#daisy threatened to quake someone to death i think

[kennnnnnna]

i am starting to think my affinity for loving female characters who have all gone a lil batsh*t crazy at least once in their life might not be mentally healthy

[jamiedc-they-them]

Sibling Duty Part VIII (Platonic)

Requested Imagine: One last ride for the Johnson siblings and co bring them into contact with a new arrival, and Y/N to a realisation. And their stories to an end. 

 You could both only stare at the screen. You both stared in horror. The blip was gone. The only, sort-of, silver lining to all this was that Jemma wasn’t dead, yet.  

You could still save her.  

 “Daisy, Y/N, I can feel your guilt. This isn’t your fault.” May said, trying to sooth you in this moment that was only filled with tension and blame.

   “I should’ve quaked that psychopath’s bones apart when I had the chance.” Daisy said, not taking it on board.  

 You didn’t have reply, you just stared at the screen.  

 Jemma Simmons had been taken, and you had lost another friend to going missing.  

However, a radio broadcast broke you out of your staring, out of the ringing sound in your ears. It was Elena, coming into land.  

They had Kora.

 Oh yeah, Kora. Another person with the Johnson name. One who your mother had tried to sweep under the rug.  The can was out of the worms now, your mother was dead again, and Kora was in her place.  

 You were storming ahead before anyone else could stop you.  

 “We shouldn’t tell her about Jiaying’s death.” May advised.  

 “She should know what her significant-fucking-other has done to us.” You said, for once your inability to express your emotions externally showing exactly the mood you were in.  

 “Kora’s not stable.” May argued.  

 “I’m not fucking stable, May.”  

 “Hearing that her mother died might set her off.”  

 “If she’s the bomb, then what’s the plan if she explodes?” Sousa asked as the four of you fell into a line. 

 “Daisy contained a nuke, I think she can contain Kora.” You answered.  

 He looked to your younger sister, “You stopped a nuke?” He sounded in awe, despite everything going on.  

 “Long story, tell you later.” Daisy brushed off.  

 And, at the end of the hallway, there she was, Kora Johnson.  

 You heard Coulson talk about the Inhumans from Afterlife, about how they were safe and that they would be taken care of.  

 “You must be Daisy, and Y/N –” She was cut off by you holding your hand in a fist, and a rope made of dark energy slammed her back into the wall, around her neck.  

 “I don’t care who you are. I don’t care how old you are. I don’t care what time you’re from. I don’t care that you’re a Johnson. I don’t care that you’re our sister. I don’t care about any of that shit, blood means nothing. I just care about one thing,” as you spoke, you took a step forward with each word, until you were face to face, “Where. Is. Simmons?”  

 “Nat-Nathaniel said you were – protective. Almost like a surrogate si --” Kora managed to choke out.  But the last bit, she wasn’t able to

 “Kind of my job with these kids.” You answered, before tightening the hold the ropes had, “Now, where is she?”  

 “Y/N, that’s enough.” Mack ordered.  

 “Not until she talks.” Daisy defended your actions.  

 “Agent Y/N, put her down, that’s an order!” There was a moment when he thought it would have to get physical, where he thought he would have to remove you. But, you let Kora drop.  

She coughed, gaining air in her ungs once again. She then explained her reasoning of being there, to save lives...and become an Agent of SHIELD.  

 Long story told short, you and Daisy took her into a private room after she dropped a bomb on you, that you had altered the timeline, that you were now in a new universe.  

 Daisy had her angle, trying to understand. You didn’t speak, you just watched your younger sister carefully. You watched as she slowly lowered her guard, allowing Kora to try and get Daisy to see her view, that Kora wanted nothing more than to be your sibling, to be a family.  

 You did, however, see something spark in Daisy’s eyes at a statement; “Daisy Johnson would never let her sister fight alone.” She had left the room at it, leaving you with your new sister.  

Kora turned to you, soft smile on her face, “I know you won’t believe me, but it’s good to see you again, Y/N.”  

 “You knew me?”  

 She nodded, “I did. Held you in my arms and told you I’d protect you...Nathaniel told me about how they sent you away. How you grew up in the system. And -” She tried to take a step forward, only for you to flinch and step back, “...I’m sorry. I wanted to protect you. But...I can help you now. It seems like they’ve done a good job, but I can do mine too.” 

 You, however, shook your head, “I think you did, to be honest. Getting sent away got me away from mum. I know she wasn’t all bad, but when I met her she had snapped. I can do what you did, but I can fulfil it. I can protect her.” 

 “Daisy and Sousa seem close, maybe he can..”   Those words made you stop. 

 “...Shit” You said, walking out of the room in a rush. 

 When you left, you paused, almost stunned. You then looked back at how that statement was nothing but true. They had been close. They had been getting along well. Since they met, the time (ha) you and Daisy were stuck in the loop, something happened there. 

 You loved your sister more than anything, but she hadn’t exactly had the best luck when it came to partners in that regard. 

 Coulson put a hand on your shoulder, making your look at him, “What’s up?” He asked, knowing there was something on your mind. 

 “Daniel and Daisy....they uh --” 

 “Yeah...they do seem pretty close.” Coulson mused. 

 He still saw the indecision on your face, “You wanna talk to her about it?” He asked. 

 You looked at him, now your eyes were filled with some kind of resolve. You nodded. 

   You ignored everyone on your walk to the Jet, knowing that it was where Daisy would be. As you walked up, you saw that Mack had entered, and he had flicked a switch.  

 “Hey, Y/NN.” He greeted, almost a little surprised to see you.

 The other two turned to you, “Y/N, what are you doing here?”  Daisy even got up and approached you. As soon as she touched your arm, she felt the hurt you had at being asked the question. 

 “You think I’d just let you do this alone?” You asked, trying to channel the hurt into something more.

 “You’re coming?” She asked, more hopeful this time, even giving your arm a squeeze.

 You tried to hide Kora’s words as you answered, “Someone’s gotta keep an eye on you.” She felt the familial love once again, “Move over though, ok? I’m flying.” Was your only command. 

 She gave you a mock salute, “Aye-aye.” She said with a smile before going to the seat at the back. However, this time you noticed how Daniel moved next to her. 

 You looked to Mack, taking a breath and then taking the seat next to him. Then, you were off to find your best friend/sister figure. Along with keeping your blood related sister safe. 

 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 “You ok, edgy?” Mack had coined the name (not one of his finest, but still) in terms of your powers and how it could sometimes sway your mood. 

 You rolled your eyes, “All good over here, Director.” You answered, clearly distracted as you looked back to see Daisy and Sousa talking, smiling. 

 Mack followed your eyes, before looking back to you, putting a hand on your knee, “I see it too, Y/NN. Don’t worry, we’ll give him the talk.” 

 You looked at Mack with a look, “Bet your ass we will. I mean, I don’t know if she’s ready.” 

 “How’d you mean?” 

 “Well...last one she had, blew up. The one before that was a Nazi, and the one before that sold us out. I just don’t want her to go through it again.” 

 Mack nodded in understanding, “That’s fair, kid. But, if it does go sour, we’ll be there, right?” 

 You held out your hand, he grabbed it and instantly felt a hit of annoyance and protectiveness. He had his answer, even if it was a blunt one. 

 Mack went to reply, but the sight of earth in all it’s beauty caught your vision. 

 Hell, even Daisy and Sousa joined you in looking at it, marvelling in its beauty. You looked at him, seeing him in awe. Then you remembered, it was his first time in space; first time away from earth and he got to see it in all it’s glory. 

 However, you then got back to matters at hand, “We’re about to jump. Even if we time this wrong, you two might want to go strap back in, no good floating around in space if we fail.” While morbid, Daisy still gave your shoulder a squeeze, before she returned to her seat, Daniel giving Mack a pat on the back. 

 Together, you both counted down the jump, for once, it was successful. 

 You let out a sigh of relief. Mack chuckled, patting you on the shoulder, “Good job, kiddo.” He praised. 

 “Thanks.” You told your friend. 

  Mack had gone to the back, going to talk to your sister. He knew you wanted a talk, but he seemed to call dibs on having it first. Plus, as much as he liked Daniel, he didn’t want the man to accidentally touch anything that could fuck it up. 

 The man had promised he wouldn’t touch anything, but still, curiosity and all that. The draws it had on you. 

 So, it was the two of you sat at hte front. You had to admit, you yourself liked Daniel, he was kind and you had a sort-of rapport with him. Still, this wasn’t the time for that. At least, not with the subject matter you had in mind. 

 “Do you like my sister?” He looked like he had whiplash with how fast he turned his head to face you, his eyes wide at the accusation. With the, what you guessed was almost fear, he held in his eyes, it looked as if you accused him of something far worse. 

 Actually, with everything that had happened to your sister in this regard, maybe you were. 

 “What do you mean?” He asked. He would gladly admit it if you asked, he did find your gaze intimidating. He saw the blank look in your eyes, but it didn’t take a genius to know what emotion was truly behind them. Hell, he’d been the one to help you figure out it was ok to be like the way you were, so he had a decent read on it. He gulped, despite himself, giving himself away. 

 You looked back at your big brother and younger sister as they laughed, keeping their voices low. 

 “I see, or now see the way you look at her. And I swear, if you so much as fucking make her flinch, I will -- I’ll find a way.” You threatened. 

 He nodded, “I know you will.” He said, eyes still glued to yours. 

 You went to say more, but you felt a hand on your shoulder. Looking up, you saw it was Mack who was there. 

 He nudged his head to Daisy, who was sat on the floor still, legs curled up. 

 You nodded, silently swapping seats with him and going over to her. 

 When you reached her, she smiled. She had almost smiled when she saw you, filled with a warmth that you had both seemingly been lacking for most of your lives. You always hated a part of yourself for it, how you never fully did protect her from the pain she felt before all this, how she had to be rejected so many times for it to become the norm. 

It hurt you, every time when she had a look in her eyes as if she expected it to occur. As if she expected to be let go. 

 You knew that going overboard would lead to disaster, god knew you did, but you had to keep your family safe, if Kora failed, it was were you could succeed. 

 “He’s a dork, isn’t he?” Daisy asked, whispering as if she was on a playground and you were having girl talk. 

 Well, you were, you were just past the age where it’d be a normal thing to do. It made your heart drop a bit, realising that Daisy would’ve probably never had something like that, that normality nor a friend to talk to. 

 “He’s...he’s a good guy.” Daisy caught your hesitate to say those words. She cocked her head to the side, trying to get a read on you. As she did, you had no choice but to stare back as your sister had a calculating look in her eyes, one she had been getting better at using for deduction as time has gone on. 

 “I know he is...it’s…” You drifted off, how the hell did you explain this without hurting your sister? That was something you were trying to think of as you walked over. For you, it was as if you were on a minefield, one filled with no safe placed in it to stand on. 

 “What?” Daisy prompted, she even leaned forward a bit, smile still on her face but more of the nervous kind. 

 “You remember the guy I talked about? The SHIELD agent I helped before Coulson recruited me?” Daisy nodded, “Turned out, he wasn’t so clean. Turned out to be someone like Donny...got brought into a project and, well…” 

 Daisy got hte point, “Sousa isn’t like that, though.” 

 You sighed, “I know. I know he isn’t. But...I just want you to be safe.” You expressed. 

 Daisy softened, she reached out to grab your hand, “I get that, Y/N, really I do. And, I appreciate more than you’ll know. I mean, you guys are my family. But...you’ve been there to pick me up before, just like I’ve been there for you.” 

 “But I don’t want you in that position.” You continued. 

 Daisy only smiled at you. 

 Mack looked back after a while, seeing Daisy and you leaning against the seats, both asleep. Mack smiled a bit, glad you were getting some rest, despite your ambitious goal. 

 “Y/N give you the talk?” Mack asked, after he had given his version of said talk. 

 Sousa looked at Mack, trying to think of the least amount of words to say to conserve oxygen, “She did. She always that protective?” 

 Mack sighed, knowing it would cost you more oxygen, but answered all the same, “Always has been. She’s had moments where she’s gone overboard though. I’m sure she’d tell you that story if you asked her. Then again, I know Daisy would have her own.” 

 “Why”? 

 “It was a big thing for them, and us as a family. But...they’ll always have each others backs, just as they’ll have ours. And we’ll have theirs. Which is why I’m threatening you too. Y/N’s good at saying them, but I’m good at following through with them and cementing them.”

 Sousa nodded, he got the message, loud and clear. 

 You turned away when you felt Daisy shaking your body. She did it again, same reaction. 

 “We made it, Y/NN.” She whispered. That made you open your eyes. She felt the excitement, she felt the dread, she felt the care and love you had for the gang. She smiled as you shot up awak at the mere prospect of being this close to getting one of your sisters back. She offered you a hand, one you took as she hauled you to your feet. 

 “That’s a lot of Chronicoms.” Mack was stating the obvious, it was a lot of blue dots standing between you and Jemma. 

 Daisy, however, wasn’t giving up, “We just have to find...there, you see how those are warmer?” She asked, showing those very dots she meant. By her guess, it was the pair you were looking for. 

However, another dot was there, Kora. Nothing was ever easy in SHIELD, then again, nothing was as personal as now. 

 As Daisy pitched the plan of you and her breaking into the ship to get Simmons back, Mack - weirdly - seemed to just go with it. 

 However, you saw a look in his eye, one you tried to communicate your confusion for by cocking your head to the side. 

 As you walked away, Sousa called out Daisy’s name, himself and Mack were going to get the doors open. 

 However, you were too late to turn, meaning all you saw was the kiss between the pair. Once it ended, Sousa looked at at you, “Sorry.” 

 You shook your head, “It’s fine. Just remember what I said?” He nodded, remembering. But, he appeared to genuinely respect it. 

 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 “So, what was that about?” Daisy asked as you both walked down the ramp into the corridor, trying to keep it quiet. 

 “What was what?” You asked, taking the lead on this operation. You had kind of hoped she’d of known what it was about, or at least ask this after the rescue, yet here you were. 

“You know what I mean…” She trailed off as you both took cover behind a wall. 

 However, before you could continue, Syball came on screen, always with her apathetic smile, “Do you really think you could sneak onto one of my ships? I’ll grant that your appearance is a statistical improbability. But whatever advantage you hoped to gain is irrelevant. I didn’t see you coming, because it was meaningless. You’re too late. Every SHIELD base has been destroyed. The war is over. You have lost.” Her tone matching her smile. 

 Daisy’s reaction encapsulated your own, a quick blast to the screen to shut the woman up. You continued on your way, in silence and with a new sense of vigour. 

 You forgot that, with Daisy being a Johnson too, the protectiveness you felt for your loved ones went to her as well. 

 As you walked, you found some guards coming towards you. Expecting resistance, you got ready for a fight. However, on the contrary, they just...walked past. 

 “Ok, that was...creepy.” Daisy admitted. To be honest, she’d of preferred the fight. Fighting had been what you had both been doing since day one, so to not have that for once was...off putting. 

 Still, you continued on your way. You had friends to save. 

 Daisy used her power on the button, the door shooting open. When it did, Daisy had a relieved look on her face. Deke mirrored it as he embraced her. When he looked at you, his smile got bigger. 

 You hugged him tight, wanting to get across your relief that he was ok, that your younger brother wasn’t dead. He felt it, he felt the care and love, and squeezed back just as tight. 

 However, as he pulled back, you noticed his face was sour, “What’s wrong, scrappy?” You asked, using the nickname you had given him. 

 “It -- I…Jemma, she…” He wasn’t quite sure how to break the news. 

 Instead, you both figured it out the long way as Jemma backed away from the two as if you were strangers. It was the Chronicoms and something they had done in their attempt to find Fitz. 

 “She doesn’t remember us?” Daisy asked, and you heard the hurt in her voice. However, to get Jemma to move, a deal was made; she would get her own suit for protection once you were gone. 

 Where you going to do it? Maybe, after you had saved the world. 

 As you “escaped” more guards just walked by as if you were nothing. Youd had, unfortunately but not in a bad way, had to hear Jemma try and figure out what was real and what was not; what was secret, and what was known. 

 Deke could see by the way you walked behind Daisy, by the way your stance was, that each time was piercing your soul. He could see, again, the weight of the world - or your friends - on your shoulders. 

 As you turned another corner, you were confronted by a - technically old - face. Kora. She stood, but she looked conflicted; pained and hurt, but also filled with a love for you both. 

 Yourself and Daisy froze, “Hello, sisters.” If it was any other time, you would’ve laughed at the greeting. 

 Yourself and Daisy moved in front of the other two, “Kora, we don’t have to do this. Not here. Let’s get off this ship and talk.” Daisy tried to bargain with. 

 “You knew our mom was dead, but you didn’t tell me.” Kora threw back in your faces. It was true. 

 “That was a mistake. I was trying to protect you.” 

 “I don’t need protection. I thought Y/N did, but she was better off. She’s trying to protect you.” Kora was hurt, and mad. She used her power on you. Or, rather, tried to use it to hurt you all. Daisy used hers to disperse Kora’s energy, but didn’t throw any of it back. She just kept her hands up. 

