I've Forgotton How It Felt Before the World Fell At Our Feet
''Sir the second you let her out she's going to come after you''. Bobbi tells him, pacing the walls of his office. They're back at the Playground and Daisy is still out cold. They're holding her in the rooms she had built for the Inhumans, the White Room as she calls it. Shield was forced to knock Kebo out as well, he put up a hell of a fight when Hunter tried to take Daisy from his side. ''This is a mess. Daisy will never forgive me for what I did''. ''You made the right call Sir. Ward was too dangerous to be kept alive''.
''Was he? He was doing fine with the Catapillars, he made Daisy happy. I wanted revenge on the man he used to be, the spy who was working for Hydra, who killed a woman I thought I loved. I wasn't being a hero Agent Morse, I turned into the same man Ward was. He didn't care about anything but Daisy when I killed him, Shield, Hydra, had no use for him anymore. All he wanted was her and I took him from Daisy again without even thinking''. Bobbi stops moving, looking at him with surprise clear on her face.
''Sir do you feel guilt? Guilt for Grant Ward? He was a killer and a psychopath''. Coulson looks up, ''and what is he now? His body has been taken over by some kind of ancient evil demon from an alien planet. That wants nothing more than to watch the world burn, and it's all my fault. Because I couldn't just forgive him like Daisy wanted me to. Now everyone is going to pay for my sins''. Bobbi has no response to this. Just sits with him while the guilt eats him up from head to toe.
Daisy wakes to a tapping sensation on her leg. She opens her eyes to find Kebo staring at her, his thumb drumming a restless beat on her thigh. ''Finally, I was going to go mad in here all by myself''. ''Popeye you're already mad enough''. ''True''. Daisy clears the cobwebs in her head, stretches her muscles, cracks her knuckles. They're in one of the White Rooms, she groans and stands up. ''What is this place exactly? Looks like one of those rooms they put the bat shit crazy people in in mental hospitals''. Daisy rolls her eyes.
''It's a holding room for new Inhumans. Until they grow into thier powers they're unpredictable, this room can take anything''. ''Which means there's no possibility of escape''. ''Exactly''. Kebo produces a flask from his pocket and offers it to her, she sits next to him and drains it. ''So Ward is an evil Hydra creature now. How great is that?'' ''It's fantastic. Just fantastic''. Kebo puts his head in his hands, starts when Daisy begins laughing. ''Coulson killed Ward and he came back as some kind of demon. When does that even happen?'' Kebo joins her and they laugh until she starts crying.
''He's really gone. He's never coming back'''. She lays her head on his shoulder. ''There might be a way to save him''. ''How?'' ''I don't know yet, but I'll find out. Shouldn't you be hell bent on revenge right now? Breaking necks and going after Coulson?'' She dries her tears and gives him a smile, ''wait for it. It'll come''. He doesn't have to wait for long. Hunter comes in the room and opens his mouth, he never has time to speak before Daisy slams him against the wall. Other Shield agents try to take her down, but they're met with the same fate as Hunter.
Couloson killed Ward. He killed the only person left in this world that she loved. And now he's a Hydra creature who's probably going to end this world in an army of steel and blood. It's all Coulson's fault. He needs to pay for what he's done. Daisy rounds a corner, her feet taking her to Coulson's office. She sees red, the haze making her strong, steady. All she sees is Ward, Ward in his final moments, probably thinking about her when Coulson crushed his chest.
''You don't know how your Ward died, do you? Let me tell you, it's really a great story. You see Phil Coulson tied him up, shot him twice before eventually letting his hate get to him. Your Ward was defenseless, he had no chance really. Coulson took that arm and crushed his lungs, until his heart stopped beating. It was a poetic death really''.
''Daisy I understand that you're upset but''- May effortlessly dodges the punch meant for her cheek. ''Coulson is going to die for what he's done. So unless you want to join him, move''. Her old SO squares her shoulders, raises her chin. ''Don't do this. I don't want to hurt you''. ''You won't''. May in unconscious on the floor in a second. Coulson murdered Ward. He killed him out of spite, out of hatred. Why shouldn't her old boss be killed the same way? She makes it to his office, the walls are shaking, the building groaning from her emotions.
