#but i have one au idea where fitz gets lost in the human world and is “missing” in the elven world or declared dead

[soulless-angel25]

you like kotlc?

Yep! I think that the story is really interesting overall. And the concept of this world that is completely hidden from us is soooo intriguing, and the fact that there are so many things that we just don't know because Canon (Sophie) doesn't know either is really fun! It also provides a lot of opportunities for fanfic to be made for it, just fan content in general. It's like how I have a few ideas for heavily canon divergent AU's for it. I've also seen some really good fan content as well!

So yes. I very much do like KOTLC.

[bookwyrminspiration]

Shattered Upside Down

A kotlc wings au

summary:  When the world begins to crawl with unnaturally made monsters, the Keeper crew continue to fight like they always have. But a wrench is thrown in those plans when they themselves become less than human.

Chapter 1: The Descent

Word count: 7k

warnings: mild fantasy violence (nothing more than in canon), swearing

taglist: listed at the end beneath the cut, but let me know if you want to be added or removed

!!! Y’all!! It’s finally here!!! And you might be thinking, Quil they don’t have wings. To which I say: be patient!! this is a multi-chapter fic! this is just the groundwork <3

ao3 link here

or read beneath the cut

It was comical, really, just how quickly their security had crumbled into unbridled, ravaged chaos. They had relied on the extravagance of the Neverseen, always too brash, too bold, too eager for attention. They were self-sabotaging. They revealed their plans a moment too soon, wanting the world around them to see the cunning, the thought, to know which moments were their last.

And they’d played the part so clever, it hadn’t crossed a single mind that they were gracing more than one stage. That even when they weren’t putting on a show, they remained ingenuine.

The Black Swan had thought them comical storybook villains, all talk and poise. And then they’d slip, underestimating you and letting you swoop in last second, tossing wrenches in their gears and bringing them up short. A hero. Classic and overused, but a hero nonetheless.

It had been ludicrous to entertain the notion they could be capable of anything greater, anything deadlier. That they wanted to be stopped again and again. That they wanted to build the Black Swan’s confidence in themselves, wanted to be broken and bruised and battered and defeated again and again and again.

Because then who could consider them a threat?

Who would look for them, frail and scattered as they were?

They had all been lured into a false sense of security, taking the first deep, fulfilling breaths they’d had in years. And each day it came easier. Every passing second without disturbance relaxed their bodies and eased their minds. It had been months and months, long enough they felt safe. Actually safe. The idea was laughable now, but it had been true. The Neverseen were gone, dead and buried.

But villains work best from the grave.

The Ruewens noticed the shift first, although if you asked either of them they wouldn’t be able to tell you quite what it was. The subtle gleam gracing the teeth of each new animal they took in, each creature becoming more violent and vocal, tails thumping just a touch harder against the ground.

It was only a coincidence that seven times in a row the creatures were “uncharacteristically rough and wild for their species.” It only became worrisome when the docile creatures began to growl at anyone’s approach, even the ones that had already been tamed.

Then it all went to shit.

Absolute

fucking

shit.

You wouldn’t have been able to tell from the outside; it was surrounded by one-way glass. Look through and all you’d see were splotches of amorphous green, running streams, sunlight soft and secure. But the view from inside was a completely different story. From inside you could see the creeping mold and blood caked along the sides of streams, the marks in the trees and the torn roots, ash where the sun had burned too bright, rusted mist raining down.

What a nightmare they’d made of paradise.

Except, somehow, the Lost Cities themselves had ended up on the outside of the glass, content to pretend the creatures roaming the hills were only a problem if they were near you, which they weren’t. So what a pack of rabid unidentifiable beasts attacked? They hadn’t been here, so it wasn’t a problem.

Then it became a problem.

The creatures moved closer, working their way through the land, ravaging their way towards the Lost Cities. The elves blinked and they were surrounded. Crystal castles tumbled into sand, stone pavement was ripped from the ground, trees torn and shredded, dripping with infection.

They’d had no choice but to leave it all behind. There’d been backlash of course, despite it being in everyone’s best interest. Those who were so attached to what they had, what had remained a constant in the past millennia of their lives that they were fully willing to risk themselves for it. There was no doubt though, that had they been allowed to remain they would’ve regretted it the moment those creatures came to their door, the ones they’d refused to believe were their problem.

So they’d all moved below ground, deep enough they couldn’t be reached. Every inch of surface available to them was dangerous, so they’d gone beneath it. The dwarves had graciously worked to hollow out living space for them all, creating entire kingdoms beneath the sand. And now they were much more powerful, carried more weight with each step, the responsibility they’d risen to clinging to them and eating them respect no one could deny.

They’d all be dead without them.

Not everyone was in one place, a few spots underground scattered throughout the world and it nearly impossible to travel between them. Light leaping didn’t work underground, and it was an incredible risk to brave the surface for a single leap. Once everyone had been settled, they’d stayed there. And they were still there.

I mean, what else could they do?

It had taken them a bit to work out just where these volatile creatures had come from, the ones now spanning the entirety of the world--although the humans were still unaware. Something about the pollution and overall vibe of the forbidden cities kept the monsters away from them.

A few had suggested moving to the forbidden cities as an alternative to living underground, but the disgust for the places quickly killed that idea.

The Black Swan was adamant that somehow the Neverseen had to be behind this. The organization had been the only enemy they’d ever had--and they were right, in a way. Despite months of silence, of nothing, of security, they must’ve done something.

But how, was the question.

Perhaps it would’ve been better had the question never been answered, if they’d all remained ignorant of what had been hidden right beneath them. Certainly, there would’ve been more resistance had every single elf shoved underground been kept in the dark.

But alas, illumination came tied with a silver ribbon.

One of the smaller creatures, really not much larger than a candle, had slipped into the residences, stirring up a ruckus in its frantic attempts to escape as it realized it was trapped below ground. It had been caught in a corner, hunched over away from the lights. The entirety of its body had been shaded by the large mushroom cap covering its head. It was only on closer inspection they realized the red, dripping mushroom was attached to its head. The rest of its body was disproportionately small and warped, grooves scorn into the skin.

They had been taking it back towards a small air vent--so they could release it onto the surface--when they’d seen the small clasp. It was imperceptibly small, silver in color, piercing the underside of the mushroom cap. It was a tag. An identification tag complete with a pin number.

If that hadn’t been enough proof that the creatures had been intentional, the symbolic eye entwined with a sturdy chain would’ve been enough. Their hearts stopped dead. That eye was unmistakably the Neverseen’s symbol, but that chain…

It was clearly another symbol, the two mixed. But--

Fuck. The creature in their hands had grown panicked and impatient, the space they’d thought was its body leering open to reveal rows upon rows of stubby teeth, all sharp edges and imperfections. They’d nearly dropped the creature in their panic to shove it into the air vent, closing it quickly behind as the sharp, tiny stomps faded as it climbed further and further away.

That creature had been created intentionally and the Neverseen had been a part of it, that much was certain. But there was someone else. Another force out there with enough influence and power to corrupt the entirety of nature’s balance, able to rewrite the story of evolution, and they were represented by a chain.

But who was it?

No matter how shallow her breaths, the overwhelming stench of musk and mold continued to coat her tongue and turn her stomach sour. Sophie exhaled slowly; it would do no good to dwell on what she couldn’t change. The rest of them weren’t faring much better, but the thin cloths over their faces provided a sliver of relief.

Sophie, Fitz, Keefe, Biana, Dex, Tam, Linh, Marella, Maruca, and Wylie. More people than they’d usually risk bringing on a mission, but it was a necessary risk for one of this magnitude.

She assumed the thick scent was coming from the swaths of unidentified plant life gorging it way up the sides of the tunnel, clinging to wet, crumbling rock and glowing faintly blue in the light. At the very least it provided slight illumination of the tunnel ahead, along with the branching pathways they occasionally crossed that likely led to collapsed rooms and dead ends. Mere months ago she would’ve been anxious over the thought that the ground above her would give way and crush them all in moments. Now, however, months living underground had made the ground above her a comfort more than anything. If there was enough soil between her and the surface, the creatures that roamed freely couldn’t get to her.

Although that didn’t exactly apply when they were heading straight into the breeding facility; the heart of the creatures, their origin, where they still poured out in lucrative amounts, a constant supply keeping the surface a hazard.

We’re only about a half-mile away, Dex informed them. He spoke into their shared mental space, kept in place by Sophie and Fitz’s combined efforts, eliminating the need for out-loud conversation. Some of the creatures--especially the ones that liked the dark--had particularly keen hearing, and the closer they got, the riskier any noise would be.

Her head snapped to the side as Biana skidded for a moment on a patch of gravel, sucking in a sharp, silent breath as she caught herself. They all winced, pausing to listen if the sound had caught the attention of anything nearby.

Biana didn’t bother to apologize, they all knew it was inevitable and unavoidable--and it couldn’t be undone.

Remember the plan? It was Fitz’s voice echoing through their heads this time, although it felt like he was trying to whisper despite it being mental. They all nodded in response, and Keefe patted his pocket, bulging with the same explosives they all carried.

Sophie cleared her mind, running through the plan--which she’d done so many times by now the exact words were likely permanently etched into her brain. At the end of this system of tunnels--which Dex was navigating them through--was the breeding facility. This breeding facility was where the creatures on the surface were created, and where they were still coming from. Old and new types alike. Sophie had a basic outline of the facility--it had been difficult enough to find the location, buried deep beneath the earth, getting specifics was impossible--and the areas they were to hit. Everyone had a stash of explosives, black cubes small enough you could wrap your fingers around them. They’d get in, set up the devices, get out, and detonate them once they were a safe distance away.

It was supposedly simple, but everyone had their own speculations about what could possibly go wrong; the most likely was that they would be caught in the act.

The tunnel began to widen, opening into a large cavern; but, as they looked up, they realized it hadn’t always been. Pillars rose around them towards an arching ceiling, carved designs gracing the stone. It appeared this place had once been a grand room, almost reminding her of Victorian castles, but the floor had collapsed into rubble, green vegetation covering nearly every inch.

