The night was silent.

Only the hum of the Bus told the tale of a presence on board. Deep inside, the cell was dark.
It smelled rank, and spots of blood danced on the floor within the shadows, since Quinn hadn't ever gotten cleaned up after May smashed his face in.

But it was your thoughts and your racing brain that kept you wide awake.

You'd been tempted to destroy it once, your brain, but it was was kept you alive and breathing so you decided to not.

GH.325, the miracle drug that saved Coulson, bringing him back from the dead, could save Skye. And the team was going to look for it at the Guest House.

And they were letting you come along.

But I'm changeable. Insane. Mental. You thought, beginning to chant it in your head.

Changeable.

Mental.

Insane.

Chang-

When you paused, it wasn't because you'd drifted off to sleep, or someone interrupted you.

It was because out of the dark blue the cell door had opened with a long squeak, a figure filling the space of escape.

Standing, you squinted, yet couldn't see a thing but the figure in black. An intruder, or Phil wanting to have a midnight talk?

Either was okay, because you weren't getting much rest anyways and you figured you could take on a random intruder.

Only, with a glance at Quinn, asleep, you knew something was up. If it was someone he feared, he'd be awake and all ears. If it was one of the team, he'd be awake but definitely not all ears. And he was asleep.
This was not a random person. It was someone he knew personally.

Their hand placed itself on your shoulder, firmly. It was a worn looking hand, green veins could be seen clearly. Yet as close as the intruder was, they were still shrouded in the blackness, and that was as far as your deductions went.

"Who-" you started, then reeled back as a fist connected with your jaw, and you staggered into the corner, the person advancing with quick, easy paced strides.

Tall. They were tall. Six foot three? That's all you had.
Ward? May? Trip? Garett? Coulson?

Raising your hands in attempt to protect your face, you made an ice wall, which only covered the top part of your frame. So the person went for your gut instead, hooking a cross right into your ribs as you doubled over, coughing and spitting, beginning to cry out for help.

In seconds the small ice wall shattered and the third punch collided with your ear, the fourth bombing your nose and your cry was cut short with a spurt.

"Stop!" You hacked, blood flowing freely down your face and some dripping into your mouth. "Ack! St-"

A knife hand caught the edge of your neck, cutting you off. Sixth swing of their arm your right ear. Seventh and eighth punches slaughtering your hands that were still trying to save you.

Hardly getting a bearing, your threw a punch and tripped the assailant, shooting ice and freezing them to the ground. Unfortunately, you got within eye level of them when they dragged you to the floor and a boot jabbed your ribs again.

Pain flared up, and you heard a gasp and with a fleeting glance saw Ian awake. The gasp, though.

The gasp wasn't one of surprise, it was one of glee and encouragement. To the attacker, not yourself.

Monster.

Suddenly a hand yanked at your collar, jerking you upright. Your ears rang, your vision blurred and your chest felt heavy with a weight you'd never experienced. When the attacker whispered in your face, their breath washing over your features, you only heard some of it but grasped enough.

"You're insane...." They muttered. "And I've heard you're changeable....You've snapped...." They paused, breathing directly in your face; probably to intimidate you. "But what can...you...tell...me...for sure? Tell...me...one thing...that you know."

With their face in yours you saw why you couldn't recognize them; a mask. Their face right in front of you, you memorized the shape: squarish. At least, then, it wasn't Coulson.

"Changeable." You agreed, your own voice a broken whisper as the world spun in shattered pieces. "Insane." Then you really did snap. Your closed eyes fluttered open and the world stopped spinning. Everything hit you like a truck, or a solid object, one that was knocking the wind of out your lungs. Gripping the person's wrist you spread the ice like a wild fire, as it burned into their skin and they fumbled backwards while you finished. "AND I AM ICE."

Laughter began. They broke the ice that encased their arm and advanced on you, hissing like a snake, a growl rising up while they grinned mechanically; eyes burning into your soul with passion and hate.

"That's what I wanted to hear." They laughed, both fists blasting at your face.

You hit the ground, dazed and losing consciousness quickly. Their face. You must remember their face.

They bent down when you slumped to the floor and patted you on the back. "You aren't the only one changeable." They smiled again through their whisper and continued.

"Well. So nice to have had a proper chat." They said, snatching your fallen hat and pushed you further to the ground, their shoes filling eyesight as it cracked on your skull.

"Ciao, (your name)."

