78 Years Ago
Episode 2: 78 Years Ago
September 11, 2018- Present Day
Flying through the air Daisy hit the ground hard, a flare of pain radiated up her back. Stunned and confused she tried to move but felt excruciating pain rush across her lower half. Looking over her shoulder she now realized her back was resting against a silver metal pole and now finally she understood why she was in so much pain. When she had fallen out of the time portal she must have hit the pole on the way down. Grabbing the object, she pulled herself up and for the first time took in her surroundings.
Her dad used to tell her stories of what the world had been like from before and on one occasion when they had been trying to get warm from the cold they had hidden underground to protect them from warmth and that was the first time she had ever seen subway trains. Drifting over everything around her she saw the bewildered faces of all the people, crying children, the smell of something horrid. For the first time she was seeing everything. The way the world had been about 80 years ago.
The blow came before she had even remembered her surroundings, knocking her skull against the metal pole hard. Star entered her vision for a minute before she twisted around and kicked the hooded figure right in the chest. “Didn’t your father ever teach you not to hit a girl?” Releasing vibrations into his chest he flew backwards and slammed into the right side of the subway train.
A rumble went through the train and the next thing she knew she was falling. Screams filled the air as passengers went sliding to the right. The force from her attack had sent the subway car careening to the right, falling right off the tracks. Sliding into the figure, she grabbed him to steady herself. His hood falling off his face so that she could get a glimpse of him for the first time. Before she could even have time to analyze him the subway car hit the side of the wall creating sparks and a screeching noise that made her wish that she was deaf.
With passengers still screaming and falling all over the place she did the only thing she could think of. Reaching behind her she released vibrations in the opposite direction pushing the subway train right back on the track. Collapsing to the ground, she took a shuddering breath to calm her racing heart. “Are you an idiot Chica? what kind of moron uses destructive powers like that in a moving vehicle?” The voice said startling her. Raising her head, she was surprised that the assassin was the one who had spoken considering he hadn’t said two words since before he had shoved her through the time portal.
“You know what? You don’t get a say in how I use my powers since you’re the one trying to kill me!” With her back in agony and her arms throbbing painfully Daisy didn’t think she had much fight left in her aside from her snarky quips and tough persona and there was no way she was giving that up without a fight. “your right, let’s just end this now. Tell me where the others are and maybe I’ll send you to hell quickly”
“How the hell am I supposed to know where they are? You’re the one who shoved me through the portal. Time travel isn’t an exact science. They could be anywhere in the world.” That was true, but Daisy did know where they would be eventually. “Your right, but something tells me that you set a place for where you would meet them on the other side.” Damn this guy was good, wait… could he read minds, how did he guess that?
“I’m not a mind reader, your just an open book” wait, did she just say that all out loud. “Yea, your talking out loud right now Chica.” He said, his lips curling up into what Daisy thought was almost an amused smile, but she must have imagined it.
“Shut up” she grumbled. “Let’s end this” The fist came before she could barely finisher her sentence knocking her hard against the glass, “Okay” she groaned, “That’s unfair. I didn’t say start.” Blocking his next punch with her fist, her leg swept out slamming into his chest before he grabbed her collar and through her across the train, right into a couple of empty seats. People in a panic were rushing to get away from the fight, terrified.
Stumbling to her feet she felt the next blow snapping her head to the side. Touching her lip slightly she came away with blood. “That’s gonna hurt when I smile.” She mused before a kick knocked her across the train. “Okay, Daisy” she groaned, lying on her back in agony. “Pay attention” Her dad always did say she had the attention span of a gold fish. Kicking her legs out she jumped to her feet.
Pulling her arm back she swung to the right and just as he was about to catch the fist she brought the other one up and hit him square in the jaw knocking him off his feet. He had only just gotten to his feet when she jumped on the seats and using the metal pole she propelled her body through the air her feet hitting him square in the chest knocking him into the window behind him.
Getting up slowly, his gaze slowly met hers and she could swear that fire had alighted behind his eyes. Grabbing the metal pole next to him steam began to pour from the pole before it snapped as he brandished it like a weapon. “Oh, you have powers too… that’s…. nice.” Suddenly getting very nervous she backed up. Steam beginning to arise from the assassin’s body. Grabbing the pole closest to her she released her power causing it to shake before the metal snap and just like him she used it as a weapon as well.
