Episode 18: Providence
Part One

S.H.I.E.L.D. Prison
Location: Unknown

Inside a cell, Raina folded a piece of paper, making an origami flower. She sighed, staring at the finished project. She stood, walking over to a shelf covered in origami flowers. Placing it on the shelf, she startled at the sound of a loud explosion.

Turning towards the sound, she could hear yelling and gun fire. A sly smile started to spread don her face and she sat patiently on her cot. She could hear more gunfire until it suddenly stopped. Keys rattled and she jumped when the door to her cell opened.

Stepping into the room, Ward gave her a sly smile that made her get worriedly to her feet.
"What are you doing here?" Entering the room, Ward set his gun down on a small table, along with his backpack. He pulled out a black box with a red ribbon out of the bag and turned to Raina, holding it out.

Her eyes darted down to the box then back up to Ward.
"A gift," he told her. "From The Clairvoyant." Eyes widening, she reached for the box, and he pulled off the lid with a flourish. She reached into the box, pulling out a red satin dress with black flowers.

The Hub

Today, world leaders are scrambling for answers after the world's most advance spy agency was crippled by a series of attacks. The president contends this is the biggest intelligence leak in world history. But what's even more disturbing, the documents released from SHIELD show clear evidence of human experimentation, stockpiles of WMD, all concealed by a massive cover up. With world security at stake, officials everywhere are calling for SHIELD…

Sighing, Coulson spoke to agents in the room.
"Find Agent Martin," he ordered. "We need a back channel to the U.N., someone we trust." An agent nodded, hurrying out of the room as Skye entered.
"I made a list of S.H.I.E.L.D. bases we believe are secure," Skye told him.
"How many so far? Seven?"
"Three."
"… plus, The Hub?
"Including The Hub. But, it's a preliminary list. I'm sure more will turn up."

Members of Congress are calling for an investigative panel, but it's still unclear who should be held accountable. Many of its leaders have vanished, leaving SHIELD fractured and powerless.

Skye tilted her head to the side.
"You were right all along," she said. He turned to look at her.
"Having all this out there in the world makes it too dangerous, and now… there's no one left to protect it."
"There's us," he corrected. "We were lucky enough to make it through. The Triskelion, The Hub… those battles are just the beginning of this war. Hydra's out there now, but at least our team's still intact. We can fight them, and we will."

Havana, Cuba

Ward led Raina into a barbershop, he smiled when he saw the barber.
"Welcome back, Mr. Ward. How 'bout a shave?" Ward reached up, rubbing at the stubble on his face.
"I think I might let it grow up, Ernesto. Think the missus might like it?" Ernesto winked playfully, turning away from his client. "If she can put up with you already, I doubt much will change."

A chuckle left Ward as Raina leaned in close to him.
"This is where we're meeting The Clairvoyant?" Ward glanced over at Ernesto's client.
"There's no need to call me that anymore." Spinning the chair around, Garrett grinned at Raina. "Name's John."

Standing from the chair, Garrett walked over to them.
"John Garrett." Raina gapped at him in surprise, and he chuckled. "Guess you were expecting more the fortune teller type." Holding out his hand, he offered it to Raina, who took it with a smile.
"It's an honor to finally meet you."
"Please, the pleasure's all mine. You've done great work for us on the Centipede project."
"It was your gift that showed me the way."

Grimacing, Garrett shook his head as he looked over at Ward. His partner merely rolled his eyes, chuckling.
"Sorry, Flowers. I hate to disappoint you. I never had any gifts, at least not the kind you believed in."

He moved away, looking at a mirror as he slapped aftershave onto his face.
"Just a very high level S.H.I.E.L.D. security clearance and persuasive personality."
"You're not clairvoyant?"
"Hardly. But if it's any consolation, you weren't alone in believing, not by a long shot."
"So… you're a liar. You're a fraud."
"An artist," he corrected. "A con artist, perhaps, but an artist all the same. Had to pull the wool over S.H.I.E.L.D.'s eyes somehow, to do what we set out to do. Remember what that was?"
"To change the world."
"Why don't you take a seat and let me show you how we're doing that?"

