01x07 - The Hub

[bunniefuu]

1x07 - The Hub

INT: ???. A person with a bag over their head is being led down a hallway by two soldiers. They take the person into a room that looks t*rture-room-adjacent. They sit the person in a chair and take off the bag. Coulson is underneath.

COULSON: [sighs] I don't mean to alarm you, but I think you may have a mold problem. That sink with the standing water seems especially concerning.

A soldier punches Coulson in the face.

SOLIDER 1 [in Russian] (to his comrade): Just wait until the Interrogator gets here. He won't be smiling then.

[soldiers laugh]

COULSON [in English]: Looking forward to it.

Another figure—clearly the interrogator—enters. He stops in front of Coulson. He toys with some pain-inducing-looking tools on a tray.

COULSON (to interrogator): You have the intel on you?

The interrogator looks confused.

COULSON: They know.

INTERROGATOR: They know?

COULSON: We have three minutes, Agent Shaw.

[shouts]

May enters the scene. She fights the soldiers. Coulson's handcuffs spark and fall off. Coulson, May, and Shaw take out the soldiers around them. Ward enters.

WARD: Time to go, agents.

COULSON: Exit?

MAY: Follow me.

COULSON: I was wondering what you guys had been up to.

They run through the hallway, passing by knocked-out soldiers. May jumps up and grabs a wheel on the ceiling and turns it. It drops open like a port on a ship.

COULSON: Go.

WARD: All right.

He climbs up the ladder to the top. At the top, we see that he's in an area covered in snow.

[wind whistling]

Everyone else gets to the top and they all get on a sled.

SHAW: Um, where are the dogs?

COULSON: Don't be ridiculous.

A cable under the sled is snapped tight and it moves forward. We see the cables are attached to something inside the Bus and they are being pulled directly towards the Bus.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. logo title card.

INT: Bus lab. Shaw is looking at some sort of tool with worry on his face as the end of it opens and closes.

COULSON: I bet you're usually the one holding something like this.

We see that Simmons is the person holding the tool.

COULSON: Don't worry. She knows what she's doing.

SIMMONS: Whatever you do, don't breathe.

[Shaw inhales deeply]

SIMMONS: That was a joke. You should, of course, feel comfortable breathing if you need to, just not through your nose. And very minimally through your mouth.

On the monitor behind Simmons, we can see the tool is going up into Shaw's nose and nasal cavity.

[Shaw groans]

Simmons grabs a pill-looking capsule and extracts it.

SIMMONS: Ah. There we are.

[Shaw grunts]

[Shaw exhales sharply]

COULSON: That's all the intel you recovered?

SHAW: Ah. [sniffs] I certainly hope so.

Simmons opens the capsule and pulls out a microchip with a set of tweezers, which she gives to Coulson as he speaks.

COULSON: Well, thank you, Agent Shaw, for keeping it safe up there. We'll push this through to the Hub. In fact, we're headed there now to drop you off. Get you a change of clothes, a proper meal ... you'll be good as new.

Coulson heads out.

SIMMONS: The Hub? Really? How exciting. It's been ages.

Simmons follows Coulson out into the lounge area of the Bus. Fitz is there, as well as Skye. Fitz gets up out of his seat and sets down his coffee mug. Skye gets up too.

FITZ: Ah. Good. Done with that paranasal extraction nonsense. Do you need me to analyze the data?

COULSON: That won't be necessary.

SKYE: If it's encrypted, I can mine the chip for him.

COULSON: I'm afraid this mission's classified. Clearance level 8.

May and Ward have also walked in.

SKYE [confused] (at the same time as Simmons): Uh...

SIMMONS [understanding] (at the same time as Skye): Ah.

Coulson turns and walks away.

SKYE: Wait. What? He can just shut us out of the process like that?

FITZ: Well, he did say the mission is level 8.

SIMMONS: And we're not, so we can't know about it.

SKYE: Right, but this is normally the part where we all stand around the holocom and we learn about stuff. I mean, aren't we all on the same team?

FITZ: No need to get started on one of your socialist riffs.

SIMMONS: S.H.I.E.L.D.'s whole infrastructure is based on the hierarchy and compartmentalization of intelligence.

Fitz-Simmons head out.

WARD: Every agent can't have the intel on every mission. Makes the entire organization vulnerable.

SKYE: Okay, fine, but if I just fought my way out of an underground Siberian prison, I'd kind of want to know what for.

MAY: Coulson's got you used to the plane, the way we do missions here. The Hub is different.

SKYE: The Hub? What's the Hub?

We see the Bus parked in what looks like a large building. The screen tells us that we are in THE HUB. LOCATION: CLASSIFIED. We go into some sort of entryway and see people walking around, doing their job, etc. The team walks down the hallway.

[indistinct conversations]

SKYE: Wow. Didn't realize Big Brother was this big.

SIMMONS: Oh, this is nothing. Wait until you see the Triskelion.

SKYE: Everyone's wearing the same suit. Someone tell me why, please.

The group passes a reception desk and grabs something—a pass, likely—from the table. Everyone sans Skye, that is.

SKYE: Do I get one?

Coulson points to her bracelet.

COULSON: That's your badge, which means you've got a long way to go to even make level 1.

SKYE: Copy that. Does that also mean no access to any computers here whatsoever? I could run a search on the redacted S.H.I.E.L.D. file on my parents.

COULSON: Skye.

SKYE: But it just — It seems like the place they'd keep them, right?

COULSON: I'll look into it. But right now, we've got more pressing matters at hand.

The group comes to a stop as a man comes up.

COULSON: Agent Sitwell.

SITWELL: Agent Coulson. Good to see you feeling better.

They shake hands and the team continues walking.

SITWELL: Agent Hand's waiting for you in the situation room.

COULSON: And she doesn't like to wait.

SITWELL: So you know her?

COULSON: Only her reputation. After you.

SITWELL: Your level 7s can join us in the briefing.

They're in front of a door which has a terminal on the wall next to it.

COMPUTER: Say cheese.

[beeps]

[beeps]

The computer scans their faces, and Coulson and Sitwell are allowed to pass.

SIMMONS: Victoria Hand...

FITZ: Is here.