***
[Through the eyes of Fitz]

Fitz wandered into the briefing room, yawning. What a restless night. Twice he'd gotten up, thinking he had heard a yell or a thump, but it was nothing.

Turning on the holo table, and the video cam to the cell he frowned as he noticed a figure slumped in the corner. They were trashed, beat up and blood covered their face.

"(Your name)....?" He muttered, and then became frantic.

"Oh my god, Simmons!" He yelled, glancing at the monitor once more before running down the hall. "SIMMONS!"

***

Darkness.
Would it envelop you?
Only time could tell.

It felt like you were floating, drifting. Through space, maybe in zero gravity.
You hadn't a care in the world.
Maybe you were dead. And maybe that was for the best.

Who'd attacked you?
Why?
Why did they want to hear you admit your stability?

Pain. Spreading through your ribs, your nose.
Ears, face and neck.
Everywhere.

Your thoughts were nothing but jumbled trash.
Your brain nothing but jelly.
Your very existence fleeting.

Shouts echoed in you head and your dream self blinked. "What-"

"(Your name)!"

"Wake up!"

Wake up.

Could you wake up?

You moaned. More pain as you moved. "I can. I can wake up. 'Cause..." You closed your eyes and completed your thought and grinned one last time. Those words. They sent a passion through you. A burning passion as you imagined the other person who had attempted to put you out of the picture.

"I Owe You."

***

When you opened your eyes, what you saw was the last thing you expected.

Phillip Coulson was pointing a gun at your head.

"Is that a Bristish Army Browning L9A1 in your hand?" You asked, blinking, "Or are you just pleased to see me?"

"Enough with the references. Tell me what exactly happened. Explain it all, don't leave out a word, and do it now." He said, although you heard a chuckle from Garett off to the left.

You hopped out of the chair you were in and then doubled over. "Oh. Right." You coughed, "I'm not in a condition to move, am I?"

"No, you're not." Fitz replied. "Jemma, tell (him/her) what's up."

"Hands are deeply bruised, will likely be sore for a while; ears will heal but you'll hear ringing now and again." She listed, running her eyes down her clipboard. "Broken nose, stitches are due above the eyebrow and a few bruised ribs to top it off."

"Had a row with someone in particular?" Agent Triplett asked when you sat back down.

"Square," you mumbled.

"Sorry, what?" Phil glanced at you.

"Square face. Male. Strong hands. Also they snagged my cap. That leaves out agent May, Simmons and Fitz. Also Coulson." Your fingers rested underneath your chin and you closed your eyes and thought hard. "And the only ones remaining are Ward." You pointed to each one in turn. "Garett and Trip."

"You're saying that one of our agents attacked you?" May wondered, staring you down. You stared right back.

"Who else would it be? They wanted to keep myself from coming to look for the GH.325, obviously, although I don't know why...." Finally you mustered up the strength to stand even through the pain and began pacing the room. "Ah this is maddening. If only I had more to go on!"

"Well, then, they're right if that's what they wanted to do. Keep you from coming I mean." Leo replied. "The intensity your vitals are spiking at there's no way-"

You blatantly interrupted him, making a 'shhh' gesture. "Excuse yourself, Fitz. I am a genius with a snarky attitude who loses sleep regularly." A wide grin. "Of course I'm coming."

An outburst broke out among the team and you stepped away from the group, hands behind your back.

"No, (he/she) is not, I repeat, not coming!" That was Coulson.

"Why not? You said you'd give them a second chance, sir."
Thanks, Ward.

"Too bad, they're injured." Damn you Fitz. I mean, you were standing, weren't you?

"They could help break in, though..." Said Simmons, carefully.

May joined in and looked at everyone sternly. "We don't have time for this. We need to save Skye, and get in. Are they coming, or not?"

John Garett raised his hand. "I say the kid comes." Agent Trip beside him shrugged.

"Okay, yeah. Sure, why not." He raised his hand to add to the vote as well, along with May.

"We need all kinds of help," was all she said. She faced the last four.

Ward took a deep breath, watching you. "I want to say no, we hardly trust them. But it's been five years, we did offer them a second chance, and if they want to come," he put up his hand. "It's their business."

Fitz and Simmon's hands stayed down, and they said together, "You know you can barely walk. Aren't you going to have to keep up to not be a burden?"

Phil nodded. "My words exactly."

