Resist

Mick woke up laying in his bed with a cool damp rag on his head. He looked around trying to figure out where he was now; the room was dark, both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time, with some light peaking under the closed door. He felt nauseated, his head spun the more he tried to move. His memory was fuzzy as to how he arrived in this situation. The only vivid moment was seeing that girl, Jemma Simmons, which had to be a hallucination. He eased himself out of bed making his way toward the door, knocking down several things from the dresser he was clinging to. He heard faint talking, a familiar male voice, probably Ward's, then Sam's voice, which he could make out with ease, but who was this other girl? She had an English sounding accent.

He steadily opened the door, realizing now he was in Ward's apartment. To his shock his eyes landed on the one thing he expected not to see, that girl, Jemma, sitting across the living room in the recliner and Ward and Sam on the leather couch. "You passed out there bud, feeling any better?" Ward called out as Mick braced himself on the door, his eyes locked on Jemma. His breathing quickened once more, he felt himself slowly falling. Ward rushed to his side, catching him and guiding him to the couch. 

"I can understand how this is such a shock for you, this simulation is so realistic!" Jemma said as she looked between Ward and Sam with such an intrigued expression. 

"Why do you keep simulation? Am I supposed to understand this?" Mick asked as his head slowly began to ache, his stomach began to turn.

"Because Mick, you're locked in the Framework, Aida considered you a threat, and replaced you with an LMD in the real world," Jemma explained only for Mick to dry heave, his head spinning worse than before. Sam scooted to his side, pulling him into her lap as Ward grabbed his small trash bin. 

Why did some of this sound so true? He knew he killed her in this world, but in that dream she was his friend, they worked together. Could she be from there? He shook his head, then turned to Ward who seemed to be accepting all of this without much protest. "Is this why you questioned me about if I made the wrong choice? How does any of this make any sense to you?"

"Oh it doesn't at all, I'm just really interested in her stories of you working with SHIELD. Especially since I know you were with a SHIELD team last night," Mick's heart stopped. How did Ward know that, Mick didn't tell anyone about that mission. No one except Sam, but she wouldn't run the risk of exposing him to being a traitor to Hydra. "Before you panic, there's something you should know about me." 

"Ward's a double agent!" Sam cheered as Mick didn't know what to think about this whole situation. Why was Sam so excited about this? Why would Ward be a traitor? A traitor to Hydra? Did that mean what Mick thought it meant? Was Ward really SHIELD? Mick's mind felt as if parts of it were beginning to shatter. Glimpses of another life, being on a SHIELD team with Ward, fighting along side him, Skye, the Doctor, Jemma, that teacher, and Commander May. Why every time he saw this strange world did he not see Sam? Vomit spewed from his mouth into the bin as Sam rubbed his shoulders. 

"Well that's rather fitting actually," Jemma blurted our as Mick shot a skeptical look at her. "In our world, you betrayed us in our world for Hydra, so it's only fitting he would betray Hydra for SHIELD here." 

"Will you stop saying our world like we're some how a part of it?" Mick coughed and wiped his mouth. 

"But Mick, you are part of it," Jemma insisted. "It's Aida, she's reprogramed your brain. You have to trust me. I wouldn't lie to you. You're one of my best friends."

"Do either of you believe any of this?" Mick snapped, looking between Ward and Sam. 

"I'm a little skeptical too, but how else could a dead girl come back older, and have memories of a life with you?" Sam's voice would've normally soothed him, comforted him, and potentially convinced him, but it only brought pain this time. 

"I need time to take all of this in," Mick sighed, leaning his head on Sam's lap. His mind swirled with conflicting memories, him belonging to SHIELD, the pain of Ward's betrayal both now to Hydra and then SHIELD, their countless fights when they crossed patches, watching Ward die at the hands of the teacher from yesterday, then him returning as the inhuman alien beast, Hive. The painful memories seared in his mind causing him to scream in agony. Still something eluded him, where was Samantha in all of this? Why could he not see her? Why could he not remember her from that world? 

Both Jemma and Sam rubbed his shoulders Mick curled into a ball on the floor, agonizing over what was truth and a lie. 

"I wish this would be easier for you," Jemma said, brushing Mick's hair from his face."But you have to see this world for what it is, it's fake." The warmth of her touch was different from that of Sam's. There was something different, something pure, where Sam's touch was somehow different, colder. "Unfortunately we don't have a lot of time, we still have to find Daisy, and Coulson." There was something about that name that rang familiar with him, he knew who Daisy was somehow, but it was a memory on the edge of his mind. She was important to him, but he just couldn't remember why.

Mick looked up at Jemma, then over towards Ward, finally back at Sam. "I don't understand any of this, but yet, something about you," Mick stared at Jemma unable to figure out what else he wanted to say. "We need to get Sam's report turned in before Commander starts calling."

"I can bring Sam to turn in the report, if you can stay with Ms. Simmons and help her find the people she's looking for," Ward suggested. 

"Why me?" Mick asked a little more harshly than he intended. 

"Because she knows you," Sam kissed Mick's forehead. "Maybe it'll be good for you, for us."

"What's that mean?" Mick looked at Sam, then at Ward who simply smiled. All of this was just so confusing. 

"Her stories are really inspiring," Sam said as Mick raised his brow. 

"Yeah, they may change your whole view on life," Ward had the same coy grin, like they both expected Mick to do something but he wasn't sure just what. This had to be some kind of prank. "We've got to stop by and grab my slacker girlfriend, she wasn't feeling good earlier we all know that means she probably just wanted a nap. We'll call you after we make the drop off." With that, Ward and Sam were out the door.

