Growing Up S.H.I.E.L.D.

Chapter 2: Ugh Sand

Ciara's POV

So I think Skye's becoming part of the team. Some kind of consultant or something. And quite the talented hacker from what I've heard. Maybe she can teach me something. Y'know, just for fun. Not any other reason. Yep.

Fitz and Simmons are currently helping her move in. I'm assuming May is in the cockpit, as usual. Coulson and Ward are... somewhere. If you're wondering where I am, I'm in my bedroom, staring at the ceiling. As one does.

After a few minutes the plane begins to ascend and we're off to Peru.

Upon arriving, I stepped out of the car and loosely followed Fitz and Simmons. They were discussing monkeys. When I was younger I spent a day with monkeys. Well, actually it was a bit longer than a day, but that's a story for another time.

What you need to know right now is that I hate sand. Not to sound like Anakin or anything, but I really hate sand. It's course and rough and irritating, and it gets everywhere. All jokes aside, it brings back things that I'm not too fond of remembering. And it just so happens to be everywhere here.

As we walked a few more feet, a large temple came into view. I couldn't help but stare in awe at it. Fitz and Simmons took a selfie and a man walked out of the opening. Him and Coulson started talking before all of us went inside. There was a weird looking device with a blue light thing lodged in the wall. Fitz and Simmons released the "Dwarfs" to go investigate. I tried to focus on the conversation rather than the fact that I could feel the sand through my shoes.

"There's nothing about this anywhere, it's amazing. I searched every data stream. What do you got here guys?" Skye said in amazement at the strange device, walking towards it.

"Whoa, car—uh, careful. I-I-no, wouldn't do that," stuttered Fitz.

"The object's placement in fossiliferous rock formations suggests it's been here for at least 1,500 years. That pre-dates this temple by a millennium. Ah! Maybe it's alien," gushed Simmons.

"Yeah, but the shape and the craftsmanship—it's almost German," ventured Fitz.

The two of them excitedly continued their discussion, talking over each other repeatedly. They do that a lot. I should probably come up with a name for it. More on that later though—I'm headed outside to see what Ward and May are doing.

"It's nice to have a trusted friend who has your back," said Ward as he walked towards a bush. I was about to wonder what I'd just walked into... but then I figured out what was going on.

Ward pulled a man out of the bush and the fight began. Two guys jumped out, only to be judo flipped by May. She then stole their guns. Ward had the bush-man in a headlock.

Another guy jumped outta some bush, only to be kicked by me. I could tell he wasn't expecting me to start fighting him so quickly, which gave me the advantage. I knocked him off his feet, taking his gun in the process—little trick I picked up a while back—and aimed the gun at his chest.

More vehicles drove up and a lot more people dressed like the four we have pinned appeared and surrounded us. Well, certainly not good, but we've got their people at gun point so as long as they care about their people, nothing will happen quite yet.

"Should have taken more guns," Ward said to May.

I could see a group of people in the trees starting to walk towards us. By the looks of it two of them were holding guns and one was not.

I hope we'll get this over with soon because the sand is really bothering me now. I can feel the crunchiness of it underneath my boots. I shivered as the flash of an old memory crossed through my mind.