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The cramped interior of the Zephyr was thick with tension. Jemma Simmons stood firm, her chest heaving as she faced Daisy Johnson. Piper and Davis lingered near the cockpit, their expressions torn between disbelief and anger as they processed the reality of what Jemma had done.
They weren’t on their way back to Earth.
Instead, they were stranded on a desolate alien planet, its jagged, uninviting terrain visible through the cockpit window.
“Explain,” Piper demanded, her voice sharp, cutting through the silence like a blade. “Why in the hell are we not back on Earth regrouping with Mack like we’re supposed to?!”
Jemma squared her shoulders, her voice rising in defiance. “Fitz is here. I know it.”
Davis threw his hands up in frustration. “That’s your excuse? You hijacked the ship, dragged us to some backwater rock, all because of a hunch?”
“It’s not a hunch,” Jemma snapped, her voice trembling with emotion. “He’s out here somewhere—alone, stranded, in danger. And you want me to just… go back?”
Piper crossed her arms, her tone growing colder. “We have protocols for a reason, Simmons! You don’t get to put everyone at risk because you can’t think straight!”
“You think I don’t care about protocols?” Jemma shot back, her voice cracking. “You think I don’t know what I’ve done? This is Fitz we’re talking about!”
“That’s enough,” Daisy said sharply, cutting through the rising tension. Her tone was calm, but there was a weight behind it that silenced the room. She stepped forward, fixing Jemma with a steady, unflinching glare. “You can’t just make decisions for the whole team, Jemma. This isn’t just about you.”
Jemma squared her shoulders, refusing to back down. “I’m staying. With or without your permission.”
Daisy’s dark eyes narrowed. “We’re going back to Earth. And if I have to lock you up to make sure of that, I will.”
Jemma’s chin tilted defiantly. “I’d like to see you try.”
For a moment, the air seemed to hum with unspoken tension. Daisy’s expression shifted—her gaze darkened, her stance stiffened, and something uncharacteristically cold flashed in her eyes. Jemma’s heart skipped a beat, realizing too late that she’d pushed too far.
Daisy stepped closer, her hands twitching. A faint vibration rippled through the air, a warning sign of her powers stirring just beneath the surface.
“Daisy,” Jemma said cautiously, her voice trembling. “What are you doing?”
But Daisy didn’t respond. Her gaze was unfocused, her movements rigid, like a puppet on invisible strings. The vibrations around her grew stronger, shaking loose tools and stray objects in the room.
“Daisy, stop!” Piper shouted, stepping forward, but before she could reach her, the Zephyr’s hatch hissed open with a chilling metallic whine.
A tall, armored figure strode into the room, his silhouette casting an imposing shadow. His armor gleamed in the dim light, and two floating drones hovered at his sides, their mechanical hum blending with the distant alarms of the ship.
The Hunter.
“Perfect timing,” he said, his voice distorted through his helmet. In his hand, he held a small, spherical device that pulsed faintly with light. With a flick of his wrist, the vibrations around Daisy stopped. She froze, her body slackening, but her expression remained blank and distant.
“She’s mine now,” the Hunter announced, his voice calm but authoritative. “A precaution for… volatile assets.”
“You bastard,” Piper hissed, reaching for her weapon, but the Hunter raised the device threateningly.
“I wouldn’t,” he warned. “Unless you’d like to see what happens when I press this button.”
Piper hesitated, her hand twitching at her side, but Davis placed a steadying hand on her arm. Reluctantly, she stepped back, her glare locked on the Hunter.
“Now then,” the Hunter continued, his tone almost casual. “You’re going to answer my questions. Starting with the Terran. Where is he?”
Jemma’s brow furrowed in confusion. “The what?”
“The human,” the Hunter clarified, his voice sharp. “The Terran from Earth. He’s here—on this planet. You tracked him, didn’t you?”
Realization dawned on Jemma, her heart sinking. He was talking about Fitz.
“I don’t know where he is,” Jemma said truthfully, her voice trembling.
“Wrong answer.”
The Hunter stepped closer, gesturing to Daisy. “Do you know what it feels like when an Inhuman turns on their own kind? Would you like me to demonstrate?”
“No!” Jemma shouted, panic flooding her voice. “Leave her alone!”
The Hunter tilted his head, considering her for a moment. “Then start talking.”
Jemma glanced desperately at Piper and Davis, but both looked as lost and helpless as she felt. She turned back to the Hunter, her mind racing for a way to stall.
Before she could respond, the Zephyr shuddered violently, throwing everyone off balance. The alarm blared, red lights flashing across the control panel.
“What now?!” Davis shouted, gripping the edge of the console.
The Hunter cursed under his breath, his grip on the device faltering as he steadied himself.
