Chapter 5: Enter Maria!Notes:I'm so nervous about writing Maria. We didn't get a ton of characterization in the movies and I don't want her to be a carbon copy of her comic self so I'm going to try and do a good in between as well as my own interpretation. So she's MY Maria. She isn't going to be strictly in character. I still don't own any of this in just borrowing her and putting my own spin on things.
Chapter Text"You know I never thought we'd find another you, but it seems another you found us."
"You honestly have no idea. You should have seen her fight, Maria. It was something so unreal you have to see it to believe it. Come back home with me and I'll show you."
"So you really think we can help her? You really think I can help her? Helping you almost destroyed us both. Can we do it again?"
"I think we can. There are so many similarities between her and I but there are also differences. Where I lashed out with aggression and anger she only retracts into herself and fears the safety of everyone around her. She would never intentionally hurt you and if she ever did she would hate herself even more for it. She needs us Hill. She needs you."
"Alright. You've sold me, Red. It looks like mama bear is coming back home to raise another cub. Anything else I should know before I jump down this rabbit hole?"
"I've told you everything we know so far. But there is one more thing. Absolutely zero contact with Shield team 616. They are cut off from all communication until I figure out just who is responsible for the state of mind this girl is in. And when I do they'll be lucky if I don't cross them off instantly. I have my eye on one Jemma Simmons and I'd like to know if she was the only one. They broke her. They were her first family and they turned on her like she was some disgusting creature to be feared and taken out. I want nothing to do with them and I want them FAR away from her."
"Consider it done. Just please tell me at some point we can actually talk to May. Find out the truth of things. We don't need a war within Shield and she was your friend."
"We'll handle that when the time comes. Right now Skye is priority."
"Alright well lets go see our girl."
Chapter 6Notes:I'm hoping I've fixed any glaring continuity errors in the previous chapters. I'm going to get started on the new chapter after this one and hopefully from here the whole story will flow easier.
Chapter TextSkye wasn't ready to wake up. She wasn't even close to being ready to open her eyes. Her body felt like 10 tons of lead and she just wanted to stay asleep in peaceful oblivion. Unfortunately she could hear everything going on in the room. She could hear Nat and Bruce worrying over her. She is really having a hard time understanding why it sounds like they care about her. That can't possibly be right. Maybe she's dreaming. She starts to sink back into unconsciousness before she can think about it too much.
Skye really wished people would stop coming in the room and being so loud. Did they not know she was trying to sleep? Is there nowhere else in this huge building that they can go and discuss whatever it is that is so important? Why does that sound so much like Captain America? Why does he sound so upset? She fought to clear her head of the fog clouding it so she could hear what was being said. Is he really here asking about her? Why does he sound so concerned about her? She's nothing but trouble to these people. She doesn't have time to think about it further before she's pulled under again by her exhaustion.
The next time she comes to she actually feels like she may be able to open her eyes. She immediately regrets it when the light completely disrespects her eyeballs and closes them with a groan. She wants to just go back to sleep but for the love of all that is good in this world she needs something to drink and a good teeth brushing.
She chances opening her eyes again and sees that she's alone in the room. She really doesn't remember how she got there or why. She still feels like there's a fog in her head and she's having a hard time focusing her thoughts. She starts to get snippets back of her coming to the tower and introducing herself and her baggage. She remembers the disaster of a nightmare she had when she tried to sleep that first night. More than anything she keeps remembering red and green.
She really can't explain why but thinking of her makes her feel this intense sense of calm. She remembers how she got her powers to stop. How she got her to use control she didn't know she possessed. She trusted her and she couldn't explain why. It's all pretty much coming back to her now, but it seems so surreal she can't really tell if it all happened or if she finally passed out and dreamt it all.
Bruce's tablet went off at the first sign of a spiked heart rate and he immediately headed for his lab. He was hoping she had woken up but there could be a number of reasons for the change. When he got there he noticed his star patient groggily taking in her surroundings. He tells Jarvis to let the others know that Skye has finally woken up but to give her some space until he has had a chance to check her over.
"Welcome back Skye, how are you feeling?"
Skye opened her mouth and attempted to speak but was quickly reminded of her need for water. Noticing her discomfort Bruce jumped up to get her a glass.
"Take small sips, if you drink too much too quickly you'll get sick. I'm in no hurry so take your time." He reassured her.
