Isadora stood in the cargo bay of the Bus watching the ramp descend. "You sure you don't want to stay for a few days?" she asked Skye.
"I'm sure", Skye replied.
"Well, if you change your mind you're more than welcome", Isadora offered.
"Thanks. I'll let you know", Skye said.
Isadora picked up her bag and walked down the ramp after it came to stop. She'd almost reached the end when she heard FitzSimmons call her name. She turned to see the science duo hurrying towards her, carrying a bag. "This is for you", Jemma said holding out the bag.
"What is it?" Isadora asked.
"Open it", Jemma said. The brunette set down her bag and took the one from her friend. She opened it to find a slightly futuristic looking black gun.
"You gave me a gun", Isadora stated taking it out.
"It's not just any gun. It's an Incapacitating Cartridge Emitting Railgun", Fitz said sounding very proud at that.
"ICER for short. Its upgraded version of the night-night gun", Jemma added.
"It's also a better sounding name", Skye put in.
"While I don't disagree with that, why are you giving it to me? I'm an archaeologist…well, former archaeologist…"
"Can you really be a former archaeologist?" her twin piped up "I mean, its not like you can forget everything you've studied or practiced".
"I suppose not…"
"So then you still ARE an archaeologist", Skye grinned "our very own Indiana Jones", she fondly added.
"Just call me Dr Jones", Isadora teased with a wink at her twin "though maybe it should be more Daniel Jackson…with a space gun" she waved it at the science duo "and you two are going to tell me why you've given me this".
"It's to protect yourself", Fitz states as if it were obvious.
"And Coulson is ok with you guys giving me one?" Isadora asked.
"Of course he is", Jemma said quickly.
The brunette raised a brow, not believing her hasty answer for one second "Right. Of course", she said slowly.
"You've got 6 rounds of dendrotoxin in the gun and you have two extra magazines", Fitz explained.
"Well thank you. Both of you for this. I'll make sure that I don't lose it", Isadora said. She put the ICER back in the bag she was given and then stowed it away in her own larger bag. She said her goodbyes to FitzSimmons and her twin and then left the plane. She didn't particularly want to leave, but she had to. Jackie needed her now more than her considering it had been a year since either of them had seen or heard from Rose.
Not like Isadora didn't try to get in touch with her younger sister. She rung her number whenever she got spare time and left dozens of messages. But she got nothing back. Isadora also took time off between missions to go home to be with her adoptive mother. The team were very supportive, Fitz and Skye created a programme that would alert them if Rose popped up anywhere in the world.
There were two points in the year where it was extremely difficult to cope. The first being Rose's birthday. That was spent comforting Jackie and trying to get a hold of Rose to get her to come home. The second point in the year was Christmas. Again that was spent comforting Jackie and calling Rose. Isadora did bring Skye back with her when she came home so she could properly introduce her to Jackie. While the woman was very pleased and happy to meet her adopted daughter's sibling, it did set her off which made Isadora second guess her decision to have Skye there for Christmas.
"Mum! I'm home!" Isadora called as she entered her flat. She barley had a chance to put her bag down when Jackie appeared, giving her a hug. "Have you heard anything?" she asked knowing that the answer will be 'no'.
"Nothing. I just don't know what to do Dora", Jackie said. Isadora's heart ached at how lost her adoptive mother sounded. How Rose could just disappear like that, she had no idea. It wasn't like her at all.
"All we can do is hope she'll turn up soon", she said optimistically. So I can kill her for making our mother worry she mentally added. Rose had one job. ONE goddamn job! It was so simple that even her unemployed…high school drop out of a sister should be able to manage it. She was to look after their mother while she got to know her twin sister, Skye's team AND the mysterious 'gold stuff' that currently resided within her. Rose knew how important this was for her and yet she was completely INCAPABLE of doing one simple thing!
"I suppose" Jackie murmured "I was going to put up some more fliers today".
"Why don't I do that for you?" the young woman offered "that way you can be home for when she shows up".
"If she shows up. What if she's…?"
