May froze, her breath paused. She recognised the voice… of all the people she expected to have lingered, SImmons wasn't that person. Except now…

May took a deep breath in, pushing herself up and turned to face the women. Her eyes were wide, her mouth fallen open… not quite believing her eyes. "But...but.."

"Take a breath." May advised after a second. Simmons's hand twitched to her ear, pulling out her comm.

"But… You died."

"You say that like it was an accident." May couldn't help but quipped before shaking her head, closing her eyes. That was mean… but her death wasn't an accident.

Simmons moved forwards; her hand gripping her shoulder, but the movement towards her made her flinch, especially with her hand close to her neck. "How…."

"Long story."

Simmons didn't answer for a long moment, taking a few deep breaths but she could see tears in her eyes. "I thought.. I just…" She sniffed. "I watched it… I watched you die on the monitor."

"SImmons's I'm okay." May could see the younger women had pent up those emotions.

"Coulson.. I didn't think he could do that… even to you." Simmons's heaved a shaky breath in. May could see she was about to have some sort of break down for she pulled the women into a rare hug before SImmons started to cry softly, her arms wrapping around May's middel, making her hiss a little, flaring up the pain in her side from her first death; reaggregated from her fight with Ward…. His kicks hurt.

Simmons pulled back as soon as she heard. "I'm so sorry!"

"I'm okay, Simmons, Look at me."

Simmons did, staring up to her face before something crossed her face as her eyes flickered to the bruise on her forehead "You were there at cybertek.. I saw it! You got shot!" she realised, her hand coming to her mouth, eyes widening again. "You took that bullet for me!"

"Yes, I did." Sugar coating it could be a good thing for now… she didn't have the time for this.

Simmons's bit her lower lip, taking deep breaths, wiping her eyes after a moment to compose herself but could see she was still visibly upset.

"Why didn't you come back?" Her voice was quieter. "I missed you…We need you. Coulson… he's torn up on what he did."

"I don't care on how he's feeling on what he did to me. He did it. I died. I came back. I'm only here is because.. I know this teams still needs me. But… Melinda May is dead now." She was prepared to step into new shoes and live a new life. Melinda May… that part of her was dead now… or did she want that part to doe

"Althea Rice? Coulson knows that's an alias."

"I know. I have a plan."

"But can't you tell him you're alive, please." SImmons begged softly.

May shook her head, her hands gripping SImmon's arm tighter "No."

"May, Please."

"No, Jemma. I can't handle that. What he did…." She paused, lowering her scarf from around her neck, showing the hand shaped bruise. "It still killed me. The trauma of death… You can't imagine… So please. Don't tell anyone who I am."

Simmons said nothing but nodded after a moment of thought.

"Don't tell Fitz or Skye.. or even Trip. I am Althea Rice. Or Emily Chen. Melinda May is dead." May repeated. "And if… If on the off chance I'm ready to unmask my real identity to Coulson, then maybe Melinda May's ready to come back, Got that?"

Simmons nodded glumly after a moment but she could see the woman understood. Making her feel deeply relieved.

"Good. I need to go now. Next time you'll see me, I'll have a different face so don't freak out when you see me."

Simmons nodded again, taking a deep breath, wiping her face and straightened up "Good luck." She said.

May gave her a smile, pulling the scalf back up over her face. "You too." She replied before taking her leave quickly, hearing other footsteps.

Getting out the building was harder than it looked, military people were searching through the rooms. While she knew suicide was a way out, she didn't want to kill herself or get shot in the back. This strange immortality or not, bullets hurt.

With Garrett gone and Ward now… she had done her job. But with no nano mask, she couldn't greet Coulson face to face.. If she could stomach the idea of being in the same room as him… she had no intentions to relieve herself to him. Not now. Too soon. The wounds inflicted were still too...raw.

"You know, Agent May, the dead don't usually beat the crap out of hydra thugs." Came a familiar voice as she clambered over an frence. May paused in her step, taking a deep breath before pulling down her scalf as she turned to face the former Director of SHIELD.

"Same could be said for you, Fury." She replied back.

"Touché" There was a flicker of amusement that touched his lips before he straightened up from the side; getting to business.

"What do you want, Sir?" She asked but she had a fair enough hunch.

