21: AFTERWARDS
It took Coulson half an hour to force himself out of bed, just like it had been for the past week. Ever since that terrible, gut-wrenching day; the day S.H.I.E.L.D. lost one of their own.
He couldn't remember exactly when he'd started wearing ties again. At first he stopped because he had yet to master his false hand, but once he got comfortable with it he'd started up again. Today, he didn't put on a tie. He threw on what he could find and headed straight for his office – giving no orders and talking to no one.
The Bus reeked of grief. It was everywhere, like an infection. Not everyone was present when the fallen agent had taken their last breath, but they all felt like they had been. They'd all been cut and it appeared as if this was a wound that would never heal.
Coulson sat at his desk, wishing there was a way to go back in time. Had he just made a few little changes, decided against some actions…everyone he loved would still be safe. Be alive.
There was a knock at the door to his office. It had been a while since he's spoken so had to clear his throat first.
"C-Come in."
The young man entered the room with a cautious smile, tentatively walking up to the desk.
"Sorry to interrupt you, sir."
"We all know I wasn't doing anything important, Agent Gutierrez."
"I'm still sorry." Joey said softly.
"What do you need?" Coulson asked.
"I was just…I was asked to deliver this for you to sign off. It's the update to their file to say that…to say…"
"To update their status as 'deceased'. Thank you, Joey. Is that all?" Coulson asked, taking the file from Joey's hand and slamming it onto the desk.
"No, sir. I'll leave you to it." Joey sighed, heading for the door.
"How is everyone doing?" Coulson asked suddenly.
"…As you'd expect them to be doing. Some are being strong, some are in pieces. Dr Garner's busy with grief counselling. Lincoln's not getting out of bed. Hasn't left his room in three days." Joey explained sadly.
"Understandable, given the circumstances. It wasn't his fault."
"It wasn't yours either."
"Wasn't it?"
"…It was a heroic act. They died a hero." Joey said.
"You can't even say their name." Coulson sighed.
"Neither can you."
Saying nothing more, Joey walked out as Coulson tried his best not to cry again.
…
Lincoln sat in his room staring out the window in silence, the tears on his face only recently dried. He jumped at the sound of a knock on the door.
"…Who is it?" He choked.
"It's me. Again. Lincoln, it's been three days. Please let me in. I…I need you." Daisy pleaded through the door. Lincoln sighed, wiping his eyes and unlocking it before immediately lying back on his bed. Daisy stares at him in silence for a few moments before sitting on the bed next to him and stroking his hair.
"…Talk to me." Daisy whispered, her face red from days of crying.
"…It's my fault. I couldn't revive her." Lincoln sighed.
"This is NOT on you. Even if you could revive her, the radiation she absorbed was lethal. There's nothing you could've done. She died the hero she always has been." Daisy said, taking his hand in hers.
Lincoln took a deep breath and kissed Daisy's hand, wrapping an arm around her as she lay back on the bed and snuggled into his chest.
"I'm being selfish; you've known her much longer. How are you doing?" Lincoln asked, comfortingly running his hand through Daisy's hair.
"…I have no idea. No one's really talking about it. She didn't deserve this. Andrew's busy with grief counselling but HE's the patient so I can't even talk to him about this. He's in pieces. We all are." Daisy explained sadly.
"I'm sorry I haven't been there these last few days, I just…I don't know what I'm feeling. I'm sad and I'm angry." Lincoln said.
"Me too."
"How's your shoulder doing?"
"Getting a bit better."
Silence.
"…It's so unfair, Lincoln." Daisy sobbed, breaking down and crying into his lap. He wrapped his arms around tightly around her waist and cried with her.
…
"Maya's body wasn't recovered from the Helicarrier's remains; it was in such a fragile state I'm sure it disintegrated upon contacting the water." Fitz explained as he stood in Coulson's office, Coulson himself sat at his desk barely paying attention.
"Make sure we still arrange a ceremony for her; she didn't deserve all of this. She was a victim." Coulson said.
"Of course." Fitz nodded, making notes on his tablet.
