Chapter 36: Let's Get This Party StartedNotes:
All rights go to Marvel
Chapter Text
Skye's POV
The rest of the day went by pretty simply. I did show Natasha around the Stark computer systems, but not deep enough for her to actually send information regarding the Industries back to S.H.I.E.L.D. She didn't push in that matter and so we spent the rest of the afternoon in a comfortable silence, which was broken more often than not as we caught up on what had happened in our lives the years that we were apart.
Stark's party would start in the early evening, with him not wanting to waste any time from it. He had not pushed at all about him seeing me using my powers and I had that in the back of my mind. Mostly I was waiting for the topic to come up again, and wanted to be prepared for whenever that would happen. I knew I had successfully deleted every electronic evidence of my presence on the track that day, because come on, there was no one better than me in hacking. I still had some reservations for any evidence of my face in any printed form, but nothing had appeared so far. So I could only assume that I was fast enough for prints not to have been created before I erased the digital copies.
Pepper had brought me my outfit for the evening. She was kind enough to help me wear it because my shoulder had yet to be healed enough as to not give me any trouble.
"Oh, Skye…" Pepper said when we finished assembling the whole thing, along with a simple silver chain that she borrowed me as a necklace. "You look amazing" she smiled kindly.
"Thanks" I said, rubbing the back of my neck and trying very hard not to blush from her comment. "I have to thank you for that, you were the one to get me the dress" I looked myself at the long mirror in my room. It was a simple, loose and sleeveless dress which almost reached my knees. I was glad to find that I could walk around easily. The fact that the dress was sleeveless allowed the sling that I was wearing to move with no restrain. "You seem to have thought every need that I might have" I laughed a bit and turned my gaze to meet hers.
"Well" she laughed with me and moved to stand behind me and placed both hands on my shoulders as she turned my face to look back in the mirror. "I had a feeling this would be one of the only times that I would get the chance to see you in a dress, so you might as well enjoy it. I'm glad you like it"
"What are you going to wear?" I asked and at that moment she moved a step away and looked at her clock.
"Something similar to yours. It's going to be pretty packed tonight and I want to be able to move around and make sure no one gets out of line". Though she didn't speak of the name, I knew that she was referring to Stark. "Speaking of which, I really need to go and get ready" she waved goodbye at me and left me alone in the room.
I looked at my reflection once again in the mirror and took a deep breath. I had a feeling that it was going to be a very long night.
It was not too long before the night turned into a disaster. And let me define the word "disaster" so that you know what I was referring to.
Tony Stark. In his suit. Drunk. Dancing. And blasting items all over the mansion.
People had filled the mansion, and by people I meant women of a specific age and type. All of them were so happy to be witnessing Stark blasting items that they had no idea how dangerous or how bad this could turn out with the slightest mistake. The only positive in this whole situation was that the DJ had a pretty decent music taste and the music was not one more reason for me to lose interest in that party.
I soon found Pepper outside, no drink in her hand, and looking into the nothingness of the sea that the mansion was next to. "I thought that you would be inside, trying to keep Stark in line"
She laughed. A laugh that was clearly dead. "I don't know what to do"
Well, this was a first. No matter how many times Stark had put Pepper into a difficult situation, she always figured a way out. Stark was pushing it too hard and I had no idea what was going on in his mind. The little respect that I had for his inventions was running thin ever since I was employed by him and saw how he treated one of the few people who truly cared for him.
I lifted my hand, were I was holding my phone. I typed a few lines and read the reply that I got from the device. "I think you should go inside. Lt. Colonel Rhodes is approaching the mansion and should arrive any minute now. I believe that together you will manage to put Stark in line" I told her, smirking and making a move to go inside myself.
"How did you–" Pepper started only to see the phone in my hand. She clicked her tongue and stepped next to me, heading back towards the party. "Skye" she sounded disappointed, but the look that she gave me was that of gratitude.
"You're welcome. I'll be in my room if you need anything" I simply replied and headed upstairs.
The moment that I closed the door of my room, all the party sounds seized to exist. I let out a sigh and was mentally thanking Stark for making every room soundproof, as long as the doors were closed.
I took out my laptop and got into the building surveillance cameras, and switching from camera to camera, I was watching what was going on around the house as if I was watching a reality show. All I needed to make the show even better would be some popcorn and I would be set for at least a few more hours. I started watching what was happening as if it was a silent film and made the dialogues up in my head. It was pretty funny to be honest, especially what I was thinking that Stark's reply would be especially since I knew that he would never say stuff like "I know Pepper. I am an idiot", or "Do you know how much I love you?" I had high hopes for the last part, only because I knew that he was completely drunk.
But, he eventually took the microphone, said something and then send a blast to the wall and shattered the glass all over, while everyone took cover. I immediately turned the sound on just as the whole room started laughing and a girl through a bottle high in the air for the playboy to blast. And boy he delivered. Bottle after bottle and finally a whole watermelon were blasted.
My eyes were glued on the screen as Stark stumbled and almost fell before a heavy toned voice interrupted the laughter that was ringing in the room. "I'm gonna say this once" I switched cameras only to see Lt. Colonel in an Iron Man suit, with his serious face on. "Get out" he continued and the crowd started immediately dispersing.
This would be a good time for me to go with the crowd.
Despite the room being soundproof, I can still hear the fight going on in the level right beneath me. I could imagine Rhodes and Stark throwing each other through different rooms. I was out of my room and headed to the stairs when a loud crash originated from the room next to me and I couldn't help my curiosity. I peeked inside and saw Stark on the floor next to a huge hole, when Rhodes was ascending from within his Mark II suit. Before he had a chance to see me I bolted to the stairs and made my way downstairs.
I saw Natasha and Pepper having an argument and I wanted to make my way to them, only I was not fast enough. Tony came rushing through the room, landing exactly between me and the two women.
Happy quickly entered and rushed Pepper out of the house, while her eyes were looking around, probably for me. Just as Stark grabbed Rhode's wrist and started dragging him across the room Natasha screamed my name. "This way!", she continued and she held her hand for me to take while the fighting duo continued their show. I didn't hesitate in the slightest when I reached for her hand and together we left through another exit of the mansion.
There was a moment of quiet which I knew was not a good sign. It reminded me of every movie that I had seen when there was a moment of absolute silence before something happened. And soon I was proven right.
An explosion went out from the house, blasting the door that we had just crossed and sending us flying a few good feet only to land on the hard concrete. And, of course, I had to be unlucky and land on my bad shoulder. Because, why not? Luck didn't seem to be on my side for years now, why would that suddenly change?
"You okay?" I faintly heard as Natasha came and crouched next to me.
No, was what I was thinking at the moment but replied with a "Yes" though greeted teeth. My right hand found its way to the injured shoulder and was holding it tightly. It was as if I was afraid that if I let go, my shoulder would fall off my body. And the hurting ribs didn't help in my try to conceal my pain.
