AN: Hello there! As always, *thumbs up* to MegaDiary123 for being awesome. The first month of the year is over and so here is the next chapter. I hope it is enough to keep you interested in the story until the next upload. So, until next time...

All rights go to Marvel

Jemma's POV

From when Skye had left for the undercover mission and up to this point we hadn't directly spoken to each other. She was too… preoccupied with Miles before and now we had just finished laying out the plan for when we landed in Hong Kong. We were only half an hour out, and then we wouldn't be able to talk any time soon because the moment the Bus touches the airfield she is part of the strike team that will go to bring Chan Ho Yin back.

"You're avoiding me" I said, hands folded over my chest as I watched her change her clothes for the second time the same day.

She didn't even try to hide her scoff. "Am I now?", she replied with her own question as she lifted her shirt over her head leaving her only in her sports bra and tight black leggings. Having shared a room for a while in the Academy and then when she was first being trained after the years apart, that sight was nothing I wasn't used to. That didn't mean I didn't admire her physique any less than I had the previous years.

She threw the more colourful t-shirt that she was wearing to the side of the room with more force than I expected and I couldn't help but look at Skye. Really look at her. Her shoulders a bit slumped as she gripped the back of her chair so hard that her knuckles were white and I was sure that if she applied a bit more force, or her powers in any way, it would break. Her breathing was ever so slightly faster than it normally was, but for Skye that was out of character.

I opened my mouth to say something as I was about to take a step closer, but my jaw closed shut and I stilled when she lifted her hand. "Look, I genuinely don't know what your problem is. You're the one who has been avoiding me ever since I suggested the plan of me going undercover. And ever since I came out of the Cage you haven't as much as spared me a look" she shook her head as she pulled down a new black shirt. "Actually no, that's a lie. I know you were looking at me, I saw you…" and the way she said it let me know it was through her vibrations, "…but every time I turned your way you looked away"

I couldn't say she was wrong. I had been the one who would turn my gaze elsewhere, but she didn't make a move to talk to me specifically! It wasn't like it was entirely my fault. I was not avoiding her per se, I was just not seeking her.

"I still don't know what the big deal was with the mission" she confessed, her voice remaining low. This conversation was clearly just for my ears. "So no, I haven't been 'avoiding' you as you so delicately said. I have been giving you space to sort out whatever it is you need to sort out because this mission is not finished yet and we have more pressing matters at hand".

I saw her take out a black case where she put her thumb to be scanned at a mini screen, and when she got the green light she slightly vibrated the whole thing before it was unlocked. The black gauntlets I was very familiar with were taken out and securely placed in her backpack. When she turned around she saw me still staring at her back. We both knew what, even her thinking to take the gauntlets with her meant. Especially given that she was not supposed to reveal herself. Not that she wanted to.

She sighed as she tidied the room back to how it was before exiting and waiting for me to do the same. The worry must have been written clear as day on my face because her features softened and the annoyed vibe that she had before dispersed into thin air.

She gently brought me close to her as her arms wrapped round my back. "I really want us to talk about what's happening when I get back. Please?" She asked just as gently when my arms recuperated the action.

"Of course" I said as May's voice came through the speakers letting us know to prepare for landing. Together we moved to the sofas were we strapped in and waited. Our arms were still linked my thumb rubbing the back of her hand, not willing to let go just yet. "Promise me to be careful?"

"When am I not careful?" She resorted with her signature smile.

I left a small laugh escape my lips at her answer. Lifting one brow I turned to look at her, "Do you, honestly, want me to answer that?"

Skye's POV

I was pleasantly surprised when Ward didn't argue too much about being the one to oversee Miles in the Bus and let May, Coulson and myself handle the fieldwork. As soon as the plane had touched down, the three of us had taken one of the unmarked SUV's and headed to the Centipede Base.

There we were joined by agent Kwan and more S.H.I.E.L.D. agents from the Hong Kong base. "Building has five floors. The first four are research. Fifth is listed as maintenance but uses most of the building's energy" Coulson explained as soon as the team to infiltrate the building was assembled.

