Agents of SHIELD: Nexus

It was amazing how much better his shoulder felt without the bullet lodged in it. It was far from ok, but miles better than it was. He made his way to mission control to see Daisy sitting with her laptop, if the main screen had anything to do with what she was working on, there was still no signs of the other half of the team. He almost wanted to try to consul her but knew better than to bother her while she was so focused. He started to turn when something pinged. He glanced at the screen as a flashing red dot appeared in the mountains near Chicago. His heart sank. He knew what that was, hoping that Fitz wasn't stupid enough to charge back into that place without backup. 

"It has to be Blue Ravin Ridge," Mick said as Coulson, May, and Mack entered the room. 

"What makes you think that?" Daisy asked as Mick shuddered. 

"I broke in and out of that place, and it's supposedly a top secret military base," Mick said somberly. "Doesn't surprise me that she would have a base of operations there." 

"But why keep goading us into going back there?" Mack asked as they turned to Coulson. 

"I'm hoping it's not why we're all assuming it is," he replied as Daisy clenched her fists. 

"Then we'll just go and take them back," Daisy growled. 

"And walk right into her trap?" May asked.

"Nobody said you had to go," Daisy said flatly. 

"I'll go in and handle it," Coulson stepped forward. 

"No you won't," May sneered. "Daisy and I can handle this." 

"I'm going too," Mick said sternly. 

"No you're not!" Daisy snapped. 

"I know that place better than anyone in this room," Mick's emotions flared. 

"Maybe not everyone," Coulson said as Mick glared at him. 

"Six months," Mick grunted as Coulson shook his head. 

"You are still recovering from a gunshot, you aren't cleared for combat," May said as Mick simply stared at her. 

"Either I'm going because you let me, or I'm camping on the quinjet. Either way, I'm going," Mick grunted as May rolled her eyes. 

"Fine, but you're staying on the jet," Daisy said as Mick wagged his finger. 

"We'll see," Mick challenged much to everyone's surprise. 

"So what's the play?" Mack asked as Daisy shook her head to refocus. 

"You and Coulson stay here, tend to Talbot and Robin, keep an eye out for any relay from Jemma or the others. I'll take Mick, May, and Piper." 

"Alright," Mack said as Coulson didn't look happy at all. 

Piper seemed nervous in her ability to fly the Zephyr with May sitting right beside her. Mick sat with Daisy on his right, keeping his face forward. The on board computer began pinging catching everyone's attention. Daisy moved to check it out. She seemed quite taken back drawing Mick's attention, and May's as well as she walked out of the cockpit and into the passenger hold. 

"What's with the look?" May asked as Daisy shook her head in disbelief. 

"It's an SOS beacon," Daisy said nervously. "Not only that, there was a jet that left there a few hours ago heading somewhere fast." 

"Like a quinjet?" Mick asked as Daisy shrugged. 

"Either this is a very elaborate trap, or something went down there," Daisy replied with a shudder. "I can try to make contact if you guys think it's a good idea." 

"If we make contact, our element of surprise is gone," May said firmly. 

"If it's one of ours sending it, surprise doesn't matter," Mick said as he and May exchanged disapproving glances. 

"It's your call, you're the one in charge," May turned to Daisy, and Daisy glanced nervously between Mick and May. She then buried her hands in her head clearly torn over how to proceed. 

"Let's wait until we get a little closer," Daisy said unsure of herself. "Maybe I can get a bead on the fleeing jet and an idea as to where it was heading." 

Mick and May both sighed heavily, both disapproving of the plan, but accepting it. 

"What's the ETA?" May called out to Piper. 

"About an hour," Piper called back. 

"You don't have that long if we have to turn around and chance the quinjet, especially if they were being pursued," May said as Daisy seemed consumed by doubt. 

"What would you do if you were in charge?" Daisy asked desperately looking at May. 

"I don't make those decisions," May said as Daisy frowned. "But, if I did, I'd want to make sure it wasn't my guys calling for help." Daisy seemed a bit relieved as Mick glanced at May curiously. "I don't like taking those kind of chances, but for our little family, there isn't one I wouldn't take." 