Linh rotated her hand as she fluttered her fingers, seemingly almost absentmindedly. The leaves rustled faintly, in response to her call. She said nothing for a moment, and Sophie’d almost forgotten about it when Linh spoke up.

I wonder how these plants are able to flourish so far underground, seemingly on their own. A memory from only a few seconds ago flashed through the mindbubble--Keefe’s nickname that had stuck-- and as Sophie watched it she could feel the body memories of Linh tracing the water through the roots of the plants and into the ground, trying to find a source large enough to sustain this vegetation.

Linh shook her head, nodding to herself and to assure the others she remembered their goal, their mission. The reason they were here.

Adrenaline hummed through Sophie’s veins as she began to survey the walls, the bases of which were a good ten feet above her head. She could sense the rest of the group doing the same, but it was Tam’s searching shadows that found the entrance.

It was nearly buried in a corner, obscured by mounds of rock and swaths of green, but it was there.

Sophie briefly sent out a wave of consciousness into the mindbubble, assessing her team and assuring they were all prepared. They seemed to be, although Linh still seemed to be ruminating on the water in the room, fingers rubbing together rhythmically.

Releasing a slow breath, she crawled into the hole, small enough she couldn’t have even sat up comfortably. If Dex’s directions were to be trusted, this hole would lead into an old ductwork system in the back of the facility, and from there they could drop down and continue as planned. The ground was jagged against her palms, but at the very least her hands were slightly protected by her gloves--the same black everyone was wearing now. They must’ve donned them before crawling in behind her-including Linh.

It’s dead ahead, she said, having spotted the reflection of the ductwork up ahead. She couldn’t imagine it led to anywhere particularly important in the facility, as the air it would’ve brought in was absolutely foul. Whatever glistening substance coated her hands and soaked her knees was going to linger.

She came to a stop at the edge where the rock gave way to rusted metal, but a moment was all she allowed herself. Bracing, she slowly lowered her hand and weight onto the ductwork, hoping it would remain silent.

A small thud resounded as the metal bent, but that was it. She gave the clear to the group and continued forward, already wishing this part were over. The duct was significantly smaller than the already cramped tunnel, but at least the tunnel had glowing fungus to light the path. This was pitch black and tiny, requiring them to shimmy on their elbows with only the light of their pendants to guide them. She wasn’t good enough at night vision for it to help, and she wasn’t going to waste energy trying. She needed to save everything she had.

The group continued forward with bated breath as they searched for an opening in the pathway, everyone eager to escape this claustrophobic nightmare. It’ll be over soon, she reminded herself, but when Biana echoed back, Soon, she realized she’d spoken into the mindbubble. Her cheeks flushed for a moment, but it was quickly put out of her mind when she saw a change in the lighting up ahead.

There’s something coming up, she transmitted, hushed. Don’t know what though. There was palpable hope in the air; they were all wishing it was the opening they’d been waiting for, but no one wanted to be let down if it turned out it wasn’t.

Sophie attempted to maintain the quickest pace she could without making sound, but in her urge to get to that possible opening, she nearly kicked the side of the duct. The person behind her--likely Marella, she hadn’t looked--sucked in a breath as everyone froze.

After only a moment's pause, she began forward again, now at a much more reasonable pace as the shift ahead was confirmed to be a vent.

She came to a stop before the slits of the vent, peering down into the room below, sending out a sweep of her consciousness to see if she could hear any thoughts indicating people nearby. Determining it was clear, she slipped the small multipurpose tool from where it’d been stored in her sleeve and began to undo the screws. It made an awful groan when she tugged off the grate, and she gripped it tight in one hand as she gently slid out face first, catching herself and levitating the rest of the way down.

The ground was surprisingly further than she’d been expecting, a good thirty feet from the vent in the ceiling to the dusty ground. Her landing left footprints in the dust, but if everything went according to plan the place would be crumbling long before that would become a problem.

The rest of the group slowly drifted to the ground, emerging from the vent one-by-one in a way that almost made Sophie want to laugh. The fear curdling her blood was enough to keep it in her throat, though.

There didn’t seem to be anything in this room besides storage, discarded crates stacked surprisingly aligned, towers reaching up towards the ceiling. Brushing her fingers over the top of a nearby crate, she saw it had a label.

Curious, she tried to read it. Unfortunately, it was either written in ancient elven or some sort of cipher she didn’t understand. Still, she not only wanted to know what was inside, she needed to. If this was something that could be used to create more monsters, it needed to be destroyed.

As she set about opening the case, the others assumed their positions. Dex was already working on something in the corner, hacking the security system so they could monitor the cameras and place them on loop. Biana was near the door with Fitz, who appeared to be mentally scanning the nearby area for thoughts.

She grunted as she pushed the lid open, bracing it on her shoulder as she peered inside. Her stomach squirmed uncomfortably, and she very quickly closed the crate before anyone else could peek inside. She didn’t want them to see that.

This room has got to go, she whispered into the mindbubble, and while she could feel their curiosity, they didn’t push the issue. Wylie only nodded, removing one of his explosives from his pocket and wedging it between a few crates near the center of the room.

We’re clear to move ahead, Fitz said, and Dex seconded him, holding up his modified imparter. It appeared to connect directly into the camera feeds, where he could switch between different cameras and assess their surroundings.

As we move I’ll be placing the cameras each group is near on a loop, but try not to linger; it’s not a guarantee. Sophie nodded, and Dex passed his imparter near the door, which clicked unlocked.

The door pushed open, presumably by the now-invisible Biana, and they all filed out into the hall. It seemed to hit them all then, that this was truly happening; this was high stakes. At any moment they could be caught, but if they succeeded the entire place would hopefully fall on top of itself, burying these horrors permanently.

The halls were all the same murky, metal grey, as though trying to imitate the stone it had been carved from. Faint gouges could be seen in the walls, and the lights were flickering balefire, every few feet another ball of flame was placed, providing inconsistent illumination.

Sophie went left with Biana, Linh, Dex, and Maruca; Fitz went right with Keefe, Tam, Marella, and Wylie. They’d done their best to disperse abilities across the groups, but it still left each one lacking key assets. But that was unavoidable.

Biana--with Sophie’s help--ensured that their group remained visibly undetected, and she was grateful they had practiced moving in sync back home, otherwise, everyone would’ve tripped over each other. Systematically they made their way through the facility, not actively trying to hide evidence they’d been there but not going out of their way to make it obvious. The intention was that the plan would be executed and the place would be falling long before anyone would notice anything, so speed was their true ally.

Each explosive placed had the lump of anticipation in her throat rising steadily higher. This was truly happening. She kept reminding herself that in just an hour this would be over. However it ended, it would be over.

Footsteps sounded off to the side, and the group froze, pressing themselves into the corner of the room. Similar to all the others, it was stacked high with crates and racks of vials nearly up to hip height, organized this time by color. Sophie had placed her explosive underneath one of the vials, clearly visible to anyone who walked into the room.

Now they could hear voices as well, murmuring sharply as they came closer and closer to the room. Sophie could hear Biana’s pained gasps in the mindbubble, exerting extra energy to keep all five of them expertly hidden. Her fingers were clamped around Sophie’s own, nails digging into Sophie’s skin as she shook with the exertion.

There was a window in this particular room, so even a moment's slip could reveal them to the figures they watched stop in front of the glass. She memorized their faces, and could feel the others doing the same. A man with curling black hair and light brown skin, talking to someone much shorter than him, who looked to be no more than a child in a frilly gown, hair tangled and red. They were clearly having an argument of some sort, the girl stomping her foot dramatically.

Please don’t come in here. She wasn’t sure which of them had said it, but they’d all been thinking it. Biana would’ve if all her energy wasn’t going into keeping them invisible.

Is something wrong? Their anxiety must’ve been enough to send the message throughout the entirety of the mindbubble, not just their group, and Keefe’s concern echoed throughout their heads. When he got no response the others started chiming in, which at least meant they weren’t in any immediate danger if they had the luxury of checking in on them.

The nails dug further into her skin as the man outside the door sighed, swiping a keycard and unlocking the door, shoving it open with his shoulder as he continued to scold the girl.

“Absolutely you may not--” he began to say, one foot through the door frame, yet he still hadn’t looked, eyes on the girl. The voices in her head went silent, the adrenaline flooding her system drowning her alive until it was only that man and the explosive on the table, ever so visible.

He began to turn, eyes moving inside the room, door fully open as he stepped in.

The girl screamed. She screamed in frustration and stomped her feet and darted down the hallway, barely avoiding tripping on her elaborate gown.

The man’s attention whipped after her and he snarled something incoherent, stalking briskly after her, the door thudding shut behind him.

He left behind a thick silence, and it took a full thirty seconds before Biana’s grip on her loosened, a faint panting coming from the empty space near her as Biana swayed slightly, leaning heavily on whoever was next to her.

They lingered only a few more seconds, just barely enough for Biana to regain her composure. It was imperative they move on as quickly as possible; they had no clue when that man would be back, but it was certain he would return before they'd blown the building.

As they left she took a brief moment to hide the explosive, somewhere that wouldn’t be so easily visible for when that man returned. It would buy them time, hopefully.

Work quickly, Sophie transmitted, sending the message echoing towards the others. That had been much too close, and her urgency must’ve been obvious because she could feel the others perking up.

She could see her group’s minds lingering on that little girl, the one who’d thrown a tantrum and saved their lives. They’d known, theoretically, that there were people in this building, not just supplies and serums and whatever else created monsters, but they’d reasoned their way through the guilt. Anyone in the building was actively harming the planet and helping produce those creatures in some way; they were all complicit, so the world would be better if it were rid of them. That was something they could deal with if it saved their families, their friends stuck underground as the world above was ravaged.

That little girl was just that: a little girl. She couldn’t have been older than five; she played no part in these deadly games, yet she’d pay the same price.