Skye approaches the door.

[computer warbling]

Her bracelet [snaps] magnetically to a plate outside door.

FITZ: Ouch.

SKYE: Is this your subtle way of saying I can't come with?

COULSON: We'll be back.

SKYE: Wha... [scoffs]

The doors close, separating the Bus kids from everyone who went inside.

FITZ: We should probably head over to the tech corridor.

SIMMONS: Oh, I can't wait to see the new chem-kit.

FITZ: Yeah.

Fitz-Simmons heads off.

SKYE: [sighs] I don't think it likes me here.

INT: another hallway.Sitwell, Coulson, May, and Ward are walking down it. We see a woman standing with her back to them inside a room with glass doors. As they approach, the doors open automatically, and the woman turns around. She has a red streak in her hair in order to let us all know that she's Badass! Hardcore! Etc!

COULSON: Agent Hand.

HAND: Agent Coulson.

They shake hands (no pun intended).

HAND: Nice to finally put a face to the name.

COULSON: Likewise. These are agents May and Ward.

HAND: Well, now that we've gotten that over with, here's what you can know.

[computer beeps] as the screens behind Hand change.

HAND: The intel you recovered from Agent Shaw tells us that a separatist group from South Ossetia has built a w*apon called "Ezbittometer."

WARD (translating): The Overkill Device?

HAND: A little dramatic for my taste. I imagine something was lost in translation. We've intercepted chatter that tells us they plan to use the w*apon in the next 24 hours to declare their independence from Russia and Georgia.

[computer beeps] as the screen changes again, showing a mess of wires likely powering some device.

HAND: We believe it creates sonic vibrations powerful enough to trigger weapons from a great distance — anything from the missiles on a helicopter to a nuclear warhead sitting in its silo.

COULSON: So if we move on them, they could use our own weapons against us.

HAND: Exactly. That's why I need a two-man team to sneak across the disputed border undetected, break into the separatist stronghold, and disable the w*apon in the next 24 hours. And you have two people who fit my bill.

MAY: Not a problem.

WARD: I was in Georgia during the incursion in '08. I still have contacts on the South Ossetian border.

HAND: And you'll have to use them. But we don't have specs on the device, so I need someone on the team who can identify and dismantle it on-site.

The group takes a moment to unpack this. Ward looks as if this is the worst day of his life.

WARD: Do you mean...

COULSON: I think she does.

INT: hallway. Fitz is pushing a cart down it towards a set of doors. He stops at the doors as they open for him automatically.

FITZ: I found a localized E.M.P., plus a few other party favors.

Just as the cart is going through the doors, the doors close on the cart. The doors continue to try to close (hitting the cart each time) as Fitz looks at the doors with exasperation.

FITZ: Oh, come on. What the— Open.

We can see Simmons and Skye waiting for him.

FITZ: It's stuck!

Coulson, May and Ward also arrive at the scene and see what’s happening. The whole g*ng is here to witness Fitz's extreme competence!

FITZ: The cart's stuck.

Fitz has his hands on the door, trying to pry it open.

[grunts]

They open a little bit. He turns to push the cart through.

FITZ: That's unbelievable.

The doors instantly start to close on the cart, still halfway through the doors.

FITZ: What the hell?! Who designed this?! In the Hub, of all places!

Fitz strains with difficulty as he tries to move the cart. Coulson looks at Ward with sympathy.

[grunting]

Fitz is finally able to push the cart out from between the doors. He loses his balance in the process, though, and when he rights himself, the doors are already nearly shut.

FITZ: Oh, that's—

The doors close, and we can't hear him any longer. We can see from his pissed-off mouthing that the end of his sentence was going to be "fantastic".

WARD: Seriously?

Fitz, still trapped behind the door, continues to struggle.

[Ward sighs]

INT: Fitz's bunk. Fitz-Simmons are on Fitz's bed. Next to them are a whole host of supplies, including walkie-talkies, water, a watch, tape, and a flashlight. Fitz is packing up. Simmons is fretting.

SIMMONS: I just can't believe you're going in dark, in hostile territory, without comms, lacking any real physical strength.

FITZ (talking over Simmons): I'll be fine.

SIMMONS: Did I give you an antivenin pack?

She picks one up and holds it out to him.

SIMMONS: The Caucasus have a plethora of highly endemic spider species—

FITZ: Jemma, stop. Stop worrying about me. I can do this.

He takes the pack out of her hand and puts it into his bag.

FITZ: Thank you. And don't you do anything rash while I'm gone...

Simmons looks at Fitz inquisitively.

FITZ: ...like jump out of an airplane.

Simmons gives Fitz a small smile and looks away. Fitz reaches to pick up the flashlight. Simmons puts her hand on top of Fitz's, stopping him. There are 18th century We Musn't Be Improper levels of tension in this touch. They stare at their joined hands.

SIMMONS: Well, you'll be careful.

FITZ: Yeah, I've handled worse.

Fitz tests the flashlight and then puts it into his bag.

SIMMONS! Oh, I almost forgot! I made you this.

[bag rustles] as she pulls out something wrapped in white paper and plastic with 'Fitz' written on it.

SIMMONS: Your favorite sandwich. Prosciutto and buffalo mozzarella.

FITZ: With your homemade pesto Aioli?

SIMMONS: Just a hint. [chuckles]

Skye appears at the door, holding a small black bag.

SKYE: Hey, is this what you wanted? Also, uh, w-what is this?

SIMMONS: Oh, Fitz. A full-sized mag pouch?

FITZ: Just one of the many tactical decisions I've had to make already.

SIMMONS: Hmm.

FITZ: And Ward said we needed it.

Fitz looks challengingly at Skye and Simmons. They look away.

INT: Bus briefing room. May is working the holocom as Coulson and Ward watch on.

[computer beeps]

MAY: You need to disable the overkill device by 0600 tomorrow in order to prevent the separatist att*ck.

COULSON: Once you signal S.H.I.E.L.D., the extraction team will get you both out. Take care of him.

WARD: Of course, sir.

Fitz enters.

FITZ: More moving, less talking, Agent Ward. Time's not on our side.

