Out Of Time

eighty-one

Coulson brought in a plane to pick up Y/N and take her to a helicarrier out in the middle of the ocean. She arrived just as the Bus was landing. She ran out of her plane and walked behind the group of agents headed to the Bus.

"You realize, Agent Coulson, they have these things called teleconferences now," Agent Hand said as they walked up the ramp.

"Nice to see you, too, Agent Hand," Coulson responded. "Thank you all for coming on such short notice."

"A little unconventional meeting this way, isn't it?" Agent Sitwell questioned.

"Oh, from the reports I've read, 'unconventional' seems to be Coulson's middle name these days," Agent Blake replied.

"Fight breaks out, let me take Blake," Garrett joked. "He's coy but scrappy."

"I'll join you," Y/N added. They all turned to face her, she was leaning up against the SHIELD car.

"Agent Rogers," Hand greeted. "Nice of you to join us."

"Y/N," Coulson nodded in greeting. "I'll explain everything as soon as we hit 50,000 feet. This way."

The agents began following Coulson up the stairs. Trip made sure he was walking close to Y/N.

"You sure left in a hurry the last time we saw each other," he said quietly. "Didn't even get to say goodbye."

"I'm sorry, Trip," Y/N replied. "I just had some personal matters to attend to."

They made their way to the common area, where Ward was waiting with fresh coffee for the new arrivals. Y/N froze as their eyes met. Trip looked back and forth between the two.

"Did you guys-" He began. "Is that why-"

"Shut your mouth right now, Agent Triplett," Y/N ordered. "Or I'll shut it for you."

Trip did as he was told. He watched Y/N walk past Ward, head up high and not sparing him another glance. She found a home on the couch until May came in and she moved to circle up with the other agents.

"Cruising altitude reached," May told Coulson as she entered the room. "Bearing 90 degrees just over the North Pole."

"Thank you," Coulson responded.

"Apologies for the song and dance," Garrett began, "but we brought you here as a precaution."

"A precaution against what?" Sitwell asked.

"The Clairvoyant," Coulson answered. "If there is someone out there who can read minds, at least up here, we're as far away from him as possible."

"Figure maybe the Northern lights will knock a few bars off his psychic wi-fi."

"Coulson, you know SHIELD's stance on psychics," Blake said. "They don't exist."

"Are you suddenly a believer?" Hand asked.

"Not definitively," Coulson replied. "But I had a recent experience with an Asgardian who could bend people's will with her voice."

"What?" Y/N exclaimed.

"You miss a lot when you're gone, Agent Rogers... Forced me to open my mind, so to speak."

"All we know for sure is the Clairvoyant's been a step ahead of us, stealing plays from our playbook," Garrett explained.

"And it's pissing me off. I take it you've all read Agent Garrett's latest report."

"Umm, no," Y/N responded as the rest nodded. "I wasn't informed of this."