Chapter 8
"This is of the top most secret, so secret that we're keeping it off books. I want this as far buried as T.A.H.I.T.I. The only ones who will ever know about it are those in this room."
"If that is indeed true sir, perhaps someone should call Daisy, so she's not late?" Simmons, after everything that had happened still hadn't realized the female inhuman wasn't there for a reason.
"Thank you, Simmons, for bringing that up." Coulson smiled, giving the scientist a small nod. "I want to make it clear to everyone now. Any details regarding this conversation and mission are forbidden to reach Daisy's ears."
Fitz raised his hand at that, a sheepish look crossing his face. "Then sir, wouldn't it be better if I sat this one out? We all know I can't lie to Daisy to save my life."
"Not an option. I need you to run comms and surveillance."
The remaining rooms occupants exchanged looks, many having a very good idea as to what the director's secret mission may be.
"Just asking, but this mission wouldn't happen to involve Ward taking a dirt nap, would it?" Mack asked, his arms crossed over his chest. They knew he had no problem with the plan, it was only the result it would have on his little partner. "Cause if it is, what are you planning to tell Daisy?"
"Mack has a point," Lincoln agreed. "She's going to notice somethings up when it just drops off the face of the earth."
"That's why we aren't going to say anything. Ward has always been unpredictable, as far as she thinks, we know nothing about where he disappeared to."
The looks cast around the room were enough to tell him that most of it's occupants did not believe Ward's 'unknown' disappearance would flow so easily, yet no one dared to say a word against it. It wasn't like they could come up with anything better. Daisy was more likely to believe the hydra agent had disappeared into the wind, than any possible idea they would have.
"What are our orders then, Sir?"
"We're going after Ward. Fitz I want you running facial recognition, the moment you find something,we move out. Mack, Hunter, I want you to be ready to go at a moment's notice, we don't know how much of a window we'll have to grab him. Lincoln, Joey, I want you guys on the sidelines, in case Ward outs up a fight."
"What about me, sir?" Bobbi looked a little more anxious to find out what part she would be playing, either that or it was that Hunter and Mack were going up against the inhuman controlled Ward without her.
"I want you here with Simmons." Coulson said, shifting his gaze to the biochemist. "I want that chamber set up in Vault D and you two ready to burn that monster."
May, who had been very quiet throughout all this, pushed off from where she'd been leaning against the wall. "And me, what's my job?"
"Unfortunately, there seems to have been some trouble in London, you're coming with me to investigate. Though we should be back before anything happens with Ward.. When That happens, you are to go with Mack and Hunter."
"What about Daisy?" Hunter asked, looking around the room. "Someone is going to have to keep her busy, otherwise all this planning is for nothing."
"Don't worry about that, she's taken Caleb for some inhuman training boot camp at the Retreat(1). She'll be well out of the way."
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"A cabin in the woods?"
Daisy smirked, throwing her duffel bag over one shoulder. "There's a lake too, and no humans within miles, with a laser fence on the perimeter. We've also got a direct line to the base, and enough frozen pizzas to last the week."
Caleb looked back at her as he picked up the two bags of food, one containing only the earlier named while the other held other more snackish foods and ingredients. "What are we going to do, go fishing every day?"
"I don't see any fishing rods." She almost laughed, looking over the bags they were carrying. "No. We're here to get some time away from everyone, and also to learn more about you."
She heard him say 'I knew it' under his breath, as he followed her into the fixed up retreat. From the corner of her eye she watched the quin jet, that had brought them, cloak in response to her pressing a button.
"Come on, this will be fun. I brought some board games too, just in case we run out of things to do."
"Shall I lay one out now?" He didn't sound like he was joking, and she had to remind herself that the teen wasn't the outdoors type.
"Let's wait till we've put the food away."
He wrinkled his scaly nose like any kid would and she barely stifled her laughter.
'I like board games.'
Just like that, her smirk tugged down into a scowl, she had gone almost the whole flight without thinking about him. Caleb had kept her attention with a vigorous game of 'I Spy.' It made it both fun and difficult with most everything on the quin jet being the same color.
