Nothing Personal

Mick and Jemma were sent to medical for evaluation, while Coulson split off with Fitz and Trip to check security. "You know the drill by now," Simmons said as Mick reluctantly climbed up on the table sliding off his tee. 

"This isn't necessary," Mick grunted as Jemma glanced at him. 

"The amount of Dark Force that hit you would've killed anyone else," Jemma said firmly. "Coulson is concerned about how it's going to effect you." 

"And you?" Mick asked as Jemma reached for supplies. 

"I'm concerned too," Jemma sighed as she looked wiped off some of the blood coated burns on his arms and cheek. She then looked over his wrists with a small gasp. 

"What?" Mick felt concern flood his body. 

"Your web marks, they're black," she rubbed his wrists. "Can you shoot a web for me?" 

Mick took in a deep breath, then held out his wrist. He focused on the small corner, then flicked his wrist. Rather than webs an intense burning shot through his arm. He screamed out in agony as he fell from the table to the ground. 

"Mick!" Jemma cried out dropping down to his side. 

"What the heck was that?" Mick panted as his arms trembled as Jemma helped him back to his feet. 

"That's what I was afraid of," Jemma helped him back onto the table. "The Dark Force appears to be virulent to your system."

"Simple terms, Jemma," Mick winced. 

"Remember how the Darkheart deteriorated your mental status?" 

"Made me crazy, hallucinated, easily manipulated," Mick mumbled weakly. 

"And?" 

"It took some of my powers," Mick replied as Jemma nodded with a frown. 

"I believe this is doing the same," Jemma said somberly. 

"So now what then?" Mick asked sharply as his pain began to subside. 

"We need to let Coulson know," Jemma said as Mick sighed. 

They entered the room; Coulson, Trip, and Fitz were watching Koeing's several screens that strangely static rather than working feeds. "Play it again," Coulson ordered as Fitz rolled his eyes before turning toward the screen. 

"It's not going to magically change," Fitz muttered. 

"Just do it," Coulson barked as Fitz tapped a few keys, and seemingly nothing changed. 

"We can reload it until the hard drive crashes," Fitz sighed. "These camera's were completely wiped. Luckily the landing assist is a completely different loop," he explained as one screen showed their departure on the plane. "It powers on when the motion sensor is triggered, meaning everything was working fine until this moment," Fitz showed images of May with packed bags leaving the Bus. 

"It lines up with the logs, which show May leaving, and only May," Trip said going over information on Koenig's tablet. 

"The only other thing we have is this," Fitz sighed as he fast forwarded the static until footage of Skye and Ward walking aboard the Bus hand and Hand appeared. "Then the Bus takes off, static, followed by our arrival."

"So we have no logs on where they're heading, or anything about Koenig?" Coulson was frustrated.

"Maybe Koenig got on the plane somehow?" Trip suggested as Coulson shook his head. 

"The only other way in is through the landing gear, and Koenig isn't the kind of guy to go that route," Coulson said as he realized Mick and Jemma had joined them. "What's your call on Mick?" 

"Well, it appears the DarkForce energy has blocked his powers for the time being," Jemma said as Coulson muttered under his breath. 

"Is he able to function beside the powers?" 

"Yes," Jemma stated. "But we'll need to monitor him closely for any adverse effects."

"Deal," Coulson huffed. "Did you happen to come across Koenig or any clues as to where Skye and Ward flew off to?"

"Nothing, sorry," Jemma frowned. 

"Maybe Koenig got orders or something?" Mick suggested. 

"From who?" Coulson asked, only for Mick to shrug. "No Fury, no official SHIELD. I don't think we have anyone left to give orders." 

"All of this has just been improv," Fitz stated as Mick nodded. 

"I just don't understand why the comms were cut, or why May would up and leave," Trip sighed.

"Even weirder that Skye would leave her phone," Fitz muttered. 

"Skye left her phone?" Mick questioned. "There's more to this than we know. She'd never leave that behind." 

"That's where my mind is too," Coulson said firmly. "As for May, that's my fault. I let my anger get the best of me." 

"We don't need someone who runs away because of hurt feelings," Trip grunted. 

"Excuse me?" Coulson snapped as Trip seemed surprised. 

"Oh don't act like you know her," Fitz grunted. 

"Maybe we should get some food," Jemma suggested. "I think we're all a little hangry, don't you?" She glanced at Mick hoping for him to back her up. 

