The Quinjet arrives in Herefordshire, England, and Jemma confirms with Fitz that he packed extra explosives and ammo. He tells her that she made a choice and shouldn't look back, and tells Elena that Malick said there was a Hydra R&D base nearby there. As they prepare to jump, Jemma says that she thought they could come back to England for their honeymoon, and they all jump.
In the forest, Coulson and Talbot head cover and Talbot finally says that he needs to take break. When Coulson objects, Talbot says Coulson left him for months. Coulson apologizes for not finding him sooner, and explains that they were in the future. Talbot tells Coulson that Hale broke him and he let down everyone. He worries that he'll never be able to look Carla in the eye, and doesn't believe Coulson when he says that no one will see it that way.
In the Hydra base, Ruby discovers that someone has broken into the storage room. She checks the teleporter and realizes that it's been used, dons her mask, and teleports to the same coordinates that Coulson and Talbot used. Ruby spots their footprints in the snow and goes after them.
As they circle the area above the forest, Deke points out that they don't know in what time Robin's sketch of Coulson and Talbot is set. Daisy says that they should land and conduct a search on foot, and Melinda agrees.
As they go through the forest, Ruby finds them and throws the chakram at them. She misses, and Coulson and Talbot run. Talbot trips and as Coulson goes back for him, Daisy arrives and blasts Ruby away. She's there with Melinda and Deke, and tells them to get Talbot and Coulson back to the zephyr while she fights Ruby. Once they leave, Ruby removes her mask and says that she has Daisy's poster on her wall. She explains that she doesn't want to be Daisy, she want to beat her. They fight while Deke doubles back and prepares to shoot Ruby. He can't get a clear shot
The two women continue fighting and Ruby cuts Daisy's hand with her chakram. Daisy blasts her back, and Deke comes out and says that he thought Ruby had Daisy for a second. Hale's mechs open fire and a shot takes Deke down. Daisy helps him away, and Hale and her unit move in. She calls for an extraction team, and Ruby stands up and glares at her mother.
Daisy gets the injured Deke aboard the zephyr, and Coulson orders them to take off. Once they leave, Coulson and Daisy try to stop Deke's bleeding. They succeed, and Melinda says that no one is answering at the lighthouse.
At the lighthouse, Piper checks on Fitz and finds Mack locked in the cell. She lets him out and Mack goes to the control room.
Jemma, Fitz, and Elena approach the abandoned plant that is marked with dangerous radiation signs. Fitz and Jemma confirm that there is no radiation, and they continue on.
Daisy gives Deke some pills for the pain and tells him that they're landing soon. She tells him that what he did was reckless, and Deke says that he was acting like an agent trying to take Ruby's weapon. They argue and deke collapses, coughing. They arrive at the base, and Fitz tells the others what the others did. They don't have time to take Deke to a hospital, and they have Davis check Deke. She says that they'll have to operate there, and Mack offers to operate.
Back at the base, Ruby complains that Hale forced Daisy to run. Hale refuses to perform the infusion, warning that they're not ready until Creel tells them about the Gravitonium. She insists that they need creel for it, so she's putting Ruby back in her cage. Hale grabs Ruby, slams against the wall, and asks if she needs to force her. Ruby goes into the room and discovers that her things have been moved to a cell, and Hale slams the door shut behind her.
The trio enter the base and Fitz discovers where the power is being diverted. He picks up an encrypted radio signal within the base, and they hide as a truck pulls up. Three mechs and Superior get off and go in, and the agents figure that they've lost their advantage.
Mack operates on Deke as best he can, suctioning blood out of his lung while Piper provides instructions. Coulson and Talbot look on, and Coulson explains what they found out in the future. He admits that Daisy apparently cracked the planet apart, but he needs Daisy to led missions because of his old injury acting up. Melinda arrives and asks to talk to Coulson privately. Once they're alone, Melinda says that giving himself up to Hale was a mistake. She points out that Coulson isn't even trying, and warns that Daisy needs time. She's not ready for Coulson's job, and Coulson's time is running out because he's being irresponsible. Coulson says that he's accepted it, and would rather go out doing something that matters. Melinda tells him that he makes the decision with the people who love him, and admits that she loves him. Coulson is struck speechless, and Melinda walks off.
Werner opens the door of Ruby's cell and tells her that he found his father's journal that reveals how to work the infuser. Ruby warns that Hale won't let her, and Werner says that Ruby could tell Hale apart if she wanted to. He wonders why she doesn't, and Ruby admits that she doesn't know.