 “Get Simmons back to the Zephyr. Don’t wait for me.” Daisy ordered the pair, or what you thought was the pair. You then felt her grab your hand but not take her eyes off of Kora, “You too, Y/N.” 

 “I’m not just leaving you here --” 

 “You’re not. I can handle myself, Y/NN. I need you to trust me --” 

 “I do --”

 “Then do this for me, ok? You’ve taught me how to fight, but I can do this, ok? I can get to her.” You didn’t like it, but you gave in with her request. 

 As you walked, Deke could see you were anything but happy with the choice you made, “ Just keep walking.” You ordered. 

 You arrived back the Zephier, almost getting shot by your friends of Mack and Sousa. They pushed when they saw it was you. You moved in front of Jemma a little, arms raised up. The two lowered their guns when they saw it was you, “Deke, Jemma, Y/N.” Mack said in relief. 

 “Where’s Daisy?” Sousa asked. Man, the guy really did care. 

 “Back with Korra.” You answered, bitterness - despite how you were - could be detected still. 

 “She told us not to wait.” Deke said the part you couldn’t make yourself say.

 “I know this place. Home.” Jemma said, breaking up your conversation as she walked forward with a smile. For a moment, you felt a bit better about the sister you left behind. 

“Yeah, we’re not there yet.” Deke said, following her. Deke then spoke for you, explaining what had happened to Jemma as you looked down the ramp, hoping and praying to any potential deity that they would make Daisy Johnson walk around the corner alive and well. 

 Mack approached you, putting a hand on your shoulder and spinning you around. Compared to him, you were like the size of an ant, “She’s gonna be just fine, Y/N.” He assured you. 

 You nodded, but he still felt how tense you were and your worry, “I shouldn’t have left her.” You said. 

 He shook his head, “You can’t stop Daisy as much as we wouldn’t be able to stop you. She’ll be ok, Y/N. I need something from you, though,” You looked at him, “Some duct tape.” As he said that, he gestured to the bunch of dead Chronicoms on the floor. 

 You didn’t question it, you just went to find some. 

 When you returned, Deke walked into the main area of the Zephier with Daisy in tow. You let out a sigh of relief, going over and hugging her, tightly. She hugged back just as tightly. You pressed your lips into her hair. You looked over to Deke, who had a smile, you opened your arm up, he was quick to fill it. Daisy let out a grunt at the impact of Deke entering the hug, herself now trapped in the middle, but she didn’t complain. She was with family. 

 You entered the bar, the place you had been in and out of in your travels, one that Daisy told you became a hub. As you entered, SHIELD operatives aimed their guns up; yep, right place definitely. 

 You must’ve said that out loud, as you saw Daisy smile a bit at your accidental humour. 

 You then walked in, giving Elena a hug, before letting her move onto Mack. Coulson approached you, “You made it back in one piece.” He said, relieved. 

 You put your hand on his one that was on your shoulder, “Caring isn’t a sin, right?” He smiled at your quoting of the thing he told you when he recruited you. You looked back at your family, one that was missing one person, but one you would fight for till your last breath to protect. 

 “You’re damn right.” He said, pulling you in for a hug. You let yourself have this, closing this and letting yourself hug your father. 

 It seemed to last forever, but you assumed it was only a few moments. When you pulled away, you saw the look in his eye reflected the feeling you had inside; love. 

 You then moved to your mother, and she wrapped her arms around you quickly. Neither of you said anything, just both - like with Coulson - allowed the moment you were having. For once, you were united. 

 Well, almost fully united. 

 Speaking of which -- 

 Jemma seemed to get more of her memory back, even building a device that she placed as if it was meant to be there. Then you waited...Then BOOM! A new figure appeared, now dressed in an outfit that reminded you of Deke when you first met him. As you went to move in front of Daisy, she grabbed your arm, making you stay put. 

 The figure removed his helmet, revealing the last person in your family. Leopold Fitz. 

 You all swarmed him with questions and hugs. But, he had news, not great news. 

 He had thrown you in the deep end, make a whole new time line, before you could go back and save old one. And, there was a key to stop this -- 

 Kora. 

 You saw the realisation on Daisy’s face, you saw the conflicted gaze she had towards your brother at the news. 

 “Fitz…” He looked to you, and you saw his eyes soften, “You didn’t know if we’d make it?” You questioned. 

 He saw the way your fist curled up, you were angry. For once, though, he gulped in your presence. At the start, it was a crush that lasted two seconds, not it was fear. 

 You felt a hand on your arm, looking, you saw it to be Daisy, who looked at you with an understanding look, but she shook her head. 

 But, then came the big news --

 One of you had to stay if you were going to bring the Chronicoms back with you. That led to a debate, one that had everyone willing to play martyr. 

 “SHUT THE FUCK UP!” You yelled, eyes closed as it got too much to bear. 

 You had just got your family back, and it was being torn apart...again. 

 You felt another hand on your arm, but you ripped your arm away from the grasp, “We aren’t doing this.” You said, pointing a finger at whoever tried to grab you. 

 “Y/N.” You heard the tearful voice of Daisy, one you never wanted to hear in that way. 

 “We are not having this discussion.” 

 “We have to --” She tried to argue. 

 “I just got you guys back, It’s my job to keep us together, and --”

 “No,” It as Mack’s calm, soft, but also firm voice that made you open your eyes and meet his gaze, “Whoever stays, you think we’ll forget about them? We’re a team, Y/N. It’s our job to stay together, not just yours. You don’t have to --”

 “I’ll stay.” Deke spoke up, keeping his eyes on you. You heard Daisy try and talk him out of it, but you just kept your eyes on a younger brother of yours. 

 He smiled at you, “I’ll do what I have to do for my friends. You taught me that it’s ok to care, Y/N. You showed that to me. And I guess I’ll repay you through this.”

 “Deke.” A few tears ran down your face, but he grabbed your hand as your lip trembled.

 “Hey, I’ll be ok. Besides, Daisy’s gonna need her older sister to help her through this, along with her older brother, right?” You looked to Mack at that, and he gave a nod, confirming the words that you weren’t alone in helping your siblings. 

 You looked back to one of the youngest, “Did I do a good job, scrappy?” You asked. 

 He softened, “Best sister I’ve ever had.” At that, you shared a hug, one of goodbye. But, you knew he’d be a good leader here. He was a good man, one you loved. 

 You pulled away, and stood next to Daisy, she grabbed your hand in solidarity, giving it a squeeze that told you she was there for you. You looked at the others, seeing they’d be there for you and her, and each other. 

 You were going to do this, you were going to win, you were going to do this together, on equal playing fields, supporting each other, fighting for and with on another. 

 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 You broke off into groups, you with Daisy, Coulson, Mack, and May going into the ship being yours. You took the Zephier and split up into the Quinjet. You landed on the ship, and you got ready. 

 “You sure you want to do this alone?” Daisy asked as you went down the ramp, the others went first to give you both space. 

 “Course, you need Danny boy --” She cut you off with a serious tone. 

 “I need you to be ok, too.” 

 You put a hand on her shoulder, “I got this, ok? I taught you how to fight the SHIELD way, you taught me how to fight dirty when needed. He’s a mix of us both, good thing I know our tricks, huh?” Despite your deadpan voice, you gave her a wink as you walked down the ramp. 

 Time to save the world, one last time. 

 As you and Daisy went to the lower levels, guards appeared. You and her ran at them, you threw a blade, hitting a guard in the balls before slamming your head into his as Daisy flipped another over. You threw her a rifle as you snapped your ones kneck. 

 “Go, I got this.” You told the others. As you and Daisy took care of the rest, she gave you one last nod, before leaving to find the others. 

 Then, it was just you and Malick. Now, you had told Daisy that he was a mix of yours and her powers, and that still rang true. Only difference now? He also had Kora’s.

 Fuck. 

So, he was seeming to adapt to it. He blinded you, then got you with a punch. You dodged another, cutting him with a blade. He wiped at his wound on this cheek, you rose eyebrows. He was infuriated by it, he threw his hand out, Daisy’s power emitting from it, you went to the side, watching the thing hit a wall and cause damage to the ship. 

 Good, you could at least piss him off that way. 

 He made a ball of dark energy, you threw your own. They collided, pushing you both back. He used Daisy’s power to stabilize himself, you weren’t as lucky. You hit the floor and you rolled. 

 “You know, gotta give you kudos for not bringing Daisy into this. Really grown, huh?” Malick taunted as you stood up. To be fair, he did let you get up, at least. 

 “She’s better at the whole Kora thing. Besides, I don’t make it out, others will be there to carry on for me.” WIth that, you got back to it. 

 You launched yourself off one of the pads, throwing a ball that hit him from behind, it launched him towards you, allowing you to deliver a kick to the head. Hitting the ground, you rolled, only to then find yourself being pushed back by Daisy’s power and hitting the pad on the other side. You lost your breath as your back struck it. 

 He rose up, smile on his face as he approached your struggling form, pressing the hand to your chest, he could feel the slight fear in you. He knew that, if you could express it, you’d be trying to hide it. 

 “You know, it must kind of suck, right? Getting killed by your own sisters powers. I mean, it’s like a fucked up version of charmed...I think, I never watched it.” He lamented during his apparent victory speech. 

 To be honest, it kind of was, you were going to die here. And, as he whispered to you, “Just between you and me, I want you to know that Daisy and Kora are going to be shown your body, then that’ll be it for the Johnsons. Just a quick death, like that,” He clicked his fingers at ‘that’, “I promise, Y/N. They won’t suffer, as much pain you’ve caused me, it’ll be quick.” 

 You felt it inside you, the power you had this whole time. The thing that scared you. The thing that turned you into a monster. 

 There was a trigger for you, a threat to your family. 

 For once, there was a synthesis between the two, a coming together of your dark and light. 

 You grabbed his hand, “Yeah….but...they’ll....look....after her.” He furrowed his eye brows in confusion, before…

 BOOM! You let it all out. And, as the ship was consumed by darkness, as was your vision. 

 “She did it…” Daisy said, looking out at the ship as it blew up. She had tears in her eyes as she saw it, as she had known what you had done. 

 She felt a presence near her. Turning, she saw it to be Kora, who had a similar look. 

 Their moment was broken when May ran into the room, “Found her!” She announced. And, just like that, the Johnson siblings went a running, down to the cargo hold. 

 Once they arrived, the two didn’t waste any time in running to Y/N’s said as they laid the girl down. She was dead, that much was certain, no one could’ve survived that. 

 “She’s so cold.” Daisy said, voice trembling as she grabbed one of Y/N’s very cold hands in her own. 

 “She knew what she was fighting for.” Coulson said, trying to console the other daughter figure that had been his from the moment he met her, only thing that was missing were the papers. 

 She looked to him, smiling a bit as she saw him barely holding it together as well. 

 There was silence, a mournful one. 

 However --

 “I -- I think I can help.” Kora said, trying to find strength in her voice. All eyes went to her, but she only looked at Daisy, “I might, might, be able to warm her up. That might help.” 

 Daisy nodded, more times than needed as she sniffled, “Do it.” She said, encouragingly. Still, she rubbed your hand she was holding, trying to do her part. 

 Kora moved to the front, putting her hands on either side of your face, channeling all the power she had into it. Slowly, her hands glowed, the light emitting off of your face. Slowly, colour returned. 

 Daisy couldn’t help the choked laugh that left her as she saw what looked to be life returning into your face. 

 Kora backed up, a few tense going by.

 They ticked.

 And they ticked. 

 And they ticked by. With Daisy only looking to your face, seeing hte life that was there. You just hadn’t taken the last step. 

 Shortly after, her lip trembled. She put her head against yours, as she let out a sob, tears going down her face and hitting your own. 

 That mornful mood become more so a reality as each second went by. 

 “Am I being waterboarded?” Was a question that was asked. It took Daisy a moment to register the voice. 

 When she did, she opened her eyes to find Y/N Johnson’s eyes starting back into her own. 

 Daisy made a noise that sounded like a sob, laugh, exclamation all in one as she ran both her hands through your hair and pressed a kiss to your forehead. 

 She laughed, she laughed a lot, and she cried. 

 “Y/N knew what we were fighting for.” Coulson reinstated as he looked at you with nothing but a proud look. 

 Not one you got a lot from your past homes, “Family.” You answered. 

 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 You looked up from your file when your phone rang. You looked at the time, it was getting late. 

 Moving your hand to the phone, you felt joy as the familiar photo appeared with the caller ID. Flicking the green button, you put the phone to your ear, “Jemma Simmons, how may I be of service?” You asked. 

 “Y/N, hi! Just wanted to let you know that we’ve decided to make the meetings a tradition.” Jemma informed you. You rolled your eyes, you knew they would. Not that you minded, it was just something you put money on. 

 “Sorry I coudln’t make it. I’m assuming you gave everyone my love?” 

 “Of course. But, as always, they knew already. Daisy says she’ll be home at some point.” You nodded, then remembered that she couldn’t see. 

 “Good. That’ll be good. Oh, we still on for Thursday?” 

 “Of course! Little Ayla can’t wait to see her favorite Aunt!” Jemma exclaimed in pure joy. 

 “Yeah, well, don’t tell Daisy.” She laughed on the end. 

 “Your secret is safe with me. See you thursday, Y/N!” She said.

 “See you then, love you Jem.” 

 You could hear the smile as she spoke, “Love you too. See you then.” Then the line went. 

 You leant back in your chair as you put the phone down. You looked at a photo on your table, one of a bunch of people sitting and watching a rocket launch. Little did they know what journey they would go on. LIttle did they know what they’d learn about themselves and the world. 

 Little did they know the family they’d create. 

 Little did you know the people you were going to meet and the love you were going to receive. 

 The weight of the world wasn’t on your shoulders, it was shared with your family. 

 When it came to saving the world, as your duty as an agent was, you’d rather not share it with anyone else than them. 

As the oldest, it was up to you to look after them. But, as your siblings, it was their job to look after you. 

 Love went two ways. 

 You wouldn’t have it any other way. 

[daisylincs]

It's time to see what I can do! To test the limits and break through// no right no wrong no rules for meee// I'm freeeeeeeeee (and i was glad lincoln died)

*silence*

*utter, shocked silence*

Well, Birdie, I only have one thing to say to you --

Why Lincoln Campbell Shouldn't Have Died: A Small Essay By Lily [Redacted]

#1. It’s Lazy. There was all this fuss about how “heart-breaking” Lincoln’s death was, and how it was the most shocking choice, and I’m just like... really? Was it? Because frustrating as it is to me, it’s true that Lincoln didn’t have any significant relationships on the show aside from his with Daisy, and he also didn’t have the time/the writers didn’t invest the time to make him a character the audience could become really close to. 

And I don’t see how that’s a shocking choice at all? That’s just taking the easy way out of things. If they had really wanted to make a heart-breaking death, it would have been so much worse to choose literally anyone of the OG team.

Or, heaven forbid, not to make anyone die at all!! (Yes, I hate the Fallen Agent arc. Yes, that’s a conversation for another day.) But think about it: it would have been way more original, way more shocking, to have Lincoln not die, or find a super original/Fitzsimmons-esque way to get past the vision. It could’ve been way more shocking and ultimately satisfying if the whole team had worked together to avoid someone dying, and succeeded in avoiding that. It would have made excellent bonding.

And it wouldn’t have been lazy, because Lincoln staying alive would force him and Daisy to have some tough conversations, i.e. Hive and SHIELD and what’s next. It would also have meant an equal amount of tricky conversations with the rest of the team - especially surrounding the whole Hive debacle and methods used during it (*coughs in murder vests*). It would’ve actually been much harder than just having Lincoln die... and isn’t that what good storytelling is supposed to do? Make the harder choice for an ultimately far more satisfying resolution? 

Because choosing Lincoln to die makes it feel like that was his only purpose on the show, and I can’t help but rage against that. I know that’s how a lot of people actually do see Lincoln, and it just makes me so furious, because that’s actually such a disservice to his character?? He was so much more than just Daisy’s doomed boyfriend, and he could have been even more. Which brings me to my next point - 

#2. Wasted Opportunities. I’ll always believe that one of the biggest missed opportunities on the show was that we never got to see Lincoln properly bond with anyone on the team - it was like the writers started, but then decided he was going to die, and then went all, oh, RIP that. Which, honestly, is stupid - because they created this amazing character that had so much potential, and then decided to drop it just like that. 

And I mean, dammit!! Aside from Daisy, Lincoln had prime opportunities to bond with at least five other characters on the team - May, Coulson, Jemma, Fitz, and Mack, and that’s not even starting on the other Secret Warriors. 

He had a little bit of bonding with May when Lash/Andrew was still a thing - but then, whoops-a-daisy, unequivocally dropped. And like... Lincoln and May could’ve been such a good friendship?? Imagine May initially terrifying the living daylights out of Lincoln, but slowly seeing that he’s not actually that different to Daisy, and he makes her happy? And maybe inviting him to t’ai chi with her, to help control her powers? And him in turn helping give her some closure over Katya Belyakov/telling her that she really did make the only choice? They could’ve developed a mother/son bond just as beautiful as Daisy’s, if AoS had only tried. 