Walking over to the barber chair he had been sitting in, he patted it gently for Raina.
"Oh, don't worry, I wouldn't dream of letting Ernesto cut your hair." Raina walked over to the chair, Garrett holding out his hand to help her sit. "Welcome to Hydra," he said. She looked up at him with a worried expression as the chair started to descend into the ground.

The Hub

Fitz-Simmons stood in the cargo hold, working on something.
"You need to replace the grounding wires," Simmons told Fitz.
"There's no time," he said.
"Ramp needs to be repaired by the end of the day, Coulson's orders."
"What? Are they even proper orders? S.H.I.E.L.D.'s been destroyed, Fury's dead, aren't they just requests?"
"Well, either way, I'm in the middle of it. Stator, please."

Handing him the device, Simmons crosses her arms.
"Well, he's certainly not taking orders from anyone. We have no jurisdiction now that S.H.I.E.L.D.'s been labeled a terrorist organization."
"Powers that will be sorted out. All we can do is fix one thing at a time. Starting with this servo drive."
"Yeah. You're right." "However, you will need to replace those grounding wires."
"It's fine.
Fitz looked over to Trip, who was up on a ladder, looking into another hole in the cargo hold. "Okay, turn it on." Trip jumped off the ladder and flipped a switch, causing sparks to fly out the hole Fitz had been working in. Simmons yelped and Fitz yelled for Trip to turn it off.

Lunging for the wall, Trip flipped the switch off.
"You need to replace the grounding wires," he said. Fitz glared at him.
"You need to shush!" He glanced over at Simmons.
"Shush, both of you! Mmm? Honestly, ganging up on me." He marched out of the cargo hold, rambling as he went. "Think you're so smart, well, why don't you try to fix it?"

Inside the command center, Shye walked in to see Coulson and Sara. They were talking quietly, a furious expression on Coulson's face. Sara seemed indifferent to the conversation, but clearly something was going on. They paused when they saw Skye.
"Good news," she said, trying to defuse the tension. "The Cube has been retaken. All Hydra agents have been flushed out and are on the run."
"So that makes four."
"See, I told you more would turn up."

The doors of the command center opened again, May slipping inside.
"The hull's almost completely repaired," May informed them. "Flight systems are back online."
"And the cargo ramp?"
"Fitz assures me that I will be operational."

The large monitor in the room flashed red, Sara's eyes immediately darting to it.
"Incoming transmission," she said, drawing the others to it the screen.

It lit up with the image of a military man with a mustache.
"This is Colonel Glenn Talbot, U.S. Airforce, I need to speak to whoever's in charge over there." Coulson addressed the man.
"Colonel Talbot, I'm Agent Phil Coulson. I'm happy we could—"
"Mr. Coulson, it's a real mess your boys have gotten us into." "Hydra caught us by surprise."
"Well, that's an understatement. It's troubling how deeply embedded Hydra was within your ranks."
"Especially troubling for you, sir. But I assure you we're going on the offensive. The Hub is secure. All remaining agents stand ready to assist you in whatever—"
"I think we've had about all the assistance we can handle from S.H.I.E.L.D. I'm sending in a peacekeeping force. They're gonna take control."
"Understood. What shall I tell my men to expect?"
"We just want to ask a few questions, get the lay of the land. Everything checks out, you and your boys can be on your merry."
"Sounds good."

The feed cut and Sara crossed her arms.
"This doesn't sound good," she said. "He's lying."
"For sure," Skye agreed.
"If Talbot's leading the op, there's nothing peacekeeping about it," Coulson remarked.
"Base defenses are operational, we could hold out," May suggested.
"The last thing S.H.I.E.L.D. needs is to start a war with the U.S. government."
"What happens when Talbot gets here?" Skye asked.
"Best case scenario, we all get subpoenas," Sara answers. "Spend the next six months tied up in court hearings."
"Worst case scenarios?"
"Means they skip the subpoenas, move straight to the bunker busters."
"Bombs," Skye murmured. "Big bombs."
"All while Hydra's still out there," May said.