"Thank you" it was barely more than a whisper. She cleared her throat to try and get some more sound to come out. She had so many questions. "How long have I been out?"
"Just 3 Days. Your body needed time to recover. I know you haven't been sleeping. Skye you really can't do that again. If you are afraid of sleeping then please come to us. We can figure things out. Staying awake for days at a time is going to kill you." He tried not to be too stern but she needed her to understand the severity of the situation.
Skye knew he was right. She knew the damage that not sleeping could cause. But she had felt okay. Her body had felt so much stronger than before. She found little difficulty in staying awake and training for hours and keeping herself busy. She didn't want to hurt anyone. She couldn't keep control when she was asleep. She could never live with herself if she brought the building down or even harmed a single hair on any of their heads. She was a danger. A risk to have around. It was a mistake to come here instead of going somewhere more secluded.
Bruce could see the myriad of emotions going across her face. He really did understand what she was going through. His situation was so different but also so similar. "Skye look I get it. I know you're afraid of yourself right now. Afraid for those around you. Afraid to sleep and lose that fragile grip on control that you have. I used to be afraid that when I slept the other guy would be the one who woke up. I always feel him. He's always with me. I have to keep him away every minute of my life and be careful of every situation that I put myself in. But I'm still living my life. I found a way to live with it. I found ways to deal with it and gain better control. These abilities are so new for you, no one expects you to have a handle on them already. But what you need to understand is we want to help you. I know you can't see why anyone would care but we do. We don't just want you here because your powers could be an asset. What you don't see is that we all see ourselves in you. Every one of us has struggled with who we are. With what we've done. With what we could do. We want to help you. You only have to let us."
Skye was equal parts in disbelief of the passionate speech she had just been on the receiving end of and grateful. While it didn't remove her reservations it did help. She could see what he was saying. Everyone knew Natasha was groomed for assassination and espionage. Bruce turned into a giant green destruction machine when he got angry. Tony's issues were usually well documented in the news and tabloids. She knew they all had their issues. She still didn't know why they cared about her but she wanted to believe it. She felt herself gravitating towards hope and that scared her more than anything else. Hope was so dangerous.
"I just... I never asked for this. I never wanted this. All I have ever wanted was to belong somewhere. To do something good and meaningful with my life. I just wanted to know who I am and find my place in this world. I never wanted this. And my team... how can I live with knowing I put them in danger? By not leaving sooner I was such a threat to them. They're so scared of me. I did that. I loved them and I just wanted to belong. I just wanted to do good." By the end the tears she had fought so valiantly to hold back we're rolling down her cheeks.
She had needed to get that out. Her overload of emotions had been eating at her since she left. The pain of rejection. She played it off like it didn't hurt but it had destroyed her. Why? Because she had hoped. She had let herself believe that the team was her family. She had believed that people could care about her. That maybe she was worth someone's love and time after 25 years of never mattering to anyone. That hope had been her undoing. She couldn't let that happen again. She would protect her heart this time. Even after everything Bruce had said to her she still couldn't let herself hope again. She had learned that lesson.
"Skye you have done good and I have no doubt you'll continue to do so. Is it so hard to believe that someone could care about you? I don't know why your team reacted the way they did. People usually lash out in fear of things they don't understand. I can't speak for them but I can speak for all of us. We aren't afraid of you. We aren't keeping you here just to use you. We all just want to help you. I know it's something you've never had but this is something that people do. Sometimes we just want to help. Despite your experiences growing up, we're not all bad. But I can show you better than I can tell you. Please give us a chance Skye. Stay here a little while longer. Let us help you. We can move your bed into my hulk room if you would like. It's reinforced and meant for my other half to let loose so I think it will be able to handle you."
She had to admit the idea was more than appealing. She could stay a little longer without committing to anything, right? She just had to keep her guard up. She could stay. She would give herself another chance. Sleep in the hulk room. What other option did she really have? She had no reason to trust this man but at the same time she had no reason not to.
"I'll stay." She couldn't meet his eyes as she said it. "I'll stay but will you please help me. I don't want to live my life afraid of losing control. I don't want to hurt anyone." She finally chanced a look at him and she met nothing but sincerity in his eyes.