Then there’s Coulson. Daisy’s (basically) dad. We got to see a little bit of this, especially in the 3x14-15 era, but I would have loved to see even more of Coulson not-so-subtly threatening Lincoln, but grudgingly coming to accept him as a good agent (and, though he’d never admit it, kinda liking the guy.) Ugh, it could have been so funny and GOOD!!

Fitz and Jemma, to do them in a package deal, could also have been a GREAT BroTP with Lincoln if they had only actually developed it. I would have loved to see a) FitzSimmons initially distrusting Lincoln and being like “if you hurt Daisy...” and then eventually growing to bond with him over science and, well, adoring Daisy, b) a Lincoln-and-Simmons-specific friendship starting after Maveth, for example, Jemma can’t really be around her friends because they keep pitying her and trying to help and she doesn’t want that, so here’s someone new who’s nice and can also distract her with a common interest, and finally c) Lincoln and Fitz bonding over, oh, Daisy, and being ridiculously in love. Just. C’mon. It could’ve been WONDERFUL - and, just think about it, the picture of a Fitzsimmons-and-Lincoln triple alliance out-science-ing Daisy. FAB.

And Mack!! Someone who’s basically Daisy’s older brother, and, I do believe, another one for the Don’t-Hurt-Daisy pile. But Mack’s also very just, and an excellent judge of character, plus he was literally listening in on their first kiss, lmfao. So I think he’d be that “ugh AGAIN you two stop *eye roll*” big brother, but secretly be very happy for them. (I would’ve LOVED to see it, ahhhh.)

Then, of course, the Secret Warriors!! If anyone would listen, I could R A G E for days about how we only had one episode with the Secret Warriors, and that only barely before it all blew apart. But what snippets we had in that one episode!! Lincoln comforting Joey when he gets stressed before a mission. That’s canon. Now imagine Lincoln learning Spanish for both him and Elena (and so the three of them can fuck with Daisy.) And him encouraging them to follow Spanish traditions, because he picked up a lot of “traditions are important” culture from Afterlife. And, of course, them all going to Pride together to support Joey...

My point is just, there is so much MORE AoS could have done with Lincoln’s character, but especially his bonds with the other main cast. Instead of highlighting his relationship with Daisy, I would’ve preferred a lot more focus on his bonds with the rest of the gang. Because, most simply put, he’s a nice guy and loves Daisy - but that’s not all he is, and also, that love for Daisy would mean he WOULD go out of his way to bond with her family. (Point made.)

#3. It Conflicts With The S5 Time Paradox. During the Fallen Agent arc, all we’re hearing about is how time is fixed, and a death is inevitable. And then in season 5, we have the same thing with the time loop... except, they manage to break it then. We’re literally told, “there are many different futures.” And, cool. But, uh... that’s exactly what you guys didn’t say in season 3!!

Because someone saw a death, a death had to happen. My question is just: if the loop could have been broken in s5, why couldn’t the death have been avoided in s3?? It wouldn’t even have been that hard to make it still fit with the vision - Daisy can quake the controls to destroy them, then Lincoln pulls her out of the quinjet, but she leaves the jacket behind. Hive dies, but no-one else - and the best part is, that even still fulfils the original vision, because someone did die. Hive. Click boom.

And if I can figure that out, then, come on, surely AoS could have done so much better!! It just... really frustrates me, hrrrg.

#4. It Becomes A Plot Point To Hurt Daisy. We all like to joke about how much AoS hurts Daisy, but... this is extreme?? Like?? She only just went through probably the biggest trauma of her life, being freaking possessed, and now you want to make her lose someone she loves too? Cruel. 

The only real reason the Fallen Agent arc ever existed was, let’s be real, to force Daisy into that spiral of hurt and depression. And, like... she already had more than enough trauma just from Hive. Nobody would have blamed her for running away then - in fact, how very Daisy it would have been, leaving before she could hurt anyone else she loved.

And then, of course, we could have had Lincoln and the team working together to find her and bring her back, and, heyo, bonding!! It could also have been such a good point for Staticquake’s relationship, what with Lincoln helping Daisy recover after depression/withdrawal, because who better suited, and Daisy slowly forgiving herself and them becoming that much more of a deeply caring, solid ship.

So in short - though, 🙈🙈🙈, I suppose I should really say in long, because it would seem I am incapable of doing anything in a short fashion - I don't think anyone should be "glad" about Lincoln's death. If anything, we should all be FURIOUS, and super frustrated, because if he had only lived, there could have been so many excellent storylines, both bonding-wise and regarding THE ACTUAL PLOT (his powers could have been SO HELPFUL, just, argh). Lincoln Campbell should not have died, and I will stand by that till the day I die.

Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.

[ryder616]

Rewatching Farewell, Cruel World

The Digital Escapade is coming to an end, time to click the heels three times jump into a quaked pool of melted steel and go home.

From the cruel virtual reality to the equally cruel fictional one where the puppetmasters, unlike Aida, will be forever out of reach.

This episode sets up one of the most heart-wrenching scenes in the entire show, namely Mack losing his daughter and then having to live with those vivid new memories alongside the old ones.

At this point in time the show hadn’t focused much on Mack’s tribulations but the Framework arc made up for it and then some. And then more some. Yikes. 

In hindsight, it might have been less painful for him if here Daisy had lied or just pushed him in, sparing him the slow torture of hearing his scared digital daughter’s mounting panic, but I suspect he would disagree. I think Mack would have chosen to be there for her even if he had been fully aware and had known how close to the end the digital world was. That knowledge would have likely fuelled his resolve to not leave her alone. And Daisy has lost her agency too many times - from the foster system to, most recently at this point, Hive - to take away his, even if it kills her to leave him behind.

Their scene, with both characters coming from a place of love, is harshly contrasted by the way Simmons finally comes face to face with Fitzler.

You really gotta feel for Simmons, who just a few weeks earlier was going apartment hunting (4x04) and now has been threatened, stabbed, shot and almost killed by two different versions of her chosen flatmate and future husband. One of whom she had to gruesomely stab to death (4x15), because why settle for traumatic when you can write horrifying? 😁

She never believed Fitz was lost in his Framework persona, highlighted by how she ignores Daisy’s sensible decision to leave his extraction for a time when all of their lives aren’t in imminent danger, and tries a desperate attempt to reach him through his father that could have cost them everything since Daisy, for her part, can’t fathom to advance the mission without her.

Luckily, it’s time for Radcliffle’s redemption.

I’m not sure if his very first selfless act since we’ve known him makes up for all the misery his actions have caused, even with the Darkhold’s corruption as the extenuating circumstance (which does nothing to excuse his S3′s shenanigans), but it’s a laudable u-turn for someone who, in the past, had let self-preservation override any other concern.

In between Mack choosing to stay and Fitzler being forced to go, stand May and Coulson. Unlike both Mack and Fitzler, neither value whatever ties they still have to the virtual world. Still, they perform a leap of faith, most impressive coming from May who has no memories of her real self, however hazy, and had just recently resolved to never trust blindly again.

Yet here she does, believing in a dorky high school teacher turned resistance fighter who’s actually a dorky superspy without the benefit of their 30 years old friendship backing it up.

And of course Coulson adds another almost-but-not-quite death to his record, a recurring circumstance that, at this time, hadn't quite yet turned into a meme.

Inescapable

About a year earlier (3x09) Simmons had earnestly declared herself against jeopardizing the many for the one and then had backed it up in spades, willing to be tortured to death, doom Will and doom Fitz - it’s not like Malick was going to let him go unscathed once they were done with her - to avoid the possibility that a yet unknown boogeyman would find its way to Earth.

Things have changed.

Now, Fitz comes first. Even when, maybe, pre-Framework arc Jemma wouldn’t have prioritized him over everything and everyone else, especially when there were still options and he was in far less danger than the rest of them.

I can see how their constant separation drama could have chipped away at her mettle on this particular topic, but I also think that in pursue of the Inevitability of FitzSimmons some of the characters’ individuality was lost and most specifically Simmons’, because Fitz was already all about her when it came to the root of his choices.

Said Inevitability seems also why, in the Framework arc, Jemma has to literally be dead for an alternate version of Fitz to fall in love with a different woman, even though Fitzler being who he is should be more than enough to justify FitzSimmons not happening.

And now I need to climb on my soapbox because FW!Jemma’s deceased status alongside Ward’s not-quite-redemption, more-like-closure+foil-for-Fitz storyline are the meta reasons why FW!Skye ended up working for Hydra.

Something that, all else being equal other than the Cambridge Incident and Coulson's different career - including the type of childhood that could shape fairly execrable individuals yet didn’t turn our Daisy into one - makes very little sense. If at all.

As a paradigm shift, the Cambridge Incident is the virtual world’s equivalent of the alien invasion in New York and Daisy had clocked S.H.I.E.L.D. as bad guys in that scenario. So why would the hacktivist we met in the pilot ever think Hydra was doing good work? Or be in a romantic relationship with a guy who, as far she knows, is Hydra? When Daisy learned of Ward’s true allegiances, she was disgusted. She infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D. - a far less malevolent organization than Hydra even while Hydra was infesting it - for personal reasons but changed her mind on them and stayed because Coulson (and the others, but it was mainly because of Coulson) was not the Big Brother’s stooge she had expected but a good man trying his best to do right by people and oozing dadness.

And she was recruited, by Coulson, in a highly unorthodox team that was only formed due to his special circumstances, while every other agent with a clearance over level six we met during the first half of S1 thought it was a bad idea.

So how and why did all of it sort of happened anyway? None of the known changes explain it. Are we supposed to infer that Better!Ward took over Coulson's role but with a romantic twist (eww) and that was enough to make Hydra (Hydra, not S.H.I.E.L.D.!) palatable? And with what clout? Coulson had to pull rank and had the personal trust of Nick Fury to bet on the stray hacker. Better!Ward is nowhere close to that level of influence even four years later.

Also, from an out of universe perspective, Daisy should not be in a similar position to the “real” world when you remove Coulson from her life yet FW!Skye is: she is an agent for the organization tasked to protect the world, which, in the Framework, happens to be Hydra and not S.H.I.E.L.D. (even though it’s of course all pretence to perpetuate its power). One could argue that she’s in a very different position morally, but Coulson didn’t give Daisy her morals. Her compass was already pointing to chaotic goodness before he adopted abducted her, with emphasis on the chaos when fascists enter the picture. Here we have plenty of fascists and no evidence of any chaos.

Without Coulson, and in a Hydra-controlled world, “Skye” is hacking into the state news’ signal to broadcast anti-Hydra manifests, running a cyber guerrilla, or has managed to infiltrate Hydra as she did S.H.I.E.L.D., without getting herself killed, vivisected or brainwashed in the process, and stayed as a mole for the Resistance. Or, maybe more likely, she is dead.

On the other hand, we have seen how Simmons reacted after Puerto Rico, so FW!Jemma initially sharing Hydra’s stance on Inhumans would be in character. She could have become a double agent, once she had seen enough of Hydra’s methods, just as she was one for S.H.I.E.L.D. in Hydra in S2. Heck, she could have been in a relationship with Better!Ward, making that 3x09 retcon about her flirting count for something and mirroring the real world almost perfectly: Simmons loves Fitz and despises Ward, FW!Jemma could have loved Better!Ward and despised the Doctor. That could have also offered Simmons an opportunity to find a measure of closure with her own Ward issues, which aren’t less than Daisy’s. Or something else entirely that was still about Simmons, in addition to Fitz and their relationship.

But, FitzSimmons are Inescapable(tm) and the show has no interest in exploring, even in the background of a 5 episodes long What if, any part of Simmons’ story that isn’t about FitzSimmons.

So Jemma’s dead, the anarcho-socialist hacker is okay with Hydra without any context given and Coulson’s removal from Daisy’s life means less than it should.

I’m just gonna bask in Trip’s smile wishing things had been handled differently (including his part in the proceedings, frustratingly small) while I carefully tuck my soapbox away for future use.

Stuff:

Beta Team has spent 10 days freezing their asses on the Zephyr watching over their two sleeping beauties. A certain gentleman out of time is smiling.

After those 10 days the Zephyr has only 24 hours of power left. Coulson had bragged about six weeks in the air in the season premiere but running the Framework apparatus is extremely tasking, hence the shortened autonomy.

YoYo seems to be calling the shots on the Zephyr, either because she is level color-that-puts-her-in-charge or because the aforementioned sleeping beauties left instructions to make it so.

Just look at [Madame Hydra’s] uniform. It's so crazy hot. I mean, if you're into the whole "bad girl" vibe. Not me. I'm just making an observation. Sure, sure... I know all about this kind of observations. I make this kind of observations all the time. Embrace your fanboyness, Burrows.

Hey, person I don’t know. [...] You can finish hugging me later. Witness Trip’s chill when his personal space is invaded by strangers. Granted, she’s a pleasant looking stranger, but he's unfailingly gracious.

Simmons we can't rescue Fitz right now. [...] I promise, we will find a way to get Fitz once everyone’s safe, okay? -- Okay. That is not the stance nor the look of someone who agrees, Daisy. How do you not see it?

Come on, Dad. She’s the biggest hero in S.H.I.E.L.D. Out of the mouth of babes...😎

Daisy is delightful with Hope. I wish they had put her with kids more often.

I’ll make sure you’re exactly where you need to be. Nice doublespeak. Good thing Mack isn’t your Mack or he’d have caught on.

My days of following blindly are over. If there's any truth to what you're saying, you'll have to show, not tell. May dislikes expository dialogue and prefers it when information is communicated through action.🤭

You may not be the Fitz who was my good friend, a man I'd step in front of a train for, but you wear your fear the same way. Radcliffe is going to be true to his word and give up his life for Fitz (and the others).

How did a little pop tart like you evade capture? I assumed she put into practice the lessons you taught her mostly off-screen.

What can I say? I'm easy to confide in. With that smile of yours? Easy is an understatement. 😍

You and I, we must've, uh, you know -- Dated? -- Sure. We'll go with that. -- Uh, no. Sorry. -- Right. Me and Simmons, we probably... -- Nope. -- Agent May? Damn. And this is really a place you want to go back to? I know, Trip, it’s a freaking travesty. And their loss. But I don’t remember real Trip being this much of an aspiring player.

I've been nothing but a good father. If by “good” you mean toxic, then sure.

You're now the face of the Resistance. -- That's really not my style. I'm really more of a "work in the shadows" kind of guy. -- Really? That's how teaching 10th grade works best, from the shadows? I love that their dynamic is reminiscent of what we saw in the 4x14 flashbacks, him being kind of a dork and she snarking about it. Except young May was a much happier, almost carefree individual of course, so her teasing had a different bite.

How does the existence of an alternate reality come up in casual conversation? -- I'd like to think it's because we were bonding, though I don't really want to speak for her. 😂😂

But Fitz won't come with us now. We've lost him. -- No, we haven't. We will figure something out, but first, we have to get back to the real world before Aida makes us disappear. Okay? -- Okay. See, this is a true okay. You should have really learned how to spot the differences, Daisy.

Maybe it's your turn to suit up. The people could use another Patriot to look up to. -- Not gonna lie, I'd look pretty damn fine in that suit. -- Yeah, you would. Take care of yourself. Daisy gets to say goodbye to Trip. It’s not much but it is something.

It's not magic, May. It's science. I wish I had kept track of all the times one of the show’s scientists - and I think it’s mostly Simmons - made similar remarks because there were quite a few.

Wake up! There is no back door, just like she's not Moses about to take you to the Promised Land. -- That's it. What if I quake that thing? -- And part the Red Sea. -- They did not just go and use the Bible against me. 😂😂😂😂

The layout for the FS scenes in the steel mill is somewhat odd, with Simmons, Fitzler and Radcliffe having their dramatic confrontation while Daisy and Mack are on the other side...waiting? Somehow unaware of what’s holding Simmons up at gunpoint? Watching and just hoping for the best? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Its name is Aida. Artificially Intelligent Digital Assistant. And stop making excuses for it! Not making excuses for unapologetic villains is good advice.

I love you. -- And you mean nothing to me. I want to hear you say it. "I am nothing to you." Say it! Say it! Fitzler twisting the knife in the collective heart of the FS fandom...he’s rather talented at it, isn’t he? 🤭

She laughs at my jokes. We watch movies together. And when she's sad...when she's sad, I hold her. No. She's real to me. -- I understand. And she really does, as evidenced by how she’s interacted with Hope and most of the NPCs throughout the arc.

Listen to me, Fitz. None of that is your fault. -- I wanted to do those things. It felt natural. I think I'm a bad person. I bet Coulson was having S3′s flashbacks right about now. Happily, Fitz's instinct to atone for his perceived sins away from the people he's been put in a position to hurt will be nipped in the bud. Unhappily, he will be separated anyway and it's not going to be pretty.

It's just, you know in "The Wizard of Oz," at the end, how Dorothy goes to Kansas? Yeah, well, that's where they went, a place like Kansas. -- Does that mean we're going to Kansas, too? --  Nah. We're gonna stay right here. Everything I need, it's all right here. I hadn’t realized this before but here Mack basically told his daughter the truth, that their world is a fantasy, but in a gentle and kid-level way. And that was pretty neat of him, wasn’t it? I'm all the more convinced that a true happy ending for Mack involved a baby and not Fury cosplay.

