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chapter four

(April 3rd; 2017
Los Angeles, California)

    "SIMMONS, I'm going to be honest. I know exactly why you're here."

    Jemma arched a brow at Clara, taken aback as they walked the streets towards the destination only a short block away. Her light brown hair had been pulled off her face into a tight ponytail at the nape of her neck, smartly dressed as she always was. But she had jumped at the chance to take a break from work with Clara━far too quickly. While others turned a blind eye, Roy knew Simmons very well. She had a feeling she knew exactly why she decided to join Clara in her lunch break.

    But Simmons just frowned, trying to play it off, "Accompanying my friend in apartment shopping?"

    Clara's expression went blank. "I thought you and Leith had talked and ... you know━figured all this stuff out."

    Jemma winced, "Well━I mean━" she chuckled nervously. "Rather we haven't talked ... at all."

    Roy stared at her, shocked. "It's been days!"

    "Yes, yes, I know," she sighed, fiddling with her fingers under the hem of her jacket sleeves. "But ... it's complicated. And we're far too busy to even stop to think about it all." Jemma tucked a stray hair behind her ear, not meeting Clara's gaze. "Maybe ... maybe it won't work."

    Clara's eyes widened. "What━don't say that! Why do you think that?"

    Jemma pursed her lips. Her jaw set and Roy knew she wasn't going to say. Clara didn't want to push, and she didn't want to pick sides, but after everything they've all been through, surely something so simple in comparison to the horrors they've faced shouldn't be the end of this?

    But before Roy could say anything else, her phone lit up in her pocket, buzzing with a familiar tone. She glanced at Simmons, knowing she was going to try and bring it up later before answering the call, pressing the phone between her ear and shoulder. "Hullo!"

    "Hey, love, sorry I missed your call," Fitz sounded as if he was shuffling on the other end of the line, moving through the bustling lab of the Playground. "How's it going?"

     He still sounded unsure and Clara lightly rolled her eyes, a smile tugging at her lips. "Fitz," she said, "it checks all our boxes: hardwood floors, breakfast nook, bay window, two bedroom━perfect for Simmons to stay over." Simmons chuckled beside her, a little better at the grin Roy sent her as she scuffled through her bag to make sure she had the right address as they came around the corner. "And it's also cozy and charming! It's almost too perfect, I'd say."

    "Yeah, well," Fitz's voice was muffled a little as if he was in a similar position with his phone pressed between his ear and shoulder, "'cozy' means small and 'charming' means old. I thought we decided not too small?"

    Clara scoffed a warm chuckle as she pulled out the sheet, holding it out in front of her. She fixed her handbag and swapped hands for her phone. "Well, I don't think cozy means too small. It looked lovely on the photo! And Simmons agrees it's wonderful."

    "Where did you find this place?"

    "An email offer!" she grinned, looking up at the building as they arrived. It was sweet, and on a quiet street. 715; the Langham. Clara smiled. "I think this is the one, Fitz. I can feel it."

    "And it's, uh ... it's definitely within our price range?"

    Roy's eyes widened. She glanced at Simmons who shook her head━even without hearing Fitz's end, she could read her friend's face too well to know exactly what the question was. Clara glanced down at the paper and pursed her lips. "I ... I thought you said we can afford something larger?"

    There was a sigh, "How expensive is it?"

     She shifted back and forth on her feet. "Well, can one really put a dollar amount on the perfect home?"

    "Yes, one can," he told her. "And we did."

     "And," she hung out the word, following Simmons into the lobby. "It will be well worth it, I promise. Shame you can't be here, though," Roy sighed. "Would really like you to see it. All three of us out again!"

    "Yeah," said Fitz, "but I'm heading to Radcliffe's."

    Clara faltered a little. She scratched her brow, trying to keep the light tone to her voice. "You're━uh━spending a lot of your time there lately..." Roy understood that Fitz got along with the scientist, and Radcliffe helped save May's life. But not only did she still hold such a aversion to him due to her experiences last year, but she wondered how Holden Radcliffe was getting more attention from her boyfriend than she was? Fitz and Roy had always been attached to the hip, and that didn't change when they finally started a relationship━Roy had gotten used to Fitz being around all the time.

    "Does it?" more shuffling. "Eh, I guess so. Trying to figure out a less deadly way to cure our ghost victims. Take lots of pictures."

    "Will do," she muttered, the smile returning to her face as she looked up and met Jemma's patient gaze by the reception desk. "Plenty of pictures. And good luck with the cure. I'll see you tonight. Love you."

    "Yeah, I love you, too."

    Clara hung up. Dropping her phone in her bag, she took a deep breath. Quickly, she plastered a smile on her face and walked back up to Jemma. They approached the counter and Roy spoke up with a bright, "Good morning! I'm here about the apartment?"

    The girls were led to the stairwell━no elevators (maybe Fitz was right about charming). Up two floors, Clara and Jemma walked down the hallway of a landing with three doors. The apartment she was looking at was at the very end: a dark green door with it's paint peeling off ever-so-slightly. Clara kind of liked that. It gave the place character. It reminded her of a small home, in a small town, for a small family. A place Clara would have to sell to buy this, but maybe it was finally time to fully let go ...

    Simmons understood her hesitation. Her hand squeezed her shoulder, giving it a rub. "Your father would be estatic."

    Clara smiled softly, "Yeah ..." she murmured. "He would ... and smug━he always believed Fitz and I were going to end up together."

    Jemma smiled sadly.

    Taking another deep breath, Roy double checked whether it was the right room before holding her fist up to knock. Tapping against the wood, Clara froze when the door slowly creaked open. She glanced at Jemma, confused before peaking inside. "Hello?" from what she could see, it was unfurnished, but the place looked very tender and homely. "I'm here about the apartment ..."

    No answer.

    Frowning, the two best friends carefully stepped inside. "Hello?" the door opened wide, and Clara saw an empty main room, kitchen and hallway to the riht. There was their breakfast nook, a bay window, looking out ont he streets below. But not a single soul in sight. "Is anybody here?"

