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Chapter Text

The mission was supposed to be routine—a simple recon to retrieve stolen S.H.I.E.L.D. tech from a Hydra facility. But nothing about the ominous energy signatures Fitz detected screamed “routine.”

The Hydra lab buzzed with tension as the team moved through its stark halls. Daisy led the way, her instincts sharp, while Coulson and Mack flanked FitzSimmons. The energy signatures Fitz detected had only grown stronger as they descended, radiating from a strange device mounted on a raised platform.

The team stood just outside the lab as Fitz adjusted his scanner. “This… this shouldn’t even exist,” he stammered.

“What shouldn’t?” Daisy asked, crouching beside him.

Fitz glanced at her with wide eyes. “This isn’t just tech. It’s—”

“Something feels off,” Daisy murmured, her hand hovering near her ICER.

“You’re telling me,” Mack muttered. “This place is giving me flashbacks to the Monolith.”

Jemma exchanged a glance with Fitz. “Could it be another portal? The readings are… similar.”

Fitz frowned. “Similar, but not the same. This energy—it’s manipulating space-time, not just opening it. If someone’s been tampering with it—”

Before he could finish, the device emitted a low hum that rapidly escalated into a deafening roar. A shockwave rippled through the room, and everything blurred into blinding light.

When the light faded, they were no longer in the Hydra lab.

The air was heavy, tinged with the smell of smoke and metal. The buildings around them were grim monoliths, adorned with crimson banners bearing Hydra’s emblem. Armed patrols marched in the distance, their boots pounding in unison.

Mack was the first to recover. “What the hell just happened?”

Fitz checked his scanner, his face pale. “We’re… not in Kansas anymore.”

Mack looked around, her body tense. “No kidding. This looks like a Hydra recruitment poster threw up all over reality.”

Coulson’s jaw tightened. “Stay sharp. We need to figure out what we’re dealing with and how to get back.”

As they moved cautiously through the city, it became increasingly clear that this wasn’t just an alternate timeline—it was a nightmare. S.H.I.E.L.D. was nonexistent. Resistance was crushed before it could begin. Hydra ruled unchallenged.

And then they saw her.

The first encounter was like a punch to the gut.

They were cornered in an alley, Hydra soldiers closing in, their rifles raised. But it wasn’t the soldiers who froze them in place—it was their leader.

Daisy.

Her hair was pulled back into a sleek ponytail, and her black combat suit bore Hydra’s emblem. Her posture was commanding, her expression cold. She moved like a predator, her every step calculated.

“Quake,” one of the soldiers said, “they’re unregistered and armed.”

Her lips curled into a faint smirk as she eyed the team. “Well, well. Looks like we’ve got ourselves a little rebellion.”

Coulson stepped forward, his voice calm but laced with urgency. “Daisy, it’s us. Don’t you recognize—”

He didn’t even finish before she flicked her wrist. A seismic wave rippled through the ground, knocking him back.

“That’s far enough,” she said, her voice cool and unwavering. “Take them in.”

The team resisted, but they were outnumbered. Quake watched impassively as they were overpowered and restrained.

As the soldiers pulled them away, Jemma’s voice rang out, raw and desperate. “Daisy, please! It’s me! It’s Jemma!”

For a split second, something flickered in Quake’s expression. Confusion? Recognition? But then it was gone, replaced by steely resolve.

“I don’t know you,” she said coldly.

Jemma’s heart shattered as they were dragged into the Hydra stronghold. Simmons struggled against her captors, her gaze fixed on Daisy. “This isn’t you!” she cried.

But Quake didn’t even flinch.

The team was dragged to a Hydra stronghold, their hands bound, their equipment confiscated. The facility was a cold labyrinth of steel and concrete, designed to crush the spirit of anyone who entered.

In separate cells, they could do little but wait. Coulson, pacing his confined space, racked his brain for a plan. Fitz paced anxiously, muttering calculations under his breath as he tried to make sense of their predicament. Mack sat on the edge of his cot, glaring at the Hydra guards who passed by.

Coulson leaned against the wall of his cell, his mind racing. “This isn’t just an alternate timeline,” he muttered to himself. “This is a reality where S.H.I.E.L.D. never existed.”

Jemma sat on the floor of her cell, her arms wrapped tightly around herself. The image of Daisy—her Daisy—standing there in Hydra black, her eyes void of warmth, played over and over in her mind.

“I don’t know you.”

The words cut deeper than she thought possible.

It wasn’t long before Coulson was taken for interrogation. He expected the usual Hydra tactics—intimidation, threats, maybe some light torture. What he didn’t expect was to find himself face-to-face with Daisy in the interrogation room.

“You’re not exactly what I’d call a high-value target,” Quake said, her tone dry as she leaned against the table.

Coulson studied her, searching for any sign of the woman he knew. “I’ve been called worse.”

Her lips twitched, but the smile didn’t reach her eyes. “Why don’t you save us both some time and tell me who sent you?”

He leaned forward, his voice soft but steady. “No one sent us. We’re not from here.”

Her expression hardened. “You expect me to believe that?”

“I expect you to remember,” Coulson said. “Daisy, this isn’t who you are. You’re not Hydra. You’re S.H.I.E.L.D. You’re a hero.”

For a moment, her mask slipped. Her fingers brushed the Hydra emblem on her suit, and her brow furrowed as if she were trying to remember something just out of reach.

But then she stood abruptly, her walls back up. “Nice try,” she said coolly before leaving the room.

Jemma wasn’t surprised when she was the next to be interrogated. What she didn’t expect was for Daisy—her Daisy, or at least some version of her—to be the one asking the questions.

As Quake entered the room, Jemma’s breath hitched. Despite the Hydra insignia, despite the coldness in her demeanor, she was still Daisy.

“Daisy,” she said softly, her voice trembling despite her resolve.

Quake’s eyes narrowed. “You’re persistent, I’ll give you that. But my name is Quake.”

“No, it’s not,” Jemma replied, stepping closer. “It’s Daisy Johnson. You’re an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., and you’ve saved my life more times than I can count.”

Quake scoffed. “You’ve got the wrong girl.”

“I don’t,” Jemma insisted. “You may not remember me, but I know you. I know your heart, Daisy. And this? This isn’t it.”

Quake sat across from her, studying her with an almost clinical detachment. “You’re a scientist,” she said, her tone unreadable. “Your file says you’re brilliant.”

Jemma met her gaze, refusing to flinch. “And yours says you’re a hero.”

Quake’s expression darkened. “Is that what they told you?”

“It’s not just what they told me,” Jemma said softly. “It’s what I know. I know you, Daisy.”

“You don’t know me,” Quake snapped. “I was born to Hydra. Raised to lead. You don’t know a damn thing about me.”

Jemma’s heart ached at the venom in her voice. “I know more than you realize,” she whispered.

For a moment, Quake seemed to falter. Her eyes darted to the ground, her hands trembling ever so slightly.

“Stop,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I do,” Jemma said, her own voice breaking. “You’re my friend. My family. And I refuse to let Hydra take you from me.”

Quake turned away, her shoulders tense. “I’m not who you think I am,” she said, her voice hollow.

“You are,” Jemma said firmly. “And I’ll prove it.”

The words lingered in Quake’s mind long after Jemma was dragged back to her cell.

“You’re my family. And I refuse to let Hydra take you from me.”

Family. The word clawed at something buried deep inside her, but she shoved it down, forcing herself to focus on the Hydra report in front of her. The rebels had been identified as a significant threat, yet their claims still gnawed at her.

Who is Daisy Johnson?

She dismissed the thought with a shake of her head. Quake didn’t have time for distractions. Hydra’s work was too important—she was too important.

And yet, when the next mission briefing came, she found herself watching the rebels’ profiles on the monitor for a moment too long.

In the cells, Jemma huddled close to Fitz, her voice low. “She hesitated, Fitz. I saw it. There’s still a part of her that remembers.”

Fitz adjusted the makeshift device he’d been working on. “Maybe, but it’s not enough to rely on hesitation. If we’re going to get out of here and save her, we need to act fast.”

Coulson leaned in. “What’s the plan?”

Fitz held up the small device, a rudimentary EMP built from parts scavenged during their capture. “This will disable the cell doors and most of their security systems for about five minutes.”

“That’s all we’ll need,” Mack said confidently.

Jemma, however, wasn’t convinced. “And what about Daisy? We can’t just leave her here like this.”

Coulson nodded. “We won’t. But if we’re going to reach her, we’ll need to remind her who she really is.”

