Previously: Coulson and the team found Terrigen Crystals which is what what Wolfe says is needed to complete Skye's sacrifice.
Afterward, Skye ran down to the lab in apparent horror as she urged everyone that needed to get off the plane. Before Simmons had a chance to ask what was going on or what happened to Ward, she and the others in the cargo bay were randomly slammed against the wall.
Chapter Twenty
Coulson didn't want to stay in the interrogation room any longer than he had to. He was just going to go in, inform the prisoner that Skye would in fact not be doing the ritual in two weeks, and slip out.
He normally wouldn't even bother telling Wolfe the information. Coulson didn't really care if he'd had reasons behind his actions. He had put Skye through hell, and frankly, the reasoning behind his doing it was misguided and unneeded. But Skye had been insistent that if she wasn't going to do it this year he had the right to know. Still, Phil didn't want the girl to have to see the man anymore than she had to. So he insisted he'd do what she'd requested.
Two weeks was just not enough time. Not for Skye. Not after what they'd done to save her… she was too important to just throw her life away.
A year wasn't a long amount of life to live either, but it was better. It was enough to give her what she wanted, whatever she wanted. Things that she couldn't have in the beginning of her life. Because for how amazing of a person Skye was, she did not deserve the childhood that was thrust upon her, even if it had come to light that it had been for her own good.
Besides, two weeks wasn't even long enough to look into his resources. Their next contact would definitely be Elliot Randolph, but he'd been cut off from Asgard for over a thousand years. Hopefully he'd be able to show them some way to contact his home world or get the information some other way, but who knew how long that would take? Coulson needed time to get in contact with people to verify the facts, and there was no way he would allow Skye to go near some sacrifice ritual a moment before.
He opened the Cage door and strode in purposefully, not even bothering to shut it as this was going to be such a short visit. Wolfe was in handcuffs anyway.
The man sighed the moment Coulson walked in, before he even bothered to straighten himself up at the table.
"I can see you've found the crystals," Wolfe said, sounding dejected.
"Can you?" asked Coulson.
"Yeah. You do look pretty unhappy," he observed calmly. "You were hoping I was lying and there wouldn't be anything there. Trust me, Agent Coulson, I would love to be making this all up. I would love to bring my daughter home so she could live out what should remain of her life happily, but it just can't be."
"Skye's not going anywhere with you, whether you're telling the truth or not." Coulson placed both hands on the table, leaning in dangerously. He didn't appreciate the other man trying to speak first and get the upper hand in the conversation. "She's not doing this sacrifice in two weeks."
Wolfe's brow furrowed. "She's refusing?"
"Of course not. This is just the type of thing that Skye would throw her life on the line for, despite what you've done to her, because that's the kind of person she is," Coulson ranted, not missing Wolfe's roll of the eyes when he mentioned his activities with Skye. Obviously he didn't think of them as anything too bad. Maybe where he was from they weren't, but here such mistrust was near unforgiveable. "But I need to speak with some contacts and confirm what's going on at your home planet to be the truth. Skye has agreed to do the ritual next year."
Wolfe scowled. "She can't do that."
Coulson had nearly laughed. Did this guy honestly think he had any control over the situation?
"And why not?"
Wolfe leaned in, his handcuffs clattering against the metal table. "My people's numbers are growing smaller every day. Every year that passes is another amount of women who grow past the age to bear children. Skye needs to do this now."
Coulson scoffed.
"Do you even realize what you're saying? You're asking your daughter to give up her life with days notice!"
"It could have been sooner had SHIELD not intervened."
"It could have been sooner if you didn't try to deceive her!" shouted Coulson, slamming his hands on the table. Wolfe didn't even flinch. Merely stared at him, strangely curious.
"This is really the decision you've come to?" he asked. "That Skye has come to?"
"Yes, it is. And since you can't do anything to change the matter, I suggest you try to come to terms with it and the fact that you're going to be locked up for the next year in whatever remaining SHIELD holding facility we can find."
Wolfe clicked his tongue. A strange gesture in his current state, almost in mockery, and Coulson didn't like the meaning behind it.
"You know, I really don't think I will."
Phil suddenly wished he'd shut the door after all.
"You have no choice," Coulson told him strongly, despite a strange nausea creeping in his nerves from Wolfe's words.