    Seeing the light switch, she tried to turn them on, but nothing happened. Strange. Roy led the way further into the opening room, feeling a familiar churn in her gut. It made her slip her hand down into her bag and tighten her fingers around her gun. Simmons did the same, both of them knowing something was up. "Hello?"

    Slam!

    Gasping, the girls spun around, guns held up. They faltered to see Daisy, however, leaning against the closed door, breathless. Lowering her arms, Roy and Simmons exclaimed. "Daisy?!" they hadn't seen her since ... well since she left them. The others saw her last month, and in brief encounters where she always had the upper hand to escape ... but this was the first time Clara and Jemma have seen their dearest friend since she decided she'd be better off without them.

    "Sorry," she croaked out, wincing in pain. It was then Clara noticed the long, vein-like bruises down her arm, and her eyes widened. Daisy couldn't keep herself standing any longer. She slid down to the floor, a stream of blood following her along the wood of the door. "I had nowhere else to turn."

     Clara dropped her gun into her bag and both hit the wooden floors with a thud. "Daisy━" she rushed towards her, dropping down to her aid.

    Roy and Simmons helped Daisy into the room. Clara worked to properly clean, dress and stitch the bullet wound on the back of Daisy's shoulder while Simmons watched, stubbornly silent as she scowled at Daisy. With no pain killers, Daisy helped herself to the bottle of whiskey she somehow had. Then again, robbing banks does give you money, doesn't it?

    "Whoever took this bullet out did an awful job," muttered Roy, holding out her hand for the whiskey bottle. Daisy rolled her eyes but passed it back.

    "Don't I get an 'A' for effort?" she said as Clara poured the alcohol onto a cloth and draped it down along her freshly-stitched wound to clean the blood. Daisy winced.

    "You haven't been to a doctor?"

    "Well, you're hard to get an appointment with."

    Roy realised━of course this apartment was too good to be true. She froze a little, and couldn't help but clench her hands around the cloth to keep down her anger. She met Simmons gaze briefly at her friend sighed, realising as well. "You've been tracking my search history."

    "Yeah, well," Daisy winced again as Roy dapped the pad more against the wound (a bit harsher, she'd admit, but she couldn't help but be annoyed), "you were always a sucker for a breakfast nook. But don't worry ... the place is yours."

    Shoulders slumping, Clara sat back, staring at Daisy with her breath falling away. "No, you shouldn't have. Take it back now━"

    "Yeah, yeah, not gonna happen," Quake shifted in her spot, her eyes squinted in pain. Simmons looked like she wanted to help her, but stopped herself, huffing a little. The girls were both furious━their friend leaves them, doesn't say anything, pop up at all, and now all of a sudden, she has come crawling back to help, expecting they'll do it without hesitation━and they have.

    But it was more for Clara, too. When Daisy left, the only other person who understood what she went through. Who understood the pain, and the dreams, and the numbness━all the guilt and horror and some days where she could barely find herself able to be around anyone, so deep in her memories of hurting them she was scared she'd do it all over again━had left. She had left, and Clara had been alone for a while without her. She had to survive without Daisy. And Fitz and Simmons (everyone really) had been there for her. But Clara would have appreciated Daisy's help. Daisy's understanding. That shared experience.

    But just like Fitz had said many times: she had abandoned them.

    Daisy went on, but her words were stiffer, as if she noticed the tension finally. "You also ... um, you also searched for double-vanity sinks ..." there was a weary smile on her friend's face. "You and Fitz ... you guys going good?"

    Roy picked up another larger cloth, playing it over the wound so she could bandage it. "Very well, actually ... but moving together is always the test, isn't it?"

    Her old friend grunted at the pain, trying to keep it in. "It'll be great," she said. "I'm really happy for you."

    Clara tried not to go rigid with the gentle grip she needed at the moment. She met Jemma's gaze briefly, and was relieved to see that her best friend also felt a similar bitterness over Daisy's sudden arrival. "Are you now?"

    Daisy heard the stiffness in her voice. It made Clara wonder whether she took the vodka bottle to subdue the pain, or something else. "Oh, I see you've been self-medicating," she muttered, annoyed. "Alcohol, stolen S.H.I.E.L.D. drugs ..." the woman sitting in front of her rolled her eyes.

    Jemma caught it and frowned, "You know those bone-restoration pills you've been stealing don't relieve pain. Are you using your arm gauntlets?" At Daisy's sigh, she grew more fustrated. "They don't work perfectly, but we specifically deisgned them so that they━"

    "They're not exactly incognito," snapped Daisy.

    "You wouldn't need to be incognito if you just━"

    "Stop mothering me," Simmons faltered at the tone of their old friend's voice. The girls both slumped a little, sharing another pained glance. Realising, Daisy set her jaw and hung her head slightly, mumbling a last, gentler: "Please."

    Clara fixed the final placings of Daisy's bandage, securing it tightly━but still with a tender touch she hated she held, no matter what her friend has done. "There," she muttered, standing back up. She pulled off her gloves, feeling something inside her ache at the thought of Daisy just going off again, disapearing for the next set of months. "Now you're free to go back to Lone Rangering━or whatever it is you've been doing."

     Daisy took another sip of her alcohol. "Not yet," she stated.

    Both Roy and Simmons frowned at her as she forced herself to stand. Jemma followed, shifting━as if fighting the urge to help her. "I didn't come to you guys just for the Band-Aids." The girls scoffed━neither were surprised. Daisy rummaged her hand into her pocket and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. "I thought I'd kill two birds with one stone."

    She handed the paper over. Clara took it in her fingers as Simmons came to her side with a sarcastic, "Are we the bird or the stone━?" but her words fell away as Clara opened the paper up.

    Roy froze up, finding her heart rise a little to see familiar streets on the blood-encrusted page. She met Jemma's gaze, shocked, and very confused. Simmons furrowed her brows, just as horrified as she was. "These ... these are━"

    "Inhuman asset numbers and GPS coordinates," Daisy stated their fears.

    "Why do you have these?" demanded Simmons.

    "Snagged them from a group of Watchdogs on the way here. Got a ... bullet for my trouble." Daisy sighed. "Look━they're hacking into S.H.I.E.L.D. servers. That's how they find their victims."