"Yeah, some food may just help," Mick nodded. 

"I've got a pretty good hand in the kitchen," Trip smiled as Fit scoffed. 

"Maybe you should let me help, you just stay here," Fitz suggested as he scurried into the hallway with Simmons. 

"What's with him?" Trip asked as Mick shrugged. 

"I'm sure it's just the stress getting to him," Mick sighed as he walked out to check on Fitz and Jemma, only to see no one around. 

He proceeded to walk around the base hoping to stumble upon anything that could tell him where the others were when he heard footsteps behind him. He spun around expecting to see someone, only for the hall to be empty. He heart began to beat quickly as he tried to fend off the strange fear intruding his mind. 

"Mick," a sharp whisper echoed in the hall, forcing him to spin around wishing he had a weapon in hand. 

"It's just the DarkForce, it's all in my head," Mick whispered to himself for reassurance. 

"Ward is going to kill me if you don't find me soon," Skye's voice came from down the hall. 

"Skye?" Mick started following the whispering until an ear splitting scream caught his attention. "Jemma!" He sprinted hard stopping only when he reached the storage room where Jemma stood beside Fitz, pointing at the lifeless body of Koenig perched on the ventilation grating above the door. 

"No!" Fitz called out in disbelief as he stared horrified at the body. 

"Take Jemma to Coulson," Mick said as Jemma shook her head. 

Trip and Mick moved the body into medical as Jemma prepped to do a make-shift cause of death synopsis. 

"This can't be right," Fitz stammered as Mick and Trip finished washing their hands. "Ward couldn't be Hydra!" 

"Calm down Fitz," Mick urged as Coulson watched Jemma like a Hawk. 

"No! There has to be some mistake!" Fitz exclaimed, pacing back and forth between Jemma and the cabinets behind her. 

"I need space Fitz," she said somberly while trying hard to keep her wits about her. 

"Deep breaths," Trip tried to coerce Fitz which clearly backfired. 

"Who the 'ell do ye think ye are?" Fitz snapped his Scottish accent becoming much more pronounced, bowing up as Trip stepped back into a defensive stance. 

"Fitz please calm down, I need to focus," Jemma said sternly. 

"Fitz, it's okay," Mick eased over toward him as Fitz's anger and frustration turned into grunts and huffs. 

"No it's not!" Fitz exclaimed. "Ward just can't be Hydra! I trusted him!" 

"Hey man, I know," Trip said sympathetically as he eased toward Fitz. 

"Don't bloody touch me!" Fitz spun around leaning on the counter trying hard to keep it together. 

Mick stared at the ground, sure, Fitz was right, this was hard to accept. It was only made worse by the fact that Mick had no powers to fight Ward with. Nothing he could do would be able to level the playing field if it came down to it. Ward was a much better fighter, he learned that the hard way in training sessions, and now Ward had every advantage. 

"Look, all I'm saying is, it hurt real bad to find out my SO was a lying traitor," Trip said as Fitz growled. 

"Not Ward! He's our friend! He wouldn't do something like that!" Fitz barked as Mick's mind jumped back to the bodies strewn across the Hub of people that were once friends with the ones that killed them. "Tell him Jemma! Tell him it wasn't Ward!" 

"Let me work," Jemma demanded as Fitz paced frantically. 

"No, not you too," Fitz said as Jemma's face was ridged, clearly holding back every bit of emotion she must've been feeling. 

"Let me work, Fitz," she ordered as Fitz turned around hanging his head in disbelief. 

"Something else has to be a play here. Someone wrote that on the wall to throw us off," Fitz began to stammer. 

"One step at a time," Coulson chimed in, his eyes screamed of the internal suffering he felt. For Coulson to be so convinced of Ward's betrayal meant it was going to be hard to disprove. Coulson never really operated on emotions like this. 

"We need to go find them!" Fitz urged fighting to hold back his tears. 

"We will," Mick said feeling a mix of betrayal and rage. He wanted to be just as defensive as Fitz, being strong enough to defend his friend despite the overwhelming evidence against him. At the same time, all Mick wanted to do was rip Ward limb from limb for being a filthy traitor, not only that, but trying to bring Skye down with him. 

"One step at a time," Coulson repeated. "Right now, we need to wait for Jemma to give us her report. We'll go from there," Coulson's voice was shaking. He already knew what Jemma was thinking judging by the look on his face. 

