Dr. Van Kempen tells his patient Alex Braun--Werner Von Stucker--that they're proposing to give him an aggressive dose of thorazine. Van Kempen is holding them back because he doesn't think that Werner is a violent person, and says that Werner needs to open up about his physical torture and abuse at the hands of his father and S.H.I.E.L.D. Werner says that Van Kempen's daughter April just turned 3, and Werner heard about her when he talked to his wife about her in the hallway outside. Van Kempen is surprised that Werner knows where he lives, and Werner admits that he went through his doctor's garbage. He rams a pen through Van Kempen's hand, pinning it to the desk. Werner asks for thorazine as the orderlies come in and drag him away.
Jemma checks on Elena and says that she's stabilizing. Mack hovers protectively over Elena until she tells him that it's enough. Coulson comes in and says that he's feeling fine, and tells them to stop asking. He informs Elena that Fitz is going to work on making her prosthetics like his hand, but admits that it doesn't feel at all. Mack assures her that prosthetics won't matter to him and Jemma clear them out.
Outside, Mack says that they need to get out and get Fitz what he needs to fix Elena. Coulson warns that they have a lot of pressing concerns, just as Fitz arrives and says that the Gravitonium device they used to seal the rift isn't strong enough. He warns that they only have a few days before the rift reopens, and they need more Gravitonium. Daisy figures they can tackle both problems with one solution.
Later, Daisy briefs the team on a company, Cybertech. She last saw Gravitonium there, and they built cybernetics. The company has been dissolved, and they found the names that worked under Quinn. Deke comes in and Coulson says that he invited them because of his knowledge of Gravitonium from the future. Daisy brings up Dr. Joseph Getty, Quinn's Gravitonium researcher, and says that all of the Cybertech scientists are dead and their death certificates were signed by "Murray Jacobson". She tracked him to living undercover as a real estate agent in Baton Rouge. Coulson says that they'll leave and tells Deke to work with Fitz while he takes Daisy and Melinda with him.
Werner lies in a bed in his room and realizes that the door is open. he dresses and goes out into the hallway, and comes to a mess room. He grabs some food and picks up a knife, and then sits down and eats. Ruby comes in to get some food, and she doesn't hear him because she's wearing ear pods. Werner asks where they are but Ruby walks out without apparently noticing him.
Coulson and Daisy approach "Murray" in a parking garage. When they say that they know his other aliases, the man shoots at them, gets in his car, and drives off. Coulson calls Melinda and Mack, who cuts him off as Daisy and Coulson arrive. The man says that he doesn't take orders from anyone, and Mack recognizes him as Tony Caine. They laugh and hug, and back aboard the Zephyr Mack explains that they were roommates at the Academy. They kicked him out because he never went to class, and Tony asks why they tracked him down. Coulson explains that they're looking for Getty and he has information that they need. Tony explains that Hydra recruited scientists so he erased the lives of the scientists that they wanted. Mack explains that they're trying to save the world.
Deke finds a baseball and glove in storage, and Fitz tells him that they're in a highly volatile solution. Undeterred, Deke says that Fitz needs to take a break. When Fitz refuses, Deke suggests that he visit Jemma. Exasperated, Fitz agrees to play ball, but an alarm goes off as the rift flares. he warns Jemma via the intercom that anything she sees that isn't real doesn't exist.
Jemma finds Elena lying on the floor. Elena explains that she woke up and forgot that she had arms, and refuses Jemma's help. She breaks into tears and says that she wants to have children with Mack, and losing her arms is part of what she saw in the future they visited. Jemma insists that they will change it, but Elena doesn't believe her.
Tony and Mack talk privately and Tony wonders what happened that got Mack on the Most Wanted list. Mack says that there are dark things in the world that people shouldn't see, and he won't let his loved ones see it. Tony warns that the Deathlok program is a dead-end.
Coulson realizes that Daisy is hoping that one of the Cybertech scientists could keep Coulson alive like they kept Garrett alive. He says that he doesn't want another unnatural life extension, and tells Daisy and Melinda that they have to accept it. Once they leave, Daisy says that they're going to be Coulson's shield whether he likes it or not.
Ruby is exercising when Werner comes in. He asks where they are, and Ruby tells him that it's a safehouse and she lives there. Werner wonders why he's there, and Ruby says that her mother will answer. She throws one of her chakrams at a nearby target, and Werner recognizes a scar she got as a child and says that they played together as children. His father and General Hale beat him when he failed to protect Ruby, grabs her, holds the knife to her throat, and demands to see Hale.
Tony finds Getty on the beach and approaches him. Getty wonders if Hydra found him, and Tony says that he just needs him to find something. Mack steps up and says that they're looking for Gravitonium, and Getty warns that he can't be seen with criminals like Mack. Getty explains that he regrets working for Hydra but is paying for his sins, and Mack tells him that saving the world will pay for them all. He asks where the Gravitonium is, and Getty says that they put it on a transport ship, the Principia, to the Pacific but it sank during a thunderstorm and is five miles deep.