     Jemma shook her head, "Imposisble," she said, voice quivering slightly. Clara continued to stare at the paper, feeling her heart rise up in her throat. "S.H.I.E.L.D. servers are more secure now than they've ever been. T━They're held offline in protected government facilities to━"

    "Keep out people like me?" Daisy ventured, a brow quirked. Jemma pursed her lips. She didn't have to say anything: the answer was yes. "Yeah, well, they're getting in somehow. And ..." she shuffled, pushing her chin up despite the pain. "I need you to do the same for me."

    Roy and Simmons stared at her━was she insane? "You ..." Clara spoke up for the first time in a short while, throat hoarse in her surprise. "You want us to help you hack our own organisation?"

    Daisy watched her like she couldn't believe she was disagreeing. "Roy, they're targeting Inhumans. They are murdering us. Or have you forgotten exactly who you are━?"

    Clara cut her off with a sharp, "There are protocols, Daisy." She didn't want to get into the details of her mind after Hive's Sway. She wanted to keep it locked away in her drawer; amongst all her other baggage and laundry. Forever. Including the sheer extent of her powers. "Simmons takes mandatory lie-detection tests. I━" she held up her watch, something that was also used to keep an eye on where she is and her powers, "━signed the Sokovia Accords and is monitored wherever I go, whatever I do. We can't just voluntarily aid a wanted vigilante."

    With that said, she angrily handed back the paper and stormed off to her bag, throwing her eqiuipment in━ready to get out of here as soon as possible. But part of her was surging━flickering with energy. It wanted her to use it. It wanted her to let go. And she pushed it down; disciplined it. It wanted her to help and save her kind. But Clara refused to take the chance of doing damage like she had last year. Especially when she's kept it bottled up for this long.

    She heard Simmons walk up to her, ready to help with a concerned furrow of her brows━ 

    Until a gun cocked behind them.

    Clara's eyes widened and she shot back up, perplexed.

    Daisy smirked, "What if it wasn't voluntary?" she held up Simmons gun, pointing it at the centre of both of them.

    Roy arched a brow, takenaback. She glanced at Simmons beside her, who, with a sigh, starting to smile. "I've missed you, too."

    Daisy met Clara's eyes, awaiting her answer with that old mischevious glare, and Roy was thrown under. The part of her that has been begging to let herself go overtook her━jumping at the opportunity that it clouded the logical part of her mind. The part that told her: No. This won't end well for any of you.

     But that part was ignored as she puckered her lips, "I suppose it's due time I get of my arse."

    She smirked and Daisy's lips grew into a triumphant, relieved smile.

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(April 3rd; 2017

S.H.I.E.L.D Government Facility; Classified)

     "OKAY, let's go over this one more time."

     Clara threw her head back against the seat, tired of hearing the same thing over and over again. Stuck in the back seat of Daisy's van, she was still trying to get used to the strange smell━it reminded her of the van they first found her in. That stunk. She wondered how this thing was still moving; every movement of the engine was like some sick man was taking ragged, deep breaths before coughing. 

     They were pared outside one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s government facilities, with the symbol outside because yes, they were finally back to being public now. Roy wasn't too sure how she felt about it. There was a relief, yes, but the last time ... well, Hail HYDRA. 

     Simmons in the front passenger seat looked ready to throw herself out the window. "Is that necessary?"

     "Yes," stressed Daisy, "because we cannot afford to slip up. The last time we've been in this situation, I remember you guys freaking out and Clara shooting Sitwell with an ICER."

     "That was years ago," argued Roy, miffed that they'd bring up that embarassing encounter all over again. "And he was HYDRA in the end━so I think I did the right thing."

     "You also flirted with him."

     "Shut up, Simmons."

     "So," egged Daisy, desperate to get back to the discussion at hand. Roy and Simmons rolled their eyes perfectly in sync, "in that high-security building is one of the Inhuman registration information servers."

     "I am aware of how my own agency operates, thank you."

     Daisy ignored Simmons. "Everyday at the same time, Agent Elizabeth Albee brings a drive with updated information to this location━"

    "I'm the steal her I.D badge━"

     "So I can clone it and put a fake identity on top of it, and then," she reahed into her pocket and pulled out a small drive, "you're gonna take this flash drive, insert it into the server..." Simmons took it with her fingers, "... and it'll give me remote access." Daisy, distracted by her sidemirrors, didnt' see Jemma do so. "Oh, there she is! Right on time. Okay, so, we'll need to━"

     Simmons nodded and then stepped out. Clara smiled, amused at the way Daisy's eyes widened, alarmed. "Simmons," she tried to stop her. "Simmons!"

      Jemma casually walked away from the van and towards the building. Daisy went pale and spun to Clara with a exclaim of, "What is she doing?!"

      "Just wait," Roy told her, watching her friend calmly. Jemma stepped up onto the pavement and exchanged a few words with Agent Albee before passing the thumbdrive right over with no quarries. 

      As the set of agents left, Simmons rushed back over the road with a bright and happy grin. Opening the door and sliding back into her seat, she huffed, proud of herself. "Nailed it!"

     Daisy stared at her, confused. "What do you mean you nailed it? What did you even do?"

     Roy kept her chuckles to herself, finding this whole exchange rather hilarious. 

     "I simply told Agent Albee that there was new information on the flash drive," shrugged Simmons, "and she's going to deiver it with the rest. That should give us access, yeah?"

     "And ..." Quake was lost. "And how did you get her to agree with that?"

    "Well, technically, as S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Special Advisor in Science and Technology, she works for me."

     Daisy continued to stare at her. Jemma frowned. "I'm the boss," she said. 

     Roy broke out into stifled laughter at the look upon Daisy's face. She doesn't think she had been expecting that. 

      Returning back to the apartment (or rather Clara's apartment, since she owns it now━oh, that will be something to explain to Fitz once she got back...), Daisy got to work in getting into S.H.I.E.L.D.'s systems. As she waited, she sat opposite Roy, examining her watch to see whether there was a way to loophole it to not disclose anything suspicious. Clara stared at it, feeling rather odd. She had never considered finding a way to take it off. In fact, she knew she could do it without any trouble; she could fry everything in it with a simple energy blast. But Roy never found the need to. She never wanted to. She allowed herself to be 'trapped' as Daisy grumbled because she believed it was the best way to keep herself controlled and away from causing danger. But now, she felt the first need to throw this thing away━to watch it crush under her foot.