"I never knew you cared so much," Mick teased as May went to punch him, stopping just before his left shoulder as he gasped in anticipation. "Sorry, won't press that button again." 

"Good call," May nodded and smirked as she started back to the cockpit. 

"How's the compression suit on your shoulder?" Daisy asked looking over his sleek black suit.

"Not bad," Mick admitted as he looked over the suit himself. The webs on the sleeves and legs, the dark silver spider across the chest, as well as the same colored diamond pattern down. He was quite impressed with the way it all came together. He loved the fact that Fitz had redesigned the SpiderFangs to now have more of a beam saber feel. Sure, the blade could cut through metal, but could easily be toned down as to only stun a person rather than instantly cutting through them. It was quite impressive. "It definitely pressed on the stitches, but I should be fine as long as I don't use that arm too much." 

"I don't want you getting off this plane," Daisy said as Mick shook his head. 

"If you're going in, I am too. I'm not leaving your side," Mick said firmly. "Katherine Hale isn't to be trusted in any situation. She already tried to kill you once, I'm not going to give her another shot." 

"Why are you so stubborn?" Daisy asked as Mick simply smirked. 

"You already know why," Mick said as the computer pinged again. 

"There's a call coming in?" Daisy said as she and Mick exchanged a look of doubt, then she opened it.

"SHIELD?" Hale's voice came over the radio. "I guess that's better than nobody." 

"What do you want?" Mick barked in response. 

"We have a problem that goes hand and hand," Hale replied sourly. "My daughter and her team are heading to a HYDRA facility in England to confront your friends." 

"Then why send out an SOS?" Daisy asked suspiciously. 

"Ruby was trying to make sure I couldn't follow her," Hale said, her voice seemingly shaking. "Her friends destroyed several of my jets and tried to destroy this facility as well." 

"Why would they do that?" May surprised Mick and Daisy as she returned. 

"Ruby heard about an odd rumor, and now wants to become the Destroyer of Worlds," Hale said as the three exchanged a deeply concerned expression. "She intends to use a device that can infuse Gravitonium into a body, much like the one used on Steve Rodgers that made him Captain America." 

"Who would give her such a psychotic idea like that?" Mick asked furiously. 

"She must've heard your friend Coulson talking about it during his stay here," Hale said almost remorsefully. 

"And who's fault was that?" May sneered. 

"We don't have time to play the blame game right now," Hale responded. "If they succeed in their mission, then the whole world is in danger, and they'll start by killing off your friends." 

"I need the location of that HYDRA facility, now," May snapped. 

"I'll send over the coordinates if you do one favor for me," Hale said firmly. 

"What?" Daisy snapped. 

"Please save my daughter," Hale's tone was pure, mortifyingly genuine. "Kill her friends if you have to, I just don't want to lose her." 

Mick, May, and Daisy's faces all screamed doubt. They weren't sure of a good way to proceed. Mick knew better than anyone, Hale never seemed to care about anyone or anything. But then again, she only shot once when they rescued Coulson. Maybe she was genuine? Maybe Ruby was Katherine's weakness? 

"Fine. We'll do what we can," Mick broke the silence only to see a look of surprise from both Daisy and May. "But you're turning yourself in as a HYDRA sleeper, and clearing our names afterward." 

"Fine," Hale's response was more surprising. "Anything, as long as you save Ruby." 

The line disconnected leaving the concerned looks from both May and Daisy directed straight at Mick. Following the disconnect another ping came through, this one with coordinates. "How do we know this wasn't her plan all along?" May asked as Daisy nodded in agreement. 

"Something about her tone," Mick said as May glared. 

"You're letting your heart strings get pulled," May grunted. 

"I don't think so," Mick shook his head. "All the time I spent around General Hale, she never once had an ounce of emotions. Stone cold, never compassionate. She couldn't hide it at all just now." 

"I agree with May, this screams trap," Daisy said as Mick stood his ground. 

"Then we go, just to see if Fitz and the others are there. We find a quinjet, then we'll at least know they're there," Mick said as May seemed reluctant. 

"What's your call?" May turned to Daisy who once again seemed torn. 