"It's good to see you up and about again, Fitz. That implant worked wonders." Coulson said, faking a smile.
"Good as new." Fitz nodded, faking a smile himself.
Silence.
"…Mack's gonna get her things out of her locker." Fitz said eventually, looking at the floor and concentrating on not crying.
"Good. Thank him for me." Coulson nodded.
"I will."
"…We're burying her in a private S.H.I.E.L.D. cemetery in three days. Make sure everyone gets the details; when, where and everything." Coulson said and Fitz nodded.
Silence again.
"Well, I suppose we should just -"
Coulson was stopped by Fitz rushing round the desk and hugging him. Coulson slowly hugged him back as he let some tears flow.
…
Mack took a deep breath as he picked open May's locker. He smiled at the sight of one of her favourite guns, a spare S.H.I.E.L.D. jacket and an old looking book.
Grabbing a cardboard box, he began to transfer the contents of the locker into it before he became aware of a presence at the doorway. Turning to his right, he saw Lance staring at the box sadly.
"Didn't mean to interrupt." Lance said solemnly.
"No, it's fine. Glad of the company." Mack admitted as he examined the book closely with a slight smirk.
"I used to catch her reading this from time to time, when things were quiet. She didn't like people to know she read for some reason; she never told me what the damn thing was about. It was definitely this one; always the same book with the ivy green cover." Mack recalled.
"Open it and find out." Lance suggested. Mack gently shook his head.
"It was her business." He added, placing it into the box and shutting the now empty locker.
Silence.
"…She was a bloody good agent." Lance said, looking down to the floor.
"The best." Mack agreed solemnly.
"This is all R.E.S.C.U.E.'s fault; I'm gonna kill the bastards." Lance said angrily.
"Before we even think of our next move we need to say goodbye. Properly. I know May wasn't one for soppiness and love, but she deserves it right now." Mack stated.
"…The team's falling apart. Lincoln still hasn't left his room." Lance revealed.
"…May held us together like it was the most natural thing in the world. She was like a second mom to most of us." Mack smiled gently.
"She really was." A new voice echoed into the room.
Mack and Lance turned to see Bobbi had just walked in, her hair a mess and face pale. She'd clearly been crying a lot over the past week.
"I can't even begin to imagine the amount of time she probably saved my arse and I didn't even know it." Lance said as he walked over to Bobbi and took her hand.
"She wouldn't ask for as much as a thank you." Mack said.
"She gave her life for mine. I can't forget that." Bobbi cried quietly.
"I know I never will. I'll wake up every day and thank her for being able to wake up next to you." Lance said, kissing Bobbi's hair as Mack moved over to his own locker.
"My brother gave me this last year; I think it's time I had another taste of it." Mack said, pulling out a bottle of whiskey and three shot glasses from the locker and resting them all down on a bench. He poured three shots and handed one to Lance and one to Bobbi.
"A spy's goodbye." Bobbi said tearfully.
"To our friend, May. We're gonna miss you." Mack said as a tear fell from his cheek. They all tapped their glasses carefully against each other's and drank the shot.
"Sleep well, Melinda." Lance choked.
"…Our friend." Bobbi added.
…
"Hey, you."
The soft voice filling the lab gave Fitz the biggest amount of comfort he'd felt in days. He was sat at his desk barely concentrating on some blueprints, turning around to see Jemma timidly looking at him.
"I told you not to work today." Fitz said glumly.
"I didn't want you to be alone. Now's not the time for loneliness." Jemma said, walking up to his desk and sharing the seat with him.
Silence.
"I don't know what to say." Jemma said, tears in her eyes.
"Me neither." Fitz said, taking her hand in his as she silently cried into his shoulder.
"It's not fair."
"I know."
"…No one's talking." Jemma said, wiping her eyes on Fitz's sleeve (he didn't object to it).
"It's hard to face everything that's happened." Fitz said.
"Do you remember when we first signed up for Coulson's team? He said it'd be dangerous. I never expected it to be heartbreaking." Jemma said, another tear falling down her cheek, Fitz wiped it away with his thumb.