[agl03]

If you could just spoil the entire episode i’d love you forever and ever

Hi Anon!  

Okay last one of the night and then I’ve got to get a little sleep!  I’ll put this under the keep reading line so enter at your own risk.

The Episode opens with Fitz!  I know I was totally shocked.  He is still asleep and Enoch’s ship is under attack.  Enoch is talking to Cryo Fitz about how he vowed to protect him and was calculating what would be his best odds at survival.  The Ship is then cut in half and they jump to one year later.  So Fitz/Enoch were attacked shortly after the loop was broken.

Earth Team

Opens up with Mack Quarterbacking a large team of Agents at the Lighthouse as they try to track down weird readings they have been getting for months now.  

May’s team gets the call and they arrive not long after the giant smoke breathing dude was stepped right our of a portal in a brick wall.  This is indeed Jako (yay).  His buddy Tinker isn’t as lucky and he gets stuck in the wall.  Jako escapes by shooting at May’s Quinjet.

These portals have been opening for months now and Mack mentions their two best minds are light years away so they are a bit stuck without them.

There is a team meeting where they go over theories and we meet some of the new agents.  The two of note are Fox (don’t get attached) and Keller (I’d recommend not getting attached to him either but oh boy hold onto your socks).

Fox and Keller point out that these portals are opening along lay lines so they start digging.

Mack asks Elena to get battle ready and to train with May some more.  

May and Mack have a good talk in Mack’s office.  Mack is listening to Coulson on the tool box where Coulson has left a series of messages and help for Mack.  Mack is taking his guidance to heart.

May and Elena are training and May tells Elena she needs to work on her Poker Face and that Keller has the hots for her.  We then learn that Mackelena has broken up...and been broken up for awhile now.  With Mack throwing himself into the job and letting their relationship suffer and then die.   May encourages Elena to get back out there because she can tell Elena likes Keller too.

That advice isn’t needed as Keller and Elena are already an item keeping it secret from everyone else.

May tracks down Mack at a local bar where he goes to ground himself (advise from Coulson).  She gives him a file on someone they have been trying to recruit.

Professor Benson is and old colleague of Andrews and who they want to help until Fitzsimmons get back in the brains department.  He is also tasked with restarting the Academy.

Benson finally agrees and first order of business is to check out Jako’s friend that didn’t make it out.

He has something in his neck but then a timer falls out with coordinates.

Everyone races to the museum but the terrible trio is there first and they want to make sure Sarge doesn’t fall to the same fate as Tinker and are clearing the path for him....by blowing up the entire Museum. 

Shield arrives to try to stop them.

Butterfly is a decoy.

Museum goes kaboom.

A Giant Black semi truck drives out of the portal and plows through the Shield vehicles in it’s path.

As the Shield agents are dazed and on the ground a mysterious figures steps out of the truck...dun dun dun Darth Coulson is here.  

Agent Fox is stunned and doesn’t let go of Butterfly.  He tells Darth Coulson “Your with Shield” and that is where we get “Shield, never heard of it” before RIP Agent Fox.

A dazed May gets a look at Darth Coulson before they all take off.

Space Team Fitz Rescue:

Okay there are simply not enough words of praise to shower upon Kolpack and the FX team here.  We had some quality space battles!

We open with Davis and Piper Bickering as they avoid fire and land to get fuel.  

Some aliens board where they come face to face with Daisy.

Aliens threaten, Daisy is not impressed.

Aliens Identify Daisy, Quake, and some wisely run away others get the snot beat out of them.

Not only are they there for fuel but these guys also have information, he sold fuel and information to the people that attacked Enoch’s ship.

Daisy and Jemma interrogate the alien dude and eventually find out he has half of Enoch’s ship.

It is in this half that they find the empty pod....and a dead end.  AKA the death scroll moment.

Back on the Zephyr B Squad and Daisy talk about how Simmons is so laser focused and hasn’t broken down and that if she doesn’t be careful it will all hit.

Meanwhile Jemma is killing me with feels as she gets into the pod with tears rolling down her cheeks.  She turns and catches site of a small tag inside the pod.  Its even dusty (parallels Fitz and the grains of sand).

Daisy, Piper, and Davis decide that the Dead End is too much and its time to go home and regroup.  Jemma says no, begs, please, and tries to tell them what she found.  She learned to read alien in the last year.  Her clue was where the pod was made, that Fitz would want to freeze himself again and he would go there to do it.  She knows because she knows how he thinks (feels).

They say no, its time to go home.

Before they can argue more the Confederacy shows up, Daisy’s name has caught their attention.

They start attacking and Davis does some awesome flying.

Piper prepares them to “jump”.  Turns out that transporter thing from last season has been modified to Jump the entire Zephyr, that is how they are covering so much space so fast.  Only they only had a couple jumps left.

Daisy says to set the coordinates for Earth, Jemma says coordinates are already set....

But yeah they aren’t going back to Earth.  With an “I’m Sorry” and a pull of the lever Jemma essentially kidnaps Daisy and B Squad off to Deep Space to follow her lead on Fitz.  I darn well nearly cheered right there in the arena.

Fitz

The episode tag ends where we began with Fitz.  We only see his back.  In a parallel of the Season 2 scene in the bathroom where he was opening the tool box, someone is banging on the door for him.  

Fitz tells them to shut up in alien (yes both Fitzsimmons speak alien that is sooo coming into play later likely when they’ve been captured together).

There is also mention of the CONTROLLER needing something so I think this is one of our Space Baddies.

Fitz injects himself in the neck with something and turns around to reveal the yellow eyes and boom we fade to black.  As I have already addressed in other asks I believe the injections are part of Fitz hiding that he’s human and its somehow protecting him.

Guys this really really really doesn’t do it justice.  It was absolutely worth the wait.  It was incredible and I can not wait to watch it again to pick up more of what I missed.  

[polynymph]

What Once Was Chapter 6

This definitely wasn’t supposed to take 2 weeks to write, I apologize for that. I hope it’s worth the wait! Thanks for reading!

TW: Could be considered slightly NSFW with brief mention of nudity, brief mention of scars

Armyah skid on gravel beneath her sandals. She had half a mind to kick them off, but she didn’t want to give the guards more of a head start than they already had. Dawn. She had until dawn to catch either the rabbit or the deer character to get her Emperor card back. After she has the card back in her possession, then she’ll decide whether to stay in the palace or not. As of right now, it was looking more toward the latter. She followed the sound of rustling and snapping branches until she met a path that only ran left and right. To the left she saw the flash of the deer guard rounding the far corner, the look on his face was particularly nervous. She bolted after him, but it didn’t take her long to realize she was far outclassed in speed, especially with her disadvantage. Even at a sprint, she could barely catch a glimpse of her target before they disappeared from her line of sight. The magician’s mounting frustration spurs her on as she presses further into the garden.

Armyah continues onward until she’s enveloped by a fold of green canopy; fronds obscure all but an arm’s length in front of her. Heart racing, she hands swept the springy vines out of her path. She nearly trips over a wide root that stuck out precariously from the dirt. Finally, she reaches the edge of the garden; a tall lemonstone wall stretches toward the late afternoon sky…a dead end. Her hand trails along the powdery stone and she walks with the barrier. It leads her out of the throng of bushes and trees to a quaint, mossy path. Dusty tools, shears, and old buckets are leaning against the wall, obviously not meant for the public eye. A servant’s path, narrow, but clear. She can see a ways down, but the deer guard is nowhere in sight. Hand never leaving the lemonstone, she lags in pace. A tingling in the magician’s fingertips distracts her from the current task and it grows stronger as she walks on. A short distance ahead she finds a great marble archway with intricate stone-carved roses decorating it. The top had long since collapsed, leaving only the supports. The faint buzzing in the back of her mind tells her this is the source of magic she was feeling moments before. You can see straight through to the wall behind it, and on that wall; a door. Small, rusty, and unassuming pushes open without resistance. Beyond it, a valley with high grass dancing in the gentle breeze. A breath catches in her throat; she could leave. Rolling slopes of meadow and sweet-smelling fields called her name. The terrain would be rough, more so in heels, but she spotted a few shepherd’s trails. What would happen if she just left? Would anyone look for her? Would the Countess send out a search party? A surge of anger flooded through the fortune-teller at the mere thought of her ladyship. Without a moment’s hesitation, she storms through the door and lets it swing shut with a metallic slam that echoes through the valley.

A curtain of coiling vines dropped down before the exit, smothering it from sight. Armyah takes a few heaving breaths as she looks toward the untamed hills. Wind sweeps through the thin fabric of her dress and she shivers despite the long sleeves. She walks as briskly as she can down the steep decline, golden grass tickling her bare calves. She’s free…for now, at least; whatever that may mean. She takes careful, nervous glances behind her. She half expects a bell to sound, alerting everyone she escaped. She wasn’t being held prisoner there, but she isn’t one hundred percent sure she is allowed to leave. What about Asra’s Emperor card? Will he be upset that she lost it? Technically, the Countess’s guard has it. Maybe she’ll wait for him to come home and she’ll explain the situation. They can come up with a course of action together. For now, she tried to even her breaths and calm her heart rate. ‘One step at a time,’ she thought. First, she had to get back to the city.

It’s almost dark once Armyah arrives into town, but she doesn’t recognize the area she’s in. Her breath grows short as tremors of anxiety radiate through her body. She hugs her arms around her waist and casts an aura of protective energy. It won’t hide her, but it will allow her to travel unbothered. There isn’t a soul in sight but a group of spindly cats picking over piles of charred, oily fish bones. They pay the quaking woman no mind as she walks between their inky forms. Then, the musical sound of rushing water catches her ear. It’s not familiar, but it’s different and that’s enough for the fortune-teller at this point. The dull roar leads her to a narrow, slippery street layered with shabby cobblestone. Clustered, worn apartments line the passage, the open windows cast an orange light onto the dark mist below. The air is full of loud conversations, but nothing clear enough to follow a single discussion. Suddenly, a door in front of her swings open, casting a warm light down three jagged stone steps. Raucous laughter and music spill out of the doorway while boots clip jauntily down the stairs.

“Oh, I’ll be right back!” a voice called to someone inside, “Just stepping out for some air!” The door swings shut and the muscles in Armyah’s legs feel as if they liquefied. Doctor Devorak was standing with his back to her, sweeping long slender fingers through his hair. She backs away slowly, careful to not alert him to her presence, but one of her heels catches a stone imbedded into the street. With a surprised gasp, she tumbled backward onto her ass, the contents of her bag spilling onto the flagstone. His shoulders tense at the sound behind him. Slowly turning, his grey eye catches chocolate ones. His thick eyebrows knit together in concern as he realized the noise was the young woman falling. “Are you alright? That was quite the tumble.” The doctor walks toward her extending a gloved hand to help her up, but rears back as soon as he’s close enough to see her face more clearly, “The…the shopkeep?” he stammers, eye wide, “what are you doing here?” His gaze softens, “Little early in the evening to be stumbling around in alleys, isn’t it?” He smiles and reaches is hand out to her once again, “I’m joking. It’s never too early. Come on, upsy-daisy.” A firm leather-clad grip encircled each of her wrists and he pulls her onto her feet. The magician staggered forward into his broad chest that a thin white shit barely covered. For a moment, his eye meets hers in surprise at their sudden proximity, his face flushed crimson. Realizing what was happening, she tugged her hands from his grasp and glowers at him. After all, this was the man who broke into her teacher’s shop and threatened her.

“Sooooo…you, ah, last I heard you…you were bound for the palace?” She doesn’t respond, he scratches the back of his neck awkwardly. “Dare I ask what brings you to this neck of the woods?” She tears her glare away from the doctor to survey her surroundings. Judging by the barrels and the noise, we’re behind a tavern. A hole in the wall, hidden from the street. Painted on the door is a cackling blackbird, laying back on a crescent moon. The Rowdy Raven it read, it looked seedy enough to have an alleged murderer as a patron. “Oh, what’s this?” She looks back to see that the doctor is gathering her scattered belongings and has taken an interest in scroll she had taken from his desk. Armyah panics, she quickly snatches the scroll away leaving him blinking at thin air. “Is…is that mine?” She hugs it closer to her chest, but he’s already seen. What more, he’s probably the only person capable of explaining it. Curiosity compelled her to take it in the first place, maybe he would be willing to reveal its contents. In the midst of her debating, Doctor Devorak whisked the scroll from her grasp and turned his back to her as he read.

“Hey!” she exclaimed. She tried to reach around him to get it back, but he held the parchment just out of her reach.

“Where did you get this?” he asked, leaning away from her. Armyah sighed, defeated, and ceased her attempts to retrieve the paper.

“Your desk…” He blinked, confused. “In the library?” Nothing. “At the palace?” A searching glance to his face and she saw a flinch of pain cross over his features.

“Oh yeah…” he said carefully, “My desk in the library…at the palace. Little window right above it?” She nodded slowly, watching the doctor massage his pinched brow. He groaned, rolled up the scroll, and handed it back to the magician. He wipes a hand over his face and places it on his hip, glancing to the slightly ajar door of the tavern; the warm light glows between them. He turns to her with a dynamic expression. “Well, I’m parched,” he announces to the only person in the alley with him, “think I’ll head back inside. Are you thirsty?” Doctor Devorak raises an eyebrow and smirks impishly at the fortune-teller. “You’re welcome to join me, if you’d like to.” She glares daggers at the man and he puts his hands up innocuously. “All I’m saying is that I still owe you for the reading the other night.” She wouldn’t call it a reading. More so, she flipped the Death card over and he assumed it meant he was going to meet a horrible, painful end. She looked torn; part of her wanted to run away and hope she’d never see his smug face again, but the other part really wanted to know what was in that letter.

“I should…” she jerked her thumb behind her weakly, “I just…” she sighs, that roguish grin will be her undoing, “…fine.” His face splits in a brilliant grin.

“Oh fantastic!” he exclaims excitedly, “Please, allow me.” He leads her by the small of her back up the steps through the door and into the warmth inside. It’s only past sundown, but the tavern was in full swing. The noise was jarring and caused the magician to grimace as she stepped inside. The barkeep, a wide, scar-faced, a barrel-armed fellow, gives the doctor a cheeky salute as they pass by. Bells on ropes decorated the wooden rafters along the small bar. There were few lanterns, so it was hard to see in the dim light and candles were scattered on tables to illuminate the conversations at ragged wood tables. A cackling drunk leaned back in his creaking chair with boisterous laughter as he swings a wooden leg out, which Doctor Devorak politely pushes aside. He ushers Armyah through the tumult with practiced ease, he definitely frequents this place. A loud beating of wings startles the fortune-teller, a haggard raven fluttered in after them, squawking and thumping its wings against the windows. The doctor chuckles at the bird, shaking his head. He winds his arm around the magician’s shoulders and guided her to a small booth in the back. “What can I get you to drink?” She glanced over his shoulder and scanned the colorful bottles that line the bar; some flavored with roots and herbs, others with coins, rocks, and beetles of all things. She chews her lip apprehensively, but he pats her reassuringly on the shoulder. “You know what, how about I take care of it and you make yourself comfortable?” He gestured for her to sit, “I’ll be right back.” He heads toward the bar, his stride is confident, almost cocky. He doesn’t seem to be too concerned by being recognized.

She settles into her seat and wrings her hands anxiously. Nearby, a pair of old crones are hunched over a card game and attended by an energetic, squabbling crowd. The cards in their hands makes Armyah think of Asra’s tarot deck, as well as the other contents of her bag that she spilled outside and failed to pick up. Heart dropping, she dives for the bag reaches in to find the deck safe and sound at the bottom, though its energy is abnormal. Of course...the Emperor card is missing. She sighs and cradles her forehead in a hand as tears prickle behind her eyes, there’s so much to be worried about: she is missing a card from her teacher’s deck, she deserted from the palace, and she was in a bar with the Count’s murderer! Well…alleged murderer, she still didn’t have the full story. Suppose it would be rude to ask. Still taking in her surroundings, she spots the rest of her missing possessions stacked on the bench beside the doctor’s seat. She smiles faintly, he must’ve grabbed them before coming in when she wasn’t looking. She found herself seeking him out at the bar where he was chatting up the bartender. He’s slim, but his shoulders are broad. The too-large shirt was billowing over his frame and tucked haphazardly into his belt. His messy auburn curls fell lazily over the eyepatch that’s strap ran over his aquiline nose and thick eyebrow. He looked at ease as he laughed with the man behind the bar. Overall, he was a very handsome for a suspected criminal, not that she had met very many to compare. He turns to the table she was sitting, she quickly averts her eyes to a particularly interesting knot in the wooden tabletop.

