Melinda and Mack take a team into the room but find no one. There's no sign of their teammates and they don't respond on the comms. They receive reports that Eli has been spotted, and go after him.
The tac team leader and his men approach Elli, and he turns with the piece of pure carbon. He drops it and it shatters on the floor, and the tac agents collapse as the shards shoot into them. By the time Mack and Melinda arrive, Eli has left the building and let a wall of carbon behind him to deter pursuit.
Later, Jeffrey watches the video of the explosion. Daisy says that they don't know what happened and figures that the machine ghosted their teammates. Melinda doesn't believe it and neither do the others, and Daisy says that they have to let Jemma know so she can solve it. Jeffrey agrees, and Melinda figures that Eli set the whole thing up to acquire the power of the Darkhold. When they prepare to after him, Jeffrey says that they need to study the tech first and find Eli's weakness… and a way to save their friends.
The SHIELD agents take Jemma to a lab and the scientist in charge says that they need her help. She puts on a hazmat suit and goes into the quarantine room, which contains a terragenesis cocoon in progress. The head scientist explains that the subject has been gestating for seven months, and his identity is classified. They want to know what he'll become.
Mack approaches Melinda, who wonders if Daisy was right and their friends aren't dead. She shows him the Darkhold and Mack reminds her that Coulson ordered them not to open the book. Melinda figures that it's their only shot at saving them. Jeffrey comes in and Melinda closes the bag with the Darkhold. Mack tells Jeffrey that he's found a lead to track down Eli. He figures that the Chinatown crew was working with Eli and might know his location. Jeffrey says that they'll follow the leads once they study the tech, and tells him to prep the dead tac team agents. He and Melinda will go on ahead in the Quinjet, and Radcliffe will examine the cargo. When Melinda wonders if Jemma approved it, Jeffrey claims that they talked to her but they'll proceed while she returns in a few hours.
Gabe talks to Daisy about how he was worried that he was holding Robbie back. Daisy tells the teenager that he grounded Robbie, and he loves Gabe more than anything. She figures that Robbie and the others aren't gone, and Gabe figures that he'll go straight for Eli. They're interrupted when Mack prepares to ride out to find Eli's Chinatown crew. When Burrows tries to stop him, Mack knocks him back and drives off.
Earlier
At the power lab, Fitz walks down the hallway to the control room and finds Coulson. Coulson explains that Eli locked himself in the chamber, and Fitz figures that they got hit by the fallout when Eli blasted himself. Melinda and Mack come in but they don't see or hear Fitz. Fitz and Coulson soon realize that they're out of phase with reality and can't be seen, heard, or touched.
Robbie confronts Eli, only to discover that he's out of phase. he can only stand by and watch as Eli kills the four tac team agents. Coulson and Fitz arrive and confirm that they can see Robbie.
On the Zephyr, the intangible trio watch and realize that the lights are darker and it's hard to hear the real world. Fitz says that they're stuck between dimensions the same way that Lucy and her people are. Coulson figures that they were pulled further than Lucy was, and Fitz tries to call Jemma until he realizes that he can't contact her on his phone. They hear Melinda and Mack talking about the Chinatown team, and Robbie figures that he can help them. He can't summon Ghost Rider because the demon is fighting him, and Coulson vows that they’ll find a way to get back to the real world.
Fitz follows Jeffrey. He talks to Burrows, who says that he couldn't reach Jemma because they confiscated her phone. Robbie goes with Fitz and asks if he's a doctor, but Fitz listens to Jeffrey as he talks to Senator Nadeer. The Director says that he needs Jemma back immediately because lives are on the lines, and Nadeer hangs up on her. Robbie says that he's freezing and collapses, moaning in pain. Fitz takes him out to the sunlight to warm up.
Coulson tries to get through to Melinda without success. She talks to herself, insisting that Coulson isn't dead, but then takes out the bag with the Darkhold. As Coulson insists that she can't use it, Mack arrives and they discuss using the Darkhold. Robbie's moaning echoes through the Zephyr and Coulson goes to investigate. He says that Ghost Rider is being dragged down but won't go, and the demon spirit leaves Robbie... and enters Mack to find Eli. Mack rides off and Daisy goes after him in Robbie's car. Robbie says that if he's being dragged down to Hell then it might be his chance to take Eli with him, gets in the car, and leaves with Daisy.
Daisy pulls up to Mack as he drives down the street, and he tells her to stay out of his way. The motorcycle speeds forward with a burst of hellfire, and Daisy follows him through a narrow alley. The car heals itself as it's damaged, but she gets caught in traffic.
Once they learn what happened, Jeffrey meets with Melinda in his office where Radcliffe and Aida are examining the boxes. He explains that the boxes harness energy from multiple dimensions, but they can't figure out anything further. Melinda takes out the Darkhold, and Jeffrey excuses himself to tell the dead agents' family. Once he leaves, Melinda tells the SHIELD scientist on duty to leave and then gives Radcliffe the Darkhold. He opens it and then closes it after a moment, shocked. Radcliffe tells Melinda that it's too much for a human mind to bear, but Melinda refuses to accept that.