Daisy rips open the door and Bobbi is on her, shoving her to the ground. ''Don't do this Daisy. Just stop''. Daisy unleashes her anger on the other woman, throws her off and slams her against the door. ''You want to die with him too?'' Daisy then turns to face the man who she once thought as a father, who would never do anything to hurt her. He's looking at her now, so much guilt and sadness on his face. ''How could you?'' He hangs his head. ''I'm sorry''. ''Sorry isn't going to change what you did''.
Daisy grabs him from his chair, punches him in the face until her knuckles hurt. ''He wasn't a threat to you!'' She yells at him. ''He wasn't a threat to anyone! He loved me and you took him from me, after I just got him back. Ward didn't deserve to die, not like that and not by you. Everything his body is doing now is on your head. All the people hes going to hurt, kill, their blood is on your hands''. His nose is broken, there's blood all over his face, but she hasn't hurt him as much as she could.
Because killing him won't bring Grant back. Nothing will. She realizes, and the red hot anger she's feeling dries up. Shield agents storm the room, Maria Hill included, who points her gun at Daisy when she rises from the floor. ''I'm ordering you to stand down Agent Johnson or we will shoot''. ''I don't work for you. Go ahead''. They open fire, and Daisy laughs as none of the bullets touch her. When they run out of ammo Daisy can almost smell their fear, taste it on her teeth. She smiles, ''Damn right you should be scared of me''.
''Coulson you okay?'' He gets off the floor with shaky feet. ''I'm fine''. Daisy glares at him. ''I will never forgive you, ever. After Ward is taken care of I am leaving Shield. I never want to see you again, the only reason you're still alive is because I want you to suffer. I'm leaving you with all your guilt so you can see the bodies Ward leaves behind. So their faces can keep you up at night, so they're blood can make you scream. Death is too easy a price to pay for what you've done''.
No one touches her as she exits the office, she stops when she sees Mack and Lincoln at the end of the hall. She simmers down, cools off until her head is clear and her hands stop shaking. ''Tremors what happened?'' ''What happened is Coulson made a hard call on that alien planet, and now he paid for it''. ''What did you do?'' Lincoln asks, he's looking at her like she's a stranger. ''Go see for yourselves''. Mack hurries down to Coulson's office, Lincoln brushes his hand down her arm. ''This isn't you Daisy''. ''I didn't even hurt him. He'll be fine in a few days''.
''I understand why you're angry. Ward doesn't deserve any of this, and I agree that Coulson should answer for what he's done. But he's like a father to you''. ''I thought that too, and then he killed Ward''. Lincoln runs his hands down her arms. ''You should go clean yourself up. Lay low for a while, doubt Shield is going to be very happy with you for a while''. She listens to him, goes to her bunk and takes a shower. It hits her there. Everything catches up with her and she sinks to the bottom of the tub, the hot water washing over her.
He's really gone. Ward is dead. Never to return. Because of Coulson, because of the man she trusted. Grant, everything he is, her love, her rock, is gone. He's never coming back. And now his body has been taken over doing god knows what. It's cruel. Life is cruel. It's hard and unkind and messy. Daisy wishes Coulson never would have found her in LA that day, that she would have never known words like Hydra or Shield and never felt the earth between her finger tips.
It's like losing Grant all over again. His body is still here but his soul is gone, torture torture torture. Pain pain pain all over everywhere Daisy cries into her knees but it will never be enough. ''Skye''. She won't look up she won't look at the Ward her mind has created it's not okay it hurts even more now. ''Why did you tell me to find you?'' She mutters, still looking at her feet, watching the water swirl down the drain. ''Because you're the only one who can save me''. ''You're dead. Your body is just a shell''.
''Skye''. There's pain is his voice which she can't bear, so against her heart and better judgement she faces him. Warm brown eyes, handsome face free of shadows and evil deeds. ''There's no way to save you. You're being possessed for god sake, how can I save you from that?'' Mirage Ward places his hands on her arms, his expression serious and heart broken. ''Set me free. Kill me, before my body does anymore damage''.