“Here we are.” He sets a pewter tankard in front of her and slides into the booth across from her as her gulps down his drink with gusto. Armyah warily eyes the golden liquid in her cup, it smelled faintly like fruit. She makes no move to drink it and her gaze flicker between him and the mug. He raises an eyebrow in confusion as he drinks heartily from his stein until he realizes… “Very smart! Never trust a free drink, especially from someone you barely know.” ‘Especially when that person is wanted’ she thought bitterly, but before she could respond he plucked the cup from her place at the table and took a dramatic swig. With a satisfied sigh he licked his lips exaggeratedly, making sure to look her dead in the eyes causing the magician to flush and look and look anywhere but his face. He returned the drink gave her a look as if to say ‘see?’. She takes a hesitant sip, not taking her incredulous gaze off the doctor. The beverage is refreshing; barely sweet and it fizzed excitingly all the way down. As soon as it washes down her throat she realized how thirsty she was after running after the guard. She drinks hungrily, and Doctor Devorak slowly lowers his stein to watch her drain her mug, his uncovered eye gleaming in the candlelight. “Look at you,” he tuts, “You’re dry as a bone. Drink, drink!” Her cup is empty after a few more desperate gulps. She sets the tankard down heavily and wipes her mouth with the back of her hand, careful not to get it on the sleeve of her borrowed dress. The doctor slid his drink to the side and leaned in toward the young woman, flashing her that roguish smile. “You know…I never did get your name.” She eyes him carefully, thinking of what he could gain by knowing her name, but she’s distracted by that damned smile; smarmy yet strangely charming. She sighs, defeated. She doesn’t meet his gaze.

“Armyah…” She looks up at him as he beams, pleased and sincere.

“Ahh, Armyah…” he tests the name on his lips, “what a lovely name. Almost musical! Armyah.” He kept repeating her name in different voices and octaves, even singing it a few times. She raised an eyebrow at his antics. Noticing her look, he laughs nervously and lets out an awkward cough into his gloved fist. “Ah…um…you can call me Julian.” He offers his hand, but she hesitates to take it. After a prolonged moment, she manages to shake his hand and his smile broadens to a toothy grin. “So, I have to ask: how did you wind up in that ally?” She jerks her hand back defensively, “At first I thought you might have come for me on behalf of the palace, but I’m not wearing any chains yet and you’re covered in burrs.” She looks down. Sure enough, there are burrs and twigs tangled in her long, curly hair. “Now, I may be projecting, but…I’m sensing that you’re on the run.” He raises a thick eyebrow, but she turns away from him, blushing ashamedly. He chuckles at her obvious answer, reaches past her ear and pulls a small twig from her wild, dark curls. “Escaped from the palace down the southward side?” he muses, “Ah…we have so much in common already.”

“I am nothing like you,” the magician spat venomously. He raised his hands apologetically, but his grin never faulters. Then, his face turns more serious.

“Do you have anywhere to go?” He sounded concerned, she’s not sure why, though. “Back to the magic shop?” She straightens in her seat, perking up at the sound of home. He raises a cautionary finger, “Ah, but that is the very first place they’ll look.” She’d have to lie low until Arsa got back. “I can still tell you how to get back…”

“You can?” she asked excitedly. He smiled at how eager she was.

“You bet I can” he winked, “But first…” Of course there was a catch, “I’d like to take another look at that document” A painless trade. She willingly handed over the scroll and he spread it flat across the table. Once exposed, the contents steal the smile from his face and he leans over the page, frowning in concentration. “Oof…this light is not for reading. Alright, let’s see here,” he squints at the paper, “Well, it’s a letter, but you knew that. Dear so and so…”

“Dear sister.” Armyah translated. Julian’s eye flicked up to her, mortified.

“You…you can read this?” She couldn’t, but he didn’t need to know that. She just shrugged as if it were no real feat. “Incredible…” he mused, “you know, a cryptographer told me once that it would take years of study to decipher my handwriting and look at you. A natural.” She wasn’t surprised, his penmanship was atrocious. The magician squirms uncomfortable at his praise. The doctor beams, blinks and returns to the letter. “Ahem…Dear sister, I have…much to share since I last wrote.” He was hesitating, like he was struggling to read his own writing. “Winter has come to the palace…these marble floors are so cold…blah blah...” His voice tapers off to a mumble, then he’s quiet. His stormy eye slides carefully over the page. Armyah watches his face for any signs, but his expression doesn’t change. The more he reads, the more he pauses to massage his temples or pinch the bridge of his pointed nose. By the time he’s finished, his already pale complexion looks wistful and drained. He rolls up the paper and hands it back to the fortune-teller, which she takes and stuffs it back into her bag. Absent-mindedly, he reaches for his stein and tosses the rest of his drink down his throat. Armyah shifts in her seat awkwardly, little else to do than just sit there and watch him drink.

“So…you have a sister?” she inquires nervously. Not sure if her question will set him off; so far, he’s seemed like a reasonable man. He coughs while he drinks, sputtering, and he sets down the empty drink.

“I do!” he declared eagerly, “Haven’t seen her since she was ohh…this high?” His hand wavers just above the lip of the table. Suddenly, he whisks their empty cups away and heads to the bar, the magician stares off after him. Her attention was stolen by shrill bickering erupting from the card player’s table. Spectators threw their hands up in the air in disbelief. Her dark eyes flicker back to Julian making quick work at the bar. He smiles at her on the way back until he’s accosted at the card game by a boney claw snatching his wrist. After careful consideration, he leans in and whispers in the haggard woman’s ear and taps on a card in her hand. The card is played, throwing the crowd into chaos. The sly doctor ducked away just before someone tries to douse him with their drink and heads back to his and the magician’s shared table. “You would think I’d know better than to get involved with politics,” he chuckled, setting the respective drinks in front of them. A small smile tugs briefly at the corner of her mouth.

“Looks like you know all the right moves.” He cocks an eyebrow and smiles roguishly as one arm leans on the table, striking a debonair pose. It was easy to talk to him, easy to let your guard down around him. It takes every ounce of Armyah’s effort to remember that this man was dangerous.

“Well, once you make all the wrong ones…” He pushes off the table and slides deftly into the booth across from her. “What can I say?” he takes a swig from his stein which prompts her to take a drink as well, “Some call me clever, but I’m just…practiced in the art of weighing options.” His eye stares into his drink as he dons a more serious, almost mournful expression. “Options like ‘bad’ and ‘worse’. That’s life for you.” He rubs the back of his neck, glancing sidelong at the door, “or maybe I’m just paranoid…Barth, the barkeep, says I’ve got more in common with the raven than anyone else.” His eye snaps back to her face when she doesn’t say anything. She must have looked confused. “The rowdy one? He spends his time scouting for guards. Obsessively, even.” She vaguely remembers the skeletal bird flying in from the streets after them earlier. “He raises hell whenever they come by. Even the sight of the Count’s crest drives him wild.” He laughed half-heartedly, “oddly enough, I don’t think anyone really trained him to be that way.” He looks at the magician for a moment, “though, I supposed we’re all trained to be that way.” There’s sympathy in her dark, doe eyes…or maybe it’s pity. Either way she looks somber and almost like she’s lost. True, she’s unfamiliar with this part of the city, but something behind her eyes felt like she’s missing something, and it makes her melancholy.

CRASH! The raven bursts through a dusty window overhead and loops in the air with a guttural shriek. It beats itself against a string of bells and the tavern erupts into chaos, knowing exactly what it meant; palace guards! Patrons were clawing their way out every door and window, playing cards scattered forgotten on the floor. Armyah and Julian share a brief look of panic and rise swiftly to dive out of the booth. Grabbing her arm, he rushes her to the back door leading into the alley. The night is cold now and thick mist from the canal covers the ground. The doctor casts a frantic glance up and down the alley before pushing the fortune-teller into the shadows, covering her with his large, lanky frame.

“Armyah, listen to me…” Her blush from the proximity faded with the harshness of his voice, “go back up that road.” Her head follows his arm pointing up the street he was referring to. “Take a left, a right, then a sharp right and you’ll reach a round street. It’s long, but it’s a straight shot and it’ll take you as far as the marketplace.” He clasps his gloved hands on each of her shoulders. “You’ll be able to find you way from there, yes?” She nods hurriedly, and he led her to the mouth of the alley. “Up the road, left, right, sharp right, round street. Good luck.” With one last concerned glance at her face he releases her, and she darts up the road. He watches as her small figure disappears into the fog completely before he slinks into the shadows himself to escape.

Oil-slick rats vanish into the gutters and the apartments have their shutters locked. She casts a quick glance back down the ally, but Julian was already gone. The street had fallen silent and still, it was if Armyah was the only living thing in sight. Left…then right. Spectral alley cats scatter to the shadows as she whipped past them. The stone path is broken and winding, narrower and narrower until she reaches a very sharp right. A round, open street. This must’ve been the one the doctor was referring to. She slows her pace to a jog, heaving with exhaustion and her mind racing. She had always been wary of the palace guards, but she had never outright feared them. Even if this road did take her to the shop, even if she wasn’t spotted along the way, there was a good chance she would find them waiting there for her. Should she turn back? Should she try to find Julian? She wasn’t watching her footing lost in her thoughts, she trips over a vagrant’s knees and falls hard. She almost just jumps up and keeps on running, but their uniform causes her breath to catch in the throat; it was a stark white rabbit. She couldn’t believe it and by the look on the guard’s face, they don’t believe it either. How did they find her so soon? However, judging by the fact he was on the ground he wasn’t looking for her…he was hiding from her. Across the street, the ornate door to a carriage swings open and a dumbfounded Portia stares in disbelief at the pair tangled in a heap of limbs on the cobblestone.

“By the Gods…” she breathes. The Countess peeks her head out of the carriage and her ruby eyes go wide.

“Armyah?” she blinks rapidly, “Where on earth did you come from?” Portia points in the direction in which the magician came while Armyah and the guard unravel themselves from each other. “Uncanny…why, we only just arrived,” the Countess explained, “I agonized over choosing the right spot to hide and we finally settled on this one.” She turns to the rabbit guard, “Ludo, take the reins. We will be returning early.” The guard shuffled to the driver’s seat, still eyeing the fortune-teller in wonder and Portia hustles her inside. The interior was elaborately decorated with gold and white filigree and the seats were a luxurious red velvet. She settles tentatively into the plush seat; the Countess was eyeing her with delight. “It is extraordinarily rare that anyone should exceed my expectations, Armyah.” The magician’s face glows red with a mixture of embarrassment from the praise and anger as she remembers why she was there in the first place: The Countess’s little “test”. “I apologize for what must have been a tedious trial to a magician of your prowess.” She pulls a silken pouch from her waist and passes it graciously to the younger woman. Her heartbeat beats at a hummingbird’s pace as she pulled the drawstring. The silk falls away to reveal an oxen figure…the Emperor card. She can almost feel the deck at the bottom of her bag react to its return. “I can only wonder...if you are the apprentice, then how proud the master must be.” The Countess’s knowing smile makes the magician fidget. Though she had won the game, it was she who was being eyed as if she were the prize. Staring down at the Emperor, she can’t help but feel as if he and the other Arcana were making a joke out of her. “Do take this time to rest, Armyah,” the Countess places an elegant hand on the fortune-teller’s knee, exposed by the length of the lent dress, “it will be a while before we arrive, and a feast will be waiting for you.” The magician’s stomach twists with the very thought of food, “and a bath, if you will agree to it.” Armyah looked down, her palms and shins were filthy from falling over the rabbit guard. She nodded absent-mindedly and looked out of the window to the misty night as the carriage lurches into action, the sharp sound of hoofbeats echoing. She was a fool to think she could leave so easily, she must’ve been there for a reason. It was either sheer dumb luck or divine intervention that caused her to trip over the very person she should have been looking for just as the Countess’s carriage was mere feet away. She was almost naïve enough to say it was destiny that brought her to his point, to be the Countess’s private investigator to bring her husband’s murderer to justice.

The murderer…her thoughts shift to Doctor Devorak. To Julian. She tried to deny it, but a part of her hoped that he had got away safely. It was awfully kind of him to give her directions on how to get back to the shop, especially when he knew she came from the palace originally. He certainly didn’t look like a murderer. Then again, what do murderers really look like? Do they typically have charming smiles and eyes that gleam with mischief? Or have billowing shirts opened past their navel, hair the same color as on their heads speckled across their chest and all the way down…Armyah blinked rapidly, flushing and shaking the intrusive thought away. Realizing where they were, the white monolith loomed over the carriage as they approached. The Countess was turned toward the window with a serene smile and Portia was picking at her nails in comfortable silence. They arrive at the massive door to the palace and a host of servants sweep the magician away as soon as she steps off the coach. Tightly flanked on both sides, she was led through the halls and past her guest quarters and to a bathing hall. A servant moves to remove her dress.

“No!” Armyah exclaimed. All hustling freezes and a half dozen eyes stare at the magician who shifts anxiously, “I’ll do it…thank you.” A moment’s hesitation, but the servants bow politely and leave her to her bath. She disrobes and pads over to the large marble tub. Like everything else in the palace, the bath chamber was beautiful and ornate. The steam from the perfumed water seemed to beckon her closer and she gave in. With an almost sinful groan, the magician sunk into the pool and let the day’s tension and filth melt away. She is caught off guard by the sound of someone clearing their throat. Forgetting herself, she stands and whips around to the intruder. Portia was leaning casually against the doorway with a bundle of lavender fabric.

“Milady is waiting for you in the dining room, she’d like if you would wear this.” She set the new outfit on a tiled bench against the far wall and threw the other girl a cheeky smile. Then it fell. “Oh Armyah…” she whispered pitifully, “what happened?” The magician glanced down and noticed her breasts were exposed and with them, her scars. She quickly sinks back into the water self-consciously.

“It’s nothing…” she mumbles. Taking the hint, Portia simply nods and slips out of the room, leaving Armyah to her thoughts and the softly sloshing water. She reaches for the oils lined on the edge of the tub. Choosing the one scented with rose water, she uncorks the vial and pours a generous amount into her palm and washes her hair and body thoroughly. Satisfied with her bath, she exits the pool and crosses the luxurious bathroom, leaving a small river in her wake, to the bench Portia left the garments on. She wraps the beautiful silk robe around her petite frame and the gown falls to her ankles. She ties her mass of dark curls into a knot of the top of her head and steps into the beaded white slippers that were left for her as well. When she exits the bath chamber, Portia is waiting outside, fingers tapping awkwardly against the wall. Armyah doesn’t look at her.

“Soooo…” Portia searches for something to say to ease the tension, “you look a little trip into town today, huh?” She winks at the magician, “meet up with anybody special?” Armyah turns away, blushing at the insinuation, causing Portia to snort with laughter. She claps a hand on the fortune-teller’s back and leads her briskly toward the dining hall. “Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me.” If Portia only knew the secret she was keeping, she may be less inclined to keep it to herself. The grand doors of the dining room swing open to reveal an expensive feast, piled high upon the long table. She’s immediately overwhelmed by the sumptuous smells of Vesuvian spices before her.

“Why, if it isn’t my champion of the hour, fresh from the bath,” the Countess was already seated at the head of the table. A servant seats Armyah in her usual seat and fills the goblet in front of her with a pale rose beverage. The Countess raises her already full glass to toast, “to Armyah, whose talents have exceeded my highest expectations.” Armyah was still a little miffed about the game, but right now she was just looking forward to digging into delicious food. “Let us be strangers no longer and may this be the beginning of a valuable friendship.” The magician flushed, no one said anything about friends. She thought she was only here to catch the Counts murderer. ‘Alleged murderer,’ she reminded herself. “I look forward to a long and fruitful partnership with you. I’m sure you will not disappoint.” Her ruby eyes gleam and she drains her cup in on swift motion, setting it down gently once she’s done. Armyah takes a sip, the delicate floral taste reminds her of the Countess’s perfume. “Tomorrow, we will dine together with my courtiers. They are most eager to make your acquaintance.” The magician gulped, having to impress people is definitely not her specialty. “I have no doubt they will find you absolutely charming. They will want to know everything about you but choose wisely what you wish to tell.” Also not one of Armyah’s strong suits, she has a habit of not thinking before she speaks when she’s nervous. “I am also going to be telling them the news of the Masquerade, I know they’ll be excited.” The magician only nodded as she chewed her food, the ways of the court were foreign to her. Thankfully, the Countess with be with her; she trusted the woman to not allow her to be too much of an embarrassment. “Portia and a retinue of our loudest servants will be going to town tomorrow to make the announcement. She has asked that you go with them.” She looks to the servant who only winks in response. “We must ensure there is a sufficient audience for our final spectacle,” the Countess’s wicked grin is unnerving, “When the doctor hangs, he will hang for all to see.” Armyah immediately thinks of Julian, bathed in the warm, welcoming light of the tavern, swinging from the gallows. Her heart grows cold at the image, but she is careful not to let it show on her face. The Countess waves her graceful hand dismissively.

“But these are tomorrow’s matters,” she smiles brightly at the magician, “tonight, Armyah, I have questions.”

“Questions?” she asked apprehensively. She’s startled by the sudden attention; the Countess was watching her so carefully.