"Let me see" Nat said and gently moved my hand away so that she could inspect what had happened. She pocked it in a few placed, both in my shoulder blade and sternum, gentle but it still hurt. I tried really hard not to cry out in pain or let a whimper, or even a wis, leave my mouth. However her, ever so observant, eyes picked up on my discomfort and she let go, making way for my hand to grab it once again. "Thankfully it didn't get dislocated, again. But it did set your healing back to how it was when you hurt it from the fight. And your ribs don't look any better for the wear. Sorry" she apologised.
"Not your fault" I said after a few moments, my eyes darted to the destroyed mansion. An Iron Man suit flying off caught my eye. But only one, a silver-coloured one, which meant that Tony was still in there.
"You should go back to Pepper, she is definitely looking for you" Natasha's voice cut my thoughts short.
My eyebrows furrowed as I turned to her. "You are not coming with me?"
"I have to contact Fury. Stark is completely out of line and he needs to do something. Now. If he continues like that he will be a public danger" she spoke as she helped me up.
"You know what's wrong with him?" I asked, but it was more of a statement. She nodded, but said nothing more. "Classified. Got it" I touched her arm and she lifted her face. "Go, I'll cover for you" a small smile played on my lips but was soon replaced by a grimace as my shoulder sent a pain wave out of the blue. Nat made a move to help me out, but I stopped her. "I'll be alright. Go" and with my chin I pointed to the opposite direction from where I was heading. "See you soon?" I voiced loudly before she disappeared from my sight.
"Count on it!" She said back and her form disappeared in the shadows of the night.
Natasha's POV
I left Skye to go to Pepper, as I made my way to the vehicle that I had, thankfully, parked quite far from the mansion and so it was still in one piece.
I picked up my phone and as soon as Phil Coulson picked up I said "It's secure" before he even had the chance to ask about the line.
"What's going on, Romanoff?" Fury soon came through the speaker, his voice oh so indifferent, though I could pick up the urgent tone that was hidden underneath.
"He is in a self destructive path and Lt. Colonel Rhodes just flew off with one of his suits, after properly destroying the mansion in Malibu". I heard Fury clicking his tongue and mutter several curse words, though I knew none of them were directed to me. A long period of silence followed, letting me know that he was thinking of a plan. "What are my orders, sir?"
He let out a heavy sigh. "Return to base. We regroup and will meet him first thing in the morning"
"Understood".
But before I made a move to hang up he continued. "Is Skye safe? Are you gonna bring her with you?"
It was my turn to let out a sigh. "No, not this time but soon. As soon as this whole mess with Stark is over. She wants to make sure that Potts is fine before she leaves, but she said that she would come"
Fury seemed to contemplate my words since he didn't reply right away. "How are you so sure she will come?" He eventually asked.
"I trust her. She wouldn't lie to me". This seemed to be all that Fury needed to hear. "Just a reminder, Stark has no idea of our connection to Skye, or more specifically mine. Also, Skye has no idea that you know. I know that this whole 'Skye' situation is between us, but I would like to keep it this way".
"Yes, Romanoff. See you soon" he finished and hung up.
Chapter 37: The AftermathNotes:
All rights go to Marvel
Chapter Text
Skye's POV
Finding Pepper turned out to be a little harder than I had initially anticipated. That was mainly due to the destroyed building that separated us. It must have been at least ten minutes, or at least this is how much time I thought had passed since Natasha left to inform Fury before I saw the CEO. I was still clutching my bad shoulder and when she noticed me moving towards her she came running in my direction.
She didn't ask any questions, just wrapped an arm around me and led me to the car, always careful not to put too much pressure on any of my aching parts. Both of us sat on the backseats, as Happy drove us to Pepper's apartment in Malibu, the one where she would live when not in the mansion.
"How much pain are you in?" She asked when we crossed the door and headed to the living room.
"I fell on my shoulder when the explosion occurred, and the fall didn't help the ribs either" I replied honestly, knowing that Pepper would be able to detect any lies. "They are the same state as when I woke in the hospital, but with some rest, they should heal properly". I sat on the sofa, the adrenaline rush had long disappeared from my system and I was starting to feel tired. I was looking at the floor when Pepper came to sit next to me and she placed a hand on my back.
"What's wrong?"
"All of my stuff were in the mansion. Do you mind if Happy drives me there tomorrow to see if anything survived?" I rubbed my eyes with my hand as my thoughts went to a particular item that I wished was still intact.
"We will go together, but now you need to get some sleep. We both do" she tried to smile, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.
It was my turn to pat her back. "It's okay, I'll go alone. You need to go to the Enterprises and sort everything out". I could see that she was about to argue and I cut her short. "No buts. You have work to do. If you could only lend me a set of clothes to sleep in and I'll take the couch. Yes, the couch and I am not taking no for an answer"
First thing in the morning, even before Happy drove Pepper to work, he took me to the mansion. It was weirdly quiet and empty, I was at least expecting Tony to be lying somewhere on the floor, pitying himself.
I quickly made my way to my room, which was more or less destroyed. The painkillers that I had taken the same morning were still kicking in, allowing me to move my shoulder around and search for the item of interest more easily. First I went to the closet and checked every bag there. Finding them all empty, I grabbed one of them and stuffed it with my remaining clothes. I hadn't had much before, but now they were even less. I had a feeling that Pepper would take this chance as soon as she could afford a day-off and go shopping with me.
Then I started looking all over the room. Under the broken desk, or the bed. I was not sure how long I had spent looking, but it must have been long enough for Happy to come upstairs.
"We need to go. I need to take Pepper to the Industries" he said with a final tone.
"Just give me one more minute" I replied, never slowing down my research.
He sighed and from the corner of my eye, I could see him unfold his arms, which he had crossed over his chest. "You know, if you tell me what you are looking for it would be easier for me to help you find it," he said and crouched next to me, searching the floor for anything that could be of interest to me.
I momentarily stopped, before resuming what I was doing. "Why do you suddenly care so much? Don't get me wrong, but I thought that you didn't like me"
He stopped what he was doing and turned to look at me. It took him a while before he found the right words to express what was on his mind. "I didn't in the beginning" he finally admitted. "But you've helped a lot since you came, both Pepper and Tony, especially Pepper. I thought I would give you a chance, so don't waste it" his tone was sincere as the smallest smile appeared on his face. "Now, what are we looking for?"
I returned the smile and lifted my gaze to meet his. "A hula girl"
He furrowed his brows as he took in what he just heard. "You mean the hula girl that you take everywhere with you?" I glanced at him with a question mark clear as day on my face. "I've seen how much you care about that thing, it was quite easy to notice, to be honest…" his voice grew softer by the end of the sentence. "Have you checked the luggage that you took with you to Monaco?" He concluded.