      In the kitchen, Simmons was pacing. "Every Inhuman has a wristwatch," she was saying, "an Asset Communication Device that tacks location, vital signs, et cetera. I mean, it's for their own safety."

     "Yeah, how's that working out so far?" muttered Daisy, holding Clara's wrist up with two fingers. She could see the strain and pain she felt, but decided to ignore it with her dark makeup and her 'I don't care' attitude. She looked like a teenager who was told 'no' to going to her best friend's party and decided to rebel. (Roy chose not to mention this, however━she had a feeling that Daisy would not like her angry insults).

      Jemma turned, gaping at her, "Well, I━"

     She was cut off by Daisy's laptop beeping. Quake dropped Roy's arm and dragged her device over. Simmons came to hover over Roy's shoulder to listen, "Elizabeth Albee came through. Looks like an encrypted third party's hikacking the stream of information..."

     "As the devices send and recieve signals..." Roy realised, her stomach churning. She stared at her watch in horror. 

     Daisy gave Simmons a pointed glance, "So much for new security measures."

     Jemma ignored her, "If they can tap into the data directly, then they have━"

     "Information on a lot of Inhumans," Daisy nodded. "I warned everyone on this list, but..."

     Clara tugged the laptop to her, shuffling along the island bench to type away with Daisy and Jemma watching, "Let's just see how many compromised names you weren't able to ..." she skimmed over the numbers until there was one she recognised. "Wait ... wait ... I know that number. Who is it?"

     Daisy searched through the data-base until it settled on the one Roy had found. Seeing the photo, all three girls sighed. "James ..." whispered Daisy. "I haven't seen him since ..." she glanced at Clara, and her heart rose up into her throat knowing exactly what word she was going to say. "... Hive."

      Simmons rubbed her eyes; this wasn't good, Roy knew very well. "RIght. Well, withdrawal from Hive's Sway hit him even harder than you two."

      Clara's eyes fell down in shame. She remembered what they had done; they had forced him into the Sway. They turned him Inhuman, and he had been in so much pain, and then Hive took control, and James was under the Sway for the transition period━getting out of it hit him with everything he didn't get: the pain, the struggle, the confusion, and he refused any help━at least of all from Clara.

     "I can imagine."

     "We did everything we could for him," Roy murmured, voice painfully dry. "I tried to ... well, guess like yourself, it seemed he couldn't get away from us fast enough━" Daisy's face went cold at the jab. 

     "He only shows his face at mandatory check-ins," finished Simmons, noticing the growing tension and tried to step in. 

     They all shared a look. Daisy decided on something, and then brough the laptop lid down, closing it. Shuffling off the kitchen bench, she said, "Thanks for your help━" she winced as she got down, "━it was good to see you."

     Roy's eyes widened. With a jolt in her stomach, she slid off the bench as well to follow her. "Wait, wait, wait━Where you are you going?"

     "James is next on their to-do list," said Daisy. "I have to get to him before they do."

      Snatching her handbag, Roy grumbled, "We have to get to him━" she gestured back at Simmons, feeling that anger grow up again. "In case you haven't noticed, this is sort of our job."

     "I appreicate the help, Roy," Daisy grabbed her own bag and stuffed the laptop inside, "but I can take it from here. On my own."

     It was this that made Clara truly snap. The built up anger and guilt━everything she's felt since Daisy left just rose up out of her like a explosion of fury. "Bloody hell, Daisy!" she cried out, and her old friend stopped in her tracks, alarmed. "You can't have it both ways! You can't just abandon us and go off on your own redemption vigliante road, recieve the consequences for your actions, and then suddenly come back, half-dead, only when you feel like it and need something from us!"

      Simmons pursed her lips, not saying anything━for in fact, she thought the same thing.

     Daisy tried to say something, but Clara was on a roll, she wouldn't stop any time soon. "It's not fair on us━and why should we even help you?!" she threw her hands out towards her, feeling that sudden ache in her throat like she wanted to cry. Don't, she told herself. "You just completely abandoned us when you got the chance━"

     "Clara, you don't━"

     "I don't understand?" this only made Clara even more furious. "I wasn't close to Lincoln like you were, I get it━I do. But I also went through the Sway━I went through that horrible guilt and━and━and so much pain that so many times I thought that there was no point in continuing on!" Roy froze up, realising what she said. There was a heavy, still silence in the apartment as Daisy and Simmons took in the meaning of her words ... Clara teared up, finding herself exposed and vulnerable. She wanted to storm off, to hide it back in her drawer, but she just took a deep breath, pushed back her tears, and went on, "But I didn't turn my back. Ever. I stayed. And if you had stayed, perhaps we could have been there for each other. But you didn't."

      Daisy's anger was gone, replaced with a troubled flicker in her gaze. Clara clenched her jaw, "Either way," she finalised. She channelled this anger and with a burst of gold around her wrist, her watch exploded from the inside; it made her feel better, "we're all in this together now━" she reached down and snatched up Daisy's bag herself, "━so suck it up."

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(April 3rd; 2017
Los Angeles, California)

    THE IDEA of James working in a fireworks shop wasn't the most uplifting  and calm thought, but here it was. Stepping into the shop, Roy saw him standing behind the counter. Part of her hesitated━her steady walk turning to a stumble. This was the first time she has seen him since he disregarded all help from her and wanted nothing to do with her (and what she had done). And Clara never blamed him for it, either. Simmons sent her a wary glance before surging onwards; it was stiff between them since Roy said what she did in the heat of her anger━expressed a secret that she only ever told Fitz. (Mainly because he had been the one to sit with her as she admitted it). She hasn't thought like that in a long time, but that didn't mean she told anyone else about it. She didn't really want to think about it; to just move on with her life. But Roy knew she had startled them━Jemma especially. 

     But Simmons just forced a smile on her face to say, "Hello, James," as she grew closer to the desk where a group of teenagers were being served quite a large and dangerous firework.

