"May." Maria sighed, relieved. Lowering her gun and slipping it into the back of her trousers. "A phone call would have done it, but I appreciate the discretion."
"But it doesn't...give us a lot..of time.." May answered speaking much louder given their outside location but it strained.
Maria's eyes darted to her neck, the dark bruising. "Are you okay? What happened?"
"Coulson." May answered, "He thought I was a traitor...for keeping an eye on..him..Withholding on..tahiti.."
Maria frowned but didn't press much on it, yet. "What does he know?"
"Most..of it. Alien Biology, Memory...replacement.." May answered. "But...I need Intel…to help"
"On which part? Fury buried a lot of things."
"Who directed the...project.." May started. "I need to know...if hydra had anything..to do with it."
Maria nodded, folding her arms. "Where is he?"
"I'll tell you once i get the intel." May answered, her tone shifting. Maira noticed of course.
"You don't want to give it to him, do you?" There was a tone in Maria's as if guessing.
"He killed me, Maria...He thinks I'm dead."
"Excuse me?" The look on her face was odd, not quite understanding. Something May expected
May huffed, looking about for a moment. "I don't know how...or why… But I came back. Coulson had new motive. He hated me in that moment when i came back. He didn't intend to strangle me...but he fractured a rib to contain me.." Her hand drifted to her side, her mother had tended to it to make it easier for herself. "He went too far."
"How did you get here? If your died there?"
"I was...reborn, i guess.. Yellow Creek State Park's lake. This is only the second time I've come back."
"The first?" Mara's eyebrow was raised.
"I don't remember. Four years old. Got hit by a speeding jeep... My parents didn't tell me with reasons. A Good thing, now that...I think about it."
Maria nodded but had the frown on her face, looking at her properly. "What do you need me to do?"
"I'll get the intel, You get it to Coulson."
"It won't be easy, May. I'm watched like a hawk. I can't do something like that just because you're uncomfortable."
"Maria. I need help." May admitted, the reaction absolute. May knew she never asked for help unless she had to. Maria knew that. "I watched his face, Maria, that hate…. Even killing me might not have convinced him I'm not...hydra. He could do it again... And I felt every..thing. He wouldn't let me speak…or move. It was...callous." her fingers went to her neck. The colour of the bruises did show how hard he put to do it. "It hurts, and...not just..physically."
Maria remained silent, looking away for a long moment.
"I can set up a system. I can't been seen at drop-stops to meet up. I can...once things are smoother and once I can communicate, a video-conference." Maria said after a moment.
"Stark can give you what you need. Now that your work there," May's tone shifted again, not quite disapproving.
"Yes. He's got me covered, I can't be touched with his army of lawyers."
"Good. I'll need to work under an Alias. Can you find a way to secure the lake? I think it'll always be that lake."
"I'll talk to Tony but He'll need a reason… but it'll take some time."
"Tell him. He'll only be suspicious.. if it's kept from him." May said, though as much as she didn't want many people to know, with Stark backing her in that area then it would help.
Maria nodded after a moment but her head jerked up. Sirens were getting louder from the uiet distance. "Look, I asked Fury where the intel would be. He told me he'd bury that intel, when he decided not to bury Coulson. His words, not mine." Maria added quickly seeing May's expression.
"It would be easier to ask Fury." May hinted. She didn't want to believe Fury was dead but she knew if he was, Maria would know.
"Nick Fury's dead." Maria answered but the expression in her tone said something else, making her smirk briefly.
"Good to know." She answered but hearing the sounds of the tires screech made her move.
Not needing to get caught, May took her leave down the dark Alley. Hearing the few men shouting to Maria to drop her weapon. She easily scaled a few feet and over the fence, landing on her feet and carried towards the exit of the alley. Once out, she walked normally to blend in.
She had something to go on now, a riddle. But given it was from Fury, it had logic and sense in a twisted way. Something she knew she could figure out. May could only hope that Coulson would get to Skye while she figured that out.
Her mind whirled more as she thought on the riddle. 'He'd bury the intel when he decided not to bury Coulson.' Her fingers found the cold metal of her car door handle, yanking it towards her open then sliding into it with a deep sigh. Sitting in it for a long moment before she twisted the key into the ignition, setting off down the darkened streets.
It all felt like a blur, it shouldn't have but it had, pulling up into a motel. It was an exhausting day. She had to sleep.
It had been easy to get a room, checking it over to entrances and exits, shutting the window tightly, putting her gun under the pillow before changing and going through her routine, keeping everything in her duffle as she settled to sleep.
As she flicked out the lights, her mind wandered back again through the darkness, gazing up to the ceiling.
'He'd bury the intel when he decided not to bury Coulson.'
Those words echoed through her brain, her eyes drifting to cut out the light.
'He'd bury the intel…
A fuzzy sleepy haze seemed to loosen her arms, settling her...
'...not to bury Coulson….'
Her breathing calmed… unkowling drifting off….
May's eyes flickered open with a start, suddenly releasing for a moment she was laying on the floor. A quick inspection made her realise it was the providence base's floor.
She was on her feet the next second, she felt an odd pressure on her side but a noise caught her attention, She turned, almost jumping in surprise to see Coulson, Tripp and FitzSimmons suddenly in the previous vacant Corridor.
"Coulson, What are you doing here? We have to get Skye." May stated.
"You sold me out, May." Coulson said, sudden anger in his eyes, pushing her back into the wall like had done when he had killed her. Her hand came to his chest, holding him back. "You sold her out!" he pushed against her hand so her arm was trapped between them, pressing her right into the solid surface as well.
"Phil?!" her eyes widening but the scenery suddenly changed around them . May managed to get a glimpse around her of a cemetery, but her focus was to the grave stone. It read;
Phil Coulson
Then suddenly the ground in front of it opened up, the grass and dirt falling away leaving a hollow hole, the bottom filled with dark waters. But her attention was drawn suddenly as she felt the tight grip around her neck, her eyes going back to coulson. HIs expression was cold, full of hate. Her air flow was cut, her fingernails biting into his hand. Panic immediately flooded her system, his grip increasing the more she wiggled. She felt his other hand clamp around her throat, the world moving a little before she realised he was pushing her towards the hallowed grave. Her grave.
"Phil…" She rasped, the ground gone under her feet as she dangled but he wasn't letting go. Why wasn't he letting her go..
"Traitor.." His hissed, the pressing increasing impossibly. "I'm glad you're Dea-
May gasped sharply, waking up with a start. Panting for breath. Cold sweat sticking her hair to her skin, her Pjs soaked through. Her heart hammered in her chest. Her hand shakily going to her neck, breathing in and out, reminding herself that it had only been a dream. A nightmare.
May could almost feel the pressure that had been there...her throat felt raw as she breathed fast. But May knew there was no pressure there...her memory of that feeling was just lingering…
May knew she should have expected a reaction at the least. After Bahrain she had constant nightmares of the little girl...coming after her...or killing her team. Getting killed like that… Of course she'd relive her death in her unconscious state. Why wouldn't she?
Slipping out the bed, she stripped off her clothes and walked into the bathroom and flicked on the shower. Would she re-live her deaths in her sleep? Haunted by Coulson's hate, her last memories of him… to watch and feel him kill her over and over again.
Her mind touched briefly on the grave as she waited for the water to heat up. The grave she would have fallen down. Coulson's Empty one…
A thought suddenly hit her.
The intel was in Coulson's grave.