"But I'm holding on for dear life, won't look down, won't open my eyes,

Keep my glass full until morning light, 'cause I'm just holding on for tonight,

Help me, I'm holding on for dear life, won't look down, won't open my eyes,

Keep my glass full until morning light, 'cause I'm holding on for tonight,

On for tonight...,"

-Chandelier; by Sia

Erik, Opal, Jane, and Darcy stood around the apartment, which looked uncomfortably larger without all the things Jane cluttered it with. Opal noticed how the walls had more room, how the sounds of their footsteps echoed. Letting out a sigh, Opal brushed some of her hair away from her face. Those men, and whoever Coulson was, knew about Jane's research and about Opal. How did they know about Opal? How did they know about Jane and her studies?

"(Erik, you seemed to know those men)," Opal exclaimed, linking her telepathy to the older man's mind. "(Who are they)?"

There was no response. She knew Erik heard her, and she wanted answers immediately. Coulson, whoever or whatever the hell S.H.I.E.L.D. was — it made no sense. How long had they been keeping tabs on them? It didn't make any sense. Those men were able to spy on other people and not get in trouble?

"(I know you can hear me)," Opal exclaimed, her tone sharp. "(How did they know where to find us? Who are they)?"

"(They are not people you should be messing with)." Was that desperation in Erik's tone? What did he know about them? When Opal turned to look in his direction, there was a pained expression on Erik's face. It made Opal's features soften. She felt bad for coming on so strong, but with everything that had been going on, she was about to burst. Nothing seemed to make sense anymore. Strange men falling from the sky, unexplained markings on the ground, hammers, weird suited men stealing atmospheric research — what has the world come to?

"How can they do something like this?" Jane murmured, pain evident in her voice. "I worked so hard to get here. They just...took it all away."

"You'll get it back," Darcy sighed. "I mean, they can't keep it forever, right?"

Darcy and Jane looked at Erik, as if he'd have the answer to all their problems. The pained look on his face seemed to intensify. Whatever he knew on S.H.I.E.L.D., he wasn't willing to share it. No matter how hard Opal pushed, or how many questions Jane asked, Erik was standing firm with his belief in not sharing any details.

"Why don't we get some air?" Opal suggested. "Maybe that'll help us calm down."

O.O.O.O

After making their way to the top of the apartment building, the four of them sat down on the building's edge, looking at the pathetically small town with obvious disinterest. They knew the town's layout inside and out. They all sat in a long, heavy silence for a good twenty minutes before Jane broke it.

"Years of research," she muttered cynically. "Gone."

"They even took my iPod," Darcy sighed, sounding disappointed.

"What about the backups?" Erik asked, after a moment of heavy silence had gone by.

"They took our backups," Jane sighed. "They took the backups of our backups. They were extremely thorough."

"I just downloaded like thirty songs onto there," Darcy went on.

"Darcy, just forget the iPod, okay?" Opal sighed. "I think, for now, we need to just to take a breather from all this."

Jane visibly stiffened where she sat. "I can't just calm down from this," she exclaimed. "They took my research! They took my equipment! What do they expect me to do? Sit around and do nothing?"

"They knew us, Jane," Opal exclaimed. "Whatever those people are, they've been keeping a close eye on us. If you try to start your research again, they'll come back and take it."

There was an obviously frustrated huff but no other word on the matter. They all sat there in silence for a moment longer before Erik spoke up.

"I knew this scientist," he sighed, "a pioneer in gamma radiation. S.H.I.E.L.D. showed up and he was never heard from again."

"How do they know how to keep track of all this?" Opal sighed.

"They've got eyes and ears everywhere," Erik muttered. "Who knows how much stuff they know?"

"They're not gonna do that to us," Jane exclaimed.

"Let me contact one of my colleagues," Erik proposed. "He's had some dealings with these people before. I'll email him; maybe he can help."

"...They took your laptop, too," Darcy announced.

O.O.O.O

It didn't take Opal long in deciding she wanted to leave. After everything that had gone down, she wanted some alone time. Erik was more than willing to give the young mutant the space she needed; something she was grateful for. Jane was too pent up in her anger and confusion on the S.H.I.E.L.D. issue to really notice, and Darcy was more than accepting in her friend's willingness to leave.

While Opal made her way back to her apartment, she stopped when she noticed a tall figure going into the town's only pet store. She didn't get a good look at him, but she swore there was a hint of familiarity in that figure's appearance. Chewing on her bottom lip anxiously, Opal debated whether or not to make sure it really was someone she knew and not her imagining things. Letting out a frustrated sigh, she made her way over to the pet store.

(A/N):

I know, I know — this story took a ridiculously long amount of time to get up. But I have been so overwhelmed with school and work lately that this was pushed to the very back of my mind. Hopefully you guys find some enjoyment from this chapter anyway.

Do I own anything in the MCU? No. No I don't.

If you've got ideas for OCs or subplots or whatever that you'd like to see written in future updates, don't hesitate to PM me or leave a review. Don't forget to leave some constructive criticism.

Be kind to one another, don't text and drive, and be sure to treat each other with respect.

Thank you.

Judith W