"I know I said don't trust Hale, ever," Mick said as Daisy looked at him empathetically. "I just feel like we should do this. Plus, it's what Coulson would do." 

"He's right," Daisy sighed, only for May to roll her eyes and huff. 

"You just had to go there," May said with a frown. "You're not wrong though. I'll get us turned around and see if we can catch up. You guys check in on the guys at base." 

"You know this is a trap, don't you?" Daisy asked after her quick briefing with Coulson.

"I'm holding on to hope that I'm right on this one," Mick said as Daisy leaned her head on his right shoulder. "I really hope Coulson is right about some good being in everyone." 

"I like to believe he's right about that too," Daisy said with a sigh. "It's just hard to believe people that willingly work with HYDRA can be good." 

"Agreed," Mick said leaning his head down on Daisy's. 

Nine hours was a long time to be on a jet, but nothing compared to the days they spent on the Bus, but despite how homey the Zephyr felt, it never felt quite as homey as the Bus. Thankfully they had plenty of time to work on what to do in the off chance it was a trap. Mick would be relegated to back up, Daisy would use the Icers rather than her powers due to Gravitonium being highly volatile and an unknown amount on location. May would be the lead, and Piper would be at the helm ready to take off at a moments notice. It wasn't exactly fool proof, but given the circumstances, there wasn't much of a chance for it to be. Hopefully Fitz and the others were ok, that was the biggest concern at the moment. 

They landed just outside the fence to the facility, seeing two quinjets, one in the field a little way off, the other inside the fence on a helipad. There were several disabled robotic guards. They were eerily lifeless the way they collapsed to the ground, arms and legs as if they had just given out and bent in unnatural ways. 

"I sure hope this isn't a sign of things to come," May said skeptically. 

"I don't know, them being lifeless seems like a good sign," Mick said as May shrugged. 

"To each their own. If they're here, they can be activated," May said as they made their way toward the large yellow factory looking building. 

"I don't think they're getting up again," Daisy pointed toward a lifeless Ivanov, blood and oil mixture coming from his fractured skull. 

"Well, that's one good sign," May stated. 

They entered, hearing yelling coming from deep within the building, followed by a gunshot. They began running hoping they weren't too late. They entered a large room, seeing a capsule like machine with a large clear tube connected to a huge metallic box. Surrounding the machine stood Jake, Bri, Werner Von Strucker, and Ruby Hale. Fitz and Jemma stood near a wooden wall that had several gashes in it, while Patten knelt on the ground, holding a downed Deke. 

"It's about time you showed up," Jake remarked darkly, in his hand a pistol he had pointed directly at Jemma. 

"This makes me hunting you down so much easier," Bri sneered at Mick. 

"It'll be a good way to test the power of the Gravitonium," Strucker said in a calculated tone. 

"Then let's not waste any more time," Ruby said as she stepped into the machine. 

"Kill them, starting with her if they dare try to stop us," she pointed at Jemma before nodding that she was ready. 

"Sounds fair enough," Jake smiled impishly. 

"Ruby, don't do this!" Daisy called out. 

"Don't talk to me like you care!" Ruby called out. 

"Are you sure you're ready for this?" Strucker asked as Ruby nodded. "Starting the machine now." A few keystrokes and the machine closed, trapping Ruby inside with only a glass window allowing her to smile victoriously at her foes. The metallic silver liquid began to flow through the tube, and into the machine, moments later, smoke began to flow around Ruby's face. 

Within seconds, Ruby began screaming out. "What's happening to her?" Strucker cried out barely audible over Ruby's agonizing. 

"Turn it off!" Mick called out as both Daisy grabbed him before he could run toward the machine, while May made a move toward Patten and Deke. 

"I can't!" Strucker yelled in frustration. 

"Then I'll get her out the old fashion way!" Jake bellowed as he rushed the machine. 

"I'll try to contain the smoke!" Bri called out as she ran to Jake's side. 

Jake then slammed his metal arm into the machine, the impact shattering the glass. Bri focused her powers, pushing back the Gravitonium as Strucker seemed relieved to see the machine shutting down. Ruby continued screaming, both pain and terror on her face. She twitched violently as Jake carefully pulled her out, inhaling the Gravitonium as well. He laid her down before grunting and convulsing himself. 

