Trapped

by Apple Blossom

Disclaimer: Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D belongs to Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon, Stan Lee, ABC, Marvel Television, Mutant Enemy, and anyone else who wants to lay claim to it.

This story contains spoilers through The Team and dialogue from that episode.

The control room is empty when I enter and I see our plane through the large windows overlooking the hangar. As I look out onto it I tell my team, "I've got eyes on the Zephyr. Entrance is on the north side, sub-level five. Crash on that location."

I hear Lincoln's voice in the comms. "I've got Malick."

Turning around I stop in my tracks, my worst fears come true. Standing before me is Grant Ward. Only I know he's dead. This isn't him. This is Hive and before I can say a word, raise my hands, do anything to protect myself, he attacks me. Dust like particles fly from his hands straight toward my face and into my eyes. I can't breathe. I can't see. My brain is on fire as tiny grains burn their way through me, feasting on one memory after the next. I feel it chasing me down, hunting me, trying to silence who I am, until I'm finally cornered in the smallest space of my thoughts. It is taking over as it quickly learns everything it can about me. Nothing is safe. There is nowhere to hide. When he is done I am able to breathe again and even though I hear my voice, it is not me that says, "I have to get back to the base. They have something we need."

"Do it," he replies, approving of my instant compliance and I key in the codes to open the outer bay door.

"Guys, I'm coming to you," I tell my team. We find Hive's men inside the Zephyr and quickly take them out before Elena knocks softly on the door that blocks the way between us and the rest of our team.

When the door opens I see my friends. Safe. Unharmed, except for May, who looks like she's taken the brunt of the Inhuman fighting. Coulson asks, "What took you so long?"

I know he's joking. Relieved to see me, but if he knew who was in control now, he wouldn't feel that way. Desperately I want to tell him what's happened. What I'm about to do. But I can't say the words. Not with Hive in my head. The words coming out of my mouth are mine, yet at the same time not and I can't believe how quickly he's taken over everything but this small part of me that is shut and can't fight back. "Sorry, I had to get the band back together. Got anyone who can fly this thing?"

I cringe inwardly, knowing that they believe I am still me. Knowing that as soon as we get back to the base I am going to betray my team and it kills me that I can't find a way to warn them. We make it home without incident and as much as I enjoy decompressing with my new team, the Secret Warriors I put together, the little voice that is still me is haunted by how much Hive has taken over. The words coming out of my mouth sound just like me. I praise my team, telling them how proud I am of them, and I am. They came through better than I could have hoped, but I see the uneasiness in Joey's eyes and if I was really me, I would take him aside, talk him down from the emotions he's feeling from his first kill, but inside I am numb as Hive's influence continues to take control. My goal is clear and I can't hide anything from him. He knows everything about me and the tendrils of his being reach far into places I can't lock down from him. I can feel this part of me slipping away. The last pieces of Daisy Johnson, S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, friend, girlfriend, Secret Warriors leader, are being pushed farther and farther into this hole and pretty soon I will be completely gone. I'm surprised to find Lincoln in the assets room, holding the sphere, that means nothing to me, but I know it is what Hive needs. I was hoping to get in and out with it, undetected so that no one gets hurt. It's the last thing I want. To hurt Lincoln or betray Coulson and S.H.I.E.L.D. They've been the family I've never had. The one constant in my life since before I even knew S.H.I.E.L.D. was trying to protect me.

"You're still upset that I took that crystal to James' shack," Lincoln says as he puts the sphere away.

"Yes, I am," I tell him, my arms folded as I add, "You should have told me."

"I thought if you didn't know, you couldn't be blamed," Lincoln replies.

"And if something went wrong?" I ask.

"I know," he adds. "I'm sorry. It can't be easy to have your boyfriend on the team."

I watch him put back the crystal and inwardly I cringe as I hear the words coming out of my mouth. "Not when you take advantage of that relationship."

He looks so disappointed at the thought of hurting me and I know that if I don't get out of here soon, I'll hurt him even more. Hive wants him. I can feel that and I need to protect Lincoln. I can't let him live like this too. Changing my tone, giving him the forgiveness he needs is the only way I can get him to go. The sooner I'm alone in this room the sooner I can get what Hive wants and go. Once Lincoln leaves I open the container and slip the sphere into a backpack and head back to the lockers, slipping it inside until no one is looking and I can make a clean escape.