Sophie hauled them through the hallways, ducking into a particularly shadowed corner away from the balefire light, the rest of her team slightly dazed. Someone's memory of that feisty girl lingered in the mindbubble, a silent question, hesitance. She could feel the other group somewhere else in the facility stop dead at the sight of her, dread tightening their stomachs as their minds cycled through the possibilities. How many just like her were hidden somewhere within these walls, unaware of the horror and grief surrounding them, coating the floors and washing through the halls; how many?

There’s nothing we can do about that right now, she transmitted to everyone, desperately trying to return them to their senses. They couldn’t do anything with everyone in such a state, clouded minds and stumbling limbs, and her panic alongside her upbringing fraught with human horror gave her enough lucidity to be the leading voice of reason. Perhaps they’d abandon the mission--although that was a last resort. They’d already gone to so much trouble--but they couldn’t do anything just standing about, practically begging to be caught.

Their minds sharpened, and someone gave her arm a reassuring squeeze, telling her they were there and they were okay. She exhaled quietly, glancing around anxiously to double-check they’d remained undetected.

Sophie was almost certain she could feel the heavy, fluttering pulses of her friends reverberating through the air as they continued on, jumping at each faint sound. Their near disaster had sombered the group, and they all appeared infinitely more aware of their surroundings, expecting someone to appear any moment.

They weren’t communicating exactly, but when they’d gotten down to their last two explosives she mindlessly reached out into the mindbubble, searching for Fitz and the others. She could feel rather than hear his response, although he seemed to be just as distracted. The others in her own group placed the last two as she scanned the surrounding space for thoughts; they made their way through the halls, peering through windows into the rooms--which were surprisingly abandoned. Apparently, the storage units were not a priority when it came to security.

Or they were guarded by something much more sinister than mere guards. The gouge marks in the walls seemed to leer at her, more ominous than they’d been a moment before.

It turned her stomach, thinking about just how expansive the facility was. It appeared infinite, spanning several stories above and a few below them, each floor impossibly tall and wide. They’d made their way down about two flights, targeting the structural supports of the building so everything would be crushed in the downfall. She intentionally kept herself from thinking about that little girl.

There’s the rendezvous room, Dex said, and Sophie shook herself internally, pulling the group forward. When they’d first come up with the plan, they’d intended to retrace their steps and exit the way they’d come, but it was deemed too high of a risk to sneak back up through the floors of the facility, and they had instead designated the room ahead as a meeting spot. It, too, had large enough vents to crawl through, which eventually made their way to an opening that should allow enough sunlight down for them to leap away with; although, if that didn’t work, they could always work their way through the vents until they’d completely retraced their steps.

Like electricity jolting through water, Fitz reached out to her, giving her a direct line to him to allow her to track his location more easily. The tether between them led to just around the corner up ahead. They were coming from opposite sides, and if you knew exactly what you were looking for you could see a large shadow creeping unnaturally against the wall, so crisp it was practically imperceptible despite her knowing where to look.

Sophie’s group made it to the door first, and Dex’s hands shook slightly as he crouched down to fiddle with the lock. He swiped his imparter across it, but nothing happened. She watched him work through his own eyes, peering through the mindbubble as he let them in. The tension grew as the others caught up to them, Tam’s shadows spreading over them slightly, enough so that Dex could disconnect from the chain, lighting the strain on Biana.

She could see him gnawing slightly at his lip as he tapped on his imparter in quick succession. Someone began breathing deeply and slowly, and she started to scan their surroundings again. Something was wrong, but she couldn’t let them be caught off guard.

Marella shook out her hands, sparks flickering between her fingers, growing with each passing moment that door refused to open. The veins in Wylie’s hands shone for a brief moment as he clenched his fist, the shimmer fading as he relaxed his fingers, glancing around.

There’s a different lock on this door, Dex mumbled, mental voice sounding faintly panicked, as though he were putting effort into sounding in control.

Yeah, no shit, Keefe grumbled, but there was a tension lacing the words that shouldn’t have been there.

Just give me...a...little longer. I think...I’ve got it.

Each pause was accentuated by a small tap as he lost his train of thought, fiddling with the locks. Cold dreaded settled itself in the center of her stomach, reaching dripping tentacles about and curling them around her insides, squeezing tight as the oxygen levels in the room seemed to dip-- and the problem didn’t appear to be the kind she could fix with a few deep breaths.

There was virtually nothing they could do but wait for him to finish, and it was agony to sit there, eyes frantically pacing the gouged walls hoping no one was approaching. Fitz’s mind reached across the mindbubble towards her, and she let him in, pooling their energy together to send pulsing waves of consciousness out around them, searching the nearby areas.

With each pulse that passed over them, the thoughts of their friends flared for a moment before dimming as it passed, but there was no one else nearby. No other flashes of thought near them that they could identify.

Wait.

There.

Fitz made a muffled sound of distress, and she could see the others’ heads snap up towards the both of them.

Shit, they transmitted. Opening their minds, they showed the others what they’d found--or rather, what was about to find them. A few halls away were thoughts, approaching quickly in their direction.

Holy shit they’re close, Biana breathed. And she was right. Normally, they’d be able to detect someone this close clear and simple, but there was a haze over their thoughts that she’d never seen before. It was as though they’d made their thoughts invisible, and she’d only barely been able to see through the deception.

There was nothing to be done about it, however, except fervently hope Dex could open that goddamn door before that person walked around the corner and saw the conglomeration of shadows and a door opening on its own. Which would happen in approximately...thirty seconds.

C’mon, I’m so close, Dex strained, mental voice shaking.

Footsteps echoed just a few moments away, and she began to bounce in place, squeezing her fingers so tight she was surprised the bones didn’t snap.

GOT IT, he cried, wrenching the door open as the lock unlatched. It was a race as everyone scrambled into the room, the footsteps and their hidden thoughts growing closer and closer each second. She couldn’t even think through the adrenaline, her arms shaking so badly there was nothing but the colors in front of her and her goal.

The door clicked shut behind them, just as the person rounded the corner.

They’d made it. Her breath came out in harsh pants, and none of the sounds around her made much sense, but she just couldn’t take her eyes off that door.

FUCK, Tam yelled, and as a force field flickered into place around them, Sophie finally turned around.

To find a room full of various guards, all of whom were staring back, malice and shock glimmering on their faces. But what was even worse were the caged creatures behind them.

Viscous pale syrup dripped from vats spread throughout the room, pulsing with thick spiderwebs of veins and mucous. Her stomach dropped as she tilted her head back to see them more fully, vaguely humanoid but distorted. Limbs stretched out like sticky candy, skin close to wreaking, appendages ending in blunt bone creeping its way out of the body. Hair floated around them in the thick substances, matted and black and shining.

They seemed dormant, but their appendages twitched in time to their thunderous heartbeat, sending waves throughout their liquid enclosures.

That was all she had the chance to see before the guards closest to them pulled out their melders.

Everything seemed to be moving at twice the speed it was supposed to be, throwing her completely off her rhythm.

Maruca stood in front of them, arms spread wide as she held a force-field around them all, Biana had let go of her, choosing to spend her energy in a fight rather than vanishing them, and it was as they broke contact that she realized just how much of her energy Biana had taken.

She swayed on her feet for a brief moment, casting out her mind and trying to get a sense of how many there were in this room that appeared infinite.

Rows of vats spread farther than she could see, although not all seemed to be occupied. None of them should’ve been. They’d gone out of their way to ensure they’d stay far away from any creatures, no matter the potential benefits. There was nothing that could be done against them.

Maruca grunted as pangs clattered against the force field, trying to find a way through. Sophie’s breathing quickened as she realized she couldn’t feel the presence of anyone in the room. It was although she was entirely alone. She couldn’t feel Fitz next to her, or anyone under the force field, and she couldn’t detect anyone outside of it.

There was an ominous silence, despite the shouts of the people around her. Security personnel were murmuring into communication devices, alerting others of a “disturbance in sector 34, room B12.” But no one in her group said a word. They’d learned not to. They spoke in the mindspace however, hysterical and screaming.

This was not the room they were supposed to be in.

There was nothing they could do as warning lights began to flash around them, strobing effects searing her eyes as alarm bells tolled, shrill and vibrating.

It couldn’t have been more than five seconds since they’d walked through that door.

She steeled herself, drawing on that knot of power she kept stored beneath her ribs, feeling the energy channel from her chest towards her head, building and building until almost painful. But she couldn’t release it. She couldn’t attack through the force field, and Maruca couldn’t drop it because then those melders would hit them head-on and they couldn’t withstand that.

Everyone else was in a similar predicament.

Then it got worse.

She didn’t think it could get worse.

How could it get worse?

The creature in the tank seemed to be reacting to either the lights or the sounds--it didn’t really matter which. What mattered was that it was moving; it was opening its gaping maw and screaming within that tank, air bubbles shooting their way towards the ceiling and lingering, a never-ending stream as its body began to buck and thrash sporadically, sharp limbs colliding with glass.

The cylindrical vat cracked, a spiderweb of broken veins spreading from the point of impact, growing with each collision as it began pounding against the glass.

The muffled sounds it made were absolutely horrible, and she slapped her palms over her ears, grimacing. But what truly stopped her heart was the sound of falling glass, wet and raining down, clattering about and bouncing off the force field.

Because now the creature was loose.

The figures who had been attacking them now swore, looking back and forth between each other before darting out of the room; their weapons still raised despite them being little threat beneath their bubble.

The door latched behind them, and Sophie seemed to come to the horrifying reality at the same time as the others.

They had no way out of this room.

SCATTER! Maruca screamed as she dropped the force field, and everyone complied, darting around the room, trying to get out of the way, hoping hoping hoping that creature wasn’t the exceptionally violent kind, and that it would leave them alone.

All of the creatures they’d encountered so far had been aggressive in some way or another--some simply left you alone unless you got close, others would attack on sight. They’d started a notebook to keep track of all the kinds they knew about, but this one was entirely new.

The only solace that could be found was that it seemed to be the only one that escaped its tank, the others appearing undisturbed.

Watching it from behind a stack of crates, Sophie could see it growing more and more agitated, banging its appendages against what seemed to be its head in distress, a warbled screech piercing the air as it began to flail about.