She's shaking her head, tears forming once more. ''I can't. I can't do it. No no no I won't kill you I can't''. ''You have to. Baby you have to, it's what I want. Don't let that thing turn me into something I'm not. They'll remember me as a monster who slaughtered everyone in my way, that's what that creature is going to do. I don't want to end that way''. His hands are cupping her face and she wants desperately to feel them. To feel the love on his palms one more time. All she feels is the water running down her face.
''You can't ask me to do that''. ''You shot me four times, I think you can handle this''. ''It was three times, and this isn't funny Grant''. ''At one point you wanted me dead, I need you to do that again''. ''I can't. I love you, I love you and I won't kill you''. He moves his hands to cup the back of her neck. ''You might not have a choice. That thing is going to be out for blood, he might hurt you, and when the time comes you have to be ready. It's just a body''. ''It's your body''. ''But I'm no longer inside it''.
This makes her sob, sob until her lungs hurt and she tastes blood in her mouth. And just like he used to, even though he's not there at all, he's whispering sweet things in her ear until she can breathe again. ''Promise me Skye. Promise me that you'll do this, for me''. And she knows, she knows he's right and her heart is breaking. She wipes her face. ''I promsie''. He smiles like she's just given him the world. ''I love you''. He stands, she does the same. ''Thank you''. ''I love you, I love you more than I will ever love anything in this world''. She tells him, and puts her hands on his chest. Touching only air.
''Up until my last moments it was always you. Only you. I loved you, I love you. And when the time comes, I'll be waiting for you''. And just like that, faster than smoke, he's gone again. With numb hands and an ache in her chest, Daisy finishes her shower, dresses, and looks at herself in the mirror. Bottle of alcohol in her hand. Daisy stares at herself, hardly recognizes the girl in the glass. Short hair, hard eyes, cold skin that she doesn't feel comfortable in anymore. This is the girl who's going to kill the man she loves.
She waits until the next morning to gather her team, ignores the glares Shield is sending her way. Coulson and all his agents are waiting for her in his office, her team behind her. Daisy looks around the room, everyone in this room hates her for what she did to Coulson. But he deserved it and she's not going to apologize for it. Daisy clears her throat. ''Look you can all try to kill me later, but we need to focus on the problem at hand. We have a common enemy, the creature in Ward's body is probably going to start World War Three, and we need to stop him before he does''.
There's ice in Coulson's tone when he asks her how they're going to do that. ''That's easy. I'm going to take him out, and when that happens the war will end''. It won't be easy, but it's what she has to do. Kebo is glaring at her, angry set in his jaw. ''You really think you can do that? It is Ward's body''. May says. ''I have to. We don't have a choice''. ''So Agent Johnson where do you propose we start?'' As Daisy goes over plans and strategies Kebo slips from the room and waits for the meeting to end. When they disperse Daisy meets him in a corner of the hallway.
''What's wrong?'' He crosses him arms. ''What's wrong? You're going to kill him, my friend''. ''It's just his body Popeye, Ward is gone''. ''How do you know that?'' ''Because Coulson killed him, his soul is gone''. ''And you know his soul is gone after meeting with that thing one time?'' Kebo shakes his head. ''I never thought you of all people would give up on him''. ''What do you want me to do? You know that creature is going to use his body for horrible things. Ward wouldn't want that''. ''There has to be a way to save him''. ''Save what? He's dead''.
Kebo takes a step back. ''I'm going to find a way to save him''. Daisy offers him a sad smile. ''And I hope you make it back in time to tell me how''. Kebo doesn't look back as he leaves, and Daisy is alone once again. She has to do this. Ward wouldn't want this to happen, she knows him. A few hours later her decision will soon be tested. It's like over night that creature set in, got the ball rolling in world domination. Hydra has struck Shield hard and without warning. The Fridge has been attacked. No survivors.
Coulson is looking at the chaos on the video monitor, with stones in his lungs. This is his fault. Daisy was right. All of the blood is on his hands. The Diretor of Shield has never been so disgusted with himself in all his life. The world is going to bleed because of him.