In the air. The Bus is flying through the sky.

H.Q. (on walkie-talkie): S.H.I.E.L.D. 6-1-6, you have course confirmation. You are cleared direct to the Slingshot. Agent Coulson, everything all right up there? We heard you had a little dustup on the ground.[/o]

COULSON (on walkie-talkie): Yeah, we're all good. It's gonna be blue skies from here on out.

[ something at the back of the Bus f*ck up; an engine goes out, maybe ]

[expl*si*n noise]

INT: the Bus. We see a crisis screen that reads "hull breach".

[ Alarms blaring ]

[Coulson is hanging on for dear life, trying to not get sucked out of the hole]

COULSON: Aah! Aaaaah!

SIMMONS: Coulson! Hang on!

[BOOM. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. title card.]

Outside. Safely on the ground.

[on the screen, it reads "19 hours earlier"]

[Skye is loading things out of her van, ready to move into the Bus]

[she gathers her things and steps onto the cargo hold ramp door]

SKYE (to guy coming to take her van): Hey, no joy rides, okay? That's my house.

[guy puts something on car that causes it to start up]

[ Engine turns over ]

SKYE: [ Scoffs ] Where do they think of this stuff?

[she walks onto the Bus. The cargo hold door closes behind her.]

INT: Bus briefing room

WARD: Skye? Girl's not qualified to be a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent.

COULSON: Agreed. That's why I've invited her on as a consultant.

[ fancy techy table beeps ]

COULSON: S.H.I.E.L.D. does it all the time. Technically, Stark's a consultant.

WARD: And technically, Skye's a member of the Rising Tide. She hacked our RSA implementation --

COULSON: Twice. From a laptop. Imagine what she'll do with our resources.

WARD: I am. That's exactly what I'm imagining during this frown. You brought me on for risk assessment. She's a risk. She doesn't think like us.

COULSON: Exactly.

INT: Bus lab. Skye is walking in.

SIMMONS: Oh, Agent Coulson told us the news. What a wonderful surprise. Isn't it, Fitz? 

FITZ: Yeah.

SIMMONS: No, it's wonderful. 

FITZ (talking over her): Yeah, a surprise.

SIMMONS (talking over him): You must be very excited.

SKYE: Yep, first day of school.

[Skye hands Fitz her boxes]

[ Fitz grunts ]

SIMMONS: Okay, so... just -- [walking past Skye to get to the stairs] sorry. Yeah.

[Fitz follows her]

INT: Bus briefing room

MAY: We have two kids on this bus who aren't cleared for combat. You're adding a third.

WARD: At least Fitz-Simmons are trained S.H.I.E.L.D. scientists. But Skye? You said this was a select team. Assembled to work new cases, to protect people. I don't see how letting some hacker tag along --

COULSON: I'm looking for an objection I haven't already anticipated. I'm calling this. But your frown will be on record.

WARD: We've been called in to investigate an 0-8-4. We all know what that means.

COULSON: Yes, we do. It means we don't know what that means.

INT: the lounge area of the Bus, which is on the same level/connected to the briefing room. Fitz, Simmons, and Skye are walking through.

FITZ: Officially, it's an airborne mobile command station. But we call it the Bus. We find it best to use shorthand when in the field. But everything has to be just so, you know, because of the danger.

SKYE: Yeah, I've been up here before, but I didn't see much because of the bag that Agent Ward put over my head.

SIMMONS: Yes, so sorry about that. [grabs a water] Water?

MAY (over the P.A.): Wheels up in two. Lock it or lose it.

SKYE: What's that mean?

SIMMONS: No backing out now. Let's find a bunk for our guest.

[Simmons heads towards the sleeping areas]

FITZ [following her]: Oh, oh, yeah, there's only one left, and it's right next to mine.

[he deposits Skye's things into an empty cubicle-type small bedroom]

FITZ: Sorry. You can...

[he splits, posthaste]

[Skye starts to unload]

[Ward walks up and knocks on Skye's room's open sliding door]

SKYE: Hey. I know we didn't really --

WARD [handing her a safety manual pamphlet]: Might want to read that. This isn't like other planes.

[he walks away]

[she looks through the pamphlet]

SKYE: You can say that again.

COULSON [walking up]: Say what again?

SKYE: Sweet ride.

COULSON: I earned a little goodwill from Director Fury when I got h*t right before the battle of New York.

SKYE: You took a b*llet?

