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Thing is, no one
exactly knows what
happened to the crying
man that summer.
Some say that he
drowned in the lake,
But others say that
they've seen his ghost,
Wandering these woods, in
search for his lost sister.
Actually, they say if you're
quiet and listen real hard
You can still hear him crying.
Mr.
Cross, that was, like,
the worst crying man ever.
Really?
I thought it was pretty good.
You guys think we're kidding.
Just remember to stick close
to the campfire tonight, okay?
Hey, guys.
Do you hear that?
Hear what?
That humming sound.
Stay here.
I'm gonna take a
look around the campground.
What humming?
W-where's Mr.
Cross going?
He's just trying to scare us.
So lame.
Come on, guys.
Grab a s'more.
Well, that's for you.
Ooh, I want the marsh
marshmallows!
I know Tommy,
you like chocolates.
Here.
Don't hog the
marshmallows, okay?
Everyone to the truck now!
Go, go! Go!
Go hooom.
What the hell
Is everything OK.
?
Mr.
Cross?
Mr.
Cross!
Come on, guys.
Let's
go look for him.
Whoa.
Is he nuts?
Stay close.
Mr.
Cross, are you okay?
we just go back?
Working up a good
sweat there, sir?
I don't sweat.
I glisten.
Blood pressure, heart rate, biochems
all normal.
All that's left is
the blood sample.
You should know I'm not
a fan of getting poked.
Have you been feeling
under the weather lately?
Why?
I just noticed from
your chart that
you're not due for a physical
for another 3 months
I made a mistake took a call
from my physical therapist.
Asked how I was feeling.
I
said, "a little rusty.
"
Next thing you know, I'm
wired to this hamster wheel.
Well, you can officially
tell your physical therapist
That you're fit as the
proverbial fiddle,
Especially for a
man of your age.
A man of my age?
That's something you
say to an old person.
Is it?
Well, let's get you some
electrolytes, shall we?
Sorry, Fitz.
It's close, but it's
just not right.
'Cause agent Coulson
had no problems.
It's an ounce too heavy.
An ounce? Seriously?
It's the difference between
success and failure.
When you're on a rooftop
with a 15-mile-an-hour wind,
Your target is 500 yards away
Yeah, but we do have a rifle.
Lose the ounce.
Yeah, okay.
On it.
"Lose the ounce.
"
I'm agent Grant Ward,
And I can shoot the legs
off a flea from 500 yards,
As long as it's not windy.
Hey.
That's a sound I
haven't heard in a bit.
Yeah, well, you wouldn't
be laughing a whole lot
If you were living
in Ward's doghouse.
You made the rounds,
apologized to us all.
What more can he ask?
I don't know.
I have been busting my ***,
Memorizing every S.
H.
I.
E.
L.
D.
protocol manual,
Following every order.
"Yes, sir.
" "No, sir.
"
I even let them tag
me like a stray dog.
I mean, I know I
lied to you guys,
But I was trying to
protect my boyfriend.
You know, we all make mistakes.
I don't car who cares
about your ex-boyfriend?
It's not like I'm
comparing Ward to Miles,
I didn't have to worry about
passive-aggressive stuff.
There was no mind games.
We spoke the same
language, you know?
- Yeah.
Yeah, a bit like we do.
-Totally.
You and Simmons are so tight,
like you're
psychically linked.
No, you no.
Actually, no.
I don't think so.
So, Ward was here? Let me guess
the night-night pistol again?
Yeah, and he said it
was off by an ounce.
Of course he did.
I'm agent Grant Ward,
and I could rupture your
spleen with my left pinky
Blind-folded!
That is dead on.
Hey.
Hustle up and
grab your gear.
We're on a mission.
Something funny?
Poor, silly Fitz.
He mistakenly left a dummy
round in the pistol.
Should be proper now.
Great.
Thanks.
Troop leader's name
was Adam Cross.
He said he heard something
in the woods, went to check
it out, that's where the
electrostatic anomaly occurred.
What I don't understand
is, usually,
They're caused by a massive
electrical storm
Within a thousand Miles
of here last night.
This anomaly's different
It has a side effect
we've never seen before.
The battery blew straight
up through the hood.
Landed over here.
Hell of a force to create
that kind of trajectory.
What are you doing?
I'm shadowing my
supervising officer.
Shadowing, not smothering.
There's scorch marks
all over that tree.
Lucky the whole forest
didn't burn down.
I don't get it.
Seems to me like this
electroshock thingy
Was some freak lightning strike.
I mean, why call us?
What's the big
Never mind.
So sad a man died this way
And yet, so amazing.