That's it! I mentally screamed and went towards the said luggage. It was not with the other bags in my closet, since I had yet to unpack it and before the explosion is was sitting close to my bed.
"Let me," Happy said as he helped move the item, which was buried underneath a heavy rock.
As soon as I was able to, I unzipped the luggage and searched frantically inside. It was there, unharmed and whole as when I first got it. I let out a heavy sigh and sat on the floor, clutching the item in my hand. "Thank you" I spoke to Happy who was looking at the whole exchange with curious eyes.
"You're welcome" he got up and offered me his hand to help me up as well, which I took without a second thought. We soon were back in the car, some of the clothes that survived in the trunk, and we headed back to Pepper's apartment to pick her up. "Why do you care so much about the hula girl by the way?" Happy asked and from his tone, I could tell that he was contemplating whether he could ask or not.
I looked down at the shaking girl, a smile playing on my lips without my intention as memories flooded my brain. "It was a gift" the feeling that spread through my body kept me all warm and fuzzy until we picked Pepper and reached the Industries building.
Pepper went to her office and I headed to the computer lab, just to check how everyone was working. So far I had only worked from my office in the Stark Tower, or the smaller one, that now was probably smashed, in the mansion. So, even though I was the head of cybersecurity, I had yet to meet any of the people who were kind of working for me. I had to reassure Pepper that I would not work, just supervise and make notes as to potential changes that might need to take place.
And so I did. For about thirty minutes before I got bored to death, not being able to touch a computer and all, and I headed upstairs to where the CEO's office was.
I was almost at the secretary's desk when I noticed Natasha on the other side of the room and rushed to her side. She was not as relaxed as she had been the previous days. "Good morning, Natalie," I said with the steadiest voice I could muster.
She looked at me, then her clock and back at me. "Good morning, indeed, Skye. How is your shoulder?" We entered the building's elevator.
"Healing, slowly. Thank you for your concern" I replied politely and waited for the doors to close before truly looking at Nat. "Are you okay? You seem a bit on edge…" I immediately asked, concern leaking into my expression. She titled her head to the side, with a silent question and I scoffed. "Please, I know you better than most people do" I disregarded her. "I'm guessing Tony knows?"
She straightened her back, holding tightly the documents in her hands as she coughed to clear her throat. "He does, and I wouldn't be surprised if he came over at some point today. Did Potts ask where I was?"
I saw the, clear as day, change of subject but didn't push her any more. "No, actually she didn't. I think she was too shaken up by what happened to truly process your disappearance". Supposing that she wanted to reach her office, which by my calculations was only one floor away, I quickly added before the elevator doors opened again. "If he tries anything, he will have to do with me" I tried to reassure her and just like that we were back at our role play.
Of course, it turned out that Natasha was right and Tony did come into the building. For better or worse that was while we were getting ready to departure back to New York because we needed to make an appearance for the Stark Expo. Especially since Hammer Industries would have the main pavilion for tonight, making a big presentation.
We met Happy on the way to the office, who was carrying our luggage and I send him a small smile, which he returned. It seemed that we had made progress.
"Ms. Potts?" Natasha asked as she opened the door to the office.
Seeing Tony there, I could tell why Pepper suddenly seemed so relieved by our presence. "Hi, come in"
Natasha moved closer to the office as she announced "Wheels up in 25 minutes", her eyes never leaving Tony's form. When she received Pepper's "Thank you", it was Happy's turn to speak.
"Anything else, boss?" He asked and was clearly looking at Pepper, but Tony couldn't help it and reply on top of her.
I had remained silent during the whole exchange, observing carefully and ready to intervene in case Tony went out of line. He looked between the three of us. "I lost all the kids in the divorce," he said, always making fun of a serious situation as he laughed. He turned his head from one person to the other, until he met my eyes and I shook my head. Then his face grew more serious and his chair was facing the desk where Pepper and Natasha were. "Are you blending in well, Natalie? Here at Stark Enterprises?" My sister shot him a glare. If looks could kill then Tony would have been dead by now. "Your name is Natalie, isn't it? I thought you two didn't get along" he pointed between the two women.
"No, Tony. They get along just fine" I said defending Nat as I had promised.
"Oh, it's just me she doesn't care for". Then he turned his head to me. "Since when did you start using the first-name basis with me?", he curiously asked.
"Since you lost the little respect I had for you" I simply replied and Pepper found that moment to cut in.
"Actually, while you're here, maybe you and Natalie could discuss the matter of the personal belongings" she waited to get the affirmative from Nat and then her eyes pointed to the exit, a clear sign for me to follow her. First Pepper went out of the room, followed by Happy and me at the end. I could hear Tony speaking to Natasha before the door was even closed. And I had to muster all my self-control not to get back in that office.
Chapter 38: The ShowdownNotes:Hey everyone! This is the last chapter for the Iron Man 2 content. Also, I think this is the longest chapter in the story so far. I hope you all enjoy. Thank you for reading the story :)
All rights go to Marvel
Chapter Text
Skye's POV
We eventually reached New York and made our way to the Stark Expo. I had no idea what Natasha and Tony talked about when we left with Pepper, but even I could not read Natasha's expression. Though the slight tenseness in her muscles was hard to ignore.
As representatives of the Stark Industries, and given that we were at Stark Expo, we had pretty good seats. We were quite close to the stage and had a good view of whatever happened on top of it. Pepper was sitting in between Natasha and myself, which was convenient for me. If I was positioned right next to my sister, in the back of my mind I would constantly want to ask what happened with the billionaire, but now that I had Pepper there I could focus on what Hammer had to present.
Soon the man came into the pavilion. Of course, dancing while walking on the stage, as if we didn't already know how jealous he was of Tony. Trying to make everything better by copying his rival's moves. At least Tony had the decency to hire dancers for the song, while he came on stage in his Iron Man suit. Watching Hammer dance his way through made my eyes hurt and I had to turn away until he started talking and I was positive that he had completed his so-called "routine".
But then, he started talking and it all got worse.
"Ladies and gentlemen, for far too long this country has had to place its brave men and women in harm's way. But then the Iron Man arrived and we thought the days of losing lives were behind us. Sadly that technology was kept out of reach. That's not fair, that's not right. That's just too bad…"
I had closed my eyes when I heard Pepper exclaim, "Oh, Lord" next to me.
I had to roll my eyes because, seriously? This guy? He spoke like a four-year-old whose vocabulary only had a handful of words at its disposal and he was a businessman for crying out loud. I mean, come on!
He kept on talking and I tried not to focus on what he was saying until I heard him start talking about a "new face in the US military". And he introduced the Hammer drone. The drones started making their way to the stage and all three of us started exchanging glances.
