In a world where 98% of the population had soulmarks, Skye was one of the 2% that just was born without one. She grew up in the system and naturally having no soulmark meant that she had no one to look forward meeting one day and spending the rest of their lives together. It most certainly didn't help that she kept getting rejected by the foster homes. Then one day on her fifteenth birthday, she decided that the Fates, soulmarks and everyone who thought the no markies were worthless could go screw themselves. She borrowed the van that Mr Brody had loaned her to teach her how to fix cars and took off after pointing an angry middle finger at the kids that teased her and Sister Madeline - because she was a prejudiced B towards the no markies.
"Skye, you didn't fill out the soulmark portion," Simmons glazed over her forms, flipping the medical records as she handed Skye the form. She pursed her lips and frowned at Skye who stared resolutely at the outstretched form. "Skye? What's wrong?"
Jemma glanced at the forms. "OH! Don't worry about it, it's only for level 7 and up eyes. Besides you upgraded our own security systems. No one's going to see it." She smiled encouragingly. "You need to fill this portion out to get your badge."
"I don't have a mark and there wasn't an option for no marks so I left it blank." Skye shrugged.
"You don't have a mark?" Fitz spun around surprised.
"No. Got a problem with that?" Skye squared her shoulders, ready for the degrading backtalk she had overheard all her childhood. It was true that she couldn't care that she was 'doomed' to be alone for the rest of her life but it didn't make their words hurt any less. And she was going punch either of them if they said it to her.
"Oh that's perfect!" Simmons exclaimed, clapping her hands together. Hurrying to her work pc, she began typing furiously, pulling up a half written document.
"Simmons had a theory that there are different kind of soulmarks. The ones that you're born with to an older soulmate, the one that you receive after your soulmate passes away and then there's those without marks." Fitz explained. "She thinks that those with soulmarks are people whose soul are shared between the two and those without are already perfect on their own."
Huh. Skye expected shit talking not… this… whatever this was considered.
"Did you know it's rumoured that Tony Stark doesn't have one either!" Simmons told her. "They say he's the largest mysterious contributor to CAUSE! You know.. Companions Against Unfairness to Soulmarkless Entities-"
Tony really was the largest mysterious contributor, but it wasn't because he was soulmarkless. Skye had the opportunity to meet him (after she traced the money through the multiple shell corporations and found JARVIS then was invited to the tower to meet him) and he told her that Pepper's sister had committed suicide after all the abuse because she was soulmarkless. Seeing the glow in Simmons face, Skye had no heart to tell her the truth, not that she would anyway since she made a promise to keep it a secret.
"I'm sure she knows that," Fitz retorted. "How does a soulmarkless not know of CAUSE?"
"And what do you think?" She asked Fitz who rolled his eyes at Simmons' enthusiasm.
"I think they got alien soulmarks."
"Really Fitz? Alien soulmarks?" Simmons scoffed over her notes and began quizzing her over ridiculous things.
"If aliens exist then they must have soulmarks too right? Since they're aliens, who know what kind of soulmarks would be like for them."
"They're soulmarks Fitz. Not rocket science.. " Skye muttered. She highly doubted other realms soulmarks would work differently just because they were another realm.
"Yes. They're most definitely not rocket science. This is so far more complicated-" Fitz scoffed.
"Than that. It's like comparing-"
"String theory to astronomy."
Simmons waved lazily at Fitz words. "Anyone can build a rocket. So what's it like being a markie?"
Skye internally winced at that word while Fitz elbowed Simmons and hissed at her. "You don't call them markies!"
"Sorry." Simmons bumbled. "So sorry!"
"The last record of Simmons was of her getting sucked into the stone." Behind Coulson was the looped playback of Simmons getting sucked into the stone. "There's a few suggestions to getting her out."
He glanced at Fitz who sat at the table, hands cupping his temple, eyes red from the lack of sleep then Skye who only stared back blandly. "We decided to send someone in… Skye…?"
Skye always knew it was going to be her. Coulson would have seen her as the most logical decision seeing she had no soulmate waiting for her, losing her wouldn't be that disastrous as it would be if a soulmarked would have. In the end it was them, markies. She inclined her head to Coulson, a tight-lipped smile ghosting her face as she stepped towards the stone.
"Why are you sending her? It'll kill her! You're just sending her because she's soulmarkless!" She heard Lincoln yell angrily in the hallway and Coulson reassuring him. "You can't! Skye! Don't! Skye!"