Quake stared at the glowing holographic map on the table in front of her. The rebels’ escape from a Hydra facility weeks ago replayed in her mind. Something about their words refused to let her go.

“Quake?” A voice snapped her back to reality. It was Commander Blake, her superior. “Your focus seems divided.”

“Apologies, sir,” she replied smoothly. “The prisoners… their claims are strange. One of them said they knew me.”

Blake’s gaze hardened. “They’re insurgents. Manipulators. Don’t let them get into your head.”

She nodded, but the unease didn’t fade.

“Finish the interrogation,” Blake ordered. “If they don’t talk, they’re expendable.”

Her stomach twisted at the command, but she masked it with a curt nod. “Understood.”

Fitz’s EMP worked perfectly. The cell doors slid open with a hiss, and the team sprang into action. Coulson and Mack took point, dispatching guards with precision, while Jemma stayed close to Fitz, clutching a Hydra weapon she barely knew how to use.

As they moved through the labyrinthine stronghold, Jemma’s thoughts kept drifting to Daisy.

“She’ll come after us,” she whispered to Fitz.

“Then we’ll be ready,” he replied grimly.

But Jemma wasn’t sure she would be. Facing Daisy as an enemy had been hard enough—what would she do if they couldn’t bring her back?

They didn’t have to wait long. As they reached the control room, Quake was already there, waiting for them. Her arms were crossed, her expression unreadable.

“Well, that’s impressive,” she said dryly, glancing at the disabled systems around her. “You made it further than most.”

“Daisy,” Coulson began, stepping forward, “you don’t have to do this. You don’t have to be their weapon.”

She tilted her head. “That’s funny. Because I don’t feel like a weapon—I feel like I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.”

Mack stepped up, his tone firmer. “They’ve brainwashed you. Hydra has twisted everything you are.”

Her gaze flicked to Jemma. “You’re all so determined to make me into someone I’m not. Why is that?”

“Because we know you,” Jemma said, her voice trembling. “Because we love you.”

Something flickered in Quake’s eyes, but she quickly looked away. “Enough of this.” She raised her hand, the air vibrating with seismic energy.

“Don’t make us do this,” Coulson warned.

Quake hesitated, her hand shaking. But then the door behind her opened, and Commander Blake entered, flanked by Hydra reinforcements.

“Kill them,” Blake ordered.

Chapter Text

The room erupted into chaos. Mack and Fitz fired at the Hydra agents while Coulson went after Blake. Jemma ducked for cover, her heart racing as she watched Daisy—no, Quake—stand frozen in the middle of it all.

“Daisy!” she cried out.

Quake turned, her seismic powers sparking dangerously. “Stop calling me that!”

“No!” Jemma stepped out from her cover, desperation overtaking her fear. “You are Daisy! You’re brilliant, kind, and stubborn as hell. And you’re one of us!”

Quake’s hands trembled as more memories began to surface—flashes of S.H.I.E.L.D., missions, laughter, and pain.

“You’re my family.”

Blake’s voice cut through her haze. “What are you doing? Take them down!”

Quake’s head snapped toward him, but instead of obeying, she unleashed a seismic wave that sent him flying across the room.

The Hydra reinforcements hesitated, unsure of what to do. Quake turned to the team, her expression conflicted.

“Who am I?” she whispered, her voice cracking.

Coulson stepped forward cautiously. “You’re Daisy Johnson. You’re one of us. Let us help you remember.”

Quake lowered her hands, her breathing ragged. “I… I don’t know what’s real anymore.”

Jemma approached her slowly, tears streaming down her face. “We’re real, Daisy. And we’ll never leave you.”

For the first time, Quake didn’t pull away.

The moment was shattered by the sound of reinforcements storming in.

“Move!” Coulson shouted, grabbing Quake’s arm. “We need to go—now!”

Despite her confusion, Quake followed them, her powers clearing a path through the Hydra forces. The team fought their way out of the stronghold, their bond with Daisy flickering back to life with every step.

The roar of Hydra sirens faded behind them as the team sprinted through the forest surrounding the facility. Quake—or Daisy, as the team continued to call her—ran just behind Coulson, her breaths labored, her mind a storm of chaos.

Her seismic powers buzzed beneath her skin, threatening to lash out with every step. She’d unleashed them back there—against Hydra—and the thought of it churned her stomach. What had she done? And why hadn’t it felt… wrong?

“Keep moving!” Mack called from the rear, glancing over his shoulder.

The forest gave way to a small clearing where Fitz had parked a stolen Hydra transport vehicle. “Everyone in!” he yelled, climbing into the driver’s seat.

As the others scrambled into the back, Daisy hesitated. The Hydra insignia painted on the side of the vehicle seemed to mock her. It was a symbol of order, of everything she had ever known.

Jemma appeared beside her. “Daisy, please,” she urged softly, her voice breaking through the noise in Daisy’s mind.

Daisy’s eyes flicked to hers, searching for something she couldn’t name. Finally, she climbed in, sitting stiffly as the transport roared to life.

The ride was silent except for the hum of the engine. Daisy sat apart from the others, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. Her gaze darted between them, lingering on Jemma, who sat across from her.

“You’re staring,” Daisy said finally, her tone cold.

Jemma didn’t flinch. “I’m worried about you.”

Daisy let out a sharp laugh, though it lacked humor. “Why? Because I didn’t kill you when I had the chance?”

“No,” Jemma replied evenly. “Because you’re hurting, and you won’t let yourself feel it.”

Daisy looked away, her jaw tightening. She didn’t want to admit that Jemma’s words cut deeper than they should have.

In the front seat, Coulson leaned toward Fitz, his voice low. “We need a secure location to regroup.”

Fitz nodded, his hands gripping the wheel. “There’s an abandoned safehouse about 20 clicks from here. Hydra hasn’t used it in years.”

“It’ll have to do,” Coulson replied, his gaze flicking to the back of the vehicle. He didn’t miss the tension radiating from Daisy—or the way Jemma refused to look away from her.

The safehouse was little more than a crumbling cabin hidden deep in the woods, but it was defensible and out of Hydra’s reach—for now.

As the team settled in, Daisy paced near the door, her movements restless. The memories that had surfaced during the fight refused to leave her alone. Voices, faces, emotions—none of it made sense, and yet it all felt real.

“Daisy,” Coulson said gently, approaching her.

She stiffened. “Stop calling me that.”

“Why?” he asked, his tone calm but firm. “Because it reminds you of who you really are?”

She glared at him, her fists clenching. “I know who I am. I’m Hydra’s top agent. I don’t need—”

“You don’t need lies,” Coulson interrupted, stepping closer. “Hydra fed you a story, Daisy. They twisted the truth and made you into someone you’re not. But the real you is still in there.”

Her powers flared, a low rumble vibrating through the room. “I don’t want to hear this!”

Jemma stepped in, her voice soft but steady. “Daisy, listen to me.”

Daisy turned to her, the anger in her expression faltering.

“We’re not trying to hurt you,” Jemma continued. “We just want you to see the truth. Let us help you.”

For a moment, Daisy’s walls cracked. “What if I don’t want to?”

“Then we’ll stay,” Jemma said, her voice barely above a whisper. “Because you’re worth it.”

Later that night, Daisy found herself sitting alone in the corner of the safehouse. The others had given her space, retreating to various parts of the cabin to rest or strategize.

Her gaze fell on a small, battered photo lying on the table. She picked it up, her heart skipping a beat.

It was a picture of the team—Coulson, May, Fitz, Mack, Jemma, and herself. They stood together, smiling, their arms around each other.

The image sent a jolt through her. She saw herself in the photo, but it wasn’t Quake. It was someone softer, someone happier.

Her hand trembled as she set the photo down, her breathing uneven.

In the next room, the team gathered around a makeshift table. Coulson leaned over a map while Fitz tinkered with equipment.

“She’s starting to crack,” Jemma said, her voice hopeful.

“Yeah, but we’re running out of time,” Mack said grimly. “Hydra’s going to come looking for us, and when they do, we won’t stand a chance if she’s still on their side.”

“She’s not on their side,” Jemma insisted. “Not completely.”

Coulson nodded. “Jemma’s right. Daisy’s fighting this, even if she doesn’t realize it yet. But we need to be ready for whatever comes next.”

“And if we can’t get through to her?” Fitz asked hesitantly.

Jemma’s expression hardened. “We will.”

In the dead of night, Daisy found herself outside, staring up at the stars. The cool air helped quiet the storm in her mind, but not by much.