The drones seemed to have something like a reactor similar to Tony's where the heart was supposed to be. I could see the look of distress on Natasha's face and who would occasionally look around until the huge bomb hit us. When Lt. Colonel Rhodes, in a weapon advanced Iron Man suit appeared on stage claiming to pilot the drones. The suit must have been Mark II, the one that he left with when he disappeared from the mansion after the whole fight-with-Tony fiasco. But the weapons were not in the initial design. It appeared that Hammer tech made some "improvements".
"What?" Pepper asked, not able to believe that Rhodey, as she and Tony called him, was a part of all of this.
He saluted to all the audience, taking his place among the drones, but no sooner had he left his hand fall to its resting place that Tony's Iron Man suit was heard approaching. The whole Expo was instantly silenced and everyone turned their heads to the sky in search of the source of the sound. And, oh boy, Tony didn't fail to deliver. Landing in one knee with a heavy *thumb* on the stage as the crowd went wild.
What the hell is he doing here? I mentally questioned and got up as well to be able to see what was going on on the stage.
Though no one could hear what he was saying, he spoke to Rhodes first and then moved towards Hammer who was backing away. "Where is he? Where's Vanko?" He asked and the microphones picked up on it.
The name had yet to leave my memory since he was the guy who attacked the racetrack. But, I thought he was dead? I turned my face and looked at Nat, who picked up on Tony's question as well. Pepper had her serious face on as well, looking at the whole exchange between the two men. And then, Rhodes activated his weapon, aiming it straight at Tony.
Tony backed away, as most of the other drones aimed their guns at him as well. Following in the same steps as him, the three of us started backing away and making our way backstage, when Iron Man flew away and the drones, along with Rhodes, started firing at him.
"Shit!" I exclaimed as the drones that were left on the stage started making their way towards the crowd. We were running against the others, who were going out of the Expo.
Heading in the back, we heard a distressed Hammer talking to his guys. "Well then call their… call their cells" and one of his guys replied. "The cell phones aren't working either, sir. He's locked us out of the mainframe"
"Who's locked you out of the mainframe?" Pepper demanded moving in closer, with Natasha and me on her heels.
"Please, please. Go away, go away. I've got this handled" Hammer stepped in front of the computer screens and raised his hands to push Pepper away. "Have you now?" She all but screamed to his face and he had the nerve to say, "Yes, I do. In fact, if your guy hadn't showed up, this wouldn't be happening" Oh, he was asking for it. "So please no, go away. Thank you" he showed the exit door to Pepper once more and he turned his back on us, talking with his IT guy.
I looked at Nat, who looked ready to drive her fist into his face, but I made the first move, not letting her take the lead. I didn't need two arms to get the answer that I needed to give to Natasha.
I used my right hand to grab his and twisted it behind his back. He yelped, not expecting the sudden pain that cursed through his wrist and shoulder, as I pressed him on the desk and pushed him down. "You tell me who's behind this," I said in his ear, just as Natasha had once taught me. When he didn't reply, I pushed harder and asked again, "Who's behind this?", in a more demanding voice.
"Ivan– Ivan Vanko"
I could almost feel my pupils growing at the name. "Where is he?"
"He's at my facility" Hammer didn't hesitate to say and I could hear the strain in his voice. He was in pain, good. This meant he was telling the truth.
I released him and turned around, just as Nat started making her way out of here. I made a move to follow her but she stopped and turned to me. "You are staying put" her voice was so demanding that there was no room for me to disagree, but I did so nonetheless.
"I am coming with you" I declared. "You need all the help you can get and even in my current state, I can be of help" I met her gaze with just as much relentlessness.
"You want to help? Stay here and monitor the system. Try to hack back into what Vanko is doing at Hammer Industries and shut the droids down" she gave me an earpiece. "Talk to me through here if anything happens" and with that, she left.
I looked back at Pepper who had just made a call to the NYPD and I went to the computer. The guy who was previously sitting there got up when I basically dragged him off his seat. "Tell me everything you know," I said with a stern voice, as I started making my way through Hammer's system using both hands. Screw the pain that I felt in my shoulder and ribs from the strain of the movement, this was more important.
I start making my way through the back doors of the systems, and every time I tried something Ivan blocked me out. Oh, this was a challenge that I hadn't had in years. The information that the Hammer tech guy gave me was not very helpful and while I read the endless rows and lines of coding I was making my own assumptions about what was happening.
Pepper was over my head, her eyes moving rapidly as she tried to figure out what was going on on the screen. The final set of drones that was left on stage finally flew off just as another section of the computer turned green.
I knew what this meant, but I had to explain it to Pepper so that she knew what was going on as well. "Each set of drones is communicating in its own unique language," I told her, never diminishing the rate that my fingers were pushing the letters and symbols on the keyboard.
"Why don't you try focusing on one?" She asked, her voice a bit higher than I was used to. This whole thing was starting to affect her patience and calmness.
I was about to answer when Hammer interrupted. "Have you tried Russian? Why don't you try Russian?" I sharply turned towards him and he actually took a couple of steps back, holding his hands up.
"Idiot, I meant coding language. And yes, Pepper, this is what I am trying to do" I tried not to snap at Pepper, but the pain that was rising in my left side was not particularly helping. I had yet to wear the earpiece that my sister gave me and I rushed to do so. I heard grunting from the other side of the line. "Nat, talk to me. What's going on?"
"I'm a little busy right now" was all she said and was all I needed to hear. She had reached Hammer Industries and was making her way to Vanko. So, all I needed to do was stall him for a little more and–
Suddenly my coding became so much easier. There was no interference from the other end, which meant that probably Vanko had left the computers and was planning something else. Quickly, my fingers started pressing the keyboard even faster, trying to help as much as I could before he returned. As Pepper said and as I was doing all along. I focused on one of the drone sets, trying to deactivate them. I had no idea what kind of software the guy had put, but with the limited sources that I had from the Expo computer I could not break down the security walls that Vanko had risen.
"Damn" I wanted so much to smash the computer in front of me for its inability but I thought better of it. "He's gone," I said to the earpiece, only for Natasha to confirm it a few seconds later.
"Skye, I'm gonna try to reboot Rhodes suit, for him to have control. Can you help me from your end to make it faster?"
"Of course" was my instant reply as I restarted typing. Soon there was an "access granted" sign with capital, green letters. I opened another window in the computer which linked me to the computer Natasha was using.
"Reboot complete. You got your best friend back" she said to Tony, whose face through the Iron Man suit appeared on the screen as well.
"Thank you very much, agent Romanoff," he said and I turned my face to look at Pepper. Natasha said something, but I could see the question in Pepper's face and as she looked at me she saw that I was not phased by this new information. She opened her mouth to speak when Tony spoke again and our attention turned to him, because of what he said. "Yes, for the moment, I'm not dying. Thank you"
This made Pepper rush in front of the screen. "What do you mean you're not dying? Did you just say you were dying?" She started rambling.
