Coulson Squared

Meet the Bus

"S.H.I.E.L.D. 6-1-6, you have course confirmation. You are cleared direct to the Slingshot." Everyone was silent for a second, waiting for Phil to reply. "Agent Coulson, everything all right up there? We heard you had a little dustup on the ground," the agent on the radio checked in.

"Yeah, we're all good," he said calmly. "It's gonna be blue skies from here on out."

Then, of course, a gigantic hole was blown in the side of the plane.

A few of the Peruvian soldiers were swept out into the open sky, but your father had managed to wrap his bindings around the pole so that he wouldn't be sucked out of the plane. He grunted in pain as the air pressure desperately tried to pull him out.

"Coulson! Hang on!" Simmons called to him.

--

"Skye? Girl's not qualified to be a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent," Ward said. You, your father, May, and Ward were having a little meeting in the subroom about the decision that your father had just made.

"Yeah, she's not technically qualified, but I think that she has the potential," you commented.

"Agreed," Phil smiled. "That's why I've invited her on as a consultant. S.H.I.E.L.D. does it all the time. Technically, Stark's a consultant."

"And technically, Skye's a member of the Rising Tide," Ward countered. "She hacked our RSA implementation--"

"Twice," Phil nodded. "From a laptop. Imagine what she'll do with our resources."

"I am. That's exactly what I'm imagining during this frown," he stated. You and your father exchanged amused glances. Ward scowled at the both of you before continuing. "You brought me on for risk assessment. She's a risk." He suddenly lowered his voice, as if Skye might somehow be listening. "She doesn't think like us."

You clapped slowly. "Give the man some candy."

"Exactly," your father grinned. "To both statements."

May spoke up. "We have two kids on this bus who aren't cleared for combat. You're adding a third," she pointed out.

"At least Fitz-Simmons are trained S.H.I.E.L.D. scientists. But Skye?" Ward shook his head. "You said this was a select team. Assembled to work new cases, to protect people. I don't see how letting some hacker tag along--"

"I'm looking for an objection I haven't already anticipated. I'm calling this. But your frown will be on record," Phil assured the younger agent.

"We've been called in to investigate an 0-8-4. We all know what that means," Ward continued to argue.

"Yes, we do," Phil agreed. "It means we don't know what that means." He handed May a tablet, and she walked away as Fitz, Simmons, and Skye entered.

"I think some more candy is in order for Ward," you smirked.

--

"Officially, it's an airborne mobile command station. But we call it the bus. We find it best to use shorthand when in the field," Fitz rambled. "But everything has to be just so, you know, because of the danger."

"Yeah, I've been up here before, but I didn't see much because of the bag that Agent Ward put over my head," Skye said.

"Yes, so sorry about that," Simmons apologized.

"I'm not," you commented, sliding up behind the three of them.

Simmons rolled her eyes, then spotted something. "Water?" she offered Skye, handing her a disposable plastic bottle. She took it, shrugging.

May came over the intercom system, as affable as ever. "Wheels up in two. Lock it or lose it."

"What's that mean?" Skye asked.

"No backing out now," Simmons smiled. "Let's find a bunk for our guest."

"Oh, oh, yeah, there's only one left, and it's right next to mine," Fitz said excitedly.

"It's right next to mine, too. Nice," you noted.

Fitz noticed that he was in Skye's way, and quickly jumped out of it. "Sorry," he apologized.

"You can--Hey," she greeted Agent Ward. "I know we didn't really--"

"Might want to read that," he cut her off, shoving a guide to the plane into her hands. "This isn't like other planes."

"It was a pleasure, as always, Agent Ward," you called after him. He didn't respond, but rather disappeared into his bunk. "Almost as friendly as Agent May is now," you told Skye.

"You can say that again," she agreed.

"Say what again?" your father asked, approaching the two of you.

"Sweet ride," Skye complemented the plane.

The two Coulsons nodded. "You have no idea," you said.

"I earned a little goodwill from Director Fury when I got hit right before the battle of New York," Phil explained.

"You took a bullet?" Skye grinned. Her respect for the man had just doubled.

"Ish. An Asgardian stabbed me through the heart with a Chitauri scepter. The effect was similar," he shrugged. "Got a few weeks' R&R and this plane. Had it completely refurbished. Studs up -- spared no expense."

"We wanted to put in a fishtank, but Fury vetoed that," you sulked.

"Yeah, Agent Ward told me they sent you to Tahiti," Skye went on.

"It's a magical place," he smiled softly.

Skye gave him a look. "You mentioned that."

"Yeah, why do you keep saying that?" you asked.

"Because it's true?" he shrugged. Skye moved to put her water bottle down on the table, but your father stopped her. "Here. Use a coaster." The three of you sat around the table. "Buckle up," Phil advised the two of you.

"I don't even know where we're going." She looked up in surprise as the lights dimmed.

"Peru. That's where the 0-8-4 was reported," he answered.

"And an 0-8-4 is?"

"An object of unknown origin," he defined. "Kind of like you."

"It's usually something that the aliens dropped, and don't want back," you summed up. "Not that aliens dropped you."

"With as much as I know about myself, they might have," she said.

"That's kind of sad," you sympathized.

"Anyway, a team goes in, determines if it's useful or if it poses a threat. Last one turned out to be pretty interesting," your father hinted.

"I remember that! That was my first 0-8-4," you reminisced. "Now look at me. I'm onto my second."

"And what was the last one?" Skye asked.

"A hammer," both Coulsons said.