Fitz-Simmons, any idea what could
cause an effect like this?
Judging by the horizontal
There's the soliton hypothesis
perhaps, nanobatteries
electrical discharge, it could be
Time.
Let's try that again.
Any idea what could cause
an effect like this?
- The hell if I know.
- No, no clue.
Seems to me we're dealing with
some freak natural event or
a new high-tech weapon.
Or
could it be someone from
your uber-secret index?
There's no one on the index
with this type of power.
I'll contact agent Blake
at S.
H.
I.
E.
L.
D.
HQ,
Have him check it out.
Whoever or whatever's
responsible,
we can't let this happen again.
Fitz, see his forehead?
Look at that endothelial
discoloration.
Yeah, same dispersal pattern
as the strike on the truck.
Could be an entry wound
cauterized immediately.
Freaky.
Freeeaaa-ky.
You found something on Cross?
Many things, actually,
but you already knew that,
thanks to my fancy SHIELD
house-arrest gizmo
tracking my every key swipe,
My online activity,
my cholesterol.
Just wish it came
in another color
came off.
The victim?
Adam Cross single, no kids,
Originally from
Wrigley, Pennsylvania,
Not far from here.
Been there.
They have a nice
little strawberry festival
in the spring.
Occupation?
Phys-ed teacher at the
local high school
And Varsity baseball coach
And troop leader and
volunteer firefighter.
This guy makes Captain America
look like "The Dude.
"
"The Big Lebowski.
"
Seriously?
What about a criminal
record, restraining order,
something that might
give us a suspect?
Nada not even a
parking ticket.
I skimmed all his posts,
anyone linked to his pages,
hoping for a crazy ex or
superpowered stalker.
It's clean.
Everybody looks clean on
their first go-round.
Ward's right.
We're missing something.
Dig deeper.
You've been pretty tough on her.
She lied to us,
contacted the Rising Tide
while we were on mission.
If she wants our trust back,
she's got to earn it.
The background she ran on
Cross is a good start.
Put it up on the server.
I want may to have a look
when she's done with
her interrogation.
Have a cookie.
Excellent timing, sir.
I've been analyzing
sagittal and coronal images
of the victim's brain.
What Fitz found up there?
He detected a strange
energy coming off the body.
He's afraid of it, isn't he?
-It's the smell! -There's
no shame in it, Fitz.
It's perfectly natural
to be afraid.
No, the only thing I'm afraid of
Is putrid, decaying flesh
Corrupting my
pristine workspace.
Remember when you brought a
dead thing into the lab?
- Not the stupid cat again.
- The cat?
-OUR lab, not yours! You left
his liver next to my lunch!
Guys! Can we please
- Yes, sir.
As I was saying, this
is the victim's brain.
Looks like a burnt baked potato.
That's what happens when
it'*** with close to
electrostatic energy.
That's almost double the
power of a lightning bolt.
Kid's clean.
You figure out why the
body was floating?
Not yet.
The molecular density
of the victim was
temporarily altered by an
unknown energy source.
I'm hoping to shed some
light on its effects
Once I extract a
brain-tissue sample.
It's happening again!
It's science, Fitz!
I have to dissect something.
No.
The satelite is picking up
another electrostatic event
not 20 kilometers from here.
Fitz, what's the latest reading?
We're at 324 Mjoules and
growing stronger
dangerous territory, sir.
There's a farmhouse a
mile north of you,
right at the center
of the signal.
that's got to be it.
Skye, dig up everything you can
On whoever lives at that farm.
We need to know who
we're dealing with.
Hold on, now.
What
just happened?
Um, it's gone.
-What's gone? -The
electrostatic signal
It seemed to pulse,
then disappear.
We need a shortcut.
Door's barred from the inside.
Hayloft's open.
We could ram it with the truck.
Or
Scan the perimeter.
Whoever did this couldn't
have gotten far.
Barricaded himself inside.
Went for his shotgun.
He was scared, trying
to protect himself.
From who? How did
they get to him?
Another burn mark
on the forehead.
No sign of anyone
No tracks, no vehicles
down the road.
Skye, we need real-time
sat surveillance on
this area right now.
Hang on.
I think I found something you
might want to see first.
Sending it over now.
The guy who owns the farm's
name is Frank Whalen.
He's a volunteer firefighter
at the same station house
as our first victim, Adam Cross.
How our victims know each other?
They were both responders when
the aliens crashed New York.
Two victims from the
same firehouse,
Found in the same weird way.
We're looking for a killer.
Gotcha!
Hey, um, anyone else
notice all the metal
scattered around the body,
like an electromagnetic
field was present?