"Is that you? No, no I'm not. Not any more" Tony tried to save his slip but couldn't really.
"What's going on?" Pepper asked again, trying for once to get a straight reply from the billionaire.
They kept on going back and forth about the reason why Tony didn't say anything so far and started arguing as if they were a married couple. Get a room already, I thought as I looked from behind Pepper to Natasha, begging her with my eyes to save me. Thankfully she picked up on my distress and spoke. "Hey, hey. Save it for the honeymoon. You've got incoming Tony. Looks like the fight's coming to you"
The duo kept on arguing for a little longer until Tony had to turn his attention back on the Hammeroids coming in his direction. I kept on typing on the computer, and despite the distance between our location and Tony's, we could still hear all the ammo being fired. My focus was still on the computer screen when the police came and took Hammer away when Pepper said that he was the one responsible for the attack at the Expo. And for some reason, he really thought that he wasn't the one who needed to be put in jail? I had given up on this guy… Seriously. Trying to get inside the mind of that four-year-old was more challenging than trying to read through Natasha's Assassin mask.
So, when he was escorted by the police some other police officers came with us as we exited the backstage and moved to the front. Pepper was giving them directions about the exits that they should be positioned, given that she knew the Expo map by heart. "Are you coming with us?" One of the officers stayed back and asked her.
"No, I'm gonna stay 'till the park is clear," she said and pointed at me. "She is coming with you, though"
"What? No!" I almost yelled and went to stand next to her. "I'm staying as well" I dismissed the officer, but Pepper seemed to want to continue this argument.
"Skye, you're hurt. You may try to hide it, but I've seen that you grunt with the slightest movement. You helped with the hacking, and made your arm worse. Now, go and get checked out" she stood tall in front of me, trying to be intimidating and trying to make me listen to her. But she knew all too well that I was not going to go anywhere unless I wished to.
"If you're staying, then so am I" I simply took my aching arm with my good one and pressed it on my chest. She opened her mouth to say something, but she never got the chance to. "You stayed with me in a shaking building, in one of the higher floors and said that you would not go anywhere unless I came with you. This is me saying that I am not going anywhere unless you come with me" my eyes never leaving hers.
She scoffed and threw her arms in the air. "Fine," she said as if exacerbated, but I saw the tiniest lift at the corner of her lips and I knew she wasn't really mad with me.
We watched as people evacuated the perimeter and I was counting down the people that were left in close range. The sooner these guys left, the sooner we would leave as well.
"So…" Pepper dragged out the word, which made me raise an eyebrow in her direction. "Natalie is an agent?" She eventually asked, her eyes never really meeting mine.
"S.H.I.E.L.D." I simply replied and she nodded. "I met her once or twice before I fell off the grid" I added since she already knew some general information about my stay in the Academy. She did not reply though and it got me a bit anxious. "Sorry that I didn't say anything" I kind of lied. I was sorry, just not for not revealing Natasha's cover. I was sorry for everything that was going on. "S.H.I.E.L.D. seems to be keeping an eye on you"
Pepper laughed slightly at that. "Yeah, they sure do". She looked up in the dark sky as if lost in her own thoughts. "You see, I know that Tony doesn't like the agency much but there are some decent people there and they helped a lot when Tony first came out as Iron Man". She took a deep breath and closed her eyes as a slight breeze pushed the hair out of her face. It was quiet, too quiet. "Have you ever met a man named Phil Coulson?" She asked and I had a feeling I knew why. I had read the files when I hacked into S.H.I.E.L.D. from when AC went to meet Tony and make an assessment of his Iron Man suit.
I smiled at the memories that included him and I had a long time to visit. "I might or not have heard him"
The quiet that was too good to be true suddenly disappeared as an explosion happened from the other side of the Expo. It sounded a lot like the explosion that occurred in the Stark mansion when Rhodes went against Tony.
Both of us stopped moving and all our focus was at that point. It could have been seconds, or a few minutes when a tipping sound started echoing from one of the disabled Hammeroids close to us.
"Natasha?" I asked in my comms and grabbed Peppers bicep as I slowly backed away from it.
"I have no idea what's going on Skye. I'm out of Hammer Industries coming to you–"
"No, don't!" I screamed back. "I think those things are about to blow," I said just as fast and sorted to pulling Pepper harder, who finally seemed to get the memo. The ticking sound grew faster and faster, but we were still not out of reach from the explosion that was bound to happen. I heard before I saw Tony flying towards us and I pushed Pepper in front and away from me. "Take her! I'll be fine!" Without leaving any room for him to question me I started running away just as the explosion finally happened.
I raised my good hand, sending vibration towards the explosion, hoping to create some kind of shield to protect me, but given that I only had one arm to use, the power sent to the shield was equally half.
I heard Natasha call my name in my ear, just as the heat from the destroyed drone hit me.
Chapter 39: Debriefings And DisastersNotes:Hey guys, how are you all? So... towards the end of the chapter there is a part where there is a flashback, but nothing major. In the second book, we deal more with PTSD and stuff, which is why I will be changing the second Book's rating as well and have them in the tags. There is just a small thing at the end here, nothing from Skye's POV, and then the next chapter is more dedicated to it. Again, it's nothing major but if anyone doesn't want to read please don't, feel free to comment or message me here, on FanFiction or Tumblr and I will let you know the gists of what's happening. Thanks for reading :)
TW: Flashback
All rights go to Marvel
Chapter Text
Natasha's POV
"Skye!" I screamed into my comm when I heard her telling Tony to take the CEO away. I screamed her name and only a second later the whole of Stark Expo enfolded in explosions. We had parted ways with Happy just after we finished from Hammer Industries and I rebooted Rhode's suit. I had called in to let S.H.I.E.L.D. know my status and what was going on from someone on the ground. Coulson was sent to New Mexico, along with Clint and so I was left with Maria Hill picking the phone before handing it over to Fury. I quickly filled him in the situation and about the lack of reply from Skye.
I wanted to head straight to the site of the many explosions and start the search for my sister as soon as possible, but Fury made me see logic saying that anything could collapse at any moment if we did not take the proper precautions. So, there I was, sitting not so patiently and waiting for the team that the director sent to get ready for the search to start.
"What the hell happened here?" Maria Hill asked as soon as she stepped next to me.
We were looking down at the debris that filled the surrounding area as far as our eyes could see. My gaze didn't stop searching for any sign of Skye while I answered. "Hammer and Vanko. That's what happened". I turned my head to see what was taking the rest of the team so long. "Are you guys ready or what?" I snapped.