She didn’t hear Jemma approach until she was standing beside her.

“I used to love the stars,” Jemma said softly.

Daisy didn’t respond, but she didn’t walk away either.

Jemma took a deep breath. “I know this is overwhelming. And I know you don’t trust us—or yourself. But I need you to know that we’re not giving up on you.”

Daisy’s voice was barely a whisper. “Why?”

“Because you’ve never given up on us,” Jemma replied.

Daisy looked at her, the walls she’d built around herself crumbling just a little more.

Unbeknownst to them, Hydra had already begun tracking their location. Blake, battered but alive, stood before a holographic map, his eyes blazing with fury.

“Send everything we’ve got,” he ordered. “I want them all dead—especially her.”

The Hydra forces mobilized, their sights set on the safehouse.

Chapter Text

The night at the safehouse was calm, the kind of calm that set everyone on edge. Fitz’s scanner beeped softly as he worked to bolster their defenses, while Coulson and Mack stood watch at the entrance, scanning the woods for movement.

Inside, Daisy sat by the fireplace, her hands curled tightly around a cup of tea that Jemma had handed her earlier. She hadn’t taken a sip, too focused on the weight of the photograph she’d stuffed into her pocket.

Across the room, Jemma watched her silently, her fingers tracing the edge of the table. Daisy could feel her gaze, but she didn’t look up.

Finally, Jemma spoke. “Do you remember the first mission we worked on together?”

Daisy frowned, her brow furrowing. “I already told you—stop trying to drag me into your fantasy.”

“It’s not a fantasy,” Jemma replied, her voice soft but firm. “You and I—we worked together for years. You were brilliant, fearless... and a little reckless.”

A shadow of a smile flickered across Jemma’s face. “I spent so much time patching you up after you’d thrown yourself headfirst into danger.”

Daisy’s eyes flicked to her, skeptical but curious. “Why would I do that?”

“Because you cared,” Jemma said simply. “You cared about protecting people. Even when it meant risking yourself.”

Daisy didn’t respond, but her grip on the cup tightened.

Outside, Coulson’s comm buzzed. Fitz’s voice came through, tense and clipped. “We’ve got company. Multiple heat signatures, closing fast.”

Coulson turned to Mack. “Hydra?”

“Who else?” Mack replied, gripping his shotgun-axe.

Inside, Fitz’s voice echoed from a device on the table. “We’ve got a dozen vehicles approaching from the west. They’ll be here in less than five minutes.”

The team sprang into action. May grabbed her weapons, and Jemma began packing up her equipment. Daisy stood frozen, caught between fight and flight.

Coulson entered the room, his expression grim. “We don’t have time for hesitation. Daisy, you need to decide right now—are you with us, or are you with them?”

Daisy glared at him, her hands curling into fists. “Don’t push me.”

“We’re not pushing,” Coulson said, stepping closer. “But this isn’t just about you anymore. Hydra’s coming for all of us—and if you’re not on our side, then you’re a threat.”

“That’s enough,” Jemma interjected, stepping between them. She looked at Daisy, her eyes filled with quiet determination. “You don’t have to make a decision right now. Just don’t let them take you back.”

Daisy hesitated, her gaze flicking to the door.

“Please,” Jemma added, her voice breaking.

Something in her tone made Daisy falter. She gave a reluctant nod. “Fine. But I’m not fighting for you.”

“Fair enough,” Coulson said, though his expression softened slightly.

The Hydra vehicles screeched to a halt just outside the clearing, their headlights cutting through the darkness like knives. Soldiers poured out, their weapons gleaming under the moonlight.

Inside, the team crouched behind overturned tables and makeshift barricades. Fitz clutched a pulse rifle, his knuckles white. May stood at the window, her eyes scanning the treeline.

“They’re surrounding us,” she muttered.

Daisy stood near the back of the room, her body tense. She could feel the vibrations of the soldiers’ footsteps as they moved closer. It was like a second heartbeat in her ears.

“Positions!” Coulson barked.

The first wave of Hydra soldiers breached the front door, and chaos erupted.

Daisy found herself standing in the middle of the room, the battle unfolding around her like a twisted dream. Coulson and Mack fought side by side, their movements fluid and practiced. Fitz fired from behind cover, his aim surprisingly steady.

Jemma was crouched near the corner, a small pistol in her hands, her face pale but determined.

And then a Hydra soldier spotted her.

Jemma raised her weapon, but her hands shook. The soldier aimed, and time seemed to slow.

Without thinking, Daisy raised her hand. A blast of seismic energy rippled through the air, slamming the soldier into the wall.

The room fell silent for a moment as everyone turned to stare at her.

Daisy lowered her hand, her chest heaving. “Don’t look at me like that,” she snapped. “It doesn’t mean anything.”

“It means you’re not lost,” Jemma said quietly.

Daisy’s jaw tightened, but she didn’t reply.

Outside, more Hydra vehicles approached, their engines roaring. Blake stepped out of one, his expression twisted with fury.

“Move in!” he shouted, gesturing for the soldiers to press forward.

Inside the safehouse, Fitz’s scanner beeped wildly. “We’re outnumbered,” he said, his voice rising.

Coulson nodded grimly. “Time to fall back.”

“There’s nowhere to fall back to,” May pointed out, her tone sharp.

Daisy watched the exchange, her mind racing. She could feel the weight of the photograph in her pocket, its edges pressing into her skin.

Finally, she spoke. “I can stop them.”

The team turned to her in surprise.

“What are you talking about?” Mack asked.

“I can stop them,” Daisy repeated, her voice steadier this time. “But you have to trust me.”

Coulson hesitated. “Daisy, we can’t—”

“You don’t have a choice,” she said, cutting him off.

Before anyone could stop her, she walked toward the door, her powers crackling to life around her.

Outside, Blake watched in shock as Daisy stepped into the clearing.

“Quake,” he called, his voice laced with authority. “What are you doing?”

Daisy didn’t answer. Instead, she raised her hands, and the ground beneath the Hydra soldiers began to quake violently. Trees shook, and vehicles tipped over as the seismic waves intensified.

Blake staggered, his eyes wide. “Stop this!” he shouted.

Daisy’s expression was cold as she stepped closer. “You wanted a weapon,” she said. “Well, here I am.”

With a final, powerful blast, she sent the Hydra forces scattering.

When Daisy returned to the safehouse, her steps were slow and uncertain. The team stood waiting for her, their faces a mix of relief and caution.

Jemma approached her cautiously. “Are you alright?”

Daisy looked at her, her eyes haunted. “I don’t know.”

Jemma reached out, her hand brushing against Daisy’s. “We’ll figure it out. Together.”

Daisy didn’t pull away this time. Instead, she let Jemma’s touch ground her as the chaos inside her mind finally began to quiet.

The silence in the safehouse was suffocating after Daisy’s seismic display. Dust still floated in the air, stirred by the aftershocks that rippled through the ground. Hydra was gone, at least for now, but their presence lingered like a stain.

Daisy stood near the doorway, her arms crossed as she stared out into the night. The team was scattered around the room—tired, battered, and deeply uncertain.

“She saved us,” Fitz murmured, breaking the silence as he cleaned his rifle.

“Doesn’t mean she trusts us,” May countered, her voice neutral but sharp.

“And I’m not sure we can trust her either,” Mack added, leaning his shotgun-axe against the wall. His tone wasn’t harsh, but it was heavy with doubt.

“She made her choice,” Coulson said firmly, glancing at Daisy. “We need to focus on the next step.”

“Which is what, exactly?” Jemma snapped, her voice trembling with uncharacteristic frustration. “She’s not some broken puzzle we can piece together. She’s... she’s her, but she’s not, and—”

Jemma faltered, taking a deep breath.

“We’ll take it one step at a time,” Coulson said.

But for Jemma, the uncertainty was unbearable. Daisy had been her anchor for years, the one constant in the chaos of their lives. Seeing her like this—cold, calculating, and distant—was like staring into a void where something precious had been ripped away.

As the team busied themselves with regrouping, Jemma approached Daisy cautiously. She hesitated for a moment, then cleared her throat.

“You, um... you did well out there,” Jemma said softly.

Daisy didn’t turn to look at her. “I didn’t do it for you.”

“I know,” Jemma replied, taking a step closer. “But you still did it.”

For a long moment, Daisy didn’t respond. Then, in a voice barely above a whisper, she said, “I don’t know who I am anymore.”

