Fix the Problem

She drifted into twilight. The sun was just set, its dying embers leaving stains of pink and purple across the sky. Wind brushed past her, enveloping her in peace and tranquility. For not the first time in her life, May was glad for gravity. Without it she might be tempted to stay in the air forever. Gravity was a friend. A relief. An inevitability she didn’t have to fight. She felt heavy, sinking fast. And she watched, almost in a daze, as the ground rushed up to meet her.
Thwack!
The landing shook her awake. Her weight was on her shoulder. “Ahhh.” A groan escaped as she dragged her body forward. She put pressure on her ankle. Unbroken. She looked up, peering into the darkening sky. There was SHIELD 616, barely a pinprick. Headed west. “Wrong direction,” May thought. For once she was happy Coulson refused to listen to her. He’d left them no time to repair the fuel lines. The plane would be at least a couple hundred miles out before they realized their mistake. Then they would need to double back and gas up. May guessed her window was at most 90 minutes. She yanked off the parachute, breathing heavily. The air was already getting cold. She did not have the luxury of time. But she gave herself a moment to watch as SHIELD 616 disappeared into the horizon. The ache in her chest edged back. She blinked, and pushed it away. 90 minutes.
[...]
“Do not. Move.”
“No. No. Stay away.”
“Quiet!”
“ I’m begging you. Plea--” Agent May grimaced, smashing her hand over the woman’s mouth.
“I’m going to help you. But I can’t if you don’t shut up. Right. Now.” The woman struggled beneath her grip, eyes wide and brimming with tears.
“Listen to me,” May hissed. “I work with Phil.” She felt the pressure against her arms relax. She released the woman and watched her sink into the wall.
“Phil?” She let out a stifled sob. “Is he here?”
“Tell me your name.”
“Audrey.” She risked a look. Here at last was Phil’s one true love. Her eyes were red, her hair was tangled. But she was pretty. A delicate flower crumpled on the floor of a dirty holding cell.
“Good.”
“Is he here?”
“No.” Agent May told herself to be gentle. For Coulson’s sake.
“Do exactly what I say.”

[...]

“Well, she sure as hell didn’t get out on her own. No more Mr. Nice Guy. I want her alive, and I want her friend-s, singular or plural, dead at my feet. You understand? Don’t come back to me without a body.” Agent May recognized the voice of John Garrett. The man could order murder like it was a turkey sandwich. Audrey crouched next to her, knees clutched, breath coming in gasps.
“Oh God,” she said. “Are we dead?” May shook her head.
“No. They’re trying to kill me. You they want for bait.”
“For what?” May didn’t answer her. She was listening to the footsteps as they hit the floor.
They were falling closer together.
“This is it,” she whispered, grabbing Audrey’s arm. “You’re going.”
“I’m going?”
“Right now.”
Audrey tried to pull away. “No. We should stay here. They’ll see us.”
“They have seen us. They’re coming for us right now.”
“Please can’t we wait. Just wait.”
“In less than an hour, SHIELD will blast into a HYDRA complex. The wrong one.
Coulson thinks you’re there. If that happens, it's a bloodbath. We lose everything.”
“I can’t --”
“Pay attention.” May bent down and whispered directions into her face. Audrey stared back at her, uncomprehending. She closed her eyes and shook her head.

Agent May clenched her teeth. She held Audrey with one hand. With the other she unholstered an icer. Audrey looked at it, surprised. Without another word, May shot her in the chest. The gun made a popping sound in Audrey’s body. May caught her as she fell. “Kind of tall,” she observed. She struggled with the body for a moment. Finally, with a grunt, she pushed it out a window. “Room for one,” she said, to no one in particular

[...]

“What the hell is that.”
“Looks like a car.”
“Yeah-huh. Got that. See who’s driving?”
“Oh.”
“ ‘Oh’ is right. Safety off, but keep your finger off the trigger.”
“Yes, Sir.”
The guards watched as the vehicle rolled up the driveway, slowing to a stop in front of the gate.
“Get my back McClosky.”
“Got your back, sir.”
They moved out from behind the entrance, making a wide circle around the car.
“Challenge, McClosky.”
McClosky cleared his throat. “State your name and intention,” he hollered, “or kiss your ass goodbye.”

