The Bar
Wow can't believe we are on chapter 8 thank you so much for your continued support I'm so glad that you all like my work. If you want to keep up with me and my writing you can look up Skye's Scrapbook on tumblr or hollyedolly87 on twitter.
It was early the next day when they arrived in Austen, she'd not slept that much was evident by the purplish rings under her eyes. She had clung to Grant and sobbed until her tears ran dry and he held her close to his heart. Rocking her, stroking her hair and soothing her as best he could but he knew it was no use. No matter what he did it would change nothing, yesterday morning he'd had a beautifully normal girlfriend well almost normal and now? She'd aged at least ten years since she'd learned her parent's fate and her history, that spark that had once burned so bright had started to fade just a little. She was now a hybrid one of the last descendants of a powerful alien race, she could apparently mutate DNA, shatter adamantium with powerful electric bolts and who knew what else.
That worry that had been festering in his gut since she had been shot had intensified tenfold, in truth he was scared more afraid than he'd ever been. Not of Skye herself (ok she was a little intimidating especially when her eyes flashed like that) but what it would mean for her. Her race had been able to create worlds until they'd nearly been wiped out by one of their own creations he shuddered at that. Whatever that was had to be truly horrific if it could obliterate such powerful beings. It was obvious why Hyde was obsessed with her now and what his intentions where, now more than ever he had to deal with him but he had to find the bastard first. He would start with Miles Lydon, it was obvious that Coulson suspected that it was Hyde or their mystery rat that had passed him that file. Despite Skye's assurances that although Miles had made some unfortunate decisions of late he would never and had never hurt her Ward was not buying it. He had always mistrusted that guy; he told himself this was based on his years of experience as an agent and not the fact that he was Skye's ex. He would get the truth out of the lying scumbag and if he got to play rough well that would just be a little perk.
"Wheels down in 5" May called over the com system followed by "Coulson wants everyone in the war room for a briefing now".
They all gathered around the centre console in the War Room as Coulson addressed them all, Skye huddled near Grant staring at the floor unwilling to meet any of them in the eye. She was still majorly pissed at everyone bar Ward although her anger was mainly directed at her supposed uncle but the others had still lied to her. She couldn't let that go so easily they were supposed to be her friends, her team FitzSimmons knew that something was very wrong with her and they'd spent all week pretending she was fine. They should have told her she thought bitterly, so she would not feel guilty about what she was going to do very shortly.
"Ok so we all know why we are here, we need to question Miles Lydon on who sent him the file that he passed to Skye amongst other things. May and I will catch up with Mr Lydon we'll try his apartment first I'm sure he wouldn't be foolish enough to go back their but you never know we might get lucky. Fitz were you and Simmons able to dig anything up at all?"
"Not really Sir, whoever Miles was in touch with and whoever helped him get back into the US covered their tracks well. Until he sent Skye that email he was silent he's not popped up on anyone's radar at all! All highly unusual but I guess it's not impossible for such an accomplished hacker" Fitz's tone was a little reverent but Wards death glare silenced him.
"Right well that doesn't give us much to go on but we have a few of his known associates and hang outs that we can try. Ward if you can work on some of the known associates we may be able to track him down faster. Fitz and Simmons you keep looking if you come up with anything contact us through the coms, any other information to add Skye?" he was gentle when he addressed her as though she was liable to explode at any moment.
"No" her monosyllabic answer set them all on edge, It was understandable that she would be withdrawn what with everything that had happened in the last 24 hours but this was so far from her usual self. Coulson didn't believe that she had nothing else of value when it came to her ex but he didn't push his luck from the looks of her he thought himself lucky she answered him at all. "OK then I think it best that Skye stay on the bus with Fitz and Simmons on this" they all agreed to this even Skye gave a small nod. Which bugged Ward a lot he was very shocked by her willingness to be left behind, the Skye he knew would have been eager for more information would have been desperate to know who sent Miles that file. He shook himself she was grieving and she'd just found out she was half alien and that Coulson was her uncle of course she wasn't herself.
As May and Coulson were getting ready to leave in the short bus he pulled her into his arms, she was stiff at first but slowly he felt her relax and she snaked her arms around his waist. "Will you be OK here on your own?" his voice was tender.
