Coulson, immersed in his subconscious, described what he was experiencing: "A beach, blue waves, just as I remember."
Raina prompted, "Look closely at the details."
In his memory, a female masseuse was massaging Coulson's neck. She asked, "Can you feel it?"
Coulson closed his eyes, enjoying the sensation, "Don't stop."
Then, a man approached with drinks and fruit, smiling. Suddenly, the server transformed into a doctor, speaking sternly, "Listen to him—who ordered this?"
Coulson looked confusedly at the masseuse beside him, "What?"
She turned to the doctor, saying, "Director Fury personally gave the order."
Raina watched Coulson on the machine and asked, "Agent Coulson, you're remembering, aren't you?"
"Look around you. Describe what you see."
Coulson noticed the sun on the beach had turned into a surgical lamp. The masseuse transformed into a female doctor, and the surroundings shifted, distorting from the beach into an operating room.
Raina continued to prod, "Are you still on Tahiti?"
"Tell me."
Despite noticing the changes, Coulson replied evasively, "It's all dark... I can't see anything, nothing at all."
Raina, unsure if Coulson was lying or if the machine had yet to fully take effect, hesitated.
…
Elsewhere-
Ward, May, Fitz, and Simmons arrived at the location Skye had provided. It was a small town in the desert, an abandoned town originally built in the 1940s for nuclear testing.
The town was littered with houses filled with mannequins.
Ward assessed the scene and said, "We'll need to split up to search."
Seeing Centipede soldiers appear, Simmons joked nervously, "Or split up and run."
Ward pulled out Fitz's latest toxin-based weapon and charged at the Centipede soldier, "I'll handle him."
Meanwhile, May turned to Fitz and Simmons, "Alright, let's move."
Soon after, May encountered another Centipede soldier inside a building and immediately engaged.
"Coulson! Coulson!" she called out.
…
Back in the subconscious-
In his mind, Coulson saw the image of a medical room rather than the relaxing Tahiti he remembered. Surgical instruments surrounded him, and he could hear the doctors speaking.
"He's losing consciousness."
"This isn't right."
"Can you feel that?"
In pain, Coulson cried out, "No, stop!"
The doctor looked at Coulson and ordered, "Listen to him. Stop this."
"Who ordered this?"
The female doctor responded, "Director Fury personally ordered it."
"This isn't right. Listen to him."
Through the reflection in a nearby mirror, Coulson could see a machine working on his head.
"Let me die, please."
"I'm begging you, please, let me die."
"Please, just let me die." In his subconscious, Coulson continued begging for death, but the doctors operating on his brain did not stop, instead speeding up their actions.
"Please, let me go," he pleaded, "Just let me die!"
The female doctor spoke up, "Inject the resilience serum. His will to die is too strong—he might not wake up."
The male doctor, visibly upset, replied, "Listen to what he's saying. Are you sure this is what you want?"
"This is Director Fury's order. Execute it."
As the resilience serum was injected into Coulson, a scream of agony escaped him.
On the machine, Coulson let out another agonized scream, which echoed through the entire deserted town.
Just as May defeated a Centipede soldier, she heard Coulson's scream and immediately ran toward the sound.
Watching Coulson writhe in pain, Raina tried to soothe him, "Don't fight it, Agent Coulson. Stop resisting."
Coulson shouted back, "Just let me die!"
At that moment, May burst in. Raina quickly protested, "This is for his own good."
But May didn't hesitate; she punched Raina, knocking her out cold. Rushing over to Coulson, who was still writhing in pain on the machine, she turned off the device and held his hand.
"Wake up, Coulson."
"May!" he gasped.
…
Soon, Coulson was rescued, and Raina was captured.
Back on the plane-
As Agent Hand's team was preparing to leave, Fitz and Simmons watched Raina being escorted away.
Simmons joked, "I bet where she's going, there won't be any flowered dresses."
Fitz added, "That's good news."
At that moment, Coulson, now dressed, walked out of his office and saw Raina being led down the stairway. The two locked eyes briefly.
Hand approached him, "Just got off the phone with HQ. Director Fury is relieved."
Coulson gave her a look, "Heard you were busy while I was gone—took my plane on quite a tour."
Hand nodded, "This operation was worth it. Centipede cells worldwide have been taken down."
Coulson asked, "Any news on the Clairvoyant?"
"Not yet, but S.H.I.E.L.D. is aware of him. Staying hidden will be tough now."
Coulson nodded, "Good. Since Raina knows some of my private matters, I need to know how she'll be handled."
Hand replied, "My team and I will take her directly to HQ for questioning. We'll stay in touch."
Turning to leave, she paused when Coulson extended his hand, "Thank you, Agent Hand, for everything you did for me."
Shaking his hand, she replied, "Glad to have you back."
"To be honest," she added with a slight smile, "this plane really isn't my style."
With that, Hand departed.
As she left, Ward, May, and the other agents gathered around Coulson.
He looked at them and said, "I just want to say, thank you."
After glancing at the group, he smiled, "Let's go pick up Skye in New York."
Everyone chuckled, and May headed for the cockpit. Simmons took out her phone and called Skye, and after a long moment, Skye picked up.
"Simmon," Skye's voice came through, "Coulson's been rescued?"
"Yes, he's safe."
"That's good…" Skye whispered, before hanging up abruptly.
Simmons stared at her phone, stunned.
Fitz noticed her expression, "What's wrong?"
"She…she hung up on me," Simmons said in disbelief.
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