Hail HYDRA | Skyeward

Episode 7: The Writing on the Wall

***

A door open and a woman enters an apartment followed by a man, the same man who was getting a tattoo a few nights before. "Burning man, two years ago, we were stuck in the desert...on a glow in the dark bus," the woman turns lights on while she speaks to the man. "Is that it?" she asked him.

"What's Burning Man?" the tattooed man asked.

The woman laughs and sets down her purse entering the living room area of the apartment. "Oh. Are you sure you're not from Iowa? Because you just sounded like it."

They are smiling and flirting with one another. "Baltimore, born and raised." the tattooed man said.

"This is gonna drive me nuts," the woman turns away from him turning on another light as he takes off his jacket. She enters the kitchen and pulls down two wine glasses. "I mean, it's crazy, right? We see each other from across the bar and...we just wave at each other like we're long lost friends," the tattooed man walks to the woman's bookshelf looking the spines over, his eyes land on some paint bowls and paint brushes as she fills the glasses with wine and walks back into the living room. She gives him a big smile studying his face. "I know I know you. I just can't figure out how."

The tattooed man holds up his glass in a toast. "To remembering," they clink glasses and take a drink. "So, you're an artist?"

"Mm, yeah, I do some painting. And I teach community art classes," the woman gasps and points at him. "Is that how I know you? Are you an artist?" she asked.

"I do some carving now and then." the tattooed man said.

The woman laughs as she gazes at him. "Well, maybe the reason we think we know each other is because it was our destiny to meet tonight."

"Look..." the tattooed man takes the glass out of her hand. "I haven't been entirely honest with you," he sets down the two glasses on the table next to him and puts his hands to his chest keeping his back to her, and us. "We have met before, and I've traveled a long way to be with you."

The tattooed man turns to face her and she can see that he is undoing the buttons on his shirt. She gets nervous and puts her hands out on top of his trying to stop him. "Okay, wait. Maybe we should just slow this down." she said.

"No. We share so much, so many memories...so much pain." The tattooed man opens his shirt showing his tattoo.

The woman gasps, steps away from him and points to his chest confused. "How – how- how do you know about that?" she asked.

The tattooed man opens a knife. "I'll help you remember." He advances on her and she screams in terror.

***

Skye's burner phone buzzes, she answers but doesn't speak instead she allows Grant to speak, she smirks, glad that he's okay and heading somewhere safe, Skye then places her phone away watching Coulson.

A record plays, as Coulson carves on his wall. He's sweaty and jittery and seems to be paying little attention to the music. He pants as he presses the knife into the wall, he presses too hard and the tip flies off.

"Damn it," he shakes his hand and turns away from the wall as the record is stopped. He looks up to find Skye standing by the record player, her arms crossed. "How long were you standing there?" Coulson asked.

"Long enough," Coulson nods, but doesn't seem embarrassed. "May gave us specific instructions, you go on a date with the crazy wall, I have to chaperone."

"I didn't want to wake you." Coulson said.

Skye raises her eyebrows and holds out her arms, she's still in her pajamas but looks disheveled. "Do I look like I've been sleeping?" she couldn't sleep, she was too worried about Grant to do that.