"Yeah, Fitz and Simmons are around. I think I need to be alone for a little while, to take it all in you know?" she said simply.
"Yeah I know" he pressed his lips to hers in a feather light kiss. "If you need me just call OK?"
"I thought I wasn't supposed to disrupt you on missions" she smiled and for a brief moment she was his Skye again. The smart mouthed, reckless, full of fire and heart rookie and his heart swelled she was still their under all her hurt and grief she was still Skye. He smiled at that and pressed his forehead against hers "Well just think of this as an exceptional circumstance, just please promise me" he pleaded.
"OK" she breathed.
He kissed her temple and whispered an "I love you" in her ear before climbing into the SUV and he was gone. May and Coulson followed not long after, Fitz and Simmons retreated to the lab. She turned down their offer to join them if she wanted to meet up with Miles she had to be quick and she was going to have to do something she would regret ok maybe two things. She padded to her bunk quickly slipping on a hooded jacket and retrieved a backpack, she packed up her laptop and a few essentials along with all the cash she had. She scribbled a quick note to Grant explaining, guilt twisted her stomach. She had to do this, she had to know the truth and right now Miles was the key to that. Coulson had had the opportunity to come clean so many times and he hadn't. He'd lied right to her face, given her false hope when all along he knew her parents were dead. She'd lost whatever trust she'd built up for him and she couldn't take Grant for one he'd never let her go alone and secondly the email had said come alone. She knew the risk she was taking if this did go bad she couldn't be the reason that he got hurt. She had to keep him safe, she hated lying to him but it had to be this way. She picked up the night night gun that she'd managed to slip away from the lab in the early hours while the others slept. Now the second thing she would regret, she slung her backpack onto her shoulders and headed to the lab as quietly as she could. She'd noticed that since her abilities had been triggered her stealth had greatly improved she barely made a sound as she entered the lab. The two young scientists were far too busy arguing to notice her come up behind them; her aim had to be true if she was to stand any chance of getting off the bus without the three senior agents being alerted she had to hit her mark. It's not like she was killing them right? She took Simmons out first and before Fitz could even ask her what the hell she was doing she had reloaded and took him down too, god damn she was fast now or maybe it was the adrenaline.
She looked down at her friends passed out on the floor and swallowed hard, this wasn't her but right now it had to be. "I'm really sorry guys" she whispered before she lowered the cargo hold and set off to find her old hang out. She'd briefly considered boosting Lola but she was hardly inconspicuous plus it wasn't Lola's fault Phil was a fraud, Jesus was she actually thinking about the car like it was a damn person?
She rounded the corner and the bar came into sight a complete dive really, the wooden window frames were rotten and peeling and the once white rendered walls were grey with pollution and age. "Durty Nelly's" proclaimed to be an Irish bar though the only Irish thing about the place was the Jameson's Whisky she smiled this place held a lot of fun memories it may be a dump but she and Miles had had a lot of good times here. It's owner Dexter or Dex for short was a good friend and a fellow rising tide member he'd inherited the place from his dad and it had become the official meeting place for the Austen based members. She checked her watch 11:55am she was early she couldn't stand around outside though she hoped she'd have at least an hour before the others realised there was something wrong. Though if Coulson or Ward checked in early she'd be busted still she no longer had her tracking bracelet on and this place was not on their list. Dex was as paranoid as Miles he took great care in making sure he kept a low profile always holding meetings in his back room. She pushed open the door and entered the dark, dimly lit room. As soon as he registered who had entered his bar a huge grin spread across his handsome face Dex was in his mid thirties, like Ward he was well built but unlike Grant he was a complete surfer. His skin was tanned, his hair a mass of blonde curls that clung to his head in the Texas heat, his eyes a deep lush blue. He jumped the bar and pulled her into a bone crushing hug he pulled back and took a good look at her "Look what the cat dragged in" his voice was deep and rich and she knew he'd turned many a woman into a quivering wreck with that voice.
Her smile matched his, she felt like she hadn't seen him in years which yeah she hadn't "How you doing Dex?"