He made the first move swinging his pole which was now on fire directly towards her causing her to bring hers up to clash with his. Instantly she felt fire spread through her fingers the heat from his pole seeping into hers. Jerking away she jumped back and glared, “That’s not fair, why do you get to use your powers and I can’t?” she whined knowing she sounded like a child but not really caring at the moment.
“Wow, that’s real mature. Tell me how did you survive in a post-apocalyptic world for so long.” Taunting her he swung the pole again causing her to twist to the side to avoid the smoking object. “Hey! No taunting aloud. This is a serious fight here. The fate of the world rests on who wins this thing.” A snort escaped him, and he looked at her slightly amused, “You know, I do believe this is the most conversation I have ever had while trying to kill someone before. Your kind of a chatter box, aren’t you?” Okay, he had a point and she really hated that this guy could see right through her.
“Okay so, maybe I like to talk when I fight. It’s a nervous habit okay and its one that I am aware of.” She roared managing a hit to his chest with her pole. The next hit caused her pole to clash with his and she could feel her hands getting hot again. Getting annoyed she twisted her wrist tightly in a sweeping motion which caused the pair to both lose their weapons.
“Sorry, I’m more of a hand to hand combat kind of girl. Weapons are more Bobbi’s thing.” Pulling her fist back she hit his face before he could reply knocking him back against the window of the moving Subway train. She needed to end this quick or at least try and find some way to escape unfortunately that wasn’t happening on a moving vehicle. The next punch he threw was on fire and she twisted to avoid it only to have his knee slammed into her gut as he anticipated her move. “Predictable and sloppy. Is this the best that the resistance has to offer?” Still trying to catch her breath the next fist he threw hit her square in the jaw knocking her to the ground. Kneeling, he grabbed her throat his hand beginning to sizzle.
Screaming she felt her skin burning and a horrible flash of white hot pain coursed through her body. A jolt went through the subway train, turning her head to the side she saw the door to the subway train beginning to open. In a flurry people began rushing out to get away from the two gifted time travelers. “Sorry…” she choked barely even able to get the words out. “Looks like this… is my… stop.” Blasting a series of vibrations into his chest he flew back hitting the wall hard and causing another tremor to go through the subway train.
While he was momentarily stunned Daisy stumbled to her feet. Clutching her raw throat, she stumbled out of the train and pushed her way through the swarming crowd. She needed to put distance between her and the assassin. While she didn’t like to admit that someone was better or stronger than her. She knew deep down that she was no match for that assassin and with the injuries she had she didn’t know if she could take another fight with him. Her back ached with a fierce pain and she found it slightly hard to breath, now wishing that Jemma was here to help with the pain.
Running up the stairs she could see a bright light in the distance getting closer and she knew that she was almost there. The first thing she saw was the blinding light, squinting up blindly her lips parted and for the first time she saw a beauty that she had never seen before. Warmth was the first thing she noticed, it enveloped her entire body in a cocoon and she found herself stretch her arms out, tears gathering at the corner of her eyes, trailing down her dirt stained cheeks. Shaking her head, she wiped away her tears roughly. There wasn’t time to take everything in she needed to get to the avenger’s tower and rendezvous with the others.
Pushing through the crowd of people she had never seen so many people all together at once not even in the rebel base. This is what the world had been like before the event, the fateful day on November 5th, 2018. None of them really knew in exact detail what had happened, but that date would never leave any of their memories, the one thing everyone remembered.
Grabbing the side of the wall to steady herself she stumbled into the dark alley hidden by view. Pulling her sleeves up she inspected the damage on her arms done by her very own quakes. They were pretty messed up and she didn’t know how many more quakes she could do, but she didn’t really have a choice. There wasn’t time to rest and let her arms heal. Crouching low on the ground she released powerful quakes into the ground, the earth shaking for a second before she was blasted into the sky landing on the roof lightly. Her arms twitched lightly with pain, but she ignored it there would be time for Jemma to fret over her arms later. Pausing when she saw the avengers tower in sight, she let out a sigh of relief. At least she hadn’t been sent too far away. Cable had said they could be thrown out anywhere in the world, but it seems she got lucky and ended up right where she needed to be. She just hoped the others were lucky.