"Either they're guarding the world's largest vacuum…" Kwan said only for Coulson to finish, "…or that's where Chan's being held" he pointed to the rest of the agents that were divided into two teams. "Send you 'B' and 'C' teams through the tunnels to secure the lowest floors. Warn them that the Centipede's serum is highly explosive" he explained and Kwan did just that.

He looked at me and then back at Coulson. "Understood. Where do we go in?"

Coulson actually smiled at that. "The three of us are going in through the roof" he then turned to me. "You know where the servers are?" He questioned.

I nodded. "I've seen the schematics for the buildings. They're on the lowest floor. All I need to do is put this bad boy in and I'll have remote access" I said as I got a USB out of my pocket. "I will meet you as soon as I can after that"

And with that I left. I was glad for once that Coulson didn't question whether I could make it. I had made the point that if I went in alone I would work so much faster and much stealthier than if I had another agent with me. And with May backing me up, especially after she learned that I was also trained by Natasha, was the only reason why he let his 'two agents/buddy system' rule slide.

Thought, to be honest, I had lied a little bit about some part of the mission.

The stealth part.

That was what was going through my head as I made my way to the server room as one guard after the other headed my way. The alarm had gone off not too long after May and Coulson went in. The facility soon going into lockdown. "Status update" I heard May in my com.

"Give me a minute and we're good to go" I said as I dealt with the final guard and plugged the USB in the server. I activated T.A.D.A.S.H.I. immediately and let him send everything from the base in a remote hard drive that I had on my person while he also took down the lockdown protocols. "You're good to go" I said as I started making my way to the top floor. I was still controlling Tee from my phone, but he didn't need much help. He had his instructions and I was confident he would not disappoint. "How are you doing up there?" I asked as I was running up the stairs.

"Agent Kwan is dead and Chan has to be brought down" Coulson immediately replied. "The tranquilliser did nothing to him and it was his last chance"

He said in my comms just as I exited the door that the stairs had led me to. I heard someone yell. I was about to turn around the corner where the yelling had just come from to try and see what happened. That's when I bumped into Coulson and May, who was holding a syringe in her hand. I don't even need to ask what the plan is before Coulson starts explaining it. "From what I understand this is an extreme dose that boosts his powers. Plan's to inject him and then, with the help of Miles, shut the building down and redirect his flames through the venting system out of the building and onto the sky"

"With all due respect, sir" I started as soon as he finished. "I don't trust Miles at the moment. He is a wild card and despite the remote access to the buildings computers, I wouldn't give him the access. Yes—" I continued when I saw he was about to argue, "—Ward is on the Bus so he wouldn't try anything funny, but it's still too much of a risk"

He contemplated what I said for a solid two seconds. "What do you suggest we do?"

I took a deep breath, knowing that was I was about to say wouldn't be something he would agree easily to. "You and agent May get out of here. I take the serum, and postpone him enough for him to explode. The building will probably come down, and there's nothing we can do to save it. But this way all the research they have here will be destroyed and they won't be able to use it. I have already transferred enough files for us to have a lead on Centipede"

"But how are you gonna get out?" May was the one to question my plan while Coulson was still staring at me with a skeptical look on.

I took my phone out to show them the schematics map of the building. "I already know everything there's to know about this building. I have found a route that I can use to get out before he explodes. I will just need to delay him enough so that the two of you and the rest of the agents get out of the building before I insert the serum. I'm guessing it will be affecting him quickly?"

I saw that Coulson was about to argue, but fire was shot from the corridor next to us and we all felt the heat. "We will meet you outside" Coulson said and took the syringe from May to hand it to me.

I nodded, greatly appreciating the newfound trust that he seemed to show me during this mission.

The two of them left me behind and I quickly took the gauntlets out of my bag and wore them. I let my powers flow from my centre, up to my shoulders and down my hands. I let a small smile appear on my face at the familiar buzz and the lack of constant worry I had on the back of my mind about anyone finding out about my abilities.

My mind map picked up on Chan closing in and just as he was about to turn around the corner and send a fireball to my direction, I ducked under his attack and quickly found myself on the other end of the corridor.