"Mum don't you dare finish sentence", Isadora said firmly "Rose is fine and she will come home sooner or later. You'll see". She gave her mother one more hug before dumping her stuff in her room. She then grabbed a few flyers before heading out, making a promise to Jackie that she won't be out more than an hour. She'd not long left the Powell Estate when the TARDIS appeared.
"How long have I been gone?" Rose asked the Doctor.
"About 12 hours", the Time Lord replied.
"Ooh! Right, I won't be long. I just want to see my mum and sister", the blonde assured him.
"What are you going to tell them?" the Time Lord asked. He knew she couldn't very well tell either of them the truth. They'll probably think she was crazy although, her adopted sister may believe her more given her occupation at SHIELD…according to Rose.
"I don't know! I've been to the year 5 billion… met Charles Dickens and only been gone, what, 12 hours? No, I'll just tell them both I spent the night at Shareen's. See you later!" the blonde started to walk off but turned back "Oh, don't you disappear".
The Doctor gives her look to say 'as if I would' and she runs off in the direction of the flats. She bounds up the stairs with a smile on her face. "I'm back mum! Dora?" Rose called as she entered the flat "I was with Shareen. She was all upset again. Are you two in?" Jackie walked out of the kitchen carrying a mug of tea "So, what's been going on? How've you been?" the older Tyler stares at her youngest as if she couldn't believe she was standing there "What? What's that face for? It's not the first time I've stayed out all night" Jackie dropped the mug of tea and it smashes on the floor.
"It's you", she breathed.
"Of course it's me", Rose said confused as to why her mother was staring at her like that. She'd only been gone 12 hours.
"Oh, my God. It's you. Oh my God!" Jackie exclaimed throwing her arms around the still perplexed blonde. Why was she acting like this? Rose thought. Then she saw the missing posters scattered over the table. Her eyes widened. She'd been missing for way more that 12 hours! Oh hell…Dora is gonna kill me!
Suddenly the Doctor comes bursting through the door startling both Rose and Jackie "It's not 12 hours, it's er 12 months. You've been gone a whole year" he laughed apologetically while mother and daughter look at him stunned "Sorry".
Isadora entered the courtyard of the Powell Estate roughly an hour later and was stopped in her tracks when she saw a blue police box sitting there. "That wasn't here before", she murmured. She tentatively stepped forward, reaching out to check if she was just imaging seeing this police box. Her eyes widened when she felt wood underneath. "Bloody hell", she breathed. Her phone buzzed and when she took it out, her eyes grew wider. Rose was home!
She turned towards the block of flats and took off. Isadora bounded up the stairs two at a time. "Rosie!" she called bursting through the front door, not even caring that hit the wall as she flung it open.
Rose stepped out of the kitchen "hey Dora the Explorer", she greeted, using the moniker she'd given her all those years back when the brunette first got into history…archaeology and all that old stuff.
Her adoptive sister rushed up to her and gave her the biggest hug she possibly could. "Thank god you're ok!" she exclaimed. The brunette pulled back and whacked the blonde in the arm.
"Ow!" Rose cried.
"You had one job. ONE fucking job!" Isadora snapped, the curse word slipping out. Now she wasn't one for swearing and cursing which she was just so pissed off! "Look after mum while I was away and you couldn't even follow that simple instruction".
"I'm sorry", the blonde whispered, looking down at her feet "I never meant to be away this long".
"Ya think?" the brunette shot back snarkily. She closed her eyes and let out a breath "but I suppose whats done is done" she opened her eyes and looked at her sister "you're home" Isadora pulled Rose back into another hug "You're home now and that's all that matters". She let go of her little sister to round on the Doctor.
"I assume you're the reason she's been missing for a year", she stated, hands on her hips.
"Uh…yeah", the Time Lord said, sheepishly at the glare she was giving him "sorry".
"Sorry isn't good enough", Isadora snapped "one year we've been worrying. A year! Do you have any idea what we've been through?" she demanded "I thought she was dead! My little sister! And you…you had her captive this whole time!"
"Isadora!" Rose exclaimed when her older adopted sister punched the Time Lord hard enough to knock him to the floor.