She ducked at the distinct sound of tables and boxes being crushed as the creature stumbled, tearing at the ground. She began to frantically search the room, looking for something--anything--that could help them at all. There had to be another exit, there had to be something they could do.

Her eyes met Keefe’s across the room, and for the strangest moment, she wasn’t concerned about the creature killing them all, or the guards capturing them and holding them hostage, or their explosives going off when they were still in the building. She was just worried he could feel her panic and it would be too overwhelming for him to concentrate.

Wait.

That was it.

Her mind clicked the pieces together and she sank to the floor, pressing her back against the shelves embedded in the wall behind her, putting her fingers to her temples. The creature was overwhelmed and overstimulated, and it was reacting poorly. She’d never tried to communicate with or inflict on any of the creatures before...but she’d never had a reason to.

She just hoped it would work.

Using that gathered energy, she reached out towards the creature, a mental hand fumbling in the dark. But it appeared she couldn’t...find it. There was just...nothingness...wherever she reached.

Opening her eyes slightly, she squinted up at the creature, which was still stumbling around in response to the overstimulation. The visual helped her narrow in on its mind, and as she reached for it she began to realize... its mind was the silence. She hadn’t been able to detect the mind of the people in the room or her friends because this creature’s mind was so incredibly silent; it broadcasted a blanket over everyone nearby.

WHAT ARE YOU DOING, someone hissed into the mindbubble. But she was so far gone that it barely registered as more than a gentle, far-off whisper.

Desperately trying to control herself, Sophie began bringing forward peaceful, calmer memories; she had to reach further back than she’d expected; life hadn’t been particularly relaxing as of late. Finally, when her head seemed to overflow with calming vibes, she sent them out like a shockwave around her, a ripple in the empty.

Anyone paying even the slightest bit of attention could identify the exact moment the wave hit the creature. Its spine went rigid, snapping straight as its head jerked up, their gazes meeting. Each noise fizzled out in the same instant. No one dared breath in that poignant silence, the space almost empty now, and for the briefest moment, she wished that it weren’t so empty, so quiet.

Her wish was answered.

There was no warning as the creature’s head cocked to the side, staring her down with those empty, glistening black eyes, no warning as it lunged towards her.

Well FUCK, was the only thought in her head as it careened towards her, stumbling as though it’d only learned to walk that day, which it might have.

Its movements were uncoordinated, but that didn’t make them any less violent as the tables around them crashed into each other as it crashed onto all limbs, moving with such speed it could cross the room in less than a blink.

She couldn’t move. She couldn’t think. Her friends were screaming, but she couldn’t make a sound. Her eyelids were fluttering shut as that suffocating silence pressed in closer and closer.

The creature was charging straight towards her and she couldn’t think. It lost its balance, coming down hard on top of her, but its limbs were too long to crush her, and instead, it was crashing into the shelves behind her and crushing glass and breaking rock and its own bones and she. Couldn’t. Think.

Crystal shattered behind her as the shelves were wrenched from the walls, the creature desperately trying to right itself, shrieking that inhuman sound. Vials began to rain down behind her, crashing on the hard floor.

The noxious scents of the spilling bottles began to flood the room, visible gases blooming from where the colors mixed, sizzling and bubbling on the floor. The creature bucked its head, scrambling away, limbs bashing the floor as it dashed far, far away into the hollows of the room.

The silence was back, but this time it was accompanied by fumes and watering eyes as everyone pushed to their feet, stumbling and coughing.

We havetoget...Dex began, eyeing the frothing liquids….out ofhere. He was standing so far away. How had he gotten there? She might’ve been nodding her head, agreeing with him, but without the adrenaline, everything was...so slow...and the floor seemed liquid and plush.

She couldn’t see who began coughing, their whole body wracked in a fit as the vapors became so thick she couldn’t see. It occurred to her too late to try holding her breath, her eyelids fluttering as she stumbled a few steps, but she didn’t actually know where she was going.

A thud sounded behind her, and she turned, the room seeming to lag as she did so. Biana. It had been...Biana. She’d made the sound. Her body was crumpled on the ground, unconscious. That should’ve sent a spike of alarm through her, telling her to move. To go. Get out.

But she couldn’t think. And the others quickly followed, a series of thuds echoing throughout the space as one by one, they succumbed to the fumes.

Sophie was still standing, and she briefly made eye contact with Dex--why was he so far--watching him fumble with his imparter. An explosive rumbling sounded in the distance, growing stronger and closer with each moment her eyes remained open. She was upright only long enough to see Dex fall before she felt her muscles give, and she crashed down hard.

Wings AU Taglist:

@loudnerdfest @rainbowtay-11 @cadence-talle @pyrokinetic-loser @ahecktonoffandomsinoneblog @itstiger720 @loverofallthingssmart  @cowboypossume @jolieharkness @wings-of-hell-and-beyond @shellyseashell @blossomjenniie  @imaramennoodle @booknerdddddd @akotlcblog

[painto-the-goose]

Lost AU

Where WW3 finally arrives and it's between the two most powerful nations. Just the strongest survive.

The two said nation had finally had enough, launching their own nuclear missiles. It ends up killing each and every living thing in its large radius. Everywhere else that wasn't annihilated is either infected by a strong radiation, or suffering from bloody massacres and social revolutions.

As the years go by, the total of earth's population drops to less than a billion. Clans began forming and the world had already become a real Mad Max.

A new generation evolved, immune to the radiation in the air and capable of surviving extreme situations. Getting used to their surroundings wasn't a problem anymore, as they were even capable of domesticating wild animals.

However, life wasn't as easy. Infected water and food could still kill them, gas was a rare supply, and humans would do anything to survive. Alone, no one was safe.

So like said. Clans were seen everywhere. Small, big, even with only 2 people.

There was the well-known ones and the ones in which had just appeared. Each one of them unique in their own way. (But lets just focus on them bois)

Then we have the loners! Merchants, who travel everywhere and trade things with others. People may be aggressive and merciless, but attacking a merchant is outrageous, as they can be very useful alive.

BloodLust Clan: Delirious, Cartoonz, Squirrel, Gorilla and Ohm.

Misfits Clan: Zuckles, Johnontheradio, Fitz, swagger, creamy and jay.

Milk Clan(Smitty's idea): Smitty(obviously), John, Mini, Chilled and Jiggly. (Ohm and the Misfits Clan are allies)

Banana Clan: Wildcat, Brian, Brock, Lui, Nogla, Scotty, Arlan and RacingCatz.

Merchants: Evan(Bombs, Weapons and Scammed Supplies), Marcel(Actual Useful Supplies) and Sark (Information, Food, Water and Gas)

What are the opinions B O I S?

[unlessimwrongwhichyouknowimnot]

The Miraculous Discovery of Captain America

Happy New Year, @jemmahearteyessimmons!!! For a second year in a row, I am your FitzSimmons Secret Santa!! I’m sorry I didn’t get this posted when I said I would, but I hope you enjoy it!!

Prompt: Fitzsimmons Buzzfeed Unsolved AU

Summary: Fitz and Jemma record an episode and then go out to celebrate Fitz's birthday with their friends.

Read on AO3

Jemma entered the studio and smiled at the sight of her best friend sitting at their desk reviewing his script. “Fitz!” she cried cheerfully, “happy birthday!”

Fitz looked up and smiled at her. “Thanks! You’re coming to Hawkins’ Pub with the group tonight, right?”

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Jemma told him.

She sat down next to him and a comfortable silence fell as Fitz went back to reviewing his notes and Wendy came over to apply make-up. There was a map of Greenland and the Arctic on the desk in front of them. Jemma pulled out her own copy of the script and reviewed it quickly.

“Okay, are we ready?” the director asked, coming over to stand in front of the desk. Jemma and Fitz nodded and put their scripts away. The director moved behind the camera. “Three, two, one, action.”

“Today on Buzzfeed Unsolved,” Fitz began, “we’re looking into the miraculous discovery of Captain America. Captain America, also known as Steve Rogers, was born on the 4th of July, 1918-”

“Very patriotic,” Jemma commented.

“Very patriotic, indeed, Simmons,” Fitz said. “When World War II began, Steve Rogers joined the army as soon as he was able, serving first as an actor promoting war bonds, before finally joining the famous Howling Commandos, where he got to see a bit of action. Steve Rogers’ plane went down in the Arctic Ocean in 1945 and he was assumed dead. However, in July 2011, Steve Rogers was found, still alive. Now, we know the story we’ve been told, that Steve Rogers was given a super serum that made him into a real life superhero and that serum allowed him to survive in ice for nearly seventy years, but what exactly that serum was, was never released to the public. If there actually was some kind of magic potion that could change people the way it allegedly changed Steve Rogers, why haven’t more people recreated it and used it for themselves?”

“Others have tried,” Jemma said. “Bruce Banner, for one. And Peggy Carter wrote in her autobiography that the serum was deemed too dangerous to keep.”

“That’s assuming the serum is in fact the truth,” Fitz said.

“You have other theories?” Jemma asked.

“I do have other theories,” Fitz confirmed. “Three, to be exact.”

Jemma sighed. “All right, let’s hear them.”

“Theory one: This man claiming to be Steve Rogers, is not, in fact, the real Steve Rogers.”

“So, he’s like the Dread Pirate Roberts?”

“Yes,” Fitz agreed, “or maybe Anastasia.”

“So, you’re saying the real Steve Rogers is actually dead, and this man is an imposter.”

“Yes.”

“That’s depressing. And how is he faking the super strength? That’s not really something you can fake.”

“Maybe he has a punishing exercise routine?” Fitz suggested.

“I don’t buy this theory,” Jemma told him.

“Okay, then theory two: Cloning.”

“Like Dolly the sheep?”

“Yeah, like Dolly the sheep. What if Captain America did crash in the Arctic, but was rescued before he died? He knew the world would continue to need superheroes, so he had his rescuers take DNA samples, in order to be used for cloning purposes.”

“But why wait until 2011 to reveal this cloned Captain America?”