Taking a seat, you groaned as fire flashed through your ribs and a loud ringing occurred inside you ears, but you responded with a weak smile. "Come on, guys." You let out dry laugh.

"That's just the fun part."

***

"How was the drive from Istanbul?"

Coulson, Fitz, Triplett, Garett, Ward and yourself stood outside the Guest House, listening to the protocol sentence echoing outside the non-S.H.I.E.L.D. base.

Phil sighed and showed his badge. "This is S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Phil Coulson, if you'd mind opening the doors that'd be great."

"How was the drive from Istanbul?" Repeated the voice. You rolled your eyes.

"Know the password Phil? It might be helpful."

"No, no I don't know it!" He glanced at the security camera and offered his badge a second time. "Let us in."

"How was the drive from Istanbul?"

It became quiet for a moment before Phil spoke. "Alright. If they won't let us in, we all know what to do?"

Garett grinned, hefted his machine gun and raised an eyebrow. "We say pretty please."

And then he shot the camera.

***

Back inside the Guest House, the two guards looked at each other. "Do we let 'em in?" Asked the first, watching the camera go black.

"They didn't know the security code," answered the second, cocking his own gun. "Which side do you want?"

"Left."

"Good. I got right."

***

You pressed a hand to the intercom in your ear, and attempted to get a reading. "Simmons?" You said, seeing Fitz do the same. "Simmons?"

"It's no good. We're out of range." Fitz complained as the elevator descended deeper into the facility, the team huddled together into the small space.

You snorted. "Well that sucks. Can you still get us in?"

"Of course I can."

The doors opened and after Ward and Trip declared the room clear, Fitz opened his computer and got right to work, and Garett nudged your shoulder.

Amazing, it was the one spot unscathed after last nights brawl.

"Hey, kid." He smirked. "We get these doors open, you remember to give us some cover, yeah?"

You snapped your fingers, ice sparking into a small ball you tossed up and down. "How could I forget?"

John laughed. "You know, S.H.I.E.L.D. could use more kids like yourself. Glad you came along."

"So I've heard." You whispered under your breath, as the doors hissed open and every one of you dashed inside, crouching behind a object in the dark, since all the lights had been shut off. Likely because of the lockdown.

Coulson looked around warily, sending you a glance and you nodded in affirmation.

Ice shot from you fingertips and formed a wall. Although you hid it, it took more energy than you planned and you almost immediately felt drained. No, you wanted to come along. Nothing was going to stop you.

Suddenly a gunshot rang out, bouncing off of the overturned box on your left and you ducked. Well. Maybe a bullet would.

"Ward! Get us some light?" Phil shouted as gunshots continued ringing out all around, a few cracking holes in the ice wall and then the rest of it shattered as a heavy round ball smashed the center; most of your cover gone.

Ward flicked his hand at Fitz and Fitz rolled him a thing which he caught and threw into the center of the room, emitting a shock of bright light.

Instantly Garett spotted one of the guards and in two shots had him down, while Grant lunged out and bombarded the second who took a bullet to the shoulder and somehow crawled away.

"That was it then?" Trip wondered, standing slowly.

"Seems so. Let's advance with caution."

Your group followed the blood trail of the second guard and found him alone in the hallway on his dying breathes.

"Listen, we can help you," Coulson bent down and talked to the man. "Just tell us what you're hiding."

The man shook his head and breathed once last time.

That was not at all helpful. You thought, pouting. Sometimes Coulson was too nice.

Just then a call from Garett and Ward brought you back.

"We checked for bombs and grenades, just like you asked." John said, as you and Coulson came back with Trip. Fitz was frowning.

"Well we found one."

A grimace. "Damn. How long?"

"Ten minutes. And then this place is gonna blow. And us along with it."

__________
A/N:

Whoo-hoo-hoo!
Hope this is picking up speed for ya.

Also,
#SORRY NOT SORRY FOR ALL THE REFERENCES
THEY ARE MY LIFE
AND I AM A MESS

Who do you think trashed you in the night?
If you've watched AoS (Agents of Shield) and you think it was a certain Hydra guy....
great you're probably right
N if you didn't watch AoS, why are you still here? Go watch it immediately

Don't worry, we'll get on to the fun stuff like the Avengers and such soon; be patient, 'cause it's all important.

And if some of these parts don't make sense, I regret nothing but I haven't slept in days so just ask n I'll try to answer to the best of what little ability I have

all you sinners stand up sing hallelujah,
Styx