Back at the Lighthouse, Fitz tries to spot the sunken ship but finds no trace of it. Coulson calls in and tells them to keep looking. Jemma tells Fitz to get some rest, while Deke stares at the satellite images of the ocean. When he starts talking, Fitz tells him to stop and Deke angrily reminds him that they blew up the planet so he never saw the ocean. Deke storms off and Jemma tells Fitz to take it easy on their new ally. Fitz and Jemma talk about their wedding and kiss briefly.
Hale and two of her robot soldiers enter the gym, and Hale tells Werner to let Ruby go or they'll kill him. She explains that they had him transferred there and wanted him chemically lobotomized, and Werner says that maybe that's what he wanted. He releases Ruby and Hale says that it's good to see Werner, and Werner says that he wants nothing to do with Hydra. Hale tells Werner that she can use him and asks what he remembers from being in the memory enhancer. She's building a better future for Werner and Ruby, and asks if he can do it. Werner tells her to go to hell and tells her to kill him. The soldiers grab him, and Hale says that she's not going to kill him. They'll take him wherever he wants to go and is free, and the soldiers take him away. Once they're alone, Ruby tells Werner to do whatever it takes to get close to Werner and to not go off the rails herself.
Deke finds some Twinkies in storage and eats one. His mother--a manifestation from the fear rift--calls to him and says that she's been looking for him. Deke grabs a packing knife and prepares to kill it, but she tells him to put it down and figures that he likes his new teammates. His mother recites a bit of wisdom about taking small steps in the right direction, and says that her mother said it to her. She advises Deke to walk away, warning him what happens when he cares about someone. A Kree soldier kills her and attacks Deke, who manages to kill him. Jemma hears the fight and comes in, and invites him to come back. Deke angrily says that Fitz thinks that he's an idiot and where he comes from, there's no up and down, and then gets an idea. He runs back to the control room and tells Fitz to look up in the sky, suggesting that if the Principia got hit by lightning then the Gravitonium was triggered and lifted it up into the sky. Fitz and Jemma go to work.
Soon, the others in the Zephyr search the calculated area and find the Principia floating in midair.
Werner lies in his bed and has a nightmare. When he wakes up, Ruby comes in and says that she heard him screaming. Werner tells her that he remembers all the pain of the beatings like it's new, and Ruby says that she never knew her father and her mother is a tyrant. She admits that Hale is using her to get to Werner, and everything they let him do was planned to gain Werner's trust. Ruby tells Werner that he made the right decision to leave, and Hale only wants what's in his head. What Hale is planning won't be any different than Hydra or S.H.I.E.L.D., unless they make it their team instead of hers. Werner just wants to go somewhere far away, and Ruby tells him to bury the memories under newer happier memories. She put her hand on his shoulder and says that she'll understand if he's not there tomorrow. With that, Ruby smiles and leaves.
While Melinda, Tony, and Davis stay on the Zephyr, the others board the ship. Fitz and Jemma monitor the team from the Lighthouse. The team searches the ship and finds the dead bodies of the crew. The crew died of severe hypoxia, and as the team passes a robot soldier comes to life.
The team continues to the engine room and realizes that someone has already been there and taken the Gravitonium. Mack finds a piece of Gravitonium about the size of the softball, and Fitz warns that if they move it then it will disrupt the gravitational field holding the ship in the air. Deke tells them to box it up without touching it, and they have 90 seconds until real gravity takes over and the ship falls out of the sky.
Mack manages to get the piece in a box without touching it, and the ship starts to shake. The soldier blocks their way out and comes for them, and another one flanks them. Their guns have no effect, and Mack shoots one while Coulson takes on the other. Daisy joins in while Melinda tells them to get out of the ship. Daisy and Coulson manage to clear a path out, and Mack tells them to go while he handles the rest. Mack takes down the soldiers with his shotgun-axe and tells the others that he's bringing some guests. The team gets back to the Zephyr just in time.
Candice tells Hale that the supermechs that Hale left on the Principia came back online. Hale figures that S.H.I.E.L.D. found the Gravitonium.
Tony says his goodbyes to the team and tells Mack that he's going to do some digging on the Deathlok program.
Jemma tends to Elena, who apologizes for snapping at her earlier. She says that she's trying not to lose faith, and Jemma repeats the words that Deke heard from his mother earlier. He realizes that Jemma is his mother and stares at her in shock. After a moment Deke says that the others are back, and Jemma and Elena leave.
Fitz goes to meet the others as they return and finds Deke staring at him. Deke asks if he has a new sweater, and Fitz walks off with the Gravitonium and irritably tells Deke to come with him. Once they' alone, Mack shows Elena the beers he got her and something else: one of the supermechs and says that now they have arms for her.
Ruby goes to Werner's room and discovers that he's gone. However, she finds him in the mess room eating. Werner tells Ruby that she was right and the future is theirs, ad Ruby takes him to see Creel as he exercises and tests his limits. As Werner goes to Creel, Hale arrives and congratulates Ruby. She asks how she convinced Werner to stay, and Ruby merely says that she told him the truth.
Written by Gadfly on Mar 17, 2018