Resurrection - Chapter 19
The battle has been joined, and the first blood is drawn by the bad guys. Given their Chitauri weaponry the outcome is in doubt, and Coulson's team is short on manpower, devoid of usable intelligence, and down one very important specialist. Things are looking grim.
Chapter 19
Skye's frantic voice ripped the air in the bus. “Two agents down. Returning now. Jemma get ready.”
Everyone looked at everyone else, trying to absorb the information. In unison their thoughts tried to make the math work. It didn’t, and finally Phil broke the silence. “Who is down?”
Skye's response, delivered in short bites between trying to maintain control of the car. “Two guys....showed up...got into a fight. One blasted...arm shot. May out...cold.”
The news of the two men left many questions, but the news of Melinda's status completely destroyed the calm. Phil looked completely stunned; Jemma gasped and immediately ran for the lab. Basil rose slowly, looking at everyone else before walking towards the lab. Only Trip stayed, considering what his role should or could be.
“What now?” he asked, looking to Phil for some direction.
“Now we deal with the injuries first. Once we know more about that, and Skye tells us what happened, we can complete the plan for the next mission.”
“What about...?”
“I don't know. I...really don't know.”
“Who are the two guys?”
Without knowing it, Trip had put his finger on the real problem, and Phil already had an inkling. “I don't know, but I think I know who does.” With that said, he picked up his phone and made a call.
* * * * *
“Jemma, what can I do?” Basil asked.
It was clear she wasn't emotionally prepared for what she faced. “I...I don't know. I've never handled blaster wounds. And May. I...what's wrong with May?”
“She may have been hit by something else. We'll just have to see when Skye gets here.”
Jemma broke. “I just don't know what to do,” she sobbed.
Basil put his arms around her. “Jemma, you have to rely on your training and instincts. Let's focus on the basics. Bleeding...breathing...shock. You do what you always do. Trip can help you, and I'll try to see what happened. We're simply in triage mode right now.” Jemma nodded in between sobs. Of course Basil was right, but Jemma just couldn't get past the reality that one of her teammates was down, and might not be repairable. It was Skye all over again, but somehow Melinda had always seemed to be indestructible...and now Jemma had to face the reality that she wasn't.
* * * * *
“I'm giving you an order, Agent Clark. This is not a matter for discussion. I want you to immediately cease whatever you are doing. You are to withdraw all of your agents from the field…all of them! And then all of you will immediately come here. Is there any part of that that you don't understand?” Phil was all done being nice, and his words and tone of voice made that abundantly clear.
“I have agents working to find....”
“You will order them to immediately cease. Now! Not later, not an hour from now, not eventually. Now! Right this minute. The Director of SHIELD is giving you a direct order, and you will follow those instructions. Is that clear?”
Clark murmured something that suggested he didn't agree, but finally accepted the instructions. Coulson didn't much care.
* * * * *
Skye was dodging through the traffic, learning quickly that the local drivers took the rules of the road as if they were no more than suggestions, at best vague guidelines. Given the condition of her passengers she quickly decided that she’d take the same approach, passing on the right, occasionally driving up on the curb, and pretty much ignoring any light that didn’t have cross traffic in harm’s way. Although she wanted to deal with their wounds, she acknowledged that driving an active slalom course would create the best result.
* * * * *
Jemma laid out some things, but truly had no idea what to expect. She assumed that blasters would create wounds more like burns than blunt force trauma so she selected some items for cleaning and dressing them along with the usual basic life support tools.
* * * * *
“Trip, we’re going to have to assume that everything that can go wrong…already has. If we don’t hurry, they’re going to run away. If we do hurry they’re going to be expecting us. They will be 100% prepared, and we don’t know squat about what we’re up against. There’s only going to be you and me. Skye can help, but I don’t know how she’s going to be given what’s happened.”
“Maybe we can make use of the guys who were already here, but clearly Clark isn’t going to be any assistance, unless we shove him through the door first and use his body as a shield.”
Trip snorted. “I doubt he’s going to be up for that. I’m tempted to ice him the minute he shows up, but that probably won’t result in anything positive.”
Phil nodded. “When everybody is here, we’re going to have a short meeting, see whatever Skye might have discovered before the fight started, and then head out. I’ve managed to get the local law enforcement folks to set up a perimeter, but I don’t know if they’ll stand their ground if the fight comes their way.”
Trip nodded. “Yeah, I can’t imagine they’re going to be real stand-up guys if they see a blaster take out their buddies.”
