sixth guy." Skye affirmed with a nod, remembering the tight set of Coulson's mouth and the way he beat out a staccato rhythm on his pant leg.
"I'm pretty sure a lot of people were unhappy with the choices for that second team." Ward said, grinning, probably at the memory of the uneasy looks from the two prior Real S.H.I.E.L. 's when the backup team roster was finalized. That, or the little predatory smirk May had worn at the sight of their reaction.
"Don't know why Coulson got so irritated anyway." Fitz mumbled, making multiple marks on the backside of the cloaking piece. "He'll be running back end with me and Simmons, it isn't like he's not going to be on site."
Skye nodded along as everyone discussed the different tactics and the part that the new politics were already playing with the mission. She was nervous and on edge about the upcoming assignment, but she more than anything wanted to get moving. Hydra had no qualms when it came to torture, and weren't known for their appreciation regarding the sacredness of human life. They would use those powered individuals to whatever ends they could devise.
Turn them into weapons.
If that proved difficult or costly they'd more than likely dissect the people in an attempt to garner whatever secrets the Inhuman's biology would offer. Gonzales had claimed that both Skye and Ward were too close to this mission, that other field operatives and specialists should be brought in. It was only the threat of word getting out that had guaranteed their participation.
As Simmons ran diagnostics on the sensors, and Fitz discussed compatible materials with Ward, Skye felt an inherent sense of peace that soothed away some of the building tension. They'd all be working on this one, and say what she would about Bobbi and Mack, the two were excellent field agents. Even if the big guy would rather be tinkering under the hood than throwing punches. No, all in all Skye could genuinely say they stood a great chance of pulling off this mission. Things were going to work out just fi-
"Fitz! If the material isn't bullet proof it's going to be useless once shots are fired!"
"Oh my apologies Ward, I forgot about your inability to duck while being shot at."
Fine, things were going to be just fine.
"It's not that simple and you know it."
"Not to mention the fact that if you're fundamentally stupid enough to be seen while essentially invisible you rather deserve it wouldn't you say?" Fitz argued.
"He's got a rather good point there Ward." Simmons reasoned, almost cheerfully. "Don't you think Skye?"
"Well, yeah maybe." Skye hedged, smiling at Ward's dejected look.
"Et tu Skye?" He asked disappointedly.
"Smart enough to quote Shakespeare, dumb enough not to duck." Fitz grumbled, turning back to his work.
Ward's head dropped back on his shoulders and Skye took that opening to begin the breathing exercises May had taught her. This time successfully finding her center after several measured breaths.
Yep, just fine…
AoS. AoS. AoS. AoS. AoS. AoS. AoS. AoS. AoS. AoS. AoS. AoS. AoS. AoS. AoS. AoS. AoS.
So there we have it, let me know what you think, big mission next time, who are the two Inhumans? Any guesses? Not to mention I think we are coming close to the end of this fic, we have I believe two maybe three more chapters. Then I'll have to start working on some of my other ideas lol.
Thanks for your patience and support, can't wait to hear from you guys!