"He died approximately 10 hours ago of asphyxiation. After May left the premises. A thin wire was used to strangle him. His trachea is crushed, partially sliced through, so it was done in a hurry," Jemma started to shake as she covered Koenig with a blue sheet. "Based on the angle of the lacerations the kill was at least six two."

Fitz was visually upset as he struggled to except the clear truth that was before him. 

"And strong enough to," Jemma's voice cracked as she struggled to keep her composure. She then shook her head her eyes full of painful tears. "Ward did this."

She said what everyone except Fitz was thinking, but it still took all of the air out of the room. No one dared to break the silence until Fitz slammed a tray into the cabinets. 

"Fitz!" Mick called out as he and Jemma struggled to pull him close. He struggled against them before finally breaking into pain filled gasps. 

"It's okay," Coulson stepped in. "Listen, we need to use this pain. Hold it all in and focus on saving Skye." He embraced them as tears fell from their eyes. "She's alive. And she just walked out of here hand in hand with someone she knows is a murderer. Because she's playing him, just like he played us."

Trip stood on the outside, his face spoke the sympathy only someone who's felt this could. "Where do we start?" Mick asked wiping his eyes. 

"We have to figure out how to track the Bus," Coulson said as Fitz wiped his eyes. 

"I think I can rig something up," Fitz's voice shook, but he seemed to be coming to terms with the job at hand. 

"Want some help?" Trip asked as Fitz took in a deep breath then sighed. He nodded reluctantly the the two set off. 

"I'm going to need help burying him," Coulson said as Mick frowned then nodded.

Canadian air was so much more colder than anything Mick was used to. Even the ground was harder due to it being frozen. It took a hefty amount of time, and Coulson saying a few words of condolences before they returned to check the progress of the tracker Fitz, Simmons, and Trip were working on. 

"How's it coming?" Coulson asked as they paused at the comms room. 

"Just about finished," Fitz stated from under the desk. 

"That's good," Coulson seemed a little relieved. "How's he holding up?" He asked as Jemma walked over toward them, looking at Mick strangely. 

"Seems okay," Jemma noted as she seemed to be checking Mick in her own manner. "Are you feeling okay? You're a little flush." 

Coulson looked at Mick, nodded then back at Jemma. "You tend to that, Fitz, can you run this to the office computer?" 

"I'll take care of that," Trip offered. 

"Great, sooner when figure this out, the sooner we save Skye," Coulson said, walking with Trip close behind. 

Mick started to leave as well only to be grabbed by Jemma. "You're feverish!"

"I'm fine," Mick fussed. 

"That's not gonna work," Fitz called from under the desk. 

"Will you be alright while I tend to this?" Jemma looked toward Fitz. 

"I'm about finished, I'll join you two as soon as its done," Fitz muttered, only barely audibly as Jemma already had Mick by the wrist dragging him into the medical room.

She quickly stuck a thermometer in his mouth, only for a more accurate reading, as Mick was sweating profusely in a sixty degree environment. She then skirted around the room, hooking up a blood pressure machine, again only for accuracy, as she could feel his elevated pulse in his wrist. His pale face only highlighted the bright green of his eyes. Thankfully, the facility had decent medical gear, not state of the art by any stretch, but it could get the job done. 

With the cuff on his left arm, she stuck his right arm, drawing two vials of blood, then running it through a filter scanner. Both the heart rate monitor and the scanner beeped as they finished one after another. "Fever, one hundred four, heart rate one-eighty-five over one hundred," she murmured. "High amounts of serotonin in the blood mingling with high amounts of the Darkforce." 

"That's really bad," Fitz walked in seeing the worry on Jemma's face. 

"I need you to tell me what you're thinking about," Jemma said as Mick's eyes narrowed.

"Saving Skye, ripping Ward and every Hydra traitor limb from limb for all the pain they've caused," Mick growled harshly. 

"That's what I was afraid of," Jemma sighed. "Fitz see if we have benzodiazepine." 

"I don't think Coulson is going to like that," Fitz muttered as Mick glared at them, unsure what they were talking about. "Five or ten cc's?" 

"Let's try five first," Jemma said as she prepped a needle. "And I'm sure he'd rather this than another dead Agent." 

"Ey," Fitz frowned handing the vial to her. 

