AN: Hey! I hope you're all doing well. As always, I really appreciate MegaDiary123 for the work they've put in. Thank you all for the support, I will see you guys next week. Until then...

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Coulson's POV

After our discussion with Skye, I headed back to the Hub. I went into the situation room once or twice in order to see what was happening, but something about this mission was still rubbing me wrong. Eventually, I found myself going to the Bus. It was quieter than I expected but when I saw May doing Tai Chi in the middle of the main room, right outside the command centre, I realised that she must have thrown everyone else outside to have some peace of mind. It did strike me as weird that Skye wasn't there as well, but given that Fitz was the one on the mission, she was probably with Simmons.

I sat on a stool and looked at May as she was flowing through her motions. "Sorry, am I disturbing you?" She said nothing, not that I was expecting to hear anything in return. I just missed her sometimes, it was so easy to talk with her. From her, my gaze travelled to the rest of the room and I started speaking my thoughts. "You know, I love this plane. I like the way we do things here. Everyone's on the same page, no red tape… so far it's working for us"

As I voiced my thoughts I realised what was bothering me so much about this mission. Ever since I got this gift from Director Fury and had this team we were all working together. No Levels, no need-to-know information that was withheld from some members because they weren't allowed to know. "Maybe I'm getting soft… but I don't like keeping things from our team" I voiced looking at May, but she still said nothing. "If you knew—"

I was cut short by a sharp look from the Asian woman. It told plenty. "No, you're right… Level 8" I let out a breath. "But—" another sharp turn of her head in my direction was enough to shut me up once more. "I know. 'Trust the system'" I recalled the words that were spoken to me so many times and that I said to Skye only a few hours ago. I looked at May as she continued gently moving around as if I wasn't even there. I smiled at her, not even caring if she would see me. "May, thanks," I told her and got up.

As I was walking in the Hub, I felt a bit more at peace than I had before. I was making my way once more to the situation room, to check in on how the mission was going when I noticed Skye, sitting alone in a dark corner with her laptop on her knees.

I started making my way towards her. I thought I was being quiet, or at least that my movement would be drawn out by the rest of the agents moving back and forth in the same room as me. But, as if she sensed me, she lifted her head, closed the computer and stood up abruptly. The closer I got and the more I could see of her, I noticed how her eyes were slightly glazed over, a silent fury burning underneath the surface. I had never seen that look on her face. It worried me.

I didn't even have time to ask before she hissed at me. "Did you know?"

I took a step back at that. "What are you talking about?" I asked, my muscled tensing on their own. My eyes flew to the laptop and then back at her. "What did you do?" I asked, still not sure what was happening.

Even with no other explanation from my part, she seemed to reach her own conclusion and let out a very heavy sigh. Her hand travelled to her hair and she combed them, then it fell on her temples where she rubbed the skin there for a good few seconds. "What's going on, Skye?"

"The mission," she said and we both knew what she was talking about. "It's a suicide mission. There-There's no extraction team for them"

"No," I said shaking my head. "Hand told me that—"

"I know you trust the system, okay? When I told you that I don't trust it because it had stabbed me in the back?", she quickly interrupted me. "This," she harshly pointed to the ground, "this is one of the reasons why I can't trust the system" I was at loss for words. We just stayed there looking at each other. "Do you trust me?" She finally questioned when no-one spoke for a while.

"I do" I found myself replying quickly.

A weight seemed to leave her shoulders at that. "Then trust me when I tell you, there's no extraction team"

Something seemed to snap in my mind. The decision of what to do came almost naturally. But first, "Come with me," I said and moved back where I come from and towards where I was headed before. Skye was right behind me.

I went to scan my badge to go towards the situation room and then stopped short only a few metres away. I turned around to see the younger agent, remembering that she didn't follow us there the first time around and her Clearance was classified. I didn't even need to say anything before she spoke. "I can" and I didn't question her.

I strode all the way to the situation room, still composed, but with my blood starting to boil. I saw Hand and Sitwell there, just where I left therm. Sitwell was the first one to notice us and he fully turned towards us, indicating Hand to do the same.

"Agent Coulson" Hand said looking at me and the agent with me. "Who is she? Is she allowed in here?" She turned to Skye and took a step to her direction but I intercepted her and stepped between them.

"Yes," I said with the voice that I had practised from my years as a Deputy Director. "I was just informed that while I was told that there was an extraction team, there actually isn't any. I'm Level 8. I'm entitled regarding information about the welfare of my team. You should have told me" I told her, not leaving her any space to reply until I was finished.

She grasped the chance, as her eyes narrowed and flew between Skye and me. "You're right. And what would that have changed, agent Coulson?", she raised an eyebrow. "You yourself designed dozens of operations like this. You know how it works" she said matter-of-factly.