"You don't even have to ask. We would all be happy to help you. Just please don't take off on us as soon as you're able and think that isolating yourself is the answer. I've been there and done that and it wasn't a solution to my problems at all. It made things worse if anything." His phone had been beeping incessantly for the last 5 minutes. "I think there are some other people who would like to see you. You up for it?"
She really didn't want to see everyone right now. She didn't have the best handle on her emotions. She really did owe them so much gratitude. She was still welcome here. She couldn't wrap her head around it. But she knew she needed to see them and express her thanks. She knew when she came that they were the best option if she wanted help controlling her powers. She was either going to have to take this chance or do exactly what Bruce had just told her not to do.
"If they would like to see me they can come. But one of them better have a cheeseburger and lots of salty fries with them when they walk through the door." Humor is her best tool for hiding her emotions. And also she felt like she could probably eat Bruce. 3 days with nothing but supplemental feedings had her ready to murder a big juicy burger.
"I'll pass the message along." He chuckled as he typed out a quick text and walked to the monitors to check things over while they waited for everyone to make their way in.
Steve was predictably the first person to come through the door and Skye saw the apology enter the room before he did. "I don't want to hear it Steven. I'm fine and it wasn't intentional. No one in the world thinks you would ever knock a woman out on purpose. The only apology I want is for the lack of food in your hands." She flashed him what she hoped was a convincing smile.
He was just about to argue with her when Tony came striding in with a greasy paper bag that smelled sinfully good. "How you eat this garbage is beyond me, but your wish is my command. Glad to see you among the living." He gladly passed the stinking bag to her eager outstretched hands.
"Don't you disrespect the food dude. This kept me alive for years. It's done me good, I'd say. You really don't know what you're missing. Fancy food has nothing on good ol fast food!" The greasier the better. She tucked right into it.
"Skye are you even tasting that? Slow down. Enjoy it a little bit." Steve couldn't deny he was impressed. But she was literally inhaling it.
She tried to clap back but it wasn't really audible considering she had just stuffed about 9 fries in her mouth. She earned some laughter from her efforts though. She could almost forget the breakdown she had had before they all came in. This was what she was good with. Comic relief and pretending her pain didn't exist.
Over the next couple of hours the avengers came and went with the exception of one. She joked and jeered and assured them all she was fine and she had to let Cap get at least one hit in because she had been embarrassing him badly before she took mercy on him. She resigned herself to another night in the lab after hours of trying to convince Bruce to let her leave. He wasn't budging. He had threatened to sedate her if she tried to keep herself awake.
"Skye you slept for 3 days and never so much as trembled. I will wake you up at the first sign of a nightmare. And Jarvis is constantly monitoring your vitals. If your heart rate elevates even for 3 seconds I'll be notified of it. You can sleep. The building will still be standing and in perfect condition when you wake up."
"Can I at least leave for a while? Go for a walk? Have dinner with you guys? Watch a movie? I'll come back here to sleep where I can be monitored but I'm telling you I feel fine. Please let me break out for a couple of hours." She hoped her puppy dog face had the effect she was going for.
"Alright. I really don't need to keep an eye on you when you're awake. Your vitals haven't shown anything that concerns me. Go relax and interact. I'll see you back when you're ready to sleep. And you will be sleeping!" He left no room for argument.
She could hardly contain her relief as she waited for him to unhook her and pass her a pair of sweats. She had tunnel vision and couldn't wait to get to the kitchen. Once she was dressed and had the all clear to leave the lab she made it to the kitchen faster than she thought possible. Clint was in there making sandwiches and she pouted at him until he agreed to make her a couple. She had to keep reminding herself not to get too comfortable with these people but on some level she really couldn't help herself. They made it hard not to want to be carefree in their presence.
Skye was too busy stuffing her face to notice someone else walk into the kitchen and start to approach her.
"Well aren't you a sight for sore eyes." Nat couldn't help herself. It was so good to see her awake and eating and out of a bed and being social.
Skye immediately choked on her food and started trying to expel it from her throat. Clint gave her a solid thwack on the back and it did the trick. She was gasping for air as Clint laughed at her and Natasha was looking at her worriedly. She was also slightly amused but that could wait.
"You okay? I didn't mean to scare you. I brought you something though." Skye had been so busy choking to death she hadn't even noticed that Natasha wasn't alone. "I believe you've heard of Deputy Director Maria Hill right?"