The question is,
what created it?
We need to get this body back
to the lab as soon as possible.
Something about these wounds
Skye, what did you find
out about the firehouse?
It turns out they sent
an engine to New York
with a dozen volunteers after
the chitauri invasion,
including Cross and Whalen.
Maybe it has something to do
with why they were targeted?
Or how they were killed.
You mean like
An alien weapon?
Let's just make sure we
get to those firefighters
before anyone else does.
Evening, gentlemen.
Agent Phil Coulson
with S.
H.
I.
E.
L.
D.
We were on the ground
with you in New York.
S.
H.
I.
E.
L.
D.
, right.
What's this all about?
We'd like to ask you
a few questions,
take a look around.
Hey, guys.
What's
what's going on?
What are you looking for?
- A scented candle.
- Not you.
This wound something
doesn't quite make sense.
Initially, I thought these were
entry wounds from gun shots,
But they're not
they're exit wounds.
What do you mean?
Frankie's dead?
- I'm very sorry.
- You know how it happened?
The same way your other friend,
Mr.
Cross, died the day before.
Which was how, exactly?
I'm sorry.
Your name is?
Tony.
Tony Diaz.
You okay, Mr.
Diaz?
Actually
I'm actually not feeling so hot.
Ward, cover the back door.
Nobody comes in or out.
What if this weapon
overloaded the brain
past the threshold of its
electrical capacity,
causing it to discharge,
like an E.
M.
P.
?
You're assuming we're dealing
with an external source.
I'm saying it was something
from inside him.
Something's happening
The satellite's picking
up another reading.
It's coming from the firehouse.
That humming noise
you hear that?
No.
I don't.
Were you in New York with
Mr.
Cross and Mr.
Whalen
after the Chitauri invasion?
Come on.
You don't hear that?
It's driving me nuts.
Mr.
Diaz, are you with me?
Whatever you're
doing, make it stop.
I-I'm not doing anything!
Where's the weapon? The what?
Coulson, I found it.
It's a chitauri helmet.
Fitz-Simmons, are
you seeing this?
It's not a weapon,
Yet it caused a
cranial discharge.
What are you doing
with the helmet?
What, the alien thing?
I-it's a souvenir.
Aah! Not again!
Answer the question, Mr.
Diaz
What are you doing
with the helmet?
The first time anyone's
touched it since New York
was a couple nights ago.
-Why?
It had rust all over it.
We were cleaning it.
That wasn't rust.
May, don't touch it!
Sir, he's not using a weapon
he's infected.
I think the helmet was the
source of an alien virus.
All we did was clean it
I swear.
Me, Frankie, and Adam we
We were bored on the
third shift, so
so we decided to clean it.
Adam and Frankie
Mr.
Diaz, I'm putting
the gun away now, okay?
Sir, he's at 600
megajoules and climbing.
Sir?
Clear everybody out.
Clear everybody out now.
I-I'm gonna wind up
like them, aren't I?
Why don't you have a seat?
You have any family
wife, kids?
Is there anyone you
want to talk to?
Anything I can do?
Sir, you have to get out
of there right now!
He's going to
Listen to me.
I've been where you
are right now.
So please believe
me when I tell you
you don't have to be afraid.
What are you what
are you talking about?
Your job
Gets pretty dangerous,
doesn't it?
Mine, too.
I got hurt once pretty bad.
And I I died.
Some say it was only
for 8 seconds, but
I know it was more than that.
I know I wasn't here anymore.
I was there.
What's it like?
It's beautiful.
You better get going, buddy.
Go.
All clean no traces
of electrostatic energy.
What about the other
firefighters?
They'll be quarantined
and observed
at a S.
H.
I.
E.
L.
D.
biohazard facility.
Anyone else notice
They're putting the infected
alien thing on our truck?
We're flying it to the sandbox.
Sandbox?
It's a S.
H.
I.
E.
L.
D.
research
facility across the Atlantic.
They specialize in
hazardous materials.
If what you suspect is true,
that this is a virus,
Then those firefighters
could be infected,
And they're gonna need a cure.
Find one.
Yes, sir.
What's our E.
T.
A.
?
Gonna be a long 4
hours and 26 minutes.
You okay?
Fine.
I just want this alien
thing off our plane
as soon as humanly possible.
You want to talk
about your physical?
Nothing to tell.
My physical therapist
requested it.
He's updating his
files or something.
You'd tell me if
something was wrong.
Of course.
Sir, I think I've
discovered something.
Could you come down to the lab?
- I'll be right there.
- Phil.
