Illusion

Mick woke the next morning with a strange haze from the odd dreams he had. In his dreams he saw a world where everything was different, he was a part of SHIELD along with Jerren, Davis, and Patten. Surprisingly each one was married, Jerren married his high school sweetheart, Alice and they worked with Tony Stark heading the now named Department of Damage Control, or its unofficial title which Tony started it as; STARS. Patten was married to another operative, Millie, and they were now living in Maine as SHIELD consultants with their little family. Davis was married to Laynie, which really caught him by surprise. They both traveled the world, Davis on assignment, and Laynie for her music. Sam was oddly absent from Mick's life, but he found himself in a very strange and strained relationship with Skye Johnson of all people, who for some reason went by the name Daisy. Even more strange, he was on a team with the Doctor, who a simple scientist and agent of SHIELD going by his last name; Fitz. Commander May and the girl he murdered, Jemma Simmons, were also on this team as well. He rubbed his temples trying to erase those thoughts.

"It was just a dream," he sighed as he rolled over, seeing Sam still asleep. He glanced at the digital clock by their bed showing he hadn't slept nearly long enough, and with a soft groan, he climbed out of bed. The best thing he could do to forget about all of this was go for a run. He grabbed his bluetooth headset, set his phone to play all of his music, then left.

The cold brisk morning air burned his lungs the faster he ran around the small pond in the nearby park. It was not often he was up before the sun, but he felt restless and slightly distressed. His choice of music was sheer nostalgia, being various songs ranging seventies classic rock to early two thousands punk rock. All of this effort was in vain, the more he fought against his fury at his former friends, the more he began to question if he really made the right choice joining Hydra. The more he thought about it, the more it bothered him that Davis accused Hydra of murdering his family. They wouldn't do that, that's not how we operate, or at least that's what he wanted to believe. He leaned over on a small wood bench, trying to catch his breath from the run, when the sky flashed in a brilliant blue, almost like lightning. He glanced up looking at the daybreak sky, curious as to where the flash originated with the lack of clouds.

It was beautiful the way the colors were painted as the sun had begun to peak over the horizon. This caused a flashes from that strange dream, of himself sitting on a large plane's ramp with Leo Fitz, Jemma Simmons, Grant Ward, Melinda May, Skye Johnson, and an older, fatherly man than seemed so familiar to Mick but his name eluded him. All watching a rocket take off over the mountain range at a place called the he somehow knew was called Slingshot. This was such a lucid dream, but it couldn't be real. Never once had he been to any other SHIELD facility besides the Academy, nor did he know if they even existed.

He returned home to see Sam working on her laptop while eating a bagel and the apartment full of smoke from Sam probably burning the first thing she wanted for breakfast. She was brilliant in the lab, but could not cook to save her life, luckily that's where Mick always balanced her out, he loved cooking, and when he couldn't make it, they went out. "Tried to cook, eh?" Mick teased as Sam frowned pitifully. 

"I was doing so good, then I checked to see the results from the lab, got distracted and burned my French toast to a crisp," she moaned as Mick smiled.

"Do the results line up with Jerren's findings?"

"Yes, there was a lot of Terrigen particles in that mixture, but the problem I'm having now is, where would they have gotten them? Hydra's got those caves on lock down for the last few years now," Sam's voice trailed off leaving Mick to question himself even more. 

"You're not suggesting that we have a traitor, are you?" 

"That is a much better way to say what I thought," she paused looking at Mick with her green eyes sparkling as if she had been crying. 

"Sammie," Mick spoke softly as he walked to her. "Do you think Hydra did this?" Sam closed her eyes tightly, with a tear streaming down. 

"I don't know what to think anymore," she was very distraught, leaning into him. 

"Why don't you and Skye take the day off, I'm going to get Ward, I want to check out Asylum, maybe there was an escapee or something," he said as he felt her frown. 

"I just have a really bad feeling about all of this Mick," she moaned looking up at him with her red puffy face, and tear matted hair. 