"We just have to do what we always do." Fitz said.
"What's that?"
"Our best. We have to stop them."
"I'm not sure we can, Fitz." Jemma sighed sadly.
"If we give up, then…then…then they died for nothing."
"…I…I…I miss…" Jemma began before crying again, Fitz wrapping his arms around her and growing tearful himself.
"Me too." He whispered, kissing her hair as a tear fell.
"I can't lose anyone else. I won't let that happen. If anything happened to you I -"
"-Jemma, we're all safe. I'm not going anywhere. If anything we both know you'd cope better without me than if I lost you." Fitz said.
"Don't say that." Jemma said, her fingers playing with Fitz's collar.
"It's been decade already, and I wanna be stuck with you for quite a few more yet." Fitz smiled slightly.
"Me too." Jemma said happily, leaning in and kissing Fitz passionately.
"I'm still getting used to that." Fitz grinned and Jemma chuckled lightly.
"Me too." She said, fixing Fitz's hair with her index finger before kissing him again.
…
Lance barged into Coulson's office with purpose.
"I'm done just sitting around. I want payback." Lance demanded.
"We all do. We just all need more time." Coulson sighed.
"If we want closure, we have to get revenge on R.E.S.C.U.E. This is all their fault! Those imbecile's are the reason Bobbi can't go ten minutes without breaking down – and it breaks my heart to see that woman cry – and they are the reason…the reason we lost May. I'm so angry I can barely breathe!" Lance seethed, leaning against Coulson's desk for support and Coulson placed a firm hand on his shoulder.
"We have to be strong right now. For the rest of the team members who can't be. Believe me, I have never felt worse or more heartbroken than I do right now, but I'm still the Director. I swear to every god there is that I will get justice for May; no one wants it more than me. I respected and adored that woman with all my heart, and I'm blaming myself for so much of what happened, but we can't just start a war and get ourselves killed; she wouldn't want that." Coulson explained timidly. Lance stood up straight and stares at him.
"This isn't okay. We need to do something."
"What do you expect me to do? Expect any of us to do? We can't bring her back. It breaks my heart, but we can't." Coulson said sadly.
"We can get revenge. We can kill them."
"I don't know how." Coulson sighed, his head in his hands.
"We'll find a way. We have to."
They walked out, leaving Coulson alone with the darkest of thoughts.
…
Daisy and Lincoln were woken from their sleep that evening by a tap on his room door, having drifted off in each other's arms after their conversation. The door slid open and Coulson walked in.
"I can come back." Coulson said.
"No, don't. It's okay." Lincoln said as he and Daisy sat up.
"…How're you two doing?" Coulson asked.
"About as well as everyone else, so not good. You shouldn't be strong just for us, Coulson, it's not fair on you." Daisy said.
"This is my fault. I went too far. I let the team take too many risks; I made calls I shouldn't have and got away with it too many times, leading me to lose one of my best agents and best friends in the world. That'll haunt me forever. That's what I came to say – Lincoln, I need you to understand this is not, and never will be, your fault." Coulson explained. Daisy let a few more tears roll down her cheeks while Lincoln desperately held his back.
"…I can't accept that." Lincoln said.
"No Lincoln, this is on me." Coulson stated.
"No, I can't accept that you're blaming yourself. This isn't on you, either. You did what you thought was right; I know that deep down, May understood that. You can't place blame on yourself." Lincoln said.
"Neither can you." Coulson said sternly.
"The blame lies with R.E.S.C.U.E., no one else. If they hadn't interfered everything would've been fine. May wouldn't want any of us to blame ourselves, okay?" Daisy said, taking one of Lincoln and Coulson's hands in hers.
"…Okay." Lincoln nodded.
Daisy gave a sympathetic look to Coulson.
"…Okay." Coulson agreed, tearing up slightly.
"…What's our next move, sir?" Daisy asked, wiping her eyes.
"You two get some rest. Fitzsimmons want me to meet them in the lab." Coulson revealed.