"That's the least he deserves", the brunette growled angrily. She then noticed her hands start to glow gold and quickly made an exit, making sure to slam the door to show how angry she was. Isadora leant against the wall outside and took several deep breaths, relaxing when the glow disappeared from around her hands. One of the good things to come out of the past year, she had finally started to get some semblance of control over this strange substance that was within her.
The brunette pushed away from the wall and headed up to the roof. She couldn't risk going back in there, not while she was still so pissed off with the mystery man who'd kept her sister away from them for a year. In fact…a darker part of herself was incredibly tempted to call a friend of hers that has somewhat murderous tendencies. The young woman shook her head, dismissing that thought. No, she'll hold off on the temptation to call in Thana for the moment but if that…man pisses her off even more, he gets a one way trip to hell.
The roof is where the Doctor found her a little later, cheek smarting from the slap that Jackie had given him. 900 years of travelling through time and space and he had never been slapped by someone's mother. Nor had he been punched like Isadora had done. That girl had a wicked right hook that was for sure. "What do you want?" the young woman asked, snippily. He winced at her tone. Yep she was still mad, not that he can blame her.
"I was just letting Rose and Jackie have some time", the Doctor replied "look I know you're mad…"
"No shit Sherlock", Isadora sassed.
"But if you let me explain, I think you'll understand. Given your career", the Time Lord continued.
The brunette looked at him surprised "Rose told you about that?" she questioned.
The Doctor nodded "yes, she did", he confirmed.
"Alright, you have 2 minutes", Isadora said, folding her arms "if I think you're just full of it, I'm gonna hit you again".
"Fair enough", Doctor agreed. The young woman stood there listening as he told her everything. Well, everything he and Rose had been through. All the while he was talking, he kept watching the blonde's adopted sibling for any sort of indication that she believed him. Isadora never gave anything away though, not a single flicker of emotion. It was a far cry from her justifiable outburst early and to be honest it was somewhat unnerving. She must've learned a decent 'poker face' from her teammates.
"Well...it's not the craziest thing I've heard", the brunette remarked "I believe you". The Time Lord relaxed somewhat from her response. Then she hit him again, the arm this time.
"Ow!" he exclaimed, rubbing his arm "what was that for?"
"For endangering my sister, you nit", Isadora shot back "I have half a mind to join you just to make sure she's safe...if mum let's her go that is".
"You're welcome to come, the TARDIS is big enough", the Doctor told her "And...what did you mean by its not the craziest thing you've heard? Is there something stranger you learned from SHIELD?"
The brunette simply smirked at him "I can neither confirm nor deny".
The Time Lord pouted but then grinned. Maybe he and Rose's adopted sister might eventually get along after all… so long as the punching was kept to a minimum. The young woman hopped up onto the low wall, staring up at the sky. The Time Lord watched her for a moment before he spoke. "So what's a girl like you, working for SHIELD?"
Isadora glanced at him, giving him a 'really?' expression "seriously? That's the line you're going with?" she asked "that's the best you could come up with. I would've expected more from an alien with centuries of...experience. "It's almost as bad as the Tennessee line or the angel one".
The Doctor grimaced "people tried those with you?"
"Oh, yeah", Isadora confirmed, shuddering at the memory "let's just say it didn't end well for them".
The Time Lord laughed, picturing it "yeah, I can see why", he said "you don't take to idiots".
"Nope", the brunette said, popping the p "or guys who are completely superficial. I mean...you may look pretty but you don't have enough brain cells to fill a jam jar" the Doctor chuckled "I like guys who I can connect with. Someone who's really easy to talk to. He's also got to be able to form a coherent sentence and if he happens to be nice to look at...it's a bonus". She looked at him again "take you for example. I've only just met you and I'm yammering on about my ideal guy" Isadora considered him "actually, alien thing aside...you are kinda my ideal guy".
"Really?" the Doctor asked, trying not to sound too interested and failing.
"Yeah", Isadora replied "but you're still the jackass who 'kidnapped' my sister, so no dice mister".