Fitz walks past the holocom. When he gets to the end of the room, he turns and smiles back at Simmons, who returns the smile. Ward, May, and Coulson all exchange looks. Ward follows Fitz. Once Fitz is gone, Simmons' smile drops, and she exits out the other way that the boys went. May follows.

SKYE: Does this feel okay to you? Shouldn't we be going with them?

COULSON: The people who put these ops together are the best of the best. They know what they're doing.

Coulson exits out the way the women went.

[Skye sighs]

A Jeep drives down a rocky road in what we're told is the CAUCASUS MOUNTAINS. Ward is driving the Jeep. Fitz is in the passenger's seat. As the Jeep rolls into a parking area, we can hear Fitz laughing at the story he's in the middle of telling.

FITZ: So Simmons, by this point, does not have a bloody clue. You know, we're in the back, trying to contain our laughter. So Simmons goes into the vacuum chamber wearing ... wearing a-a bunny suit. Um, we just call it that because it [chuckles] it covers your whole body. Um, so she's in the vacuum chamber, but when she takes her mask off to speak to me...

Fitz and Ward get out of the Jeep.

FITZ: ... she sneezes all over the Faraday cup...

[vehicle door closes]

Ward looks deeply unimpressed and deeply not in the mood. He takes off his sunglasses and shows Fitz how deeply unimpressed and deeply not in the mood he is, and starts to walk away.

[vehicle door closes]

FITZ: ...which is funny.

Fitz removes his sunglasses and hurries to catch up with Ward.

WARD: Do you have the beacon?

Fitz takes the beacon out of his pocket.

FITZ: Yeah. But it's funny because vacuum chambers are so dry...

Fitz is so into his story that he doesn't see that Ward is holding out his hand, waiting for Fitz to place the beacon in it.

FITZ: ... and this instrument was actually supposed to go into space. [chuckles]

Ward walks over and takes the beacon out of Fitz's hand.

FITZ: It had sensitive chemical components. [chuckles]

They're near some sort of decrepit building. Ward kneels and puts the beacon down.

FITZ: Simmons actually tells it a lot better than I do.

Ward walks away from the beacon and Fitz hurries to catch up with him.

WARD: Listen. My contact's Uri Dubrovsky. We'll pay him to get us across the border. We go back, but he doesn't like new people, so keep your mouth shut and your head down.

Ward enters the building followed by Fitz. The outside looks like a gas station but the inside look more like a bar. There is a soccer game on the television as the men sit around a bar and at tables drinking. Ward gets quite a few looks from the locals when he enters. He finds an empty space at the bar and leans in to speak to the bartender.

[crowd chanting "Rossiya" on the television]

[indistinct conversations]

WARD [in Russian]: Evening. Two vodkas, straight. One for me. And one for my friend, Uri.

There is another man sitting at the bar in front of the bartender. The bartender looks at this man, and the man finishes his drink and stands up. Ward seems to prepare for some sort of att*ck as Fitz walks up to him.

FITZ [in English]: Um, can you ask what beers that they have on tap?

BAR MAN [in English]: Uri's your friend?

WARD: Yeah.

BAR MAN: Uri's dead.

[g*n cocks]

BAR MAN: You have no friends here.

INT: Bus lab. The night-night g*n is sitting on a table, and it gets pushed to the side when a big box with the S.H.I.E.L.D. logo on it gets set on the table.

SIMMONS: Oh! No, no, no, no, no, no.

She grabs the g*n.

SIMMONS: Please be careful. [chuckles] Can you imagine what Fitz would do if the night-night g*n was broken when he came back? [sighs] Surely he'll be okay out there, right?

Men are walking back and forth between Simmons and Skye, loading things onto the Bus.

SKYE: Well, Agent May is level 7. Maybe she can give us an update on their mission.

May looks up from her tablet and stares.

SKYE: Does that mean that you do know something and you can't tell us, or that you don't know anything? Which non-expression is this?

MAY: We know what we're supposed to. When we have more information, we'll react. (to everyone) All right, clear out. I need to run some diagnostics, then reboot.

She walks past Skye and Simmons and towards the exit.

MAY: That means you two. Off.

Skye closes her laptop and Simmons gathers her things. They exit together.

[indistinct talking]

SKYE: [sighs] You guys may be okay with being in the dark, but I'm not into it. I need answers. And I know just the person who has them.

SIMMONS: Who?

SKYE: Coulson. I'm obviously talking about Coulson.

INT: room in the Hub where Coulson met Hand. They're standing in front of a large screen that shows various locations.

HAND: I'm going to need three more chalks queued up at the border.

COULSON: And a fourth standing by in Armenia?

HAND: Great minds.

[Coulson chuckles]

HAND: It must be nice to be off that plane. I understand you're almost through your recovery.

COULSON: The plane has nothing to do with my recovery.

HAND: I only know what I've read. Seems Fury has a soft spot for his favorites. Not everyone gets sent to Tahiti.

COULSON: It's a magical... place.

HAND: All I meant was it must feel good to be back in the big leagues.

COULSON: Two of my agents are the key to this operation. I never left the bigs.

HAND: Let's hope they're as good as you think they are.

INT: bar in Russia. Fitz and Ward are all tied up in a back room and I am not going to make any bad jokes about that.

[indistinct talking in Russian]

FITZ [whispers]: What's happening? Why haven't they k*lled us yet? I mean, I'm glad that they haven't k*lled us yet.

WARD: They're waiting for their boss, so before he gets here, we need a plan. How long can you hold your breath underwater?

FITZ: I don't know.

WARD: You familiar with the term "slam and cram"?

FITZ: No, and I d— I don't think I want to be.

WARD: How attached are you to your pinky?

FITZ: Very, very attached, and before you ask another terrifyingly vague question, let me be clear. Any plan that involves even one of those scenarios isn't going to work for me. As a matter of fact, I've —

A woman enters and stops right in front of them.

WOMAN: I heard you were looking for your friend Uri. And Uri was friends with separatists. Are you separatists?

WARD: No. We're here to stop them.

FITZ: Definitely here to stop them.

WARD: Trust me. If you could just help us get across the border —

[loud cheer of crowd chanting "Rossiya"]

WOMAN [in Russian]: Ah, I'm missing the game! [in English] You're wasting my time, so let me be clear. You've given me no reason to trust you. And trust is everything to me.