Sighing, Coulson looked to Skye.
"Get on the comms, we're enacting Odyssey protocol."
"Damn," Sara muttered.
"Odyssey protocol?" Skye asked. "What does that mean?"
"It means Fitz needs to finish his repairs," Sara said. "We're getting the hell out of here."

A few hours later, May and Coulson walked onto The Bus.
"A lot of agents are staying behind to surrender," May said.
"Wish they'd reconsider. We need all the help we can get to fight Hydra. How's The Bus?"
"Fitz managed to jerry-rig the ramp, but The Hub's fuel reserves were tapped out. We're running low."
"Talbot's landing in less than an hour. Can you get us up in the air or not."
"Have us wheels up in ten."

From nearby, Trip's ears perked up.
"So, you guys are all set to go?"
"I appreciate your help."
"Enough to give me a bunk?" Trip asked. "Seeing as you guys are down a specialist, I was hoping I could hitch a ride."

Across the hold, Sara's ears perked up.
"Not gonna happen," Coulson said. "But feel free to commandeer one of Hand's vehicles." Coulson went to walk away, but Trip called back to him.
"I'm sorry, is there a problem?"
"No problem. Just not letting you on my plane."
"Garrett had me fooled, same as everyone else."
"Everyone else wasn't by his side day in, day out."
"Friends of mine are dead because of him! Good friends!"

Sighing, Sara walked over to them.
"He should come with us… sir."
"Duly noted, Agent Reyes-Fitz." Trip didn't miss how Sara's shoulders straightened just slightly. "This isn't a democracy."
"Isn't it?" she shot back. "Technically, Coulson, we rank the same."
"There's no ranks anymore, Reyes-Fitz."
"We are still equals. Agent Triplett may have been Garrett's partner, but so was I. I served alongside Garrett and Ward for a while. Remember?"
"And you're on thin ice as it is."

The younger agent's teeth ground together, itching to lay into Coulson. But instead, she clasped her hands behind her back.
"He's coming along."
"You can't decide that."
"Can't I?" It was a clear challenge, both agents refusing to back down until Coulson sighed.
"I don't have time for this. He's your responsibility." Trip glanced over at Sara as her shoulders drooped and she toyed with her engagement ring.
"Thanks, Sara."
"Don't thank me yet," she said. "I think you'll regret your decision soon enough."

Sara sat in the cockpit, glaring out the window as May kept them in the sky. Coulson was making his rounds, asking for info from everyone. They had no way to keep from being detected, they had only a few days' worth of food, and, not to Sara's surprise, they had interest! Yay.

He was in a foul mood, she noted, when he entered the cockpit to join them. The two weren't talking, both still mad at the other.
"Any sign of Talbot's forces?"
"Not yet," May answered. "But we've only got eight hours of flight time before we have to land."
"No more than four, fuel line's leaking."
"Want to tell me where we're going?"
"I don't know."

Turning to Sara, he held out a cellphone to her.
"Give Ward a call. When you're finished, collect everyone's badges. It's no longer something we want to flash around."
"You're wiping the system?"
"Unfortunately. You no longer exist."
"Wonderful."
"When you're done, we need to talk. Privately."
"Of course."

A little while later found Sara in her bunk, dialing Hand's number, hoping to get Ward. She couldn't stand Hand, no matter what side the woman was on. The phone was picked up on the third ring.
"Sir?" Ward asked. "Is everything all right?"
"Yeah, when you guys get back, don't go to The Hub."
"Sara?"

She took a deep breath, trying to clear her head.
"Hey, Ward."
"Everything all right, baby?"
"If by all right you mean, we no longer exist, a trigger-happy Colonel threatened the hub, we've been evacuating, and you're still gone, then yeah, sure. I'm fine."
"I should be back soon, Sara. Hand picked up some Navy jets in the vicinity. She has us taking the long route to The Fridge just to be safe. Have any idea where Coulson has us heading?"
"No idea."

