Summary: S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Archibald Hopper was killed before the battle of Storybrooke. Or was he? Yes, he was. But he's back nevertheless. Welcome to Clearance Level 7.
Characters: Archie Hopper, Ruby Lucas, Belle French, cameo by Dr. VictorFrankenWhale
Pairing: Red Cricket
Warning: Major character death, aaaaangst
Author's note: This little ficlet is inspired by Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and my personal theories around Coulson's return. If you don't want to risk spoilers (though, what are the odds I'm actually right?) don't read any further.
Additional author's note: Sorry 'bout the title. It's goofy as all hell, but the whole situation brought to mind Data's speech from Star Trek: The Next Generation - 1x03: The Naked Now: "I have pores. Humans have pores. I have fingerprints. Humans have fingerprints. My chemical nutrients are like your blood. If you prick me, do I not leak?". o O o .
S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Ruby Lucas swallowed thickly as she tried to blink away tears. Specialist Belle French was looking at her with sympathy but Ruby couldn't tear her eyes from ghost on the screen in front of them.
"He's been asking for you ever since he woke up. He threatened to resign unless he could see you, otherwise you would probably not have been told he's back. It's clearance level 7, you see. But Archie can be stubborn and Director Blanchard is a sentimentalist at heart, so… surprise?"
"I don't understand." But she did. She had heard of the Life Model Decoy project, but she had never given it much thought. She had been sure she would never have to.
Then Archie had died.
And now they had apparently brought him back.
She clenched her hands into fists to keep them from shaking. "It's not really him."
"Oh, but it is!"
Ruby couldn't tear her eyes away from the live feed before them, where Agent Archibald Hopper - her Archie, dead Archie, gone forever Archie - was patiently putting up with what looked like an impressive battery of tests from their resident sawbones, Dr. Whale. Whale huffed something and made a note on his clipboard, then smacked his patient with it when said patient tried to read over his shoulder. The feed was muted but Ruby could imagine Archie's laugh perfectly as he lifted both hands in surrender as Victor wagged an annoyed finger at him.
"It is him," Belle repeated softly. "Everything that he was is in there. Every memory, every thought, every emotion." She sighed. "So perfect even he doesn't know."
That made Ruby turn towards her. "What?"
"He doesn't know he's a life model decoy. The scientists are worried the knowledge would lead to his mind rejecting…" She cleared her throat awkwardly. "Well, they're worried the knowledge would be too much for him. If a rejection took place there is no backup since the original is…" Belle trailed off uncomfortably.
"Since the original is dead," Ruby felt only a little guilty when she saw Belle flinch at her cold tone.
"Yes."
"So what does it think happened?"
"He knows that Regina killed him. But he thinks he was revived after about two minutes, while in reality it was closer to 8 months. A-and you know, not revived per se. They've given him memories of months of recovery to make up for the time gap, but in reality he woke up only a few hours ago."
Ruby looked back at the feed.
"Will you see him, Ruby?"
"How can I face this thing? It's not him."
"But it is!"
Ruby shook her head angrily. "No, it's not! You said it yourself, this is a copy! My Archie was killed by that evil witch right before the battle of Storybrooke. This," she motioned to the feed, bitterness dripping from every word. "This is a mockery of what he was, of his sacrifice. This is an android, a piece of machinery, a mere puppet wanting to be a real boy!"
"Talk to him," Belle said sternly. "This puppet thinks he is a real boy and you avoiding him for what to him will seem to be no reason will hurt and confuse him. You owe him a breakup face to face. That's the least you can do for the man you were going to marry."
Ruby wanted to protest, wanted to refuse point blank. That man was dead, and was never coming back. She had seen him herself, lying so terribly still, that awful gaping hole in his chest where his heart had been… Even eight months later the memory felt like a physical blow. Why should she play along just because this thing thought it was Archie Hopper? It wasn't! She had finally started to get her life back together and this would ruin all of her hard work.
For it looked so much like him it made Ruby's heart ache as infuriating thoughts of what ifs whispered in her mind.
Knowing Belle would just keep nagging Ruby decided to get it over with; she would tell this copy goodbye and she would never have to lay eyes on it again. She would be left to grieve the man she had loved in peace. Bracing herself she strode out of the lab towards the medical facilities; already feeling her barely mended heart breaking anew at the thought of what awaited her.
The LMD turned as if it could sense her approach - maybe it could, it was a marvellous piece of engineering, after all - and the smile that lit up its face almost made her turn around and run. But Agent Ruby Lucas had not reached Clearance Level 6 - Level 7 now, she supposed - by running when things got tough.
"Ruby!" The relief and happiness in its voice - exactly like Archie's - struck a chord and the pain from eight months ago rushed back to her as if not a day had passed and Ruby couldn't keep the tears at bay. It immediately rose, crossed the distance between them and pulled her into a hug, and the way it held her tight as it drew soothing patterns between her shoulder blades was so hauntingly familiar that she sobbed for all she - allthey had lost.
"Shhh," the imitation whispered, breath ghosting over her skin. "Shhh, Ruby, it's alright, everything will be alright." And damn if that husky voice didn't stir something in her only Archie Hopper had ever been able to before. Closing her eyes tightly she clung to him - it - despite herself, and it felt just like it had before. It felt like him. It felt exactly like him.
"I'm so happy to see you, Ruby." She could hear the smile in his voice. "They told me you were alright, but I had to see for myself." He pulled back and regarded her with a sudden worried suspicion. "You are all right, aren't you?"
It was so like him. She forced a smile to her face but it was harder than she had expected. "I'm fine."
She didn't expect him - it - to catch the lie, but it frowned and Ruby felt familiar fondness swell in her in anticipation of one of their little spats over her health. How ironic is was that it turned out to be his health that… She stepped back and hugged herself with a shrug and a forced smile.
"I'm fine. We won. Regina is under lock and key."
He - it, dammit! - still had that infuriatingly familiar little frown on its face and Ruby regretted ever coming.
"I gotta go."
"No Ruby, wait!"
She could easily have broken free of the grip on her arm, but she let it stop her.
"Please Ruby… S.H.I.E.L.D. stuck me in a medical facility in the middle of nowhere, off the map and isolated, and no matter how much I tried they wouldn't let me see you. I needed you, but they wouldn't… The only thing that kept me going through all those gruelling hours of physical therapy was the thought of seeing you again on the other side. Eight months, and I'm finally cleared for duty and … and I must admit I expected a warmer welcome."
His voice was soft and soothing, as if he was talking down a dangerous and unstable criminal or calming a rookie agent freaking out after their first mission, but Ruby knew him better than most and could hear the pain hidden beneath. And she couldn't blame him. It. Him. Dammit.
"Ruby, please tell me. What's wrong?"
Everything was wrong.
"It's over. Don't try to contact me again."
The grip on her arm tightened in surprise before it let go. Ruby didn't turn.
"I… I don't understand."
"There's nothing to understand."
"Ruby… Ruby, please -"
"No. I can't do this."
She ran without a backward glance.
- end? -