…
Coulson headed into the lab; as soon as Jemma saw him she tearfully ran towards him and engulfed him in a tight hug.
"You alright?" He asked her.
"Not really. You?"
"Definitely not."
"I wish there was a way to change things. Fitz and I thought about the process that returned you to life, and restored Daisy when she was shot a few years ago, but -" Jemma began.
"May told me herself she never wanted to be put through that when she had to monitor my progress and report to Fury; seeing what it did to me affected her more than she ever let on. Besides, Rage's attack on HQ destroyed everything we had on those projects." Coulson explained gently.
The two headed back over to Fitz, who was projecting a blood sample onto a holotable.
"Is this what you wanted to show me?" Coulson asked and Fitz nodded.
"We were observing this blood sample; well, multiple versions of the same blood sampled across many months, and we picked up on a minor irregularity that is only noticeable when looking at a string of samples side by side." Jemma began.
"There is a background radiation in the bloodstream itself, getting a little bit more unstable as time goes on. It matches the radiation Rage created." Fitz added.
"Who's blood is it?" Coulson asked.
"…Yours." Fitzsimmons said together, leaving Coulson shocked.
"Wait, so I'm radioactive? I have been for months? But you did tests?" Coulson asked.
"Yes! That's the beauty of it! This is radiation coming from an Inhuman, and somehow the alien blood in your system counteracted the fatal effects of it, rendering it harmless physically…but emotionally compromising, mirroring Rage's powers." Jemma explained.
"So, Rage's radiation got into my bloodstream and has been emotionally compromising me for months?" Coulson asked and Fitzsimmons nodded.
"Exactly." Fitz nodded with a smile.
"So…when the team started doubting me and I made all those decisions…"
"It was likely caused by this, yes. None of this was your fault, sir. None at all. Whether Maya or Rage did it on purpose, we'll probably never know." Jemma explained.
"We imagine it transferred into your blood via your fake hand when you shook hers to get a DNA sample when you first met in person." Fitz added.
"We're synthesising an antidote to remove it from your system; you'll start feeling normal again soon enough." Jemma smiled.
"Thought you'd like to know." Fitz said. Coulson had tears in his eyes as he pulled the two in for a hug.
"…Thank you." Coulson whispered through his tears.
…
Daisy walked down a long set of stairs to get to the very base of The Bus, where a large glass cell was built into the wall as a tiny maximum security prison. Sat inside the cell was a dishevelled Grant Ward.
"Food in about an hour." Daisy shouted to him before turning to head back up.
"What's wrong?" Ward asked, stopping Daisy in her tracks. She turned back and faced him.
"…How did you know something was wrong?" She asked.
"Your eyes. They're sadder than I've ever seen them. What's wrong, Skye?" Ward asked.
"My name is Daisy."
"…Please. I want to know what's upsetting you." Ward pleaded.
Daisy took a moment as tears started filling her eyes again.
"…May…May's dead." She choked. Ward slowly stood up, his face filled with shock.
"…When?"
"About a week ago. The day we saved your ass from Rage."
"They told me Rage was dead, but…but May? I thought that woman would live forever." Ward said.
"In a way, she will." Daisy said, wiping her eyes.
"We had our…disagreements…but I still somehow managed to respect her. She was a good agent and I'm sad she's no longer with us." Ward commented.
"I'm sure you are." Daisy rolled her eyes and headed back upstairs.
"Skye?"
"What?"
Daisy looked right into Ward's eyes.
"…I really am sorry for your loss." Ward said.
Daisy nodded and headed back up the stairs. As much as she hated to admit it, she knew Ward pretty well. She knew when he was lying.
This time, he wasn't.
…
The next morning, Coulson stopped the second he walked into his office and saw Andrew sat waiting for him. This was the first time Coulson could remember in a long time that Andrew Garner wasn't dressed in a smart suit.
"Phil."
"…Andrew, I…"
"…We haven't seen each other since…since that day." Andrew said softly.
"I know. I'm sorry." Coulson apologised.
"It's okay, I know how busy you must be. We both need space to deal with…with this. Losing her." Andrew said, welling up.