"Mick you may feel a warm rush, that's perfectly normal," Jemma said as she poked the needle in his arm. 

She was right, it started off cold as the liquid went into his arm, then his body felt warm all over. It was such a shock it forced a deep breath, then his heart began to slow down. His anger somehow subsided, everything simply felt numbed. "What did you do?" Mick asked, his voice starting to slur. 

"It's a small amount of sedative," Jemma said compassionately, then brushed his face.

"What if you need me?" Mick asked as Jemma and Fitz smiled at him. 

"We always need you," Fitz smiled. 

"We'd prefer to keep you around until we figure out a cure for the Darkforce," Jemma squeezed his hand and Mick's eyes fluttered a few times before closing due to the sheer incredible weight.

"Simmons! Fitz!" Coulson ran in with Trip at his side, both armed with an assault rifle. His voice quite distraught. "What happened to Mick?" 

"Low dose sedation," Jemma said.

"Symptoms spiked," Fitz finished. 

"How bad?" Coulson asked.

"His serotonin levels were higher than Ward's when he was in berserker status," Jemma said as Coulson seemed taken by surprise. "He can probably hear us, but it'd be like a dream to him."

"We could've used that strength, we have company," Coulson said with a frown. 

"How? Who would know about this base?" Fitz asked as Trip frowned. 

"I can picture one person who'd sell us out," Trip said as Fitz scowled. 

"Now isn't the time for that," Coulson stated as Trip nodded. "Not only are we going to have to protect ourselves, we're going to have to protect Mick." 

"Luckily he kept two side arms in his jacket," Jemma said as Fitz nodded. 

"I'll grab them," Fitz said as Coulson nodded. 

"Meet us by the front door," Coulson called out as Fitz nodded before leaving. "Any ideas for a cure for him?"

"Nothing," Jemma sighed. "The Darkheart had to just fade, I'm afraid this one is going to be the same, but like that one, it's stripping his powers."

"So he turns back into a normal guy, what's wrong with that?" Trip asked.

"Mick's powers have been his identity for ten years or so," Coulson sighed. "It would crush him to lose that." 

"He'd have to relearn everything from scratch due to his reliance on those powers," Jemma brushed her hand over his face, relived that his fever was going down. 

"Then I guess we'll get started on a cure as soon as we get Skye back," Trip said confidently as Jemma raised her brow and nodded with a not so simple expression.

Mick's eyes fluttered open after dreaming of Colonel Talbot finding the base, but that couldn't have been real, could it? As his mind focused he realized they were in the jet, heading to somewhere unknown. He was still quite groggy, but his urge to kill Ward had faded into maiming him. "Oh, you decided to wake up?" Fitz smiled as he walked into the lab area. 

"Where are we going?" Mick asked, wincing at the metallic taste in his mouth. 

"Bus is near Los Angeles," Fitz said. 

"Why are we all going?" Mick asked as Fitz seemed amused. 

"Apparently Maria Hill sold us out, then had a change of heart," Fitz explained as Mick was quite surprised. "You should've seen the faces on those soldiers when Coulson pulled out the ICER!"

"So what the plan when we get to LA?"

"We haven't got one," Fitz frowned. "Coulson has been cooped up in the cockpit with Hill and Triplett," Fitz said as Mick looked at him in shock. "Jemma and I were relegated to studying the Darkforce in your blood."

"Sounds fun," Mick frowned.

"Jemma is very worried," Fitz sighed. "It's not going well." Mick glanced down at the black web on his wrists then sighed. "We'll figure it out. Don't worry."

"I trust you," Mick said somberly. 

"And if we don't, then I'll just build you a web thrower," Fitz smiled as he patted Mick's back. 

"Jerren did a while back, but when my powers returned, I gave them to Davis," Mick sighed. "Who knows what happened to them after that." 

"Well, if he could do it, then I know I can," Fitz said proudly.

"Thanks," Mick smiled.

It wasn't long before the plane landed, but Mick, Simmons, and Fitz were ordered to stay in the back when Coulson left. Whatever he was up to, he fully intended to do it alone. Mick hated this idea, he wanted to be there to help rescue Skye, to throw Ward off the Bus, potentially even run him over a few times to be safe, but his body wasn't having any of it. He felt weak, almost flu-like levels of exhaustion, with the biggest problem how quickly his mind switched to pure unbridled violent urges. 