Skye had just got her breathing back in order when she nearly lost her breath again. This was it. She was going to be escorted off of the property. Possibly taken into custody. They had deemed her too dangerous to remain free. She felt her stomach stink to the floor and a lump rise in her throat, again.
Natasha immediately noticed the change and quickly realized her mistake. She gave Maria a solid jab to the ribs and gestured for her to introduce herself and give the girl some reassurance. She looked like she was on the verge of a panic attack and that wouldn't be beneficial to anyone's health.
"Skye it's really good to finally meet you. Nat has told me a bit about you. Bruce said you're on limited time out of medical prison. What do you say to watching a movie and maybe getting to know each other?" She knew a runner when she saw one. She needed to establish good intentions before Skye took off and didn't look back.
Skye was stunned. She was so sure when Nat introduced someone so important that her days in the tower were done. Her immediate instinct was to run. To leave and put this behind her and go somewhere where even Shield couldn't find her. But for right now she couldn't do that. She had to bide her time and keep aware of her surroundings and make sure to be on her guard at all times. There's no way Maria Hill just wants to watch a movie and get to know her. There's just no way. But what could she do right now? Nothing.
"Yeah that sounds good" she says with a smile that doesn't reach her eyes. She was going to have to get out of here and she was going to have to do it quick. This is why she doesn't get comfortable. This is why she doesn't let herself hope or develop attachments to people or places or things for that matter. She needed this reminder. Maria Hill and people of her status and import do not come and watch movies with a stray. She'll figure out what she wants. And she'll be ready to get out of there when the time comes.
Chapter 7Chapter TextSkye had spent the better part of 2 weeks trying to escape and being thwarted at every turn by either Natasha or Maria. It was getting to be more infuriating than anything. She was getting more and more anxious about the women's intentions with her. To someone with less trust issues their behavior would seem perfectly comforting and supportive, but to Skye there was always an ulterior motive.
She had been forced into more movie nights and team dinners than she cared to count. She had even been abducted by Natasha, Maria and Pepper for a shopping trip and spa day. Her nerves were becoming absolutely frayed and everyone had noticed. Natasha and Maria knew they were going to have to be straight forward and address the issue before Skye was ever going to let them make any progress.
Skye was sitting in the theater room reading a book and trying to remain low key when she suddenly had a guest sitting in the recliner next to her.
"So how long are we going to do this?" Maria said with an understanding smile on her face.
"I have no idea what you're talking about?" Skye said with no small amount of defiance in her tone. She was wearing thin from worrying about everything and her patience wasn't what it once was.
"I'm just wondering how much longer you're going to keep trying to bolt before you give in and let us all be her for you. I just want to get to know you and every time I turn around I'm having to get in the way of an escape attempt. You're not as subtle as you think. We're not the enemy Skye" she said gently but firmly "I know you have Olympic gold level trust issues but no one here is going to hurt you. No one here is going to abandon you. We all have some of the same trust issues as you do so we get it. But you have to stop trying to run and let someone in. It doesn't even have to be me, but you need to let someone in."
Skye could do nothing but sit there dumb struck. She had never been called out quite so compassionately before. She felt all at once truly chastised and also completely cared for. It was amazing that this woman could make her feel those things at the same time but here they were. It was like she knew just what to say to chip away at her walls just a tiny bit. But enough for them to fall right now but just enough to damage their integrity and weaken them in the right places. She couldn't help but think that if Maria kept making her feel these things it would only be a matter of time before they came crashing down.
Skye couldn't decide if that was something she wanted to let happen or if she wanted to double down on trying to get away from this woman. The weirdest part of this whole situation was that despite every instinct telling her not to, she believed this woman. It was almost impossible not to. It wasn't so much the words she said as it was the absolute unshakeable conviction with which she said the words. When she said the words with that much passion you couldn't just not believe them.
She wanted to fight tooth and nail against the traitorous hope she could feel blooming in her chest but she was so tired of fighting. She was exhausted in more ways than one and it had nothing to do with her sleep habits which were now constantly monitored.
During all this time where Skye sat there warring within herself, Maria just sat patiently and waited for her to come to some kind of decision. She knew that her words had an impact on her but she had no idea if she had gotten all the way through. She would settle for any little bit of progress she could make. She wasn't looking for a breakthrough today. She wasn't expecting Skye to just suddenly trust her and everyone around her she was just looking for a start. A first step on Skye's part.