Hesitating at the ledge she cursed where her train of thought was going. It could be hours before any of them made it to the drop point and despite how much she was slapping herself inwardly in the head there was one place that she wanted to go to before she rendezvoused with the others at the drop point.
The first thing Bobbi felt when she awoke was an overwhelming sense of nausea coursing through her. Sitting up, she put her hand to her mouth, but she couldn’t stop what happened next leaning over she wretched all the food she had eaten from earlier in the day. “Ugh, nobody said anything about time travel having a side affect of nausea.” She grumbled wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. Taking in her surroundings for the first time, she sat up and let out a gasp.
Bodies everywhere, and not just bodies blood too. Splattered on the walls with bullet holes it looked like a massacre had gone on. Still holding her queasy stomach she walked over to one of the bodies on the floor and dug through the jacket they were wearing. Bobbi didn’t have any guilt about looking through a dead mans belonging. Not when everyone did it in the future. Pulling out a badge of some sort she flipped it open. “S.T.R.I.K.E., Brian James, Level 4, field officer.” She murmured low her brows furrowing in confusion. “What the hell is S.T.R.I.K.E.?” she had heard of shield before, but strike was a name that had never even come up.
Somebody had massacred all these agents though and of course the time traveling portal would spit her out right in a room full of dead bodies. “I am never time traveling again.” She muttered low under her breath. Gingerly stepping over the bodies she made her way towards the door. From the looks of where she ended up it appeared to be a hotel of some sorts. She had only made it out into the hall when shouting reached her ears and the next thing she knew she was face down, tasting the carpet with shouting echoing all around her. Soldiers, all with guns pointed right at her. One of them stepped into the room surveying the mess before stepping out, “Their all dead sir. It’s a massacre in there. This girl appears to be the only survivor and she’s not one of our own. Do you really think she caused all this blood shed?” The man asked looking towards what Bobbi presumed was the leader.
The leader of the group slowly came forwards and knelt in front of her until they were both at eyelevel with each other. “You’ve clearly never encountered the black widow. Never assume that a woman is weak or feeble because they will get you every time.” He said his voice low and his accent like that of Jemma’s.
“Well, hello sweetheart. Did you kill all these nice men? Who do you work for? It would be a lot easier if you just told me.” Struggling against the men holding her she glared back up at the man fiercely. “I didn’t kill anyone” Sighing, he leaned back and rubbed his face tiredly. “Still going with that innocent act, I see. Like I said that doesn’t work with me.” Bringing his gun back he slammed it into her skull, knocking her out cold.
Bobbi came awake with a major headache and an urge to maim someone, preferably the reason for her headache. Wincing at the harsh light in the room she looked around at what appeared to be an interrogation room from the looks of it. Handcuffed to a chair with a table in front of her. This was going to be hard to get out of, not to mention she was most definitely going to be late meeting up with the other girls. The door opened abruptly causing her to tense and the same guy who had knocked her out from before walked in.
“Your awake, sorry about the head.” He said motioning towards the bruise already starting to form. “Though I doubt I should be the one apologizing since you did just murder all those strike agents, still I never did like hitting women. Which I guess is a good thing and a mark in the plus column for the ladies.” He grinned raising his eyebrows at her. “Do you ever shut up?” she asked rubbing her temple while trying to relieve the pain pounding into her skull.
Ignoring her comment, he sat a glass of water down and placed two white pills in front of her. She almost wanted to ask what the white pills were, if they were meant to kill her but then again, they could have killed her at any time, so she doubted it was dangerous to take them. Still she had never seen anything like them before, but asking him might reveal that she was from the future and maybe she should already know what these pills were.
“They’re not poisonous. If I wanted to kill you, we wouldn’t be having this conversation you would already be dead. Now unless you don’t want that headache to go away I suggest you take the damn pills.” So, they were for her head. Interesting, she didn’t know medicine like this existed. Taking the pills, she rolled them around in her hand for a second before popping them in her mouth and grabbing the glass of water began chugging the contents of the glass.
“Why am I here?” she asked, looking around at the room trying to find any possible exit strategies. “We still playing the dumb card, are we?” he asked looking at her with piercing eyes. “I didn’t kill your men. I’m a shield agent.” No need to tell him that she wouldn’t be a shield agent for about another 70 odd years and that she was from the future. His head might explode if she told him all that.