The bar man is next to her.

[g*n cocks]

[beep, electricity crackles]

All the lights go out.

[crowd booing]

INT: another Hub hallway. Skye rushes to catch up with Coulson.

SKYE: Hey. Fancy seeing you here.

COULSON: Skye, I told you I'd look into the file about your parents. No, I know. That's not why I'm here. I wanted to know more about Ward and Fitz's mission. Simmons is seriously starting to unravel without Fitz.

We see Simmons (who, yes, has seemed VERY unraveled without Fitz so far this episode) hurrying to catch up with them.

COULSON: I know it's hard to hear, but you don't have the clearance.

SKYE: But I have eyes.

They stop walking.

SKYE: I saw six squads in full tactical gear, three crates of RPGs, and a full crew of analysts headin' to operations. Are you really telling me that has nothing to do with ward and Fitz's mission? If I'm right, give me a signal by not saying anything.

COULSON: Trust the system.

Coulson walks off. Skye watches him go, shocked.

[Skye sighs]

Simmons pulls up next to her with a small smile.

SIMMONS: How did it go?

SKYE: Nothing. He's acting like a robot version of himself right now. If we want the truth, we've got to get it ourselves.

SIMMONS: Okay. How would you suggest ...

Skye is nodding conspiratorially.

SIMMONS: Oh, wait. No. No!

SKYE: Yes.

SIMMONS: No! I can't be a part of your bad-girl shenanigans. I like following the rules and doing what's expected of me. It makes me feel nice.

SKYE: Simmons, wake up! Ward and Fitz went on a top-secret, two-man operation, and look. There are more men. And either it's a bigger deal and they're not telling us, or something went wrong out there. And maybe there's nothing we can to do help, but we got to know if there is. What if they're injured or being tortured somewhere right now?

SIMMONS: Fitz. Tortured. ... What exactly do you have in mind?

INT: bar in Russia. Fitz is hanging upside down.

FITZ: Okay! Enough! Okay. A little to the left, Vladimir.

Vladimir, who is holding Fitz by the ankles, complies.

FITZ: Gentle! Gentle. That's it. Okay.

Fitz seems to be messing with something in the floorboards. We see Ward watching on with concern. Men are holding Ward's shoulders.

FITZ: Can I get a little more light down here, Marta?

MARTA: Of course, Mishka.

The woman from earlier (Marta) waves her hand at another man, who shines a flashlight at the area Fitz is working at.

FITZ: Thank you, sweetheart.

WARD: Little bear?

MARTA: I like watching him work, that little bear.

FITZ: Okay.

He hits a button. The lights come on, as does the television.

[cheers and applause]

Ward gives a small smile of appreciation. Vladimir sets Fitz back on his feet. Ward gives Fitz a look of respect, and Fitz smiles.

FITZ: It's nothing. Really. I'm just a man.

MARTA: [laughs] Get this man a drink.

FITZ: Oh, no. Here we go.

A sh*t glass is set down in front of him.

[clink]

He downs it.

[indistinct talking]

[laughs]

[applause]

FITZ: Mmm. Salty. So... let's talk business.

Outside, we see a big army truck driving down a dirt road. It reaches a checkpoint and goes through the gate. We hear Ward's voice before we see him, but once we do see him, we see that he and Fitz are inside the back of the truck with the cargo.

WARD: Two million rubles? We need to work on your negotiation skills.

FITZ: I thought they were like pesos. And anyway, you should be thanking me.

Fitz pulls something out of his pocket.

FITZ: I shorted the fuse box with my localized E.M.P. when we were tied up.

WARD: Really?

FITZ: Yes, and my plan worked because we're over the border now, aren't we?

[brakes squeak]

Fitz pulls on a baseball cap, as if that's a super high-tech disguise, or something.

[indistinct shouting]

FITZ: We're stopping. Why are we stopping?

[indistinct shouting]

WARD: Quiet. Stay here. I'll check it out.

Ward stands up and starts go get out.

[g*nshots]

Ward sits back down.

WARD: Okay. Maybe we'll both stay here.

[indistinct shouting]

Two guards approach the truck. Two barrels come flying out of it. Ward sh**t them, and they explode with some liquid, knocking the guards back. Ward jumps out and beats a guard down with his own g*n it's all very hot. A Jeep rolls up in the distance.

WARD: Fitz! More border patrol.

Fitz is already out of the truck and running away. Ward follows.

FITZ: Already moving! Hurry up!

INT: Bus lounge area. May is doing what looks like Tai Chi and boy does she look good doing it. Coulson sits down next to her. She continues doing Tai Chi.

COULSON: [sighs] Sorry. Am I disturbing you?

She says nothing.

COULSON: [sighs] You know, I like this plane. I like the way we do things here. Everyone's on the same page, no red tape. So far, it's working for us.

May gives him a look.

COULSON: Most of us. And maybe I'm getting soft, but I don't like keeping things from our team. If you knew —

May gives Coulson another look.

COULSON: No. You're right. Level 8. But —

Once again, May gives Coulson a look.

COULSON: [sighs] I know. Trust the system. [chuckles] May? Thanks.

Once Coulson is gone, May rolls her eyes and [sighs].

INT: hallway in the Hub. Simmons is outside another robo clearance terminal thing.

COMPUTER: Say cheese.

[computer beeps]

Simmons' I.D. pops up on the screen as she gets scanned . She's level 5. A door opens, and Skye is standing right next to Simmons.

SKYE: Okay, you have the flash drive. Go.

Simmons goes through the door. Skye continues to talk, which we soon realize is into an earpiece. We focus on both her and Simmons (italics for when we're not focused on the person speaking) as the scene goes on.

SKYE: I programmed it with a decoy crawler. It'll use my browser history to simulate my usual online activity, so while S.H.I.E.L.D. thinks I'm trolling reddit and facebook with the laptop you gave me.

SIMMONS: You'll be hacking the files for Ward and Fitz's mission.

SKYE: Right. And remember, once you plug it in, you'll only have about—

SIMMONS: Three minutes before S.H.I.E.L.D. catches on.