“Yes, I wish to become more familiar with you if we are to be working so closely.” Now she remembers the toast to their “friendship”, but she never expected the Countess to have any interest in who she was. Frankly, Armyah doesn’t know much about herself aside from the last three years. However, the Countess asked simple questions: How was she enjoying the city, her daily goings on, her favorite thing to eat. The anxious magician only provides one-word answers and doesn’t ask anything in return. She isn’t sure if the Countess could tell she was nervous, but she didn’t elude to it if she did. “You are a woman of few words, Armyah. Are you tired? Or perhaps shy?” The fortune-teller’s face tinged red. “No worries. Portia, please escort our friend here to her chambers.” Servants whisked away her empty plate and Portia was at her side in an instant. “I do hope you have a pleasant evening, Armyah.” The Countess leaves with one last wry smile.

“Well, that was an eventful day, huh?” Portia laughed warmly, “Come on, I’ll walk you back to your room.” Armyah nods gratefully and follows after the servant’s brisk footsteps. The hallway is void of any life besides the magician and her escort. Their footsteps echo as they walk side by side. “Things are a lot more interesting around here since you showed up,” Portia said, smiling, “Did you see the look on Ludo’s face when we found you both on the ground?” She talks about the guards as if they’re old friends. Possibly she knows all the servants at the palace well.

“Do you spend a lot of time with the other servants?”

“We work together pretty closely,” she nodded, “it’s my job to know who and what’s happening in the palace.” Portia winks conspiratorially at Armyah as they arrive at the door to the guest room. It seemed as if the staff came during the day to tidy up and placed a fresh pitcher of water on the desk. Incense burned by the window, the hazy swirls of wood and spice made her a bit homesick; Asra always burned incense at the shop. Portia looked as if she was dying to ask the magician a question, but she hesitates. She smoothed a paper on the desk and Armyah recognized it as the ones she took from Julian’s desk in the library.

“You looked concerned…” she urges.

“Who me?” Portia tries to play off her apprehension before sighing in defeat. “It’s just…I don’t know. There are other suspects, right?” She wrung her hands nervously, “sure, many people loved the Count, but, between you and me, I think he had a lot of enemies too.”

“Enemies? Like who?” Armyah couldn’t imagine anyone speaking out openly against the Count. Portia shakes her head and runs her hands down her skirt.

“I wasn’t employed at the palace when it happened,” she explained, “I’ve only heard rumors of what went on that night. Just…” She pauses as if she’s not sure how to continue, “keep your eyes peeled for anything suspicious, alright?” Smiling slyly, Portia leans in toward the fortune-teller, her voice low, “you know…if you’re not too tired yet, I could show you around the palace. There’s a lot of interesting things on the palace grounds and maybe I could show you some secrets?” Her smile is teasing, but her eyes are genuine.

“Show me the secrets,” Armyah couldn’t help but giggle, it felt as if she were sneaking out past curfew.

“I knew there was something I liked about you,” Portia linked her arm around the magicians, “I can tell we’re going to be great friends.” Armyah liked the sound of that, the thought didn’t leave a bad taste in her mouth like when the Countess said it. “Oh, where do we want to start? There’s the mulch pile, the Freaky Foyer, the servant’s quarters…” Portia tapped her chin in thought until her face lights up. “Oh, I know! Come on, I’ll show you the really good stuff!” She led the fortune-teller down the hall with a bounce in her step. “You’ve already seen most of the palace itself,” she pushes open some swinging doors and leads the pair into a vast kitchen. A person in a flour-dusted apron lifted their head and smiled at the sight of their fellow servant.

“Portia! Still one duty for the night?” they asked while waving cheerfully.

“Not exactly,” she replied, “I’m just showing Armyah around the place!” The chef tossed her a roll from across the counter and she caught it without looking, she turned to the magician, “This is the kitchens. If you ever find yourself hungry at midnight, the door’s always open. Just make sure you don’t ruin Hestion’s breakfast prep.” She pockets another roll with a wink and slides one to Armyah while the chef isn’t looking, “I’m not responsible for any harm that might befall you.” They exit the kitchen and Portia leads them down a small hall to a painting of the two white hounds. A pile of pomegranates spilt out at their feet, “This is a secret passage I like to use to get to the veranda. It saves a lot of time when you’re in a hurry.” She grips the edge of the frame and swings it open, revealing a hidden archway. The servant glances over her shoulder at the other woman, “think you could help us out with a little light?” Smiling, Armyah focused her magic as an orb of warm light materialized from her fingertips and float around them like fireflies. Portia’s blue eyes are alight with wonder, “wooooow…would you look at that? You’re pretty good at this magic stuff.” They pass through the arch into a larger dusty passage. The walls were lined with paintings of various animals, all pure white with glinting ruby eyes. Armyah shivers involuntarily; the eyes looked as if they were following the duo, watching them. “This used to be the Counts ‘Menagerie Gallery’, but no one goes in here anymore. They say there’s a ghost wandering these halls. Some say a voice will call out your name as you’re walking by and if you follow it you’ll never be seen again!” Armyah looked to the girl dubiously making the servant laugh, “Servants are always popping up after shirking their duties like ‘Ooooh! The Gallery Ghost got me!” She places her hands on her hip to imitate annoyance, “and then I’m like ‘okay, but if you’re never seen again then how come I’m seeing you?” The magician laughs heartily at Portia’s story, “Turns out they fell asleep in the larder and wanted to blame the ghost.” She led Armyah to the veranda where dozens of servants were hanging out, socializing after a long day’s work. Portia greeted every single one by name as they passed, she really did know everyone. Portia led her down the stairs to the garden, the very steps she had run down earlier that day after the two costumed guards.

“Sometimes, when I’m not working, I like to explore around here,” Portia tittered excitedly, “Never know what you might find.” She points off to a small mound in the distance, “if you go to that little hill over there, you can get a real good look at the stars.” She smiles brightly at the magician. “Especially on clear nights like this.” They entered the maze that lead to the fountain that Armyah had stumbled upon her first night at the palace. Portia walk briskly and with confidence, obviously well acquainted with the winding paths. “I know it’s getting pretty late, but I’ve got one last stop before the end of the tour,” she winked and grinned mischievously…her smile looked almost familiar. “I think you’re really going to like it,” the servant takes the fortune-teller’s hand and leads her through the twisting hedges to a crumbling old arch, the very same arch she had encountered in the maze while chasing the guard earlier that day. The door was still there, but it was even less visible in the dark. Armyah could feel a faint whisper of magic licking at her skin, beckoning her closer to the arch. She took a hesitant, involuntary step toward it. Reaching out to the swirling wisps of magical energy. Her hand passes through the arch, but it disappears into nothingness. Snapping her outstretched arm back and clutching the formerly gone hand to her chest. She looks bewilderedly at the woman next to who only laughs. “You want to go through?” The magician looks skeptically back at the portal and nods slowly. Portia, still giggling, takes her by the hand and pulls her through the archway. In an instant, they are no longer in the garden, but in a brightly lit hallway inside the palace. They can hear the faint chatting of servants in the distance. “Isn’t that amazing?” Portia gripped Armyah in excitement, “I bet there are portals like this all over the palace that lead to lots of different places on one’s seen!” Her smile is contagious, the fortune-teller couldn’t help but grin back at her friend. “This palace has a lot of secrets…” the servant took her hand once again and pulled her down the hall. She was walking backwards so she was still facing Armyah. “Maybe you can help me find more,” she winked, “I bet a great magician like you would have no problem finding them all.” She turned back around, still leading her friend by the hand. “But I’ve kept you long enough. We’ve got an early morning tomorrow.” Armyah groaned at the thought of waking up at sunrise again causing Portia to laugh. She led the magician back to the guest room and paused just inside the door. “Thanks for coming with me, Armyah,” she smiles warmly, “I’m really excited you’re here. I think we’ll have a lot of fun together.” She pulls Armyah into a tight hug, her arms are strong. It catches her off guard, but she returns the gesture. “Sorry,” Portia chuckled, letting her go, “I’m a hugger.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Arymah smiles back, “I don’t mind.” She wouldn’t say she was a “hugger” as well, but physical contact doesn’t bother her. She was happy that Portia and she were good enough friends to be able to offer the affection. The servant bid her good night and turned to leave.

“Oh! I almost forgot!” Portia whipped back to the magician, “Milady would like you to join us into town tomorrow for the announcement.” ‘Announcement?’ Then, Armyah remembered the Masquerade. They would be going to the town square to publicize the return on the beloved festival. Waving their goodbyes, Portia shut the large door behind her to leave the other girl alone in the empty room with her thoughts. With a heavy sigh, she kicked off the beaded slippers and let down her still-wet hair. She looked toward the nightdress she had brought herself and considered changing, but she definitely favored the silken robe given to her. Crawling under the plush duvet and snuggled into the comfortable bedding. It didn’t take long for her to fall asleep, she was exhausted from running around all night. She drifted off with images of a certain red-headed doctor behind her eyelids.

Next chapter will be out a lot sooner that this one was. Let me know how I’m doing!

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@julians-chest-hair

[sueboohscorner]

#AgentsofShield Season 6 Episode 10 "Leap" Recap and Review

Evil Coulson’s body is on a stretcher because he’s, remarkably, not dead.

May confesses to shooting him because it had to be done and she’s put in containment. May and Daisy talk. Daisy is extremely confused, and May is weirdly cryptic.

Mack is going to look at the security footage. Him and Yo-Yo don’t get it either. Neither does Piper.

Evil Coulson not only has a pulse, he’s getting stronger. He’s lost almost all of his blood and he’s going to wake up. Right now he’s in a memory?

Daisy, Yo-Yo, and Piper talk. May doesn’t like guns, so why would she shoot Evil Coulson? If she really wanted to kill him, she would have beaten him to death. Slowly. Shooting an unarmed man that they have in custody really isn’t her style. Piper is going to check May’s quarters for anything out of order. Yo-Yo is going to talk to May.

Now May claims to have no idea what’s going on. She doesn’t remember shooting Evil Coulson and she doesn’t remember how she got in the holding cell.

Fitz and Deke talk. Evil Coulson’s body is being moved to the morgue. Fitz is trying to piece it all together. How are Coulson, the monoliths, Izel, and Evil Coulson connected? Piper then comes in and asks them about May. She takes one of the Shrike crystals on the way out.

May remembers wanting to go to sleep, but she doesn’t remember ever getting to her quarters. She does remember seeing Davis in the hallway.

Daisy sees blood. It’s from where Piper shot a redshirt earlier.

Simmons called for Mack. Evil Coulson’s wounds have healed completely, and his vitals are getting stronger. Mack wants to post a guard outside, but Simmons doesn’t think that’s a good idea.

Daisy and Yo-Yo find Davis. The first thing he remembers after blacking out is May being sweet. Something is definitely wrong.

Deke finds Piper. She put the Shrike crystal in water. When he notices, Izel transfers herself to Deke? It looks like an astral projection or something. Deke then tells Piper to go get some rest.

Daisy and Yo-Yo tell Mack about Izel.

Izel Deke needs clearance to get through a door, clearance that only the director has.

Mack locks down the Lighthouse and lets May out. They need a strategy for finding Izel. She doesn’t have access to memories, so everyone has to share a secret that one other person can confirm. Yo-Yo goes first. She talks about home and May confirms it. Daisy sends money to Lincoln’s sister. Mack locks up Daisy and Yo-Yo, so that Izel can’t use them. Davis stole a space pen.

Piper comes in and accuses Deke of being Izel. He counter-accuses her. Mack notices that Fitz has been very quiet. Izel comes out of Fitz and threatens them. Give her what she wants, or someone will get hurt. She goes into Piper and then Deke. Mack starts choking Deke, trying to convince her to come out. She goes into Mack and continues choking Deke. She goes out of Mack and he lets go of Deke. She then goes into Piper and makes Piper shoot her hand. Mack commands Davis to shoot, but he can’t. Izel makes her way up to Davis, almost shoots Fitz and comes out of Davis just as he jumps off a ledge. Poor Davis. He lasted longer than expected. She goes into Mack, puts a gun to his head, and walks out.

Evil Coulson is in a memory, but it’s fuzzy. He wakes up and doesn’t where he is. He figures out where he is and what’s happening with Izel. He wants out, but he’s not going anywhere.

Daisy quakes the window after Izel Mack leaves. May gets on the radio and tells everyone to be on the lookout for Mack. She then motions for Fitz. All the monoliths were destroyed, but the energy still exists. The uncontained energy is contained in the gravitonium device that they used to seal the rift. What if what they experienced last year wasn’t a fear dimension? What if the third monolith had the power to create things? What if the three energies combined to create another Coulson in another time and another place?

Evil Coulson gets out of one restraint.

Izel has Mack cuff himself to the wall and knock himself out. She then finds the gravitonium sphere that contains the energy of the three monoliths. Evil Coulson walks in and shoots her. Multiple times. It doesn’t do much good. She wants him to join her. He shoots her again. She says that they are intertwined. The memories he has are not his memories. They’re Coulson’s memories. He never had a family. Where they are both from is a formless place. Once he took form, he took on his hosts memories and she followed him. She wants to give form to the rest of their kind: the Shrike. His real name is Packachutiq, which from what I can find is either an Incan emperor or the end of everything. He doesn’t believe her. He still wants to stop her. She says that the only thing that can stop her is inside him, but he’s too afraid to use it.

While this is happening, Daisy and Yo-Yo save Mack. Izel gets inside Yo-Yo. She’s happy with her new host and now she’s leaving. She’s commandeering the Quinjet. Mack insists on coming with her.

Davis is put in a body bag and taken away.

Simmons wakes up after being presumably knocked out.

Evil Coulson is taken away.

Fitz has a theory as they watch the security footage of Izel and Evil Coulson. Ghost Rider could have also come from a realm of noncorporeal beings. He’s the only thing close to this that they have encountered before. Hell would definitely line up with a place of darkness and pain.

So I’m torn between the fact that there is a serious William/Thomas Riker situation going on here and the fact that Evil Coulson may actually be a South American demon. Wow. I’m fascinated to see how this pans out, but I may need salt, holy water, and a much greater understanding of South American mythology. 8/10.

[agent-myj]

Broken Boundaries

“And that’s me, I love you.”

He could only stand there, not sure if he heard right. He stared at her eyes shimmering with tears and thought he saw his shocked expression reflecting off of them. He had been waiting for those words for the past twenty years. He even planned the perfect response that he buried deep within him, locked in his heart.

Now is his chance, yet he stood completely paralyzed. His throat was dry and words clogged themselves up his upper respiratory tract. He couldn’t breathe, no oxygen was going through to his brain, so he could only stand there. He decided for now, he would just look into her beautiful eyes and hope that she understands.

He wasn’t sure if she saw what she wanted to see. She was too quick for him to read her emotions. She held his gaze and glared at him.

“I thought that would shut you up.”

Before he knew it, she had furiously walked past him, disappearing down the hallway. Her heels clicked angrily as she walked away. He knew he should have said something, anything. He could have grabbed her arm, spun her around and kissed her, but he did none of those things. He’s an idiot it seems, and he mentally cursed himself for it. His right hand still hang in mid air, almost perfectly flat as if offering something. He did have a lot of offer, but instead he gave her nothing but the silence.He let his hand fall to the side again, clearly frustrated at himself while trying to make sense of the situation all at once. He swallowed hard, this was not easy. 

The boundaries that kept them apart had been broken. Or was it always broken? Who knew how many times they’ve crossed the line while being completely oblivious? Each time they did it, they denied it. It seems like that was the kind of game they played. The more they crossed, the more it blurred. Melinda’s words just wiped away the remains of the dividing line altogether. So why is it that he feels trapped by an invisible line?

Oh, right. Because he’s dying. He’s dying and he can’t control it. He already made peace with it, but here she was, the woman of his dreams, confessing his love to him. She’d given him a reason to live, and he is suddenly afraid of the prospect of dying. Nostalgia is just fine, but he has to deal with reality. The reality is that he’s dying and if they take things too far it will only end up hurting her in the end.

He doesn’t run after her, because he doesn’t know what to say. He wish he could say it back, make it official, and cherish every last minute with her. But that’s not how the universe works. He has seen what happened to Fitzsimmons; every time they took a step further, the universe will split them apart. He has a strange feeling that he and May will have the same fate. Especially when his own clock was counting down.

He turned and went down the other direction, each step took him further away from her. He didn’t know where he was going, he just hoped it led somewhere.

“Coulson.”

He turned at the sound of Daisy’s voice. She looked slightly unimpressed as she folded her arms in front of him and tilted her head up. 

“What happened with May?” She demanded.

“We..um.. we were talking about what to do with Fitzsimmons and Yoyo when they get back, we can’t let them think-“

“Uh-huh, and May would be furious after talking about this because?” She raised an eyebrow at him, clearly not believing his answer.

Coulson took a deep breath and regained his composure, he wasn’t ready to talk about this yet, but it seems like there’s no escape.

“We talked about you, and .... my so-called reckless decisions.” He couldn’t tell her about the confession yet.

“There it is. That sounds more like it. Speaking of which, why did you give yourself up to Hale?”

“Daisy, I really can’t have the conversation again.”