"Where does that leave you and I?" Mick looked at Jemma 

"Coulson and Daisy," Jemma said as Mick tried to rack his brain to figure out who they were. Images of the teacher flooded Mick's mind the more he dwelled on the name Coulson, so he wondered if maybe they should start there? 

"Do you know if my bike is here?" Mick asked as Jemma nodded, rather reluctantly. 

"Ward brought it, Sam brought you and I," Jemma said as Mick winced. 

It became clear to Mick how much Jemma hated being on the bike. She dug her nails into his side multiple times as they flew down the highway to the small school. She let out a sigh of relief once Mick finally parked and they started made their way to the front office.

"If this is a simulation, why do I have so many memories of being here?" Mick asked before opening the door, causing Jemma to frown. 

"I would guess ingraining you with memories prevents you from trying to escape the system," Jemma reasoned as Mick frowned. "Likely a failsafe AIDA initiated to keep you trapped in here." He reasoned with his memories of Ward, that he was simply a recreation of a friend he lost, but what about Sam? Surely if Jemma was telling the truth, she knew exactly where Sam was in her supposed world. 

"I have a question I want to ask, but I don't think I want the answer," Mick said a sinking feeling filling his chest as he pondered, as Jemma bit down on her lip. Mick was certain she knew what he wanted to ask, based on the expression on her face. He wasn't sure why he knew this odd detail, but Jemma wasn't a good liar. If he pressed this issue Jemma couldn't keep this secret from him. 

"So does this mean you're starting to believe me?" She said in a trembling voice as they walked into the office. 

Mick flashed his Hydra badge as the secretary nodded letting them into the school without any questions. "It's all so confusing. I keep having these weird flashes of dream like memories of you and these other people, some of which I know, and a whole other life I've lived. Yet, there's one thing missing from those memories, and it's something really important. Sam is never around," Mick looked over at Jemma who was staring at the ground uncomfortably. She knew something, and whatever it was, it must be best that he didn't remember.

"Why are we here again?" Jemma asked Mick as he shook he looked around for that classroom he'd seen the strangely familiar man.

"Before you showed up this morning, I saw a man who I saw in a dream, I'd never met him before. The more we talk, the more I feel lead to believe this is the guy you're looking for," Mick explained as Jemma smiled. They walked down the hallway pausing at the classroom, and there he was, once again teaching on the dangers of Inhumans, and why to fear them. 

"Brilliant!" Jemma cheered as she started into the classroom before Mick could grab her.

"You're going to get arrested!" Mick whispered she ignored him, intruding on the class anyway.

He watched quietly as Jemma spoke with the man she kept calling Coulson, who seemed to have no idea of who she was. Maybe he was wrong, maybe this man wasn't her Coulson at all, maybe Jemma was delusional and all of this was some kind of inhuman trick to stop their investigation. Mick shook his head, pushing back the intrusive thoughts. It made no sense, Jemma shouldn't exist, no inhuman should know of her, much less the weird dreams he was having. And the way she acted toward this man, she clearly knew him, Mick reasoned within. Coulson clearly looked panicked, which caused Mick to finally enter the classroom.

"Sorry about this, she's a new recruit, a little over eager for my taste, and may have had too much to drink before work," Mick said as Coulson looked slightly fearful of him, then glanced out at the twelve kids in the classroom. "It won't happen again, I'm terribly sorry." Mick then lead Jemma out of the class before speaking again. "What did you say that upset him so much?" 

"I tried talking to him, but he's just as bad off as you were! He doesn't even know who I am!" She exclaimed as Mick wasn't surprised. It took a lot before Mick even started to admit 

"Maybe he's not really the guy you're looking for?" Mick suggested as Jemma glared. "It's just a suggestion." Mick held up his arms in surrender.

"That's Phil Coulson, I'd recognize him anywhere, you should too! You've looked up to him since," Jemma bit her clearly trying to hold back something. "You've looked up to him for a long time! And what's with you saying I drink on the job?" Mick rolled his eyes as Jemma pouted, folding her arms with a furious scowl. 

"I could get in a lot of trouble bringing you into a Hydra investigation, geez!" Mick grumbled as Jemma was clearly thinking of a new plan. 

"Maybe you should talk to him, that might wake him up," she suggested only to be met with skepticism from Mick.

"And say what? I'm not really a Hydra Agent, I work for SHIELD and you're out team leader. This whole place we're in is some kind of computer simulation. I don't even believe any of that, why would he?" 

"Mick, you and Coulson go back a long way, please try and remember him. You may be able to remember something, and he may be able to remember you," Jemma urged.

"These weird dream memories didn't come back until I saw someone I killed in this world. This guy is a school teacher, and the look he gave me, that wasn't familiarity, it was fear. I don't know why he fears Hydra, but I don't think he really wants to have a chat with me." 

"Mick, please you have to try," Jemma pleaded as Mick rolled his eyes. She clearly wasn't going to give up, and he knew she was right. Something deep inside him, buried so far down he couldn't reach it felt like this was the truth. 

"I really don't though, for all I know this is just a loyalty test from the Doctor or Madam Hydra," Mick went silent as his phone buzzed in his pocket. "Ward?" he answered with great concern. 

"Things are bad! No time to explain! You and Jemma need to get the heck out of there now! Hydra is sending an army your way to take out both you and Jemma!" Ward's voice was his usual stern work self, with gunfire in the background. "Things went really bad at HQ. Don't bother trying to go to your apartment or mine. It's all compromised!" 

"What about Sam and Skye?" 

"They're with me! I'll send you the location of where to meet us, until then, be safe! Lay low!" Ward hung up leaving Mick feeling sick once again. 

"Come on, we'll have to deal with Coulson later! Hydra is coming for us," Mick said, his instincts kicking into overdrive as he grabbed Jemma's wrist and pulled her along with him as they ran to the nearest exit.