Most of his thoughts he kept contained, until Jemma coerced it out of him, and the answers clearly bothered her. Thankfully she lowered the dose of tranquilizer to two and a half cc's, which allowed Mick to stay awake, but still feel somewhat zombie like. 

"Looks like everything is a go, Agent Hill got us a motel not to far from here courtesy of Tony Stark," Trip said as he walked into the lab area. 

"WhataboutSkye?" Mick slurred. 

"So Coulson went to get Skye alone?" Jemma asked watching Mick blink his eyes delusionally. 

"Yeah," Trip sighed. "He needed us to buy time so he could sneak aboard the Bus. Said he had a way out and wanted us somewhere safe."

"Lola," Mick said as Trip tried not to laugh. 

"Like the bunny?" Trip seemed skeptical ask Mick found that thought quite amusing, and started laughing and repeating the name Lola Bunny. 

"Coulson's Corvette is named Lola," Fitz said as Trip nodded. 

"How much did you give him?" Trip asked with a chuckle. 

"Not enough to knock him out, but apparently enough to give him quite a high," Jemma frowned. "I wasn't sure what our plans were, and if Mick would be needed. Good thing he wasn't." Jemma rolled her eyes. "On a positive note, I may have a way to speed up his healing, we just need the Bus."

"Too bad we can't radio Coulson to get it for us," Trip sighed. 

"Ey, that'd make life too easy," Fitz smirked. 

"IsSkyecomingback?" Mick slurred as Jemma sighed once again. 

"Yes, Coulson is bringing her," Jemma seemed a little hurt and annoyed at the same time.

"Jemma," Mick fell as he leaned toward her. 

"What is it?" Jemma asked as she looked him over.

"I'mgladyou'rehere," he reached out for her hand, as she shook her head and smiled. 

"You need to rest," she said in a motherly tone. 

"ButIwanttoseeSkye," Mick murmured.

"You will soon enough," Jemma weakly smiled as she began brushing his hair, which quickly soothed him enough to begin drifting off to sleep.

His eyes opened to see a dark room, feeling the most uncomfortable bed he'd ever laid on. He felt surprisingly refreshed, no crazy thoughts, no burning desire to cause harm, just normal. He stood up, greatly relieved to not feel woozy. He walked outside to see Jemma sitting with her feet in the pool, looking quite distraught. Fitz was by her side, staring at her in his usual no one else in the world expression. They didn't seem to notice him, and whatever moment they were having, he certainly didn't want to ruin it. 

"Finally awake Sleeping Beauty?" Skye teased from a small round table with a bag of chips in one hand and her laptop in front of her. 

"For now," Mick said as she offered him the seat across from her. 

"Things okay with you and Simmons?" She asked nudging her head towards Jemma and Fitz sitting together. 

"She's probably stressing about figuring out a cure," Mick said as Skye nodded. 

"They said you were quite brave," Skye smiled. "Jumping between the blast and that lady." 

"Brave, reckless, rash," Mick huffed. "Some other words Jemma used while lecturing me." 

"At least you're not a traitor," Skye sighed. 

"I still can't believe he'd do that," Mick said as Skye frowned. 

"I just feel so sick knowing I actually had feelings for that jerk," Skye grimaced. 

"We all make mistakes," Mick smirked as Trip walked passed them, nodding while heading toward the vending machine. 

"Thought you didn't do snacks?" Skye teased as Trip smiled. 

"I'm on vacation," Trip said as he looked at Mick. "Feel better?" 

"Yeah, a bit," Mick smiled. 

"How long is this vacation?" Skye asked as Trip winked. 

"Until that man tells me otherwise," Trip pointed at Coulson as he joined them. 

"Not tonight," Coulson said with a semi-smile. "Live a little." 

"In that case, I'll get another bag!" Trip laughed as he walked towards Jemma and Fitz. 

"You know, I've never been homeless before," Coulson said as he pulled a dollar from his wallet, eyeing the vending machine. 

"It sucks," Skye crinkled her nose. "At least we have WiFi and a pool!" 

"One step closer to getting them," Coulson said as he pulled up a chair sitting between them. 

"Especially since I left a little present on the drive," Skye said as Coulson smiled. 

"Clever, very clever," Coulson looked over his team. "Don't stay up to late, tomorrow, we're getting back to work."