"How was the grief counsellor I hired for you?" Coulson asked.
"Very good at her job, but when she says the same things I say to people they don't really have an effect on me." Andrew said with a slight chuckle.
"…I'm glad to see you can smile. At least a little bit." Coulson smiled.
"She wouldn't want me to stop smiling. She loved my smile above everything else, apparently." Andrew reminisced sadly.
"…I called Melinda's parents. They took it well, given the circumstances." Coulson reported.
"Melinda always said she got her strength from her parents; two of the strongest people she knew." Andrew explained.
"…I'm so sorry I couldn't save her, Andrew." Coulson said tearfully.
"…She always told me she wanted to go out as a hero. She did that. And she did it beautifully and to save a friend. Just make sure you catch the sons of bitches responsible." Andrew said as a tear fell and Coulson nodded.
Silence.
"She was so glad to be on your team again, Phil. She loved it. She loved it until her dying day." Andrew said and Coulson's tears returned.
"…She loved you too, Andrew."
"I didn't deserve her love. But my god, did I love that woman. Never stopped, never will." Andrew cried.
"The last thing she ever said was your name." Phil revealed. Andrew faced him as more tears fell.
"Really?" He sobbed.
"Really. She loved you till the end." Coulson smiled. Andrew turned away and took a few moments to gather himself after partly breaking down. Eventually, he moved over to the window and looked out to the sky all around the plane.
"My god, she loved flying, didn't she?" Andrew chuckled.
"Yeah, she did." Coulson smiled.
"I remember her telling me about the feeling she got, seeing the world from high up – how beautiful and peaceful it was. It made her feel alive." Andrew continued.
Coulson wiped his tears as he sat back at his desk, clocking a picture of him and May together on his desk from their younger years. He picked it up and held it close with a smile.
"She never really understood my field; psychiatry and psychology – it all went over her head for the most part. She didn't like the sentimentality of it all. She used to make fun of some of the books I'd lend to patients to read. All except one. I caught her reading it one time and she admitted she liked the message behind it." Andrew smiled as he remembered.
He looked further up into the clouds above from out the window as he continued.
"That book, the one she loved, it talked about the sky. It explained that people tend to look up to the sky to reflect on remember, whatever the weather. It said that in a way, the sky was a storage space for your memories; you just had to look up and all your dreams and all your best moments would be there for you to look up at and remember. And that no matter what happened, or where you went or how bad thing got, no one could ever take the sky from you." Andrew smiled through his pain and heartache.
"That's really quite beautiful." Coulson said.
"A suitable reflection of Melinda, then. I let her keep that book; she probably got rid of it years ago, but she seemed so happy when I gave it to her. She loved the colour of it, too; it was like…an ivy green." Andrew reminisced.
"…I'm really gonna miss her." Coulson admitted through his tears.
"…Me too. My god, me too." Andrew choked.
…
Two days later, The Bus landed on some private land unofficially owned by Nicholas J Fury; a large, beautiful field with flowers of all different colours blooming from the lush green grass. Amongst the beauty came some sadness, as a few gravestones lay side by side in the centre of the majestic landscape; a select few special S.H.I.E.L.D. agents who had fallen in years gone by and given the honour of being buried in the highest rank service of memorial in the organisation's history.
May's mother and father watched sadly as Andrew, Fitz, Mack, Lance, Joey and Lincoln carried the coffin through the gorgeous flowers and lowered it into a delicately dug grave. The headstone in front of it was made of a beautiful shiny marble.
MELINDA MAY
"The Cavalry"
1968 – 2016
Agent. Hero. Friend.
After a beautiful service took place, Jemma, Daisy and Bobbi all got up, each with a white rose in hand, and walked over to the coffin. In their other hand they held a piece of paper each, and in turn gave a reading. Bobbi spoke first through her tears.
"Those special memories of you will always bring a smile
If only I could have you back, just for a little while
Then we could sit and talk again, just like we used to do
You always meant so much to me, and always will do too
The fact that you're no longer here will always cause me pain
But you're forever in my heart - until we meet again."
