Chapter 45.

This is going to be a slightly odd, broken-up chapter. If you didn't see Episode 10, What They Become, it might not make a lot of sense. It basically adds to conversations that took place and fills in some things that took place 'off camera' in my AU. If you missed the episode or you want a refresher, I recommend you look for a recap – superherohype dot com's is pretty decent!

Scene 1

May and Coulson are running through the halls of the Ponce de Leon Theatre, shooting HYDRA agents. They are talking about what they could use in the way of backup and extra men.

"You know what we could use right now?"

"Another fifty men?" May shot back irritably.

"I was thinking a dozen, but I like your idea better."

"Or some Avengers."

"We've had this conversation, May!"

"I still think you were wrong." She shot a HYDRA goon who popped up and nodded to Phil, who dashed across the hallway to check the next corner. "Just think how nice it would have been to send Clint, Nat and Steve in to clear this place for us!"

Phil didn't say anything for a moment. "What did you do, Melinda?" he asked finally.

"I did nothing. You ordered me not to." She stared him down. "I might, however, have not dissuaded Trip when he said he felt Steve ought to be informed about Skye and Ward." Where the fuck are they? But then she didn't know when, or even if, Trip had been able to make the call. She should have given him her phone, with Nat's number in it. She wanted Nat by her side. Especially since that freaky brainwashed bitch wearing her face was running around.

"I'm going that way," she pointed along a corridor. "You go that way."

Phil raised his eyebrows at her giving him orders, but she was the combat specialist. He headed down the stairs, gun at the ready.

Scene 2

When the Doctor leaves Skye and Ward in the room together, both tied up.

(WARNING. If you like Ward, you will NOT like this).

"I'll get you out of here, Skye," Grant tipped his chair over beside the dead agent, scrabbling for the knife in the agent's belt. "Just give me a moment. I won't make you go down in the tunnels if you don't want to, I can take you away if that's what you want."

"I'm not going anywhere with you, you fucking creep!"

"Don't be like that, Skye. I love you, you know that. Everything I've done, I've done for you."

"Ward," she said, slowly. He looked up at her, the knife between his fingers. "I don't love you. I will never love you."

"Of course you do." He smiled, an insane, creepy smile. "I'm everybody's type. You've loved me from the beginning. You wanted me at Providence, at the Hub; you kissed me then."

"We all make stupid mistakes. You were one of those frogs I had to kiss before I found my prince."

He froze in the very act of cutting out of his cuffs. "What do you mean, found your prince?"

Oh, shit. He was so erratic, so unstable – would he kill her if she told him about Steve? Fuck it. She might be about to die here anyway. Skye lifted her chin bravely. "Yes, I have, and he's ten times the man you'll ever be."

Grant snorted, cutting himself loose. "Now I know you're making it up." He came over and slashed her bonds. "Let me go first, Skye…" He headed for the door.

She ran for the body, snatched up the gun Ward had forgotten. He really was insane. How the hell did he expect to get them out of there without the gun? She shot him. Four times. But – she couldn't kill him. Because he had saved her life, more than once – and he was mad. Perhaps it would be kinder to put him out of his misery, but it was still a hard thing to kill someone who had once been your friend. She couldn't imagine how Coulson had blown Garrett away so calmly.

"Never turn your back on the enemy. You taught me that." The shocked betrayal on his face made her take one final parting verbal shot. "And you're wrong. I wasn't making it up. My man is ten times the man you are. He's Captain America." She ran.

Grant dropped his head against the wall, true agony coursing through him. The pain in his side was nothing compared to what Skye had just done to him. She'd cut out his heart.

Captain America. How could he compete with that?

He lay, lost in his own misery, for several minutes until Agent 33 turned up, grief all over May's damaged face. "Help me up. I can get us out of here," he lied to her. He had a kill to make first.

If he couldn't have Skye, no one could.

Scene 3.

When Trip goes back down the hole to defuse the bombs, leaving Jemma and Fitz in the watchtower.

"Oh my God, no," Jemma clutched at Fitz. He clutched her back.

"What do we do?"

"I don't know!" she stared down the hole. "What if he – goes like Mack?"

"Mack wasn't down there," Fitz muttered. "His body should have been there."

"Zombie ants," Jemma said, and they shared a dark look.

"How long until the backup gets here?" Fitz asked.

Jemma looked at her watch. "Maybe another forty minutes? The Avenjet's faster than a quinjet, but I'm not sure by how much. Unless Tony Stark was there, or Thor, in which case they might be here quicker…"

"Iron Man wouldn't be much use down there, but what I wouldn't give for Thor to be here right now," Fitz said wistfully.

Jemma's phone rang, making her jump. "It's May," she looked at the screen. "Hello?"

"Jemma, what happened, Trip's phone cut out?"

"He went down to defuse the bombs – May, he wasn't in a suit!"

"Neither were Coulson or Skye," May said grimly, "or Raina." She hesitated. "Did Trip make a call for backup?"

"Yes, he called Clint, but not until we were on our way here." Jemma gulped. "I'm afraid they'll be too late."

May was silent for a long moment. And then she said "Hang in there, Jemma. Don't lose hope."

"Fuck this!" Fitz snatched the phone from Jemma's hand even as May hung up. He jabbed at the screen. "I'm calling Clint."

"Give that to me!" she snatched it back. But she didn't cut the connecting call.

"Jemma?" his deep voice said a moment later. "Are you all right?"

She burst into tears. Fitz snatched the phone back again. "Clint, we're all right but everything's going to hell in a handbasket. Mack's body's not where it should be and we don't know what's happened to him. Coulson and Skye are in the underground city and Raina's got the Obelisk…"

"Steady, Fitz," Clint's voice was calm and reassuring. "We're about thirty minutes out. JARVIS has your position from the phone signal, and May's too. Natasha's calling May now for her take."

Fitz took a deep breath, tightening his arm around Jemma's shaking shoulders. "Nothing technological works down there, Clint. We were working with clockwork and fucking flame torches."

"Good thing Steve and I prefer medieval tools then, isn't it?" Clint said, keeping his voice calm to try and keep Fitz steady. "We have Barnes and Sam with us too but we'll leave them topside. Are Hunter and Morse around?"

"With May."

"All right. Not long now, Fitz. Hang in there and take care of Jemma for me."

"Yes, Clint."

Clint cut the line, focussing on his instruments again. Hearing Jemma's terrified sobs in the background nearly broke him. He touched buttons, trying to coax another tiny fraction of speed from the jet.

"I'm coming, love," he whispered, eyes trained on the horizon. "I'm coming."

Scene 4.

In the Temple chamber.

She should have run. Should have fled Raina's crazy stare and the Obelisk floating into the air before settling on the pedestal. But – something there called to Skye. Held her frozen, staring at the strange symbols flaring in the air.

Her father was wrong, as well. He wasn't the only one who would understand if she changed. Steve had been changed, too. He'd never abandon her. He'd understand, help her through whatever happened.

Then Trip was there, running in, and she knew to her bones that this was wrong, that he shouldn't be there. But it was too late, the chamber was sealed – and if she was truly honest, she was glad to have a friend by her side.

DAT SHIT GOIN' DOWN.

Are the Avengers gonna get there in time to help?

Read on to find out…