SKYE: Do you realize that you keep finishing my sent—

SIMMONS: Your sentences. I know. I'm sorry. Bad habit.

She gives two people she passes by an awkward smile.

SIMMONS: This is actually a bit thrilling.

SKYE: Ah, good. I'm glad. Now we've just got to figure out a way to get the panel open.

SIMMONS: Don't worry. I made a special something. It's what we do.

She holds up a device to the wall and [laughs]. She moves it in a circle. A handprint appears.

[whirring] as a panel opens up on the wall.

SIMMONS: All done.

SKYE: Really? Wow. Okay. Uh, now just find a USB port.

SIMMONS: Okay.

Simmons is busy studying the panel and doesn't notice that someone is standing next to her until he speaks.

SITWELL: Agent Simmons?

Simmons looks as panicked as a person can be.

SKYE: It's fine. Just play it cool.

Simmons' idea of playing it cool apparently involves her eyes going way too big, her smile going even bigger, and talking as if being strangled.

SIMMONS: [clicks tongue] Hello, Mr. Agent Sitwell, sir. May I help you? [chuckles nervously]

Outside, Ward and Fitz head towards a drainage pipe.

WARD: Drainage pipe. We'll wait them out over there.

FITZ: [panting] [sighs] We can't wait too long. If they use the overkill device, everyone on the border's in danger.

WARD: I'm aware.

FITZ: And that includes Marta and Vlad.

WARD: Oh, you're on a first-name basis now?

FITZ: [panting] Yeah, well, I'm just saying, their lives are on the line, too, so let's not get too comfortable. [panting continues]

INT: the Hub

SITWELL: Call me Jasper.

SIMMONS: Um, what brings you to this restricted hallway so late at night?

SITWELL: I could ask you the same thing.

SIMMONS: No. Don't. [chuckles]

SKYE: Simmons, focus. Just make up an excuse.

SIMMON: [clicks tongue] I was just on my way to the loo. [chuckles] I could swear it was two rights and a left, but is that it here?

Simmons points at the open wall panel, which could maybe be a bathroom door for a small woodland fairy, or something.

SITWELL: That's a wall panel. Why are you accessing it?

SKYE: Don't spiral. Just say something. Anything.

SIMMONS: [exhales sharply] You certainly have a gorgeous head, don't you?

Simmons twirls her hair awkwardly. Clearly, flirting is not her forte. We cut quickly to Skye, who mouths "what?!?" incredulously. Sitwell seems taken aback.

SIMMONS: I like men that are about my height, but heavier than me.

SKYE: Stop talking. Stop.

SITWELL: Agent Simmons, do you have authorization to access that panel?

SKYE: Say yes. Say you do.

SIMMONS: Oh! Y— of course.

SKYE: Great. Yeah.

SIMMONS: Of course. Um, I certainly have it right here in my bag.

Simmons unzips part of her bag.

SIMMONS (low, into comms): He's onto me.

SKYE: Stop talking to me! He can hear you!

SITWELL: Are you on comms with someone?

Sitwell pulls out a walkie-talkie.

SITWELL (into walkie-talkie): This is Agent Sitwell. I need an escort.

Simmons sh**t him with the night-night g*n.

SIMMONS: Aah! I'm sorry!

SKYE: Oh, my god. Oh, my god.

Simmons turns back to the panel and plugs in the flash drive. She looks down at Sitwell, grabs his feet, and moves him.

SIMMONS: [grunts] Okay. Okay. Oof.

She gets him out of sight and walks over to the door where Skye is still waiting.

SIMMONS: I've sh*t agent Sitwell. Good, good, good.

She exits the hallway and stands in front of Skye.

SIMMONS: Was that all right?

SKYE: That was terrible! You are terrible at this. That was a total meltdown.

SIMMONS: The night-night g*n was right there, and I — [takes in a deep, deep breath]

SKYE: We need help. You need to go get May.

SIMMONS: May?! No!

SKYE: Listen. That flash drive will only give me a few minutes of access to the Hub's mainframe to find out what happened to our boys...

[Simmons groans]

SKYE: ...so just go get May, okay? Just tell her it was an accident.

SIMMONS: [sighs] I'm going to be court-martialed.

SKYE: [sighs] I hope this works.

INT: drainage pipe in Russia. yeah it's large enough for me to say we're in the interior of it whatever we are. Ward and Fitz are waiting in there. Night has fallen.

FITZ: Why do you think S.H.I.E.L.D. sent in just the two of us?

WARD: I don't know. They said they needed a guy like you and a guy like me.

Fitz reaches into his bag to get something out.

[plastic rustling]

FITZ: [sniffs] Mmm.

WARD: Is that a sandwich?

FITZ: Simmons made it. My favorite. Prosciutto and buffalo mozzarella with a hint of pesto aioli. Here. You can have half.

Ward takes the entire thing and throws it.

[water splashes]

FITZ: What the hell?

WARD: There are dogs tracking us, and you bring a prosciutto sandwich.

FITZ: I can't believe you just did that.

WARD: This is a mission, not a picnic!

FITZ: Oh, I'm well aware it's not a picnic, Mr. Save the Day.

WARD: What's that supposed to mean?

FITZ: Oh, come on. You obviously get off on being the guy who always gets to throw the last punch, who always swoops in to save the girl. And now you've destroyed the world's most dangerous sandwich. Congratulations.

[indistinct shouting in distance]

FITZ: Well, I'll tell you something. I don't need to be rescued by anyone, Grant Ward.

Ward puts a hand over his mouth. Fitz tries to move away but Ward holds tight and puts a finger to his lips asking for quiet.

[dogs barking, shouting continues]

Once Fitz stops struggling, he can hear the voices and dogs barking. Ward points his finger up, letting Fitz know they are above them. Fitz angrily shoves off Ward’s hand. They both begin to relax as the noises become fainter.

FITZ: Yeah. And—

WARD: Listen. Before we left, Coulson told me to take care of you. That is what I am doing. Nothing more, nothing less.

Ward takes something out of a pocket on his shoulder and holds it out to Fitz.

WARD: Here. If you're hungry, eat this. It's odorless.