As she finished, she threw her rose gently onto the coffin as Jemma stepped forward to read her words.
"A million times I've needed you, a million times I cried
If love alone could have saved you, you never would have died
In life I loved you dearly; in death I love you still
In my heart you hold a place no one else can ever fill
It broke my heart to lose you, but you didn't go alone
For part of me went with you, the day God took you home."
She sobbed as she lowered her rose into the coffin. Daisy held her hand as she said her parting words.
"God saw you getting tired; a cure was not to be
So he put his arms around you and whispered 'come with me'
With tearful eyes we watched you and saw you fade away
Although we loved you dearly, we could not make you stay
A golden heart stopped beating, your tender hands at rest
God took you home to prove to us he only takes the best."
As Daisy's rose glided beautifully onto the casket, the three ladies sat down as Coulson stood up, slowly making his way to the front and trying not to break down at the sight of his dearly departed friend as she prepared to rest forever.
"When we lost Melinda May, the world as we knew it shifted. It didn't make sense for her to not be here because she was taken from us too soon. Melinda May accomplished incredible things in her life, and those achievements will never be forgotten. It breaks my heart to know we can only dream of what she'd have gone on to do next. The only thing I can say for sure is that it would have been extraordinary, because Melinda didn't know how else to be but that. I've accomplished many achievements in my life that I am unbelievably proud of, but the greatest one of them all is that I can say that Melinda May was my colleague and, more importantly, my friend. My dear, dear friend. On the day she died she told me she didn't think there was anyone better to lead S.H.I.E.L.D. than me; she was wrong, because she inspired my leadership from the very beginning. Everything I do with S.H.I.E.L.D. in the future will be for Melinda May, our beautiful fallen friend. We will never forget her, and as a friend recently reminded me…all we have to do is look up to the sky, and she'll be there. Looking down on all of us, and telling us to shut up and get the hell on with it. It broke my heart to lose you, May, but I promise to never let you down again. We love you, Melinda, and we will miss you until the day we all see you again. Sleep well, May. Rest in peace."
…
Coulson had been staring at the gravestone in silence for twenty minutes. His tears had just about dried, but he knew another flood of them would come eventually. He barely registered the small footsteps walking up behind him and standing next to him.
"How're you doing?" Coulson asked with a whisper, turning to the person next to him.
"About as well as you." Jemma replied with a sniff.
Silence.
"I know how much you loved -"
"-Coulson, don't. Please. You're grieving as much as any of us."
She took Coulson's hand in hers, reading the name carved into the stone over and over, yet still not believing they were gone.
"This is my fault." Coulson said.
"Don't do that to yourself."
"I got reckless, you were all right. I should've listened but now…now it's too late to save all of you." Coulson cried almost silently.
"Sir, this isn't your fault. You know who's to blame, and we'll make them pay in every way they deserve to."
"…I thought you didn't want any more pain." Coulson sighed.
"That was before…before it ended like this." Jemma sobbed, placing a bouquet at the base of the grave.
"I'll leave you to it; I'll go and check on the others." Jemma added, squeezing Coulson's hand and walking off as more tears flowed down her cheeks.
Coulson knelt before the gravestone and lowered his head.
"I won't let this be for nothing, I swear." He swore, standing up again.
As memories entered his head and a tear left his eye, he rubbed the top of the gravestone fondly and respectfully.
"I'm so sorry."
With that, he turned and headed back. Coulson knew May would have forgiven him, but she was gone.
And for that, he would never stop blaming himself.
…
That night, as The Bus soared through the air, Coulson sat with a laptop at his desk and braced himself. Changing May's profile to 'deceased', as with any fallen agent, unlocks a pre-recorded video every agent must record in the event of their sudden death.
After a deep breath, Coulson hit play on the video and started crying the instant May's face appeared on the screen.