"You know me baby, I'm always good. So listen I've been hearing some pretty weird rumours about you like how you joined public enemy number 1" there was no accusation in his tone it was light and full of humour like always.
"I guess Miles told you huh?"
"Yeah he told me how he'd been a dick and screwed it up between the two of you, so naturally I gave him some shit about that along with his selling info to some pretty dark douche bags" he shook his head at that, distaste coulored his handsome features.
"Yeah he screwed up pretty bad but you know after recent events maybe I can forgive him just a little" she smiled at the man who at one time had been like a big brother to her.
"So listen I know why you joined S.H.I.E.L.D and I'm not gonna pry into that but just tell me your being careful right?"
"Well I was and then Miles sent me something that kind of shot that to hell" she looked into her friends big blue eyes as tears shone in her own.
"What happened baby girl?" he looked worried now, S.H.I.E.L.D where not someone you wanted to get on the wrong side of. He may be a member of the tide but he was not flashy about it like some of them were Dex believed in freedom of information which was why he did what he did but he kept a low profile and stayed off the grid as much as he could. She left out her new hybrid status but the rest poured out of her including how she'd had to knock FitzSimmons out to get here. He pulled her close hugging her tightly he'd always had a soft spot for Skye ever since Miles had first brought her along to a meeting she was barely 18 then. "Shhhh it's gonna be OK baby girl, Miles and Me you know we'll help you get away from them. We can get you new ID and papers, get you out of the country if we have to" This was not good those fucking bastards thought they could do whatever the hell they wanted, murder who they liked, kidnap who they wanted, keep secrets from the world and steal technology. They'd likely lock her up brand her a traitor now she'd have to run there was nothing else for it. He had contacts though he could help, he would help, hell he'd pack up and go with her if he had to. It wasn't like he had family counting on him since his dad died; he was ex military he knew what happened to people that didn't toe the line.
At that moment Miles entered the bar followed by a guy he'd never seen before he guessed this was the old friend of her dad's he'd emailed her about. The guy was in his early fifties he had a kind face that spread into a reassuring smile when he saw her. He wasn't a tall man, his short black hair was greying at the sides it gave him a Mr Fantastic sort of look she gave a small smile back. "This must be Skye" he held out his hand, she gave a small nod and took his hand politely. She would have been a lot more hesitant if Miles and Dex had not been with her "My name is Dr Mark Johnson I used to work with your dad, I think we have a lot to talk about and I'm guessing we're short on time?"
"Yeah they don't know about this place but I had to knock some of my team out to get here, it won't be long till they realise something's wrong" she swallowed hard when she thought about Fitz and Simmons passed out on the lab floor.
"Hey Man can we use your back room?" Miles shot at Dex.
"Yeah sure, you guys don't have anything they can track here do you?" Dex was nervous about this.
"No burner cell" Miles shook his phone at Dex, the Dr guy shook his head.
"I've got my laptop but its encrypted they won't be able to track it here" Skye reassured him.
"Ah we taught her well" Miles winked at Skye. She scowled a little but she couldn't muster up a proper one he was risking a lot to help her she knew that. She just hoped he didn't read too much into this just because Grant would likely hate her when he found out what she'd done didn't mean she was going to give up hope all together. Grant was her rock, her soul mate it sucked big time that she had to risk all of that now but if this guy had answers she needed to know.
"Let's get this show on the road then shall we" Miles lead Skye and the Dr into the small back room that served as Dex's office/meeting place. He took a seat behind the small desk that was pushed into a corner, Skye perched herself on the corner of the desk while Dr Johnson sat opposite them.
"So you must have a lot of questions for me Skye, I will try to answer them as fully as I can for you. You likely won't remember me I think you were only 3 the last time I saw you" he smiled at her warmly "I was your fathers best friend and your god father" she gasped at that.
"You're my godfather?" he nodded.
"Yes I was very close to your parents, your father and I were at Havard together and then the academy at S.H.I.E.L.D we both graduated early and we worked together right up until he died"
"You mean he was murdered" she corrected
"Yes" he agreed sadly "When I learned what had happened I tried to check on you but S.H.I.E.L.D had already taken you away, they wouldn't tell me or my wife where. Not even your uncle would relay that information not even when we offered to take you in" his sincerity stole her breath. Her Godparents had wanted her, they'd offered to take her in she wasn't as unwanted as she'd always been told. When Phil had told her he wanted to care for her she couldn't bring herself to believe it but when Mark Johnson expressed the same sentiment she found herself hoping it was the truth.