She looked at him for a few seconds, as if searching for something on his face. She decided it was best to not push the matter further. She nodded and let her arms fall back to her sides.

“Anyways, I’m glad you are back. I’m here to give you your job back.” She informed him.

“You are our leader now, you know one day you will have to-“

“I won’t have to, because we will find a way to save you, one way or another. Sure, you made peace with death, but we haven’t Coulson!” Tears prickled at the corner of her eyes, threatening to spill.

“Daisy-“

“Someone is suffering more than you are, we are all devastated, but I know someone that would be completely destroyed if you had died. And that’s May, you and I both now that she lo-”

Phil cut her off before she could say the word again. He didn’t think he could handle it a second time. 

“I don’t want to hurt her, I don’t want to hurt any of you.” He tried to say the words as calmly as he can, but his shaking bottom lip betrayed him.

“You’re wrong, not telling her would hurt her more. You are our leader, and always will be. I’m not ready to carry on your legacy just yet, so I need you to be alive...Sir.” She looked up at him with tear filled eyes again, but this time, she quickly wiped them away with a swipe of her hand.

“Do you want your job back or not.” She asked when he hasn’t accepted or turned down her offer.

“No.” He finally shook his head. “Daisy I can’t-”

“Fine.” She tightened her jaw and prepared to say the next words as evenly as she can.

“But you have to talk to May. I know how much you mean to each other. She deserves to hear those three words from you. You too have been dancing around it for too long.” 

This is exactly what he had been avoiding. He knew one way or another he was going to have to talk to May. But he can’t, there’s too much on the line.

“I don’t think I - “

“That’s an order. You wanted me to be the leader. To inspire, empower, bring people together and protect humanity in the name of Shield. What better way to start than to bring two top bad-ass agents together?” She swore she almost saw Coulson smile at that last sentence. 

“I don’t even know where she went, Daisy.” He admitted defeat. She is starting to sound like Director Johnson already.

“She went that way,” She nodded in the opposite direction. “We’ll find her, but after that you are to go in alone. I’m coming only because I don’t want you backing out last minute.” 

She turned around and started walking forwards, but no footsteps were echoing her own. 

“You know, with all due respect sir, I have no problem quaking you to that wall.”

He shook his head with a sigh and began following her. He still had no idea what he would say to May. He doesn’t think that words are enough. 

“I’m starting to want my job back.” He said once they turned the corner that lead to another maze of hallways.

“Good.” Daisy nodded at him.

Once they reached May’s bunk, Coulson took a deep breath and knocked a few times. As he waited for the door to open, or at least a response. He sent a glare in Daisy’s direction for putting him in this situation.

However, there was no answer, not even a “Go away, Coulson.” He tried the door and it opened easily. There was no Melinda May in sight. He wasn’t sure if he was relieved or disappointed that they haven’t found her. 

“Well I guess she’s not he-.” He tried to turn and walk away when Daisy’s hand flew to his shoulder and spun him around.

“What about yours?” 

“What makes you think she’s in my bunk?” Coulson raised his eyebrows at her questioningly.

“It’s worth a try, and I’m not leaving until we find her.” She shrugged and crossed her arms again. 

They did find her shortly after. When she had opened the door, she was expressionless and turned her back on them almost immediately. She left the door open for him though and Phil took that as an invitation. He cast a short glance at Daisy who nodded toward the door.

“Go on, my job is done. I brought you here, what happens next is up to you. This first step towards the future depends on you two. Shield is nothing without you, and I’m sure May thinks the same.” She said genuinely. 

“Thanks Daisy.” Despite everything, Daisy was right, they needed this conversation.

She flashed him a smile before mouthing a silent “Good luck” before walking back down the hallway. He focused his attention back to May, who now sat at the edge of his bed with her head in her hands. 

“Why-”

“I knew you would try to run from this Phil, you always did. I didn’t ask Daisy to talk to you, I wouldn’t be here if I did.” Her voice was slightly muffled but he managed to make out the words. She still didn’t look up, her hands never leaving her face.

“I know,” Phil nodded. May wasn’t the type to ask others for help, never mind help for...whatever this is. 

 “Listen Melinda, I’m...I’m sorry.”

He thought that was a good way to start. He wasn’t sure anything else would be a plausible option, considering she was furious just moments ago. He’s going down a safe path, or so he thought.

“I’m tired of hearing those words Phil.” Her hands finally left her face, she looked at him through a thin fog of tears. “I’ve never hated those words more.” 

This wasn’t how its supposed to go. Phil really wished he would go unconscious right about now. He closely examined her face; she looked beautiful as always, but there were visible streaks of dried tears and more were welling up in her eyes. His heart hurt a little from seeing her like this, yet he could do nothing about it. She saw that he had no more words left, so she spoke instead.

“I’ve heard them my whole life Phil, from you, from my co-workers, from...from,” She was choking up now, not sure if she could say it out loud. 

“From Hill, when she informed me you were dead. I regretted not telling you how much you meant to me. I was supposed to be your partner, I was supposed to be there. I even remember you trying to convince me one last time and I had said those words.”

 He came into her cubicle with a huge smile on his face. He was almost sure that he could finally convince her on going back out in the field again. 

“Melinda.” He spoke softly, trying not to break her bubble. After Bahrain, he learned to give her time and space. Not far enough to lose sight of her, but far enough so she doesn’t feel suffocated. 

She looked up almost immediately, her lips quirking up just a bit. He knew she was happy to see him, but didn’t bring it up because she would just deny it. 

“Guess what?” 

“What?” 

“I’m finally going to meet Captain America!” He told her excitedly, “The Avengers will be there too.” 

“Congrats, Phil.” 

“You are coming with me. You have to. This is the biggest moment of our lives, only the best of the best get opportunities like this.” 

She stopped what she was doing and swiveled her chair around to face him.

“I’m not one for combat Phil, not anymore, I’m sorry, but I’m happy for you. Say hi to Thor for me, if you meet him.” 

She never knew those two words would cost her, big time.

He looked defeated for a moment, he was really looking forward to working with her again. He also respected her space though, she has been through a lot. He’ll just have to keep trying. 

“Someday.” He said determinedly.

“I know you are in there somewhere. Maybe you’ll go on the next one with me when I tell you how much fun I had with...Thor. You are missing out Melinda.” 

“I’m sure you will, good luck Phil, and...stay safe.” She met his gaze at those last words. For a second she thought saw affection in his eyes, but quickly dismissed those thoughts when she looked away.

“I’ll try,” He offered with a tilt of his head, because there were no guarantees. “I still miss you in the field.” 

Before she could say anything, he was summoned by Fury and that was the last time they saw each other. 

She knew the battle of New York would cost lives. She didn’t doubt that Coulson would make it out alive though. They had the Avengers, and they could watch his back probably much better than she could. Surely, she had nothing to worry about....right?

Hill had contacted her just after the battle went down. 

“I’m so sorry May,” She said, voice thick with emotion. Melinda could tell she was trying not to cry. 

“What happened?” May’s voice was full of worry. When Maria calls, its never good news, especially after a mission.

“Coulson is dead.” 

She felt her head spinning, as if someone is rotating her swivel chair like crazy. Her vision began to blur and impossibly high frequencies filled her ears. Her breath hitched in her throat and her heart was no longer beating. She hadn’t even noticed that Hill was still talking. She tried not to focus on the darkness swallowing her whole. Coulson was the light at the end of her tunnel. Now that he wasn’t here to guide her, she was lost forever. 

“Melinda, you know that wasn’t your fau-” 

“But it was, if I was there I would have had your back. I’ve got you now, and I won’t give up so easily.” She said through gritted teeth. 

“But death is inevitable I-” 

“I’m NOT burying you again, Philip J Coulson.” She raised her voice at him. This conversation was definitely going south. 

“You didn’t know what it was like, Coulson. I stood there hours after everyone had left. I was still in denial, I still believed you weren’t dead. Because was so much I haven’t said to you, I haven’t even said - “

“I love you.”

“Yes, those were the words.” 

“No Melinda, I love you.” He confessed. It felt amazing to finally say it, he figured it would have saved him the trouble if he had started with those. 

He searched her face for any hints of emotion, but had found none.  He wondered if he had said he wrong thing again before she broke into a fit of laughter.

“I got you didn’t I?” 

“Well not really since you confessed firs-” 

“Shut up, Phil.” She said it in a softer tone this time, her hazel eyes coming up to meet his ocean blue ones. 

Before he knew what was happening, she had closed the distance between them. Their lips molded together like puzzle pieces assembling themselves together to create a picture with an untold story. It was passionate, electrifying and twenty years worth of pent up desire mixed into one. Dying can wait, because he just found something to live for again. 

[theclaravoyant]

So I've actually been wanting a post s3 finale where Daisy is breaking down? Like it always bothers me that no one goes over to her? They just flash forward? D: could you write one like that..?

AN ~ I know! It bothered me a little too, the poor girl. This ended up being a bit short, but I thought it rounded off well where I left it. I hope you like it.

Rated T. Main relationship: Platonic Skimmons with ref. to Static QuakeContent warning: Daisy’s intense guilt, & a slightly gorey discussion.Angst, with some h/c, but mostly angst.

Read on AO3

-

The sound and the sight of Daisy collapsing was like the death of a star; distant, somehow, for all its destruction. May and Coulson looked at each other, and Fitz and Jemma looked at each other, hearts clenched with the memories of when they had each last stood at the edge of this void; the grief unspeakable; the pain unreal. Daisy howled in agony, her voice choked and shredded by tears, and her mourning swept over the others like stormy waters, threatening to drown them if they broke from their bubbles of bitter comfort, of knowing that they had not quite been there yet.

Of course, the sound of their best friend in pain was enough to make them want to, need to reach out and save her from those same waters, and so it was that Jemma hesitantly knelt by Daisy. Afraid of her own feelings, and afraid of Daisy lashing out, Jemma nevertheless stepped as close to the edge of the void as she could manage, and reached out a hand, and rested it on Daisy’s shoulder.

Daisy howled again, but when Jemma did not leave, put one of her own hands over Jemma’s as if holding it there would soothe the pain. She was curled up against the counter, and her other hand clenched in a fist, and it was with tearful rage that she demanded:

“What’s going to happen to him? Tell me.”

Jemma glanced up at Fitz, whose eyes begged her not. Death in space was a gruesome affair and not something Daisy deserved put on her conscience.

“Daisy,” Jemma said, as soothingly as possible. “I really don’t think-“

She should have just lied.

“TELL ME!” Daisy demanded, and the walls shook around them. “TELL ME. AND DON’T LIE TO MAKE ME FEEL BETTER BECAUSE I’LL KNOW.”  

Jemma felt her arm shake too, and almost snatched it away for fear of breaking it, except that Daisy calmed down again a little after that, breathing heavily and shaking herself instead.

“Daisy, stop,” Jemma begged, trying to still her. “I’ll tell you. It’s just – it’s a nasty way to go, that’s all. I didn’t want to hurt you.”

The soul-sucking hollowness of the eyes that looked back at her in that moment, were the eyes of someone who wanted to be hurt. Who thought she deserved the pain. Jemma felt a lance through her own chest and more tears started falling from her eyes, hot and stinging.

“Don’t lie to me,” Daisy whispered, somehow commanding in all her grief. “If you do I’ll just look it up for myself.”

Jemma’s eyes dropped. Hard as it was, her decision was already made. And she knew that she would appreciate the truth in such a situation. She glanced at Fitz again. Yes. She’d want the truth. She took a deep breath.

“I don’t know exactly,” she confessed, and maybe this way she could curb the worst of it without lying. “But once exposed to the vacuum of space he would, um… well, he’d be unconscious after about fifteen seconds…”

“But what would happen?” Daisy pressed. Jemma squeezed her shoulder, and she squeezed back, fearing at the same time as relishing the pain that was about to come her way.

“The difference in pressure would cause the lungs to expand and tear,” Jemma explained reluctantly, “and the fluid exposed to the elements – sweat and the like - would boil. But in the end…asphyxiation, after about ninety seconds. Then it would be over.”

Daisy nodded, over and over, and the strength and the rage flushed out of her and her hand dropped from Jemma’s and she curled up more and wept, almost soundlessly. Jemma readjusted her position, coming to sit beside Daisy and pressing the sides of their bodies together. Daisy’s shoulders were not so racked with sobs anymore, just shaking occasionally as the grief bled out of her. Jemma wrapped her arms around Daisy as best she could, and it was here, prepared for the long haul, that she remembered. She remembered that she still had Lincoln’s blood on her clothes, and she remembered Lincoln’s smile and the lively debates they’d had, and she remembered the snippets she’d learned of what Lincoln had been through and what he had wanted and all the lost possibility that Daisy was mourning, on top of the love for the person she had known. It was suffocating – almost unbearable – and it made Jemma all the more determined not to let go of Daisy. She’d sit right here for days, if she had to, she promised them both.

And, though at times more figurative than literal, that's exactly what she did until it was Daisy, instead, who pulled away.

[jamiedc-they-them]

Sibling Duty Part 2.5 (Platonic)

Requested Imagine - “I know you're vibing with your Sibling Duty series but I've imprinted on Bobbi acting like a mother hen/big sister and would adore some more of that with the reader? Not sure when to set it besides before they left the show though, only if you're up to it, of course! Love your work a lot!”

AN/ Hope it’s ok that I made it tie into the series :) I apologise if it wasn’t what you wanted. But I hope you like it!

To be honest, maybe running away with no plan wasn���t the best plan. In fact, the issue was that there was no plan at all. You just ran as far as you could. You had let your sister down; you had let anyone down. You had burnt yourself up trying to save her and everyone.

As bittered as you were by the sadly sobering fact that you couldn’t do that, you also realised that you weren’t fully burnt out.

You were still here. That candle wasn’t fully burnt out yet.

The truth about not being able to save everyone was a hard pill to swallow. But drinking alcohol? That was piss easy, just sip, and swallow the devil’s drink that seemed to soothe your darkened soul.

You knew that you could easily solve the issue of the candle not fully being out yet, all you needed was a blade from your ability then you were done.

Yet, something was keeping you here. Threw the drunken nights, you would remember it; those words from your sister….which one, you couldn’t remember fully. But that didn’t matter, you remembered the words.

“You’re not expendable, Y/N. No one is, ever. No one has a life you can just throw away.” You drank from your bottle again, trying to go into a peaceful slumber once again.

To forget the lies those words held.

You had no idea where you sister was, you just hoped far away from what you were doing.

You weren’t dead, you weren’t SHIELD; but you weren’t fully done yet with the whole stopping evil thing. Although, now it was stopping evil by evil. You weren’t legally allowed to chase the Watchdogs and kill them.

Did that stop you though? Of course, it didn’t.

If you were going to go down as a drunk, you might as well doing something not completely shitty.

However, as you laid down, a knock at the door got your attention. You sat up, cautiously, grabbing the pistol that lay by your pillow at night. You cocked it as you picked it up.

You put your hand to the door, taking a tense breath, before opening it and putting the pistol to the chin of the newcomer without a second thought.

The sight of who it was, however, made you stop.

Bobbi-fucking-Morse was the woman whose chin was currently being pressed against with your pistol.

Your eyes widened, freezing for a second as you looked at your old friend that had sacrificed but her life for SHIELD. She was gone, pronounced….something, you forgot. You had forgot, or rather tried to forget all the details in the binge.

No thoughts of those you cared for, maybe it’d make it easier for you to disappear too from theirs when you were gone.

You immediately pulled the pistol back, trying to pretty much dive back into your van and – well, you didn’t really have a plan after that. The main one being to just get away and start again.

“I’ve already punctured your tire, Y/nn. You can’t get far.” She said. You sighed, of course she’d thought of that.

Continuing that sigh, you faced her, putting a confused smile on your face, “What the hell are you doing here Bobbi? Why did you find me? Why did you find me? – Wait, is Daisy ok?” You started off easy with the questions but became panicked near the end.

Bobbi smiled, shaking her head, “Got a tip that you might be I came here to see you; And I have no idea, sorry, kiddo.” She said, listing the answers to your questions.

You nodded, “Wait….who gave you the tip?” To that, Bobbi held out a coin.

“Flip it, I’ll tell you if you’re right or wrong.” She simply said.

You took the coin, doing just that. It landed on the heads, “Coulson?” You asked. Bobbi nodded her head.

Your gaze then turned more suspicious, “How the hell did Coulson get a hold of you and know what I was doing?”

She cocked her head to the side, “You really think that Phil Coulson, of all people will just give up on you or Daisy? Or anyone on that team? He sent me because if he went, it’d look suspicious. So, he sent someone whose off the grid.”

“But….you’re happy with Hunter, aren’t you?” You questioned, worried that you would be the cause of the death of a metaphorical thing this time.

“We are,” She assured, seemingly noticing your bubbling anxiety over it, “We agreed I should be the one to come see you, though. Both agreed I’d be better at handling this.”

“You mean the broken sister? Trust me, Bobbi, you don’t need to sugar-coat it.” Normally, that would be in a joking manner, but this time it was played completely straight.

