AN.1: Hey guys! Standard procedure, a huge thank you to MegaDiary123. Thank you all for the reviews. I will reply to some of them at the end of the chapter. I will see you all next week. Until then...

All rights go to Marvel

Skye's POV

"What do you mean you can't come?" I almost yelled in the phone's microphone.

"Exactly what that sentence means" Coulson answered from the other end of the line. "The process which we have to proceed with is time-consuming. We won't be able to meet with you guys until the end of the day" he further explained as calmly as he could. "Look, Skye. You were named the leader for this mission, okay? I believe in you. Believe in yourself that you will be able to sort things out" he said with trust leaking into his tone.

I took a deep breath to ground and collect myself. "Thank you. I will keep you posted on what happens here"

I could hear the smile in his voice. "Wouldn't expect anything less" and with that, the phone call was ended.

By the time I walked to where FitzSimmons were waiting I could still hear Fitz being hard on himself while Jemma just wanted him to give himself a break. "Okay, guys focus" they both stopped talking and turned to me, focused. "Good. Now, I have talked with agent Weaver and she's coordinating the search. They're going from building to building. How dangerous do you think they are?"

"Extremely dangerous" Jemma didn't bite her words. "From what we've seen so far, this device turns everyone around it to ice. Very rapidly and at a great range"

"But Donnie is a good kid" Fitz cut in. I looked at him and my expression said it all. "Trust me, he is! He just felt isolated. Seth must have befriended him to manipulate him, use him to finish the product"

This struck something in me. "Wait, hold on a sec. Product?"

He rubbed a hand on his face. "Oh. Okay… I think they have a backer. The device? The components are incredibly rare and expensive. Neither of them could find them in the open market by themselves" he explained.

I immediately grabbed him in a tight hug and kissed him on the cheek. "Fitz! You're a genius!" I said. I immediately walked to the receptions computers and plugged in my hard drive. Thank God I never go anywhere without it. "If they are rare, then we can trace the purchases," I said as I hurriedly typed.

T.A.D.A.S.H.I. was soon up and running, helping me on my search. I still had my phone next to me, should the two the cadets be located by the team Weaver led. It didn't take too long before the picture of the man who backed them up with this device opened on the screen. "What is it with this guy?" I spoke loudly which made Jemma come closer and look at the screen. "Well, Fitz, seems you were right. We shouldn't have been looking for a bad seed but a bad influence. He's the worst there is" I told him as I moved aside for him to also see a clear picture of Ian Quinn.

"You have got to be kidding me" Fitz exclaimed. What had happened with their beloved professor and Gravitonium was still fresh in their minds. His eyes travelled to the components which were ordered by him. "These are thermopower radiation sensors"

"They were sent to Seth's father, who's a lawyer at Quinn Worldwide. Quinn's buying their technology" I told them my findings.

Jemma scoffed. "What a sleaze," she said. I raised an eyebrow at the chosen word. "They have no idea he's a criminal" she justified. "To them, he's just a bold capitalist".

I agreed with her, oh how I did. I had only met the guy once more before and I had yet to forget our encounter. Based on his meeting with 'Jane', this was his classic MO, finding young talent and taking advantage of it. It made me sick to the stomach. I quickly called in Weaver and let her know of this new development. The search was now widened to include Quinn.

Just as I made a move to end the call, I noticed clouds gathering to pick up from seemingly nothing and wind starting to pick up outside. "Bring everyone in. Secure the doors and don't let anyone outside, I think the device's been activated" I told her. "Where's the nearest place for you to take cover?"

"The boiler room" I could hear her scream from the other end, the loud wind being the only reason why she was raising her voice in order to be heard. "Where are you three?"

"We're at the reception" I answered.

"Our safest place is the boiler room. You're too far away. The canteen of that building should be the safest place to be for you three, you should head there!"

"Roger that. Get as many people to the boiler room as you can" I said. "Stay safe, ma'am, and stay inside," I said as the call was finally terminated. I then turned to the duo, my eyes travelling from one to the other. "Any idea where the device is?"

"It should be at the dead centre of the storm". I nodded and she seemed to read my mind. "Skye, no! Don't you dare even think about it!"

I looked at her with an exasperated expression. "What choice do I have?" I asked back. "Someone has to stop it and it's getting worse by the second" I tried to reason with her.

"What are you two talking about?" Fitz cut in. I had, honestly, almost forgotten that he was there as well. He looked between the two of us and seemed to piece it together. "No! Skye! Are you mental? No-one would be able to survive that storm unless you are at the epicentre of it".