"You don't have to do this Chan" I said in Mandarin. Confident that the only other person from the team that could understand me was May. "S.H.I.E.L.D. can help you, there's no reason for you to go down like that"

Chan smirked at that, his hands coming to his sides, the flames on them disappearing momentarily. It seemed that he was no longer immune to his powers, if the fresh burn marks on his arms were any indication. "Chan is dead. I told so to the other agents as well. I am Scorch now"

In an instant he shot his arm out and fire generated from his fingers, traveling in my direction in a rapid speed. Expecting him to do so, I immediately lifted my hands up and created a vibrational shield that blocked the fire's way. Surprised by that, Scorch stopped his attack.

I gently started manipulating the vibrations around the buildings foundations, all the way underground and started tearing them apart. Not too fast, just fast enough. "Who are you?" Scorch asked me.

"I am like you, gifted" I replied still not speaking English. "I have learned to control my power. And I am using it for good, to help people"

"Skye, we're out" Coulson's voice rang in my ear.

I started destroying the building from the inside out in a more rapid pace. "Let me help you" I told Chan as I took a small step closer to him. "There are other people like you, like us out there. If you let me bring you in, we can help you"

The thoughtful expression that he had on disappeared as soon as I suggested to bring him in. Not that I expected anything else. "Never!" He all but screamed at me as he unleashed his power once again.

But that didn't matter in the least.

I had closed in enough to be able to side-step his attack and inject the dose in his neck. He instantly fell on his knees and started losing the small control he had over his powers as they grew and grew extremely fast.

I lifted my hand and blasted a hole to the back of the building, opposite to where Coulson and May would have come out of. Just to make sure that I was safe from prying eyes. Just before I jumped off the fifth floor, I sent a vibrational wave throughout the whole construction, making the already weak foundations collapse onto each other and the building started to come down.

Oh yeah, because the path that I had planned from the schematics didn't actually exist… but don't tell Coulson.

I felt like what I guessed Tony felt when he flew in his suit, before gravity took precedent and I started falling. I directed some quakes to leave from the pass of my hand and my feet, slowing my decent ever so slowly. If I were to resemble something, or someone, I think it would be what Tony would look like the first time he tried to elevate. Only difference is that I was falling and trying to slow down instead of slowly lifting myself. I had yet to master the art of being able to use my quakes to levitate myself, and my lack of training with my powers lately didn't help. But it was enough for me to slow down ever so slightly so that my landing was a bit smoother than it would otherwise be. Don't get me wrong, I still created a crate, but a much smaller one and I didn't need to absorb as many vibrations from my landing.

But the amount I did absorb I redirected to the building, which was already halfway on its way to being grounded. That was when Chan finally exploded on the top floor and debris started falling all over. If there wasn't the explosion, I would have been able to control where the building would collapse, without much destruction to the surrounding area. But this case was different.

I created a dome around myself as I was standing too close to the building and I had to protect myself. So I waited, until there would be nothing new falling to my head and then with a small vibrational push outwards I unburied myself.

I climbed off the ruins and started making my way around the debris, towards the other agents. "I am good, on my way to you guys" I said on my comm. With so many things happening around at the same time, I had solely focused on making it out of there alive without anyone seeing me and I had zoned out from the voices in my ear, asking me if I was okay.

"Thank God" Coulson's voice was heard just as May let a breath that she must have been holding for a while. "Meet you up front? Will you be able to get there?"

"Sure thing boss" I replied and continued my way.

Raina's POV

I had managed to leave the building and was on my way to another Centipede Base. We were quite spread out after all.

I was quite far from the base, the car that I was in moving quickly away from the collapsing building behind us. My eyes were still trained on the old Base when I saw someone jump off the back of the top floor. Part of the building fell directly on top of that person, but somehow that part was soon lifted off the ground and a figure walked away and towards the rest of the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. How peculiar… That was a very interesting development.

I could feel the smile spread over my face as I turned to look back ahead to the convoy of cars. A very interesting development indeed.