"I told Coulson that I ordered you here… and that you work for him now." He stated, getting to the point. "Maria caught me up on everything; including this… power of yours. And what Coulson did."

Her hand drifted up to her neck as he said that, shifting uncomfortably.

"I also told him you had conditions upon joining."

May shook her head softly. "I can't… "

"Look, he doesn't have to know it's you. I don't have the trums of being killed; only being attacked in death attempts, over and over again by people and by friends. While I know what Coulson did was bad… on lots of levels. He does need you; even as someone else. He trusts my judgement to let you in with little fuss."

"I can't. Not with my face."

"I have what you need, May. Nano mask equipment. A new face and voice print…" He kicked something by his feet; making a metal clang to see something uncloak; a large black case

"Maria said it'd take days to get."

"Yeah, well I pushed it along. I knew you couldn't resist coming and helping him."

May said nothing, folding her arms, her eyes drifting down to the box.

"I'm not the director of SHIELD anymore. But… I need someone to build it back up." He started, changing tatic. "I need Coulson to do that. He's a good agent. But he needs you as a back bone. As Emily Chen… Althea Rice… or as Melinda May. His hacker girl, Skye, she's good. Coulson played a risky card in keeping her around; I saw her as a risk but she's a woman true to her cause. But she's no field agent. Not yet." Fury answered.

May knew what he was playing at. "Simmons's knows about me. But I don't want anymore people to know."

"They won't unless you tell them otherwise…." he shrugged, not concerned in that respect. "But I will now give you the options. You can take the nano mask equipment and be on your way back to that safe house. But Coulson will find that bug soon enough. You know that. Or… You can come with me now; mask on or not; up to you. To the Bus. Once the facility is taken, Coulson will want to have..talk with me. If you're coming then this is… an introduction to new start as someone new; an agent of SHIELD than some vigilante that hiding from your own organisation."

May chewed her bottom lip. Trust Fury to have a way with words.

"There's a new base I'm going to direct him in; it should be attique to fit SHIELD's needs until you're ready to grow. I have shield agents waiting to be in contact with Coulson when he takes up the position. This base is… far from your place of rebirth. I think it'd be wise to tell Coulson about this if he grows suspicious."

"He'll only make the connections of my re-births to my Melinda murder. I disappear after my death."

"Maybe, maybe not. But consider all your options, evaluate them then make that decision." He straightened up, no doubt ready to go. "So, before we're both seen alive; You need to make that choice. I can cover for you, of course if you come."

May sucked in a deep breath, closing her eyes a second. She had been balancing out the ideas but… Fury was right. How'd she get into the new shield if she walked away now? Going with him.. That was the best course of action; even if it meant jumping in the deep end with her killer... but former friend.

"I'll come with." She decided. "But you already knew that, didn't you."

Fury's lip twitched a little before he nodded. "You know what needs to be done."

May rolled her eyes but nodded to the box, watching as he bent down and open it up.

"There's an instruction manual to read at your own time if you damage the mask and need a replacement." He started though she looked to see the clear plastic film with a flatten transparent holographic picture ready and waiting.

May reached in and pulled it out. "Place it in the palm of your hand and put it against your face to put it on, It'll stick to your face like glue till you deactivate it. It's easy to ignore and is safe to wear underwater; it won't peel off so don't worry on that. Just don't press your face against an electrical wire; other wise it'll fry and mask to your face."

"Duly noted." May remarked, doing as instructed before lifting the mask to her face. It was odd, almost lifted plastic wrap film to her face but it seemed to have it's own life after htt, fitting to her skin like a glove and the plastic seemed to mold perfectly yo her face before it opened up around her nostrils and lips, curing a little to the edges of her lips but even then the film seemed to smoothen out… her tongue not finding an edge to it. May blinked, licking her lips, her fingers coming to her face as she felt a flicker and slight sounds; the mask no doubt in working order.

"This is...odd." But even her voice was different as she spoke, making her blink a little. She had expected it but it threw her off a bit.

"But it works. Youll get used to it."

"Can I sleep with it on?" Wearing it 24/7 would be ideal. So no one would suspect.

"Probably." Though that wasn't much of a concern. Bending back to the machine, May closed it up.

"Let's get going…" She sighed, with her new face… she could do this now..