Wolfe laughed. Coulson had known this man for a good while, and he was always a light-hearted guy, but this laugh held no true humor or cheeriness.
"Oh, I think you'll find I do. "
And with the decidedly cold smile Wolfe flashed him came a crash and screaming from downstairs. Coulson's head whipped around with the sound, but it was far away. He turned back to Wolfe.
"What did you do?" he growled dangerously, but Wolfe seemed unfazed.
"Oh I just called a friend," he said simply. "I think you may know him. He's a doctor. Or, perhaps it's more accurate to say he was."
Coulson's eyes grew wide as he understood the meaning behind the words, and he bolted out of the room into the hall.
Right into May.
They collided only slightly, even though she'd been running rather fast through the hallway. She must have heard the commotion from the cockpit.
"What's going on?" she asked him frantically.
"Hall. Hall's here."
Coulson actually watched the shock grace May's face, before they heard a wrangled, angry, plea.
"No! I have to help them-"
Skye's was cut off into a strangled grunt and fear jolted through Coulson as to what could have caused it. It was still far off, seeming to come from the cargo hold. The two agents ran down the hall with as much speed as they could muster, but they didn't get very far before Graviton appeared in their path.
He pushed them both out of the way with a flick of his wrist, slamming the seasoned agents into the wall. It wasn't too bad, just as if someone had shoved them to the side. But they were definitely sidetracked.
As they scrambled to get back on their feet, the familiar pressure that Garrett had used on them in Disney World slammed onto Coulson's back, and he watched as May cried out and crumpled as well.
"That has got to be considered cheating," Coulson complained from the ground, and despite the situation May still had to roll her eyes.
Coulson watched as Hall moved his hand again, followed by the distinct sound of metal snapping. Wolfe came striding out of the Cage not a moment later as he rubbed his wrists with relish to be free of the chains. The smugness of victory played obviously on his face.
"Ah, good. Thanks. That was getting tiresome," Wolfe said happily and rather casually. "Now, where's my daughter?"
Graviton looked behind himself, waving his hand as though beckoning someone to come forward. They did, but not willingly. The sight made Coulson's stomach do summersaults.
Skye was eerily floating, upright and stiff as board into the BUS's living area. Her breathing was erratic, but with arms pinned at her side and chin posed high, she didn't seem to be in charge of her body's actions at all. It looked like she wasn't even able to speak.
"Skye!" shouted Coulson desperately as he felt May struggle harder beside himself. "Don't touch her. You are not taking her!"
Wolfe knelt down on one knee, bringing his face down so that he could look Coulson in the eye. "Why, are you going to stop me?" he pouted. Coulson struggled as hard as he could against the pressure, though he knew it was in vain. The hold was too strong.
The alien glanced over at May, who seemed just as unsuccessful with her attempts to get up. "Or perhaps you, Silent but Deadly? Don't talk much, but I know what you're thinking. You'd love to rip me apart right now."
"Honestly," she forced out, "yes."
Wolfe chuckled. "Sorry to disappoint, Agent May," he taunted as he stepped over Coulson and nearer to Skye. "But there's only one girl here I'm concerned with."
He brought a finger up to gently caress Skye's cheek, and frozen in midair, Skye couldn't do anything but close her eyes in protest. Though she quickly whipped them back open. Maybe she thought it was braver.
"You're all in luck though," Wolfe announced. "I'm not here to take my daughter just yet. You see the decision still has to be hers to make."
Thank god, thought Coulson, but he knew it would be ridiculously naive to think they were out of the woods already.
Wolfe was still lightly drawing on Skye's cheek when he suddenly gripped her chin, not very tight, just enough to make sure she was looking into his eyes. Coulson could see she wasn't crying though trembles shook through her hanging body. Whether they were from fear or struggling to move, he couldn't tell.
"And you will make the right one. I thought you were brave, resourceful. You should have done this right when I tried to offer you honor, but if you're too cowardly to accept your fate you are no daughter of mine," he told her harshly, before whipping her head out of his grasp. He moved to the center of the room.
"If you don't, I'm afraid my friend here will start destroying cities," Wolfe told them all. "Rome seems like a good place to start, huh?"