She closed her eyes and took a slow, deep breath. Fitz bowed his head to her, gripping her hand tightly, lips murmuring apologies as he stepped back into the hallway.
"Skye!" Lincoln wailed, held back by Mack and Hunter then the stone swallowed her.
It was black. Dark. Not void, but pitch black darkness like the shadows folded themselves around the light, enveloping everything. She could breathe, she wasn't dying. So she began walking though she had no idea where she was walking to.
She walked and walked until it felt like hours, or possibly days. She didn't tire or ache. She walked and walked till the darkness lightened and edges of the tunnel gradually faded into existence.
Eventually a woman faded into existence and her dark eyes looked up, catching Skye's, widening in surprise.
"Another?" She gave Skye a once-over.
"Not sure what you mean by another, but have you seen a dark blonde hair girl?"
The woman looked up at her startled, "Those words…" she patted her bosom. "Are you my soulmate?"
Skye shook her head. "I'm not marked." Pulling out Jemma's picture, she asked the crestfallen woman, "have you seen this girl?"
"Aye. She's this way. Her passage had not been as smooth as yours and she has been resting, the device that you used was not meant for Migardians. Perhaps when this is over, it would be a good idea to allow Thor investigate the device."
"Thor?" Skye spun her head to the woman. "You know Thor?"
"Aye. I am Lady Sif."
Wait what? Skye paused in mid-step. "I've met you before, but you look nothing like this-" She frowned, skeptical.
"It's the tunnel. It distorts time and reality. I have not met you yet so perhaps you are from my future?" she smiled tightly.
Skye wasn't sure how to respond to Sif's statement. For all she knew, this Sif could be an imposter, a mage… magician… She was going to ask Thor what he called people who dealt with magic on Asgard. Sage?
They continued down the tunnels in silence before they finally reached the end of it and when Skye stepped out of the tunnel, it felt like her senses had unclogged. The division between the tunnel and the exterior felt like a solid block of jelly as she struggled to walk through it into the outside.
The appearance of Sif rippled and seemed to peel away into the appearance that she had known.
"Your comrade is just there," she pointed at an exquisitely built house. The room was furnished as majestically as the house appeared on the outside. Skye was hardly surprised. If this was really Lady Sif, then as one of Thor's warriors, as one from Asgard, the furnishings would be equally amazing as how Tony had described them.
She pushed aside the thoughts of Lady Sif and worries about Tony, sitting on the bed beside Jemma. She was pallid, sweating and clearly ill.
"The healers have been here," Sif answered the unasked question. "She has to rest for another three days before we can move her to the guest quarters.
"May I stay with her until she's better? I mean, I know where she's from, so I can take her home when she's able, but… I think she'll be better with someone she knows nearby?"
"Surely that can be arranged," Sif agreed.
"Thanks. Is there anything I can do in return for your hospitality?"
Sif shook her head. "Not at this moment. Let's see to your friend, but I pledge that if we find ourselves in need of your aid, I shall ask."
Skye trailed behind Sif, watching the back view of the woman. She hadn't thought of previously, but Sif had been abnormally gentle towards her the last time she met Sif. Protected her from the Kree that had tried to kill her and advised her to seek her out should she need help, things that she hadn't expected from an Asgardian - not that she knew many Asgardians.
"Are there alien soulmarks?" Skye asked after a pregnant silence.
Sif smiled, the warmth in her smile reaching her eyes. "I don't know what you mean by alien, but there are many types of soulmarks on Asgard. The soul connects differently from realm to realm so the marks appear differently." She patted her breast where her soulmark was probably hidden beneath. "It appears I have a Midgardian soulmark like Prince Thor."
Skye hummed at her words. "So what about the markless?"
Sif seemed to struggle with herself before finally saying, "There are no markless, only those without visible marks."
Jaw working under the many choice things Skye would have traditionally retorted, she clenched her teeth, forcing herself to hold her peace. She could rant when Jemma was fit to leave, but it would do her - them - no good in arguing with Sif about it.
Sif held her arm out, catching Skye. "That isn't supposed to be here." Sif pulled her sword out, motioning to Skye. "Stay back, Lady Skye. Bilgesnipes aren't supposed to be in this part of the forest."
"That's a Bilgesnipe?"
The thing in topic were more than three time the size of the Bus, the antlers had to be as long as Lola. Skye flattened herself to the ground as it snarled and waved its antlers at them. To her right, Sif evaded its claws and antlers with lithe ease. Skye flung a wave of vibrations at the Bligesnipe, leaping into a roll when it roared at her.
