Previously: It's been a week since Fitz and Skye were taken. Along with Ward and Simmons working together to find them, Coulson called in new mercenaries Mack and Hunter to help with the search.
Chapter Thirty Three
Simmons and Ward walked back into the BUS with an utmost amount of dejection on their faces.
Coulson knew better than to ask how their outing had gone. The answer was always the same and besides, the complete lack of anything resembling hope in their features contained the answer. They'd gone out over ten times by now, only coming back to recuperate briefly before starting the ostensibly fruitless process again.
It was as farfetched a thing to be doing as ever, but at the same time, Coulson didn't have anything of real use to put them on. He didn't know how else to find Fitz and Skye, and if the specialist and scientist pair wanted to spend their time searching the city, he didn't have the heart to tell them to stop. Even May and Triplett had gone out to chase a few vague leads in the absence of anything else productive.
Well, Coulson did have a brief thought that Simmons could be helping Mack, the new mechanic. The man was trying to see if he could make anything of the clutter Simmons and… the Skrull had been working on. Because, strange thing was, the fake Fitz seemed to have actually been doing work when he was claiming to create something to take down Graviton. And though Coulson didn't trust it completely, it was worth a study of.
"It doesn't make any sense though," said Mack, shuffling through papers in the lab. "It's almost… passed understanding."
"That actually makes a fair amount of sense," said Coulson dejectedly. "I don't know why he was working on anything really, but these aliens seem to be far ahead of humans as far as intellectual levels."
"Whatever it is… the schematics he's made are detailed. I could work on it, but I'd have no idea what I'd even be creating. Your scientist had a look already?" asked Mack.
"Simmons and Fitz collaborated often, but she's a biochemist," explained Coulson. "She couldn't make any sense out of it either. It's just that she thought it was due to it not being her expertise."
"It's not really my expertise either. This guy was doing things way over my head. Your real engineer too, not just the… fake." Mack began rubbing the scruff of his neck. "Shape-shifting aliens… this world is getting damn crazy."
"No kidding," Coulson agreed. Though he'd gotten the impression it was pretty crazy before, given everything he'd faced with his team, and even other instances. Like dying… for days. More importantly the coming back afterwards. "Let me know if you get anywhere."
Coulson began to walk away, but Mack's voice cut through the room.
"Actually, I was able to look at the specs your… uh, Asgardian friend gave us to hone in on the Skrull technologies. I've been working on a device that could make the scrambled tech traceable."
"Really?" Coulson asked, allowing some hope into his voice. "Do you think… will it be functional?"
"Give me a few hours and I think we can try and give it a test run."
It was the first good news in days. All week, actually. Coulson felt a pang of regret that he hadn't checked in on Mack earlier. But that would have been pointless; he had asked the man to come to him if he had anything to report.
"Alright, I'll leave you to it," Coulson said, his tone near jolly. He backed out of the lab with a smile that almost seemed to unnerve the tension ever present in the air of the BUS these days.
By the time he walked out of the doors, Ward and Simmons were already making their way towards the cargo hold exit again.
"Simmons, Ward," Coulson called to them, beckoning as he did so.
They turned around and walked over, but not before putting a brief glance in each other's direction that gave Coulson a small start. He was still getting used to their truce sort of relationship.
With any luck Wardsimmons won't become a thing… Coulson wasn't sure how well he'd be able to handle that.
"You two heading out again?"
Simmons merely nodded, but Ward voiced a "yes sir."
"Well, it will have to wait. I need Ward on standby."
Simmons tucked a piece of hair behind her head eagerly. Perhaps she was allowing herself to get excited at the prospect of some good news, but at the same time, obviously trying to stifle it.
"Is something going on, sir?" she asked, and it was hard to miss the hope in her voice. Hope that Coulson didn't want to stretch any further than it should go, so he told her his response rather flippantly.
"Mack's just been working on something for me. I need Ward with me to help test it out."
Simmons' slight glow faded, and she averted her eyes, nodding.
Coulson didn't like it, how down and hopeless his team was. But it had been a week. And with usual kidnappings – even if this was anything but- that put your probability of finding the captured at less than ten percent.
The agent didn't want to think like that. More importantly, he didn't want Simmons to think like that. Plus, with the ritual and what Sif said about the Skrulls' process, there was at least a better chance they were alive.
Just as he was near pitying Simmons for looking as though he just told her he'd beaten her puppy, he spied out Hunter coming down the stairs and heading for the lab. Humming a jolly tune, the mercenary took a chomp out of the sandwich in his hand as he descended.
"Hunter!"
"What!" he exclaimed, startled through his full mouth, before making sense that the noise came from Coulson. He swallowed. "I mean… yes, sir?"
"I need you to accompany Agent Simmons on an assignment.
"Doing what, exactly?" He asked, just before taking another bite of sandwich, crossing his arms as he began to head over. Coulson didn't really approve of the tone. Thing with mercenaries was they didn't usually sport much respect. With this one, that seemed to be a defining trait.