The admission caught Jemma off guard. She had expected defiance, maybe even hostility, but not this.

“You’re Daisy Johnson,” Jemma said gently. “You’re a fighter, a friend, and someone who’s saved all of our lives more times than I can count.”

Daisy turned to her, her expression conflicted. “I’m not that person. I don’t even remember being her. All I have are fragments—flashes of things I don’t understand. Faces that don’t make sense.”

Jemma’s heart broke at the raw vulnerability in Daisy’s voice. “Then let us help you. Let me help you.”

“Why do you care so much?” Daisy asked, her tone sharper now.

“Because I care about you,” Jemma said, her voice steady despite the tears welling in her eyes. “I always have.”

Daisy stared at her for a long moment, then shook her head. “I don’t know how to be the person you want me to be.”

“You don’t have to be,” Jemma said softly. “Just... let us in. Let me in.”

As the night dragged on, the team gathered around Fitz’s scanner to assess their next move.

“We can’t stay here,” Fitz said, frowning at the display. “Hydra will regroup and come back with reinforcements.”

“There’s a safehouse a few miles from here,” May offered. “We can move out at dawn.”

“And what happens if Daisy decides to turn on us again?” Mack asked bluntly.

“I won’t,” Daisy said from the corner of the room, her voice calm but firm.

The team turned to look at her, their expressions a mix of surprise and skepticism.

“I don’t know what’s real and what’s not,” Daisy admitted, her gaze fixed on the floor. “But I know what Hydra is. And I know I don’t want to be a part of it anymore.”

The weight of her words hung in the air.

“We’ll take this one step at a time,” Coulson said, echoing his earlier statement. “Together.”

As the team prepared to move out, Daisy found herself drawn back to the photograph she had taken from Blake’s desk. She stared at the image, her fingers tracing the faces of the people she didn’t recognize but somehow felt connected to.

Jemma approached her again, hesitant but determined. “What is that?”

Daisy handed her the photograph without a word.

Jemma’s breath caught as she recognized the faces—her own, Fitz, May, Mack, and Coulson. And in the center, smiling brightly, was Daisy.

“This is us,” Jemma said, her voice filled with wonder.

“It doesn’t feel real,” Daisy admitted. “I don’t feel like the person in that picture.”

“You are,” Jemma said firmly. “And we’ll prove it to you.”

As dawn broke, the team loaded their supplies into a battered van May had found nearby. Daisy lingered near the edge of the clearing, watching the horizon.

“You coming?” Coulson called.

Daisy hesitated, then nodded.

As she climbed into the van, she caught Jemma’s eye. For the first time, there was a flicker of something—trust, maybe, or hope.

It wasn’t much, but it was a start.

Chapter Text

The van’s engine hummed steadily as they made their way through the winding roads, the weight of the mission pressing heavily on their shoulders. Each team member was lost in their thoughts, some with a lingering sense of unease, others determined but cautious. Daisy sat in the back, her eyes distant, staring out the window as the landscape blurred by. She hadn’t spoken much since their departure, and her silence spoke volumes.

Jemma, sitting across from Daisy, was equally quiet, though her gaze often flicked toward her. She wanted to reach out, to speak, but there was something in Daisy’s demeanor that kept her at a distance—something that felt like a wall.

"Daisy," Jemma said quietly, her voice almost drowned out by the hum of the road. "I need you to know... we're here for you. Every step of the way."

Daisy didn’t respond at first. Then, almost as if it were an afterthought, she turned her gaze to Jemma. There was something cold in her eyes, but it was layered with an emotion Jemma couldn’t quite place. "What if I'm not the person you think I am?" Daisy's voice was soft but edged with a hint of bitterness.

"You are," Jemma insisted, her voice unwavering. "I know you."

"I don't know me," Daisy retorted, a sharpness creeping into her tone. "And I don't know how to trust you... any of you."

"That’s okay," Jemma replied. "It’s okay not to know right now. But I need you to understand—we’re not giving up on you. You’re not alone in this."

Daisy’s gaze flickered away again, staring at the road ahead. "I don't want to be 'fixed,'" she said quietly, her fingers gripping the edge of the seat tightly. "I just want the truth."

"We'll find it," Jemma said, her heart aching with the realization of how far Daisy had been pulled from who she used to be. "We’ll find it together."

The safehouse they arrived at was small, tucked away on the outskirts of a forgotten town, a place where they could lie low and regroup. But as the team settled in, the weight of their situation was ever-present. Fitz immediately began scanning the perimeter for any signs of Hydra activity, while May and Mack started securing the entrance.

Jemma lingered by the door, watching Daisy from a distance as she wandered through the sparse house, her steps slow and deliberate. Daisy had hardly acknowledged the place, her movements stiff, like someone trying to remember how to exist in a world that no longer made sense.

“Are you sure we’re doing the right thing?” Mack asked quietly as he approached Jemma, noticing her concerned gaze.

“We don’t have a choice,” Jemma said, her voice tight. “She’s our Daisy. I know it.”

"But she’s not the same person, Jemma." Mack’s words were like a gut punch, but they were true. "She’s dangerous now. Ruthless. We’re playing with fire, and I’m not sure we can control it."

Jemma didn’t have an answer, but she felt it in her bones—this wasn’t just about saving Daisy anymore. It was about saving what they had lost, not just her, but them. The team. The family they had fought for, bled for, and loved.

The sound of Daisy’s voice broke the silence.

"I need answers." Her tone was clipped, sharp, demanding.

Jemma turned to face her, her heart pounding. "You’ll get them," she said, her voice soft but firm.

Daisy stood in the center of the room, her eyes hard, her expression unreadable. "What happened to me? Why did I... why did I let them do this?" Her fists clenched at her sides, the anger and frustration seeping through her calm facade.

Jemma stepped closer, careful not to push too hard. "Hydra did this to you, Daisy. They manipulated you. Programmed you. But I promise, you’re not beyond saving. You can come back from this."

"I don’t know if I want to come back," Daisy said, her voice thick with confusion. "This world I’m in... it makes sense. Power. Control. It all makes sense. So why should I let go of it?"

"Because it's not who you are," Jemma whispered, feeling the sting of truth in her words. "You’re so much more than that, Daisy. You always have been."

Daisy’s gaze flickered, a brief flash of something—doubt?—crossing her face. But just as quickly, it was gone. She turned away. "I don’t know who I am."

"You’re Daisy Johnson," Jemma repeated, stepping closer. "You’re the person who risked everything for this team. For me. For all of us. I know you, Daisy. Don’t let them take that from you."

For a moment, Daisy was silent, her back still turned. But then, almost too softly to hear, she spoke again. "I don’t remember it. I don’t remember us."

Jemma’s heart broke all over again. "You will. I’ll help you remember."

Daisy’s shoulders trembled slightly, though she didn’t turn around. "What if I don’t want to?"

Jemma reached out, placing a tentative hand on her shoulder. "Please, Daisy. You’re not Hydra’s weapon. You’re not Quake—not the way they’ve made you. You’re you—and I’ll help you remember who that is."

As the night stretched on, the team reconvened in the living room. Fitz was focused on the equipment, running diagnostics on their comms, but his attention kept flicking to Daisy, who sat off to the side, lost in thought. May sat next to him, her expression unreadable as she scanned the room.

Mack sat by the door, his arms crossed, eyes flicking from Fitz to Daisy.

Coulson was the only one who seemed unaffected, his demeanor calm and steady, but even he couldn’t hide the concern that flickered in his eyes every time he glanced at Daisy.

“She’s not going to come back the way we want her to,” Mack muttered. “That woman is gone, Phil. This is the real Daisy now. We need to face that.”

“No.” Coulson’s voice was firm. “She’s not gone. Not if we can help it.”

"You don’t get it, Coulson," Mack said. "She’s Hydra. She is Hydra. And we can’t just bring her back from that."

But before Coulson could respond, a noise from the other room cut them off. A muffled sound. A scraping noise.

The team froze, weapons instinctively at the ready.

“Daisy?” Jemma’s voice broke through the tension, her voice tense but calm. “What’s going on?”

But when she entered the room, the sight stopped her dead in her tracks.

Daisy was standing by the window, her back to them, her breath coming in short, sharp gasps. Her hands were trembling, and there was a wild look in her eyes.

“I—I can’t...” Daisy’s voice was broken, full of confusion and desperation. “I can’t... I can’t do this anymore...”

Jemma moved toward her cautiously, her heart pounding. “It’s okay. You don’t have to do anything you’re not ready for.”

