It was the middle of the night and Skye was sat, trying to type an email to Ward. She hadn't got past the greeting of 'Hey!' when Amber came out of her bunk for a drink of water.
She saw Skye typing at her laptop.
"That isn't S.H.I.E.L.D issue" she remarked.
"No, it's mine."
"Personal electrical items are not allowed on the 'bus. I read it in the safety pamphlet." The snottish Amber recited. What she didn't realise was that Fitz-Simmons had altered the safety pamphlet to wind the AIT's up
"Well boo who for you!" Skye said before closing her laptop and going back to bed.
After half an hour of tossing and turning she went to sleep in Ward's bed.
The following morning May landed the plane in the remotest regions of Alaska. The team disembarked and filled up their supply packs. They were headed up the mountain to check on reports of massive destruction.
The AIT's were storming off up ahead, followed by May and then Fitz-Simmons and Coulson. Skye was lagging behind.
Coulson noticed this and dropped back to talk to her.
"You ok?" He asked her.
"Yeah. Fine"
"So why are you lagging?"
"Not been sleeping very well recently."
"Missing him?"
"Always!"
"He'll be back before you know it!" He told the young, junior agent, putting his arm around her shoulders and giving her a squeeze. Skye smiled at him and, even though she had very little energy, she picked up her speed.
When they got to the top of the craggy rock face they could see why they had been called. Craters the size of houses had appeared almost overnight, but they were smooth and seamless, so they had obviously not been dug by hand. The local shepherd had spotted them and called the national forestry service, and in turn they had called the NSA, who had called S.H.I.E.L.D.
Fitz and Simmons got to work. They got the Dwarves out of their case and started taking measurements. They also took mineral samples, air samples, soil samples, electrical discharge readings and radiation levels. Skye was busy tapping away at her computer, sorting through the data the Dwarves were collecting. The AIT's were wondering around, a little helpless, not entirely sure what to do. May was stood talking to Coulson about possible causes of such a phenomenon.
Then the shots rang out. Coulson and May pulled their weapons out of their holsters, Amber and Kain froze and Fitz and Simmons packed the Dwarves away and headed over to Skye, who was behind the protection of Coulson.
"Anyone got eyes on the shooter?" Coulson asked.
"No." Was the cry from everyone.
Coulson and May had identified the direction from which the shots came from and as Coulson gave her cover fire, May crept out of the smooth basin and around to the spot where the gunman was. By the time she got to the location he was gone.
"Everyone back to the 'bus" Couslon ordered.
Nervously at first, the group made their way back down the mountain side to the plane.
When they were in the comfort of their own space Fitz, Simmons and Skye set to analysing the limited date they had collected. What they found scared them as much as the bullets flying.
"We found very high levels of electromagnetic energy in the pit" Simmons told Coulson when he came to check in.
"What sort of electromagnetic energy?" Coulson asked, even though he already knew the answer.
"The type the Covenant used last year with their weapon." Skye confirmed.
"That's not good news"
"No. The levels of energy we are seeing is 10 times stronger than what we saw last year." Simmons confirmed.
"Erm... Guys. What's the Covenant?"