Chapter Text
"Maria, are you sure this is the right idea?"
"Of course it is, Phil," Maria turned from her spot near the window to face Agent Coulson. There was a smirk playing at the corner of her lips that Coulson didn't really understand.
"Why her though? Skye is our only field agent that doesn't need a partner," Coulson sighed as he looked at the file in front of him again. "She hasn't responded well since we found out about Ward."
"We are at a critical point," Maria explained vaguely. "With Ward missing and HYDRA on the rise, we need to find the Clairvoyant before he comes after Skye."
"But a scientist?"
The skepticism in his voice elicited a stern look from the Deputy Director as she crossed her arms.
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The vein in her neck throbbed as she booked it downhill. She could feel the blood rushing through her veins as her feet struggled to break through the snow. The thin layer of sweat was her only reminder that she would stay warm as long as she kept moving. The cold couldn't bother her.
She looked over her shoulders at her pursuer. Scratch that, she meant pursuers. The trees rustled and shook as they jumped from one tree to the next after her.
A slew of curses ran through her mind as she continued to pump her feet through the snow. Her jet was located at the base of the mountain; she just needed to make it there before she was turned into shreds by her chasers.
In a few hundred meters, she had begun seeing the tip of her jet. She threw another glance over her shoulders and saw them steadily gaining on her.
Another swear crossed her mind. An object whizzed by her ear, striking the ground in front of her. As she ran, more blades littered the ground ahead of her.
Damnit. Almost there.
Her mind began planning her getaway. She calculated the time it would take. She shook her head. The odds were working against her.
There was going to be time, she thought to herself. Her jet was going to be ready for her by the time she got there. It had to. That machine knew her better than anyone else.
Glancing back, Skye saw a glint of steel cross her line of sight too closely. Before she knew it, she felt the blade pierce her skin. She winced as it tore through her shoulder, firmly lodging itself inside her.
Another wave of adrenaline coursed through her veins as she turned to dive for the ground. Feeling the warmth of the blood seeping through her uniform, she steadied herself and slid down the last hundred meters towards her jet.
If they thought they were going to catch her, they were wrong. At the foot of the hill, she leaped forward.
She blinked up at where she had landed and saw the soft red glow of her jet’s jump lights right above her. She smiled when she heard the gentle rumbling of its engines.
She quickly jumped to her feet and popped open the hatch to the cockpit.
"Thanks Buddy!" she greeted her jet enthusiastically as she flipped a few switches to launch her jet. "The engine is warm." She smiled brightly and petted the dashboard proudly.
"You called for me to be ready for your arrival," an automated male voice responded back.
She furrowed her brows in confusion at her jet before seizing the yoke. She opted to finish her getaway instead of questioning a machine. "Time to go home, Buddy."
"Of course," Buddy responded immediately as she tugged at the yoke and the craft had begun to lift off. "Setting coordinates for SHIELD Headquarters." At the sound of jet engine roaring, a smile played at her lips. "I hope the mission was a success, Miss Skye."
"Always, Buddy. Always."
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Jemma tugged the collar of her dress shirt into place before sliding the file under her arm to fix her cuffs. She rolled her neck as she tried to find comfort in her new outfit.
It wasn't her first time at the Operations but it was her first day as a field agent. A few months ago, she had been approached by Maria Hill in front of all of her colleagues to start field training without notice.
“You are to begin Field Training immediately; all current projects under your supervision have now been halted under SHIELD Directive [redacted].”
Jemma tried not to let the change bother her. She had the confidence that she could succeed as a field agent. However, with only 3 months of training under her belt, they claimed that she was ready.
Ready for what? It was always a mystery. Without a higher clearance, she couldn't have any answers.
She looked up at the number indicating which floor she was hitting before looking back into her file.
Agent Skye [surname redacted].
She had the other agent's face memorized by now. Months of training both physically and mentally. Skye was her mission: protect her at all costs.
Reason/Rationale for Enhanced Security Measures for Agent Skye: [information redacted].
She closed the file as the elevator dinged one last time and the doors opened up for her. Walking down the halls, Jemma ignored the stares of the other agents she had walked by. They knew who she was to some degree. She was the science monkey, the lab geek. What business did she there?
As she rounded the corner, she could hear voices arguing.
"I don't need a partner, Coulson! What don't you understand about that?"
"Skye, these are orders from the Deputy Director and Director, you will have a partner."
"Why? Why are they forcing me to do this? They should know that a partner would just hold me back!"
"Those are direct orders from Maria Hill. We have to trust their decision."
"A decision to put a...a science monkey with me? How could that possibly be a bright idea? They don't belong in the field and everyone knows that.
Jemma furrowed her brows at the comment. She held back her tongue at how judgmental and downright rude this other agent was. She tried to find a moment of peace before knocking on the door.
"For all I know, they would just get in my way or worse...get us both killed."
Something snapped inside of Jemma. Her knuckles rapped at the door harder than she expected. She was ready to let her mouth run at this arrogant---
The door opened quickly to Agent Coulson. His normally calm face was flushed from the argument. Jemma observed as she looked over at Agent Skye, who was standing there, there, arms crossed. Her face was locked in a curt scowl.
Good. Neither of them wanted to be there. Especially not this “science monkey.”
"Agent Jemma Simmons, welcome," Coulson greeted as he motioned for her to enter the room. He motioned for her to sit. "We were just discussing the next mission that we have for you two. I understand that you've just recently been transferred to our division but we do need to act quickly."
Jemma merely nodded before reaching her hand out to Skye. "Nice to meet you, Agent Skye, I look forward to working with you," she gritted through her teeth visibly.
"Likewise," Skye mirrored as she grasped Jemma's hand. She held her nose up high as she motioned for Jemma to sit.
As Coulson debriefed the two agents, Jemma could feel Skye's eyes on her. They were assessing her and Jemma hated it. She had nothing to prove to Skye. She was there on a mission to protect her; that much was certain. Jemma just didn't expect to hate it so much.