But Daisy didn’t seem to hear her. With a guttural cry, she turned and slammed her fist into the wall, the impact causing the entire house to shake. “I don’t know who I am anymore!”

Daisy’s cry echoed through the small house, reverberating off the walls like the shattering of glass. Her fist still pressed into the cracked plaster, blood seeping from her knuckles, but she didn’t seem to notice. The pain was nothing compared to the chaos storming inside her mind.

Jemma rushed to her, but Daisy pulled away, stumbling back as if the very idea of someone reaching out was too much. The wild look in her eyes made Jemma freeze for just a second, but she quickly regained her composure, stepping forward slowly.

"Daisy," Jemma called, her voice gentle but firm. "You’re okay. It’s going to be okay."

Daisy’s breath came in ragged gasps, her chest heaving as she struggled to control the overwhelming sense of panic threatening to tear her apart. "No... it’s not. It’s all lies. Everything’s a lie." Her eyes darted from Jemma to the others in the room. "None of it is real, is it?"

Jemma took a tentative step closer, but Daisy flinched, her body rigid with tension. "Daisy... I know you’re scared. But we’re here for you. I’m here for you."

"You don’t get it." Daisy’s voice was broken, each word punctuated by a sharp exhale. "They made me. Hydra made me. I don’t remember anything. I don’t remember you—I don’t even know who I am anymore." Her voice cracked, raw and anguished. "Everything I was… everything I did… was it all just a lie?"

Jemma’s heart ached as she watched Daisy crumble in front of her. She wanted so desperately to reach out and pull her into her arms, to erase the pain and confusion, but she knew she had to be careful. Daisy had been shattered, and any wrong move could send her spiraling even further.

"You’re not a lie, Daisy," Jemma said softly, her voice trembling with emotion. "I know you. You’re the woman I... I loved. And no matter what Hydra did to you, I know that person is still inside you. You just need to remember."

Daisy let out a bitter laugh, though it was devoid of humor. "How am I supposed to remember when everything I thought I knew is just... gone? How do I trust any of you when all I’ve ever known is pain and lies?"

"I know it’s hard," Jemma whispered, her eyes glassy with unshed tears. "But I’m here, Daisy. We’re all here. I’m not leaving you."

For a long moment, there was silence, the tension thick and suffocating. Then, as if the weight of her words finally hit her, Daisy’s shoulders slumped, and she let out a shaky breath. Her hand fell from the wall, and she sank to her knees, the rawness of the moment overwhelming her. "I... I don’t know if I can do this. I don’t know if I can go back to who I was. I don’t know if I want to."

"You don’t have to go back, Daisy," Jemma said softly, kneeling beside her. "You don’t have to be anyone other than who you are now. We’ll help you find yourself again, step by step."

Daisy looked up at Jemma, her expression torn. "But what if I’m not the same person anymore? What if there’s nothing left to come back to?"

Jemma reached for her hand, carefully taking it in her own, not forcing anything but offering her presence. "There’s always something left, Daisy. Even if you can’t see it right now. You’re not alone in this, and you’re not beyond saving. You are who you choose to be. We’ll remind you of that, no matter how long it takes."

Daisy’s eyes filled with tears, but she wiped them away angrily, unwilling to show any more weakness. "I can’t go back, Jemma. Not to the person I used to be. That world doesn’t exist anymore. I don’t know if I can even go back to you—"

"Daisy," Jemma interrupted, her voice shaking, but filled with a quiet strength. "You don’t have to go back to anyone or anything. You just need to be you."

For a moment, it seemed like Daisy might say something more, but instead, she only nodded stiffly, withdrawing her hand from Jemma’s grasp and standing. Her eyes were haunted, and the emotional wall that had risen between them felt thicker than ever.

"Is it really that simple?" Daisy asked, her voice barely audible.

Jemma didn’t know if it was simple, but she nodded anyway. "Yes. It’s that simple."

The night dragged on in an uncomfortable silence. The team settled into their temporary positions, a quiet tension hanging in the air. The plan was still uncertain—how could they get Daisy back when she seemed so far gone? Every attempt to reach her seemed to push her further away.

Fitz spent hours working on the tech they had salvaged from their broken reality. He was determined to fix the anomaly, but the more he tinkered with the equipment, the more he realized how fragile their time was. The clock was ticking. Every passing minute took them further from their world—and potentially, further from Daisy.

"Any luck?" Coulson asked as he entered the room, his eyes scanning Fitz’s work.

"Not yet," Fitz muttered, adjusting a wire with frustrated precision. "The fabric of reality is tearing apart. The only thing keeping us here is the energy source we’ve tapped into... but even that’s unstable. If we don’t fix it soon, we could be stuck here—permanently."

Coulson frowned, his gaze flickering toward Daisy, who stood by the window again, staring out into the dark night. She was a stranger to them now, but there was still a trace of the person they once knew. Coulson was determined to bring that person back. Even if it meant putting his life on the line.

"We’ll fix it," Coulson said, more to himself than anyone else. "We have to."

The following day brought new challenges. Daisy seemed to retreat even further into herself, slipping into the persona of "Quake" more than ever. The more they tried to reach her, the colder she became. Her eyes were devoid of warmth, her movements calculated, mechanical. Hydra had shaped her into someone unrecognizable, and now she wore that mantle like armor.

Jemma was at her wit’s end. She had tried everything she could think of—soft words, gentle touches, appeals to the past—but Daisy was slipping away.

It wasn’t until they were all gathered in the living room, planning their next move, that something unexpected happened.

A sharp knock sounded at the door.

The team froze, exchanging worried glances. No one was supposed to know they were here—except Daisy.

"Stay low," Coulson ordered quietly, motioning for everyone to hide.

Daisy stood by the door, her posture rigid. There was something different in her stance, something calculating. Jemma’s heart pounded in her chest as she stood behind the others, straining to hear.

"I know you’re in there," a voice called from the other side—calm, but with an unmistakable tone of command. "I’ve come for you, Quake."

It was a voice Jemma knew all too well.

"Hydra," she whispered under her breath. "They’ve found us."

Chapter Text

The knock at the door sent a wave of tension through the room. The sound of it echoed through the silence, far too precise to be a mistake. The team stayed frozen, waiting, breaths held.

"Quake," came the voice again, this time louder, demanding. "We know you're in there. We don't want to have to force you out."

Daisy didn’t flinch at the name. Quake. Hydra's label for her. She stood as still as stone, her expression unreadable. But Jemma could see the subtle tension in her shoulders, the way her jaw clenched.

The rest of the team crouched low behind the furniture, ready to move at a moment’s notice. Coulson’s eyes never left Daisy. His expression was hard, but there was something else—something that held back the flood of emotions threatening to break through. His gaze was filled with both determination and sorrow, as though he already knew that the situation was slipping away from them, but he wasn’t ready to give up yet.

"Stay calm," he whispered. "We can’t let them take her."

Daisy’s hand twitched slightly, her fingers curling into a fist. She moved toward the door with purpose, every step measured and quiet. Hydra agents, most likely, standing just outside. They didn’t know the team was still here, but they would—soon.

Jemma’s heart skipped a beat. She couldn’t let Daisy go down that path again. Not without a fight.

"Daisy," Jemma said, her voice low but steady. "You don’t have to do this. Let us help you."

Daisy’s head turned slowly, her eyes meeting Jemma’s across the room. For a brief moment, something flickered in her eyes—confusion, hesitation—but it was gone as quickly as it came. She turned back to the door, her expression cold again.

"They want me," Daisy said quietly, almost to herself. "I have to go."

"No, you don’t," Jemma protested, taking a step forward. "You don’t owe them anything. They don’t control you."

Daisy’s voice was calm, almost detached. "Hydra made me who I am, Jemma. They gave me purpose. Everything I’ve done since then has been... right. They’re not wrong about me."

Jemma’s chest tightened. "That’s not you, Daisy. You’re not a weapon. You never were. Let us help you remember who you really are."

Daisy’s eyes hardened, the brief flicker of uncertainty gone. "This is who I am now. Quake. Not the frightened girl you used to know. Not someone who needs saving."

Jemma’s heart ached as she stepped closer, but Daisy didn’t move. She stood there, frozen, like a rock facing the tide.

"You think you can fix me, Jemma?" Daisy’s voice cracked slightly, but she quickly masked it, the sharp edge of her words returning. "You think you can just erase everything Hydra did to me? Everything I’ve done?" She turned to face the door again, her posture straightening, almost military in its precision. "You can’t save me. You never could."