Bobbi got into the passenger seat when you moved to the drivers side, “I’m not here to do that, I’m here to help you.” She sat in the seat, looking over at you as you only stared out the window.

You scoffed, “With what?”

“With this whole Watchdog thing. Your not as careful as you might think you are, Y/N. Noise is still noise.” She told you.

“You really aren’t going to leave, are you?” You asked.

“Y/N, Coulson may have asked me to come here, but I did of my own volition.” She softened her voice as she said that part.

You met her eyes, seeing nothing but warmth, love, and honest in them. She held you look with those emotions, only awaiting your reaction.

You bit your lip, bit it hard as you knew that she wouldn’t leave you. You knew she had too much of an instinct when it came to you younger folk.

“Here,” She said, handing you a button “It’s a beacon, just press it and I’ll come to you. Just in case we get split up.”

“Fine.” You said, turning on the engine and taking the beacon.

You did your best to ignore the grin she held as you did so.

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As said before, Bobbi seemed to have an instinct when it came to you guys (you, Simmons, Daisy and Fitz) she just had a way to know when something was wrong and whatnot. Granted, you had that as well, but Bobbi had more experience with it.

When you first met her, a part of you may have felt a bit threatened at the idea of her taking over the elder sisterly role. Despite Daisy’s assurances, it was Bobbi that had calmed your nerves.

“I’m not replacing you, Y/N. You were first, I’m just here as a kind of backup, to lighten the load a little. Make sure you take care of yourself, too.”

 That load now seemed to be your own shit, not someone else’s. That, in Bobbi’s book, was a vague step in the direction known as, “good”.

Even if it meant driving to a local hangout of Watchdog members. You knew that they were going to be having a big meeting later, you just had to find out where.

So, Bobbi just looked out the window as you drove, it was a nice place you had chosen to bunker down it; remote but completely isolated from life. However, the Watchdogs had chosen it too for those same reasons.

 Now, she didn’t really know this area, but you obviously did. That was shown by the way you got you both to where you apparently needed to go in pretty much no time at all.

“Here, this is where some of the sons of bitches are.” You told her as you cut the ignition and leant back in your seat as you looked at the place, a simple warehouse. Granted, it was simple on the outside, but on in the inside was people you were anything but good.

“Alright, let’s take this slow,” You rolled your eyes, “I mean it, Y/N. We go in through the back, get some sort of surprise one them.”

You debated it, knowing who you’d normally do it, a quick run and gun. But, thinking about it, you knew she had something in that plan.

“What if they’re gone by the time we get in?” You questioned.

“Well, better to miss and track them, then go in the front and they be the only ones to come out.” She fired back at you.

“Fair.”

 You both went around the back, the van parked at the front to cut them off. You entered, crouching, and using the crates that were in there as cover as they had their meeting. God it was disgusting, about how Inhumans needed to be taken out.

You looked at Bobbi, the woman hidden a little ways away from you. She met your eyes; and, despite being the one who brought you around the back, from here she seemed to be open to whatever way you wanted to handle it.

You knew that they had been after Daisy for a while now, that she had been disrupting them, just like you. It wasn’t exactly a connection or similarity you had wanted with your sister. In an attempt to fix what you had broken by protecting her, it seemed she had only gone out of her way to make it worse for herself.

You sighed, knowing that you had failed even more in your role as the elder sister.

You looked over, seeing the dogs as they spoke, “So, we meet up with the others later, talk about Quake? Or the other one?” One of them asked.

Before they could even get an answer, a gunshot went off, his blood hitting his mask, but part of it spraying through the holes in it. You continued to fire your weapon, Bobbi moved from behind the crate, shooting one in the leg as you went for the kill shots.

They were all gone, all except for one. One who crawled on the floor was he went for his gun.

“That was reckless.” You forgot that about your friend, she was blunt when it came to you all and you scared her, or she was worried.

“I was not.” You defended.

“You went in without a plan.”

“You looked to me for one, look how that went.”

“We have one –” You both stopped when you – out of the corner of your eyes – saw him bring out a pistol and you both fired at him in sync, “—Had one to find out this meeting place from. We find that, we find them, and we stop them. They’re after Inhuman’s –”

“They’re after Daisy.” You said, firmly, bringing it back to your main reason of being after them. You knew what you did before wasn’t right, and it had caused a strain, but doing this could maybe help a little. It wasn’t what you were doing before, so you were aware of the damage you had caused. Besides, this time too you were well away from her, helping her with everything that was happening from afar by doing a little, not as much as you did last time.

Besides, they were after other people too, your sister just happened to be atop of the list. You didn’t know where you were on it, you didn’t care to be honest. You just cared those others that were on it didn’t die.

“They’re after Daisy, and others. We’ll find the fucking meeting place, this place isn’t exactly big, Bobbi.” You snapped, rooting around in a guy’s pocket for something, only to come up blank.

When you turned to announce it to Bobbi, you saw her holding up a broken phone with a cracked, but still readable screen. On it, was a text message.

“It’s coordinates, to a place not far from here. That’s probably the meeting place.” She told you.

You breathed a sigh of secret relief at the fact you had found it. That you had this moment of victory.

That soon changed to worry, at least in Bobbi’s parts as she held out a phone to show you what else was on it.

A name that you had  hoped she would’ve missed.

Your own.

“Y/N….why the hell didn’t you tell me?” She asked, voice holding a slight bit of both worry and betrayal to it.

She then continued to scroll, finding something that made her eyes widen, “They’re planning a big attack on an Inhuman safe house.”

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Bobbi had been angry; she had been loving and caring. It all seemed to meld into one when it came to the four of you. However, this time, you were focus of that.

“When were you going to tell me?” Was what she had moved onto now as you both drove back to where you had started, there was shop nearby for you to get supplies from. It wasn’t exactly a ‘shop’ but more of a black-market kind of place.

Either way, it was the only place to get what you needed to take the bastards down.

“I wasn’t.” You were blunt, deciding to not beat around the bush and try and lie, seemed you both were just as bad as each other when it came to trying to lie to your loved ones.

“Why not?” She was being confrontational now. To be honest, so was your response.

“I never asked for you to come here, Bobbi. I never asked for you to help me. If you hadn’t, I’d have already gotten the information out of the guy by now and be on my way there.” It was harsh, and you saw the hurt that she was hiding behind her eyes.

“I’m not going to leave you, not like this –”

“God, you’re just like them.”

“And that’s a bad thing?” She asked.

“No, it’s worse. I don’t need this whole older sister talk, Bobbi. Worse comes to worse, I don’t make it out of there and stop them,” She hated that you shrugged, “I’ll just be a name on a list. They’ll get over it. Besides, if anyone needs this talk, it’ll be Daisy.”

 You had parked up and left for the shop, this time Bobbi hadn’t stopped you. You both seemed to know that you needed a small break, as much as you were a younger sibling to her, she knew when to hold back a little.

It as an alleyway, one that changed every time, but still an alleyway none the less. You walked down the newest pick, finding your guy at the end of it with a van that he then opened. He had made a name for himself as a reliable weapons vender, he had quickly become one of your favourites.

“There she is.” He said, smiling at your approaching figure, “What’ll it be today.”

“Heavier shit than usual.” He nodded, but looked a tad impressed.

“Finally giving what’s what to them, huh?” He asked as hr brought out an assault rifle.

You chuckled as you took it, putting it in your bag, “Exactly, they’re planning something, so I’ve got to at least try and stop it.”

“Good luck to you sweetheart. But…be careful? Can’t have me losing my most loyal customer.” He laughed, but you could tell the words were sincere.

Either way, it didn’t sit right with you. You felt off at it, but knew he was mostly harmless (Despite the massive amount of weapons behind him).

 You took the bag, swinging it over your shoulder and making your way back to the van. Just as you reached it, it erupted in a fireball. The blast knocked you back but didn’t drop the bag. In fact, it only made your fall more uncomfortable.

“Bobbi!” You cried out, remembering that she was in there. A black van appeared, parking with a skid as Watchdog members pilled out, firing at you as soon as their feet touched the floor. You pulled out one weapon, firing all the rounds to cover your escape. When you ran out, you grabbed a another, doing the same thing.

“Bobbi!” You called to the van you used to call home, but (obviously) didn’t get a response. Your power started to take hold and you felt it. More than that, you let it. You knew that this was most likely it, why not go own swinging?

Your power fully took control, darkness becoming you as you let it rip. Cars were flung and people thrown up only then to come back down.

Your power was darkness, you had plenty of that within you.

As it died, however, you felt a pain in your body. You looked down, seeing a blood stain on you that only grew more and more.

Your power made you almost unstoppable in terms of offense, not defence. Daisy’s power could do both, yours could only do one.

As you fell, you heard someone calling out your name. Hands then pressed against your wound. As you opened your eyes, you saw it to Bobbi.

“Hey, Y/N, stay with me. Stay with me. Come on. Comme on, kiddo, breath.” She begged you. You did your best to give her what she wanted, but you were fading.

You made your peace with the fact that this was it, that you would die here at your lowest point.

You let the dark take you, only this time in a different meaning of the term.

 What surprised you, however, was that you woke up. You woke up and felt something where your wound once was. It was a bandage, one that had been put tightly onto said wound.

You tried to move, but footsteps immediately started to come towards you. A bottle of water was placed down in front of you, “Don’t rip your stiches. I worked hard on them.” Bobbi admonished, slapping your prying hands away from you body that was previously losing blood.

“You brought me here.” You immediately felt stupid for saying it like that.

“Of course, I did. I told you, people still need you. Plus, you’re my friend, I’m not just gonna leave you to bleed out.”

You sighed, putting your head against the wall, “Thank you.” You were quieter, but she still heard the words. It wasn’t like there was much else to hear, besides cars passing.

“You’re welcome.” She meant the words; she took a sip of her own water.

She then held up the button you hit, “Turns out it was useful after all huh?” She said in a, ‘I told you so’ kind of way. You smiled a little at her words.

“Turns out it did.” You agreed.

“They’ll be doing that attack, soon.” You said, slowly trying to stand. Bobbi made her way over to help with that, getting you to a table where she had laid a map, “We need to get to them before that happens.”

“Which way in, though? It’s a barn, so there’s a few.” She said, pointing to those entrances you could take.

“Not the front door, that’s for one.” She looked at you with a smile, glad that you were putting that off the table.

“There.” You said, pointing to one.

“Ready to go save some Inhumans and kick some ass?” You asked your older sister.

“You know it.” She answered, bright smile not leaving her face for a moment longer.

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Together, you entered the barn through the back, this time both on the same page with the plan. As you both crouched through it, you listened to them once again talk about it. This time, though, the big guy was there, the leader of this op was there.

You looked to Bobbi, seeing she had noticed the same thing. She thought about it, before shaking her head, knowing that it wouldn’t work in your favour. Still, she didn’t seem against trying to bring him down.  

You both then fired at the same time, bringing the Watch Dogs down. They fell, others trying to escape. For once, their bravado and confidence had died, instead replaced with fear.

Seemed the Inhuman hater’s had flaws. They weren’t as big as the thought. Some tried to fight back, but you used cover instead of tried to get the shot off first. The shots hit the crate. Bobbi, seeing the Watchdog member shooting at you, she turned her pistol to him and took him down.

You shared a nod together, before something caught your eyes, “He’s getting away!” Bobbi called out, pointing to the leader escaping.

You knew you might be able to catch him, but you then saw the other Watchdog truck’s pull up. You looked to the leader and back to the truck. Old you would’ve gone for the man no mater what. However, you knew that you would be cut down if you tried.

“Hold them back!” You yelled to your sister. She looked and nodded, the two of you shooting at the new batch of Watchdog members.

However, another car pulled up. This one had the logo of the place you were tyring to run from big and centre on it. The SHIELD logo.

It was a group of SHIELD agents, all getting out to help you not be so outnumbered.

You fired, hitting one Watchdog member, before the SHIELD agent fired at the last one.

Finally, it was other. The plans of the Watchdogs was thwarted, at least for a moment. It was a start.

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The agents were getting ready to take you back, to take you home. As you got ready, Bobbi approached you, “So, end of the line.” She told you, the two of you sharing a timid smile.

“Yeah….That button wasn’t just for you, was it?” You asked her.

She tried to keep a straight face, before she smiled, “Told you some people need you.”

You smiled, sneaky bitch.

“Thank you.” Oh, you must’ve said that out loud.

“Yeah, that too.” She laughed, “I’m gonna miss you, Y/N. This was kind of fun.”

“In a fucked-up way.” She nodded, “Thank you….for taking some of that load off of me.”

“Of course, we’re family. It’s what we do.”

You smiled, hugging your older sister. She returned it, chuckling before pulling away, “Time to go home.” She told you.

“Yeah.” You agreed, going to the open door in the SUV. As you got ready to enter, you looked back at Bobbi. She gave you a smile and a nod, on your returned.

You had a long way to go, but this was a start.

[sueboohscorner]

#AgentsofShield Season 6 Episode 11 "From the Ashes" Recap and Review

Yo-Yo is in pain on the plane. She’s herself and she starts cleaning up Mack. They talk and eventually Yo-Yo brings up Benson. This is a mistake because Mack isn’t actually Mack. Izel now knows about Benson.

Daisy and Piper are trying to find the plane.

Team Fitzsimmons, which includes Deke, are trying to figure out how to stop Izel from possessing people. They don’t have anything yet.

They sent in May to go the first round with Evil Coulson. She’s trying to see if there’s any Coulson in there. He sees right through her and he’s ticked. He gets so mad that he makes a dent in the table.

After she leaves, May and Daisy argue. Daisy wants to wake up the other thing inside him, the thing that can defeat Izel. She’s less optimistic about Coulson still being in there. May explains that if she does something reckless, it’s on her to fix it.

Benson gets on the plane with a redshirt. The stories talk of trapped souls yearning to be free. He’s narrowed it down to three locations. His bet is on that’s at the convergence of two ley lines. He makes a reference to Keller; which Yo-Yo uses to tell him that the status is not quo. He clams up after that, so Izel puts on a show by stabbing the redshirt in the neck and then coming out of Mack. He refuses to give her anything because he doesn’t fear death. He fears something, and Izel intends to find out what.

Daisy goes in for her first round. He doesn’t like what he’s feeling, what has awoken in him. It’s an unbridled rage churning inside of him. They trade taunts until she runs out to find team Fitzsimmons. They can reverse engineer the magic sword, but that’s all they’ve got. Daisy snaps and Simmons talks to her. She has a pattern. She runs when things get hard. Now that she’s literally staring down the death of Coulson, it’s ok if she’s feeling some things. Simmons recently learned that bottling things up creates the villain from the Ring, so she offers to talk to Daisy if she needs it. Daisy claims to be fine.

Yo-Yo and Mack talk in the containment module until Izel and Benson walk in. The third monolith creates what is inside your mind. Humans have no control, and so only create their fears. She wants to see what Benson creates. Benson creates the obvious.

Daisy finally opens her letter from Coulson and then goes another round with Evil Coulson. He agrees with her that he’s nothing. Coulson isn’t him and the underlying rage isn’t either. Daisy thinks he’s something and she intends to find out what. She then snaps his neck with a quake. Team Fitzsimmons is freaking out watching.

By the obvious, I mean that if you kill someone you love against the expressed wishes of their family, I imagine your greatest fear would be that they were aware of everything. They heard you and they were there when you decided to give up on them. Once Benson has fully realized his own self torture, Izel stabs the apparition and it disappears. She threatens to make him relive this over and over again until he tells her what she wants to know. Benson is weak and he gives in.

May and Piper see the security footage. May is still being the optimistic one.

Evil Coulson sees his own formation and wakes up? He needs to get out, but Daisy wants answers. He knocks her out and destroys the door.

When Daisy wakes up, she grabs the magic sword from team Fitzsimmons. Either she’s going to get answers from Evil Coulson, or she’s going to see how well the sword works.

Yo-Yo and Mack have a plan. She grabs the gravitonium sphere as Izel puts Benson in the containment module. Izel then inhabits Yo-Yo. Mack drops the module, with Benson still inside it. Benson can now tell the team exactly where to find them.

Daisy faces Evil Coulson. His face is pulsing all Ghost Rider like, but then he calls her Skye, and she can’t kill him. Coulson is in there somewhere. She drops the sword and hugs him.

Yo-Yo and Mack are tied up in an ancient South American temple a la Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. Izel opens up the gravitonium device.

Deke has an idea. Izel’s powers work on resonant frequencies. She aligns her frequencies to that of her host so that she can exist at the same time in the same place. That’s what’s different about the knives. They resonate at a specific frequency. They can design something wearable, like a belt buckle, that can act as a sonic barrier.

Piper found Benson.

May talks to Daisy. She’s above “I told you so” because she’s a good mom, but she was right. Daisy isn’t sure of much of anything.

Izel has to rebuild the monoliths using the energy of the third monolith. She can’t do it though. She needs Mack and Yo-Yo to create them. Instead, they create Flint?

The chronicons are arguing. The Hunter wins and shoots Atara.

So Coulson is in there. Now he just has to defeat South American Ursula bat demon. Let’s hope Benson didn’t lead the team directly to hell. 8/10.