Skye wasn't sure what to say but she knew she needed to say something since the silence was getting heavier between them. She still wasn't sure of things but she found herself too tired to fight the hope she was feeling. She had always been someone who hoped no matter how many times those hopes were dashed and her heart was broken. Growing up in the homes she had so many theories about where her parents were and in all of those theories her parents loved and wanted her they just weren't able to get to her for some reason or another. Hope was how she made it through her days. So even now, even after hope had cause her so much pain she still wanted to embrace the feeling.
After entirely too long of trying to find the words to say she found herself reaching for Maria's hand. She even surprised herself with the movement but she went with it, it was too late to pull back now.
Maria wouldn't say that shocked was an accurate term for how she was feeling as she felt a warm shaking hand land on top of hers and squeeze. She only hesitated for a few surprised seconds before she was turning her hand over so she could give a squeeze in return.
"I'm not sure what to say to you. I'm not sure how to even move forward. I want to believe you, I mean I do believe you. I don't want to because that scares the hell out of me. But I believe you. That's all I can give you right now. I won't run, I believe you're not here to hurt me. I have no idea what you want with me, but I believe that I'm in no danger from you." Skye said quietly but sure of the words she was saying.
Maria just sat there and contemplated what she was hearing. It wasn't a breakthrough and it wasn't even a massive amount of progress, but it was definitely something important. The big first step forward. She didn't need Skye to trust her entirely, at least not today. She just needed her to know that she wasn't there to hurt her and she didn't mean her any ill intent. Once that step was made and those first chips and cracks and weak spots appeared in Skye's walls it would only be a matter of time before they were knocked down entirely.
Maria could be a patient woman. One had to be when dealing with the Avengers on a regular basis. She could wait and bide her time. All she had to do in the meantime was make sure she made good on every promise she made to Skye so she had no reason to ever doubt her sincerity. In a lot of ways Skye was like a stray animal, slow to trust and very skittish. Maria was going to have to be a constant presence with her hand held out waiting for Skye to finally come to her. And she would do just that.
"That's all I'm asking Skye, don't run and give me a chance to be someone like you've never had before. I won't leave you when times get hard. I can't make you believe that I'm here because I want to be, but in time you'll see it and believe it. I want to help you learn who you are. I want to help you stop fearing yourself. Because believe it or not its something that all of us here have dealt with and we aren't just saying empty words when we tell you we understand and want to help." She said with the same conviction as her first speech.
Skye believed her. She had no choice but to believe her. Her heart just wouldn't believe that she was being deceived by this woman. She didn't think she needed to respond in words. She just gave her hand another firm squeeze and chose not to let it go just yet. They sat there in a peaceful silence just going over the conversation they just had and considering how far one conversation has brough them both.
Only one of them was aware of the smiling spy watching them on the camera. Natasha hadn't heard their conversation, choosing to give them the respect of privacy for such an important conversation. When she saw Skye take Maria's hand she found she didn't actually need to hear what was being said to understand that things were going to be okay.
She heard her phone go off and the smile quickly slid off her face as she saw the location confirmation from agent May and the go ahead for her to make a visit. She was so looking forward to meeting everyone and having a pleasant and friendly conversation with them. Especially a little scientist named Jemma. Yes, she found she truly couldn't wait for this visit. A smile slowly made it's way back to her face but it was far less warm than the last.
Chapter 8Summary:The long awaited visit to The Bus.
Notes:Hey yall. So I hate dialog and I feel like it shows. I am so incredibly awkward with dialog but I tried. I'm not remotely happy with this chapter but as always my writing time is so slim that I just wanted to get it out. I haven't even began to edit this ad I offer many apologies for that. I hope you can enjoy this trash can of a chapter!
Chapter TextIn the days after Skye's talk with Maria she felt lighter than she had in years. She was coming out of her room and making small conversation with the others in the tower in the common areas. Mainly she was just coexisting, even if it was mostly quietly. It was a step that everyone was more than happy to see. They all knew that she was probably never going to be an open book, so they would celebrate every small step forward.
Skye was feeling more optimistic about her chances of leading the life she wanted to lead. She knew that she had people behind her that would help her with her new abilities so she wouldn't have to worry about being a danger to herself and everyone around her. She had a place that, even if it wasn't home, felt warm and welcome and safe. She had people surrounding her that she could just feel were genuinely not looking for anything from her but just wanting to help her.