"Hey!" Maria instantly said. "They haven't done anything wrong. You know the procedure for situations where explosives are in play" she all but pushed my shoulder to emphasise her words.
My eyes were once more focused on the ruins, not sparing a look at Maria who I was sure was still carefully watching me. "Even so, they are taking too long" I ended up saying.
All Maria could do was let out a sigh. Silence filled the air and for a few seconds, all I heard was the sound of the agents wearing their suits. Maria and I were already in our protective gear. I was sure that everyone could feel the energy and need for action leaving my body in waves. Finally, finally, everyone was ready and we started making our way through what used to be the Stark Expo in all its glory. We would check everywhere we could and then quickly moved on. Slowly and steadily we continued making our way towards what once was the main pavilion, where Hammer did his presentation. Skye shouldn't have been far from there, since when I left she was backstage with Pepper going over the systems and helping hack Vanko.
The building had completely collapsed and there were quite a few heavy chunks of stones that the agents would, more often than not, pick up to check underneath in case there was still any explosive devices or in the best case scenario, Skye herself.
I had strained my ears, trying to pick up any sign of Skye's presence. In one ear I had the coms that the team had and on the other, I would have the one connected to the one Skye should still have on her. Normally all of our communication devices had a tracking system, but since Skye had yet to return to S.H.I.E.L.D., I didn't want anyone to get the idea of tracking her because of something that I gave her and so I had disabled this specific function.
I was shaken from my thoughts when a hand landed on my shoulder. "We will find her" Maria spoke from behind me and I threw her hand off me. "We better," I replied, my eyes still scanning the area.
We kept going like that for what seemed to be hours for me. I kept on noticing the worrying glances that Maria was sending me. I didn't mind the agent, but I was not very fond of her either. She did care for my sister, her being her main trainer for the short period that she stayed in the Academy. But she is the person that I blamed for losing her. She was supposed to soon be her S.O. and despite that, she lost her. She was the reason why I had years to hear from her. But she left the Academy and gained a position closer to Coulson and Fury, so the instances when I met with her for mission briefs along with Clint had increased a lot the past couple of years. It was pretty hard to continue keeping a grudge against her because she wasn't an easy person to dislike. She reminded me of myself a lot of times. But now, Skye was once again kind of missing and she was here worrying about me snapping to the agents.
We were divided into teams, to cover more ground quicker than we would have otherwise. Of course, I was in the same team as Maria with another guy helping us lift the heavy chunks. So far we had found absolutely nothing and it was getting on my nerves. So, when we lifted one piece of the building that had fallen and I noticed that there was an intact corridor underneath I, without a second thought, docked and went into the darkness. Without my support lifting the thing, the stone fell back to its initial place trapping me inside.
"Romanoff" I heard Maria's angry voice in my ear. "What's your status?"
"Though I'm very touched to hear you worrying about me, I'm fine. There was this corridor under the piece that we lifted and thought of checking it out. I highly doubt I'll run out of oxygen by the time you find a way for me to get out and I'll be fast enough to check this place out by the time you create the exit" I replied and started making my way through the unfamiliar environment.
I heard a sigh from the other end of the comms but no further reprimand, which I was sure I would get an earful of once out of this whole situation. I unsheathed the flashlight and resumed making my way, taking in everything in case I caught sight of Skye. This whole situation reminded me of the way that I found her the first time, something more than a decade ago… how fast time seemed to pass. Thankfully this time though there was no door where Skye was hidden behind. Only a tone of debris all over the place, which made me look closely at each one of them in case Skye was somehow underneath them.
But no, Skye was not under any of the ruins that were all over. She was lying on the ground, close to a wall, with her face on the ground.
"Skye!" I screamed even if I knew deep down that she would not be able to listen to me.
"Natasha, what's going on?" Maria's voice filled my ears as she must have heard my previous cry.
Paying no attention to the question asked, I ran up to the limp body of the woman and fell to my knees. Carefully I turned her body so that she was facing the ceiling instead of the ground and gently placed her head on my lap. Maria still wanted an update on the situation, but all my focus was on Skye who had not even moved. I placed a couple of fingers on her neck and let out a heavy sigh when I found her pulse.
My adrenaline was now at its peak, but I managed to relax a little bit since I knew that she was safe. I lifted my hand and pressed my earpiece, just to make sure that Maria would get what I was about to say clearly. "I have Skye. She is alive. Unconscious, but alive"
As soon as the rest of the team found us we called in for backup because we had no idea what kind of injuries Skye might have had. There was a quintet that came to pick up Skye and only a couple more agents and headed straight to the S.H.I.E.L.D. facility where the director would meet up with us. Of course, Maria rode in the quinjet with me and we both watched, in silence and not being able to do anything to help, as a doctor that was onboard assessed the state that my sister was in.
And so, this was how I ended up sitting in a chair in an office in the medical facility.
Skye's many injuries were listed before me in a paper which I had already gone through half a dozen times, memorising every detail. The occurrences in which she was thrown off the ground because of an explosion or thrown in general were too concentrated for her to escape it without a scratch.
She also must have pushed her shoulder quite a lot while helping me hack into Hammer industries when they were controlled by Ivan Vanko, since it was once again in a sling but was, this time, accompanied by a tight wrap that went from her hand, up her shoulder and around her chest to make sure that it properly held in place. Her ribs were not getting any better either, but among the rest minor scratches and bruises, she gained the most alarming was her head. She had bumped it, again, probably when she was caught up when the Hammeroid blew. That, combined with the concussion that she got from when fighting in Monaco and the explosion in the Stark mansion… well, was just not good news.
"Natasha" Fury's voice echoed as he entered the office.
I did respect the man, he was the director of the organisation after all and a main reason why I was not killed after the Red Room. But we both knew that I was not particularly happy with being taken away from Skye, at least not in this particular moment. "Let's get this over with, I have someplace I need to be," I said and watched as Fury slowly went to sit in his chair behind the desk in front of me.
He was holding a folder which he opened and threw on the desk so that I could see what was inside. I already knew what it was though, with no need to read the typed letters on the papers. This was Skye's folder from when she was in the Academy and all the info that we had gathered while looking for her when she first disappeared and the new one since she reappeared. It was a thin folder though, with not a lot of intel, since we could only print what we got quickly before her traces disappeared as she erased herself from any digital existence.
I simply raised an eyebrow, waiting for anything new to listen to. Fury leaned back on his chair and linked his fingers over his stomach. His gaze never left mine though. "I am not gonna lose her again"
"And you thought that I was gonna let this happen? I just found her after years of looking" I replied, never showing any emotion. The sooner we got this over with the better.