"Fine with me", the Time Lord said. Suddenly a horn blared above them. Isadora yelped as the Doctor pulled her off the wall, covering her body with his as a spaceship zoomed overhead. The brunette shoved him off and dashed across the roof, pulling her phone out and hitting record.
She watched the clip back and was relieved when she caught most of the event, even it crashing into Big Ben. "I gotta go", she said, tucking her phone away.
"Wait", the Doctor said, grabbing her arm to stop her as she crossed the roof towards the door "you're going to tell SHIELD, aren't you?"
"Uh…yeah", Isadora answered in a duh tone "it's kinda what I have to do".
"Don't. I can deal with it", the Time Lord said.
"I'm not stopping you from doing that but I have to tell SHIELD", the young woman insisted.
"And I'm telling you, don't do that", the Doctor said firmly "they'll only come with guns and create more even problems".
"The team I've been with doesn't do that", Isadora told him, pulling her arm out of his grasp "now you do what you have to and I'll do the same" and with that she walked off, leaving him standing on the rooftop, staring after her.
"Agent Coulson", Isadora greeted when she stepped into the safe house several minutes later where she found the team already gathered.
"Now that we're all here, we can begin", Coulson said and they all gathered around a large screen and he played the video Isadora had recorded. "Earlier today this spaceship collided with Big Ben before crashing into the Thames. Thanks to Izzy we were made aware of this", he added.
"Just doing my job Coulson", Isadora said, waving off his thanks. It wasn't that big of a deal anyway. See weird shit. Record weird shit. Report to team on said weird shit. All part of the job. "What did you guys find out about the ship?" she asked.
"Unfortunately we couldn't actually get a look at the spaceship as its still in the Thames…" Jemma began.
"But we did find out something interesting from the video you sent", Fitz finished. He replayed the video, pausing it at a particular point. "The angle of the descent is perfect for the ship to crash into Big Ben and then into the Thames", he explained.
"Perhaps a little too perfect", his best friend added.
"You mean whatever or whoever was flying that thing deliberately crashed into Big Ben", May stated.
"Precisely", Jemma confirmed.
"That doesn't make sense", Skye said, confused "why do all that if you want to invade? Seems pretty stupid to me, all they've done is put the entire world on red alert".
"That's a good point", Coulson agreed "One hopefully will be answered at the meeting".
"What meeting?" Isadora piped up feeling like she just missed out on something.
"There's a meeting of alien experts from around the globe, trying to figure out what is going on", the team's leader told her.
"And SHIELD wants a representative there", Ward guessed.
"They want two people there. I'm going to be one and Isadora will be the other", Coulson said.
"Me?" Isadora questioned, surprised "why me?"
"Who better to have navigating British parliament than someone who lives in Britain?" her boss remarked.
The brunette couldn't help but snort "you do realise that just cos I live in Britain, doesn't mean I'm able to rub elbows with those overpaid morons".
Coulson chuckled "true but I know you. You can see right through those 'overpaid morons' and get the truth from them whether they want to or not".
Isadora smirked "that's just mum's Prentice fire rubbing off of me", she joked. Despite being adopted by Jackie Tyler, a fair few people often remarked that she had that 'firey Prentice spirit'. It didn't weird her out or anything. In fact it made her feel like she belonged in the small family even more.
~Number 10 Downing Street~
"Blimey, a lot of 'stuffed shirts' and 'experts' here", Isadora remarked, eyeing the politicians and soldiers loitering around the room after she and Coulson arrived at number 10 "and…my sister?" she frowned at the appearance of the blonde. Isadora frown turned into a scowl when she saw the Doctor.
"Let me guess…he's the reason Rose disappeared", the SHEILD agent stated.
"And he's now dragged her into this trouble", the brunette muttered "excuse me for a second". She didn't wait for a response before marching over to the pair.
"Oh hey Dor-" the blonde started.
"Don't 'hey' me", Isadora cut in "Seriously, she's just come home and you drag her into this mess?" she glared at the Time Lord, hands on hips "This is not the way to get me to start liking you".
"Look, its not his fault ok?" Rose piped up "I was with him when these soldiers ordered him to come in".