“Maybe the first attempts at cloning didn’t work out?” Fitz suggested. “Plus, they would have had to wait until the clone grew up and was the same age as the original.”

“Well, this theory is a bit more likely than the super serum, but I’m still not fully buying it.”

“Well, wait until you hear my third and final theory,” Fitz told her. He paused for dramatic effect. “Aliens!”

Jemma rolled her eyes. “Ugh, Fitz!”

“What if, when Captain America’s plane went down, aliens happened to be passing by Earth and decided they needed a superhero of their own?”

“Some kind of guardian of the galaxy?” Jemma asked sarcastically.

“Exactly! Captain America helped the aliens fight their battles, and then requested that they drop him off exactly where they found him.”

“Then how do you explain him not aging?”

Fitz shrugged. “Erm, they kept him in cryo-freeze when they didn’t need him?”

Jemma rolled her eyes again. “Look, as improbable as it sounds, I believe the initial theory that we were told about Captain America.”

“But you only believe it because Peggy Carter says it’s true.”

“What’s wrong with that?”

“Because what if she only says it’s true because she was forced to say it’s true?”

“What?”

“I dunno, some Men in Black type agency feeds her this lie in order to cover up the alien abduction.”

“Ugh, Fitz!”

Fitz smiled at the camera. “You know what I believe; you know what Jemma believes; now, you lot will have to decide for yourselves about the truth behind Captain America’s miraculous discovery.”

“Cut!” the director called out. “That was good, guys. Jemma, maybe you could add a little more eye rolling? And Fitz, a bit of a longer pause before the alien theory. Okay, let’s go again, guys.”

They spent the next few hours re-shooting with different camera angles, new line additions, and various reactions. When they were finally done, Jemma was more than ready to relax at the pub with Fitz and their friends.

Some would call Hawkins’ Pub--with its 80’s theme--hipster, but Jemma preferred to think of it as charming. She and Fitz entered and immediately spotted their friend, Daisy Johnson, at the bar, flirting with the young, 20-something bartender who had a glorious mane of hair.

“Hey, guys,” Daisy said cheerfully when they approached her. “I was just telling Steve here all about your birthday, Fitz. He’s promised us some free drinks.”

“Happy birthday, dude,” Steve said, handing over a tray of shots.

“Cheers, mate,” Fitz told him as he picked up the tray.

Daisy led them to a large, round booth where Mack, Elena, Piper, and Prince were waiting. There was a chorus of greetings and “happy birthday”s as Fitz and Jemma slid in.

“Davis texted,” Piper announced. “Their babysitter fell through, so his wife is gonna stay home while he comes to celebrate.”

“They could’ve just brought the baby,” Hunter commented as he and Bobbi approached the booth. “That’s what we did.”

“We didn’t really have a choice,” Bobbi said, one hand rubbing her rather large, pregnant belly. “Get me a chair, Hunter; I won’t be able to fit in the booth.”

“Yes, dear,” Hunter said.

“So, what crazy theories did you record today?” Piper asked Fitz and Jemma once everyone had settled into the booth.

“Captain America was abducted by aliens to be a guardian of the galaxy,” Fitz told her and everyone at the table began to laugh.

“What if he’s some sort of programmable robot?” Elena suggested.

“Oh, that’s a good one!” Fitz said. “Maybe we could do another quick reshoot tomorrow?” he suggested to Jemma.

“Maybe,” Jemma said, “but we’re supposed to be filming about that little girl from Indiana that people claimed was telekinetic.”

“Telekinetic, that would be a cool superpower,” Hunter commented.

“Oooh, let’s go around and name your ideal superpower,” Daisy suggested. “I’ll go first! Um, well, telekinesis would be nice, or maybe super strength. What about you, Fitz?”

“Erm, the ability to talk to animals?” he suggested.

“Animals, or just monkeys?” Mack asked.

“Well, I’d mainly use it to talk to monkeys,” Fitz admitted.

“You could have a monkey sidekick!” Daisy suggested.

“Yeah!” Fitz grinned at the idea. “He could help me get through laser fences with his adorable little hands.” He turned to Jemma. “What superpower do you want, Simmons?”

Jemma thought, one hand tapping her chin. “Oh, I know! The ability to breathe in places where humans typically can’t, such as underwater, or in outer space.”

Mack chose the ability to know if someone was a robot or not, Elena chose super speed, Hunter chose X-ray vision or invisibility, Bobbi chose healing powers, Prince chose teleportation, Piper chose flight, and Davis, when he arrived, chose the ability to see the future. Fitz and Davis then got into a discussion/argument over the possibility of being able to change the future.

Jemma smiled as she listened to their friendly bickering, chiming in occasionally to help Fitz prove his point about spacetime. She really did have the best friends. Her mind drifted toward Steve Rogers. If he really was a man out of time, like they’d all been told, and not some sort of clone or alien, then all of his friends were dead. How sad.

She was quiet as she and Fitz walked back to her apartment, her mind still on Captain America and everything he had lost. They stopped outside her door, and Jemma fidgeted with her key.

“Fitz,” she said, and he turned to look at her with an expectant smile. “I’ve been thinking a lot about how much Steve Rogers lost, being frozen for nearly 70 years, and I just want you to know--you’re my best friend in the world, Fitz.”

Fitz smiled. “I love you, too, Jemma.”

Jemma kissed his cheek. “Happy birthday, Fitz.”

[theartofbeinganerd]

Hiiii. If you're taking prompts could you do a 4x01 AU where Jemma goes to Radcliffes with Fitz? Thanks!!

Hi!! Thanks for the prompt!!

As I was plotting this out, I became quite salty at the realization that all the storylines could’ve stayed exactly the same for 4A if Fitz hadn’t been keeping secrets from Jemma - which was necessary for some reason that I don’t understand?? But, I digress - anyway, here’s the way it could’ve gone if there were no secrets (like it should’ve been).

(Ao3)

-

As Fitz reached out to ring the doorbell, Jemma shifted thebottles of beer in her grip so that she could take a quick look at her phone. Thankfully,however, nothing too urgent seemed to happening back at the Playground.

“You’ve been checking your phone every five minutes since weleft the base,” Fitz pointed out, seeming a bit exasperated, and perhaps disappointed.“You know, if you wanted to stay and work, you could’ve just said so.”

Jemma scoffed, turning to face him and arching an eyebrow. “Fitz,the very last thing I want is tospend more of my time working.” Smiling softly, she purposefully slid her phoneback into her pocket. “I’m done for now, I promise; I’m all yours.”

He returned the smile, and she thought to herself that she’dthrow her new position and all of its duties to hell, if only to see that smilelighting up the face she loved so dearly.

They both turned when the door opened then, revealingRadcliffe stepping back to let them inside. “Hey, just in time,” he said by wayof greeting, “they’re just taking to the pitch.”

“Oh, good,” Fitz commented as he and Jemma set the six packsthey were carrying down on the counter, leading the way over to the couch as heremoved his jacket.

“Make yourselves comfortable,” Radcliffe told them with awave of his hand, “I’m just finishing cleaning up.”

Jemma took a seat on the couch as Fitz grabbed a handful ofnuts from a bowl on the coffee table, rolling her eyes fondly as he tossed oneinto his mouth and fist-pumped.

“Should be pretty lopsided, don’t you think?” Fitzcommented, nodding toward the game playing on the large flat screen. “Theirkeeper’s absolutely crap – oh my gosh, I’m so sorry!”

Startled at Fitz’s sudden apology as he dropped haphazardlyonto the couch beside her, Jemma glanced up, her eyebrows darting up herforehead as she glimpsed a naked woman standing unashamedly a few feet away.

Hastily dropping her gaze, Jemma winced and told the womanapologetically, “Truly, we had no idea there was someone here.” To Fitz, shehissed under her breath, “He knew wewere coming over, right?”

“Hello,” the woman greeted, sounding strangely relaxed for someonewalking around strangers while in the nude.

At that moment, Radcliffe hurried back out. “You…you weren’tmeant to see that.”

“Hello, I’m glad to finally –” the woman cut herself off,then repeated, “Hello, I’m glad to finally –”

Confused, Jemma peered over to find Radcliffe fiddling with arobe. “Fitzsimmons, meet AIDA.”

“Hello, I’m glad to finally –”

Radcliffe gave them a bit of an amused smile and explained, “She’s,uh, crashed,” as he covered her with the robe. As the truth of what this womanwas sunk in, Jemma exchanged a wide-eyed glance with an equally stunned Fitz,both of them turning to gape at AIDA as she repeated the same thing over andover until Radcliffe picked up a remote of some kind and powered her down.

“What the hell?” Fitz finally asked, speaking the same wordsJemma currently had running through her brain.

“Well, I just upped her PSU to compensate for imageprocessing,” Radcliffe explained, “Must’ve overcranked it. I’ll reboot.”

“Uh-uh, no, that’s not what I meant.”

Before Fitz could go on, though, Jemma cut in to tellRadcliffe firmly, “Shut it down.”

Radcliffe’s eyes grew wide, and he hurried to explainhimself, “Simmons, wait, you don’t understand – this has been a lifelong dreamof mine. When I saw the work you two were doing in replicating human tissue andinternal bone structure in Coulson’s hand, I knew…I knew right then that thiswas within reach. But, I need your help, both of you, to perfect her beforeSHIELD –”

Not allowing him to finish, though, Jemma stood up, foldingher arms across her chest. “Shut it down.You don’t have any more time; Ireceive lie detection tests, and my next one is in just a few days, where I’llhave to report this – and even if I didn’t, it is still my duty to report youfor breaking the rules stipulated in your pardon.”

Beginning to look truly desperate now, Radcliffe waved hishands at her, pointing out, “But you have a few days, if we just –”

“We won’t lie to our organization for you,” Fitz told him,standing as well and planting his hands on his hips. “You know you aren’tallowed to experiment without approval or oversight.”