[wrapper crinkling]

INT: a room inside the Hub. Skye opens her laptop.

SKYE: [sighs] All right, boys. Let's find out where you really are.

[keys clacking]

[computer beeps]

Numbers and letters roll on her screen then a menu page pops up. The options are: Current Missions; Ops Analysis; Tech; Classified Data L5; Classified Data L4; Redacted Documents; Facility Systems; and Mission Archive. (Really handy menu, gives you all the options you could possibly need if you hack into their systems, way to be covert, S.H.I.E.L.D.) Skye clicks on the Current Missions tab. This brings up new options, what I see are a bunch of files titled “Tatical_Com Field Data” with various numbers following them. The camera, and presumably Skye’s eyes, track over to another option.

SKYE: "Redacted documents."

[computer beeps]

She hits that tab and more options appear on her screen. The file names here all appear to be as generic as the ones for the missions. Skye exhales a deep breath and looks over at her phone which shows a countdown. She’s got 1 minute and 11 seconds left.

SKYE: [exhales sharply] Okay.

A new box appears on her laptop. This one says “Enter Search Parms”.

SKYE: 0, 4, 26, 89.

Skye enters 04/26/89. Something new pops up on her screen and files begin to light in blue.

[keyboard clacking]

SKYE: [sighs] Okay.

More files are lighting in blue and she looks to her phone, 46 seconds left. The files that meet her parameters begin to open on her screen. Finally the redacted letter she showed Coulson appears on screen.

SKYE: There it is... if I could just access the raw file. [sighs].

There are 34 seconds left.

SKYE: Oh, crap. I don't have any time.

[keyboard clacks, computer beeping]

She returns to the mainframe menu screen, and once again hits on “Current Missions”. Once again a search engine pops up, in this one she puts “South Ossetia”. The computer scans through three files and pulls up one. At the corner of the screen is says OP_OVERKILL. As she sees this she types in “TROOP LOCATIONS”. There is some beeping noises coming over her computer and the map on her screen lights areas in green with red triangles inside the green areas. Small yellow dots also appear then blue circles seem to zero into a couple of places. One of the blue areas lights up and a pop up appears over it. It says: 2 MAN INFIL TEAM; TIMETABLE: 08:00; EXTRACTION: - -

SKYE: Oh, my god. No extraction?

Coulson appears.

[laptop closes]

COULSON: What did I tell you?

They both look pissed as hell.

SKYE: You told me to trust the system. And the system sent Ward and Fitz in there to die.

Outside, somewhere. Ward and Fitz are on their back on some sort of a tarp.

FITZ: Good day to be a rat.

Ward [sighs], deep and long-suffering.

FITZ: I mean, there you are, minding your own business, spreading filth and disease, scavenging for grub worms or rotten fruit, When lo and behold, you see it ... a prosciutto and buffalo mozzarella sandwich.

WARD: Fitz.

FITZ: With just a hint of pesto Aioli.

WARD: Quiet.

[wind whistling]

[rumbling in distance]

WARD: Feel that? A truck. It's coming. Zip up the mag pouch!

They do. The mag pouch blends in with the ground underneath them. A truck rolls up over them.

[metallic thud]

The boys are no longer on the road. The truck continues towards a building in the distance.

INT: yet ANOTHER hallway in the Hub! They're a big fan of their hallways here.

COULSON: I told you I'd get answers about your family.

SKYE: That's not what I was looking for! I was trying to find out what was happening with Ward and Fitz.

COULSON: That's a classified operation.

SKYE: It's a su1c1de mission! I saw it all — the troop placements, the aerial as*ault. Once Ward and Fitz disable that device, there's going to be a huge att*ck on that compound, with no extraction plan, and you hid that from us!

Coulson grabs Skye's arm and pushes her into an open room.

COULSON: I didn't hide anything from you. You don't have the clearance to know that.

SKYE: Is that really what S.H.I.E.L.D.'s all about? Level 5s are more expendable than level 8? Is that all we are, just a number to you?

COULSON: Are you done?

SKYE: I don't know. Am I?

COULSON: If S.H.I.E.L.D. keeps a secret from you, it's for a good reason.

SKYE: So they can hold all the secrets.

COULSON (talking over Skye): Don't interrupt! You just hacked a level-8 secure server, saw operational plans that you have no context for. If details get out, the whole operation could be compromised, lives could be lost, Ward and Fitz among them.

SKYE: I know. Those are two people we care about. On the plane, you're always telling me to think outside the box, so I went off book 'cause I was trying to watch their backs.

COULSON: Our team can go off book because there is a book. A Hub. An organization watching our backs. You claim that you want to be a part of that, a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. Do you?

COULSON: Yes.

SKYE: Because someday, I may have to trust you with a secret, and I need to know that you can keep it.

SKYE: Can I ask you one question?

COULSON: What?

SKYE: Did you know there was no extraction plan for Ward and Fitz?

COULSON: That's classified.

He turns and walks out.

EXT: a building in Russia. The truck enters the compound. Armed guards are moving about. The truck stops, and Ward and Fitz roll out from under it and start to move.

WARD: Okay. Go. Go. Go.

Fitz hurries forward with Ward right behind him. When Ward reaches him he puts his arm out and around Fitz’s waist, pushing him back more.

WARD: Shh, shh, shh.

Ward looks around and then waves Fitz forward.

WARD: Go, go, go.

Fitz gets to a door and takes his backpack off.

WARD: I'll signal extraction.

FITZ: Okay.

Fitz is holding a device in his hands.

FITZ: Simmons calls it "the magic window." You'd probably guess, "is that X-ray technology?"

As Fitz rambles, Ward clicks on the device he has in his own hands. It's a flashlight. He waves his hand in front of it to signal for extraction. He gets no response, so he does it again.

FITZ: There are actually s-band microwave antennae embedded in this sheet. But it's more like a radar system really.

Ward looks resigned and lowers his flashlight.

FITZ: [sighs] Okay. Let's see.

Fitz puts the magic window up against the wall.

[device beeps]

We can see some sort of infrared imaging of what's going on in the next room through the device.

FITZ: Okay. Okay, we have two guards on the West wall. Both carrying a*t*matic weapons.