      Seeing them, James's smile fell. "Uh━" he turned back to the kids, "━go and see Sean. Uh, he'll take care of you."

     The teenagers nodded and left the four of them alone. Roy and Daisy walked up closer behind Jemma and James twiddled his his thumbs, his gaze narrowed, "Agent Simmons," he greeted stiffly.

     "How are you?"

     "Surprised," he said. "Surprised to see S.H.I.E.L.D. at my doorstep with the infamous vigilante in tow," his gaze flickered over Simmons's shoudler to Daisy. "Quake now, isn't it?"

     "I didn't come up with it," she replied, clenching her jaw. "But it's growing on me."

      The smile on James's face was grim. "Burning the candle at both ends. And with Prim and Proper over here, as well," he quirked a brow at Clara. "Decided to join the vigilante lane?"

      "No," answered back Roy stiffly. "I'm a doctor."

      This amused him. "Not every doctor is a murderer these days, huh?"

      Clara froze up again, her heart beginning to pace as it crawled up her throat and making it hard to speak.

      Daisy decided to step back in, "Speaking of burning, fireworks? Really? With your powers?"

     James leaned forward on the counter with a deep breath. Pointing to were the boys had headed off, he said, "Sean over there ... longtime smoker, thirty years. He gave up last summer. He keeps a single cigarette on his desk as a constant reminder of what he doesn't want to be. It's kind of like that."

      Jemma sighed. She clasped her hands together. "We're just glad to see you're safe."

     He frowned. "Why wouldn't I be?"

    "The recent Watchdog attacks," Roy found her voice, happy to focus on something else. "They're finding their targets by hacking into Asset Comms Devices━" she nodded to his watch and showed that she got rid of her own, "━meaning they can track your location."

      "So you think they're after me?"

     "It's only a matter of time," said Daisy. "Take it off."

     "I wasn't really a willing participant in this little security measure," James held up his wrist. "Mine doesn't come off." His eyes narrowed at Daisy and she rolled her eyes. Checking that the boys were gone, she quickly quaked the watch right off his arm. Immediately, she winced, and Clara jolted━naturally━to her aid, but she was shoved off. "We have to get you out of here," she instead said, nodding to James.

     He shook his head, making a noise of disapproval. "I'm just trying to live a quiet, normal life."

     "You don't understand," Daisy told him. "That can't happen anymore. The Watchdogs won't let you. They are coming to take that life."

    James sighed. Picking up the gas lighter, he played with it in his fingers. "What's it worth anyway, hmm?" he glanced between the three girls. "I go from my rubbish job to my rubbish apartment. I've got no family ... no reason to━" he clicked the flame at the barrel before blowing it away. Clara swallowed harshly. "You know what that feels like, don't you?" he arched a brow at the two Inhumans on the other side of the table. 

     Roy pursed her lips, clenching and unclenching her fingers. She couldn't meet his gaze, and mumbled a, "S.H.I.E.L.D. is here to help you move on, James━it ... it helped me━"

     "Or you can take a stand with me," Daisy cut her off. Roy turned to her, eyes wide. She shook her head. That was not the way to fix this. James needed to be monitored, under constant surveillance. And with all the tension growing in the streets and parliament against powered individuals━especially after the fall of the Avengers━the last thing anyone needed was for Daisy to pull James down with her in this self-destroying route she was so determined to take. "Fight back," she conntinued, not meeting Clara's glance. "That's how you move on. Take control of your life again."

      James considered this. He took a deep breath, fiddling with the lighter. But he set it aside. "I got some stuff to finish up, but, um ... meet me after closing at the public-storage place next door. Pod Two-One-Two, second floor. I got something that might help."

     Roy and Simmons both sighed, not liking this at all, but Daisy nodded and led the way out.

     "So," Clara spoke up once they were out. "You're dragging James into your vigilante quest?" Daisy just rolled her eyes. "Is he your sidekick now? Quake and the Amazing Bomb Boy?"

     "How about you stop talking so we don't waste time? We have places to go," Daisy snapped, pushing forward.

      Roy narrowed her eyes and rushed to keep up. "You're not helping him."

     "I am helping him."

     "No, you're not," she glowered. "Look, Daisy, you've chosen to walk your brooding path. And you know what? Fine━you do that. But don't drag him down with you."

     Stepping into the van, she didn't see the frown on her old friend's face. 

     Later that night, James met up with the girls once he finished his work. The three of them were standing in a tense silence, waiting for him with very little conversation. Roy believes that what she had said had gotten to Daisy━positive or negative, she wasn't sure. But was she annoyed or anger with her? Yes. Did that make Clara annoyed and angry? Yes, yes it did. And was Simmons angry alongside her? Of course, she was.

     When James finally arrived, it was the first time Roy was actually happy to see him. He walked up to his storgae container and Daisy said: "What have you got for me? We should be on the move━" 

      "Oh," James leaned against the wall, "well, that's a nice how-do-you-do." Gesturing his keys to the roller door, he continued. "You're gonna like this. We keep a lot of our raw materials here in storage. Figure some explosives might come in handy."

     Daisy pursed her lips, but nodded. "It's a start. I could use a different type of firepower right now."

     "I got you covered," said James. "Remember, I was lighting fuses long before I was the fuse."

      "Maybe doing some good will make you feel better.

      James smiled, "I think it might. Yeah."

     While Daisy was satisifed, Roy and Simmons were not. Walking up to their old friend, Jemma started with a harsh whisper: "This is your plan? Explosives━?"

      "What is wrong with you?" continued Roy, finishing her sentence as they have done many times before. "This is not the solution to anything━"

     "The Watchdogs are killing people," Daisy frowned at them. "Violence, retalioation ... that is all they understand. You remember, Clara. You were the one that got that dog talking last year." 

      "It was wrong," snapped back Clara. 

      "If I have to speak their language," Daisy shrugged, determined. "Then so be it."

     "Fighting fire with fire doesn't always work!" Roy was distressed. "That's what I learnt from last year━what I know. Remember what happened to Fitz last time? He almost got imploded!" 