Fury actually laughed at my answer. "I was not expecting anything less from you. But can you promise me that if, when she wakes up, she decides to leave that you will not allow her to? She is a great asset and from what I gathered from Maria when she was training her she had the potential to be a great agent. And now she has powers as well? The training that you and Melinda gave her doesn't seem to have completely left her if the fight in Monaco was any indication" he declared. "So…" and with that, he leaned on his desk this time, his hands still linked to each other. "What do you think?"
I took all the info that Fury had said into account. I already knew his intentions when it came to Skye.
Underneath all that talk though I knew that was he was saying was because he cared a lot for her. He would never admit it himself, but if someone knew him long enough, they would be able to read the signs.
He was the one that sent May, Clint, Coulson and me to the 0-8-4 site on the day when we found her. He was always behind the scenes and he had agreed to take her into the Academy when the time came. He was the one who provided all the resources in order to track her when she fell off the grid and he protected her when she made an appearance in Monaco. He was the one who made sure that even though her face was recorded and many news reporters would like to pursue the identity of who this unknown individual with powers was, no one dared to do so. And it had made Skye's life so much easier when she deleted what was still on the internet about her.
So, yeah. To a third party listening, he might appear as the strict director of the shadow organisation that S.H.I.E.L.D. was at the moment, but deep down he did care a lot.
Realising that it was some time since he asked me my opinion and I had yet to answer, I cleared my throat and started. "I don't think she will want to leave. I told you before that she wanted to come in as soon as Pepper was settled after the whole fiasco and mess that Tony created. And since everything appears to be going pretty well for now, I don't find any reason for her to not want to come in" I honestly said.
Fury seemed to analyse my words for a bit. "You rely on the belief that Skye will keep her word. She left the Academy without leaving a trace behind and you had to seek her for years. What makes you think that she will stay true to what she promised you?"
"We both know that if she wants to disappear she can do so, and trust me when I tell you that we won't be able to find her again" the answer came as soon as Fury formed his curiosity-filled question. "Ever since I met her if she was one thing, that was honest. Honest to her word. If she promised that she was to come to S.H.I.E.L.D. then she would and I have no doubt about that. And let me tell you–" my sentence was cut short when I noticed that the water-filled glass on the desk started moving. Not the glass itself, but the water seemed to pick up on vibrations.
"Natasha? What happened?" I heard Fury ask in the abrupt way that I stopped talking. His eyes followed mine to the water just as the vibrations picked up and the office shook for only a second before going back still.
"Skye", was all I whispered before bolting out of the room and running to the room where Skye was supposed to be resting. What I found surprised me to no end.
Skye was curled up in the corner, her back against the wall, knees close to her chest and an arm stretched out. I could see the cables that were still on her, measuring her vitals and her heart rate seemed to be over the roof. On top of that, she seemed to have somehow ripped the IV off her arm. Even if I was on the other side of the room I could clearly hear her whizzing with every rapid breath she took over the commotion that was happening around us.
With a quick look around the room, I noticed that there were a couple of doctors thrown at the other side of the room, probably because of her powers. Another doctor was helping the two of them off the floor while Maria was slowly closing in on Skye with her hand up in a surrendering manner.
I saw Skye's eyes focusing on Maria's form just as she stretched her arm started moving in her direction. Shit. "Look out!" I screamed at her and threw myself on top of her to push her out of the way of my sister's vibrations. Just as we landed, ungracefully may I add, on the floor I heard a loud sound from where Maria was previously standing. I turned my head only to see that the medical equipment had taken flight and had violently hit the glass window on the other side of the room, breaking it completely. I noticed that the quake that Skye send hurt her as well because she was clutching her left side with her good arm. Maria moved beside me, a movement that would most likely lead to her standing up and I pushed her back down. "Stay here"I told her, leaving no room for disagreement.
I slowly got up, with my hands up in the same manner as Maria's previous attempt. Skye quickly saw my movement and extended her arm to throw a wave in my way. I was quick to dodge and saw Skye hiss and clench her aching side.
I leaned closer to the ground, to be more to her eye level. She made no move to extend her arm in my direction, but I had no doubt that she would do so if she felt she was threatened.
The other people in the room had stopped making any kind of sound or movement and all their attention was between mine and Skye's interaction. I looked into my sisters' eyes and saw fear clear in them. What worried me the most though was the lack of recognition when she looked at me. It was as if she was looking at me, but not truly seeing me. That, along with her quick breaths and her whole body language let me know in what state her mind was in.
Flashback.
But what could she possibly have a flashback from? I was wondering what she might have been through those four years that I had no idea where she was. I was slowly moving closer to her but I seemed to have overstepped a boundary as her hand shot up to my direction and instead of dodging I took a few steps back.
This was going to be hard.
Chapter 40: Fake RealityNotes:Same things apply to the last chapter :) Message me and I will explain things if you want to skip this chapter (here, FanFiction, Tumblr). Here we are looking more in the Flashback that was mentioned in the previous chapter and see things from Skye's POV. Again, nothing too graphic, or at least I don't think so, but if you need to skip the chapter please do so. If people want, I can always edit the chapter to put a brief narration of what happened in the Chapter Note at the end for people to see, so let me know in the comments if you'd like that. I hope you all enjoy! See you again tomorrow.
TW: Flashback
All rights go to Marvel
Chapter Text
Skye's POV
As I slowly creep back into reality I feel this strange drowsy feeling coming over me. The last time that I remembered a similar feeling was when I had broken my arm and I woke up in the hospital, with drugs running through my veins. I could hear the beeping sound of what could only be a heart monitor in the background as I shook my head, trying to lift the fog that seemed to have taken over my mind. I remembered walking to the house one moment and then the next there was nothing.
With my strength slowly returning to me, I opened my eyes. It took a few trials for my pupils to adjust to the blinding white light that washed the room that I was in, but soon I could properly see. I looked around and saw that I was in a room which looked really similar to a hospital one. Only there was a lot more space than a normal one. It was all white, there was one door and my bed, along with the heart monitor. I made a move to bring one of my hands to my head but as soon as I tried to lift it, there was something not allowing me to complete the movement.
I looked down, only to see that both my hands and legs were strapped down and no matter how much I tried to set myself free, nothing helped. What's going on? I mentally asked as my breath rate picked up and I started struggling against the holds. I could hear the heart monitor starting to beep louder and louder. It was only confirming the higher speed that the blood was running through my veins since I felt as if my heartbeat was the loudest sound in the whole room.
It must have only been seconds since I started hyperventilating that the door opened and a person in a medical gown walked in, at a fast pace.
Once he came close enough to see that I was awake a smile appeared on his face. "Oh, great! You're awake!" He said as if my waking up was some big news. He turned his head and looked at a camera that was in the corner of the room, "We can start".
"Who are you?" I finally mustered the courage to ask, my voice breaking a little. "Where am I?"