"I thought it may be interesting to sink Venice," said Graviton casually.
Wolfe shrugged. "It's still up for debate."
"You're the coward!" shouted Coulson in fury and frustration, cheek still pressed into the ground. "Scaring an innocent woman into giving up her life by threatening others. It's sick!"
"It's necessary," he said simply, as if that ended the argument. He walked back up to the floating girl and spoke in a voice much gentler than the one he'd been using.
"Now kiddo, I'm going to give you five days to make this decision. After that, we're going to take down a city a day." His face turned dark. "And if you don't give yourself up before June sixth, well, I'm afraid this world will just have to burn."
Despite Skye's limited motion, her eyes still managed to widen with the last statement.
"We'll be waiting at the Roman Colosseum." Wolfe took Skye's unmoving hand, caressing it gently. He'd chosen the hurt one, to which Phil had a hard time trying to comprehend why he would do. Maybe to point out her vulnerability further? "I know you'll make the right decision sweetheart. Get you affairs in order and then… come find your family. It's the right thing to do."
Coulson was disturbed. The whole situation was disturbing. A father holding his daughter against her will and forcing her to kill herself while still trying to trick her with family sentiment. He couldn't imagine how Skye was feeling through all this.
Wolfe gestured to Graviton, who waved his own hand in response.
Skye came crashing down to land next to Coulson, her nose all but touching his. Her shaking was so much clearer now that she was so close and he could see the tears she was refusing to shed hiding like children from monsters in the corners of her eyes. At first they locked eyes, but she quickly glanced away to try and glimpse her father.
"By the way," Wolfe said cheerily as he crouched over Coulson and Skye's heads, "Thank you so much for fishing out the Terrigen Crystals for me. Very thoughtful of you."
Damn it. They'd played right into his hands. Wolfe probably could have procured the crystals himself, but it didn't stop Coulson from feeling incredibly foolish.
"And, as a gift of good will, I will leave all your team members alive. I don't see why there should be bloodshed unless it's necessary, my dear Skye."
Coulson watched as Skye's face screwed up in still shivering anger, her mouth popping open. But if she was going to say something it died in the girl's throat. Her jaw shut along with her eyes, as silent tears finally escaped through her eyelids.
"Arrivederci," Wolfe told them as they walked out, Graviton trailing just behind him. There was another loud crash and they knew their attackers were gone.
All three of the people pinned to the ground let out a deep breath the moment their bodies were released from the pressure, and for a moment the room was full of nothing but their ragged wheezes.
"What… an ass," breathed May as she stood onto her knees. Coulson did the same, but Skye had merely lifted herself so that she was on all fours, still attempting to catch her breath.
"Skye?" Coulson asked, placing a hand on her back. She sat back on her legs, eventually turning up her chin to him.
It was like the center of gravity was suddenly placed in the young woman's eyes, because he could feel the weight of the world in them. Shiny and wet, Skye's gaze bore into him with miserable despair. He'd never seen Skye look so hopeless. He'd never seen anyone look so desolate.
But as quickly as he saw the emotions they flitted away. As she buried her hardships within, she stood up with a great deal of determination and brushed herself off.
"The team's hurt," she told them firmly, attempting to wipe a sniffle discreetly from her face. "I think every one of them got knocked out."
"Let's get a med kit," May stated, following Skye's lead to push her emotions to the side as the older agent began leading the group down the stairs with Coulson and Skye trailing somberly behind. It was what needed to be done. It's what good agent would do. People were still in peril so feelings and other discussions had to come later.
Still, Coulson couldn't help but try and take Skye's hand to offer her what little comfort he had to give. The girl didn't even acknowledge the brush of his fingers. She only quickened her pace, trying to hide the pain that was too plain to miss.
A/n: Aw shucks, and Wolfe looked redeemable for a second there too. Maybe. But did it give you the creeps? I hope it gave you the creeps. I picture serial killer opera music when Skye floats out there. (Though you may have just laughed, I feel like creepy and comical have a balance. See: song in Avengers 2 trailer.)
PS: I'm working on a new story! *cough*Skyeward*cough* Updates may slow down for this (unless you people get antsy), but I'm hoping the other story will only be like 12,000 words... I'm gonna try. I suck at one-shots.