"No," Jemma said softly, forcing her voice to stay even. "I can’t erase it. But I can help you heal. We can fight together, Daisy."

For a moment, Daisy seemed torn—just for a heartbeat. Then, without another word, she swung open the door.

Hydra agents flooded in, their guns aimed, their faces cold. Jemma’s stomach twisted, and her body tensed. But she couldn’t move. Not yet.

Daisy stepped aside, motioning to the agents. "They’re the ones you want," she said flatly, her voice unwavering.

"No," Jemma whispered, barely audible. "Don’t do this, Daisy."

Daisy didn’t respond. Instead, she turned her back to the team, her face unreadable. She was a stranger now. The person who had once been her friend—the girl with the warmth, the spark, the hope—seemed to be lost forever.

Coulson stepped forward, his voice calm but with a touch of desperation. "Daisy, please. Don’t do this. You’re not Hydra. You’re not Quake. We can fix this."

But Daisy didn’t look back. Her steps echoed as she moved further into the hallway, flanked by Hydra agents, leaving the team in the suffocating silence.

Jemma stood motionless for a moment, her breath shallow. The weight of the situation hit her like a punch to the gut, a suffocating pressure pressing down on her chest.

"Damn it," Fitz muttered, shaking his head in frustration. "This is wrong. We’re losing her."

Jemma’s hands shook as she wiped her eyes, the tears threatening to fall. "No... no, we’re not losing her."

Daisy didn’t speak again until they reached their temporary hideout. Hydra agents quickly secured the area, setting up watchposts and surveillance systems. Daisy stood to the side, her posture rigid, her gaze focused straight ahead, as though the world had no more meaning to her than the cold concrete floor beneath her feet.

They hadn’t said a word to her since leaving the house. The silence was unbearable, yet Daisy seemed to welcome it. She didn’t care to speak. She didn’t care to fight.

But the truth was buried beneath that cold exterior. Daisy was hurting. Quake might have been the persona she was forced into, but Daisy still lived in the shadows of her past. She had memories—flashes—of who she used to be, of the team who had once fought for her.

But there was nothing she could hold onto. Every connection she had was fractured, and with Hydra pulling the strings, Daisy wasn’t sure where her mind ended and their control began.

Meanwhile, in the small room where the team had been left to strategize, Coulson’s eyes were dark with worry. "We need to move quickly," he said, pacing the room. "We don’t have much time. If we don’t fix the anomaly soon, the other reality could collapse—and if we lose Daisy, there’s no coming back from that."

"I’ll work on the tech," Fitz offered, his voice strained. "But we need to get to her. We can’t let her go deeper into Hydra’s grip."

Jemma turned to them, her eyes full of determination. "We will get her back. Quake isn’t Daisy. She’s just... lost. Hydra has erased parts of her, but I believe we can reach her. We have to."

The final battle for Daisy’s soul was on the horizon. With the anomaly threatening to collapse both realities, time was running out. The team had to break through to Daisy before Hydra did something irreversible—before they lost her to their dark control forever.

But as the hours ticked down, Jemma couldn’t shake the feeling that they were losing her. Each day Daisy remained in Hydra’s grip, the wall around her heart seemed to grow higher. Every moment spent with the agents in her cold, robotic shell brought her further away from the person Jemma knew.

And so, they waited. They planned.

But they also prepared.

And as the final confrontation loomed ever closer, Jemma made a promise to herself: she would never stop fighting for Daisy, no matter how far gone she seemed.

Because deep down, Jemma knew that the woman she loved was still in there. Somewhere.

The room was dim, lit only by the faint glow of the monitors that lined the walls. Daisy stood by the window, her face shadowed, staring out at the city that had once been a home to her. Now, it felt like a foreign land—one she couldn’t quite remember but that she knew in her bones was lost to her forever. Her fingers grazed the cool glass, feeling the quiet hum of the building behind her.

"You're thinking about them," a voice broke through the silence. It was a soft whisper, but it carried the weight of years spent standing beside her, understanding her more than anyone else ever could.

Daisy didn’t turn. "I’ve thought about nothing but Hydra, Jemma. About what they’ve made me. What I am." Her voice trembled, but she quickly silenced it, pressing her back against the cold wall. "They gave me everything. Control. Power. I don’t need... I don’t need anything else."

Jemma stepped forward, her voice steady but full of emotion. "You’re still Daisy. You’re not Quake." She reached out, her hand trembling as it hovered just an inch from Daisy’s shoulder. "I remember the person you used to be. The person I loved. I won’t give up on you, Daisy. No matter how far gone you think you are. I can help you remember. We can undo the damage they’ve done."

Daisy’s eyes narrowed, her fists clenched by her sides. The words were familiar, too familiar. It was the same thing over and over. Jemma still saw her as that girl who had been full of hope, full of fight. But Daisy wasn’t that girl anymore. She couldn’t be.

"Stop," Daisy whispered harshly. "Stop trying to save me." She turned then, her face hardening. "I’m not who you think I am. I’m Quake, Jemma. That’s who I am now."

Jemma swallowed the lump in her throat, but she didn’t back down. "No. That’s what they want you to be. And I refuse to believe you’ve forgotten who you really are."

Daisy stepped forward, closing the distance between them. Her eyes were colder now, harder, and yet there was a flicker of something behind them. Something fragile. "You never understood, did you? You never understood how it feels to be broken, Jemma. To have everything torn apart. I don’t feel like I used to. And maybe that’s because... maybe I’m not supposed to anymore."

Jemma’s heart cracked. She reached out, her fingers brushing Daisy’s arm gently. "You’ve changed, yes. But you’re not broken. Not beyond repair."

Daisy flinched, pulling away from her touch, and for a moment, the two women stood there, the silence between them as thick as the tension in the room.

"I don’t want to be fixed," Daisy whispered.

Jemma’s eyes stung with unshed tears. "I know," she said quietly. "But that doesn’t mean you don’t deserve a chance at healing. We deserve that chance."

But Daisy didn’t respond. She turned her back, her eyes hardening once more.

And in that moment, Jemma knew that Daisy wasn’t just fighting them. She was fighting herself. Her identity, her past, and the person she had once been. But no matter what, Jemma wouldn’t let her give up.

The rest of the team was preparing for their next move. Hydra wasn’t just going to sit back and let them take Daisy back. They had a plan in place, but it was risky. They needed to act fast, and they needed to catch Daisy before Hydra had a chance to lock her down again.

Coulson stood with his arms crossed, his face etched with worry. "We don’t have much time," he said. "If we don’t act soon, the anomaly will stabilize. And when that happens, we won’t be able to fix this."

Fitz was at the computer, his fingers flying over the keys. "We’re close, but the system’s protected. If we try to hack it again, Hydra will know. And we’ll be dead before we can even make a move."

"We need a distraction," Coulson said, his mind working fast. "Something big, something that’ll give us the time we need."

Jemma looked up from where she was standing, her face pale but determined. "We don’t need just a distraction. We need to find a way to break through to Daisy. She’s the key."

"How do you suggest we do that?" Fitz asked, frowning. "Last time we tried, she shut us down. We can’t just force her to remember."

"We don’t force her," Jemma said softly, her voice unwavering. "We remind her. We make her see that she still has a choice."

As the team prepared for their plan, Jemma couldn't shake the feeling that this was the moment of truth. They were running out of time to save Daisy—and if they failed, she would be lost to them forever.

The final confrontation with Hydra had arrived.

The team had infiltrated one of Hydra’s strongholds. Their mission was simple: get to Daisy, break through the mental programming that held her captive, and stop the anomaly from tearing apart both realities. But nothing was ever simple with Hydra.

They had to move quickly. With every passing second, the gravity of their situation pressed down harder. If Daisy couldn’t be deprogrammed, the collapse of the two realities would be imminent.

Jemma’s heart raced as she moved through the halls of the facility, the team at her side. Her breath was shallow, her pulse pounding in her ears. All she could think about was Daisy.

They reached the central chamber, where Daisy stood waiting. She was flanked by Hydra agents, her arms crossed as she looked down at the team, her expression cold and unreadable.

"Daisy," Jemma called out, her voice full of desperation. "Please. We’re here to save you."

Daisy didn’t flinch, her eyes narrow with suspicion. "You’re wasting your time, Jemma. I’m Quake. And Hydra is my family now."

"No," Jemma whispered, taking a step closer. "Hydra didn’t make you. They’re using you, Daisy. You’re not a weapon. You’re not broken. You’re still you."

