Phil's heart thumped in his chest, looking to the the soldiers as they stood menacingly ready to attack. They were vastly outnumbered here… and out powered.
The staff… that immediately came to mind, that'd give one of them at least the strength to take on a soldier. But he knew the effects wouldn't be good… he had seen it in Ward…and May, well she had just been quiet, quieter than normal and he knew what that had brought up in her head. He knew what it would bring up in his.
But it was a risk he had to take. If May was here then she would have brought this building down to get them all out of there…
"Who do i talk to about getting a haircut?" Coulson started then fired his gun, breaking the ice as the men moved forwards, shooting one down and went straight for the hydra agent with the staff. As he swung forwards, it only took a few bullets to knock him back, dropping the gun in favour for the staff.
But as soon as his hand curled around the staff, his muscles seized for a second, a sudden feeling of rage bubbling up in his body, his skin in contact seemed to burn but his head was suddenly filled with flashes….
'Ph-' May's face startled, but the next image clouded with others; May pressed up against the wall, her face so close, he could see the terror in her face-
- the feel of his hand around her neck… -the stomach churning wet crunch he had missed when her wind collapsed under his palm- her eyes widening before her body seemed to stop responding- then her body laying on the floor… then in his arms…
'Coulson!"
Coulson barely heard the voice but he saw the memory of Ward's sneer on his face, grief turned to rage.
But he was flung back, head spinning as he crashed into the wall which crumbled but he kept his grasp on the staff, not hesitating to get back up, swinging it straight into the soldier that punched him and sending him back into another into the wall which crumbled. His heart thumping fast in his chest, adrenaline pumping through his veins.
"Skye." He whipped around to see her darting towards the computer, Trip looked wary but the movement of a soldier caught his attention.
"I'm bringing this house down!" A warning to his team to get ready to run. He slammed the base of the staff into one of the beams that crumbled like dry wall, the strength was almost admirable but the anger was going to get to him later….
Trip shot down another but the floor above them was beginning to shake.
"Let's bring this house down!" This time he swung again, hearing Skye's voice declaring her job with the computer was done…. "Get out of here!" He shouted before swinging it to send a soldier back then bolted towards the exit, seeing both Skye and Tripp disappear. Pausing for a second to toss the staff into the last remaining support pillar that was keeping the rest up and took off; stone crumbling around him as it began to collapse but he was out the shop, hearing the stone continue to crack, the ground shaking if a little before the evident sound of the barbershop collapsing in on itself.
Fitz opening the door to the van.
"Go!" Coulson shouted, the adrenaline rom the effects of the staff still pumping through his veins.
It took a while for him to calm down, his hands shaking a little. They had parked up half an hour ago but took off, Trip no doubt giving the science twins the run down on his behaviour. Skye was sat with him, not saying anything which he appreciated but he needed this moment of quiet.
Elliot Randolph had been right. The Staff was a horrible thing. The anger and rage… that wasn't him. Not when that had made him kill his friend; that anger wasn't the staff but it was too similar for any sort of comfort. He didn't want to think on her, not yet. He didn't want that distraction… not yet. Not when he was so close to defeating Garrett…
"You okay?" Simmons's voice asked quietly, he head turning a little to look at her.
"No." He answered, "But we need to get on the move. Skye's in the system now so we can work with that."
"I can locate the Bus, I've tag a tracker into the bings I get from Hydra networks, including on the bus so yay for that." Skye answered, flashing Simmons the screen. "The bus, deathlok who also happens to have a direct link to the cybertek control station from his eye… Computer systems. I can even message deathlok but I know there's a catch to that. Can't take control without revealing my presence and could result in exploded brains of the solders since i can't stop their direct access"
"You can, once you've got the handlers away from the death switches." Coulson spoke up.
"You can brood and plan at the same time?"
While he knew Skye was being humorous, it wasn't the time. "I have a lot of motivation."
Skye looked away a second then nodded, staying silent for him to carry on.
"We may be a team member short but I think we have a chance to defeat them. With Skye in the system… all we need to do is break into cybertek and shut the soldiers down at the source… perhaps have them help though I wouldn't bet my money on that so that's not the priority. Deathlok, however is a whole new story, being Garrett's guard dog."
"He's no loyal to Garrett out of his detonating eye." Skye spoke up. "Mike would rather have his brains fried then serve hydra."
"Ace?" Simmons suggested but Coulson knew that. Make would do anything for his son. Mike can't rescue him on the threat of death and made to comply if Ace was threatened, a simple hostage situation to increase compliance. Something that could extend to other workers but Ace was the important one.
"Yes." He nodded, pushing himself to stand up. "Time to suit up and get ready. Since we've only got one shot at this, I'll go over what I've propose so we all know what page we're on and it's crystal clear. Me and Trip can cross the ridge and use a noise maker from his grandfather's kit to grab a three-wheel or something with much more fireworks and open up a window for Skye and Simmons. You two crawl in grabbe the dealer and force his hand to get out Ace in the hole, then bob's your uncle."
"Roger that." Skye nodded, though reached out for the bullet proof vest he was holding out, passing it to Simmons who looked nervous but nodded as well.
"Ward will be in the area, given the situation; shoot to kill… or seriously maim. He's too good to defeat hand to hand by yourself. Don't risk yourself." he didn't doubt Skye's abilities to be creative to get compliance but Ward was a trained agent and Skye didn't have that training like May had to defeat him. Simmons had no training at all.
"It's a huge gamble sir, but it works." Trip nodded.
"What about me, Sir." Fitz asked.
"I'll need you as back up, be the eyes and ears of the base. Skye can give you access to the feeds and you can help me locate Garrett."
"So stay on the plane?" Fitz looked put out, more annoyed about the fact.
"This isn't a discussion. I'm not even comfortable with SImmons going with Skye but I need her with her. If May was here…." he paused a little, "She'd be in Simmons's place. May's the one I need to defeat Ward and Garrett. Bt she's not here anymore so we only have the four of us. Skye can't go in alone and I need Trip with me. Skye can protect Simmons, I know she has a plan. Skye will look like an easy target alone. Sending both you and Simmons there makes it a higher risk of capture to force us into submission. But if you can see the soldier, you can tell me where to find Garrett and ward… a way to expect the surprised waiting for us in New Mexico. I need you here to do that job..." Coulson moved, placing a hand on Fitz's shoulder. "You don't have to like it, but it's the only plan we have."
He moved away after a second, and reached down into the box for a gun and began to distribute it to the others.
"We may be outmanned and outgunned… But Fury always said, a man can accomplish anything when he realises he a part of something bigger. A team of people who share that conviction… that can change the world." He took in a deep breath, straightened up. That talk always filled him with some hope. An thing to keep him going until this was all over.
Coulson could see the nods going around despite the uncertainty Fitz still had but if anything went wrong, then Fitz had a chance to get away. A man to tell their story… so to speak.