The fireman
You did everything
you could for him.
So, what am I looking
for exactly?
Wait for it.
What was that?
A groundbreaking discovery!
I believe the firefighters
initially contracted the virus
when they cleaned the helmet,
the friction activating
some long-decaying
chitauri organism
Hang on! These cells are from
the body of firefighters?
Brain cells, yes the last
vestiges of the infection.
Some viruses "sleep"
inside host cells
for years before reproducing,
as they did inside the helmet
the initial source.
But what those cells tell
us is that we're dealing
with a propagating
virus, which means
The virus can move
from person to person.
- Exactly!
And that's the most exciting
part of how is spread
Not through the air or through
direct fluid transfer,
But through electric
static shock.
It's like nothing we've
ever seen on earth.
I didn't think it possible
a virus could alter
its host's molecular
density and polarity.
That explains the floating.
I can't wait till
the virologists
At the CDC and S.
H.
I.
E.
L.
D.
HQ see this.
Sir, is something wrong?
I'm so sorry, Jemma.
No.
Simmons believes she
contracted the virus
approximately 36 hours
ago when she received
an electrostatic shock
from the first victim.
How much time does she have?
Based on when the
firemen were infected,
how quickly their
symptoms manifested
Two hours at most.
That's enough time, right?
I mean, SHIELD.
has dozens
of labs and scientists
working on this
thing, don't they?
They do.
How soon can you get
us on the ground?
Three hours.
Our path
to the sandbox has us
in the middle
of the Atlantic.
Sir, correct me if
I'm wrong, but if
we can't land in time
Simmons will release a pulse
that will blow this plane
right out of the sky.
We can't just sit here and
watch her die.
We have
to do something.
There's only one
person on this plane
Capable of finding a
solution for this,
And I'm willing to bet
my life that she will.
She's just a kid.
I believe we have a winner.
Fast and efficient, the
perfect delivery mechanism.
Not that it was easy to find
a manner of light solution
that that could suspend the
vaccine and conduct electricity.
I wish you wouldn't use
the word "vaccine.
"
It's really more
of an antiserum.
Okay, so
These antibodies should be able
to target the virus' antigens,
If this bloody alien
virus even has antigens.
Come on, now.
Come on.
That wasn't very cooperative
of him, was it?
Why aren't you down there?
They don't need an audience.
You can stay
If you want.
I hate this.
I just feel so
Helpless.
Yeah.
I wanted it to be a person,
some superpowered psychopath
someone I could hurt,
someone I could Punish.
That I could do.
What I can't do is
protect you guys
from stuff I can't even
see or understand.
So, what do we do?
We wait
and get ready.
Ready for what?
For whatever it is we're
called upon to do.
Coulson, nice to see
you're not dead.
Did you get our
analysis of the virus?
We did, and S.
H.
I.
E.
L.
D.
has
no record of anything like it.
No one does.
So it's imperative it reach
the sandbox without incident.
In case of a pandemic,
we're going to need it.
I'm aware, but don't need
more orders or ultimatums.
I need answers.
I wish I had some for you.
I'm sorry, Coulson I've
been ordered to inform you
that if you have infected cargo,
you need to dump it.
Do you copy me, Coulson?
The orders are
coming from up top.
I'm sorry bad connection.
Didn't get that last part.
Don't even think it.
I don't have to.
That's your job.
It's all right.
Everything's gonna be fine.
Please stop saying that.
I see you looking at your watch.
Are you sure you don't
need my help just to
Are you sure this
thing even works?
Yeah, well, you know it does.
My device isn't the issue
it's the vaccine.
Antiserum! And all
I'm wondering is
whether you calibrated
it correctly.
It's not the device.
Don't put this on me.
I was doing just
fine tucked away in
a safe, indoor, non-mobile
lab at the academy!
Then you had to go and drag
us into this flying circus!
Didn't even pass our field
assessments, for God's sake!
Please, as if I forced you
to follow me anywhere.
You said, and I quote
"Fitz,
"it's the most
perfect opportunity
"for us to see the world!
We'd be fools to
pass this one up!"
I hate it when you
use that voice.
That's not even how I sound.
And you were just afraid
of going into the field.
Haven't been the highlight
of your entire pasty life!
Pasty? Really?
Well, when did you
become so sun-kissed?
Because I'm pretty sure that
every minute of every day,
You've been stuck in a
lab right beside me.
At the academy, at
sci-ops, this plane
You've been beside me
the whole damn time!
You have to fix this.
I don't know how, Fitz.
The antibodies
from the three firefighters
aren't strong enough
to fight this virus.
It's born from alien DNA.