"Okay, I'm gonna make this quick. If you're watching this, then I'm…well, I'm no longer here anymore. And that's okay, as long as I went out valiantly. Part of being a good agent is willingness to make the ultimate sacrifice. Okay then. Mom, dad…I know it might have been tough at times, but I really do love you. Both of you. So much. My fellow agents – Joey, Lincoln, Mack, Bobbi, Hunter…it has been an absolute privilege to work alongside you all. I never dreamed that when I first joined this team I'd so much as find new friends. I didn't. I found a family. I found a family in all of you, and thank you. Grant Ward – go to Hell. Andrew…I know it didn't work out, but that wasn't because I didn't love you. I never stopped. I hope you find true happiness one day, whatever that means for you. Leo, Jemma – wow, it's weird using first names with you two – Fitzsimmons, you two are the sweetest, kindest people I think I've ever met. Part of me sees you as my children, and I'm so proud of how far you've come since this started…I'm sorry I won't be there to see how incredible you become. Also, if you haven't already…get your acts together and go on a date. Seriously, it drives me insane. Daisy – there are times you think of yourself as a monster. You're not. You are everything human and Inhuman should aspire to be. You are the most human of Inhumans, and I know you're going to go far. Never give in and…and just believe. And Phil…I hardly know where to begin with you. You saw my darkest day, and I honestly don't know if I've seen yours, but if I ever do, I promise to help you through it the same way you did to me. Your friendship and partnership means more to me than you'll ever know. Thank you, my friend. From the bottom of my heart. Getting me to join the team was the greatest gift anyone could ever give me. Thank you, Phil. For everything. Goodbye."
As the video ended, Coulson sobbed into the desk for hours. For the first time, and had truly hit him that his friend was gone. And it hurt more than any weapon could.
…
Coulson rushed into the briefing room in the early hours of the next morning, have been summoned there via a red alert. The whole team were there as he ran in.
"What's going on?" Coulson demanded.
"We've got a huge problem." Mack stated.
"I couldn't sleep, so I was trailing through the CCTV footage we salvaged from the Helicarrier." Daisy explained.
"And?" Coulson asked.
"…Maya's body didn't disintegrate away. It was taken. By R.E.S.C.U.E. More soldiers managed to get there before our salvage crew." Daisy revealed.
"…W-What does this mean? So they didn't need Maya alive for their plans?" Coulson asked.
"It seems not." Joey added, worried.
"They seem pretty confident in themselves; we have CCTV from all over the city of R.E.S.C.U.E. soldiers raiding hospitals and labs gathering all sorts of chemicals with various properties." Jemma announced.
"We also spotted crates in the back of their vans; it looks like R.E.S.C.U.E. have a supply of Terrigen crystals, probably obtained from the President when Maya had him under her control.
"What do you think they're planning?" Coulson wondered nervously.
Jemma looked at Fitz, terrified.
"Based on the mass amount and variation of chemicals taken, there must be some kind of experimentation, and adding Terrigen crystals into the mix…" Fitz began.
"What?" Coulson asked.
"…We think they're trying to repeat Terrigenesis on Maya's corpse." Fitz answered.
"Which would do what?" Coulson asked.
"We have no idea." Fitz panicked.
The dread in the room was immeasurable.
…
The lifeless body lay on a cold metal table for hours before anyone entered the room. Eventually, two men in suits walked in and observed the corpse in detail.
"And it's no longer radioactive?" The first man asked.
"All clear. We had some boys run all the tests." The second replied.
"I still don't know if we should be doing this." The first said cautiously.
"This is what R.E.S.C.U.E. was founded for. We're doing what Maya always wanted us to do. Even without her we have to do our jobs as members of R.E.S.C.U.E." The second retaliated.
"I know, but I feel like we're twisting her wishes."
"If we succeed with this, we'll be in the history books."
"…Okay. Send them in. Start the experiments." The first sighed nervously. The second man picked up the walkie talkie clipped to his belt.
"Operation 284 is a go. Now we begin."
The two men looked at what remained of Maya Anderson with a sense of fear and exhilaration.
"Are we really trying this?" The second man asked. The first man nodded with a smile.
"Yep. We're gonna bring Rage back to life."