What's this? Two in one day? I couldn't resist! As always let me know what you think!
By the way, the italics is Coulson's (later Skye's) dream, and it may not make sense at first. Rest assured, it will make sense at some point in later chapters.
Just thought I'd warn you ahead of time. Carry on.
"Yesterday Is History"
"Oh God. Skye."
Eyes conveyed his anxiety. Heart pounding, Phil Coulson was at a loss at what to do. Well, not entirely at a loss. He was just unable to contact the one person who could help him. Damn whole death and then reviving deal.
Pacing back and forth in the waiting area, he was on autopilot. The team stood nearby, helplessly watching their leader in his own little world.
"What should we do, May?" Ward asked the pilot, crossing his arms and subconsciously rubbing his chin.
"For once, I don't know." May admitted, hands loosely folded into fists and down at her sides, looking every bit concerned like a close friend or really family member would be.
"Shouldn't one of us contact either Dr. Foster or Thor?" Simmons asked, looking completely uncomfortable with the situation. Fitz remained quiet, feeling out of place and uncertain how to proceed. "Perhaps, they can shed some light on how to proceed."
"No." May's stoic tone answered not only Simmons but was directed to the other two as well, never wavering her eyes from Coulson's pacing. She hadn't even looked back at FitzSimmons who were standing behind them. "One of the stipulations of Coulson's revival is he isn't allowed to have any contact with the Avengers. But I know who can."
"Don't you think this calls for a recant of that stipulation?" Fitz questioned.
Ward looked back at Fitz. "Like Skye, they don't have the clearance to know of his revival, even Romanoff and Barton don't and they're in S.H.I.E.L.D." The Combat and Espionage Specialist reiterated. "Skye just happened to stumble upon us. That's the only reason why she knows he's alive."
"This is Skye we're talking about, Ward! Normally I'm all for following protocols and regulations, but right now, I could care less. We have to get her back." Simmons stressed, feeling like she'd just lost her sister.
"And we will." May assured the biochemist, extending that reassurance to the engineer as well. "We just have to figure out a way to contact Thor without him finding out about Coulson."
Unable to stand being useless, Ward started to walk away. "I'm going to contact Commander Hill."
"I'll call Director Fury." May informed the team, following Ward.
FitzSimmons were left in the wind, to keep an eye on their leader, who hadn't appeared to hear any of the conversation. The scientists looked at each other with uncertain expressions before turning back to Coulson. They were certain he would wear a hole in the floor.
"You know I have the authority to downgrade your ass to a Winnebago…Talking to me about authority."
"Agent May, what do you mean Loki took the consultant!" Fury stressed, running an exasperated hand over his baldhead. "How the hell did that sonofabitch Asgardian get back to Earth?"
Of course, that was a rhetorical question, yet he felt he needed to voice it. Fury about had it with the mischievous adopted brother of the God of Thunder. That "puny" god caused more trouble for Earth than even terrorists did.
Looking through his glass door, he saw Hill waiting to enter. Her Bluetooth blinked blue. Obviously, she was on the phone as well. He waved her in.
"Agent Ward's on the phone, informing me about Skye's abduction." Hill informed him.
"Hang on." Fury held up a finger. "May, get with Ward. Commander Hill's with me. It'll be a helluva lot easier to speak to both of you over speaker." Fury instructed. Soon enough, Hill heard the call end and Ward speak in the speakerphone.
"Is there any way to contact Thor about Loki's latest scheme?" Ward asked.
Fury looked knowingly at his second-in-command. Both knew it was time to reveal the rest of what he'd kept from Coulson. "Stand by." Then, he pressed the mute button. "He'll freak when he finds out."
"You know it has to be done." Hill stated. "He's the only way to bring her back here. Thor's not even anywhere near Earth or Asgard, according to Jane Foster."
The only sign Fury gave away was the clenching of his jaw and the glare he sent Hill, who they both knew was unaffected. "Dammit." He growled before pressing the mute button again. "I want your team back here ASAP." Fury ordered. "I need to speak with Agent Coulson immediately."
"Yes, sir!" May and Ward responded in unison.
Fury slammed his finger on the end button as hard as possible. Rubbing the bridge of his nose, he sighed deeply. "Are you certain this is the right path to travel down?" He asked, raising his head to look at her.
"You know it is." Hill said in a certain voice, taking a seat in left chair of the two chairs in front of his desk. "We should have given him the whole file when he demanded it. He could have processed the whole story." Hill sighed. "No one understands why you did everything in your power to bring him back."
"You do." Fury declared.
