In her bedroom, Ruby sits on her bed and listens to music. Her mother General Hale barges in and pulls the earphones out of Ruby's ear. Hale says that she knows Ruby skipped class, and Ruby tells her mother that she wasn't in the mood. She tells her mother to get to class or she'll lose her screen time, and Ruby agrees and apologizes. She puts her phone away and turns down her mother's offer to bring breakfast.
As Hale goes, Ruby asks if she's a good guy. She figures that Hale is going to a strategy meeting to stop S.H.I.E.L.D., but even rooted for them as the good guys until recently. Ruby asks if that makes Hale a bad guy, and Hale says that her orders are to capture Daisy. Her daughter asks if she means "kill", and Halle tells her that she has to answer to someone and does what she must. Ruby echoes her words, and Hale tells her that she does it for her and soon S.H.I.E.L.D. will be finished.
The team appears in the Lighthouse, and Fitz realizes that they're in the same place. As he turns on the lights, a screen comes on and General Rick Stoner appears. He welcomes everyone to the Lighthouse and says that the world as they know it has come to an end. Coulson recognizes Stoner, and Stoner explains that Project Reclamation was a black ops program triggered by the world's destruction. Agents were instructed to gather the elite and bring them to the LIghthouse. Mack wavers due to his injuries, and Elena and Jemma insist on checking him. Jemma says that she should check everyone out, but Coulson says that he'll stay there with Daisy. The Stoner program offers a tour of the Lighthouse, and Coulson tells Melinda and Fitz to go on it.
Daisy wakes up and points out that Coulson asked her. She realizes that they're home, and Coulson says that he needs her there despite the risks.
Fitz and Melinda go through the base and find hundreds of boxes of supplies. Melinda discovers containers holding monoliths. Noah, a Chronicon, appears in the hallway and introduces himself. He knew Enoch, who alerted him to the presence of the Lighthouse. Noah also knows Fitz, and explains that the Lighthouse was built with fallout shielding and to contain dangerous items. Melinda warns that the monoliths aren't safe, and Noah tells them that everyone who knows about the bunker is now inside of it. The Chronicon says that the outside world is safe--for now--but they're watching.
Noah takes them to the monitor room and explains that the Chronicons keep watch for any strange activity. He admits that they do nothing without interfering unless there's an extinction-level threat. The Chronicon believes up several events of note, and Melinda discovers that one is a possible alien contact. She calls in the others and shows them the monitor, which is showing them a light from the sky. Coulson figures that it's the light they were warned about that begins the sequence of events that lead to the future that they saw.
Noah reports that the light showed up above St. Louis a few weeks ago and appeared intermittently since then. Daisy says that she's not going because she'd rather not be near the first omens of her destruction of the world. Noah shows them covert entrances out of the Lighthouse, including one to nearby River's End.
The team emerges into an alley, enjoy being in the outside world for the first time in months, and then take a van. Coulson promises that they'll return it.
Daisy uses the Lighthouse computes to set up an alert in case any of the team is spotted. She discovers that the team is most wanted, and every local PD has their pictures.
A police officer pulls the van over and Coulson tells everyone to stay calm. Officer Kennedy pulls over and says that the van belongs to a local man. After a moment, he says that the man has been trying to sell it for months and asks Mack how badly did he get fleeced. Mack says that he's been looking for an old van and got it for a steal, and Kennedy drives along. Nearby, Deke appears in front of a building and realizes that he's been transported through time as well.
Deke looks around and takes in the world of 2018. He studies a tree in fascination and hugs it, and a woman comes over with her dog and says that she understands why Deke thinks the tree is pretty. After she goes, Deke finds a discarded ice cream cone in a garbage can. Before he can eat it, he sees a bar across the street and goes in. He asks the bartender for a beer, and takes a sip. Deke complains that it doesn't taste like it look and asks for something delicious. The bartender gives Deke a Zima and he drinks several of them and orders a hamburger and onion rings. As Deke goes, the bartender asks him to settle up and doesn't accept his metric. When Deke can't pay cash, he tries to run but trips. He tells the bartender that he's from the future and passes out.
The team abandons the van and takes the cloaked Zephyr. As they fly to St. Louis, Coulson winces in pain but dismisses it as a headache. Fitz and Jemma explain that the beam is being sent from Earth. The wavelength is unusual but familiar: it's the beacon that was used to call the Kree to Earth.