Fitzsimmons and Elena sneak into the base and hear Superior telling Hale over the radio that they've found the chamber. She tells him to keep it secure, and promises that he'll have his chance with it. Outside, the timed explosive that the agents planted goes off, and superior and his mechs go to investigate. They go into the room the mechs were guarding and find the parts for the infuser. Elena says to destroy it all, and Fitz finds the cylinder
Candice asks Hale if they can trust Superior, and Hale says that she wants to see what it does to human flesh first. The general tells Candice to stick to their contingency plan and send the message. Hale notices that the door to Ruby's cell is open and goes inside. Ruby is staring out the barred window, and says that she and Werner have nowhere to go. She'd never run from Hale, and says that her mother has let her control her and she doesn't know why. Hale says that she has great plans for him, and Ruby points out that Hale wanted a choice but has never given her one. The girl says that she's tried to be Hale, passing every test and learned every lesson, but it's not enough. All Ruby has ever wanted to do is please Hale, and admits that Hale is her one weakness. Hale hugs her daughter, who says that she's Hale one weakness. She throws Hale to the floor, walks out, and locks the door behind her.
Werner shoots two of the scientists and tells the last one to get the Gravitonium ready for transplant. Ruby joins Werner and says that they're free and clear.
Daisy visits Talbot, who instinctively starts to attack her when he remembers the LMD with her face shooting him. He controls himself and says that he knows Daisy didn't shoot him, and tells her that bringing him there is too much of a risk. Talbot asks to talk to Carla, but Daisy warns that Hale is looking for them and they can't risk it. Briefly flying into a rage, Talbot says that he abandoned his son George, and Daisy tells him that she might be able to get word through a secure channel. She then asks Talbot to tell him everything he told Hale about them.
Fitz smashes a vital component while Elena barricades the door. Jemma determines that the infuser scans an element at the atomic level and merges it with the incipient. The machine has been upgraded since it was used on Creel. Fitz figures that they've been through it all before in the alternate timelines, and Elena tells them that she learned from her future self that trying to save Coulson led to the end. The mechs start smashing open, and Elena tries to superspeed out to take their guns. She stops, moaning in pain from her arms.
As Mack operates, Mack tells Davis that he can't decide whether he's terrified for Elena or furious at her. Piper blames herself for cooperating with Hale, and Mack tells her that they make up for it by fixing something else. Deke starts to flatline, and Mack removes the bullet and clamps the artery to stop the bleeding. When Deke goes into convulsions, Piper gives him a shot to knock him out and stabilize him. Now Mack has to sew the artery shut.
Fitz says that the arms weren't meant to go as fast as Elena does, and he can't recalibrate them before the mechs break in. Jemma tells Elena that they'll hold them off while Elena gets back to the Quinjet. When Elena says that she can stay and fight, Jemma and Fitz says that they never leave each others' sides. The mechs break in, and Jemma and Fitz fire as Elena runs out. The couple take cover and Jemma assures Fitz that she's fine that they never had a honeymoon. They then return fire on the mechs, shooting back to back until Jemma's gun jams. They take cover and Fitz warns that he's running low on ammo.
Elena comes face-to-face with Superior, who draws a knife and prepares to attack her.
As they shoot at the mechs, Jemma admits that she was wrong about their being indestructible.
Superior tells Elena that he can't feel pain, and she smashes open his chest to realize that he's part machine. She shoves him through a nearby window onto the ground below. When they hit the ground, the mechs around Fitz and Jemma shut down as Superior deactivates. Overhead, superior's jet flies off.
Deke wakes up, and Mack and Piper tell him that he didn't die. A drugged-up Deke asks if Daisy is there, and rambles about how he wants to kiss her but she doesn't like him. He then tells Mack that he's cool and asks if he should shave his head. Deke points out that Daisy protected him, and Mack turns up the sedative so that Deke passes out. Daisy comes in and says that they got a ping from the mechs' signal transceiver.
Fitz confirms that the mechs went off-line, and figures that they're safe. He tells Jemma that he was having his doubts about how time couldn't be changed, just as Ruby and Wenrner come in and hold them at gunpoint. Stucker sees the infuser and tells Ruby that the agents destroyed a critical component, and Ruby tells Jemma to fix it or die. Jemma tells Fitz that they can't let it happen again, but Fitz says that they don't have a choice and never did.
Talbot looks at a tablet with a phot of him from before his accident. Daisy comes in and tells him that they got a lead on Hale. She says that it would have made a difference if she'd known her father cared when she was growing up, and gives Talbot a shielded phone so that he can call his son. Talbot makes the call and Carla answers. She says that she got a few progress reports after the Air Force took him, and Talbot asks her to tell George that he loves her and he's getting better. At home, Carla reads a script saying that he should comply. She asks if he's ready to comply, and Talbot says that he's happy to.
Written by Gadfly on Apr 14, 2018