"Yes." Hill softly responded, nodding her head as she crossed her arms. "You were obligated to save him, plus he is a dear friend. I'd do the exact same thing if I was in your position, sir."
"He's a great agent, and he's made one helluva efficient team." Fury took another deep breath before letting it go. "He's got the intuition, taking a troubled person and making them into a valuable asset."
"He's invaluable. I get it, sir." Hill responded, not feeling the least bit jealous.
Fury nodded. "We just can't lose him."
"We won't. Not if we keep the girl with him. You and I both know she means so much more to him than even he realizes." Hill stated.
Fury scoffed. "Yeah, the fraternization protocols." The director laid his arm on the desk, tapping the smooth varnished wooden furniture in a broken manner. "There is an exception to that rule."
"Only when it proves to be beneficial to S.H.I.E.L.D." Hill recited.
"I believe the relationships on Team Coulson benefits S.H.I.E.L.D." Fury spoke with such authority.
Hill smiled. "Secretly, you just want Phil happy." She arched an eyebrow, knowing she was right.
"See, this is why you're my second-in-command. You know exactly what I'm thinking." Fury mused. "Now, get outta my head, Hill!" He barked.
Hill just smugly smiled.
"Hey…What up?"
Coulson remained in his office the whole entire ride to HQ, except to use the bathroom or shower. Staring at the mounted TV with S.H.I.E.L.D. emblem on the screen, he zoned out, reveling in his thoughts, wearing a pissed off expression.
Smiling, he thought back on the moment he first laid eyes on Skye. Her brave attitude immediately shut down when Ward shoved the door open and looked rather surprised that she'd been caught. Now when she looked at him, it was filled with appreciation and/or love – he wasn't entirely which one. He knew she definitely appreciated him, not Agent Coulson but the man underneath: Phil.
Loki had taken something he loved. Just like he had before. After killing him, he'd taken away the chance for love once before with the cellist. Now, he'd done it again. Did the god have a beef with him or something?
I'll kill the sonofabitch if he harms her any more than she already is. He vowed. With his own Asgardian weapon if I have to.
He was so consumed in his thoughts that he failed to see May pop in. "What is it, May?"
"We'll be landing in twenty minutes, Phil." She informed him.
"Alright. Thanks." He acknowledged, getting up, not even fazed that she'd used his first name. May closed his door and walked off. He went to the couch in his office and strapped in.
"But I'm tired of secrets…We need to root out all the secrets."
Coulson stood in front of Fury's desk, hands folded in front of him and feet snapped together. He waited for Fury to say something. Sitting in the left chair in front of the desk, Hill turned her head to look up at Coulson.
Unable to understand why Fury had been so insistent to see him at home base, he observed the area, focusing on a closed S.H.I.E.L.D. file in front of Fury, who seemed unsure how to say whatever he intended to say.
"Sir, will you just tell me what's on your mind?" The Level-8 agent resigned, slouching his shoulders and allowing his bosses to see how distress he really was.
Fury looked to Hill, who gave him an encouraging nod, before offering a piece of what he wanted to discuss. "This is about you and the consultant."
Coulson's only reaction was the fleeting panicked expression on his face. "Wha-What about the consultant and me?"
"I know about your feelings toward her." Fury cryptically said.
The fleeting panicked expression crossed his face once again before he was able to mask the emotions behind a blank look. Standing firmer, he spoke in a firm tone. "My feelings for Skye is purely professional, sir." He lied.
"That's bullshit, Phil!" Fury bolted out of his chair, letting it slam into the bookshelf behind him and fall on its side. A pissed off expression etched on his face as he slammed his hands on the wooden desk, letting the sound echo off the walls. Coulson and Hill startled briefly before Coulson returned the stoic expression; Hill merely looked over at Fury, giving him a death glare that was as almost powerful as his was. She was the only person that could actually intimidate him, not even the Council held that power.
"You want to know why I know that, Coulson?" He asked rhetorically. Straightening and walking out from behind the desk, Fury pointed at Coulson as he approached the younger agent. "I can see the underlining emotions you have for her, despite having one eye." Fury stopped in front of the man, studying his face. "I can see that same defeated look you had once you realized you could no longer be with that cellist after you were revived."
"Sir–" Coulson started.
"Don't try to deny it!" Fury warned, stepping a few feet away. "It's not hard to see when a man or woman's in love with someone, even those who have perfected unreadable expressions like you." Fury turned away from him. "You're not here just because of that."
Coulson raised an eyebrow, confusion written on his face. "Sir?"
Fury walked back to his desk, bending over to pick up his chair. He stood in front of the file again, placing his dominant hand pointer finger in the middle of the closed document. "We've been keeping something from you."