Phil was about to say more when he heard the squealing, screaming tires drift around the corner. Before he could respond the entire plane shuddered as Skye roared up the ramp and slammed on the brakes just short of crashing into the lab.
Chapter 19
Skye's frantic voice ripped the air in the bus. “Two agents down. Returning now. Jemma get ready.”
Everyone looked at everyone else, trying to absorb the information. In unison their thoughts tried to make the math work. It didn’t, and finally Phil broke the silence. “Who is down?”
Skye's response, delivered in short bites between trying to maintain control of the car. “Two guys....showed up...got into a fight. One blasted...arm shot. May out...cold.”
The news of the two men left many questions, but the news of Melinda's status completely destroyed the calm. Phil looked completely stunned; Jemma gasped and immediately ran for the lab. Basil rose slowly, looking at everyone else before walking towards the lab. Only Trip stayed, considering what his role should or could be.
“What now?” he asked, looking to Phil for some direction.
“Now we deal with the injuries first. Once we know more about that, and Skye tells us what happened, we can complete the plan for the next mission.”
“What about...?”
“I don't know. I...really don't know.”
“Who are the two guys?”
Without knowing it, Trip had put his finger on the real problem, and Phil already had an inkling. “I don't know, but I think I know who does.” With that said, he picked up his phone and made a call.
* * * * *
“Jemma, what can I do?” Basil asked.
It was clear she wasn't emotionally prepared for what she faced. “I...I don't know. I've never handled blaster wounds. And May. I...what's wrong with May?”
“She may have been hit by something else. We'll just have to see when Skye gets here.”
Jemma broke. “I just don't know what to do,” she sobbed.
Basil put his arms around her. “Jemma, you have to rely on your training and instincts. Let's focus on the basics. Bleeding...breathing...shock. You do what you always do. Trip can help you, and I'll try to see what happened. We're simply in triage mode right now.” Jemma nodded in between sobs. Of course Basil was right, but Jemma just couldn't get past the reality that one of her teammates was down, and might not be repairable. It was Skye all over again, but somehow Melinda had always seemed to be indestructible...and now Jemma had to face the reality that she wasn't.
* * * * *
“I'm giving you an order, Agent Clark. This is not a matter for discussion. I want you to immediately cease whatever you are doing. You are to withdraw all of your agents from the field…all of them! And then all of you will immediately come here. Is there any part of that that you don't understand?” Phil was all done being nice, and his words and tone of voice made that abundantly clear.
“I have agents working to find....”
“You will order them to immediately cease. Now! Not later, not an hour from now, not eventually. Now! Right this minute. The Director of SHIELD is giving you a direct order, and you will follow those instructions. Is that clear?”
Clark murmured something that suggested he didn't agree, but finally accepted the instructions. Coulson didn't much care.
* * * * *
Skye was dodging through the traffic, learning quickly that the local drivers took the rules of the road as if they were no more than suggestions, at best vague guidelines. Given the condition of her passengers she quickly decided that she’d take the same approach, passing on the right, occasionally driving up on the curb, and pretty much ignoring any light that didn’t have cross traffic in harm’s way. Although she wanted to deal with their wounds, she acknowledged that driving an active slalom course would create the best result.
* * * * *
Jemma laid out some things, but truly had no idea what to expect. She assumed that blasters would create wounds more like burns than blunt force trauma so she selected some items for cleaning and dressing them along with the usual basic life support tools.
* * * * *
“Trip, we’re going to have to assume that everything that can go wrong…already has. If we don’t hurry, they’re going to run away. If we do hurry they’re going to be expecting us. They will be 100% prepared, and we don’t know squat about what we’re up against. There’s only going to be you and me. Skye can help, but I don’t know how she’s going to be given what’s happened.”
“Maybe we can make use of the guys who were already here, but clearly Clark isn’t going to be any assistance, unless we shove him through the door first and use his body as a shield.”
Trip snorted. “I doubt he’s going to be up for that. I’m tempted to ice him the minute he shows up, but that probably won’t result in anything positive.”
Phil nodded. “When everybody is here, we’re going to have a short meeting, see whatever Skye might have discovered before the fight started, and then head out. I’ve managed to get the local law enforcement folks to set up a perimeter, but I don’t know if they’ll stand their ground if the fight comes their way.”
Trip nodded. “Yeah, I can’t imagine they’re going to be real stand-up guys if they see a blaster take out their buddies.”
Phil was about to say more when he heard the squealing, screaming tires drift around the corner. Before he could respond the entire plane shuddered as Skye roared up the ramp and slammed on the brakes just short of crashing into the lab.