COULSON: Ish. An Asgardian s*ab me through the heart with a Chitauri scepter. The effect was similar. Got a few weeks' R&R and this plane. Had it completely refurbished. Studs up -- spared no expense.

SKYE: Yeah, Agent Ward told me they sent you to Tahiti.

COULSON: It's a magical place.

SKYE: You mentioned that.

[Skye starts to set her waterbottle down on a table]

COULSON: Here. [grabs a coaster] Use a coaster. Buckle up.

[they sit]

SKYE: I don't even know where we're going.

[ airplane beep ] 

[they start buckling up]

COULSON: Peru. That's where the 0-8-4 was reported.

SKYE: And an 0-8-4 is...?

COULSON: An object of unknown origin. Kind of like you. Team goes in, determines if it's useful or if it poses a thr*at. Last one turned out to be pretty interesting. 

SKYE: And what was the last one?

COULSON: A hammer.

EXT: Bus. We see lush green land and Skye's face in the Bus window.

[May does some pilot stuff and looks great while doing it]

[Bus lands]

[ Tires screech ]

In the jungle. Cars are going down a dirt road.

[cars pull into a what the text on the screen notes as "Incan archaeological site. Llactapata, Peru".

[cars halt]

[the team gets out of the cars]

WARD: Tire tracks 40 meters back. I'll check them against the site's trucks -- make sure we're alone.

MAY: Too much exposure here. I'm gonna find a place to park.

[May gets back in the car]

[engine turns over]

[ Animal chatters ]

FITZ [walking, Simmons besides him]: I would love to see a capuchin in the wild. Maybe even a yellow-tailed woolly monkey. You know, um, Peru has 32 different species of monkey.

SIMMONS: Yeah, and close to 200 species of snakes. The shushupe has a

[Fitz stumbles into a car]

SIMMONS: fascinating ven-- [Simmons gives him a look to make sure he's okay. He is.] venom. It's neurotoxic, proteolytic, and hemolytic. Ha!

FITZ: [ Chuckles nervously ] That's fascinating.

SIMMONS: Yeah. [realizes Fitz is nervous] Oh. No, I'd be much more concerned with earthquakes, mala--

[ Insect buzzes ]

[Simmons slaps Fitz's neck]

SIMMONS: Ah. There's no vaccine for dengue fever.

[ Simmons gasps ]

[Fitz-Simmons halt]

SIMMONS: Oh, look at this.

[there is a big fantastic looking pyramid structure]

Starting back at where the cars originally parked, Skye and Coulson make their way through the brush

SKYE: We should warn the people who live around here if the 0-8-4 is dangerous. They're already dealing with anti-mining rebels and the shining path guerillas. I could post something.

COULSON: Remember the panic when that anti-matter meteor splashed down just off the coast of Miami, nearly devoured the city? 

SKYE: No.

COULSON: Precisely. Because we kept it quiet and contained.

SKYE: So, what am I doing?

COULSON: Well, if it gets out, I might need you to create some kind of diversion, put the public on the wrong scent.

SKYE: So everything that I'm against.

COULSON: Yep.

[Coulson climbs up pyramid steps to get to Fitz-Simmons and the Professor who is now with them]

[ Camera shutter clicks ]

COULSON: Good morning, Professor. I'm Agent Coulson with S.H.I.E.L.D. I understand you've made an interesting discovery.

PROFESSOR: [ Sighs ] I-I'm not sure how to explain it. This temple dates back at least 500 years. It's filled with pre-Incan artifacts. One of them is impossible and looks like it might be dangerous.

COULSON: Well, that's why we're here.

[they enter the temple]

PROFESSOR: Watch out.

[there is a bit of modern looking metal/tech attached to the wall]

PROFESSOR: Exactly as we found it.

COULSON: Who else knows about this?

PROFESSOR: Just the ministry. I believe they are the ones who contacted you.

COULSON: Sir, I need you and your team to evacuate the site until we determine the risk associated with this object.

[Fitz fires up the drones]

[ Simmons' device beeping ]

SIMMONS (to drone): Leave the man alone.

COULSON: Now -- for your own safety.

SKYE [checking her phone]: Nothing about this anywhere. It's amazing. I searched every data stream. What do you got here, guys?

[Skye approaches the metal, reaches out as if to touch it]

FITZ: Whoa, car-- uh, careful. I-I -- no, wouldn't do that.