Coulson looked surprised before he narrowed his eyes. Again? Seriously? He thought in disbelief. How many things were they keeping from him?
Hill finally spoke up, drawing Coulson's glare to her. "Director Fury and I were trying to protect you."
"I can protect myself just fine." He grounded out.
"Not from third-parties like the Clairvoyant." Hill stated. She had a point. He could give her that.
"I don't understand. I get that you used six different experiments to bring me back that failed. The seventh one seemed to work. Is that what they want? Access to the seventh experiment?" He questioned.
"There weren't just seven." Fury spoke up, surprising the hell out of Coulson. "There were eight total."
"You performed eight different operations on me?" He questioned in disbelief. At Fury and Hill's nods, he continued. "Why? What makes me so goddamn special?"
Fury dropped the formalities. "You saved me countless times, Phil; and you're one of my best friends." He turned the file around to face him, sliding it forward. "It was the only logical thought I had at the time."
"Director Fury moved heaven and earth."
He could accept that, although he wasn't particularly happy that they performed eight different operations. After two, they should have stopped.
As he stared at the file Fury currently had his finger on, he thought back on the seven different operations; however, he couldn't remember the seventh or eighth ones. Lifting his head to look at Fury, he asked. "Why can't I remember what number seven and eight are?"
Fury looked to Hill who then drew Coulson's attention and answered his question. "By the sixth operation, your body was – metaphorically speaking – on its last leg. We had exhausted all of our resources until…" she trailed off.
Coulson waited a beat. "Until what?" He stared at Hill first before averting his gaze to their boss.
"Until another option became available." Fury answered, looking down at the file.
He was surprised, lowering his gaze to the file. "Sir, what's in the file?" He wondered out loud.
"You should read it, Phil. This'll answer the questions that I'm sure are running through your head." Fury straightened and reached down to drag his chair under him. Sitting, he gestured for Coulson to occupy the other chair. Hesitating, Coulson stayed put before Hill gave him an encouraging nod.
Sitting, he leaned forward, cautiously reaching for the file, almost afraid that whatever it held would somehow bite him. He was ordering himself not to freak out no matter what was in between its silver covers. Drawing back, he opened the file and started reading through the entire thing, not missing the apprehension from the other two occupants he could see from the corner of his eyes.
"Subject seems to be losing will to live. It is suggested to cease all further operations for the sake of subject's insanity." He read, noting it was Streiten's report. He glowered at the piece of paper like it was to blame for his mood. Deciding he'd had enough with Streiten's report, he turned the page. "Subject has been sent to Asgardian territory for further medical treatment. It should be noted that Asgardian medical team have reported success in revival."
Asgard? He wondered. I've been on Asgard. Why the hell would they not tell me! Coulson actually thought it would have been cool to see the home of the gods. Damn!
Snapping his head up, he looked directly at Fury. "This is the reason why you failed to mention it before? What am I? Half-Asgardian?"
Fury shook his head. "They used a healing power to repair the damage done to you. The eighth operation was to plant the memories."
Irritated, Coulson grabbed the file and left, heading straight for his bed.
"It's a magical place."
Coulson snapped his eyes shut, tossing the file onto his nightstand and trying to desperately to erase that autopilot response. He had to remind himself that Tahiti hadn't been real, that it wasn't a magical place he originally thought.
Heart racing, he clenched his teeth, ignoring the concerns of his bosses. By then, his mind had slipped into memories flooding his system. Distorted voices, slivers of bright light, surroundings cold, pain everywhere…He heard himself shriek.
"He's drifting." The distorted female nurse stated. He remembered that nurse's voice from one of his operations.
His heartbeat sped up even more and began heavily panting. Snapping his eyes open, he was no longer in his room. He was in Asgard in their Healing Room. His body was suspended in air, unconscious over some sort of Asgardian bed. Colors swirled around his body; a creamy white cloth had been draped over his private parts. A middle age woman stood next to his bed with closed eyes, holding out her hand. He watched while the brown-haired Caucasian woman seemed to actually heal him. Two other women were monitoring his vitals.
Taking a closer look at his stilled form, he noted his pale skin, the recent sown cuts all over his body. He watched as his newborn scars sealed up, leaving his skin clear. Widening his eyes, he was suddenly pulled back out of that memory and thrown into some place else.
"Dr–Drifting...He's drifting."
Staring directly at Skye's unconscious form resting in the same spot he'd laid. "Skye." He whispered, taking a step forward only to knock into an invisible wall. Studying it, he smacked on it, testing its strength. Plexiglas. He concluded before placing a hand against the mirror, watching helplessly while the woman did whatever she did.