"We'll get to the bottom of it, don't you worry," Mick leaned in, kissing her passionately.

Luckily Ward didn't take much convincing, he had been itching to see Asylum and how it worked himself. After all, how often did you get to see a super powered safe haven in person? Mick let Ward drive them, as a storm had moved in, bringing heavy rain and thunder. That didn't make for a good time on a motorcycle. The drive was estimated to be around an hour, which gave Mick time to do some research on his phone. Surely if Hydra killed Davis' family, there would be a file, or obituaries.

A quick search through the Hydra registry and nothing was found, but a google search for the Hale family brought a very sick feeling. 

Carolin Hale, mother of three, age forty seven. Quinton Hale, father of three, age fifty. 

Kaley Hale, age twelve. Benjamin Hale, age ten.Gone but not forgotten, as tragedy swept this small town family. Neighbors say they heard gunshots, sheriffs arrived to see the family all murdered in their beds. Eldest son, Davis Bennet, wanted by Hydra for being affiliated with SHIELD was nowhere to be found. Locals believe this could have been a terrible gang attack to send a sign to Davis, conspirators believe it to be a flex from Hydra, either way, this wonderful family was taken long before it was their time.

Mick gasped after reading the article. He couldn't believe it, he then searched out Jerren's parents, only to see they too had been murdered, as well as Pattens brother and mother. No, Hydra couldn't be this cruel, it had to be local gangs trying to send a message! It just had to be. Mick's head spun wildly as Ward pulled off the road, his Jeep bouncing wildly across the rough terrain toward some darkened structure. "Where are we?" Mick asked as Ward stared at the GPS screen on his dashboard, tapping it as if something were horribly wrong. 

"It says we're here," Ward said skeptically as lighting flashed, illuminating the ruins of a building that had clearly been destroyed for quite some time. 

"That can't be right, we just sent some people to Asylum last week," Mick muttered In disbelief. 

"I'm just as confused as you are, but this is the address I got from my work computer. We can get out and check the place out if you want," Ward offered as Mick slumped in the seat debating what to do. 

He pulled his hood over his head, then opened the door, only to be greeted by a brilliant flash of lightning as it jolted across the sky, and the roar of thunder to follow. He ran toward the building barely able to see anything in the thick wall of rain. He paused at a fence that had a heavy duty padlock, and the sign reading Asylum, home of the Inhumans. No trespassing, violators killed. "You sure about this?" Ward yelled, only barely audible over the storm. 

"I have to know the truth," Mick yelled back, before using his enhanced strength to snap the padlock, then drop it and the chain to the ground, splashing mud on his drenched pants and long coat. They reached a covered part of the building, seeing the walls falling apart, broken windows, and the doors that were barely hanging on to the hinges. There was no way this place could be in operation unless the outside was just a deterrent. Maybe that's what it was, the outside was just to make people rethink breaking in, it was a long shot, but Mick couldn't find any other rationalization. 

"I think we can see the truth now, there isn't an Asylum." The tone in Ward's voice screamed betrayal, something he was all to used to with his past family life. 

"Why would they lie to us?" Mick stammered as they entered the building, turning on their flashlights and seeing bullet holes in the walls, as well as dried blood and mangled looking bones. 

"I don't think it's the first time they have. They say Inhumans are a threat and should be feared. The ones I've ever met is are pretty amazing people," Ward said, catching Mick completely off guard. 

"When did you meet an Inhuman?" Mick looked over at Ward curiously.

"You mean time tell me, you and your wife aren't Inhumans?" 

"No, we're really not. I thought I told you, I got my powers from being attacked by a guy who was experimented on. Sammie has always had her powers since birth, she never went through Terragenesis," Mick explained as Ward looked slightly uncomfortable now.

"What would you say if I told you Skye is secretly an Inhuman?" Ward asked as Mick stared at him skeptically. Somehow though, deep down Mick felt that to be true, but he wasn't sure how he could know such a thing.

"I'd ask you how could that be, she doesn't seem to have powers, or really be much of a threat," Mick shrugged.