The base is locked down. I wasn't prepared for this and know this is Malick's doing. He's told Coulson about Hive's abilities, that much is certain, so I still need to play my part, find out what is going on and find a way out of the base before anyone gets hurt. As I enter Coulson's office I see my friends, the human ones, and the looks on their faces tell me the truth even as the lie comes out of Coulson's mouth. "It's a security precaution while Malick's in custody."

"Right," I agree, playing along. I need to see how much he's revealed to Coulson. "Did we get any info on Zombie Ward?"

"Not yet," Coulson tells me. "But I'm confident we will."

"Good," I say. "If we get intel let me know; I'd like my team to get another shot at him. But you should know... Joey," I point to the photo on the screen. "Crossed off Lucio. I'm not sure he was ready for that, or ready to be back in the field after it."

"That's hard," Coulson replies, concern etching his face as he adds, "I'll check in on him."

"Thanks," I tell him, but I need to get out of there, get away from Coulson before he figures out that I am the person who is about to betray him. I head to the medical wing and find Lincoln and Elena there, both frustrated by the fact that the base is locked down. I know that neither of them are infected. If they were, Hive would tell me, but I need to see if May knows anything. I'm running out of time here and the longer I'm trapped with my friends, the less likely they will be my friends when Hive finally takes over.

"I think Coulson is having me lie to them about the base lockdown. They can feel it."

"Sometimes it's the job," she tells me and I know that whatever is going on, Coulson hasn't told her anything yet. I nod and head off toward the gun range, desperate to burn off some nervous energy at this point. As I do, a plan settles into place. I'll betray them all, but in the end they will be safe and somehow I'll hang on enough to convince Hive to leave them out of whatever his endgame is.

The power outage is easy to produce, just a simple pulse to the breaker box. While this won't let me escape, it does bring down the security cameras which is exactly what I need. With the power out I head toward Vault D, knowing that Malick has to die. When I open the door he seems content, knowing the end is near as he says, "So it's you. I was curious who Hive would send. I know what you're here to do."

I hear the words coming from my mouth and can't believe what I'm about to do. Hive's control is beating me down. Faster now than I thought and I cringe at the idea of killing this horrible man in cold blood. That is not who I am but you wouldn't guess it as I tell him, "We can't let you keep talking."

"I won't be kept from my daughter," Malick replies and I wonder what horrors Hive put her through for a man to be so accepting of his own death.

"To be honest," I tell him as my hand comes up. "I might enjoy this."

I direct my power right at him, watch as he is thrown from the chair and torn apart from within, blood seeping from his eyes, his nose, his mouth. I am killing this man. Taking pleasure in seeing him suffer. This is not me. It is not who I want to be, yet I can't fight back. I can't make it stop and when he's finally dead, I place the grenade next to him to hide my tracks. Hurrying out of Vault D I have to get as far away from there as possible so that no one will suspect me. I am barely hanging on to who I was now. Devastated at what I'm doing and knowing what is coming next will be the end of the relationship I have with Lincoln.

"What was that blast?" I ask as Coulson demands for us to go into the common room. It's obvious now that we're being singled out and I need to know how deep this goes. "Coulson, you need to level with me now."

"We need to get you checked out," he says. "Hive can sway Inhumans. Your team may have been exposed in the rescue."

"Wait," Lincoln replies, confusion masking his face. "Like mind control?"

Yes, I want to shout to them. Only, worse, and I'm the one. It's me. Take me down. Ice me. Help me! But killing Malick, setting up Lincoln, it's getting to be too much. I feel the little bit of me that is left sliding farther away and there is nothing I can do. Lincoln pushes me into the common room and Joey grabs Elena and we lock ourselves inside. The arguing begins. The Secret Warriors are turning against each other and the next part of my plan is easy enough. As S.H.I.E.L.D. tries to break down the door we head to the tunnels and I lead them to one of the polytechnic rooms where Coulson is waiting. He's taken the bait and says, "Let me guess. When you decided to leave, Lincoln didn't want to go."

Holding up the sphere he adds, "Not without his prize. This was taken from the assets room and hidden in your locker."

"I didn't do that," Lincoln tells him and he sounds so convincing that I pray Coulson doesn't believe him. It's the only way I can get out of here at this point and still save my team. I'm barely hanging on here and need to get this over with. When Coulson adds that Lincoln was turned back when he saw Hive at the Transia Corporation, that's all it takes. Now he's in fight or flight mode, knowing that no one will believe him and as I use my powers to stop him, my heart breaks and I finally let go. It's easier than I expect and I almost hear Hive laughing as he finally infiltrates the last tiny barrier between his will and mine. I am numb. I am trapped.

The end