Chapter 127: The True Weight of the Codename

The atmosphere inside the Bus was lighter than usual that morning. The mission involving Hannah Hutchins and her telekinetic powers had left some questions open, but there was also a sense of relief now that the immediate danger seemed to be contained. Fitz and Simmons, always with their scientific minds working at full steam, were engaged in one of their typical games while adjusting some equipment in the laboratory.

"Have you heard the story about how May got the codename 'The Cavalry'?" Fitz asked, looking at Skye with an air of mystery.

Skye, who was sitting next to them, working on her laptop, looked up curiously.

"Oh, no," she replied, smiling. "Do you two have any crazy stories about that?" Simmons, with a glint of amusement in his eyes, interrupted enthusiastically:

"Let me tell you! The story goes like this: many years ago, May was on a mission with a wild horse... Yes, a horse! — She made a broad gesture with her hands, and Fitz nodded, supporting the story.

"She was completely surrounded by over a hundred enemies." — Fitz continued the narration, gesturing exaggeratedly. — And the only way out was to mount a horse and charge straight at them!

Skye raised her eyebrows, clearly suspicious.

"So you're telling me that May, our May, "The Cavalry," galloped to victory against over a hundred enemies… on horseback?" Skye asked, crossing her arms, trying not to laugh.

Simmons nodded with mock seriousness.

"Exactly. And, of course, after that, she became known as "The Cavalry." Isn't that amazing?"

Skye looked at the two with a skeptical expression, but couldn't help but laugh.

"I think I'll need more proof before I believe that. I don't think May is exactly the type of person who would use a horse to save the day," Skye said, amused.

Fitz and Simmons laughed amongst themselves, clearly pleased that they had gotten Skye's reaction.

Later, Skye was walking down the aisle of the Bus, still thinking about the ridiculous story Fitz and Simmons had made up. She saw Coulson approaching and decided to take advantage of the opportunity.

"Coulson, I need to ask you something," she said, stopping in front of him.

"What is it?" he replied with a slight smile, already imagining what it was about.

"Fitz and Simmons are telling me this crazy story about how May got the codename "The Cavalry." They said it involved a horse and over a hundred enemies. But honestly, that sounds..." she shook her head, laughing. "That doesn't sound right."

Coulson gave a soft laugh, shaking his head.

"No, it definitely doesn't involve a horse," he replied, still smiling. "But the real story is a little more complicated... and a lot darker."

Skye's smile slowly faded as she noticed Coulson's more serious tone.

"So, what's the real story?" she asked, now genuinely interested.

Coulson motioned for her to follow him to the observation area of ​​the Shuttle, where they could talk without interruptions. He sat down and looked at Skye, his expression now more serious.

"May earned her nickname in Bahrain," he began, his voice calm but heavy. "We were on a mission to deal with an augmented man who had taken several hostages. The situation got completely out of hand. May led the rescue team, as always, with the precision and determination you know."

Skye listened intently, sensing that the story was about to take a much darker turn.

"However," Coulson continued, taking a deep breath, "what no one expected was that this augmented man had the ability to manipulate the minds of those around him. He controlled the hostages, made them fight against us, turning innocent civilians into living weapons. May was forced to make unthinkable decisions to save the rest of the team... and ended up killing everyone under his control, including a child."

Skye blinked, taking in the gravity of the story.

"She... killed the hostages?" Skye asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Coulson nodded sadly.

"Yes. She had no choice. It was the only way to end the threat and prevent more lives from being lost. But it left a deep mark on her. She was never the same after Bahrain. That's why she hates the nickname "The Cavalry." To her, there's nothing glorious about it.

Skye was silent for a moment, processing what she had just heard.

"I... I had no idea," she said finally.

"Few people do," Coulson replied. "And she prefers it that way."

Skye nodded, understanding now why May always seemed to carry an invisible burden. There was so much more to her story than Skye could have ever imagined.

As the team reflected on the recent events involving Hannah Hutchins, Fitz and Simmons worked tirelessly to uncover the source of Hannah's telekinetic powers. After hours of analyzing data and performing experiments, they finally came to a conclusion.

"Coulson, I think we figured out what's happening to Hannah," Fitz said, calling him into the lab.

The team gathered around a monitor, where Fitz and Simmons were displaying their findings.

"It's not ghosts, as she thought. It's actually Tobias Ford, a man who worked with Hannah in the factory accident," Simmons explained, pointing to a picture of Tobias on the screen.

"He died in the accident, but it looks like he was manipulating the particle accelerator before he died," Fitz continued, zooming in on an image of the wreckage of the factory. "He loosened critical components, possibly to sabotage the equipment. When the accelerator exploded, it caused a distortion in reality around him."

"And now he's trapped between our world and... something else," Simmons finished.

Coulson frowned, trying to understand the implication.

— So, he's trying to communicate with Hannah?

Simmons nodded.

— Yes. It seems he was obsessed with her, and now he's stuck in some sort of purgatory, trying to spend time with her, using these telekinetic powers to call her.

The team tracked the source of Tobias' presence and returned to the place where they had found Hannah. This time, with the knowledge that Tobias was the true cause of the events, May volunteered to face the situation.

Inside the building, objects began to move again, as before, but now May knew exactly what she needed to do. She walked with determination towards the epicenter of the activity, where Tobias's hazy figure appeared.

"Tobias," May called, her voice firm. "You need to stop this."

The figure stopped, the objects around him ceasing to move. He looked confused, but at the same time, somewhat relieved that someone had finally acknowledged his presence.

"I… I just wanted to be with her," Tobias said, his voice echoing from somewhere far away.

"I know," May said, stepping forward. "But it's not fair to her. Hannah deserves to live in peace, and you need to let her go."

Hannah, who was standing next to Coulson, watched with tears in her eyes. She looked at Tobias, her expression softening.

"Tobias, I forgive you. Please let me live my life."

Those words seemed to break the bond that had held Tobias captive. His figure began to fade, slowly, until he disappeared completely. The building fell silent, and everyone knew that he was finally gone.

Back on the Shuttle, the team was exhausted but satisfied. Hannah was being transferred to a safe location, where she could receive help to deal with the trauma of everything that had happened. May, as always, remained silent, reflecting on what had happened.

Later that night, Ward approached May in the break room.

"May… I heard what Coulson told Skye about Bahrain," he said carefully.

She just nodded, not wanting to prolong the conversation.

"I just wanted to say that whatever happened there, you did what you had to do," Ward continued.

May looked at him, a rare expression of vulnerability passing through her eyes.

"Sometimes the decisions we make define us in ways we don't expect," she replied.

And with that, they both fell silent, knowing that despite all the chaos, they were still there, ready to face the next challenge together.