Jemma examines the cocooned Inhuman realizes that he's nervous, and has the room cleared. When the head scientist objects, Jemma advises him to keep her happy because his bosses brought her there. The scientists comply, and Jemma removes her suit and introduces herself to the figure... and says that she's there to help him. She takes his hand and the cocoon starts to crack open.
Mack drives into the warehouse the Chinatown gang are using. They run for cover and Mack takes down two of them and captures the third, Zhi, as his eyes flare with hellfire.
Radcliffe warns that she can't handle the Darkhold, and Aida suggests that she could try. Her creator refuses, and tells Melinda that Aida is an android. Aida says that she was designed to save lives. Radcliffe explains that Fitzsimmons helped with Aida's creation, and Melinda tells him to use Aida because she's the tech they need.
Daisy is driving down the streets and passes the warehouse as the two of the gangers run out. She drives in and attacks the remaining gangers, and then hears Mack apparently talking to himself. When Daisy approaches him, the vengeance demon says that he's never going back and takes Mack's body.
Earlier
Robbie has no choice but to ride along with Daisy, and warns her that Mack can't control Ghost Rider. He realizes that he's running out of time and yells at her to go left to the ganger warehouse. The left turn signal comes on, the car linked to Robbie, and Daisy realizes that she's there.
On the Zephyr, Coulson and Fitz watch Radcliffe and Melinda discuss having Aida reading the Darkhold. Fitz refuses to give up, and tells Aida to read the book. He tries to get through to the android, telling her to read the Darkhold. After a moment, she suggests that she read the book. Fitz tells Coulson that Aida is an android and can process the Darkhold to get them home. When Coulson says that it wasn't Fitz's call, Fitz says that Coulson isn't the Director anymore. Coulson used to make decisions and then stepped down. Fitz reminds Coulson that he and Daisy gave up, but he and Fitz built Aida to protect agents like Lincoln. Coulson angrily says that he had to step down so the others could continue with SHIELD, and Fitz yells that the new Director sent Jemma off and now he's alone. When Coulson says that Jeffrey would never hurt her and he's in the fight, Fitz hopes that he's done the right thing. Aida reads the Darkhold and it has text that only Aida can see.
Jemma pries apart the cocoon and the man inside thanks her. Before he can give his name, the agents throw a bag over her head and drag her out.
Daisy drives into the warehouse and takes out the gangers, and Robbie goes after Mack. He calls to Mack, who can see him, and Robbie realizes that he's facing Ghost Rider. Robbie says that there work isn't done and they need to stop Eli, and the vengeance demon says that Robbie's time is over. "Mack" shoves Zhi away and tells Robbie that he's fulfilled all of his vengeance. Robbie says that Eli is his blood and he needs to deal with him, but the demon figures that Eli will meet with him.
To Coulson and Fitz, the environment gets darker as they're pulled down. Meanwhile, Aida has an interdimensional gateway constructed following the instructions in the Darkhold. She tells Melinda that Coulson and Fitz are there, and weaves the energy strands from the gateway. The darkness starts to swallow Coulson, and Fitz grabs his arms.
Aida warns that they're running out of time.
Robbie tells the demon that he can't hold onto Mack's body forever because Mack doesn't have vengeance in him. The demon says that Mack has lost hope and it can feed on his pain for years, just as Daisy arrives. It says that it knows where Robbie is being dragged to. The vengeance demon says that it's never going back and takes Mack's body. Ghost Rider advances on Daisy, and Robbie staggers forward.
Aida says that she's ready and Radcliffe turns on the power. The gateway opens, revealing Coulson and Fitz on the other hand. Radcliffe warns Melinda that she can't go through, and she yells at Coulson to fight it. they make a final effort and get through the gateway to the real world.
Robbie tells the demon that it needs him, too, and says that if it settles its score then he'll settle all of the demon's scores. After a moment, it touches Robbie and transfers back into his body. Mack collapses to the floor, and tells Daisy that Robbie took the demon out of him. He assures her that he's not in pain and he's okay, and says that Robbie took the demon to Hell.
Fitz confronts Jeffrey and demands to know where Jemma is coming from. Before he can says that he heard Jeffrey's call to Nadeer, Jemma arrives and Fitz hugs her.
Coulson reminds Melinda that she broke her promise to open the Darkhold. She makes it clear she would do it again, and Daisy returns. She tells them that she doesn't know if Mack is okay but Robbie is gone. Mack got a lead on Eli's location, and Coulson tells her that they'll follow it up.
Mack sits alone by the gateway, crying. The gateway activates and Robbie comes through. Mack says that he knows Robbie isn't alone, and Robbie asks him if he wants to help settle his last score.
Radcliffe is in his apartment drinking and playing the guitar, and singing about how he saved the day. Meanwhile, Aida is in the other room creating a hologram of a brain.
Written by Gadfly on Nov 30, 2016