"Skye, wake up!" He yelled desperately, smacking his hand a few hesitant times. His wish went unfulfilled. Looking passed her, he saw Odin watching nervously nearby with Loki next to him. "Get away from her, asshole!" Coulson barked but it grew fruitless, feeling the mischievous god didn't deserve to be in his Skye's presence no matter whether she was unconscious or not.
Somehow Loki seemed to sense his presence, if his averted gaze staring directly at him was anything to go by. A mischievous grin broke out on his face, and Coulson definitely knew he could see him. He spoke briefly to Odin before the older man nodded and Loki stepped away, disappearing out of the room.
"Have you missed my face that much, Son of Coul?" Loki teased from behind him.
Turning on his heels, he came face to face with his murderer. Clenching his jaw, Coulson wanted to kill him but said nothing about that. "You took her from me. Give her back, Loki." He said testily.
"I was under orders to retrieve her." Loki answered like that could explain it all.
"By who?" Coulson asked, baffled that Loki actually followed orders. He followed Loki's stare. "Your father." He deduced.
"You are correct." Loki nodded once.
"Why does your father want Skye now? Where was he twenty-four years ago?" Coulson wondered.
"Father wants to heal his youngest child. Like Thor, Father has a soft spot for Midgardians. Skye was conceived out of love like Thor was." Loki's gaze shifted to Skye. "She is destined for great things, Son of Coul. Greater things than what Midgardians believe are great things."
"What's your game, Loki? Surely, you have some mischief under your sleeve." Coulson eyed him.
"Not at the moment. Like Father, I want to protect her. She is my baby sister after all. It's custom to protect all women and children, even if some are warriors." Loki assured him, which Coulson didn't believe. The god knew it, so he decided to clue him in on what was really going on. "Our uncle, Kaju – the God of Death and War – is one of Father's enemies. He believes the easiest way to hurt Father is to kill his youngest beloved child, whose invincibility is unlike his other children. Kaju was able to kill an entire village before he realized she was no longer in the village." Loki watched Coulson, who had turned to watch Skye. "Her technological side kicked in years ago. Once she is revived, her telekinesis ability will kick in."
"He was still holding onto the 0-8-4. Pour thing was covered in blood. We thought she was dead, too, but she was just asleep in the dead agent's arms. If she had powers or something, we never witnessed it."
He remembered the conversation he'd had with Richard Lumley, and now the story made absolute sense. She needed to be protected from Kaju, but they would have to enlist the Asgardians to help. "Oh my god." His eyes widened; Loki looked puzzled. "The Clairvoyant, whom S.H.I.E.L.D. has been searching for, is your uncle, Kaju. He's hoping to draw her out."
"And he has by keeping a particular eye on you since your return from the dead. He has realized that she is technological enhanced, but he has failed to discover her tied-in telekinesis ability. Kaju built an army using the Hydra material, hoping his 'gods' would suffice in some twisted battle in his head." Loki paused before continuing. "In a round about way, he murdered my mother. After learning of her death, I joined your side, even though my opinion of you Midgardians has not changed. As common knowledge, I am the God of Mischief so my ability comes in handy from time to time. It will be useful when Kaju pinpoints her."
"S.H.I.E.L.D. can protect her just as much as you can here. We've been doing it all along." He stated.
"I know. Kaju had her shot to not only harm Father but to hurt you as well. He knows you are the first non-Asgardian who has been healed by an Asgardian, and he feels like Father has disgraced Asgard. Kaju wants the throne just as much as I once did."
"My team will protect her; I will protect her. Whether she's Asgardian or not, she belongs with me." He made sure Loki understood that.
Loki studied him. Coulson had turned back to the mirror, staring longingly at the younger woman. "You are in love with her." He stated in a questioning tone. "Just like my brother is with the Daughter of Foster."
"Yes." Coulson answered, no longer afraid to admit his feelings to his archenemy. "Your uncle has probably come to that conclusion as well."
"Kaju does not understand love. It is not built in his system. I doubt he has figured that out." Loki told him the absolute truth. "When you are ready, ask Heimdall to open the Bifrost. Either Father or myself will be there to greet you."
Before Coulson respond, Loki was gone. He was thrown into the Healing Room right next to Skye, observing her. Lowering his hand to place over her stomach, something invisible blocked his path. He knew it was the mirror that seemed to separate both of them. "I'll bring you home." Coulson vowed, "somehow." He finished, letting his reserved smile out.
TBC...