"Jake!" Bri called out as she knelt between the two, grabbing Jake's metallic hand only to recoil as the now condensing Gravitonium latched on to her hand, quickly crawling into her skin like a parasite. 

"What's happening?" Ruby a panicked as her hands trembled. 

"Your body is adjusting," Strucker said as he knelt down beside her. 

"It hurts so bad," she said as Strucker looked at her with tremendous concerns. 

"So we'll be stronger if we survive this?" Jake gasped in pain.

"Well, from my understanding, it's a rather big if," Strucker replied as Jake writhed with Bri at his side. 

"Why are there voices in my head?" Bri cried out as she clutched her head. 

"You hear them too?" Jake winced as he looked toward her. 

"They want out! They're trying to control me!" Ruby cried as Strucker looked toward Fitz and Jemma. 

"What can we do to stop this?" He begged for an answer. 

"We told you this stuff is unpredictable," Fitz said at a loss for words. 

"Shut up Hall! You were told to thoroughly study it!" Bri cried out, her voice mixing with a strange man-like tone.

"You wanted to mess with things you didn't understand!" Jake replied, his voice now mixed with another odd tone, sounding like someone else. 

"I'm glad she tricked you, you deserve to suffer Quinn!" Ruby cried out, the man-like tone sounding almost like the one from Jake. 

"Quinn and Hall?" May seemed to be analyzing the situation as best she could. "Like Ian Quinn and Doctor Franklin Hall?" 

"That would explain why they have been oddly MIA for so long," Daisy said as May nodded. 

"You don't think that stuff absorbed them?" Strucker asked in horror as the metallic box began to tremble violently. 

"I don't think we have time to discuss it right now!" May barked. "We need to get out of here!" 

"Take them and go!" Daisy ordered, as May nodded. "I'll deal with this." 

"Over my dead body," Mick said as he stood firm at Daisy's side. 

"Take care of her!" May barked as she led Fitz and Jemma out, helping Patten to carry the bloodied and unconscious Deke. 

Jake pulled himself to his feet and glared at Mick and Daisy as he seemed to be returning to normal. "I think we could have a lot of fun right now," Jake taunted as he helped Bri to her feet. 

"Are you really willing to risk your life for her?" Bri asked as Mick nodded, eyes full of determination. 

"How sweet," Ruby taunted as she stood up, then a wave of power pulsed around her, knocking everyone back, and Strucker into the box of Gravitonium. 

He began screaming out as the lid clanged to the ground, at the liquid wrapped around his arm like a snake. "Oh God!" He screamed out trying to pull himself free. "What's happening?" 

"No!" Ruby screamed out as she desperately reached for him. 

Another shockwave launched Strucker deeper into the snakelike substance, it crashed around him like a wave before falling back into the metal box, leaving no trace of the boy whatsoever. "No!" Ruby cried out, falling to her knees. "I didn't mean to," she began crying profusely. "Please come back to me!" She wailed. 

"This is your fault!" Bri screamed. "If you wouldn't have come here this wouldn't have happened!" Wind ripped around her as she glowered at Mick and Daisy before her. 

"Bri, don't do this, please!" Daisy begged as Bri ignored her. 

"Gah!" Jake screamed as he clutched his head. "Stop arguing! Just shut up!" He dropped to his knees, his body trembling once again. 

"We can find a way to stop this, we can save you!" Mick called out as Bri launched a massive wind burst, sending both him and Daisy crashing into the wall. 

"It hurts so bad! Make it stop!" Ruby cried out collapsing to the ground, barely holding herself up on her hands and knees as she whimpered. 

"What's going on?" Bri gasped as her wind powers faded and her arms began to shake violently. 

"Bri!" Mick cried out as she fell to the ground, small rips appearing on her skin, blood trickling out. "Bri, we can help you! You have to calm down and let us!" 

Daisy ran to Mick's side as he pulled Bri into his lap, his eyes tearing up as he watched helplessly as her skin began to unstitch itself. "Not you too, please no." Mick wept. 