"Don't you make me pull rank, you two" I called back, looking at them seriously. "I need you both to be safe in the canteen. That's where agent Weaver told me we should head"

"Yes. We! As in: all of us. All three! Jemma, please reason with her" Fitz yelled with his high-pitched and stress-filled voice.

My attention turned to the biochemist. "Jemma, listen to me," I said gently and moved closer, grabbing both her hands in mine and squeezing. "We both know I'm the only one, right now, that can even try to get there. I can try to disable the device from hereabout but it's a long shot. Even if I manage to do that, I need to make sure that the two cadets are safe". I looked back at Fitz but decided it was worth the risk. "I can shield myself, no-one else can"

Jemma, being Jemma, started rambling. "You don't have your gauntlets. A-And the pressure in your hands will be too much. We don't know if you will be able to sustain it until you reach the centre and it coul—"

A small squeal left her when my lips crashed with hers. Only when I felt her relax did I pull away. "I really needed you to stop talking," I said as I rested my forehead on hers. "I will be okay, alright? You just might have to patch me up when all this is over. Now, get out of here" I whispered, but as close as we were she could definitely hear me.

I felt her nod and that was all I wanted before I took a step away. I turned to Fitz who was frozen in place with his mouth hanging open. "Now, Fitz, you will have many questions and I will answer all of them. Just later on" I said and turned away. I needed to have T.A.D.A.S.H.I. with me, in my ear, and there was only one way to do that.

I took a deep breath as I moved closed to the double doors at the entrance of the reception. I lifted a hand and pressed one of my earrings, the mask instantly forming around my face. "Tee, since you're already in the system, I need you to shut all the surveillance of this building and the ones surrounding the storm"

"Right away, Skye" the U.I. answered in my ear.

With that, I bend down on one knee and pressed my hand hard on the floor closing my eyes. Focusing solely on my vibrations, I let everything else become noise in the background. Not really knowing the terrain that I was in wasn't making my job easy. Thankfully, though, it was vibrating so hard that it was hard to miss.

My fingers curled up a little bit as I send an extra wave towards the ice device. Strong enough to destroy it from the inside out. I watched with satisfaction as the device was blown apart. The device blew up in such a way that the two boys who were messing with it had to jump back to shelter themselves. There was no way that it had survived.

I looked over my shoulder and, of course, both of them were still right where I last saw them. "What part of 'get out of here' do you two not understand?" I asked as I got up shaking off my hands. I mentally cursed as I greeted my teeth. I hadn't used my powers that much and without my gauntlets in a while. It didn't hurt that much, but I had in mind what would follow and I wasn't really looking forward to it. "The device is destroyed, but I still need to get them to safety, okay? I can keep them safe. I also need you two to be safe here"

Fitz was still planted in the same spot, not really understanding what was happening as his mind was sent to overdrive with all the new information he just got. My eyes met Jemma's whose small nod was all I needed before I gathered my strength to get out there. This was gonna hurt like a bitch.

I was at the Academy's Med Bay. Jemma was tending to my bruised arms, as Fitz was in the corner of the room and I was talking with Weaver. "It's very fortunate that neither boy was harmed," I told the older woman. "Thankfully I managed to get to them before anything happened"

She nodded, having already thought of the consequences and the paperwork she'd have to fill if a cadet died. But that doesn't mean that it made it any easier for her. This whole situation was a mess that no-one would like to be part of. "And I think I speak for all the stuff when I say that we're very grateful you managed to secure both of them. How did you get there?" She asked.

I heard Jemma scoff from next to me. "She had the ingenious idea to walk through the storm, hence the bruised arms," she said as she continued wrapping said arms. "The kids are smart. They wouldn't activate very close to buildings. Between your location and ours, we were the ones closer to the parking lot" she explained for my sake.

"I didn't have anything to cover myself, so my hands took the brunt of it" I added. "I thought it was the only way to get to them and try protecting them. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner but every second I spend debating it was a second more of the storm getting worse"

"No, I understand" she placed a hand on my shoulder. "Thank you, for trying"

"What's going to happen to Donnie now? He really is a good kid" Fitz spoke for the first time since we all gathered at this room. He didn't even ask about Seth, as he was convinced that he was the one that had manipulated Donnie all along.

All heads, as if one, turned to the security cameras in the room where we saw Donnie and Seth being placed at the back of an unmarked vehicle and led out of the facility. "We cannot be sure" Weaver spoke up. "There will be a hearing since they were students, but chances are that they'll end up in the Sandbox. But not as working scientists" she said grimly". She turned back to us and straightened her spine. "There are a lot of things that I need to take care of. Are you going to be okay here?"

