Second Romanoff (An Aos story)

The Real Deal

~Winter's pov~

"It's our fears come to life" Fitz told us.

"What the hell are you talking about, Fitz?" May asked me. "What fear?"

"I'm still trying to piece it all together. But here, watch this. It's low-res, 'cause it's all I could salvage from one of the Dwarfs" Fitz said, showing a picture of Lash on the screen.

"This can't be" May muttered.

"Fitz?" Coulson asked.

"I think that when the monoliths exploded, they tore open something that I can only describe...as a fear dimension, and it's leaking out. See these emissions here?"

"What do you think that is?" Coulson asked.

"I don't know- uh, alien energy...the Dwarf went offline before I could analyze it, but whatever it is seems that it can reach inside our minds" Fitz told us.

"Yeah, well, it can do more than that. That Kree almost killed Deke" Daisy pointed out.

"Yeah, and I don't understand how, but it seems that this dimension can take our deepest fears and it can manifest them...physically" Fitz explained.

"So, Kree warrior. Check" Daisy replied.

"And if that is Lash, double check" May added.

"What about that forest on Level 27?" Coulson asked.

"You mean an overwhelming collection of branchy things with birds and bugs and the floor all covered in worms? Are you kidding? That's- that's a horror show" Deke said from behind us.

"Ok, triple check" I said.

"I'm gonna seal off the lower ⅔ of the Lighthouse, that's where the bulk of the phenomena is occurring, but it's flaring out, the fact that it's reached Level 27 as well as the supply pantry tells me it's getting worse"

"So, how do we stop it?" May asked.

"Ok" Fitz sighed "I have a potential fix, but...I don't know how to do it without one of us possibly...sacrificing ourselves...ok, Deke"

"Oh, no, me? No, no, Hell. no, no i just got here, i just got to a world that's got ice cream and the sun and orange-scented stuff, so, no, no, no, no, and in case any of you forgot, I already did the heroic sacrifice thing to get you all here. So, I-I'm- I'm done" Deke answered.

"I'm not asking you to sacrifice yourself, I just want to borrow your belt buckle" Fitz told him.

"Oh"

"It creates an applied gravity field. And I was hoping there was enough Gravitonium- with some modifications...to create a perpetual force that can stitch together the tear in space-time. Before it spreads. Can I?" Fitz asked.

"Yeah" Deke answered and gave him the buckle "anything to save the world, right?"

"Sure. as I said, there is a catch...one of us is gonna have to carry this device down and activate it and that person may get sucked into another dimension or killed by a manifestation of fear" Fitz explained.

"...That's a risk I'll have to take" Coulson responded and walked out, we all look at each other and followed him out.

"Sorry, sir, but, no. There's no way" Fitz said, following Coulson into another room.

"If that rift could spread, then someone's got to do it" Coulson told us.

"Not you" May replied "I'm sorry, but there's only one candidate"

"Piper" Fitz finished "She said a thousand times she'll do anything for our forgiveness"

"Fitz. Cool it" Coulson said "We keep her in holding for now"