"I never dreamed this would happen," Jake said weakly as he crawled to Bri's side, looking at her blood covered face. 

"I held your sister like this when she died," Mick sobbed as Bri's blue eyes looked into his, full of regret. 

"You really did care about her, didn't you?" Bri asked as Mick nodded, she then looked at Jake, who was now unraveling as well. 

"I'm sorry," Jake winced. "I never wanted it to end like this." 

"I love you," Bri said reaching out for Jake. 

"You too," Jake wheezed as he coughed up a copious amount of blood, grabbing Bri's hand as he struggled to hold himself up on his metallic arm. 

"Please save Ruby," Bri whispered before going completely limp. 

Mick couldn't move, he didn't know what to do, much less how to do it. He felt Daisy's arm on his shoulder, and it was the only thing keeping him tethered. Jake collapsed on the floor beside him, a pain filled last breath. How had it come down to this? Why did they have to die? Why did anyone have to suffer like this? 

"We can't stay here, we've got to get the lid on this stuff before it tries to consume anyone else!" Daisy said as Mick snapped back into reality, hearing the box shaking violently once again. 

"No!" Ruby pulled herself back up, forcing her arm out, sending Daisy crashing into the wall. "You don't get to have a happy ending!" 

"Ruby stop!" Mick called out scrambling to his feet. 

"Why should I?" Ruby kept her eyes locked on Daisy as she seemed to struggle to breathe. 

"I promised your mother I'd try to save you," Mick said as Ruby dropped her focus on Daisy, turning to Mick skeptically. 

"My mother sent you?" Ruby's anger burned. "She doubted me that much, she called on SHIELD to save me?" A terrifying amount of power radiated around her as she stepped closer toward Mick, who was easing his way towards Daisy and the door. 

"She's worried about you Ruby," Mick said as Ruby snarled in a wolf like fashion. "She cares about you." 

"Lies!" Ruby bellowed as a pulse of energy blasted Mick off his feet, into the doorframe, just out of reach of Daisy. 

"You ok?" Yo-yo asked as she helped Mick up, looking at the unconscious Daisy beside him. 

"I will be once she calms down," Mick panted, feeling the warmth of blood on his left shoulder, and the twinging pain of ripped stitches. 

"My mother never cared about me! She never cared about anyone but herself!" Ruby screamed as another wave pushed him and Yo-yo backwards. 

"She's the one who took my arms," Yo-yo gasped as she helped Mick regain his balance. 

"She was being used by HYDRA," Mick said as he felt Yo-yo trembling. "What are you doing?" 

"She's the Destroyer of Worlds," Yo-yo gasped as Mick's eyes widened. "I can end this, I can save the world!" 

He quickly reached for the blade on his side, praying he was quick enough. The quick blue flash, was followed by several loud screams. Ruby stepped backwards, looking at Mick in horror as she fell to the ground, Yo-yo dropped to the ground her arms clanging loudly on the ground as she screamed in pain, blue electricity coursing over her body. Daisy barely holding herself up watching in confusion. 

"What did you do?" Daisy asked as Yo-yo writhed in pain beside her. 

"I kept my promise," Mick said firmly as he pointed his blade at Yo-yo. 

"You attacked me!" Yo-yo growled through her pain. 

"You were going to try to kill Ruby," Mick growled back. "We need her alive." 

"Like hell we do," Yo-yo said as she glowered at Mick.

"You don't get to make that call," he said firmly. 

"And you do?" Yo-yo asked as Daisy helped her up. 

"I do," Daisy huffed. "We don't kill unless we have to." 

"But she's going to destroy the world! We all saw what that monster can do!" Yo-yo said as Mick kept the blade ignited as he made his way toward the unconscious Ruby.

"You don't know that she did that," Daisy said as she paused and looked back at Mick. "Sure you can carry her?"

"I'll be fine, keep a good grip on Yo-yo," Mick grunted as he sheathed his blade, then picked up Ruby, making his way toward the door. 

They made it outside, only to see a military helicopter hovering overhead. "What have you done?" Katherine Hale's voice came over a loud speaker. "Do you see that? They killed her!" 