      "Okay, you know what?" Daisy stepped closer to her, her own anger growing as well. "You think you're so better and fixed and ahead in life? You think you've got all of your problems sorted out and you can do no wrong? You're not, Clara, you're far from it. And you have no right to judge me when I know exactly what you can do━what you have done, and not under Hive's Sway. And I remember that you liked it." Clara bit back her words, and the lump in her throat. "So stop it with this prim and proper act. And if you don't want to be here?" Quake leaned down to finish, "Then leave. I don't want you around anyway, and it's pretty clear you don't want to be near me either."

      Clara tried to hide how much her words hurt. Roy pushed down the jab to her heart like pins, and the ache that rendered down to her gut to realise that Daisy was right━even if Clara never wanted to admit it. She wasn't fixed. She wasn't ahead in life. She was miserable. She was barely making it to the end of each day. 

      Blinking back her tears━hurt and shame, guilt and grief━she walked over to Simmons, hanging her head and not saying another word. 

      "Hey," James muttered to Daisy as Clara settled herself beside Jemma. "Just take it easy on her. I don't think she's fully come to terms with it all━and she doesn't really know what it's like to lose everything."

     "I know," replied Daisy and Roy spun around, her gaze hardened into a horrifying glare. "That's the point."

      Clara was ready to go full on rampage. She's never felt this angry for a long time, and with the energy building up inside of her after months of keeping it down, Roy didn't know waht she might've done if Simmons didn't take her hand and gave it a strong squeeze. A, I know. Just hold on, it'll be over soon. 

      It hurt Roy more than she'd like to admit. Because Daisy knew━she knew just how much Clara has lost. Her father, her mother, friends. She's been betrayed: stabbed in the back by someone she trusted in a way she hadn't for a long time. She has been tortured. She has been changed, she has been through Hell. She almost died, she's felt the pain of others, she's felt lost and alone and numbness and the guilt of being a person she hated. One that caused the pain━something that made her believe she had failed her entire moral being. And the sacrificing boyfriend? Oh, don't even get her started on that. Lincoln died, and Clara was lucky Fitz hasn't. But that didn't change the guilt and horror━the thoughts in her head at the bottom of the ocean thinking that Fitz had died. That he had died for her and she never got to tell him the truth. 

     And yet here Daisy was, agreeing that Clara didn't understand what loss was like because she hadn't lost her boyfriend. 

     James pushed up the roller door and suddenly, all of her anger was gone to see the barrel of a gun cocked right at his face inside. Daisy's eyes widened, and she hurried back to were Roy and Simmons were, ready to protect as groups of Watchdogs exited out of the storage rooms either side of them. All armed; all ready to shoot.

     They were surrounded. 

     "Fight back, right?" James held his hands up, but he was casual━something wasn't right. He moved back in line with two Watchdog men and they didn't do anything. Roy sighed, you got to be kidding me. "Only thing is ... the Watchdogs aren't my enemy."

     "You gave them access to your watch, let them hijack the signal," realised Jemma.

     Daisy was betrayed. Roy didn't think she could ever fathom one of her own kind turning on them to side with those who wanted Inhumans extinct. But Clara could see it. Withdrawal, depression, it can make you do things horrible and terrifying. In James's case, she believed it was a means to an end━his end. "You son of a bitch," said Daisy. "How could you do this to us?!"

     "How could you do this to me?!" shouted back James. He pointed an angry finger and her and Clara. "You're the ones that turned me into this freak of nature."

     "You were obsessed with going through Terrigenesis! We gave you what you wanted!"

     "Yeah, nah━I didn't ask for this," James reminded her. "Hive? And bloody misery?! If I could take it all back, I would."

     "James," Jemma tried, eyeing the Watchdogs around them warily. "S.H.I.E.L.D. is putting everything into helping Inhumans."

     He scoffed, shaking his head. "Inhumans are a scourge. The Watchdogs have the right idea, so I struck a deal with them. Help them hunt and kill every Inhuman." One of them grabbed Daisy by her bad shoulder and she fell to the ground in pain. Clara and Jemma rushed to her side, shouting. James walked up to the three girls kneeling on the floor. "Hunted like the animals we are," he crouched down to meet Daisy's eyes. "And I'm gonna be the last one to go."

     "You really hate yourself that much?"  she breathed, her voice soft and echoing in sad disbelief.

     "I don't hate myself," said James, standing back. "I hate all of us."

     Daisy sighed. She glanced at Clara. They locked eyes. Despite their arguments, and their words said in anger to each other, there was an understanding right now. One that almost made Clara prepared to put it all behind her. She gave her a subtle nod, agreeing. They moved their gaze to Jemma and, knowing what they planned to do, held herself close to the ground.

      Clara took a deep breath and at the movement of Daisy's arm, finally let out all the energy she had been bottling up the past months. 

      On their own, both Inhumans were powerful━put the two of them together? The Watchdogs surrounding them stood no chance. Daisy's tremor only enhanced Clara's expulsion of energy━and she to hers. Around the three girls was an explosion of shaking golden light that crashed the rollar doors in on themselves, shook the walls, sparked the lights and sent the Watchdogs flying with shouts of pain and alarm. 

      As soon as it subsided, Roy got to her feet, feeling a rush of adrennaline after finally using her power like this in so long. She and Jemma helped Daisy up, guiding her away from the Watchdogs and James. Jemma had her ICER in one hand, locked and loaded. When some managed to stand up, Simmons covered them, shooting them right in the chest.

     Once Daisy could hold her own, the girls rushed through the storage corridors. Simmons took point, her gun in both hands with Clara at her side, ready as the they tried to get out of here. She heard the shouts of James and a few Watchdogs echoing not far behind them. They didn't have enough time. They needed to hide. Seeing an open storage garage, Roy led them inside. Closing it, Clara, Daisy and Jemma held their breaths, hearing the great big thud! thud! of running boots pass down the hallway.

     When they faded away, Roy turned to Daisy to see her huddled in the far corner. She rushed towards her. "Are you all right?"

     "I've been better," Daisy whispered, breathless. Simmons leaned back against the wall on her other side, chest heaving. "Thanks for the assist."