"Do you know why they were murdered" she asked.
"Yes Skye I do, your father trusted only two people with his secret myself and his brother who Miles informs me you already know" she nodded "Do you know your history?"
"Yes Agent Coulson told me after I kind of lost it with him"
"So you know then that your mother was the last of a dying race and that you are a hybrid?"
"Yes, Coulson believes that you had Miles send me that file to trigger my abilities?" she had to ask right?
"I'm sure he would say that but as I said only two people knew your secret and I know that it was not I that revealed it to S.H.I.E.L.D, I also know that your father was not a careless man he would never have revealed it himself"
"So you're saying that Coulson..."
"Of that I cannot be certain there is always the possibility that they found out another way but it is not likely. Your parents were very careful your mother had seen enough of our race to know what was at stake" his tone was one of kindness but he was deadly serious.
"Coulson made it seem like she just hoped for the best" another lie it seemed.
"Your mother had lived on earth for millennia she had seen humanity at it's very worst, she was a very loving and kind woman but she was by no means naive she knew full well what was likely to happen if she was exposed" Skye's eyes brimmed with unshed tears.
"How could they do this to them? To Me?" her voice was thick with grief. Miles pulled her into his lap and hugged her from behind. She knew she should stop him, push him away but right at that moment she needed someone. She really needed Grant but since he couldn't be here, Miles and Dex were all she had.
"I wish I could tell you I didn't know dear but the fact is the world is full of monstrous people hiding in plain sight. We don't always know who they are the truth is your mother and father knew the day would come, when S.H.I.E.L.D became obsessed with the old stories of your mother's race they knew their days were numbered. They bound your powers by compelling you to forget what you where they knew if you were young you would not remember them. In their will they left your guardianship to my wife and I unfortunately that was not how things turned out"
"How did you find out about me? I wiped myself off the grid altogether"
Dr Johnson looked impressed almost proud at that "After your parent's deaths I resigned from S.H.I.E.L.D I could not work for an agency so corrupt. After we failed to locate you my wife and I agreed we needed a new start, she has family in Hong Kong old bankers. I started up my own biochem business and I am very successful I only wish it could have been a joint venture" he shook his head sadly "For years we heard nothing of you but it seems after your team left poor Miles stranded he did some digging once he removed his tracker. I'm afraid that S.H.I.E.L.D have been tracking the movements of a young lady that thought it was a rather fetching bangle" he and Miles both chuckled at that. "His search led him to me once he explained your circumstances I knew instantly it was you. I cashed in some favours and was able to secure the unredacted file, the most interesting thing to me is that while Miles assured me you remembered nothing about your past life you obviously remembered one thing" he smiled knowingly.
"What?" she was very curious about this.
"Your name my dear, when S.H.I.E.L.D dumped you at St Agnes no doubt for safe keeping they changed your name to Charlotte Black your actual name was Skye Anne Coulson. So you see since you didn't know that when you changed your name to Skye you must have known on a subconscious level what it was and that is very special indeed. It tells me that you are a very strong young woman who knows who she is" he smiled "your parents would have been very proud".
She smiled a watery smile that touched her eyes "Thank You" she didn't know what it was about this man that made her put her trust in him but she did. She just hoped she was being led by her gut and not by wishful thinking she so desperately wanted a real family and until her team had betrayed her she thought she'd found it with them.
"Now we come to the critical point, I'm sure you appreciate the danger you are now in. S.H.I.E.L.D can now denounce you as a traitor which means they can take you anywhere and do anything they like to you. When they came for your parents it was so they could take you they hoped to do so before their murders became public knowledge. Why your uncle hid you and didn't hand you over I can't say but he will have to this time no doubt he had some agenda of his own. That is irrelevant now once they know you are active they will want to resume their original plans"
"Which where?"
"To build an army of super soldiers, as well as using you as a walking weapon of mass destruction"
"What?!"