"What?" Mick gasped as he saw two guns pointing at him from the side of the copter. "She's just unconscious!" Mick called back. The Helicopter spun around haphazardly as Daisy held out her hand, pulsing it so they couldn't get a good shot. 

"You were right, she can't be trusted," Daisy said as she kept the helicopter at bay as they made their way to the Zephyr. 

"You'll pay for this!" Katherine bellowed. "I'll make you suffer! Go get them!" Creel fell to the ground, his face screamed pain and suffering. 

"Not if you want to see tomorrow," Patten's voice came from the quinjet that now had it's guns pointed directly at the helicopter. 

Hale must've known she was outmatched, as the helicopter turned, fleeing just as quickly as it arrived. "Please, make the voices stop," Creel begged as his body that once resembled the black metal returned to his normal tan coloration. 

"You too?" May asked as she ran down the ramp to aid Creel. "We'll get you some help, I promise." 

"Think you can play nice for a bit?" Daisy asked Mick passed by Yo-yo. 

"Don't talk to me," Yo-yo snapped as she staggered into the passenger area. 

"I'll get a team to handle clean up, you get her to FitzSimmons," Daisy said as Mick nodded.

"Is she," Fitz started as Mick carefully laid Ruby on the bed of the medical pod.

"No," Mick said as he felt more ripping in his shoulder. "She's alive, a bit unstable, but given that kind of trauma, I think I would be too." 

"What about the others?" Jemma asked as she knelt down, looking over Ruby. 

"They weren't so lucky," Mick said remorsefully. "It basically ripped them apart."

"That's horrible," Jemma said as Fitz didn't seem to share the same sentiments. 

"Think there's a way to save her?" Mick asked as both Jemma and Fitz shared a look of deep concern. 

"Without a lot of trial and error, there isn't much we can do," Jemma said somberly.

"Even the slight tinkering I've done with the stuff was highly experimental," Fitz said with a sigh. "There's just no way to know if she'll even survive given the other outcomes you told us about." 

"Don't talk about me like I'm dying," Ruby said softly. 

"You're awake," Mick looked over at her. 

"Why did you stop your friend from killing me?" Ruby seemed surprised. 

"No one deserves to die," Mick said as Ruby looked toward the ground. 

"Because of me, all of the people I cared about are gone, I think that's worthy of death," tears began to trickle down her cheeks. 

"I've been there," Mick said as Jemma and Fitz took his sides. "We've all been there." 

"It still doesn't make sense why you'd want to help me when I persecuted your whole team" Ruby said hoarsely. 

"You don't need a reason to help people," Mick said somberly. "But, lucky for you, I also keep my promises." 

"Whatever my mother told you," Ruby sat up. "It's a lie. She'll never do anything unless it benefits her." 

"How could you say that?" Jemma gasped. 

"Because I know her," Ruby replied. "I know the monster she really is. She brainwashed that man Talbot to bring down SHIELD from the inside, knowing that Coulson trusts him. She tried to use that guy Creel to study the Gravitonium, and it messed him up. Then she planned to use me to take you guys down and become the ultimate HYDRA weapon, the Destroyer of Worlds, or so the people she's working with called me." 

"What do you mean brainwashed Talbot?" Mick asked hastily. "And what people she's working with?" 

"She forced his wife to activate the mind control when you guys let him contact her," Ruby said remorsefully. "And I don't know the guys she's working for, just that she goes off into her room with this weird box that teleports you places. That's how your friend Coulson ended up in Canada, and how we followed him." 

"We need to let the others know about this, now," Mick said as Fitz and Jemma nodded. "Ruby, don't make me regret saving you."

Ruby shook her head and smiled. "I'll be nice, for now." 

"We'll take care of her, you handle that!" Jemma said with a nervous smile as Mick nodded. 

Were Coulson and Mack ok? What about Talbot? Who was General Hale working for, and what exactly were they trying to create the Destroyer of Worlds for? Was saving Ruby a mistake? All of that ran through his mind as he made his way to mission control to make contact with the Lighthouse.