[Skye stops]

SIMMONS: The object's placement in fossiliferous rock formations suggests it's been here for at least 1,500 years. That pre-dates this temple by a millennium. Ah! Maybe it's alien.

FITZ: Yeah, but the shape and the craftsmanship -- it's almost German.

EXT: Temple. May is there. The professor exits and walks past her.

[ Birds chirping ]

WARD [approaching]: Tires match the prof's truck. Where's your sidearm?

MAY: If I need a g*n, I'll take one.

WARD: Right. Forgot I was working with "the cavalry."

MAY: Don't ever call me that.

WARD: Apologies. I've heard the stories -- what went down in Bahrain, about you in action. You know, it was smart of Coulson to pull you out of retirement. It's nice to have a trusted friend who has your back.

[man jumps out of the brush and att*cks Ward]

[ Grunts ]

[Ward, May, and multiple assailants fight]

[g*n that May stole from assailants cock]

[ Vehicle approaches ]

[men rush out of vehicles, armed, and surround May and Ward]

[ Men shouting in Spanish ]

WARD: Should have taken more g*n.

[Camilla gets out of vehicle]

[ Men shouting in Spanish ]

INT: Temple

WARD (still outside, over walkie-talkie): Sir? 

COULSON: Go.

WARD: We have a situation.

SKYE: Lots of rebels in this area.

COULSON: Not enough g*n. Keep working. (into walkie-talkie) I'm on my way.

[he walks out past a still working Fitz-Simmons]

EXT: Temple

COULSON (in Spanish): Good morning. I'm Agent Coulson. We are here on a matter of international security.

CAMILLA: Phillip?

COULSON: Camilla? [gestures at armed men] Do you mind?

CAMILLA: After you.

[Ward and May stand down]

CAMILLA (in Spanish): Lower w*apon.

[her men comply]

[Camilla approaches Coulson]

CAMILLA: And now for a proper hello.

[she kisses his cheeks]

COULSON: Comandante -- a promotion. Congratulations.

CAMILLA: Three years ago. But thank you.

COULSON: Agent Melinda May, Agent Grant Ward, this is comandante Camilla Reyes. She's with the Policía Militar del Perú. We used to work together back in the day.

[ May scoffs lightly ]

COULSON: Let the team know everything's okay.

CAMILLA: I know you've found a strange object on Peruvian soil. We should have a conversation about how to proceed.

COULSON: Of course. But an 0-8-4 supercedes all national claims.

CAMILLA: You look good.

COULSON: Yeah, I work out.

CAMILLA: Come, let me show you something.

INT: Temple

[ Device beeping ]

FITZ: Are you seeing this? It's alive.

SKYE: Wha-- alive alive?

FITZ: It has a functioning power source.

SIMMONS: Sleepy's reading radionuclides, but they don't match any known isotope.

FITZ: I get temporal matches, but even then, they seem to shift. Is that even possible?

SKYE: Depends on the shifting of the temporal radio stuff, so... 

[Fitz-Simmons stare blankly at Skye]

SKYE: It's totally weird, right? I'm gonna go check on Coulson.

[Ward enters]

WARD: We've got company. National police.

SIMMONS: What? 

FITZ: Why are they here?

WARD: They heard about this object. They're probably here to protect it. This area has lots of rebel uprisings.

SKYE: Yeah, people are fighting back against the government's mining policies. It's pretty kick-ass.

WARD: Yeah, it's kick-ass, all the v*olence.

SKYE: That's not what I'm saying.

WARD: No, it's what you're typing. In your van, alone -- where it's safe. (to Fitz-Simmons) How much longer?

SIMMONS (talking over Fitz): What's the hurry? 

FITZ (talking over Simmons): Are we in danger?

WARD (answering Fitz): Not if everyone does their job. (to Skye) What is yours, exactly?

Outside. Camilla and Coulson are walking.

CAMILLA: The cacao is from a secret valley in Peru. Very special. The best chocolate in the world.

[Coulson takes the chocolate from her and bites it]

COULSON: Could use some sugar.

CAMILLA: [ Chuckles ] Americans.

COULSON: You know me, Camilla. I'm a pretty simple guy.

CAMILLA: There was nothing simple about your last mission here.

COULSON: I had some great help.

CAMILLA: There isn't any chance we get to keep the device, is there?

COULSON: It's not mine to give, but I'm sure we can find a way to resolve this respectfully in a way that gives your coun--

[expl*si*n in the background]

[g*n]

[Coulson and Camilla get out their g*n]

CAMILLA: Rebels. 