"What?" Ward asked as if he had no idea what Mick was talking about, and had somehow just entered the room when Mick was sure he was ahead of him. 

"Uh?" Mick stammered unsure of what was going on. Did he dream up this revelation? His mind had to be playing tricks on him, probably a side effect of his lack of restful sleep.

"This place is very strange. I'm glad you and Sam never ended up here," Ward peaked into several of the rooms, grimacing at the cobwebs and skeletons. 

"Yeah, me too," Mick winced as thunder shook the building causing debris to fall. "I think I've seen enough. Let's get out of here," he suggested as Ward nodded in agreement.

Once the reached Ward's Jeep, Mick felt even more uneasy. A feeling which was only amplified when Ward broke the silence. "Have you ever wondered what the world would be like without Hydra? Say, maybe SHIELD won the war?"

"Not until recently, why?" Mick asked as Ward smiled crookedly. 

"Just something I've been thinking about," Ward said in a suspicious manner. 

"Let's go check out the school again, maybe we can actually talk to some faculty now," Mick said as Ward nodded. A world without Hydra, one that seemed so familiar, so reachable, even blissful, but at what cost? Sam was oddly missing in those dreams, would she be the price he would have to pay to leave Hydra? That wasn't a price he was willing to pay, not now, not ever. 

Upon arriving at the school, the two split up, Ward was going to do interviews while Mick looked around, hoping to hear anything from passing students. He paused as he walked by a classroom with a familiar looking older man teaching on Inhumans, and why to fear them. Mick turned, seeing the man, his faded hair line with his bold forehead, hearing his kindred voice and matching mannerisms. Something about the man tugged at Mick, this was the same man from his dream! That couldn't be right! He'd never met this guy, yet he felt as knew him, not only knew him, but he was like a father to him. He watched the man curiously, leaning against the lockers behind him.

He was determined to figure this all out, at least that was the plan, until he saw her. She looked much older than the last time he saw her, her bright brown eyes, bouncing brunette hair, she was dressed in a white shirt black jacket combo, with dress pants, walking right towards him with a big smile, as if he never killed her in the first place. "No, this can't be, I killed you," Mick stammered barely above a whisper, losing his balance and sliding down the lockers plopping on the floor in complete disbelief.

"Mick!" She exclaimed, clearly excited to see him, which only made Mick's head spin more. How could she know his name, why would she be excited to see him? 

"No please, I didn't mean to, I had to save her!" Mick whimpered clutching his head as it began to pound intensely, feeling as if it could literally burst open any second. 

"Mick, it's me, Jemma. Do you recognize me?" She asked as she leaned down toward him, looking at him in both a compassionate, and curious manner. 

"I see your face all the time, it haunts me every time I touch a gun. Of course I recognize you, I killed you," Mick said as Jemma's face dropped from compassion to utter shock. It was quickly replaced by a compassionate smile as Jemma examined his crippled disposition. 

"I'm not dead Mick, this is just a simulation, I'm really here," Jemma reached out touching him, which only caused Mick to recoil, curling up into a ball clutching his head as it continued to pound with every beat of his heart, which was now racing. "I'm here to save you and the other and bring you back home!" 

"No, this can't be happening right now, this just can't be real," Mick moaned as he felt Jemma's warm touch on his shoulder trying to comfort him. Something inside him felt truth and comfort from her, but everything else fought to reject this. His mind raced, and the faster it spun, the worse he felt. Nausea mixed with crippling pain, he couldn't move, he couldn't explain it. This had to be a dream. That was it! All of this was just more dreaming! None of this had been real! The trip to Asylum, the conversation with War, even this moment, it's all just a dream! His breathing quickened as he tried to rationalize everything. 

"Ward?" Mick heard Jemma mutter, as he tried to open his eyes. 

"You know me? Never mind that, we need to get him out of here. You can fill me in as to what happened on the way out of here," Ward said before lifting Mick up. Mick wasn't sure why he wasn't waking up, but surely this terrible dream had to end soon, right?