The only dark spot on her so far happy week is that Natasha left yesterday and she had no idea where she went or why. No one will tell her anything about it even though she can tell they know. She can't think of a reason why they would need to keep it from her after they had made so much progress with opening up. She can feel some of that familiar insecurity starting to seep back in but she was determined not to let it take over.
The Playground
Natasha hadn't called ahead knowing that they were all on base, thanks to Maria. She knew the security cameras would pick her up and alert them to who was at their doorstep. She stood patiently waiting to be escorted to the doors and let inside. She didn't have to wait long before a short squat man in a business suit came to retrieve her. She was actively ignoring whatever he was going on about, she couldn't care less about security badges and clearances and everyone should know that by now.
"Just show me where I can meet with Melinda May's team. I won't be staying long enough to need a badge and I can assure you after this visit I won't be back." She turned thoughtful for a moment then added "At least, you hope I won't have a reason to come back" She said with a dangerous smirk on her face.
Koenig couldn't bring himself to respond as they walked, gulping loudly instead.
Before long she was lead into a room with a large table holding what she assumed to be Skye's old team wearing various looks of apprehension and mistrust at her sudden unannounced appearance.
May stood as she entered the room and offered her hand "Ms. Romanoff, to what do we owe the pleasure of this visit?" She asked with a tight almost smile on her face, serious as usual.
"Pleasure has nothing to do with this visit. I'm here for information and as soon as I have what I need I'll be on my way back to my team." She said with the type of authority that only comes with the absolute certainty of being the most formidable person in any given room.
If May was taken aback she didn't let it show on her face, the same couldn't be said for her team though as their unease only grew.
May just looked at her expectantly for a moment before boldly raising her eyebrows in her direction and asking "well, what can we help you with?"
"I'm having a hard time getting our newest team member to open up and I was wondering if you guys could give me some insight as to why that is. I believe you all know her, and were at one time even friends with her. Skye is her name?" She asked with raised eyebrows that were much more intimidating than the ones on Melinda May's face.
She was watching every reaction in the room with narrowed eyes. Some of them shuffled uncomfortably, some of them developed a slightly defensive posture, and some of them couldn't even look up from the table and couldn't hide the guilt in their eyes. May's jaw tightened so hard she thought that if she didn't loosen up a bit her teeth would crack.
"I didn't realize Skye was a part of any new team. As her SO one would think I would be privy to such information." May said with fire in her eyes.
"You're not her SO agent May, I am. And you don't have a high enough clearance to get any information about an Avenger. I came here to get information, not give any out. Now what can you tell me about her? Was she withdrawn when she was with this team? Or is that a recent development? As you all know cohesion is an important part of any team and as Avengers, not being on the same page can mean life or death." She asked in tone that made it clear she expected an answer to her question and nothing else.
Natasha noticed that the young man at the table who had been looking especially guilty and upset looked as if he may want to say something but thought better of it. She couldn't let this opportunity go since no one else has made any effort to speak.
"Something to say agent?" She asked looking directly at who she knew to be Agent Fitz.
Fitz considered his options for a moment before deciding his loyalty to his friend was more important that any trouble he may get in for talking to her. "Skye is one of the most outgoing people I have ever met. She has trouble trusting but there are very good reasons for that."
Natasha noticed that several other members of his team looked either looked anywhere but at her or they shot Fitz a nasty look after he spoke. Natasha cleared her throat loudly and gave those particular agents a much deadlier glare than they were capable of on their best day. So things were starting to make a small bit of sense but she still needed many more pieces to the puzzle before she had a whole picture, and she did not plan on leaving without the whole picture.
"So does someone want to explain why this so called outgoing agent is suddenly reserved and afraid of her own shadow? We need her to trust us and that seems like an impossible feat." She asked with barely concealed venom in her voice. It wouldn't do to show too much emotion and personal investment in the situation.
"You should be the ones not trusting her, she's a danger to anyone close to her. The smart thing to do would be to return her to us so we can figure out a way to contain her." The large bald man said with disgust dripping from his voice.
Natasha was almost impressed by how bold the man was but not enough to dim the flames starting to burn in her gut. Clearly this was where Skye got all of her self loathing from. "Contain her? Like an air born pathogen? Like a virus? Do you hear yourself right now? You're talking about a human being not a rabid dog." Natasha said with way more practiced calm than she was feeling inside. She wanted to rip this man apart with her bare hands.