A new figure (Ward (who we can see is not behind Fitz anymore), though Fitz doesn't realize this) enters.

FITZ: Correction. Make that three guards. We have three guards now.

Ward att*cks the guards.

FITZ: Oh, my god. Oh, my god, Ward. He's attacking the others! He's coming straight for us. Ward. Ward?!

The door next to Fitz opens. Ward is there.

WARD: Hurry. Inside.

FITZ: Ah. That makes sense now.

INT: building. Ward and Fitz move among a lot of smoking pipes. They stop in front of the device.

WARD: [sighs] This must be it.

FITZ: Weird.

[metallic clinking] as Fitz taps on the device.

Fitz closes one eye and looks through a tiny hole on the end of the device.

FITZ: Core must be inside here. That's what's important. The piping around it just serves to amplify and direct the sound, to trigger munitions from a distance.

WARD: Doesn't look like it could take a jet out of the sky.

FITZ: Well, you should know by now, Agent Ward, that looks can be deceiving.

Fitz takes a tool out of his backpack and holds it up to the bolts on the outside of the device.

[tool whirring]

WARD: Good?

FITZ: Yeah.

[both grunt] as they move the cover off of the device. Fitz looks at the inside of it in awe.

[device whirring]

FITZ: This is gonna take a while.

WARD: You have 10 minutes.

FITZ: I thought you'd say five.

Fitz looks at his watch and hits a button.

[beep]

INT: the Hub's control room. Hand is there. Coulson enters. They both look not so happy.

HAND: Agent Sitwell is in the infirmary. Apparently, a member of your team rendered him unconscious.

COULSON: A misunderstanding. I'll handle the matter internally.

HAND: Tranquilizing an agent does not qualify as a misunderstanding.

COULSON: You're right. But being told there's an extraction team in place when, in fact, there isn't? That does. I'm level 8. I'm entitled to information regarding the welfare of my team. You should have told me.

HAND: Seemed I didn't have to. And what would that have changed, Agent Coulson? You yourself have designed dozens of operations like this. You know how this works.

COULSON: Usually with an extraction plan.

HAND: Barton, Romanoff — they never have an extraction plan.

COULSON: They know that going in!

HAND: Agent Fitz is unproven in the field, and knowing would have caused him to lose focus or courage.

COULSON: That should have been my call.

HAND: I wasn't sure you'd comply. Your team includes an electronically tagged non-agent who is notorious for leaking secrets, which reminds me — How did you get this information again?

COULSON: I know what the safety of a thousand men is worth. I know the importance of taking the overkill device out of play. But I also know my men, and what they're worth! The decision to go in should have been theirs to make.

HAND: Perhaps. But you need to trust the system, Agent Coulson.

Hand turns and walks away, leaving Coulson seething.

INT: Russian factory. Fitz cuts something in the device.

WARD: All right. Show me the final steps to disable this thing. I'll get it done.

FITZ: No, we stick to the extraction plan. I'll be done in a minute.

[device whirring]

WARD: The extraction plan's a bust.

FITZ: What?

WARD: Exfil team didn't make contact. Once you take that thing apart and I set off the remote beacon, we're on our own. You should go.

FITZ: I'm not leaving.

Ward grabs Fitz's hand to stop him from working.

WARD: Fitz, there's no time to argue.

FITZ (talking over Ward): You don't think I can't handle this?

WARD: No, I am trying to protect you!

FITZ (talking over Ward): Ah, you think I'm a coward. Is that it?

WARD: What? No.

FITZ: I am every bit the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent that you are.

Fitz goes back to working on the device.

WARD: Whoa! You don't have anything to prove. What you said about me always needing to swoop in ... I know you would have jumped out of the plane to save Simmons. And she knows that, too.

FITZ: I'm not trying to prove anything to anyone. Okay? Before we left, you're not the only one that Coulson talked to, okay? He told me to take care of you, too. And that's exactly what I'm gonna do. I'm not going anywhere. You understand?

Ward nods.

[electricity buzzes]

FITZ: And I'm bloody starving.

INT: the Hub. The Bus is being lifted out of the building. We cut to the cargo bay of the Bus and we see May, Simmons, and Skye walking in.

MAY: You got the information. Now we react.

SKYE: We're gonna get our guys.

MAY: Somebody has to.

SIMMONS: What about the S.H.I.E.L.D. as*ault?

MAY: We won't interfere. You don't need a battalion for an extraction. Three can pull it off.

COULSON: Four's better.

Skye, Simmons, and May look up to see Coulson standing on the walkway area above the cargo hold. He grins.

SKYE: You're in? I thought we all had to be level 8 to discuss this.

COULSON: We're not discussing anything.

INT: Russian factory. Fitz removes a glowing yellow rod out of the device. He takes a hold of one of the wires and begins to twist.

[device whirring]

WARD: Ah-ah. Last chance, Fitz. Are you sure you don't want a head start? Because the second you pull that final wire —

Fitz pulls that final wire.

[whirring stops]

FITZ: Your turn.

Ward holds up something he has in his hand and presses a button, causing a red light to go off and for it to [beep]. We cut to the bar/gas station. We see the rock-like beacon that Ward placed on the ground right outside the building. It also begins to [beep].

INT: Command area of the Hub. The map that Hand has been staring at lights up.

HAND: Beacon's hot. The device is disabled. Mission's a go.

[indistinct chatter]

INT: Russian factory

WARD: Okay Fitz. Let's go. We need to slip out of here before they notice the device is powered down.

Fitz takes a piece off the device and holds it out to Ward.

FITZ: Got it.

[alarm blares]

[Ward sighs]

FITZ and WARD: We need a new plan.

Cut to commercial. When we come back, the setup is the same.

WARD: Are you sure this is gonna work?

FITZ: Yes. Theoretically.

[alarm blaring]

WARD: [sighs] Hurry.

FITZ: Okay. Finished.

[air whistling] as something—a m*ssile—whizzes through the air and then [explodes]. Our boys duck and cover. After things seem clear, they get back up.

FITZ: What was that?

WARD: [exhales sharply] S.H.I.E.L.D. They've started their att*ck, which means we don't have much time before they crush the compound. Get up there and take out as many of their weapons as you can with that thing.