[...]

“Where is she?” His throat was hoarse. He strode through the hangar, fueled by the wild hope that his legs were somehow carrying him closer to her. Simmons struggled to keep up.
“This way sir,” she panted. “A local fellow drove her in. He’s in debriefing now. He had ten thousand dollars on him. The car wasn’t his either.” Coulson tried to focus. But everything he heard seemed to slip away.
“Is this …?”
“Yes. She’s …” Coulson pushed open the door, leaving Simmons in the hallway.
Skye saw her standing there, a discomfitted look passing over her face. She offered the biochemist a stick of gum.
“No, thank you. Sensitive teeth.”
“Audrey’s in there.”
Simmons nodded, “Coulson’s with her now.”
“How is she?”
“She’s in shock. Possibly concussed. Other than that, everything seems to be in order.”
“Oh.” Skye glanced at Simmons.
“What about the operation? Cancelled?”
Simmons sighed heavily. “He didn’t say.”
“Kind of weird to escape from the bowels of Hydra with barely a scratch, right?”
“I should say so.” A silence fell between them.
“I’m worried about May.”
“Me, too.”

[...]

“Don’t speak,” he told her. Coulson sat on the edge of the bed, her hand in his. “We’re taking care of everything.” The room was a murky glaze. Audrey felt as if she were stirring from a bad dream. Suddenly, she was wide awake.
“Phil!” She tried to sit up, but there were hands pressing on her shoulders. A nurse hovered over her.
“She needs to stay calm.” Coulson stood up and touched Audrey’s face.
“Its alright.”
“No,” she said, “no, it’s not. She said to tell you to stop it. No matter what, don’t do it. It’s a bad operation. She said it’s a bad operation.”
Coulson felt the floor fall out beneath him. His words came out in a shudder. “She said ..”
“She said to make you stop it, no matter what. No matter what.”
“Who was she?” The voice came from behind him. He hadn’t heard the door push open. But there was Jemma Simmons at the foot of the bed, reading Audrey’s chart. Skye was standing in the threshold.
“I - I don’t know. I don’t think she said her name.” Audrey turned her face towards Coulson. “She said she worked with you.”
“It’s May, sir.” Simmons put the chart down. Skye took a step into the room.
“It’s definitely 100% her. And if she’s still there, she needs our help..”
“No, no. I doesn’t matter. They were going to kill her.” She struggled to sit up again. “I’m the bait. I’m the bait. They wanted me alive. Her they want to kill. They want to bring him a body.”
Horror was etched on Coulson’s face. His eyes rested on Audrey’s hand, still clutched in his own. He spoke without looking up.
“Skye, tell Fitz to rush the gas-up. Then I need you to find us as pilot.”
Skye left, exchanging a glance with Simmons. As Audrey watched her go, the fog lifted and panic set in.
“Wait. Don’t. It’s a bloodbath! You can’t!”
Coulson brushed back her hair, trying to soothe her. “Audrey, Audrey, Audrey, shhhh.”
The nurse glared at him. “I’m going to get the doctor.”
“We can’t just leave her alone up there. We have to go -.” Audrey shook her head.
“But she said you wouldn’t. She said she’s bad bait. You’re not friends. Barely allies.” Coulson felt Simmons stiffen behind him. He remembered those words. They rang back ugly and misshapen to him now.
“Excuse me.” The nurse was back, doctor in tow. “There are too many people in this room. You’re putting stress on my patient.”
“We’re going.” Coulson kissed Audrey’s hand. “I have to go.”
“You can’t.”
“I have to Audrey. I love you.”
“You can’t!”
“2 mg Lorazepam.”
Coulson watched in silence as the doctor administered the injection. He felt Audrey’s grip weaken. Her eyes were closing.
“But I was supposed to stop you.”