     Clara stared at her old friend, feeling her anger diminish and her heart throb with anguish. "Likewise," she murmured. "Though, do that again and I you'll break every bone in your arms."

     Daisy sent her a sheepish glance mixed with winces and grunts of pain. "Yeah ... I might've done that already."

     Roy's brows lifted━she could hear her ragged breaths; see the haze of her stance. It was amazing that she hadn't passed out. Clara didn't even think before she stepped forward and settled her fingers on her arm. Daisy's eyes widened as the dark storage room lit up in the light of her powers. Clara ignored the pain that striked up her own arm, keeping it down to endure every last minute━every last bone until Daisy's arm was entirely healed.

      She stepped away, shaking a little from the effort and set her back against the wall. She ignored the worried frown Simmons sent her for what she had just done. 

     Daisy stared at her in shock, "Clara━"

     "I wanted to do it," she cut her off. "I want to make sure you're okay. Even if you come running back after months."

      The air between the two girls seemed to soften. Daisy didn't say thank you, but Clara knew the gratitude she felt was beyond words. So, she turned to Jemma, clenching her hand to try and focus all of the pain Daisy had held into something no bigger than a paper cut on her finger. "How many shots do you have left?"

     She checked, pulling out the mag and grimacing. "Not enough━"

    BOOM!

     They jumped. Simmons swung around and held her gun up to the roller door. Clara gritted her teeth and stepped in front of Daisy, who while having been healed, still needed time to recover━her bones were set, but she was brittle. Too much power, and they'd be in the same situation as before. 

     There was chuckles outside. "It's a perfect night for a little mayhem," called out James. "Wouldn't you say, Quake?"

     BOOM! The room around them shook at the second explosion. Clara's bones rattled━that sure didn't help her concentration. 

     "We have to get out of here," whispered Daisy.

    "You know," James's voice taunted, "killing you my not bring me peace ... but it sure as hell will feel good."

     There was a moment pause. The girls shared brief glances, trying to hold their shaking breaths and calm their racing hearts. It went too long without James's voice or an explosion, and Clara was starting to think he had moved onto another corridor when━

     The doors ripped apart from the middle, shattering like glass as the bomb went off. Jemma threw herself over Clara and Daisy, making them all fall to the ground as dust and shards of metal flew towards them. Roy let out a cry and just in time, a bust of energy wrapped around them, stopping the mayhem of iron and embers. As Clara tried to make sense of their surroundings as the shower stopped, there stood James, looming over them with a grin of victory upon his face. 

     Stepping over the broken door, he reached up and cranked the chain from the roof. It dangled down, and he wrapped it up a little around his wrist. Clara's shield flickered to nothing, eyes wide as the chain lit up on fire━all the way down to the tail.

     He gave it a small flick, and flames jetted out towards them. James smirked. "I'm on fire. Well, a little more than usual."

     James flung the chain back and Clara covered her face. She, Jemma and Daisy all huddled together, clinging onto one another as they anticipated the pain that was going to come. But ... it never did.

     Roy carefully peeked over her arm, and she saw him. 

     A man━slender, but strong. With dark eyes and skin glimmering with copper under the light of the flames that danced around his gloved fingers from the end of the chain he held. No pain, no wince━he felt none of it. Those dark eyes settled on James, narrowing with a fire burning within him. He tugged the chain from his grip. The flames expanded━flourishing around the stranger ... Roy could only describe it was one thing: like fires from hell, cascading around him as if it was his own; his own Hellfire. 

     "I don't know who the hell you think you are," James said, a little takenaback, "but you just made a big mistake."

      "Funny," said the stranger. His voice was gruff━but then smooth, almost like whiskey. Burning the throat and muddling the senses. "I was gonna say the same thing ... without the accent."

     "Robbie?!" breathed Daisy and he met her gaze. 

     "Take the stairs," said Robbie, "find agent Coulson."

     "Coulson━?"

     "Go!"

     They didn't need to be told twice. The girls sprinted out of the way of Robbie and James━this was a fight Roy was sure she didn't want to see. 

     They raced up the stairs, ready for a fight only to falter to see Couslon, Mack and Leith pointing their weapons right back at them. Clara's shoulders slumped in relief and she ran forward, embracing her brother tightly. 

      It was short-lived. Leith pulled away, holding her shoulders and recognising that look in her eye━the one that told him; told everyone, she had healed someone at her own extent. "What is wrong with you?" he decided to ask instead. "Since when do you break your Asset watch and go against the law? I thought you agreed with ..." then, he saw Jemma and Daisy. Leith's breath fell away and Clara flushed, realising the way he set his jaw. He stared at Jemma with a flare of anger and Simmons pursed her lips, unable to meet his gaze because she knew exactly what he was furious about. 

       Clara suspected that they were going to definitely talk now. Something that was a long time coming. 

✲══〖✰〗══✲

(April 3rd; 2017

Radcliffe Residence, Washington D.C)

     THE SIGHT of Robbie Reyes, the Ghost Rider, dragging James out of the burning store will be forever fixed in Clara's mind. He was still alive, but the sight of the burning body━the absolute lack of mercy the Ghost Rider held on his road of flames with devestation in his wake. It was on Clara's mind when she arrived at Radcliffe's to take May back. She was finally well━well after what Clara, Jemma and Radcliffe had done to make sure she was. When the door opened, and they stepped into the home, Roy grinned happily at the sight of May.

     Beside her, Coulson grasped Roy's shoulder and smiled at May. "Need a lift?"

     The Cavalry grumbled, "Desperately."

     Clara felt something in her warm up at the way Coulson walked up to May, as if no one else in the room was there. "It's good to see you back in fighting form."

      She sighed, "Dying takes a lot out of you."

      Coulson managed to make a small quip out of it with a, "I've heard. We should start a club, get some tee-shirts made up."

      Roy wandered over to Fitz and he greeted her with a rub on the back━but she could tell he was nervous. "Where's Simmons?" he asked softly as Coulson and May conversed. 

      Clara faltered. She pursed her lips and shuffled closer to him. "She ... she and Leith have to sort a few things out ..."