And it was true. All of it. But there was a major difference between those missions and this one. Other than the fact that these agents were part of my team. "Usually with an extraction plan and even if there isn't one, they know that going in. And yes, Fitz may not be cleared and there's a possibility he would have lost focus, but this should have still been my call"

She all but scoffed. "Barton, Romanoff, they never have an extraction plan". I noticed Skye tensing at the mention of my former two pupils. I made a mental note of that, but there were more pressing matters, especially since Hand hadn't finished. "And, honestly, I wasn't sure if you'd comply. Your team includes an agent who I couldn't find anything about" she said pointedly looking at Skye. "Which reminds me, how did you get this information?" Her eyes were still trained on Skye who hadn't backed up in the slightest under the cold eyes of Hand, which made some of the bravest men recoil.

I saw Skye looking at me, asking permission to speak, but I lifted my hand and she looked back at Hand. "I know what the safety of a thousand men is worth. I know the importance of taking the overkill device out of place. But I also know my men. And what they're worth. And the decision to go in should have been theirs to make"

Her gaze turned back to me, no warmth in those eyes whatsoever. "Perhaps" she stated as if it was the most insignificant thing. "But you need to trust the system, agent Coulson"

That was when my blood started boiling for good. Because if I heard that phrase one more time… I didn't know if I would be able to handle it.

I took a deep breath and recomposed myself. I stood up, a mask of apathy washed over my face. "Okay," I stated. Then I turned and looked at Skye. "Let's go"

"You are not going anywhere," Sitwell said. "We need some answers," he said as if we owed it to them.

However, I just kept walking and Skye followed me. "I don't believe you do" I heard Skye speak for the first time as we made our way back to the Bus.

Skye's POV

As I did after every mission, but especially after what happened in the Hub, I erased any trace of me from the S.H.I.E.L.D.'s servers. If, at some point, any part of the CCTV caught me, that footage was erased. If I had left any digital trace of my presence somewhere in the Hub's systems, it was deleted. In order to protect my identity, one of the first things that I asked the pirate and was granted permission to do was create a system that helped me out with that.

And after I got T.A.D.A.S.H.I., and with the help of Stark, the software that I had developed was fast enough that after I appeared in a camera somewhere, this photograph or this minute of a video was instantly deleted. Usually, as long as I had Tee online he could do the work for me. But after the encounter that I had with Hand and Sitwell, I needed to double-check.

I had to restrain myself not to say anything when Hand brought up my siblings, but I managed to not say anything.

I had focused most of my time there assessing the two senior agents that I was avoiding to meet. From the rumours that I had heard, I wasn't expecting any different treatment from Hand. Sitwell was quieter than I was expecting but given that Hand and Coulson were basically at each other's throats, it made sense.

As my powers were directed at the agents I was picking up any and every movement they made. It was an interesting interaction, that was for sure. And I would also need to update Nick on things.

But the good thing that came out of this whole ordeal was that the boys came back safely as we ended up being their extraction team. I was really glad when I saw Fitz walk up to Jemma, relief clearly written all over her face. I even managed a small smile towards Ward. Because despite us bumping heads, I didn't want him dead.

I left the people reuniting downstairs and headed to my bunk. It was quite early, but given that I hadn't managed to get any sleep until we rescued the duo, I was quite tired. Just as I was about to get ready, I realised that May was still at the cockpit and she had spent the whole time there from the Hub to where we were. I would probably regret it if she said yes, but I would offer to drive the Bus while she got some shut-eye. Even if it was just to doze off in the co-pilot's seat.

I exited my bunk with that direction in mind but noticed how Coulson was going upstairs in his office. Our eyes met and he nodded towards the upper floor and I followed him.

I sat across from him, too tired to even think of even standing up until he dismissed me. He noticed that, especially given that it was the first time that I had done that. Without saying anything he took a plastic bottle from a mini-fridge under his desk and offered me the water. "Sorry," I apologised as I took the offering.

"I understand" he replied with his soft smile. "It's been a long day". He waited patiently until I took a few sips and placed the bottle back on the desk. Either giving me time or trying to think of how to phrase what he wanted to say. "Thank you," he said at the end.

That was not what I was expecting. "Excuse me?" I said before I even thought of filtering my words.

He didn't repeat his words, instead started with different ones. "I've been with the organisation for a very long time. Director Fury was my old S.O., I made my way up the ranks, created ops like today's one, I trained other agents and some of them ended in the Avengers… I did a lot of things. And then, then I died". He started rubbing a spot on his chest, subconsciously. I was almost positive he wasn't aware he was doing it. It was a spot I knew all too well. "And since I've come back, I've been different". My mind flashed back to a conversation we had with May back at the Tower, about something that she and Coulson discussed after the Virus mission. His gaze was trained somewhere on my left, over my shoulder, his mind probably millions of miles away. Then he seemed to return to today and he looked at me. "'Trust the system'. It was the first thing integrated into my head since my days in the Academy. I never questioned them. Thank you for doing that for me"