Guards come down the stairs for Ward.

WARD: Fitz!

Fitz fires up the device in his hands and sh**t it at the guards, knocking their weapons out. Ward and the guards fight hand-to-hand, except Ward has a pipe, so really it's pipe-to-hand, and for the second time this transcript I am decidedly Not Making A Dirty Joke About Grant Ward.

FITZ: Behind you!

Ward sh**t him a "yeah, no kidding" look. Ward and the guard fight.

[grunts]

[explosions in distance]

Ward wins. Fitz comes down the ladder and stands looking at the knocked-out guards.

FITZ: I just did that.

WARD: Yeah.

FITZ: Okay. Let's go.

The two of them run out of the building.

[explosions continue]

[panting]

[indistinct shouting]

Multiple armed guards surround Ward and Fitz.

FITZ: You said they needed a guy like me and a guy like you, right?

WARD: Right.

[jet engines roaring]

FITZ: It's the extraction team!

WARD: Better. It's the cavalry.

We see that May is, indeed, in the cockpit of the Bus. She's wearing sunglasses and looking hot as hell. The guards turn their g*ns up towards the Bus.

WARD: Never get tired of seeing that.

The hover engines rotate and the wash from them hits the guards, knocking them off their feet. Ward and Fitz have large smiles as they watch it happen.

INT: the Hub. Sitwell opens a door and enters the command center and walks over to Hand.

HAND: Are Coulson's people clear?

SITWELL: They are. I thought there wasn't gonna be an extraction.

HAND: All our resources were needed elsewhere. And it's Agent Coulson's team. They didn't need one. Okay. Let's mop up.

INT: Bus cargo hold. Fitz and Ward are there. Coulson walks down the staircase to them. Ward shakes Coulson's hand.

WARD: Thanks for coming to get us, sir.

COULSON: We take care of our own.

Coulson shakes Fitz's hand and then walks off. Fitz takes off his backpack and heads over to Simmons, who is standing right outside of the lab. Ward picks up the discarded backpack with a small [grunt].

SIMMONS: Well done, Fitz. So glad you're all right.

Ward looks up after picking up the backpack to see May. She smiles at him and walks off.

FITZ: Yep. Good to see you, too.

There's a bit of an awkward pause as if they're at a loss for words.

SIMMONS: Oh! The sandwich — how was it?

Fitz just stares. Simmons' face drops.

SIMMONS: Too much Aioli?

FITZ: It was delicious.

Simmons' bright smile returns. They both bend down to pick up a metal box on the floor between them. Skye enters the cargo hold and walks over to Ward with a smile. When she gets close enough, she punches him affectionately on the arm.

SKYE: You know, for a second there, I thought I'd have to find a new supervising officer.

WARD: Sorry to disappoint.

He looks over at Fitz-Simmons, who are now inside the lab.

WARD: Truth is, I was in good hands.

Ward walks away from Skye. As he passes the lab, he and Fitz share a look of respect.

FITZ: I had Ward's back the whole time.

Simmons scoffs in an "of course you did" way.

FITZ: [chuckles] Yeah. Pretty much saved him from a g*ng of Russian mobsters and kicked a few guys' heads in. [sighs] But enough mission talk already. Um, anything exciting happen at the Hub?

SIMMONS [delightedly]: I sh*t a superior officer in the chest.

Fitz's grin slips.

INT: Skye's quarters. She sits on her bed, lost in thought.

[footsteps approaching]

When Skye looks up, Coulson is in the doorway.

SKYE: Hey. I was thinking about today, and I'm really sorry —

COULSON: I just wanted to let you know that I didn't forget about what you asked me. Back at the Hub.

SKYE: Uh, what do you mean?

COULSON: The un-redacted file about your past. I found it.

SKYE: [shaky breath] Oh. Uh, w-what did it say?

COULSON: The document wasn't about you directly. It was about the person who dropped you off at the orphanage. Turns out, it was a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent.

SKYE: A S.H.I.E.L.D. agent? Why? I mean, who? What does that mean? I —

COULSON: The agent was unidentified. We don't know if she was your mother or if she just found you on a doorstep.

SKYE: Mother? It was a woman?

COULSON: I put in a request to dig further into the files for any related materials, but right now, that's all I have. I'm sorry.

SKYE: Sorry? Thank you.

Skye wraps Coulson up in a big hug.

SKYE: Thank you so much.

[Coulson sighs]

Skye breaks the hug and gives Coulson a hopeful smile. He gives her a small smile in return and then leaves. Skye sits back on her bed, looking once again lost in her thoughts — this time, though, they're of a different nature.

INT: Coulson's office on the Bus. May is looking over some papers. She looks up at the sound of [Coulson's footsteps].

COULSON: You finish reading it yet?

MAY: Mm. What did you tell her?

COULSON: The truth. I told her a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent dropped her off at the orphanage.

MAY: But you didn't tell her why.

COULSON: I can't. Some secrets are meant to stay secret. Will you help me find out what really happened?

MAY: Dangerous waters. [sighs] But I can try.

COULSON: Thank you.

May looks down at the desk and spreads her arms apart, showing us a picture of a dead woman in the file (presumably on Skye) that May was looking at. She’s lying on the ground with a large pool of blood under her head. Next to that photo appears to be some sort of S.H.I.E.L.D. identification picture.

MAY: [sighs] Poor girl.

AoS logo end card.

INT: Coulson's office on the Bus. Coulson walks over to his desk and picks up his phone. He punches in some numbers and puts it to his ear.

[phone ringing]

MAN: Company.

COULSON: Yes, I need access to a restricted file. Bravo Charlie Yankee 307604.

MAN: Authorization code?

COULSON: X-ray 2896.

MAN: You're looking for a death and recovery report, sir?

COULSON: Yes, for a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. Mostly interested in his recovery. It took place in Tahiti.

MAN: I'm sorry, but you don't have access to that document, sir.

COULSON: There must be some mistake. I'm level 8. I have clearance for that file.

MAN: The system indicates that you don't. Would you like me to submit a formal request to Director Fury, sir?

COULSON: No. Thank you.

[phone clicks off]