There's no one to
create an antiserum from
because no one's actually
survived this except
-The chitauri.
-The chitauri.
The minky *** who
actually wore the helmet
had the virus
and managed without ever emitting
an electrostatic pulse because
it was immune.
Yes.
She she was just the
carrier, like typhoid Mary.
"She"? Well, no, wait.
That you don't really think that
okay, doesn't matter.
So if if I can scrape
some epithelial cells from
the inside of the helmet,
we can create a vaccine?
Yes!
Antiserum, but yes.
Isn't that Fitz!
No You can't be in here.
Too late.
It's done.
Just try and do your best
To keep your hands off me, yeah?
Fitz, I don't know what you
think you're doing, but
I'm doing what we always do.
We're gonna fix this
together.
Third time's a charm.
May I do the honors?
I can't breathe.
We did it.
No.
Sir
I know the protocol in
these circumstances,
But could you please
tell my dad first?
I just think
my mum would take it better
if it comes from him.
We're not there yet.
There's still time.
Sir, please.
Would you mind if I had a
brief moment alone with Fitz?
Come on.
Let's go.
The electrostatic pulse from the
third rat seemed much less,
So we're making progress.
If we can calibrate
the antiserum
Antiserum, yes.
You finally got it right, Fitz.
I'm so sorry.
Aah!
Agent Blake is on the line.
He wants to know
what's going on.
If you won't answer,
he asked for Ward.
Sir What are our orders?
They're unchanged.
What is that?
Someone's lowering
the cargo-hold ramp.
Hey.
It worked.
The pulse just knocked
the rat uncon scious.
Jemma?
Jemma!
Jemma, it worked!!
Please, don't! Jemma!
Jemma, don't!
Jemma!!
Jemma!
The antiserum worked,
but she jumped!
Don't get me wrong.
I'm happy
you're both alive truly.
And I realize you were
trying to save the team,
But what you did today
that was not your call.
Just getting you out
of the water
Do you have any idea
what a pain it is
dealing with the
Moroccan office?
Don't you ever pull a
stunt like that again.
We'd hate to lose you, Jemma.
Thank you, sir.
Does that mean we're
to leave now?
So, what did you think of
your first time skydiving?
Honestly, I'd rather not
to think about it anymore.
I thought what you did
was incredibly brave.
I suppose now's as good a time
as any to tell you that
I may have misled you earlier.
You see, when I gave you
back the night-night pistol,
I lied it's still
an ounce off.
I know.
You do?
Of course.
After all
I'm agent Grant Ward.
I just jumped out of a plane
without a parachute on
And saved your life!
Actually, that's not quite it.
It's a bit more
nasally than that.
Hello, skye.
How was Simmons?
Amazingly resilient.
You'd never know
she almost died.
Experience like that it
takes awhile to sink in.
That's her medical report?
Mine, actually.
Blood
work finally came back.
I'm perfectly normal
little heavy on the iron.
But don't worry
You don't have to start
calling me "Iron Man.
"
Wasn't planning on it.
My doctors never
requested any tests.
I ordered them for myself,
but you knew that.
This piece of paper
is telling me
that everything's fine, but
I don't feel fine.
I feel different.
Take off your shirt.
Excuse me?
Your shirt
Unbutton it.
Whether it was 8 seconds or 40,
you died.
There's no way you can
go through a trauma
like that and not come
out of it changed.
You know how long
it's taken me to
I know.
The point of these things
is to remind us that
there is no going back
There's only moving forward.
You feel different
Because you are different.
I was going to do it.
-I know you were.
I had the antiserum, the chute
everything.
I just couldn't get the straps on.
- Fitz, please
Maybe I couldn't do the
"James Bond in midair" thing.
Fitz, shut up.
Please, just
Ward did an amazing thing, yes,
But it wasn't Ward by
my side in that lab,
searching for a cure.
It wasn't Ward giving me
hope when I had none.
It was you.
You're the hero.
Yeah?
Yeah.
Thank you.
We'll be back in a moment.
Blake.
Coulson.
That's the best you could come up
with, you got a bad connection
- I was pressed for time.
- Bold move.
You know our chat
wasn't exactly private.
I didn't have that long.
I don't know what happened
to you in New York,
if you really flatlined
or that's just what they tell
when we reach level 7,
But whatever did happen
doesn't give you license
to disobey a direct
order from HQ.
You keep pulling
stunts like that,
someone might
decide to take this
little dream team away from you.
I'd like to see them try.
That doesn't sound like the
Phil Coulson I used to know.
No, I suppose it doesn't.
Get used to it.