X marks the spot

The Man Behind The SHIELD

"How can you be saying it wrong?" Fitz accused as the gang waited for Daisy and Coulson to finish in the Framework.

"I'm not, it's the accent." Aaron said in defence.

"It's not," Fitz took a breath, pinching his nose, "It's not an accent thing, you're just saying it wrong."

"It is an accent thing, I promise you." Mack just looked between the two with an amused smile. He'd never known these two could argue over something as simple as a pronunciation.

"It's Mu-Add-Deeb." Fitz said, slowly to try and get Aaron to finally say it right.

"Mu-Ow-Deeb."

Fitz threw his hands up, "Oh for god's sake!"

"Fitz," The man looked to Jemma, "Be nice." She said to him.

"Yeah, be nice." Aaron parroted.

"And you stop winding him up." Jemma said to Aaron, but a smile was on her face. She'd heard this type of discussion between missions back on the BUS. It was nice to have that still remain between the two.

"Alright, that's enough." Coulson said - stopping both the simulation and their "argument". His helmet-like object being removed from his head. Daisy having hers removed as well.

"Well?" Fitz asked, anxiously waiting to see what the two thought of it.

"Unbelievable. It's almost like the real thing." Coulson answered, astonished at what the man had created.

"I could even smell the sweat." He continued, maybe a little too much in detail. But, still, it showed just how impressed he was.

"I felt strangely cold though." He added.

"Well, I tried to make the simulation as real as possible. And since you always leave the aircon on in the base. I exaggerated it. Kind of like a silent protest." Fitz explained, Aaron smiling lightly at the answer. Letting out a little chuckle.

"That was so realistic. I mean, you know. Apart from the whole stopping in mid air thing." Daisy chipped in with her answer.

"How matrix like." Aaron said, Daisy turning to look at him with a smile. "You finally watched it!" She celebrated, Aaron nodding with the smile remaining. "How some time. Found it at a case. Figured the guy wouldn't need it so –"

"You return it?" Mack asked. Aaron looked to the man, lips turning up into a smile as he nodded, "Sold some things to help the family of the victim too."

Mack nodded, but Daisy could see Mack - especially now he was back - had softened more toward the boy. He was a far cry from when they first interacted. Daisy smiled more for that reason.

"What'd you think?" She asked, Aaron was about to answer when Coulson decided to get the conversation back on track.

"I think it might play out a little differently in real life."

"So, you can feel in there?" Mack asked, walking towards the group. "Yeah well, it's the framework. It's an immersive sensory experience." Fitz started to explain. "It was designed as a training exercise. A way for agents to practice sparring or jugular insertions and the like." Jemma continued. "Yeah, you can still feel pain while inside. That's why I stopped the simulation before you hit the wall. Because –"

"Painful." Mack finished. "Very. Although you never got slammed into a wall by Mike." Aaron added. "May did." Coulson said almost on instinct, before the mood turned a little sombre. "Sorry." Aaron said softly, only for Coulson to shake his head, telling the boy not to worry.

"So May's being locked up somewhere. But being held in a virtual reality like this? What, to keep her placid?" Coulson asked, the question being mainly aimed at Fitz. But was a general question to all the agents in the room.