"Agent Simmons needs a driver, and hopefully someone who can handle themselves if you get caught in any unsavory situations," Coulson told him firmly. "Think you can you manage that?"
Hunter's face lit up.
"Can I manage finally getting out of this damn plane? Yeah, I can manage that. In fact I'm nearly jumping for joy. Something to bloody do…"
"What are we doing again?" asked Agent Hunter, his hands shifting slightly on the steering wheel.
Simmons sighed. Honestly, she had to have explained it to him five times by now!
"Well," she started, hoping he didn't miss the annoyance in her voice, "we are trying to find Fitz and Skye using the tracking capabilities in the Golden Retrievers to calibrate to a distinct marker in their scent or-"
"No, no, I got that. What are we doing that's new?"
Jemma's brow furrowed. "New?"
"Yeah. You and the Hydra guy, which, by the way, I still don't really get the whole allowing a traitor to hang out with guys if you ever feel like explaining that to me… but you and him already did that a pretty good amount. Shouldn't it be done… er, calibrating, or whatever the hell it's doing?"
"We're not spending the time calibrating anything. It only works within an approximate two hundred meter radius. So we have to move around-"
"Bloody hell! That's what you've been doing? That's what we're doing? That's insane!"
Apparently Coulson hadn't given him much information other than 'go with the scientist'.
"It's not insane if it works! And we had the approximate location…"
"Just how big was this approximate location, eh? You two must have finished covering that bit days ago."
They had, in fact. She and Ward had set parameters, limits to how far they would take this. Jemma just couldn't bear to stop. She kept dragging Ward out with her, but he would want to come too, because the man seemed to be just as desperate and determined as she was.
"Well, yes but… it's the most productive thing we can be doing to find them. And if we just have just a semblance of luck…" She felt herself falter, straightening her posture instantly before stating firmly, "All I know is that we have to try."
The way Hunter was gawking at her suggested he might have thought she was crazy.
"You're insane, love," he told her simply. "You know that?"
She scowled and scoffed, making her offense to the statement shown. "If hope, resignation and persistence are qualities of the mentally unwell, then yes, I suppose I am."
"Great," Hunter said, staring back at the road with annoyance. "Thought I had a good gig going having to drive around a pretty girl. At least you're not as mental as my ex-wife. Now she deserved to be put in a nut house somewhere."
Jemma just stared, ignoring the comment of being called 'pretty' and instead focusing on the abrupt Segway he'd chosen to make. Hunter caught her gaze.
"Well, I guess you could be just as mental. Don't know you that well, really." He shrugged. "At least you're English."
Simmons couldn't help but nod. "That is actually quite a welcome change."
"Yeah, imagine crazy in that accent. That's the ex. Not too peachy."
"I of course have nothing against Americans but certain words just sound so ridiculous! As though they're more… heavy and drawn out?" Simmons exclaimed, chuckling as memory entered her head. "Just a few weeks ago, Skye asked if I wanted to watch 'Hairy Podder'. It was difficult not to cringe! And to make matters worse, she'd asked about the Sorcerer's Stone."
"No, I completely understand. Not that I really have a thing for that wizard kid, but I'd hate the way the she-devil would say certain words, like 'deadbeat' or 'moron'."
Simmons couldn't help but grin at the effort he'd put into using such a girly voice, though she had a feeling he'd chosen those words because they caused an annoyance other than how they sounded in the woman's accent.
The grin quickly faded as she thought of Fitz, him being the one to poke fun at Skye for saying the magical saga's name that way in the first place. Simmons wouldn't have said anything. She'd grimaced, as she couldn't help it. Skye had noticed the gesture.
"What? You guys like Harry Potter!" Skye exclaimed through obvious confusion. "Simmons has a replica or something of someone's wand."
"Luna Lovegood's, actually," said Jemma.
Fitz walked over from the other side of the lab, obviously exasperated as he informed her, "She's frowning because you called it the Sorcerer's Stone."
Skye's eyebrows shot up. "And…?"
"Its correct name is the Philosopher's Stone," said Fitz.
"That's the British name. Not necessarily the correct name," Skye protested.
"But that makes it the correct name, because it originated in Britain."
"Well we're in America!"
Simmons couldn't help but chuckle at that. "Actually Skye… we're still in Mexico at the moment."
"What? Oh. I thought we left… Wait, seriously?"
"We're refueling," said Simmons.
"Oh yeah." She turned back to Fitz. "Well, neutral ground then," she stated happily.
"That just means it should default to the original and rightful name!" Fitz exclaimed, and Simmons could even hear offense in his tone. Both girls saw how much of a rise it got out of him, so Skye continued to antagonize while Jemma continued to be amused by the whole conversation.