Havana, Cuba

On the other side of the phone, Ward was sitting across from Garrett. His partner seemed indifferent to the conversation but was watching Ward with interest.
"Seriously, Sara. How are you doing?"
"I'm no one again, Ward. For the hundredth time in my live, Sara Elizabeth Camilla Reyes-Fitz no longer exists. I was really hoping this one would."
"You're still Sara, darling."

A bitter laugh cut through the phone before it sobered and got quiet.
"Ward, I want out."
"Out?" He exchanged a look with Garrett, the older man seeming just as confused.
"I want out of S.H.I.L.E.D."
"How'd you mean?"
"As soon as everything is clear, I want to leave. I want to find a place in the middle of nowhere and settle down, or god, I don't know, move to Canada, and disappear into a random city."
"All right… let's talk when I get back, yeah?"
"Yeah… I love you."
"Love you too."

The moment the phone was down, Garrett started shaking his head.
"I never pictured you for a lovesick fool, Ward, not once. And if you are lying straight to her face with the love-dovey crap, I'm impressed."
"Sara's hard to not love. And anyway, it isn't without its complications."
"Oh, come on. You're not still upset about that."
"Shooting Sara was not a part of the plan. In fact, you promised she'd be safe."
"Then she shouldn't have tried to protect that girl? It was Reyes-Fitz own "bravado" that got her hurt. Listen, if the job was easy, it wouldn't—"
"Yeah, the job was to blend in, gather intel on Coulson's revival. That's it. You said yourself, you didn't want any bloodshed."
"That was before I found out Coulson didn't know squat. You know, you would've had an easier time if I have the kill order week one."
"Yeah, but you didn't."
"Don't forget what the assignment was," Garrett warned. "Don't forget who gave it to you and don't forget way. And cheer up! As soon as we're done, you can take Sara anywhere in the world you want."

Turning, Garrett led Ward into the lab where Raina was looking at the equipment she had previously used on Coulson.
"So, the equipment's here," she said, hearing them approaching. "What do you want with me?"
"Well, Flowers. I'm putting you back in charge of the Centipede project to finish phase three."
"It's Raina," she corrected.
"Sorry. Force of habit."
"I thought phase three ended when I couldn't get the truth about Tahiti from Agent Coulson. When they locked me up."
"On the contrary—"

Garret moved deeper into the basement and opened a door, leading Raina inside.
"—Your little bedside chats pushed him in the direction we needed." Raina almost gasped at the sight of two people lying on tables with sheets covering their bodies.
"Don't get me wrong," Garrett continued. "We've had more than a few setbacks."

The man pulled back a sheet that covered a man's face. Large welts and blisters had completely taken over the face.
"We've been testing new drugs. They all have different numbers. We thought one of them might contain whatever Jesus juice brought Coulson back from the dead."

He handed a container of vials to Raina, who carefully took them.
"Where did you find these?"
"At the facility where Fury operated on him. Coulson walked me in, hand in hand."
"I'd like to see this facility."
"Unfortunately, ran into a couple of security chuckleheads who decided to hit the kill switch. I loaded my vest with as many of these vials as I could find, but none of them seem to be working quite right."

Raina raised an eyebrow, nodding with interest.
"There's the look," he said. "I can see your gears turning now. I don't have any gifts, Raina, but you do." He took the vials back. "I can't succeed without your help." He put the vials back into a small fridge.
"I'll need money and resources," Raina said. "Your bank accounts are already fully funded."

Holding out a hard-drive, Ward walked up to Rania.
"This is a hard drive with all of Simmons and Sara's research. Both Coulson and Skye's blood work, all the data on the Guest House Drug. If there's a key to how this stuff works, you'll find it in there." He took it from her and started to walk away.
"If you need anything else, just whistle," Garrett said before following Ward.
"Where are you going?" Raina asked.
"S.H.I.E.L.D.'s most secure facility is vulnerable right now," Ward called over his shoulder.
"The Fridge?"
"Oh, you've heard of it?" Garrett asked. "Yeah, well… we're gonna raid it."