"Skye not only could the World Builders mutate DNA they also had an array of other talents they could communicate telepathically, they were telekinetic, they could freeze time, perhaps the most impressive is their use of high energy electric bolts so strong they could reduce cities to rubble" he arched a brow "I guess your uncle did not share that information"
"No not really, the bolts I discovered on my own I kind of blew up an admanatium glass"
"No Way" Miles who had been silent up until that point chimed in, it seemed he'd heard all this before.
"So you are strong then, good if you're to defend yourself you will need to be. Skye I know that you do not know me but your parents trusted me as your guardian. I know your godmother would be overjoyed to see you and you really are not safe here. I came here to help you I do hope that you will consider coming back to Hong Kong with me, you would be safe there. I have contacts that have secured the necessary papers for me, perhaps between us all we can figure out how to help you use and control your abilities"
"Leave the US?" she swallowed past the lump in her throat "But I have someone here...If I just leave"
"You have a young man?"
She nodded blinking back tears.
"I understand that this must be very hard for you especially if it means leaving behind someone you care about but Skye. These people are good at what they do they will use any means possible to get what they want they will not think twice about hurting your boyfriend to get to you. This will sound cruel but if you love this man then you must for his sake let him go. They killed your father to try and make your mother give you up to them. I beg you let me help you I failed you once I cannot do so again I have both the money and the influence to keep you safe and hidden. S.H.E.I.L.D are not are only concern the DOD along with terror cells around the world would do anything to lay hands on you. It was your parent's biggest fear" he was pleading with her and in her heart she knew he was right. She was at risk, the proof of S.H.I.E.L.D.s part in this was in that file in black and white even Phil couldn't deny that he said it was only a corrupt faction but after all his lies how could she trust that. Dr Johnson had offered her nothing but proof and openness she respected that. Her heart broke when she thought about leaving Grant behind but she knew him. He would die trying to protect her and that is what would happen if she stayed he would die maybe not today or tomorrow but somewhere down the line history would repeat itself. She could not allow that to happen her decision had been made the moment she realised just how much danger Grant was in she loved him too much to let him lay down his life for hers he deserved much better than that.
"How will we leave? It's not like I can walk through an airport" she reasoned.
"I have a private plane ready and waiting to take us all as soon as you are ready to leave" his smile was hopeful.
"And you'll help me control it so I won't hurt anyone?"
"I will do my very best Skye, we have some of the best labs and researchers at our disposal"
"Miles?" she turned to face her ex, he'd fucked up but in her heart she did not believe he would do anything to hurt her.
"You can trust him Skye, he's actually a good guy I know I don't really like these big rich CEO types but annoyingly he really does care about you. When I found him it was like I was his own personal Santa he's been looking for you for a long time. S.H.I.E.L.D took your parents and then they took your chance at a happy home but you can get that back, you can have a real family again it's not the same as your mom and dad but it's something. You deserve this, you deserve to be happy, and if I thought for one minute he was a bad guy I never would have brought you here" he looked her dead in the eyes.
"OK, let's just go before I wuss out" she nodded.
"My driver is outside we best hurry any other questions I can answer on the plane. I promise you Skye I really do care about you and so does my wife and Miles here we just want what's best for you"
"Let's Hurry I don't want to cross paths with that angry guy again" shot Miles.
With that they left the bar, Skye promised to let Dex know she was safe as soon as she could. A black town car whisked them away to a private air strip and on to a plane that would take her to a new life in a foreign land. That angry guy Miles had mentioned was the love of her life and by the time he made it to that air strip it was too late she'd gone. She cried herself to sleep that night she may have had good reasons for leaving him behind but it didn't stop her heart from breaking in two of all the pain she had endured these last few weeks this had to be the worst. She knew this was a wound that would never heal; he would never forgive her for this.
She had no way of knowing she had just made the worst mistake of her life on two counts the first of which was that if she thought for one second that Grant Ward would not go to the ends of the earth to find her she was very wrong and the second count well she was about to find out.
So massive chapter here guys and another cliff-hanger I really hope you like this one I know it's full of drama and twists and turns but hey what's a story without a bit of drama?
