Changes | Marvel

TWENTY THREE. BARREL ROLL

The world did not - in fact - get a response from Anthony Stark in regard to my "death" and this whole conspiracy thing. It was good for me, but now the public are 90000% sure that I'm a zombie or a ghost. Ok guys, you really need to stop with the drugs.

It had been a couple of weeks and lots of... pleasant things have happened. Like how Fitz is beginning to come out of his shell more, or how my secret project is pretty much done. Or maybe the big one goes to Grant Ward escaping from our tight grasp. It's been truly fun trying to hunt him down with no leads, no trail and absolutely no idea on where he might be. Oh, and we also got a new delivery of gym equipment for the base, too!

Anyways, it's been slightly quiet around the base with all agents out and about looking for Mr I'm-too-cool-for-SHIELD. Coulson has been sending anyone he could to look for him, after he had escaped from the moving truck that was taking him to Christian Ward – Grant's brother. We couldn't prove that it was planned, but there's a suspicion going around.

Another thing that's been happening, is that Phil and May have been very secretive around the team and I, more so the team rather than me. I don't know what was happening with them, but I was going to find out whether it would cost me a friendship... okay, maybe not that far. But I shall prevail!

Speaking of Phil being secretive, here he comes with Skye and May. I roll off the couch and spy on them. May kept an eye on the surrounding but missed my hunched form on the floor, following the other two walking into Phil's office before closing the door. I wait a couple of seconds before jumping up and running across the room and pressing myself against the wall.

I squint, looking around and making sure that no one was around me, then I begin humming the mission impossible theme song as I jump from barrier to barrier, so I could get closer to the room. I must've looked like one hell of a crazy bitch because I sure felt like it. I crawled on my knees and my hands up the stairs, before jumping and doing a barrel roll across the doorway and letting my head rest on the side so I could hear in.

"How much have you done today?" I hear the distant voice of Skye. I let my legs uncurl in front of me, letting me sit comfortably and also letting me have a perfect hearing advantage.

"It's progressing every day. I woke up this morning and sat at my desk. Without knowing, I had carved it into my desk with my pen." Phil's voice answered back. Carving? Progressing? This sounds interesting.

"I don't understand why both you and Garrett are carving these symbols, but Ava and I aren't. Are you guys weak or are we immune, because I can't tell?" She tells him again, harshly spitting at him. I frown, heaving what she was saying. Phil was carving symbols without knowing? Was I supposed to be doing this too, because I can do it if they wanted me too.

"I don't know, Skye. I've been trying to find similarities between both of your files, but Avery's file is locked up more than the declaration of independence. One mistake, and the world will know that someone tried hacking in." I smirk, knowing that I could be of help. I roll onto my back and push the door open with my hands. Looking at the 3 adults upside down, I announced my coming.

"Or you know, just ask the owner of the file. I mean, I do know the password." I say nonchalantly, picking at my nails. May glares at me and Phil and Skye just share a look.

"Why were you spying on us." May demands, crossing her arms.

"Because you guys are scaring the whole team with your secrets. I wanted to know what's up and now I've got some information. Care to explain everything?" I ask, sitting up so I had my legs crossed.

"Just..." Phil looks at the blank wall and rubs his eyes. "Just look at this." He presses a button and the blank wall soon lifted up, revealing many lines, circles and four-sided shapes covering the walls. I stood up, looking at everything. It didn't look familiar, so it couldn't have been human.

"What is this?" I ask quietly, running my hand over one of the carvings.

"We think it's a map," Skye answers. "A map to somewhere important. We need to figure out how to get the rest of the map."

"So... the alien blood is making you do all of this? Is this why you guys asked me if I was having any side-effects from the serum?" I ask. They all nod and then I kind of grimace.

"Dude, we are some pretty messed up people." I comment making Skye scoff/laugh with Phil, and May letting out a deep sigh.

"You've got that right." Phil tells me, placing his hand on my shoulder. "Now out!" He demands, pushing me out the door.

How rude.

Later, I was chilling with Phil in his office, as both he and Skye talked with May who was flying the jet. Skye was somewhere else on the base, doing research and was talking through her tablet to May.

"I have agents positioned at multiple locations." Skye tells her after confirming that everyone was in their place.

"We have been sitting here for an hour. He has eleven hotboxes within two-hundred miles of his last known position. Odds are, he'll show up at one of them." May retorts.

"Why isn't there a nationwide manhunt? He escaped from federal custody." Skye questioned, scoffing as she said it.

"Senator Ward is covering it up. No one's looking but us."

"Triplett here." Tripp's voice crackles through and everyone goes quiet. "I've got eyes on the prize. I've got a clear shot and a trigger finger that needs some love." He found Ward? Ha, so much for being a great hider.

"No." Phil orders him. "Stand by and wait for your orders."

"Director say the word. I can end this." Tripp complains, keeping his voice quiet and even.

"The senator wants him alive." Phil contradicts.

"What do you want?" He retorts, sounding angry.

"Bring him in by any means necessary." Is all that Phil says.

"Copy that." Moments later, he begins talking again. "Damn. I don't know how, but he knows we're on him. He's got a dead man's switch and enough C-4 to take down the block. He's on the move." He warns.

"Well, isn't this fun." I ask sarcastically.

"Do not engage. He's not bluffing. Keep an eye in the sky, May. Have Agents Hunter and Morse in position at the next stop. If we can't bring him in, at least we can see where he's going." The connection is cut when Skye walks into the office, holding her tablet whilst looking at Phil sickly.

"We found Ward." He tells her, but she doesn't respond. "What?" Phil asks.

"One of my sources, this guy micro he's kind of a crime-scene junkie he came across something." She turns the tables and lo-and-behold, a dead woman with the same carving Phil was doing, was carved into her head. I hold back the gag that was appearing in the back of my throat and make sure to keep all internal contents... well, internal.

"That seems, pleasant." I comment, grimacing. Phil takes the tablet and stares at the photo.

"The writing, but not exactly how we wanted to see it." He studies the image, sighing.

"When were these taken?" He questioned, scrolling through more of the pictures. The woman's body was covered in carvings, but there seemed to be not as much blood as expected for something like this.

"Last night. Whoever did this is still out there." Skye informs us.

"This is the victim?" He scrolls to the last image, which was a scanning of her licence.

"Janice Robbins. Lives..." She stops and corrects herself. "Lived... in upstate New York.

"She's a SHIELD agent." Phil states.

"No, she's an art teacher from Iowa. I have her full bio." Skye tells him, confused.

"I'm not wrong. I've seen her. We should check it out."