The Bus

Sara stood in the Command Center, typing in coordinates that Coulson and Skye found from Fury. It was putting them somewhere in the Canadian wilderness.
"What exactly are we looking for here, sir?" Fitz asked.
"It's unclear," Coulson answered. "Maybe a rally point of some kind?"
"Sir, have you and Agent Fury used this form of communication before?"
"Never."
"Then how can you be sure that—"
"Cause this is how he operates," Sara interrupted.
"Could be a trap," Trip suggested. "So far, everything has been a trap. Am I wrong?"
"Trip—"
"Hydra could have sent you those coordinates."

Stalking forward, Coulson held out his badge with the glowing coordinates.
"Nick Fury gave me this badge. When he did, I swore an oath. We all did. To serve when everything else fails, to be humanities last line of defense, to be the shield." He put the badge down, looking at each agent firmly in the eyes. "These coordinates mean something. I'm certain of it. Fury also gave me this plane. Anyone wants off, chutes are in the bay. Help yourself."

Havana, Cuba

Men stepped up to Garrett, giving him a report.
"We were outnumbered and S.H.I.E.L.D. pressed the advantage."
"You managed to make it out with the chopper?" Garrett asked.
"Yes, sir."
"No worries then. The Cube's small potatoes. Once we hit the Fridge and grab all the fun toys tucked away inside, we'll be able to take any base we want."

The solider immediately threw up his arms.
"Hail Hydra!" Garrett rolled his eyes.
"All right, all right. Put your arms down, Kaminsky." The solider slowly lowered his arms. "You look like a west Texas cheerleader at a pep rally." Garrett moved away from the solider, going to another man as Ward leaned down towards Raina.
"You were disappointed," he remarked. "That Garrett wasn't a real clairvoyant."
"There was a question I would have asked."
"Hmm."
"You've known him a long time?"
"Ever since I was a teenager. He pulled me out a hell. Saved me from myself."

A small smile appeared on his face as he looked at the ground for a second.
"So now do you know me?" he asked.
"You know how to work me?" Raina gave him a sly smile.
"I'm just curious. If I wanted to work you, I'd ask you about Coulson and his team and how you managed to gain their trust."
"I jumped out of a plane."

He nearly chuckled at the look she gave him.
"Deep cover tactics one-oh-one, perform selfless acts of bravery early on. So, I jumped to save the scientist. I had a parachute."
"May never suspected?"
"Agent May as the primary threat, but I'm engaged to her favorite student."
"I would never peg you as Agent Reyes-Fitz' type."
"I'm everyone's type," he joked. "Skye was the unknown variable. Being her S.O. put me in a position to be a sounding board, get an idea what she was thinking."
"And Coulson? He wasn't skeptical when you pressured him to join?"
"Coulson? Nah, he pressured me. You'd be surprised how often you get invited to the party when you don't want to go."

Standing up straight, he crossed his arms, mimicking the way he first spoke to Coulson.
"Sir, I was trained from day one as a specialist. I go in alone; I get it done. This team thing—not my speed." He leaned back against the wall as Raina gave him an impressed look."I gave Coulson a person he thought he could help. Plane was full of them."
"It's that simple? You really felt nothing for me? I mean, I spent time with Coulson. He's a good man. Someone who'd lay down their life for you. Don't you owe a man like that something?"
"Oh sure. But I owe Garrett everything."
"Yes, I understand. But when he orders you to hurt Sara? Will you be able to do it."

A stormy look overcame Ward's face. He shot the woman a stern look.
"It's Agent Reyes-Fitz to you," he corrected. "And Garrett will never do that. After all, he finds Sara amusing."
"She won't ever help you."
"You don't know everything."
"Are you really going to marry her?" He shot her another look but didn't answer. "You really do love her, don't you." Once again he was quiet.