Mack finds Elena sitting in the cargo hold, and he tells her that Kasius was using Elena's future-self to mess with them. Elena worries that she can't let it go, and Mack tells her that they're going to change the future and they can't let Kasius in their heads. She seemingly accepts his advice and they hold each other.
Daisy's alert goes off and she discovers that the police have arrested Deke. She figures that he'll give away the team's presence and asks Noah to get him out. Noah refuses, saying that Enoch is reckless and Deke isn't an extinction level threat. Daisy decides to go and tells Enoch that she needs his suit.
When they arrive in St. Louis, the team breaks into the building where the signal is coming from. A physical firewall breaks their way to the beacon, and Fitz picks up someone inside. The team goes in and finds Agent Piper there. She recognizes them and explains that she came there to stop the beacon but doesn't know how to stop it from firing up again.
In his cell, Deke realizes that Chief Wellins and Officer Kennedy don't believe his story, and insists that he has friends in high places. Daisy comes in wearing Enoch's suit and says that she's Deke's state-assigned social worker. She claims that Deke wandered off during a day trip, and tells Wellins to check online to see that she sent out an alert. Kennedy notices the cuts on Daisy's face and makes a call.
Hale's assistant Candice Lee tells the general that S.H.I.E.L.D. has been spotted. The general tells her to keep them there.
Piper explains that all news of the final battle was suppressed and went off the radar. She saw the report about the beacon and recognized it from her first mission, and came there to take out any Kree. The company was on government contract and experimenting with the beacon, and it just turned on by itself. The beacon starts emitting its signal as Fitz and Jemma examine it.
Wellins releases Deke, who plays along with Daisy's deception. Kennedy tells them to hold on and says that there's still paperwork to fill out, and Daisy has no choice but to agree. She takes Deke to the side and he explains how he got there. Deke assures her that he didn't talk to the police about the agents, and thinks that 2018 is awesome. Kennedy asks for a phone number so he can follow up, and Daisy says that it's no problem.
Fitz and Jemma open up the beacon and remove the power source. When Fitz points out that a human installed the timing device on the power source, Piper draws her gun. A masked woman comes in with armed soldiers, and Piper admits that she cut a deal. The beacon was meant to call in S.H.I.E.L.D. so that they could capture them.
Melinda lowers her gun and nods to the others to do the same. Once they do, Piper says that she followed Coulson's orders. When they nabbed her, she told everything to Hale. Hale guaranteed their safety and wants to bring them in. The soldiers ask their leader for orders, and she tells them to kill the agents. Elena disarms the soldiers at superspeed, and the agents attack them hand-to-hand. Mack draws his gun and shoots one, blowing open his faceplate and revealing that he's an android. Meanwhile, Piper insists that Hale is an ally but Coulson tells her that she got played. He asks Piper if she's going to help them escape, and Piper says that she'll cover them.
The team heads out, shooting any of the androids that get in the way. The leader draws a circular blade and throws it as Elena speeds past her... and cuts off Elena's arms. Mack breaks free and runs to Elena, who collapses from the shock. The team gets into the elevator with the beacon, and Elena mutters that it's all coming true.
Daisy takes Deke to the Lighthouse and Noah greets them. He says that saving Deke from imprisonment was wrong. Melissa calls in and says that they need to land somewhere close. Daisy realizes that something is wrong, and Melinda tells her to hurry. The Zephyr lands in a hangar in the water and Jemma operates on Elena while Mack looks on.
The leader returns to her base.
Fitz and Noah take the beacon to the storage area with the other dangerous artifacts.
Daisy and Deke join the others and Daisy hugs Mack.
In Ruby's bedroom, Hale waits. The figure comes in and removes her mask, revealing that she's Ruby. Ruby says that she forced S.H.I.E.L.D."s hand and she let them go because Daisy wasn't there. She figures that if she keeps cutting off Daisy's friends' arms, Daisy will come. Hale tells her daughter that her work is sloppy and incomplete, and says that the beacon was a backup. She says that Ruby is a disappointment and at least the beacon will do what it's supposed to do, and walks out of the room and into the base.
Noah and Fitz are examining the beacon when Daisy comes in. Fitz assures her that there's no tracker in the beacon. Noah warns that the beacon is heating up and tells them to run. He tosses himself on the beacon just as it explodes.
In Philadelphia, Creel is jogging down the street when Hale pulls up in a SUV. He tells her that he's not interested in being the government's hired gun, and Hale says that she's putting together a team and wants Creel. After a moment, Creel gets in the SUV with her and they drive off.
Written by Gadfly on Mar 3, 2018