That's why they were here, to learn more about Caleb's gift and get away from all the Ward/It drama. Not that she hadn't hacked into the base systems, so she would know the instant ward appeared again. She knew she'd never know otherwise.
Daisy fished her tablet out of her duffel, looking through all her notifications. Nope, the base was still very Ward free. She wasn't sure whether she felt relieved about that or not, only shame from doing this with Caleb instead of finding a way to save them.
"Daisy?" The female inhuman tore her gaze from the device, looking over at the teen. He had his hands shoved in his pockets, yet seemed to be searching for something. "Where are the bunks?"
"There are none, we'll be camping out in front of the fireplace." She smirked, pulling two standard issue S.H.I.E.L.D. Sleeping bags. "Trust me, it's better than the couch."
As though to test that, Caleb sat on the piece of furniture. She laughed when he tried to find a better spot. This carried on for about two minutes, before he gave up on the chair. "Why would S.H.I.E.L.D. Keep such a ratty old couch?"
She shook her head, unable to answer his question, when she herself had no idea. Most everything else in the cabin was brand new. So why had they left the old couch?
"Sentimental value, I suppose."
He nodded mutely, getting off the uncomfortable furniture and moving to their bags. Daisy smiled a little as she watched him dig through them. It had been like pulling teeth getting him on the quin jet, though now he appeared quite relaxed.
She busied herself with putting what food he had abandoned in their designated spots. Perhaps she'd make sandwiches later. Yes, that sounded good, then they could have pizza for dinner.
"Would you rather play checkers of scrabble?"
"I packed scrabble?"
He lifted the red box for her to see, a smirk forming on his lips as he decided without her response that it would be the one they play. "Be prepared to be beaten by my superior vocabulary."
"Please, I've lived with Fitz-Simmons over two years. You're the one that needs to be prepared."
"As long as it's English."
'That isn't a word in our language.'
'Our language? You mean the English language. First spoken in England.'
Daisy couldn't hide the devious grin that had come to be on her face, this was going to be good.
'She used her Britishness against us!'
"You're on little man."
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She couldn't have imagined this. The way his scales grew into almost feather like spikes. How they trailed from his head all the way down to his middle back, like an extended spine of feathery scales. Caleb was looking down at his bare scaly feet, embarrassment clear in his features.
He looked almost afraid to meet her eye, his arms crossed in an attempt to hide the odd discoloration of his body. Trying to hide the lighter shades with the dark.
Jemma was going to hate that she wasn't there. The biochemist had been dying to know what the young inhuman looked like under his hood. Not that Daisy could blame her, she herself had been pretty curious.
She smiled a little, stepping up to him without fear. "Well it could be worse, at least you're not poking yourself every time you move."
'I dread being awake, but my sleep is filled with such horrible nightmares.'
He smiled a little at that, his razor teeth just barely visible through the part in his lips. The poor child had no idea that he was beautiful
'-The first thing she did after I transformed was embrace me. Tell me, Skye, what was the first thing that S.H.I.E.L.D. Did to you?'
Though she knew he was weary of such things, Daisy didn't want him to think for a moment that he was scary and that people would only ever look at him from afar. She hugged him, scales and all. The spikes along his spine were as soft as they looked, somewhere between leather and velvet.
"You shouldn't hide your gift." She said quietly, feeling relieved when his arms looped under hers. Though he was careful not to let his claws touch her. "It's amazing, and is something others can only dream off."
"Thanks Daisy."
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So a cute moment with Caleb and Daisy I wanted to throw in earlier in the story, but couldn't really find a place for it.
1. The Retreat, for those who may not remember, is the cabin safe house that Coulson relocated Skye/Daisy to in the second season, that was later assaulted by the other S.H.I.E.L.D. While Coulson and Hunter were there.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed, I apologize again for the wait and that Ward/It wasn't in this chapter, but just wait he'll be back soon enough.
Oh my gosh, I just saw the commercial for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s premier in March! It looks amazing and there's a small glimpse with Ward/It! It made me wince but the fact that he was shown made me happy.
Please follow/favorite/review! It would mean a lot to me.
Once again I hope you enjoyed and I'll hopefully back soon. I thank you all for your patience.
Until then.
Tootles