I looked at Jemma who simply nodded. After that we all thanked Weaver and we were left alone in the large room. The only sound anyone was making was that of Jemma doing her job. "You need to report this to the Director," she said. "I will if you don't"

"I will, don't worry" I reassured her and she seemed to believe me. I was the first time I really had the need to use my powers while in the team and he needed to be made aware of the situation. "I also need to talk with Tony. He might be able to do something about the gauntlets. Maybe make them form like the mask? That way I will always have them with me" I added.

"Okay, hold on a second" Fitz seemed to snap back to the present. "The Director? Your mask, gauntlets? What's going on here? How did you reach Donnie? How did you know the device was destroyed? How—"

"Fitz, breath" I stopped him. I got up when Jemma gave me the okay and moved closer to him, seeing him stiffen.

He even took a step back. "Who are you?" He asked. And if I said that that didn't hurt a little bit I would be lying.

"She's still Skye" Jemma quickly came to my defence.

He then looked between the two of us. "And… And you two kissed! How— When did that happen?!", he shrieked.

I looked at Jemma, who looked back at me and we communicated with just our eyes. We'd talk about it later. I then turned back to the rocket scientist. "That's a story for another time" I started. He really didn't like that, but he was so confused that he didn't object. "Now, what you're gonna hear? You can't repeat it to anyone" I said with a heavy tone which he picked up and nodded, still not sure what he was agreeing to. "Remember back in the day, when I was still in the Academy and we had that little 'mission'? To find out where I was coming from?" It took him a while but he eventually nodded. "And the results were… peculiar, to say the least? And we eventually destroyed them?" He seemed to put some more of the pieces together and he looked a bit better as he started making sense of this whole situation. "Turns out, there is a reason why it's like that. But, long story short, after I left, Nick found me"

He lifted a hand to stop me from continuing. "Nick, as in…?" He asked.

"As in: Director Nicholas Joseph Fury" I explained and waited for the follow up which I was sure would come.

His eyes grew comically wide. "You're in a first name basis with the Director?", he whispered-yelled. "And his middle name is Joseph?!"

I opened my mouth to say something but then closed it and greeted my teeth. "Shit, so… No-one can know that you guys know his middle name. He hates it. As in, will be very tempted to kill you if you say it. And… I guess we kind of are, on a first-name basis that is" I shrugged. "I usually call him Pirate though". Fitz was getting more excited, and I could tell that there were more things he wanted to ask but I stopped him short. "We're getting a little bit out of topic. Mind if I continue?", to which he quickly agreed to. "Cool. Now, where were we… Oh, yeah! So, Nick found me but I was slightly different than I used to be. And I was also kinda injured"

Jemma scoffed. "Yeah, kinda?", she challenged.

"Fine" I said with aside look to the other girl. "Kinda a lot injured. Satisfied?", to which she said "Very" with a smog look.

Fitz rolled his eyes at our antics. "So, you were kinda a lot injured, and…?", he prompted.

"That was when I was called in," Jemma said from my side. "Remember when in our sixth year in the Academy agent Weaver called me in and I disappeared for half a year?", which he definitely did as his eyes cleared and he nodded. "I had to take care of this fool right here. After that I kind of became the resonate expert on Skye and I am her go-to doctor given that I know her system's peculiarities" she continued. "So, all those times when I'd leave suddenly for a few days at the time, was because I needed to help this one out" she pointed to me.

I waited for him to process everything. "Your system's peculiarities? What is that supposed to mean?"

I smiled at him and gave my hand out for him to shake. He didn't really understand what was happening, but he took my hand either way. As I shook it, I let out a very tiny portion of quakes to his palm. "Quake, nice to meet you Fitz"

He immediately retracted his hand and took a couple of steps back motioning for me to hold on. He looked at his hand and then back at me. "Did you just say Quake?"

I smiled at him and nodded.

"Quake as in, the Avenger 'Quake'?" He asked for the clarification. To which I nodded again. I watched as his eyes travelled back and forth between Jemma and I. He then paused and smiled brightly. "So… that means when you said before…" he looked at me with wide eyes. "You know Tony Stark!"

This was going to be a long day…

AN.2: Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Here we go with some review answers, read them if you want :)

- Taryth: I get what you mean. Sorry about that, I will try to make it more clear from here on out.
- hiareportsyou: Not too many changes again. I am aware. I just wanted to get this whole episode over with if I'm being honest. Thank you for the feedback.
- Guest2.0: It was a great idea, thank you so much for it. I had already finished the chapter a couple of days before I posted the previous one, so I already knew how it played out. And, honestly, I didn't want to rework on it. I appreciate all of you guys making suggestions for the story, and in many cases, they are very helpful and I use some of them. This chapter was just a pain to write and I got it over pretty quickly. But, thank you for the suggestion, it was a very interesting idea :)