"No one is talking about putting her in a cage and no one is saying she's a disease" Melinda finally spoke up trying to calm the situation before it escalated. The scoff she heard from the bald man almost made her lose her carefully crafted composure.
"It would seem that you and this group you call a team aren't on the same page then." Nat decided to push it a little then. "Personally I would be extremely embarrassed if a member of my team showed me the disrespect that man just showed you. What kind of operation are you even running here? Does fury know what is going on here?"
She knew she had hit a button when she saw the tick in Melinda's jaw before she carefully put her mask into place. Unfortunately for her though, Mack wasn't don't running his mouth.
"Do you have any idea what she is capable of? We lost an agent because of what she became down in those tunnels. She just had to follow that damn woman and now Tripp is dead!"
"That is enough Agent Mackenzie!! Another outburst like that and there will be consequences."
Natasha ignored May entirely and addressed Mack directly. "Yes I do know what she is capable of. Control, Agent Mackenzie" she sneered his name. "That is what she is capable of. She is capable of learning how to control and utilize her new powers for good. She is capable of being one of the strongest offensive weapons the Avengers have in our arsenal. If we had her during the Battle of New York she could have saved lives and turned the tide of that battle far quicker than we did. Don't you talk to me about what she is capable of because she has a team now that didn't turn their backs on her and it took her all of one day to be able to pull her powers back in the middle of a panic attack and start learning control. You people never gave her that chance."
Most of them had the nerve to look ashamed of themselves, however the one she had been waiting to hear from opened her mouth like she was finally going to speak. Natasha wasn't about to give her that courtesy.
"Don't even speak a word Jemma Simmons. You are the worst one of them all. You were her friend, right?" Jemma started to answer but she was cut off again "Don't answer that I'm not ready for you to speak yet, I don't want to hear your voice. You were her friend. One of the only real friends she ever had. Do you want to know what she was screaming about while she was having her panic attack when she first arrived at the tower? You Miss Simmons. She was screaming about you. She was having a nightmare when it happened. You scared her enough to cause her to have night terrors, can you believe that? Believe it, I was there. When she was able to calm herself down and stop the tremors, in about a minute and a half might I add, she expected us to want her to leave. That is what you people have done to her and you should be disgusted with yourselves."
No one had anything to say to her at that point, what could they say? Jemma had tears running down her cheeks but Natasha couldn't have conjured a fuck to give if she tried. Even without allowing her to speak she had gathered all of the information she needed to understand what went on here and who were the problems and who just didn't have the balls to stand up and say anything in her defense.
"I'll be leaving now. I had every intention of asking about what happened the day you guys returned from Puerto Rico but I'm afraid if I ask those questions, someone isn't going to make it to see tomorrow." She said with deadly promise.
"Are you threatening my team, Romanoff?" Melinda asked with a frown.
"I am absolutely threatening your team, and you know I'm good for it. You know how much I struggled with my fears after SHIELD broke my programming. I thought I was a danger to everyone around me, sound familiar? You know why this situation is close to my heart, I was Skye. And people tried to treat me the same way you people have treated her but do you know who was on my side the whole time? Fury. So please don't allow yourself any illusions of him being understanding when I tell him what happened here."
Melinda was once again at a loss for words, although Natasha didn't give her long to form a response anyways.
"Consider any and all collaborations with your team and the Avengers suspended indefinitely. Don't call us unless the world is ending, and in such a case we'll handle it ourselves and your assistance won't be required. I do not care how much trouble you are in, do not call us. We will act as if we do not know you, and I speak for every member of my team because we care about that girl, all of us. We have all been there. Just because most of you are nothing more than ordinary doesn't not mean that extraordinary people are to be feared."
With that she walked away back to the entrance ramp so she could get back on her jet and get home to her family. She couldn't wait to see the progress between Maria and Skye, and she had to admit she really missed the girl. She refused to analyze just how much and why she missed the girl at that present moment.
Notes:Any mistakes are my own. It's late but this is the only time I'm going to be able to write. I'm a single mother of 2 and I work full time and on good weeks overtime. My writing takes the very back seat, actually its in the trunk. I am sorry about that but its life. Hope you enjoy this. I'ts going to be a long one I think. I cant get Skye and Natasha out of my head and there is a sad lack of fics about them.