“But you two aren’t understanding!”he insisted. “If we can get the LMD program up and running, we could save somany lives. With all of the friendsyou’ve lost, friends like Lincoln Campbell and Antoine Triplett, you must see –”

“That’s quite enough,” Jemma said sharply, blinking rapidlyfor a few moments as her mind’s eye flashed back to the fragments of Trip beingpushed along in that wheelbarrow, to watching Daisy fall apart before theireyes as Lincoln gave his life on that quinjet.

However, as she shook away the memories that still tore ather heart as fiercely as they did when she’d experienced them, she noticed thatFitz was peering at her speculatively.

“What?” she asked him under her breath.

He chewed his bottom lip for a moment, idly scratching athis stubbled chin, then he leaned in closer to her and whispered, “We could atleast give it a try.”

Jemma quickly leaned back to gape at him, completely andutterly taken aback that he could possiblythink it was even remotely a good idea. She opened her mouth to say as much tohim, but she only managed to get out, “How could you possibly –” before he wasinterrupting her.

“If it works, you’ll never have to be in danger again.” Hesaid the words with such conviction, the overwhelming love and concern he hadfor her written plainly in his eyes.

Jemma’s stern expression softened, and without givingRadcliffe another glance, she grasped Fitz’s hand and excused them, leading himinto another room. Once the door had been closed behind them, she reminded himgently, “Fitz, being in danger is a part of the deal when you sign up forSHIELD – we both knew that going in. And given all of the terrible things we’vebeen through, I’d imagine we understand even better now the risks that areinvolved with our line of work.”

“But what if there didn’t have to be risks?” Fitz pointedout, clearly clinging to the idea now that it had been presented to him. “With LMDs,we could help save the world, but never have to be put into another dangeroussituation.” His voice grew soft as he added, “And I’d never have to worry aboutlosing you again.”

Jemma sighed softly, lifting a hand to absently stroke hischeek, and she could tell just by looking into his eyes that he wasn’t going togive up. After all of their years spent side-by-side, she knew how to read Fitzbetter than anyone, and she could see that he had to see this through; he had to try and perfect the program. So,grudgingly, she said, “We have until my next test, at which point we’ll have tocome clean with whatever we have by that time to Director Mace.”

“Deal,” he agreed readily, catching her hand and giving it agrateful squeeze.

At that moment, Jemma’s phone chimed with an alert, and witha tired sigh, she removed it from her pocket and scanned the information on thescreen. Immediately, her eyes narrowed, and without looking up, she told Fitz, “Ineed to do some damage control.”

Understanding that she needed a moment to handle classifiedinformation, Fitz squeezed her hand once more before releasing it, heading outthe door. “I’ll go tell Radcliffe the good news then.”

A handful of minutes later, Jemma rejoined them, emotionallyexhausted after her conversation with May. She’d known when she’d taken aposition so close to the director that there would be questions, but she’dhoped that the trust that their friends had in her, after everything they’dbeen through together, wouldn’t be so fragile.

But, she supposed, such was the life of a SHIELD agent.

Upon catching sight of Fitz excitedly discussing the detailswith Radcliffe, though, Jemma began to perk back up a bit at the familiar sparkfor a new project, for tackling a new challenge that had been placed before him,in Fitz’s eyes. It often brought her back to their days at the Academy, whenthey were just beginning to work together and truly uncover the depths of theircombined brain power, when they both only grew more and more excited as they discussedall the experiments and projects they could take on together.

Noticing her quiet reentrance, Radcliffe turned to her witha beaming grin. “Thank you, Simmons. Truly. You won’t regret this.”

As he began to walk a powered-up AIDA back to his workspace,Jemma called after him, “See that I don’t.”

Fitz stepped forward until they were face-to-face, offeringher a grateful smile. “Thank you.”

Jemma shook her head. “I understand, Fitz; it truly could bean investment for SHIELD’s future, if done right. And besides, I trust anyproject with your hands in it.” As she said the words, she found his hands withhers, stroking her thumbs over his palms. Smiling warmly up at him, she wenton, “As long as we’re working together, on the same page and still refusing toallow anything to come between us…well, then we’ll be able to get through anychallenge, big or small.”

Leaning forward to drop a kiss on her forehead, Fitz agreed,his voice soft but contradictorily firm, “Together.”

[pizza-is-my-buziness]

So about a year and a half ago I was writing Halloween stories and got a prompt where Jemma was a Victor Frankenstein in the making and managed to bring Daisy back from the dead and I kinda fell in love with the universe and concept and I got more prompts about it and...well they’ve been sitting in my inbox pretty much since then. But something in me really wanted to revisit that AU so here is a companion story to the original Dr. Frankensimmons, which can be found here.

The thing with bringing someone back from the dead is that there's really nowhere else to go from there. For even the best and brightest minds, reanimation is probably a fair pinnacle for any career. Jemma Simmons isn't entirely sure that she's comfortable with the idea of peaking at the age of 25, even if she does theoretically have the ability to reverse the natural order of death.

"Natural order of death?" Daisy repeats with a smirk on her lips. "That's really dramatic. Are you auditioning for the Twilight Zone or writing a paper?"

Jemma frowns, narrowing her eyes. "Apparently I'm doing neither thanks to people insisting on continually bothering me."

She'd just been talking out loud, bouncing ideas off of Daisy while attempting to formulate a letter to Anne Weaver, Dean of the Biochemistry department, suggesting the ways that the human body might be brought back to life if caught within a certain window. She feels like she has to be careful in what she says, dipping her toes so to speak in the possibility rather than admitting that she's done such a thing.

Daisy rolls over, laying on her back on Jemma's perfectly made bed. Well, it was perfectly made before Daisy had decided to flop all over it and wrinkle the sheets. "So you're really doing this, huh?"

"Huh?" Jemma's focus is already back on her laptop and the hypothesis she's trying to formulate for Dr. Weaver. Daisy has become such a continual presence over the past year that she feels like she's only vaguely aware of her. She's comfortable, a constant.

Daisy props herself up on her elbows, resting her chin in the palm of her hand. "You're really doing it," she repeats with an exaggerated eye-roll. "You're going to tell the world what you can do."

Jemma frowns, her brow furrowing at the idea. "Well, I don't want to get carried away. It's not like I have many test subjects or data to pull from and-"

"Hello?" Daisy gestures at herself. "What more proof do you need?"

"Don't take it personally, Daisy," Jemma says gently. "All good theories need to be tested time and time again for scientific soundness."

Daisy gives her a look. "Should I be jealous? Am I going to be replaced by someone less…lively?"

Jemma tosses a pen in her direction. "Oh stop it," she chides. "I'm simply saying that there's no concrete evidence that…what happened with you can be repeated again and again. At least, not without additional experiments and data."

"You should go on Oprah," Daisy says, making herself comfortable on Jemma's bed again. "I'm sure she doesn't care about experiments and data."

Jemma shakes her head. "Well, I do."

Not that she really knows where to go from here. Daisy has a point: it would be odd to find another recently dead body and reanimate them and then have them hanging around. With Daisy things are…complicated at best. She'd originally insisted on keeping her around for constant observation to monitor her vitals and the lasting effects of what she'd done. But now…now it's less about the science and more about…Daisy. It's been over a year since the evening that life had sparked back into the unfortunate, young car-crash victim and Jemma feels like she can almost, nearly safely say that Daisy is, for all intents and purposes, alive. For good. But Daisy is a friend and she makes her smile and keeps her company and yes more often than not she makes Jemma's cheeks turn pink and her heart beat a little faster than normal and all too often Jemma has found herself longing to press a kiss to her lips. Now it's almost like Daisy is just one of the group, like she's always been there.

The fact that Fitz and the others seem to have accepted her as one of their own only further muddles things. Or maybe it only makes them easier? Having her friends accept what she'd done and the fact that she well and truly had brought Daisy back from the dead makes it easier for Jemma to remind herself that she hadn't just dreamt up the whole bizarre thing. Having her friends accept Daisy as a member of their group and even someone they share a roof with…well that only makes things a little more complicated in the wanting-to-kiss-her department.

Jemma doesn't mind that Daisy lingers in her bedroom, sprawled out silently on her bed while she continues working on her theory for Dr. Weaver. It's nice having her there; it's always nice having her around, just listening to the quiet sound of her breathing and feeling relaxed by her presence. It's odd that Daisy has that effect on her. It's even more odd to think about how they never would have crossed paths at all if circumstances had been even the slightest bit different. Not that Jemma wastes too much time thinking about that; no, she has a proposal to write.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Okay, I think I have an idea."

This is the first thing Daisy says when Jemma returns home from the lab the following afternoon. She's sitting at the kitchen table while Daisy is putting a kettle on the stove and Bobbi is sitting across from her, chewing on the cap of her pen while she studies the textbook spread open in front of her.

"An idea about what?" Jemma questions, closing her eyes slightly. It's nice to sit down after a full day of classes and working as a TA and then running a lab for underclassmen. She's grateful that Daisy is already working on getting the water boiling.

"Your letter to Dr. Weaver," Daisy replies, "your science experiments."

Daisy works from the house, doing remote tech support for people who honestly give new life to the "did you try turning it off?" memes. Despite the year of success, Jemma is still nervous about repercussions or side effects that they haven't yet thought of, plus the whole legally dead issue, all of which just made it easier for Daisy to get hired to freelance from home. Because of this, she's in a unique position to watch the neighborhood comings and goings, studying the people they share the street with out the window and from the porch. She knows most of them by name and a few of them she's even on speaking terms with.

Including their next-door neighbor, Mike, and his eight-year-old son. The other member of their family is a gangly Pitbull, recently out of puppy-hood but still a little too uncoordinated for his big paws and floppy ears. The dog, Locke, makes a habit of slipping out of the fence and appearing in their backyard or on their porch, probably because Hunter makes a habit of slipping him scraps of whatever food is handy.