The man didn't seem fazed by any of my questions and waited for some other doctors to come into the room. I lifted my head a little bit, as much as my restrained position allowed me, to see what was happening. The three new additions brought a rolling desk with lots of needles and other instruments on top, as well as this strange metallic suitcase.
"Who are you?" I asked once more and the fear leaked through my voice with ease.
The first guy that had come in the room snapped in my direction and moved closer, crouching more to my level. With his hand, he placed some hair that was on my face, behind my ear. I moved my head away from his touch but he leaned in closer and I couldn't escape him. "It's okay Daisy. You're safe now" he softly said.
"You have the wrong person. I'm not Daisy" I told him after a while. "Please, just let me go" I could feel the tears starting running down my cheeks.
"Doctor, we are ready" one of the others spoke and the guy that was next to me nodded.
"It's okay," he said once more quite softly. "We are together now. Nothing is going to happen to you. Gosh, I've waited for this for so long!" He exclaimed and I flinched back at the sudden rise of his voice. "Sorry, sorry" he cleared his throat and the smile returned to his face. "You have a gift. It's why I brought you here, so you can receive it. It's your birthright. There's a transformation, a-a-a change that has to happen" he showed the other people in the room. "They will help us, help you, reach your full potential"
One of the other doctors came in closer, bringing a needle filled with a liquid along. "I'm not who you think I am" I tried again struggling against the restraints. "Please, you're making a mistake"
The doctor put his hand on top of mine and held it tightly, his eyes never leaving mine. "It's not your fault. You don't know any better. But we are together now Daisy. We can be a family again". I hissed as I felt the needle penetrate my skin where my elbow is. This drowsing feeling taking over and I tried very hard not to close my eyes. "Everything is going to be fine my daughter" was the last thing I thought I faintly heard before unconsciousness took over me.
As soon as I closed my eyes though, there was not the normal peacefulness that I felt when resting. There was a searing pain going through most of my body. My head felt like it was going to explode, my ribs hurt with every single breath I took and my left arm was too numb for it to be normal. I could hear the heart monitor just as before but this time the doctors had left the room. I made to move my arm just as before, only to find the movement hard and just as that my eyes snapped open.
My eyesight was blurry and I had a bit of trouble breathing from the pain in my torso. I gasped for breath as I abruptly sat up. Through the tears in my eyes, I noticed the IV connected to my arm, just as before and I quickly ripped it off.
I ripped it off…
Just like that, I realised that I was not restrained even if my left arm felt just as like that. I made a move to get up, throwing my legs off the side of the bed. It was my chance to get out of there. Moments before my feet touched the ground, a couple of people in medical gowns came through the door running shouting something to another person in the room who I could not see at the moment. But I wasted no time.
I extended my right arm and shot a vibration wave to the two doctors who flew back and crashed into the wall of the room. It had never happened before, but when I shot the vibration it backfired and my forearm felt as if on fire but it did diminish the numbness of my left shoulder, making some itching and unpleasant feeling rise there as well.
Clutching my hand as much as I could at the moment, I tried to get up and run away while I had the chance. But my legs didn't seem to be able to support me and I fell straight to the floor, thankfully landing on my back and not on my side where I guessed it would be worse. I pushed myself to the corner of the room, where I could see what was happening around me. Despite the pain, my right hand extended in case anyone dared to come close enough.
I had quite a problem focusing. The blurry eyesight, combined with the headache and the loud noises that enfolded the room was not much of a help. I could hardly make out the two doctors being rushed out of the room by another person in white, while someone dressed in black was making their way towards me.
In pure reflex and without much thought about the consequences I pointed my hand in their direction and threw a wave.
Of course, it backfired like before, only this time it shocked my rib cage hard. Immediately I brought my right arm around it as if this would make the pain go away.
I noticed that any noise made before had stopped. I thought I heard someone say something, but with my trouble focusing and my hearing being filled from the whizzing noise I made with every breath and my pulse beating as if my heart would explode, I could not be sure. In this blurry reality that I seemed to live in at the moment, a black form, that seemed very similar to the one before, started slowly making its way in my direction. Immediately I lifted my hand as I sensed the danger closing in. Only my aim wasn't as good in the state that I was in and the black blur was too fast for me to hit. So eventually the person dodged and all I managed to do was to further injure my side.
I contemplated closing my eyes but decided against it. Though I couldn't recognise any details, it was clear that the dark form had crouched closer to the ground and was slowly moving in my direction… really slowly though and with no sudden movements. It was almost a peaceful move.
But then I heard him calling to me again, the name dancing in my head over and over again. "It's okay, Daisy," he said. "You're safe now".
I knew it would hurt but I didn't have much of a choice really. I moved my right hand from my side and pointed it at the figure which I was now convinced was the Doctor. It didn't even matter that he was wearing a different set of clothes than before, all I knew was that he was here. I could hear his voice in the room.
To my surprise, the Doctor backed up. He stopped moving for quite a while, waiting for me to make a move. "It's not your fault," he said again, repeating the lines from last time. "You don't know any better. Everything is going to be fine" and just like that he started closing in once again.
My breath was coming out in short patterns and I really didn't have any more strength to send any waves towards him. My hand was trembling, hard, no matter how much I tried to steady it. This was just another reason why, even if I tried and succeeded in mustering the energy, the chances of me finding my target were too low. "I already told you" I tried. "I'm not who you think I am, please" I hated the way that my voice broke or how fear had clutched me and wasn't letting go of me.
The Doctor stopped momentarily, giving me some hopes that he might actually leave, only to resume his approach just as slowly as before. "It's okay, my daughter" he repeated and his tone was all so reassuring for some reason.
As he approached, I pushed my back further in the corner that I had put myself. As if I could somehow move through walls if I pushed hard enough and I could somehow escape the figure. I could still hear the whizzing of my inhales as well as my heart pumping at my ears. Its rate peaking up the closer he got.
My trembling hand was still outstretched and he, very carefully for some reason, grabbed it. But it was not the hard grab that I remembered. He was gentle, his fingers brushing through mine and carefully wrapping around them. He didn't grab me or drag me anywhere as I expected and we stayed like that for what could have been seconds but looked like some long minutes from my part. The gentle action had taken me by surprise and had sent a warm feeling through my arm and to my body that I didn't really think that I would forget. I had to blink quite a few times to manage to focus and I finally did at the slender fingers on my hand. My eyes travelled, now more clear than they had been since the second time that I woke up, to the person whom the hand belonged to fear that it was the Doctor.
A sob escaped my lips when instead I saw the face of my sister. "Nat?", was all I managed and it appeared to have been enough.
She immediately came closer and wrapped her arms around my trembling body, bringing me closer to her. I remembered her whispering calm and reassuring words to me as she helped me calm down. The whole ordeal that I had just gone through though appeared to be quite heavy for my injured system and I soon found myself sleeping in the security of my sister's arms.