"And mum didn't have any objections?" Isadora pressed, finding it hard to believe that the protective matriarch in the Tyler family of three…four if Skye is counted and technically she should be given that she was her biological twin… the brunette shook her head, pushing those thoughts aside as she was getting a bit of track.
"She tried to stop them but couldn't", her younger sibling told her.
"If they laid a finger on mum, I'll kill them", Isadora growled.
Rose couldn't help but crack a smile at her protectiveness the brunette had over their mother. Isadora could easily give Jackie a run for her money when it comes to playing mama bear. Her older sister was definitely fierce enough that no one would dare mess with their family. Or even if they did have the gall to do it once…they'd never do it again, not after Isadora dealt with them. "That I don't doubt", the blonde remarked "but I'm pretty sure that they didn't hurt her".
"All the same, I think I should have my friend double check", Isadora murmured.
"Well those guys are goners", Rose states.
"Why?" the Doctor asked, feeling like he was missing out on something.
"She's very protective over me and by extension, my loved ones", Isadora explained "there is literally no lengths she'd go to keep us safe AND punish those dared to hurt us. Actually, you should consider yourself lucky that I didn't ask my friend to meet you" she added, looking pointedly at the Doctor "or you could've been a goner too".
"Then I'll consider myself lucky I haven't met your friend", the Time Lord commented.
"Yet", Isadora pointed out "there's still time for you to do something which puts you even more on my bad side".
"Bad side?" Coulson repeats, coming up to the trio "sorry, I know you needed a minute…"
"Its fine Coulson", the brunette reassured him "I was just telling the Doctor…"
"Wait. The Doctor?" the agent cut in "The Doctor? As in the alien with the 60's blue box?"
Isadora shot him a surprised look "you know who he is?"
"SHEILD has kept tabs on him", Coulson admits "though I've never had the privilege of meeting you in person, it's an honour".
"I wouldn't go that far", Isadora remarked "he's still the jackass is the reason that our mother was a mess for a year", she shot the Time Lord another glare.
"And I'm really, really sorry about that", the Doctor said "truly".
"Yeah, I'll be the judge of how 'sorry' you are", the brunette retorted "you're not. Not nearly sorry enough".
Before the Time Lord could say anything, a young man named Indra Ganesh made an announcement "Ladies and gentlemen, can we convene? Quick as we can, please. It's this way on the right, and can I remind you ID cards are to be worn at all times".
When the four go up to him, he hands the Doctor an ID card, as well as Coulson and Isadora "Here's your ID card. I'm sorry, your companion doesn't have clearance", he said nodding to Rose.
"I don't go anywhere without her", the Time Lord said putting the ID card around his neck.
"You're the code nine, not her. I'm sorry, Doctor…it is the Doctor, isn't it?" the Doctor nods "She'll have to stay outside", Indra said apologetically.
"She's staying with me", the Time Lord said firmly.
"Look, even I don't have clearance to go in there. I can't let her in and that's a fact", Indra said in a tone which told them all that he wouldn't change his mind.
"It's all right. You go", Rose said. She was a little put out that she wasn't allowed to go into the meeting but she understood, she wasn't an alien expert.
"Excuse me. Are you the Doctor?" an older woman asked, causing Indra to look exasperated.
"Not now. We're busy. Can't you go home?" he snapped at the woman.
"Didn't your mother teach you any manners?" Isadora spoke up, not liking the way he talked the woman. While he may be frazzled with the current situation, there was no reason to take it out on anyone.
"i-I'm sorry?" Indra questioned, confused.
"Manners", the brunette repeated "I assume your mother taught you about them?"
"O-of course she did", the man stammered.
"Well, you've clearly left them at home cos you're biting this nice ladies head off", Isadora shot back "Look, I get it. This is a situation far beyond what you're used to but there is no reason why you can't be civil, is there?" Indra shook his head "good. Now apologise to the nice lady".
"Sorry", Indra mumbled.
"Good. Now Rose and I will stay here with…I'm sorry I didn't ask you for your name", Isadora admits, glancing at the woman she'd just defended.
"Harriet Jones", the woman introduced "MP for Flydale North".