"So, Mike was outside working in the yard while Ace was at school," Daisy is relaying as she takes the kettle off the stove, pouring the water into Jemma's favorite mug and bringing it over to the table. "And Locke gets out of the fence like usual. And he goes running into the street. And-"

Jemma sits up straighter in her chair, gasping and pressing a hand to her mouth. "Daisy, no," she says softly, her eyes growing wide with horror. "No. He didn't-"

Daisy purses her lips, nodding. Even Bobbi is paying attention now, face twisted in an expression of second-hand sympathy. "Yeah. It was awful." She closes her eyes briefly, shaking her head against the memory. "And then watching Ace get off the bus and Mike was waiting for him to tell him…yeah definitely not my favorite day ever."

Jemma's hand is still covering her mouth and she can only shake her head again. "That poor little boy."

"But there's a light at the end of this tunnel!" Daisy points out brightly and both Jemma and Bobbi look at her curiously. "You did say that you were looking for more test subjects…"

It takes Jemma only a second longer to realize what Daisy is getting at. "Have you lost your mind?" Her eyebrows arch upward, her eyes widening. "How on earth would we explain that? 'Ah, I just dug up your dead dog and brought him back to life to see if it would work and it did so here!' I'm not sure that's actually helpful."

Daisy nods understandingly. "I see your point. But I think it's worth thinking about."

Unfortunately Jemma does think about it.

She thinks about it so much that several hours later she's knocking on Fitz's bedroom door with Daisy hovering over her shoulder. "Come on. I have something I need your help with." She turns to go only to pause, reconsidering. "We need shovels."

Jemma is pretty sure the only reason Fitz and Trip follow her and Daisy outside is sheer curiosity.

Not that Trip looks particularly invested in their late-night excursion when it leads them to the Petersons' backyard and the pile of fresh earth by the flower garden. "Oh hell no." Trip shakes his head, looking plaintively at the other three. "Look, I'm here for Daisy being an undead American and all that but I'm not sure I feel comfortable digging up a little boy's dog and trying to bring it back to life."

"Think of it as a science experiment," Jemma says cheerfully as she digs the tip of the shovel into fresh earth. "You're helping humanity."

Trip settles for helping humanity by keeping watch on the sleeping house behind them.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Jemma's experiment blows the power out in the entire block.

She's inclined to say that it's all worth it when the lump underneath the blanket spread out on an old card table in their garage starts moving. It's difficult, at first, to see in the light of her cell phone and Daisy's but there's no mistaking the sound of the confused whimpering that fills the garage seconds later.

The sheet falls away as Locke moves unsteadily to his feet, whining when he falls back onto his side. At least he seems to recognize Jemma and Daisy, thumping his tail hopefully when he spots them.

"You did it!" Daisy's arms are around Jemma before she's even really registered that yeah, she did do it. She actually managed to replicate her experiment and produce the same results. Namely she managed to bring another dead entity back to laugh.

But Jemma's mind stops celebrating its scientific discovery when it registers that Daisy is holding onto her tightly. Jemma moves to hold her without a second thought, wrapping her arms tightly around her. Even still Daisy is cool to the touch and her fingers and toes are like ice. Jemma knows this from firsthand experience thanks to their movie nights and Daisy's refusal to see how pressing her feet into Jemma's calves to get her to squirm is anything less than hilarious. But holding onto her isn't chilling in the least; Jemma feels like she's never been warmer.

It quickly becomes clear that they're no longer holding onto each other to celebrate the success of bringing Ace's dog back to life. Honestly, Jemma can't remember anything in the moment aside from Daisy's arms around her.

The dog quickly snaps her back to the present, letting out a loud yip and tumbling off the table, sending all the wires and machinery crashing to the ground.

Jemma and Daisy pull away from each other quickly and Jemma is pretty sure that the color in her cheeks matches the heat that she feels at the tips of her ears. "Oh, um, let me…" She trails off, moving toward the dog tangling itself up in expensive scientific equipment.

"Well you did it," Daisy says again, clearing her throat. "Dr. Frankensimmons strikes again."

Jemma can only roll her eyes. "I can't believe Fitz mentioned that to you," she grumbles. "That really is an awful nickname."

"Or," Daisy muses, "is it a strangely perfect one?"

Daisy joins her in helping free Locke from all the wires and monitors and by the time they finish it doesn't seem like there's anything wrong with the dog at all. Jemma figures it would be even impossible for her to believe that he'd been dead fifteen minutes ago if she hadn't seen it with her own eyes. There are a few indicators: his fur has gone strangely grey, a side effect that didn't happen with Daisy, and his back, right leg doesn't seem to be in working order anymore. But, all in all, she considers it a success.

A terrifying, exhilarating, success.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

There's a knock on her door, surprising Jemma. It's nearly three in the morning but she's too wired to sleep, trying desperately to record everything about the night for her records. Her handwriting is crammed into every available space, spilling out to the margins and she knows that a lot of it is rambling and lacking scientific merit but it still seems important to record everything. It might help her make sense of the strange heaviness that she suddenly feels in her chest, the implications of what she's done that are starting to take root. With Daisy she could have passed it off as a fluke, a moment where science and fate had lined up perfectly to create the impossible. But she's done it again and…honestly Jemma isn't sure what to think.

It's surprising when the knock startles her from her reverie but not entirely unwelcome. Though she knows it's late, Jemma's eyes still glance toward the clock by her bed. "Come in?"

The door creaks open and she's not surprised to see Daisy step into the room. "Hey," she says quietly so as not to wake the rest of the house. She closes the door softly behind her. "I just did another check on Locke: still alive and kicking. Literally. I think he's chewed up a pair of Hunter's shoes."

Jemma smiles, tucking her pen into the pages of her journal and setting the book aside. "A necessary sacrifice made in the name of science," she declares, though she's not sure that Hunter will feel the same way.

Daisy sits down on the bed beside her and Jemma can't help but notice the distance between them. It seems larger than usual, as though Daisy is very aware of their proximity. She's not sure what to make of this; is Daisy keeping her distance because the moment in the garage made her uncomfortable or because she hasn't been able to stop thinking about it either?

Jemma feels a pang in her chest to think that it might be the former and an exhilarating rush at the thought of it being the latter.

"I…" Daisy doesn't rush to finish up the thought that she'd started so uncertainly. She lets her eyes travel around Jemma's neat and tidy room, the desk the only source of disaster in the place. Finally her eyes settle on Jemma again. "I really didn't come in here to talk about Locke."

Jemma wonders if her nonchalance looks as forced as it feels. "Oh?" She shifts, uncertain. "What did you want to talk about?"

Even as she asks the question, Jemma thinks she knows the answer. She thinks she can see it in Daisy's eyes. Her heart lurches, making her feel off balance and almost painfully full of anticipation.

"It would be weird, right?" Daisy asks quietly. "For us to…?" She seems unsure and uncertain for the first time since Jemma has known her. "For me to feel the way I do about you…if we…"

Jemma reaches out a hand, gently pressing her palm against Daisy's chest. Beneath her hand she can feel the slow and steady heartbeat there. The reminder that Daisy is alive. That they both are.

"No," Jemma says quietly, unable to focus on anything but that steadily beating heart and the coolness of Daisy's skin beneath her hand.

They move together easily and kissing Daisy is different than kissing anyone else before her. Not because her lips are cold or because the kiss is slow, tentative and unsure. But because it's Daisy that she's kissing and it's all she's wanted to do for so long.

Daisy rests her forehead against Jemma's, a faint smile on her face. "I'm really glad we finally did that."

"Me too," Jemma assures her, moving her hand away from Daisy's chest to curl around her neck, moving her close for another kiss. It makes no sense to stop when they've finally just gotten started.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Jemma has no idea how Daisy does it but by the time she arrives home from campus the following day, Locke is back at the Peterson household and running around with Ace in the yard. Mike sees her heading up the walk and waves, a smile on his face; curiosity compels Jemma to walk over.

"I'm sorry about what happened yesterday," Jemma says tentatively, figuring that the statement could be applied to a multitude of things depending on the story that Daisy told him. Her eyes linger on Ace and the dog, uncertainty making her skin prickle. She'd wanted to keep Locke around for further observation but clearly fate had had other plans.

Mike only nods. "Yeah it was hard on Ace," he says with a sigh. "I wasn't sure about getting another dog but Daisy found this one and…he's a little bit like Locke, don't you think?"

There's a bit of doubt in Mike's eyes and Jemma knows the expression of someone trying to talk themselves out of their own skepticism. She nods, watching boy and dog roll around in the yard. "Yes, I can see that."

Jemma finds Daisy in the kitchen, listening to Leon Bridges as she scrolls through something on her phone. It seems insanely easy for Jemma to walk right over and press a kiss to her lips when Daisy lifts her head expectantly. "I see the Petersons got a new dog."

"A new old dog," Daisy confirms. "I think it's a win-win."

Jemma slips her arm around Daisy's shoulders, making a skeptical noise. Daisy only grins at her. "Maybe you've found your true calling: fixing childhood broken hearts one pet at a time."

"Well let's not get carried away," Jemma cautions. "More research might be necessary but I'm not about to start advertising this as a service."

The next day Bobbi comes home with a shoebox and a hopeful expression on her face. Jemma doesn't even have to open the lid to know what's going to be waiting inside.

Well, she does need more data for her research.

[agl03]

AOS 4x15:  AKA I don’t really have any words aside from that was BRILLIANT!

I realize the fandom is reeling.  That was a lot to take in.  But I am HAPPY!   So many theories are FINALLY happening...granted not how I though or we may have wanted but they are happening none the less.  So this meta is going to have a bit of a a different feel to it.  

Okay totally own that I was wrong about Fitz getting swapped.   But you know what it really worked.  You know why, we got some very crucial insight into both of Fitzsimmons feelings for each other.  The Desires thing they teased with Philinda came back 1000 fold.  In that Fitz wants to propose.  AND.  Jemma will say yes!    Not only that Jemma being devastated that she’s lost him, “I can’t think without Fitz,” (I need another Kit Kat).

Guys...Jemma Anne “I have no Chill” Simmons knows her man wants to propose.   When she gets his rear back she is going to waste no time!  I fully expect a pile of Jemma demanding Coulson Marry them the second she gets them all out of the Framework.