      Fitz's brows furrowed, and with a gentle sigh, he instead rubbed her arm, noticing the way she was still shaky in her walk and stance. She would be for another night at least. It was the price of expelling the pain slowly (better than having another heart attack, she supposed).

      But there was something up with Fitz. She knew him all too well━she knew the way he held his breath when he was nervous, sometimes even went bug-eyed. It was then she noticed another person━someone Clara has never seen before.

      She stood tall, smiling, beautiful━no, more than beautiful, stunning. Blow-dried waves of brown hair, bright and young brown eyes, full lips and sharp cheekbones ... not even a blemish on her face. The stranger noticed Clara staring at her. "Hello," she said. "It is very nice to meet you. I am Aida, Doctor Radcliffe's assistant."

      Roy glanced at Fitz for an explanation. He avoided her eyes. That made something in her jolt with nerves. Hesitantly, she walked past him and Radcliffe to take Aida's hand. She gave her a firm shake. "Aida?" she said, cautious. She didn't know Radcliffe had an assistant. "That's a nice name."

      "Thank you," smiled Aida. There was something about that smile that bugged Clara. Her teeth, they were straight━almost too straight.

     May turned to Aida as well, "Thank you for your help," she said after stating she was in for the ride to figure out their new problem surrounding the 'ghosts'. 

     Quikly, Aida responded all so very cheerfuly, "It was my pleasure, Agent May."

     "I don't think we've met," Coulson walked up to her, holding out his hand. "Phil Coulson."

     "Agent Coulson," she took it. "I'm Aida."

     "My assistant," said Radcliffe.

     Roy crossed her arms, her eyes narrowed. She swore he didn't have an assistant━at least not one she knew of. Then again, she was hardly ever here if she could help it. But still, if there was an assistant here, and a pretty one, mind you, she would have heard it from Fitz at the very least.

      (Right?).

     "Oh?" Coulson's brows raised, curious. "How long have you been lending a hand to our friend Doctor Radcliffe?"

      Without blinking, Aida said, "Since he gave me hands."

     And then it hit her. Oh, for the love of. Roy rubbed her brow━of course! Aida wasn't a name, it was an acronym: A.I.D.A. She was an android, and a very good one at that. She even persuaded Clara otherwise for a good few minutes. She nearly passed off as human if it weren't for the small details she noticed. No wonder Fitz has been here so much recently!

     "Oh, wow," Coulson looked down at the android's hands. "Impeccable work━" he held up his own prosthetic, "━I'm a fellow amputee. What happened, if you don't mind me asking?"

     "Not at all," said A.I.D.A. "I've actually been this way since birth. Thank God for Doctor Radcliffe and Doctor Fitz's work."

      Clara spun on her heel, turning to her boyfriend who stood awkwardly in the back. As Coulson and A.I.D.A continued their chat, she gave him a look that said: talk. Now. She walked up to him, her arms crossed. "Hey," she whispered and he jumped. The two of them walked to the hallway and away from the others. Roy arched a brow at Fitz, giving a subtle nod back at the android. "I get why you're here so much now."

      Fitz frowned at her, "What?"

     "A.I.D.A.," said Roy, matter-of-factly. "She's beautiful..." glancing over her shoulder, she shook her head in disbelief. Amazing, really. Roy had to admit, Radcliffe did a good job. 

     Still trying to hide the secret, Fitz leaned his hand up against the wall. "Is she?" he looked over and shrugged. "Ah, yeah, she's all right, I guess. I prefer a classical beauty myself ... strawberry blonde, green-eyes, you know ..."

     "She's so real," breathed Roy, a little in awe. She didn't comprehend the blatant compliment Fitz made. "Her conversational reponse, her range of motion, it's extraordinarily realisitic━I mean━" she scoffed, "━nothing like that could get past me, of course. But to the blind-eye, definitely."

      Fitz stared at her, his mouth a little agage. "Those are weird things to say about a person," he told her quickly.

      Roy frowned. "Fitz," she stated, "she's an android." He continued to stare at her, and her eyes widened. She gasped, shocked he didn't know. "Wait, you do realise she's an android, right?"

     At this, he harshly snapped, "Yeah, of course I know that she's an android. 'Cause I helped out━" Roy straightened up, brows shooting up as she felt a sudden anger hit her chest, "━why do you think your dynamic reaction force is so low?"

     "You━you━?" Roy glanced back between him and A.I.D.A. "You helped make her?! For how long? Why didn't you tell me?!"

     He stammered, realising that she was upset, "I━well━I wanted to━but I didn't want to overwhelm you━"

     "Overwhelm me?" Clara was flabbergasted, truly. 

     "I didn't want you to worry about it," Fitz quickly defended himself. "I just wanted you to━I dunno━have peace for once!"

       Something hit Clara with a shock that sent her anger under. Instead, worry resurfaced and her eyes widened. Fitz faltered. He frowned at her, "What?"

       "The Director wasn't happy with what I did yesterday," murmured Roy, breath hitching. "He's asking me to now take manditory lie detector tests, to ensure I can stay in my department and be trusted."

       Fitz slumped, meeting her gaze━they shared a moment of dread. "When ... when is it?"

      Roy swallowed harshly, "Tomorrow."

       Fitz's hands fell away, "That's ... that's not good." Her arms uncrossed, and her fingers immediately went to her rings; she fiddled with them, her nerves growing. This wasn't good. Roy wouldn't just have to lie about this, but also Daisy, and perhaps the Ghost Rider, too. And what about Simmons? Her's was tomorrow as well. They were both going to have to lie ... and in their experience, they've never been too good at it. "This is one lie you're gonna have to tell."

      "Actually," Clara breathed. "I'll have a few."

✲══〖✰〗══✲

     a/n: this chapter is superrrrr long. i'm sorry about that. it also isn't edited, and i seriously hate the fact that i had to cut things out between jemma and leith to make this chapter under 10 000 words. but i'm determined to lash a few things out next chapter.

     (clara has met aida ... oh dear lord).

    anyway, i hoped you enjoyed this chapter, and i'm sorry leith wasn't really in it. but he'll be in the next one quite a lot.

     have a good day! i'll see you all in the next chapter.