The flicker in Daisy’s eyes was fleeting, but it was there. A brief moment of doubt, a crack in the armor she had built around herself.

Jemma continued, her voice softer now. "I remember you. I remember the way you fought for what was right. You’ve always had a choice. And you can still choose."

Daisy’s eyes flickered with confusion, and for the first time in a long while, she looked uncertain. Hydra’s influence was strong, but it wasn’t absolute. Daisy was stronger than they realized.

"You... remember?" Daisy asked, her voice small.

Jemma took another step forward, her hand outstretched. "I remember everything, Daisy. I remember the person you are. And I believe in you."

For the first time since they had entered, Daisy hesitated. The Hydra agents around her tensed, but Daisy didn't move. Instead, she stood frozen in place, her breath ragged, her mind at war with itself.

Jemma took a step forward, her eyes never leaving Daisy’s, her voice barely a whisper. "I know you, Daisy. I know the real you. You’re not Quake. You’re not this person Hydra’s made you believe you are."

Daisy’s lips parted, her breath shaky. She could feel the weight of the truth, but it felt distant, like a memory that was just out of reach. The pull of Hydra was still strong, but the voice of the woman who had once stood beside her, trusted her, loved her, was calling her back.

But there was a part of her that was terrified. Terrified of the power Hydra had given her, terrified of the person she might become if she allowed herself to believe in S.H.I.E.L.D. again. Her head spun, a constant clash between two conflicting truths.

"I’m not... I’m not her anymore, Jemma," Daisy whispered, her voice raw with pain. "I don’t even know who I am anymore. Hydra gave me everything—control, power... They told me I could be someone. Someone worth something. You can’t just erase that."

Jemma’s heart shattered at her words, but she didn’t falter. "You were someone before, Daisy. You were everything to me. You’re still you, even if you can’t see it right now. And I don’t care what Hydra’s told you. I’ll help you find that person again. Please... let me help you."

Tears welled up in Jemma’s eyes as she reached out once more. This time, Daisy didn’t pull away. She stood frozen, the conflict raging within her as the sound of approaching Hydra agents echoed down the hall.

"We don’t have much time," Fitz called out, his voice urgent. "The anomaly is stabilizing. If we don’t fix this now, it’ll be too late."

Coulson moved forward, his voice calm but commanding. "Daisy, you have a choice. You can come back with us. We can fix this. We can fix you."

Daisy shook her head, her fists clenched at her sides. "I can’t go back. Not to you. Not to that life. Hydra’s made me stronger, made me important."

"Important?" Jemma’s voice cracked with disbelief. "You’re more than just power, Daisy. You always have been. Don’t you remember the way we fought side by side? You never needed Hydra. You’re so much more than this—than them."

For a moment, Daisy seemed to waver, her expression softening, just the slightest shift in her eyes. But before Jemma could take another step, a sharp, cold voice rang out.

"Enough!"

A Hydra officer stepped into view, his weapon drawn and aimed directly at the team. The others appeared from the shadows, closing in. Daisy’s face hardened, the armor she had so carefully constructed around herself snapping back into place.

"You don’t know what you’re dealing with," she said, her voice low and dangerous. "Stay out of my way."

Jemma’s heart dropped, and the tears she had been holding back spilled freely. "Please, Daisy," she whispered, her voice cracking. "I’m not giving up on you."

But Daisy didn’t seem to hear her. She turned, facing her former allies—the people who had once been her family—and for a brief moment, they saw the girl she used to be in the flicker of her gaze. Then it was gone, replaced by the cold determination of the agent she had become.

"Step back," Daisy ordered, her hands glowing with power. "This is your only warning."

But Jemma wasn’t ready to give up. Not yet. Not when there was still a chance.

"I won’t back down," she said, her voice filled with quiet resolve. "Not when I know who you really are."

A long, tense silence stretched between them. The rest of the team waited, each of them holding their breath. The time had come for Daisy to choose—for her to decide who she truly wanted to be.

And in that silence, Daisy’s power pulsed in the air around them, but so too did the memory of a life she’d left behind. She could feel it deep within her, the weight of the people she had once cared for, the bonds she had once shared. It was like a flickering light, just a spark, but it was enough.

She hesitated.

"You don’t have to do this," Jemma said softly, taking a step toward her.

Daisy looked back, her hands still trembling, and for a fleeting moment, the walls she had built up crumbled. "I don’t know who I am anymore," she whispered, her voice full of confusion and regret.

"You are Daisy," Jemma said gently. "And that’s all you need to be."

Then, before anyone could react, Daisy turned toward Hydra’s forces, her body tensing as she readied herself for a fight. But as the first blast of energy flew toward them, Daisy hesitated, her body freezing in mid-motion.

The decision was made.

She stood still, the power in her hands flickering, unsure. Hydra’s soldiers were closing in. The team was ready to fight, but Jemma knew what had to happen next.

"I remember," Daisy whispered to herself. "I remember us."

Without a second thought, Daisy turned on the Hydra agents, unleashing a pulse of energy that sent them scattering. The power in her hands was no longer a weapon for control; it was a declaration of who she was. She was not Quake. She was Daisy. And she was done running.

The fight was swift and brutal. Hydra’s soldiers were no match for the combined strength of the team. Daisy’s abilities, though still raw, were unstoppable when she chose to use them against her former masters.

With each soldier she took down, a part of her seemed to shift, shedding the layers of Hydra’s influence. But even as the battle raged around her, Daisy’s mind was still a battlefield. She was torn between the life she’d known in this twisted reality and the life she could have again.

Finally, it was over. Hydra’s forces were defeated, but the damage had been done. The anomaly was still open, still threatening to collapse both realities. The team had no time to waste.

Coulson gave the order to move out, but Jemma stayed behind for a moment. She turned to Daisy, her heart racing as she approached her cautiously.

"Are you with us?" Jemma asked softly, her eyes searching Daisy’s.

Daisy’s gaze was steady, but the uncertainty still lingered. "I don’t know who I am anymore," she admitted, her voice small. "But I want to find out."

Jemma smiled, relief flooding through her. "Then let’s go home."

With that, they turned, ready to face the final challenge: fixing the anomaly and making sure that this version of Daisy, the one they had just saved, would stay with them—their Daisy, once again.

But as they made their way toward the exit, Daisy couldn’t help but feel a sense of hope flickering inside her, as fragile as it was. For the first time in what felt like forever, she felt like she was heading back toward something worth fighting for.

The anomaly was growing, the very fabric of space-time warping and twisting before them. As the team moved deeper into the heart of the Hydra facility, every step felt heavier than the last. The weight of everything that had happened—the broken alliances, the lost memories, the lives at stake—hung in the air like an insurmountable fog.

But amidst the tension, Daisy found herself walking a fine line between two worlds. On one side, there was the truth of who she had been: a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, someone who had fought for the greater good. On the other side, there was the cold, ruthless agent of Hydra she had become, a weapon forged in pain, power, and loss. She could still feel the remnants of that version of herself pulling at her, like an anchor, trying to drag her back into the shadows.

Jemma walked beside her, her presence grounding, but even she could sense the battle still raging within Daisy.

"Do you remember?" Jemma asked quietly, her eyes never leaving Daisy’s face. "Do you remember us? The real us?"

Daisy’s heart fluttered, the mention of their past more powerful than any Hydra programming. The memory of their first mission together, their moments of quiet connection, and their late-night conversations about everything and nothing—they all came rushing back in flashes. And yet, the darkness of her Hydra past clung to her like a shadow.

"I want to remember," Daisy replied, her voice full of doubt. "But every time I try, it’s like something’s holding me back. Like I’m not allowed to be that person anymore."

Jemma’s hand brushed against Daisy’s, a silent reassurance. "You’re not alone, Daisy. We’re right here. You don’t have to fight this alone."

Daisy nodded slowly, her resolve wavering but not breaking. For the first time in a long while, she felt the pull of something—someone—stronger than the Hydra programming. The team had always been her family, and despite everything that had happened, she could still feel that bond.

As they rounded a corner, Fitz raised his hand in warning, halting the group. "We’re getting close. The core of the anomaly is just up ahead. We don’t have much time."

The room they entered was like nothing Daisy had ever seen. It was vast, a sprawling chamber filled with strange technology, its walls pulsating with energy. In the center of the room stood the core—a swirling mass of unstable energy, crackling with power. It was the source of the anomaly, the thing that had torn their worlds apart.