"Jesus, what the hell is that?" Hunter shouted suddenly, and somewhere mid sentence Simmons had felt a rumble go through the car. She turned around, and was surprised she hadn't noticed earlier the great amount of blue light that was now pouring into the vehicle, as it must have been what Hunter was referring to.
Hunter slammed the brakes, the car screeching to a halt to make an early stop. The two exited and stared.
A blue light was emanating from somewhere a few blocks down the street, shooting what almost seemed to be a storm from the ground upwards into the sky. It was a near magnificent sight, but it was somewhat frightful as well.
And then it stopped. Just like that.
"That was an interesting storm," Hunter remarked.
"That was no storm!"
"I know," he said, perhaps disappointed he didn't get his sarcasm. "Just trying to keep things light. Probably should call the boss man though, eh?"
Simmons nodded. "Yes, I'll contact him on the way."
"Oh the way? Where?" Simmons just gave him a pointed look. "You mean on the way to the big blue light show?" he asked incredulously. "We don't even know what the hell it was!"
"Well, I'm guessing it was alien, considering there is a known alien presence in the city already."
"Yeah, alien. Could be alien anything. Aliens with an alien army, or alien guns, or aliens with probing machines... I don't know! I do know we can't just go up there with two agents, one not even bloody field ready," he explained, gesturing towards her lightly.
She held a tough gaze though, hoping to make him falter.
"Oh, I'm ready," she told him, grabbing the ICER out from her holster and arming it. "I'm getting my friends back."
Hunter looked a little shocked at first, but Simmons thought it was in a decidedly good way. Almost appraising. Perhaps impressed.
"Nutty, intense, and just a little bit scary. Maybe you're more like my ex-wife than I thought," he told her with a handsomely crooked smile that nearly made her blush, just before opening the passenger door and gesturing for her to get inside.
"Guess we're rushing to our deaths with the aliens at the giant blue light storm."
"This is the place," Ward remarked, as they pulled up to the building.
Mack's creation was sketchy at best. It had Coulson and Ward running around more of Rome than they would have liked, but it eventually got them to a prominent location. If the Skrulls were still in the city, it was most likely they'd be here.
The odds that they were still in the city were now definitely against them.
But, if the Skrulls were ever there at all, maybe they'd left behind clues.
They found the door to be locked, which got both of their attentions. Ward managed to kick the thing down. It was old, used, and definitely rusted.
The men went inside, each holding a flashlight and gun. It was an incredibly old building for sure, exposed piping and decaying walls, but it was spotless. There were no signs of dust or anything else that would be there had no one seen the inside of it for years.
Ward made a hand signal, one that said he was going to check up the stairs.
He did just that. Coulson took the time to check the first floor, though there wasn't much to see. It was just one room and was completely empty, save for the piping and whatnot that lined the walls.
"Place has been swept," Ward announced when he came downstairs. "There's nothing up there, not even on the roof. But it's too clean."
Coulson nodded. "Someone was here."
"They're long gone now. And took any clues they might have left with them."
The news was unsurprising, but that didn't stop the disappointment. They were back to square one.
Or at least, they thought they were.
The duo were probably a good ten minutes out from the building when the blue light appeared, and if Coulson didn't know better, its origin seemed to be originating exactly where they'd just come from.
Ward turned around the car quickly, neither of them needing to say words to explain that they needed to go back. They needed to find out what it was that was causing some freak blue lit storm.
A blue that was the exact same color as the Terrigen Crystals.
"Sir! We just saw something phenomenal!" Simmons had exclaimed when he answered the ringing phone.
"Blue light storm in the middle of Italy's capital city? Yeah, we caught that," said Coulson.
"Oh. Well, we're going back to investigate!"
"So are we," Coulson explained. "Make sure to keep your distance. If you find anything, do not engage. Do you understand?"
He was not losing any more people out here.
"Understood," she reluctantly answered.
"Keep in contact, we need to collaborate on this. I'll contact Triplett and May."
He hung up the phone. They were getting incredibly close to being back at the building, when the same blue caught his attention. Like it was merely sparking just in the distance.
"What the…" Ward mumbled.
"Follow it," Coulson ordered.
"But the main light definitely came from more east."
Coulson didn't usually just get feelings. Sure, he trusted his gut in quick situations - maybe this one counted - and the giant storm should maybe be their real concern. It made sense that way. But something, something down deep and running through his veins, told him the tiny blue lights in the distance held the current target.
"I've got a feeling."
"You sure we should be basing finding Skye… and Fitz, on your feelings?"
Coulson looked him square in the face.
"It's a really strong feeling."
A/n: I just added that Harry Potter scene even though I wrote the rest weeks ago. So it may be a little random haha.
Also, can I just take this time to point out how sorry I am about grammar errors? I swear I proofread a few times, but I seem to always have a ton when I go back to review! (This was proofed on my phone so you can blame that this time, never done this before though!)
Ok, next chapter will be taking place pretty much at the same time as this one.