Winters War Phase 3: Some Kind of Monster

Chapter 12

Once again, Julia stood in front of the Theta Brain-Wave Frequency Machine. Daisy and Sam stood at her side. Jemma was at the control panel while May was in the recording room.

"Are you ready?" they heard May ask through the speaker.

Julia felt tensed up, and tried to control her breathing. Memories of the last time went through her mind. A soothing hand on her shoulder. She looked to her right and saw Daisy.

"This time we will stop. I promise. He's not here," she reassured.

Julia nodded and took a deep breath. Slowly she walked to the machine and took her place. This time, Sam held her hand as a comfort. The machine clicked on and the humming sound filled the room again.

"Okay Julia, try to remember as far back as you can." Daisy asked.

Julia closed her eyes and took some deep breaths to help herself remain calm.

"Pain. A lot of pain. I'm bleeding. He carried me," Julia summed up after a moment.

"Who carried you?"

Julia opened her eyes as a tear rolled down her cheek.

"Bucky," she whispered. "I felt weak. I listened to the rhythm of his heart and then I fell asleep."

Sam bowed his head in sadness and gulped down a lump in his throat.

"Can you go deeper in your memories?" Daisy asked. "To the moment before you met Bucky?"

Julia closed her eyes again and took a few deep breaths.

"Try to remember your first meeting with the British man," Daisy advised.

In the meantime, Coulson and Wilma entered May's area and started to watch the scene. Wilma took a trembling breath.

"She looks so bad," she stated as she swallowed down her tears.

"A villa. I remember a villa," Julia said after a while. "With another man. He hurt me. A lot. And crystals."

Julia looked at Daisy.

"The crystals you've talked about. I broke one and stones covered up my body. After a while I broke free from it."

"Okay, what else can you remember?"

Julia stared at the ceiling.

"I got scared after he hurt me again and I tried to escape. I was stopped by a red-golden iron suited man. And somebody in a red-blue spandex kind of suit," Julia continued. "They wanted the crystals. But they were gone, out of the villa. I got on to the roof of the villa with the blue-red figure. The figure, it shot webs out of its wrists and was able to catch a suitcase. I got shot, fell off the roof and got covered by stone."

"Shot by who?" Daisy asked.

"By somebody out of a black SUV. When I broke free from the stones there was a soldier who spoke Russian, I think. He kissed me and I..." Julia took a deep breath and swallowed. "I killed him with my powers. Then he was there."

"Who's he?"

A smile on the youngster's lips.

"The Sir."

Daisy looked at Sam.

"I guess we're getting close." Daisy looked back at Julia. "Anything else, Julia?"

"He offered me a hand. I could have run away because there was a group of soldiers. He followed me and reassured me he would take care of me because he promised her."

"Her?" Sam asked.

Wilma closed her eyes as a tear went down her face.

Julia stared at the ceiling and was silent for a while. Daisy, Jemma and Sam waited patiently till she started talking. Julia saw the blonde woman again. The woman was looking at Julia and smiled with tears in her eyes.

Coulson laid a hand on Wilma's shoulder. She opened her eyes and looked at him.

"It's better not to interrupt this with your powers, Wilma," he advised.

Julia saw the blonde woman slowly fading away. She blinked her eyes a few times.

"The woman of my hallucinations. She was here again," she admitted.

Daisy looked at the window and saw Coulson and Wilma. Coulson nodded at Daisy as a sign to continue.

"Can you go back to the memory about HYDRA and The Sir?" Daisy asked as she looked back at Julia.

"The Sir took me away," Julia continued. "To the Swiss Alps, where it was safe, according to him. He gave me food and new clothing. In return I had to give him all my belongings and my passports."

"Do you know his real name?" Daisy asked.

"I had to call him The Sir, out of respect. The Madame, she called him Daniel once."

Daisy looked up at May, who left the window. She went to a computer and typed in the information she received. After a few seconds she got the result.

"Daniel Whitehall," she informed them.

"Oh my god," Wilma gasped.

"Daisy guessed it right," Coulson said. He looked at Wilma, who looked back at him. "I know it's hard, but I want you to ask her if he is the person she talks about. You can go to the interrogation room and wait for her."

Wilma nodded as she accepted the task, and left.

"Okay, one last question, Julia. Did you volunteer to become one of HYDRA?"

"No. But I had to," Julia admitted.

"Why?" Daisy wondered.

Julia looked at her.

"They would punish you if you refused an order, or kill you if you escaped."

Daisy was shocked. She swallowed, nodded and looked at Jemma.

"I think we have our answers," she told the doctor.

Jemma agreed and switched off the machine. Julia rubbed her face with both of her hands, while the machine went off. Then she slowly sat up.

"You did very well," Daisy complimented her.

Sam just smiled proudly at her.
Then Coulson came into the area. He stood close to Julia. She looked up at him with tired eyes.

"Thank you for doing this. You are very brave," he told her. "Do you think you can do one more interview?"

"If it's necessary for you, then yes," Julia answered.

"I'll tell her you're in."

He turned around and left.