𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐃
You put a river inside me and i've been cold since you left

DAISY gasped awake from her nightmare and everything that she did came crashing back down onto her, suffocating her. She sat up, swung her feet over the edge of the bed, and rubbed at her face, trying her hardest to not break down and cry.

She made her way over to the couch and sat down, relishing in every bad thing sh had done with Hive. When Lash took away whatever Hive did to her, everything seemed harder than it did before.

Here she stood on the brink of something she couldn't describe. The weight of everything seemed to press down on her shoulders and she struggled to take even a single step forward. It was too much. All of it. And somehow, she kept moving. But every step cost her. The darkness grew darker; the pain grew sharper; all of it seemed to only grow in strength and she began to wonder if things could ever get better.

She sniffed, coming out of her thoughts as she heard someone walk into the containment module that was in her room. "I've told you everything I know."

Then came the voice of Jemma, "I'm here to provide progress updates based on the intel you gave us... nothing more."

"And they only send you," Daisy stated, not looking at her. "Why?"

"If anything I tell you jogs any memories, any pertinent information at all, I'll ask you to divulge."

Daisy turned to her. "It's because you're the only one I didn't hurt... personally, I mean." She looked down and whispered, "That's why."

"Have you thought of any new pertinent information?" Jemma didn't comment on anything Daisy said, just getting straight to the point.

Daisy sighed and leaned back, still feeling a little weak from the blood loss. "As I said, Hive's followers tell him everything, but he rarely returns the favor." She sighed again, glancing at her. "I'm sorry that's not enough to act on."

"Well, we are acting on a new lead." Daisy turned to her, intrigued. "We've located a U.S. missile silo in the Pacific. Seems like a good fit."

Daisy frowned. "If that's where they plan to do it, they'll be there ahead of you."

"Yes. The silo's staff went silent five hours ago," Jemma told her.

Daisy shook her head at her words. "Even if you infiltrate, you can't shut down the launch... not without government Kill Codes."

"We are aware."

Daisy continued, "Hand-delivered by a D.O.D. official. It's not hackable. You won't be—"

Jemma interrupted, her voice giving away that she was irritated and angry, "We are aware." Daisy sighed, nodded, and leaned back, looking away from her with saddened eyes. "The only thing you gave us that didn't pan out was that word. You said he mentioned "absolution." Any idea what he meant?"

Daisy shook her head, lips pursed. "He thinks he's the savior."

DAISY didn't look up from HER spot on the bed but SHE knew it was Coulson who stood in the module before he even spoke, "Fitz entered the Kill Code in time. That's step one."

"And Hive?" Daisy asked almost immediately, her heart aching, and her mind filled with everything bad she did. She knew this was going to haunt her for the rest of her life.

"That's step two."

Daisy glanced to him. "Thank you for the update."

"I know you're doing everything you can to try to jog your memory, but when he said absolution—"

Daisy turned to him with a glare. "I told her everything I know. Just like I told him." She gulped and looked down.

"Once we get an update, so will you." He sighed. "You're a prisoner right now, but that's temporary. You have to understand... this —this is a new situation."

"I understand," she told him.

"The security protocols are in place to keep everyone safe."

"I get it!" She shouted, looking up at him in the eyes for the first time since she's been back.

"No one blames you for this."

"Then that's on you," she spat. "Because I deserve the blame... all of it. And these protocols? Make them permanent, because I belong in this box!" She exclaimed, whole heartedly agreeing. She hated herself, she wanted to suffer, she wanted to rot away. It's not like anyone trusted or cared for her anymore. She ruined every relationship she ever had.

He shook his head. "You're not a criminal."

She sneered, "That's exactly what I am. So you can keep your forgiveness and your pity because I shouldn't have either... or your friendship."

"Daisy... you were brainwashed."

Daisy tilted her head. "So was Ward." She chuckled humorlessly. "We would've made the perfect pair."

Coulson glared at her. "Hive didn't just get in your head... he changed it on a fundamental level. He altered the chemistry of your brain like a drug. These are the aftereffects. You're going through withdrawal right now."

Daisy stood up from the bed and approached the module, lightly limping as she did so. "Is that all you think this is? That I'm dope sick?"

"You're not gonna feel like this forever."

"I want to!" She shouted, tears pooling in her eyes as she thought about everything Hive told her to do and even the things she did on her own free will. "I want to feel this pain until I find Hive!"

"And get revenge?" She sighed and looked away from him. "I can't imagine what you've been through, but that craving? I know something about that. You think vengeance is the missing piece of the puzzle, that it will make you whole again, but all it does is break you further. You're going to get better. It just takes time... and distance."

"No." She shook her head. "I should wake up every morning and feel like this, remembering every drop of blood I spilled." She stepped closer to the module where she was basically pressed up against it. "Do you still have the memory machine? You used it on that Strucker kid."