"Pleasure", the brunette politely said, much to the delight of the older politician "We'll stay with Harriet and you and Coulson can go hobnob with the suits in the meeting".
"You sure?" the SHIELD Agent asked "Given how you just handled this young man" he gestured to Indra "I'd much rather have you in the meeting with us".
"You'll be fine Coulson. You can handle a few suits and soldiers", Isadora assured him "I just got my sister back so I would rather ensure that she doesn't get into trouble".
"Alright", the SHEILD Agent conceded. The siblings stood back watching the Doctor and Coulson go into the room with the other experts.
"Thank you", Harriet said to Isadora "but you didn't have to…"
"Of course I did", the brunette cut in gently "you didn't deserve Mr Snippy biting your head off", that earned her a smile from the MP "now, why did you want to talk to the Doctor?"
"There's something I discovered. Something….disturbing", Harriet replied, causing the sisters to exchange concerned looks "in the Cabinet Room". The woman took them to the room to show them the skin suit of a man explaining everything that she'd seen hours earlier "They turned the body into a suit. A disguise for the thing inside!" she exclaimed.
She bursts into tears and Rose drew her into a hug, patting her on the back. "All right Harriet. We believe you", the blonde assures her.
"Must've been some serious technology they used to do this", Isadora remarked.
"And if we could find it, we could use it", Rose added.
"That not what I had in mind", the brunette admitted. Anything that could do that to a person should not be working AND most definitely shouldn't be in human hands. "Something like that should be put out of commission", she states and proceeded to search the room. The blonde took the lead from her adopted sibling and started to look as well though in all honesty, she wasn't sure why Isadora would be against them using whatever alien technology had turned that poor man into a 'skin suit'. It was clearly pretty powerful weapon. One they could use on whomever had killed that man.
Rose opened a cupboard and was startled when a man's body fell out. Isadora hurried over and her eyes widened when she recognised him as the Prime Minister.
"Oh, my God!" Harriet cried "Is that that…?"
"I'm afraid so", Isadora said solemnly.
Suddenly Indra entered the room and the moment he saw Harriet, he grew annoyed "Harriet, for God's sake. This has gone beyond a joke. You cannot just wander…" he trailed off when he saw the body "Oh, my God. That's the Prime Minister!" he exclaimed.
"Wow, you're a regular Sherlock Holmes", the brunette couldn't help but deadpan.
"Ohhhhh!" a female voice called. Rose, Isadora, Harriet and Indra turned to see a plump woman, Margaret Blaine, walk in "Has someone been naughty?" she asked.
The group look at each other as the woman shuts the door. "That's impossible. He left this afternoon. The Prime Minister left Downing Street. He was driven away!" Indra cried, trying to get his head around how the leader of the government was dead.
"And who told you that, hmm?" Margaret enquired, walking up to him "Me". They all watch as she strokes the hair on her forehead. Isadora got a very bad feeling about the woman and slowly reached for her ICER.
As Margret or more precisely the alien inside started pulling of its skin suit, the brunette raised her gun and fired. It didn't even flinch.
Isadora shot once more at 'Margret', who was half way out of her skin suit. "Ooooh that makes me feel funny", it rasped. The young woman clenched her jaw and pulled the trigger for the third time. She was determined to put this threat out to her sister out of commission…or six feet under…whichever came first. Unfortunately, the three rounds of dendrotoxin appeared to have little to no effect on the pudgy green alien. The said being roars and grabs Isadora by the throat, pinning her up against the wall.
The brunette gasps for air as Margret strangles her. Indra, Rose and Harriet forced to watch on, unable to help her. Isadora's eyes fluttered closed as she slowly lost the battle to stay conscious. Suddenly she was released as Margret was flung away from her. The blonde was momentarily shocked by what happened before she rushed over to her sister's side. "Why you little…" Margret began before she cut off as she was then shocked by the collar around her neck. Between Rose and Indra, they managed to haul Isadora to her feet and hurried out the room with the young woman. Harriet followed suit, ensuring that she grabbed Isadora's gun, which the brunette dropped when Margret grabbed her, on the way out of the room.