"You have magic!" Sif exclaimed, blocking its claw.
"Courtesy of a Kree rock. More like powers actually," Skye bitterly answered. If she had to be frank, gaining powers wasn't the worst thing on her list. It gave her a certain amount of independence and though if asked if she would do it all again, Skye would have said no, it didn't change the fact that Skye found comfort in her powers.
She sent another wave of vibrations to the Bilgesnipe, slowing its attacks. Sif pressed on, hacking and slashing at the it. She spun, dancing through its attacks as though it was standstill. Her sword never slowing, blood curving into a crimson crescent as she flirted through the swipes, flowing from one motion to another.
Then a boy appeared along the path, freezing at the sight of the Bligesnipe.
"Get back!" Sif yelled.
That was all the beast needed. Its paw rammed against her sword, using a claw to hook it out of her hands. Sif ducked the second attack, pushing the boy out of harm's way.
There was something in Skye that demanded her to protect Sif. She twisted, launching herself at Sif, knocking her out of the creature's way. In one frantic moment, Skye tugged the vibrations that identified the bligesnipe, pulling it wildly. Her powers surged beneath her skin and she strained to hold it together with just enough control. Skye felt the rush of heat searing through her, beating against her fragile hold and it was gone. The bligesnipe roared in one last tremulous cry, feet folding beneath it.
Then silence.
She stood there, shoulders heaving. The rasp of her breathing seemed to echo as she struggled to pull herself together. With trembling legs, Skye hobbled to the Sif's supine form. "Are you alright?" She asked, placing a hand on Sif's bloodied arm. A jag of agony spiked through her hand, a searing pain flared on her palm. Her throat was a knot as she struggled for a breath, her mind in a giddy stupor. A set of runes was etched down her palm, like a writing, a name, a soulmark.
Skye stared at it blankly then at Sif. The hope beating in her ears so loudly that it seemed to engulf her.
"That's an Asgardian soulmark." Sif told her, her thumb running over the runes. "Our souls form a mark where they bond at first touch."
"A soulmark?" Skye's lips quivered as she took in Sif's words.
"If aliens exist then they must have soulmarks too right? Since they're aliens, who know what kind of soulmarks would be like for them."
Her eyes grew hot and watery, breath catching in her throat. Skye gulped a tight breath, almost sobbing in relief when she finally spoke. "Are you my soulmate?" Sif didn't answer, she didn't have to. She unfurled Skye's tight fists, gently kissing the runes. "Are you mine? - Forever?" she asked quietly into the thick silence.
"Yes," Sif cupped her cheek, wiping the tears away. "I am."
The week passed in a whirl. Now they stood just beside tunnel, Skye swallowing the fist of panic that threatened to engulf her. "I will see you again right?" She clutched tightly onto Sif's arm.
"In the correct time," Sif assured her, kissing the runes on Skye hand. She stepped away, regarding her with a soft affectionate gaze before the light swallowed the pair.
Jemma gripped the necklace that Queen Frigga had bestowed on her to protect her, slipping her hand into Skye's.
"Ready?" She asked, voice tight as they turned to face the tunnel.
Skye with a snarky grin, chuckled. "Time to go back to Kansas."
The walk back wasn't as bad as the walk there. Whether it was because of the protective necklaces or because she knew what to expect, Skye didn't know and didn't care enough. Her chest burnt with knowledge of her soulmate.
She had a soulmate!
She wasn't a markie anymore. There was an ache in her cheeks from all the grinning, but Skye just didn't care.
They burst into the light, back into the base where Fitz was dozing in a corner. "Leo!" Jemma cried, falling onto him, hugging him tightly.
Averting her eyes from their very public display of affection, Skye bounded towards Lincoln and Tony, mouth grinning, eyes dancing in merriment.
"Lincoln! Tony! I-"
The rest of the words was caught in her throat. Sif stood beside Thor staring intently at her. "S-Sif!"
"Skye," Sif smiled at her and then it felt like everything she had experienced had been worth every minute of it. Pulling her into her arms, Sif's hand brought Skye's palm to her lips, kissing the new soulmark. "For evermore." Sif cupped her cheek, stroking it. "Till time runs out if you'll permit me."
"Uh Skye? If you have a soulmark now, does that mean you can't be the director of CAUSE anymore?" Tony asked casually.
"Wait. What? Skye's the director of CAUSE?" Coulson choked.