"Daisy, stop."

She continued, ignoring his orders, "Put me in it. I bet you're already thinking about doing that, right, to jog my memory. So, bring it in here. Make it my bed and keep every memory, every detail right at the surface, where it belongs!"

"That's enough!" He stopped her from continuing, "We pulled the memory machine out of storage, but it's not for you." He then walked away.

She took in a shaky breath, throwing her head back, trying to stop the tears from falling.

DAISY sat on the bad, her legs pressed up against her chest, her arms wrapped around them as she tried to comfort herself.

The module door opened and in came Mack. She watched him, wide eyed, and scooted back a little. She didn't want to hurt him again.

He slolwy walked towards her, "We got him." She looked up at him. "Hive," he informed her which made her choke on the saliva in her mouth. "Safe, sound, and catatonic in a Gel-Matrix chamber. I thought you'd want to know.

She exhaled and nodded. "Thanks. But you should be in the module. The protocols are for your own safety."

"You think I give a damn about security protocols?" She looked up at him, surprised. "You're my partner!"

She pursed my lips. "We're not partners anymore. So just leave. You remember what happened last time I saw you?"

"Yeah." He nodded. "And I forgive you."

She could barely sputter out words, a tear leaked from her eye, but she quickly wiped it away, and stood up. "I didn't ask for that!"

"That's too bad. I forgive you."

He tried to touch her, but she shoved his hand away and jumped back, "No, don't be stupid. Get away, okay?" He continued to try and pull her into a hug, but she continued to push him away. "Just get — get—"

"It's okay, Daisy. It's okay."

"Get away. Get..." She started hitting his chest, trying to get out of his hold. "Get — Get away!"

"Daisy, it's okay."

"No!" She shouted before she rushed into his arms, breaking down as he tried to comfort her. She gripped onto him as tightly as she could, crying loudly as he kissed her head. "I don't deserve this," she sobbed out. "I deserve to die."

DAISY sat on the edge of HER bed as Mack sat across from HER on the table. She inhaled before speaking, "You're a man of faith."

"You know I am."

She looked up at him. "So what was it like... coming face-to-face with the devil?"

"Hive?" She nodded. "Well, he's evil, scary as all hell, but I don't think he's the devil."

"You don't get it," she whispered, gulping. "When Hive takes over a body, he steals that person's memories. That's as close to stealing a soul as you can get."

""Memory is the scribe of the soul"," Mack resited, nodding at her.

"The Bible?" She asked, amused.

"Aristotle." They both lightly chuckled. "What? I have dimensions." He sighed. "Look, Tremors, I've had my mind controlled."

She shook her head. "No, this... wasn't that. The worst part about Hive is, when he's making you hurt the people you care about, he makes you love him for it. If Hive isn't the devil, he's the closest thing to it you and I will ever see. It's not safe. If he got out, he—"

Mack interrupted her, shaking his head, "He's not getting out."

She shook my head at him, pursing her lips. "He can't be contained. He has to be destroyed."

Mack grunted, standing up before taking a seat beside her. "You know... another thing the devil is capable of? Filling a person with... so much anger and so many dark thoughts that it consumes them. But it's up to that individual to make a choice... either let the darkness fester and grow or... let the light inside shine through and vanquish the darkness."

"This isn't about revenge," she told him, looking him in the eyes.

"Hey." He pulled her into his side. "We're safe. Coulson's sealing up the base."

Not even seconds later, an alarm went off, and Msck pulled up the footage of the garage. The Inhumans that Hive and Daisy had made, broken Hive out of his containment.

"I can't believe this is happening," she muttered to herself, scared.

"He wants a way out," he said.

"No..." She trailed off, shaking her head.

"What? Daisy, what is it?"

She turned to Mack. "I told him everything."

He nodded his head, his eyebrows knitted together in confusion, "Yeah, we know that, but what does that have to do—"

She interrupted him, "No, Mack, I told him everything, including the plans to the Zephyr."

Mack then came to the same realization she had, "And the fact that it has high-altitude capabilities."

"Hive has his delivery system now..."

Mack and Daisy looked to each other before he ran off.

As Daisy came to the realization that he was far enough away, she ran to the containment module, and started hacking it. Once hacked, se jumped into the module, and went up. As she arrived up in the Zephyr, Hive's back was towards her. She got out of the module and approached him, hearing him whisper to himself.

"Hey!" She shouted and he turned to her.

He looked confused, "Sorry," he apologized which made her confused. "Having trouble. My memories. You were in that one...."

"Do you have any idea," Daisy sneered, walking towards him. "What you did to me?"

"Yes. I remember." Tears came to her eyes at his words, "You're in pain."

She clenched her hands down at her sides, walking towards him. When she was close enough, she dropped down to her knees. "Please..." She took in a shaky breath. "Take me back."