MARRIAGE IS NOW ENDGAME FOR FITZSIMMONS THIS SEASON.  

The Superior:  Dang...play on Red Guardian he is, right now to the head in the jar.  Really AIDA we could have gone without that one.  He’ll be out of the mix until Daisy, Jemma, the Red Shirts, or someone else storms AIDA’s lair...or our boys and May get out and make a run for it.  

The Red Shirts:  MAN I LOVE THESE GUYS!  They are not allowed to die!  You hear me writers!  No touching them!  Piper, Davis, Price!  My new loves!  Right now they with Elena are the last line of defense for Daisy and Jemma.  

It also seems this is how they are paying off the Zephyr can stay up in the air for weeks on end.  AIDA is likely going to go looking for those escapees...especially Daisy and Elena if the goal is to kill the Inhumans.  

And hey that early spec about they Playground falling and them having to retreat to the Zephyr was right.  

The Inhumans:  Radcliffe or AIDA went after them to playcate the Superior.  AIDA herself and even Radcliffe didn’t seem to care much about them outside of that.  So I almost feel that the Inhumans and the threat to them was a red herring.  Yes, the Watchdogs were real threat to them but a lot of it was to keep us off our the real gut punch that just hit us.  We’ll have to see what happens now that Radcliffe and the Superior are out of the way.  However, Robo Fitz might still be in play and an army of Robo Daisy’s all programmed to kill Inhumans.....it all depends on how much damage Robo May did there.  If she took out part or all of the base.

Robo May:  Went down how I though but oh goodness it still hurt...a lot.  Philinda fans...you guys okay.  We have confirmation of Love on May’s side this week.  Oh my goodness still that last scene.  

AIDA:  Few important things here.  

Her PRIME DIRECTIVE is to protect the Framework.  

What she did to the Superior is her idea of saving everyone, its yet another way to cheat death.  The Humanity of a real human but the the protection of being a robot.  

I feel in an odd way she is torturing those she’s trapped in there.  She has turned them all into Dark Mirrors of themselves.  

She adjusted 1 Regret for each of them...not it wasn’t the biggest regret...just one of their regrets.  She had to choose something that would allow the current world to still work with everyone’s new lives.  So that will be something to bear in mind as we theorize what became of everyone over the next few weeks.  

She offed Radcliffe because HE is the key to taking it down (more on him later).

She wants to be a real girl.  She doesn’t feel emotions...and seems to want too.  

I don’t think she is in the Framework herself for now.

Someone needs to pull her out.

I am wondering if its something about being an Android so she can’t be scanned by the framework.  Especially if she has a quantum brain. 

Though she can likely program herself in there if she really needs too.

Radcliffe:  Well...he’s still technically with us so he’s making it through the arc.  He is now trapped in the Framework with the others.

He didn’t care about his body.

He is the key to taking down the Framework.  So in essence to save everyone they are going to have to get Radcliffe to face that thing he fears the most, death.  Because once they take out the Framework no only will he die...but  Agnes will as well.

AIDA said she couldn’t give him a regret to change because of how he is.  So its a matter if he’s been thrown into the Hydra World or will be part of someone elses....look for him to be in Fitz’s.

We got some Dadcliffe vibes again there.  And boy was it creepy.  

Mack:  

Where is he:  Living in the burbs with his daughter (was right about that one too).  

His Regret:  Tied to losing Hope.

Mack might be the easiest one for them to get too physically since at the moment he doesn’t seem to be tied to Hydra.  But by the same token when Jemma and/or Daisy come knocking on his door to try to get his help...to get him to remember....they are asking him to give up his daughter all over again (or more...he could have more than one kid now).  And remember when Mack cries...we all cry.

Mace:  Hey he survived!   But depending on his condition going in he might be in the most danger coming out or his body could be the one to give out first.

Where is he:  No idea we didn’t see him.

His Regret:  I’m going with he wasn’t “Captain America” he’s not rally a hero.

Literally he could be anywhere.  He could be working for Hydra May, he’s running so sort of underground resistance, or is a Journalist.  They hid him for a reason though.    

Coulson:

Where is he:  He’s a teacher...teaching children to fear Inhumans...yay.

His Regret:  Joining Shield

Coulson might be tougher.    Robo Coulson told Robo May that they were together in the Framework.  So that was either a lie to get her to play along.  Or Coulson the trophy husband/boyfriend of a with a power player in Hydra.  Though I do see Coulson as one of the ones it will be easier to convince/get to help them.  

May:

Where is she:  Freaking HYDRA...though she doesn’t seem to be a head, she is in her Shield Uniform only with the Hydra Symbol.

Her Regret:   ????  This one is one we’re going to have all sorts of fun digging into.  AIDA took her out of whatever she was living before when she rebooted the system and pulled in the others.  And her fate is likely tied to Coulson never joining Shield.  

May...oh Ming is going to have so much fun with this one.  With her position in New Hydra she will be one of the most difficult to get too.  We could be looking at something like Coulson has taken Andrew’s place and she is with a civilian.  She is going to be working very closely to whoever the head of Hydra turns out to be.  It could be another blast from the past or someone new from the comics.  

Fitz: Hey look....we got the long predicted Fitznapping.   Yeah not how we all though but we got it.  

Where is he:  Rich and with a mystery woman.  (early thought guys that its Jemma.  If it was a rando or even Agnes/AIDA the would have shown us to freak us the hell out even more than we already are).  Or he was just being a gentleman and helping someone out of a car.  Agnes if Radcliffe is with him.  I’m thinking he’s going to be a mix of Tony Stark and Iain Quinn...and if he’s allied with Hydra or no...yet to be seen.

His Regret:  Its got to either be tied to his father or Jemma.  

With his father, AIDA broke that cycle of abandonment.  Made him into the son his father wanted.  

With Jemma, he made his move sooner.  Didn’t wait to long to tell her how he felt.  Or kept them from going onto the Bus in the first place.  

I think we will see and or hear about Papa Fitz here.  And depending he can run the gambit of mentioned to a major player in the game.  I also feel that we will see Radcliffe get tangled up with Fitz at some point as well and that whole surrogate son thing pays off.  We don’t know what kind of creepy thing AIDA set up...she could have made Radcliffe his father in here.  

No matter how this shakes out we need to remember that Fitz loves Jemma in this and any other Universe, so if Jemma isn’t with him now, its a matter of Jemma getting him to come back to her, which she will.  I feel there is a good chance they are together  AIDA also knows that how much they meant to each other, so part of me thinks that they are together...and another part of me its tots okay seeing darker Fitzsimmons.  ALSO remember Robo FItz wanted Jemma in the framework so they could be TOGETHER and to protect her, make it so they never had to worry about being torn apart again.    

Since we are into AU/Fanfic territory can I officially petition that Hunter is AltFitz’s mercenary/bodyguard....please.  This is also how they pull off the Baby Bomb on us.

Jemma:  Hey look....we got Woman on Fire/Role Reversal Jemma.

Lil was just incredible tonight (and Iain) if they are up for performer of the week we need to make sure we vote because oh my goodness.

The Girl Power team up with Daisy and Elena...oh my heart.  

Fitz ripped a hole in the Universe to save her...she’s going to tear apart a World to save him.  

Jemma has a plan.  

I think that grave is her back door/meeting point with Daisy.  Its discreet, yet easy to identify, and a throwback to Season one and Coulson’s empty grave containing the truth for Tahiti.  I don’t think Jemma’s body is in there and she is going to spend C in the coffin or digging herself out.  

Calling it now, when she get him back we get “I would have said yes” followed by demanding someone marry them on the spot.

Remember that SDCC interview where we got the first hints at Fitz’s back story and Jed indicated a relationship isn’t only the person you love but the people that come with them.   In the Real world that wasn’t an issue.  Fitz didn’t want anything to do with his father.  However I feel he will very much be in play in here and Fitz will have a relationship with him.  Jemma will have to deal with that for a bit until they can get Fitz and the others out.   

Daisy:  That’s our girl, blowing up robots left and right!

Loved the pep talk.

As we’ve been predicting she stepped up as a leader big time here.  Got Jemma, the Redshirts, and Zephyr out.  Got Elena safe.  Hacked her way into the Framework.

And kudos Jed...the Ward curve ball. 

Where is she:  With Ward.  Chloe has her long hair back at least.

The question is...is Daisy’s role built around her brain scan and fixed one of her regrets.  Which is odd considering how Skye/Daisy felt about Ward.  Or is she there as part of someone else’s fix.  Coulson or May’s is the most likely there.  

You all realize...we could go FULL fan fic AU here and Philinda adopted her and raised her as a happy family.  

We just have to wait and see if...

Is she Daisy, Skey, or Mary Sue Poots?

Does she have her powers?

Are they part of the Rising Tide?

Hydra?

Some sort of resistance to Hydra?

Either way we hit the ground running with them as they are being called in on a mission.

I also found the wording of “boyfriend” interesting.  Not Agent Ward...boyfriend.  So might not have come from a super formal source.

Daisy could be dealing with her worst nightmare and forced to hunt down Inhumans in order to play along.

Okay need to wrap this up I’ve been working on it for 4 hours now.  

Misc Items:

Jemma and Daisy agreed to meet at the point Jemma created, which I think is the grave.  

Daisy has to give Ward the slip to get there and Jemma if she is with Fitz has to do the same...if not she has to wait for or find Daisy.

Ward won’t be the only thing from Season one coming back.  I now fully expect to see.

Gravitonium (Fitz could have that)

Mike Peterson/Deathlock

GH-325

Cybertek 

Bakshi

Head of Hydra (Strucker or List are high but we could also have a Council kind of thing too).

Things that we can hope for but would be a bit more difficult to get

Tripp...on another Show

Garrett...on another Show

Raina....up for an Oscar and all

Lincoln....on another Show

Andrew...on another Show

Cal....on another Show

Bobbi....on another Show

Koenig....could pop back in

Hunter....could pop back in too

So that is a start.  We’ve got 6 weeks to dig through this and no doubt a pile of spoilers and interviews in the next few days.