But something else stood in the center of the room, something unexpected. A figure, cloaked in shadow, stepped out from the darkness, blocking their path. It was a man, but his features were hard to make out, his face obscured by the dim light. He raised a hand, and the energy in the room surged.

"This is where it ends," the figure said, his voice cold and final. "No one leaves this place alive."

The team immediately braced for a fight, weapons drawn and ready. But Daisy stood still, her eyes locked on the figure in front of them. She could feel the familiar sense of control, of certainty, that had once belonged to her in her Hydra days. But this time, something was different. The coldness that had once consumed her was fading, replaced by a flicker of defiance.

"I’m not your weapon anymore," Daisy said, her voice steady. "You can’t control me."

The figure’s lips curled into a sneer. "You’re still weak, Daisy. You’re nothing without Hydra. You’ll never be able to fight what you truly are."

Daisy’s heart hammered in her chest, but she didn’t waver. She could hear Jemma’s voice in her head, reminding her who she was, who she had always been. The flicker of hope inside her grew, bright and burning. She was Daisy, not Hydra’s agent, and no one could take that away from her.

Without warning, she raised her hands, and the power inside her surged. The ground beneath their feet trembled as the room lit up with raw energy. But Daisy didn’t control the power like she once had. This time, she let it flow through her—freedom, not control. She used it to push the shadowy figure back, sending him flying across the room.

"We need to fix this," Fitz shouted over the roar of the energy. "Now!"

Coulson and May immediately moved to the console, working in sync as they attempted to stabilize the anomaly. The core crackled, threatening to tear the very reality they stood in apart. But Daisy knew—knew deep down—that this was the moment. She had to make the final choice.

"Daisy," Jemma called, her voice soft but filled with urgency. "You have to make the decision now. Are you going to stay with us? Are you ready to come home?"

Daisy’s eyes flickered between the team and the swirling mass of energy. It was a choice she could no longer avoid, a choice between two realities, two lives, two futures. But there was one thing she knew for certain now.

She wasn’t Quake. She wasn’t Hydra’s weapon. She was Daisy, and she belonged with these people. With her team.

"I’m coming home," Daisy said, her voice steady as she reached out to the core, the energy swirling around her like a storm.

As her hands made contact with the unstable core, the world around them seemed to shift. The air vibrated with power, the reality around them warping and tearing. For a moment, Daisy felt herself falling, falling into the abyss of nothingness. But then, she heard a voice—a voice she knew better than her own.

"Daisy," Jemma said softly, her voice a lifeline. "I’m here. I’m with you."

The bond between them, forged in moments of trust and love, pulled Daisy back from the brink. She focused, letting the power flow through her in a controlled, steady rhythm. She channeled the energy, fixing the anomaly, sealing the tear in space-time. The room around them began to stabilize, the energy calming.

And then, it was over.

The air was still. The team stood together, the crackling energy dissipating into nothingness. The anomaly had been sealed. They had saved both realities. But Daisy—Daisy had been saved too.

She turned to face Jemma, her heart pounding in her chest. For the first time in what felt like forever, she was whole.

"I'm here," Daisy whispered, the words full of emotion. "I’m really here."

Jemma stepped forward, her hands trembling as she reached for Daisy. Without a word, Daisy pulled her into a tight embrace, the weight of the past and the uncertainty of the future melting away in that one, simple gesture.

"We’ll figure this out," Jemma murmured, her voice thick with emotion. "Together."

Daisy nodded, feeling the warmth of Jemma’s arms around her, the strength of their bond anchoring her once again. They had won. They had saved each other. And for the first time in a long time, Daisy felt like she was truly home.

The End?

Chapter Text

The room was quiet, save for the soft hum of the machinery and the distant murmur of voices. The battle was over. The anomaly had been sealed. And yet, it felt like the true war had just begun.

Daisy sat on the edge of a metal bench in the Lighthouse, her hands trembling slightly as she twisted the fabric of her shirt between her fingers. She stared at the floor, lost in her thoughts, her mind replaying the moments when she had stood in the heart of the anomaly, holding the unstable energy in her hands. The power had been intoxicating—too much, yet not enough. And for that brief moment, she had felt like she was at war with herself, torn between the woman she had been and the person she was meant to be.

But then… Jemma had pulled her back. It had been that simple. That complicated.

The door to the room creaked open, and Daisy didn’t have to look up to know who it was. The sound of Jemma’s soft footsteps against the floor echoed through the quiet space.

"How are you holding up?" Jemma asked, her voice gentle but filled with concern.

Daisy finally looked up, meeting her eyes. There was no judgment there, only the same warmth and trust that had always been between them. She tried to smile, but it felt foreign, strained. "I’m not sure," Daisy admitted, her voice shaky. "I thought I had control over everything. But when it all came crashing down… I didn’t know what was real anymore."

Jemma took a step forward, standing close but not too close, as if giving Daisy the space she needed. "You’re real, Daisy. You’ve always been real."

"But I wasn’t," Daisy said, her voice dropping. "I wasn’t me. Not when I was Hydra’s agent. Not when I was Quake. I don’t even know who I was anymore."

Jemma knelt down in front of her, bringing them eye-to-eye. "You’re not defined by that. You’re defined by who you choose to be now, by the choices you make. You’ve already proven that. You didn’t give in to Hydra. You fought for us. For yourself."

Tears welled in Daisy’s eyes, but she fought them back. "I didn’t think I could come back. I didn’t think I deserved to. After everything I did… everything I let them do to me."

"You were a victim too," Jemma said, her voice thick with emotion. "They manipulated you. They took advantage of your pain. But you fought it, Daisy. You chose to fight back."

For a moment, Daisy was silent. The weight of Jemma’s words lingered in the air between them. "I’m not sure I can ever forgive myself for what I did," Daisy whispered.

"You don’t have to forgive yourself all at once," Jemma replied softly, her hand reaching out to gently take Daisy’s. "It’s a process. And you don’t have to do it alone. We’re all here for you, every step of the way."

Daisy squeezed Jemma’s hand, her heart swelling with gratitude and an overwhelming sense of relief. The fear that had gripped her—the fear of being unworthy, of being too broken to be saved—began to melt away, replaced by the fragile beginnings of hope.

Before they could say anything else, the door opened again, this time with a soft whoosh of air as Coulson, May, Fitz, and Mack entered the room. The tension that had been in the air since they’d returned from the anomaly was palpable, but it was slowly being replaced with something else—cautious optimism.

Coulson gave Daisy a small, encouraging smile. "How’s the patient?" he asked lightly, but there was a softness in his eyes that spoke volumes.

"Better," Daisy said quietly. "Thanks to all of you."

Mack stepped forward, his expression serious but kind. "You did good, Daisy," he said, his voice rough but warm. "Real good."

Daisy looked up at him, surprised by his words. "Thanks, Mack."

Fitz, who had been unusually quiet, looked at her with a mix of admiration and concern. "You really did save the day," he said, his accent thick with emotion. "You always were strong, Daisy. Stronger than you knew."

May remained silent, as usual, but her gaze spoke volumes. She stepped closer, nodding at Daisy in a way that made the younger woman’s heart race. May had always been a steady, unshakable presence. And now, for the first time, Daisy could feel the beginnings of acceptance from her.

"We’re family," Coulson said simply, breaking the moment of silence. "And family doesn’t abandon each other. We never have, and we never will."

Daisy felt the last of the walls inside her crumble. For the first time in what felt like years, she felt like she could breathe again. The team was here—her family was here—and they weren’t going anywhere.

"I don’t know what comes next," Daisy admitted, her voice small but resolute. "But I’m ready to face it. With all of you."

Jemma smiled, her eyes filled with unshed tears. "One step at a time," she said, her voice firm but gentle.

The room grew still, the weight of everything they’d been through settling into the quiet space between them. But it wasn’t an oppressive silence—it was the kind of silence that comes after a storm, when the worst is over and only the soft whisper of recovery remains.

Daisy stood up slowly, her legs shaky but strong. She looked at each member of her team, her family, one by one. They had fought for her, and now she would fight for them.

Her heart swelled with a new sense of purpose—a purpose rooted in trust, love, and the promise of a future free from the chains of Hydra. She didn’t know what the future held, but for the first time in a long time, she felt like she could face it. She was no longer Quake, the Hydra agent. She was Daisy. And that was enough.

"I’m ready," Daisy said, her voice steady.

"Then let’s get to work," Coulson said with a grin, the team falling into their familiar roles as they prepared for whatever came next.

The End.