Past to Present and Back Again

Chapter 9

Not even an hour after the sighting of Hunter were Natasha and I suited up and boarding a quinjet. Natasha decided that we should keep this mission small because a large group of 

Avengers or even S.H.I.E.L.D operatives would bring attention and possibly chaos. It was decided that I would go with Natasha because we would be skilled and quiet enough to get Hunter and possibly Bobbi on our team. Plus Bobbi and I ended things quite well and Hunter and I seemed to have the connection of siblings.

We were in the third hour of our nine-hour flight when the awkward silence was really starting to get to me. I wasn't going to let that show though because you never show your weaknesses. I mean I have witnessed worse when flying on the bus with the team right after I had been kidnapped by Ward, or when I first got my powers. Wow, it's hard to believe how young I was at that time. It is crazy to think that I was in my second year with S.H.I.E.L.D when I first met Bobbi and Hunter and in my third when we had the spy's goodbye. I have now been with S.H.I.E.L.D for about ten years. We are going to have to catch up on a lot.

In hour five Natasha finally talked, "I see you have spent a great deal of time with May."

"Why would you say that?" I say impassively.

"Well, to be honest with you I wanted to see how long you would last without showing any discomfort with the silence. We are in hour five and you have yet to show any, that leads me to think you spent a lot of time with May."

"I may have but maybe I am just the type of person who likes silence," I remark.

"I somehow doubt that, in addition, the mannerisms you show lead me to think I am right. I myself have spent a lot of time with May but the last I heard was when May was working with S.H.I.E.L.D she was on desk duty." Natasha elaborated.

I kept my face impassive. I still wasn't too sure about Natasha. I wasn't trusting at least not anymore and I couldn't get a solid read of her just yet.

"Now it doesn't seem like you would be a desk jockey, Daisy. Plus with the punches, you were hitting that bag with pretty much guarantees you have intensive field training. This makes me think you have a particularly interesting past and present with S.H.I.E.L.D."

"I guess you could say that Natasha."

That kind of shut off the conversation and I didn't feel like elaborating or being tricked into elaborating so I reached into my go-bag to grab my book. I quickly fell into the rhythm of the pages and zoned out the rest of the plane. I was about to reach the last chapter when I felt the plane descending. That meant it was almost time.

Before we even got on the plane Natasha and I decided we would start the search for Hunter in the place where the CCTV cameras spotted him last. That happened to be in this cute little and local market meaning we had to dress like normal people to blend in. Of course, I had my gauntlets underneath a University of Quebec sweatshirt, which had been a random find at a thrift store when I was a new adult.

The market was only a short walk from where we parked the quinjet. The walk was actually quite nice. The streets were an old cobblestone and the houses all looked different. In another life, I could see myself settling in a place like that.

When we get to the market it is surprisingly busy. No wonder Hunter thought he would be fine here. And if I were Hunter this is where I would get my food for the week. It is busy enough that you can blend in without drawing attention and most of the vendors are cash only, meaning it would be harder to trace it back to you.

It was easier to blend in at the market than I originally thought. I think that had to do with my shirt. It has been said that French people can sometimes be a little pretentious when it comes to tourists that don't speak french. I'm glad that after Yo-Yo joined S.H.I.E.L.D languages became a mandatory requirement. I was able to learn French and Mandarin. The French definitely came in handy.

I was an hour into talking with the vendors, en français of course, before I caught a glimpse of Hunter out of the corner of my eye. I don't think Natasha ever saw him but, I smoothly dismissed myself from my conversation with a vegetable vendor and headed in his direction.By the time I was able to shake Natasha and casually put myself in the same area as Hunter, he was at a mushroom stand I had visited when Natasha and I first got to the market.

"Ah, rebonjour Marc," I say. (Ah hello again Marc)

"Skye, as-tu décidé d'acheter des champignons?" Marc responded. (Skye, have you decide to buy mushrooms)

"Oui, mais je ne sais pas quel type de champignons acheter." I explained. (Yes but I don't know what type of mushrooms to buy)

Marc then switched to a heavily accented English, "well Skye this man here is one of my best customers and ee always says to recommend the truffles. Isn't that right Unter"

Hunter looked up from the mushrooms he was examining, "Oh Marc truffles are the best for any dish." Hunter then looks up at me, a glimpse of surprise traces his features before it is buried.

"Marc, get this girl ten of your best truffles and put them on my card, you have it on retainer."

Marc quickly got me the truffles and Hunter beckoned me to follow him. Before we got too far I said to Hunter, "So I may not have come here alone, and that means we may have Natasha following us."

"Damn it Daisy you brought Nat with you, why?"

"Well finding you and Bobbi was her idea so she kinda brought me," I say guilty, "So that brings me to my next thing, is Bobbi still alive."

"Of course Bobbi is still alive, hell she's probably already spotted Nat and invited her back to our house." Hunter snapped. Oh, boy was he mad at me. "So let me guess you and Nat are best friends, I mean you and Bobs were close and Bobs and Nat are very similar."

"Ya that is not the case, I don't think Nat, as you call her, likes me very much. I kinda got into an argument with her on my first day at the compound."

"Well Daisy I knew you always had guts, but that is just impressive," Hunter said to me as he was opening the door of a cute old house that matched the aesthetic of the village.

We walk into the house which I can only assume is Hunter and Bobbi's and sure enough, Natasha is sitting on the couch. Natasha looked totally at home, which told me she had been here before. Moments later Bobbi walks in holding two cups of tea.

"Wow, Daisy Johnson this must be good if we are getting a visit from you."

"Meh, not really I was really just wanting to say hi to some old friends, I mean it's been seven years."

"Has it really been seven years," Bobbi says, "Well I guess in those seven years you got good, you were able to escape from Nat's tailing, not many people can say that."

"Ya, well I have had a lot of practice in that time. More than I should have had." Bobbi frowned at that and then said, "So what is the reason for this unplanned visit."

"Tony wants to try and solve this snap issue and I felt we may need some extra people's help, hence why we are here," Natasha explained.

"I mean it's nice that you thought of us but you forgot one really important fact, Hunter and I are wanted fugitives of pretty much everyone especially Russia."

"That's no biggie because right now we are staying out of the spotlight and you can stay at the Avengers compound at least till we fully clear your name. Though that shouldn't take too long since you know we are the Avengers." Natasha said.

Bobbi looked at Hunter who gave an almost imperceptible nod, "I guess we can come with you just let us grab our bags and we can head out."

Bobbi and Hunter must have already been packed because within minutes we were out the door and heading back to the quinjet. I had a feeling this would be a long nine-hour journey.