“A shield agent, Huh. That’s a pretty big claim. Guess I’ll just have to call it in then and see if your telling the truth, you hungry?” He asked looking at the girl who appeared half starved. Getting up and without waiting for an answer he walked out leaving her alone to her thoughts. He was only gone about 20 minutes when he came back with a paper plate and a triangular looking thing sitting on top the plate.
“What’s that?” she asked when he threw it down in front of her, picking at it gingerly. “Your joking, right?” He asked skeptically. Upon her blank look he snorted. “Its pizza, how the hell do you not know what pizza is? Have you been living under a rock your whole life?” Well, she had lived in a cave once, but she didn’t think that was what he was asking her. Lifting the pizza up she hesitantly took a bite and her eyes widened in shock. “Oh my god, this is so good” She said and before she knew it she had practically inhaled the pizza. The strike agent grinning at, “Good, huh. You’re a weird one alright and you never did tell me your name.” he asked.
“Bobbi Morse” not that he could do anything with the name since she didn’t exist yet. “What do they call you?” she mumbled wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. “Lance Hunter. I’m going to make a call to see if your story checks out bob, and for your sake I hope it does.” And with that he got up from his seat and left.
Jemma awoke to cool metal sliding across her skin. Jerking upright she saw a man standing before her his blade slide across her delicate neck. A shiver went down her spine and she cringed. “Look at that your finally awake.” He murmured his voice soft and accented. “Please, don’t hurt me.” She pleaded. Her eyes shining with tears. “Don’t worry, I need you to lead me to your friends. You have just become a valuable target.” Grabbing her arm, he pulled her up and placed the blade right at the base of her throat.
“Let’s make this quick, you take me to them and I’ll make your death quick and painless.” His breath caressing her pale, tear stained cheek. She didn’t want to help this man, she really didn’t but she also didn’t want to die. The only option she had was to take him where he wanted to go and then find some a way to escape in the process. “The avengers tower. We’re meeting at the avenger’s tower.” She said her voice still shaky. Squeezing her arm, he shoved her forwards and nodded, “Go on, get moving and for your sake I really hope you’re not lying.”
Jemma had never been in a situation like this a part of her wanted Daisy, the badass inhuman that could have taken this guy on easily without breaking a sweat. She wasn’t a fighter, not like May or Bobbi or even Elena. She was just a scientist. She just hoped Daisy was doing alright before she had been knocked through the portal she had seen two assailants one of them had fallen through with Jemma, but she had no idea if Daisy had even made it through the portal or what had happened with the other hooded figure. Her worry getting the best of her and despite not wanting to say anything to this man she needed to ease her worry.
“Who was the man?” she asked softly. Her voice trembling a little bit as the pair trudged up the muddy hill, a light shower soaking the pair, but Jemma noticed none of this, not the sky or the trees or the humidity there would be time to see the world later all she could think about now was the marauder behind her and Daisy who may not have even made it through the other side.
“What man?” The marauder said shoving her forwards slightly when she slowed down. “Before we fell through the portal there was someone with you.” Gaining a little confidence, she glanced over at her capture walking slightly behind her. “Worried about your friend Quake, you should be. Robbie isn’t like me, if he was then I imagine Quake could have taken care of him no problem, but you see he is alittle different.”
“An inhuman?” if he was then she worried for Daisy, with the condition of her friends arms she knew Daisy couldn’t fight not without seriously hurting herself. She also knew that Daisy would keep pushing until she eventually snapped and killed herself. Daisy had a death wish, ever since her dad died she has been begging for death and that’s what Jemma feared most of all. “Inhuman? no he is something else entirely, your friend is going to be wishing he was inhuman by the time he is done with her.” The thought didn’t sit well with Jemma and she couldn’t help but wonder what could be worse than an inhuman.
Melinda May was pissed, no scratch that she was furious. Upon coming out of the portal she had not expected to end up in a giant lake soaked to the bone, having to swim for 30 minutes just to reach the shore all the while cursing profanities. “Time travel” she snarled ringing her hair out while pulling herself onto land, “Never again, the next person who suggests time travel to save the planet, I’ll shoot myself.” Pausing to take in her surroundings, she frowned. “Where the hell am I?” The only sound was a dog barking somewhere in the distance.