Taking advantage of the momentary distraction, Jemma lunged forward, grabbing the device from his hand. She slammed it against the floor with all her strength, the sphere shattering into pieces.
The effect was immediate. Daisy collapsed to her knees, gasping for air as the invisible hold over her broke.
“Daisy!” Jemma cried, dropping beside her. “Are you okay?”
Daisy’s eyes fluttered open, her gaze unfocused but slowly clearing. “What… happened?”
“No time to explain,” Piper said, ducking as one of the drones fired a burst of energy in her direction.
Daisy pushed herself to her feet, her expression hardening as her powers reignited. She raised her hand, sending a shockwave through the room that slammed into the Hunter, knocking him off his feet. His drones sparked and fizzled out as they hit the ground.
The room fell silent except for the team’s heavy breathing.
“Is he down?” Piper asked, cautiously approaching the fallen Hunter.
“For now,” Daisy said, her voice strained. She turned to Jemma, her gaze softening. “You okay?”
Jemma nodded, tears streaming down her face. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered.
Daisy placed a hand on her shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “We’ll talk later. Right now, we need to secure him and figure out what the hell he knows about Fitz.”
Jemma nodded again, silently vowing to make things right.
The Zephyr was quiet now, save for the occasional creak of its structure as it adjusted to the alien atmosphere. The Hunter was secured in the cargo hold, unconscious and restrained, while Piper and Davis took turns monitoring him.
Jemma sat on the floor of the med bay, her back pressed against the wall. Her hands trembled in her lap, and she stared at the faint scuffs on the floor, replaying everything that had just happened in her mind.
The soft sound of footsteps drew her attention. She looked up to see Daisy entering the room, her expression unreadable.
“Hey,” Daisy said softly, leaning against the doorframe.
Jemma swallowed hard, guilt flooding her chest. “Hey.”
Daisy crossed her arms, studying Jemma for a moment before stepping closer and sitting down beside her. The silence stretched between them, heavy but not uncomfortable.
“I’m sorry,” Jemma said finally, her voice barely above a whisper.
Daisy raised an eyebrow. “For what?”
“For everything,” Jemma said, her voice breaking. She buried her face in her hands, her words muffled as she continued. “For dragging you all into this. For putting you in danger. For what I said to you—God, Daisy, I was so out of line.”
Daisy exhaled, leaning back against the wall. “You weren’t wrong, you know.”
Jemma looked up, her tear-streaked face full of confusion. “What?”
“You weren’t wrong,” Daisy repeated, her tone gentle. “If it were Coulson, I’d have done the same thing. Hell, I did do the same thing, more than once. So, I get it.”
“But I hurt you,” Jemma said, her voice trembling. “I let my emotions take over, and I said things I shouldn’t have. You’ve always been there for me, Daisy. Always. And I—I was ready to fight you over this. I was ready to…” She trailed off, unable to finish the thought.
Daisy was quiet for a moment, her gaze fixed on the floor. “Yeah, it got ugly,” she admitted. “And for a second, I thought…” She paused, taking a deep breath. “I thought maybe I’d lost you. That we weren’t on the same side anymore.”
Jemma’s heart twisted at the words. “You haven’t lost me,” she said quickly, her voice urgent. “I swear, Daisy. You’re my family. All of you are. I just… I lost myself for a moment. I’m so sorry.”
Daisy turned to look at her, her expression softening. “I forgive you, Jemma. But we’ve got to be better than this—both of us. We’re a team. And if we’re going to get through this, we need to trust each other.”
Jemma nodded, tears slipping down her cheeks. “I do trust you. I always have.”
“And I trust you,” Daisy said. “But next time, no more lone-wolf stunts, okay? If we’re doing this, we do it together.”
“Together,” Jemma agreed, her voice steadying.
For a moment, neither of them spoke. Then Daisy reached out, pulling Jemma into a hug. Jemma froze for a heartbeat before melting into the embrace, clutching Daisy tightly as the weight of the day finally caught up to her.
“I don’t know what I’d do without you,” Jemma whispered.
“You’ll never have to find out,” Daisy replied softly.
The quiet moment was interrupted by the sharp crackle of the comm system. Piper’s voice came through, laced with urgency.
“Hey, you two might want to get down here. Our ‘guest’ is waking up.”
Daisy sighed, pulling back and giving Jemma a reassuring smile. “Guess we’re not done yet.”
Jemma wiped her eyes, her expression hardening with resolve. “No, we’re not.”
Daisy stood, offering Jemma a hand. As they headed to the cargo hold, a renewed sense of unity settled between them. Whatever lay ahead—Fitz, the Hunter, or anything else—they’d face it together.