COULSON: Stay close. On my six.

[ g*n, indistinct shouting ]

INT: Temple

[ Rumbling ]

WARD: Sounds like they're engaging with rebels. Let's go. They're coming for it. Let's move!

[they start packing things up]

FITZ (upset about someone packing something wrong): No. No, no, no, no, no.

SIMMONS: It doesn't matter. 

FITZ: It does to me!

SIMMONS: Please, let us do this. We need a containment case for the 0-8-4.

WARD: There's no time.

FITZ: But it has a fluctuating power core -- frequencies way above 10 exahertz.

[ expl*si*n outside ]

WARD: Sorry. Science class is over.

[Ward starts to pry the 0-8-4 from the wall]

[ Ward grunts ]

FITZ: Whoa! Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! Wait. You did not just pull that out of the wall. What is the matter with you?! Do you realize we do not know the amount of photon emissions coming out of this -- [Ward gives him the 0-8-4] okay. We don't know what will happen if it gets excited!

WARD: Stay close. 

SIMMONS: Fitz! Come on!

[they all exit]

Outside

[ g*n ]

[ Indistinct shouting ]

COULSON (to Camilla): Come on!

[ Shouts in Spanish ]

COULSON: Your men need to fall back now, or we'll never make the runway. Now -- your truck. Let's go!

[they make their way towards the truck, sh**ting at people in their way]

EXT: Temple. Ward, Fitz-Simmons, and Skye are standing right outside it.

[g*n]

[Simmons screams]

WARD: Get back!

[Fitz-Simmons and Skye get back, holing inside the temple entrance]

[Ward whips out his staff]

Tell your men to get down.

[Camilla, in Spanish, tells her men to get down]

[her men get down]

[Ward plunges staff into ground]

[Ward gets down]

[staff sends out wave of energy, knocking everyone who is standing way back]

CAMILLA: Watch out. Vámanos!

[Ward motions the Not Cleared For Combat team forward]

[ Enemy g*n cocks ]

[car drives in front of Fitz-Simmons, Skye, and Ward, protecting them from the g*n that is unleashed]

MAY (in driver's seat of car): Get in! Get in! Move! Now!

SIMMONS: Yes. 

FITZ: Yeah, that's a good idea.

[they head towards May's car]

Outside, at a different car

COULSON: After you. 

CAMILLA: After you.

[ Indistinct shouting ]

[Coulson gets in]

[cars drive down dirt road; enemies chase/f*re after them]

[indistinct shouting]

WARD: Coulson's secure in PMP's truck. Take the south route to the airfield. 

MAY: Gotcha.

FITZ: Slow down!

SKYE: You're joking, right?

FITZ: Ward, listen! We have to be careful. There's a binding energy structure that could overheat.

SIMMONS: I could roll down a window!

[ b*ll*ts ricochet ]

SIMMONS: Aah!

SKYE: Do not roll down a window!

WARD: Stay quiet and keep your heads down. (to May) Head left. The ravine empties.

FITZ: But, Ward!

MAY and WARD: Quiet!

[ GPS beeping ]

WARD: How fast can you have the wheels up?

MAY: Fast.

[g*n]

[ Tires screech ]

[Fitz-Simmons, Skye, Ward, and May car pulls up on ramp of Bus]

[they get out]

MAY: Ramp!

WARD: On it.

SKYE: What are you doing?! Coulson is still out there!

WARD: Get off the ramp. You're in the line of f*re.

[ g*n, indistinct shouting ]

[Camilla, Coulson, and a few of Camilla's men make it on board]

WARD: Cut it pretty close, sir.

[the ramp closes]

COULSON: Didn't want to leave anyone behind.

SKYE: I got to say it. I miss my van.

WARD (to Fitz): Now, what was the problem?

FITZ: As I said before, this device has a high-frequency, fluctuating, sub-material compression --

WARD: Fitz, in English.

FITZ: The 0-8-4 is fueled by tesseract technology. Hydra. World w*r II. Captain America. It's full of lethal amounts of gamma radiation.

WARD: Gamma -- you're saying it's nuclear?

COULSON: No. He's saying it's much, much worse.

[they all scoot back from the case containing the 0-8-4]

Bus flies through the air

INT: Bus cockpit. May is flying. Coulson stands behind her.

H.Q. (over comms device): And the 0-8-4 is in your possession?

COULSON: It's on board and contains a tesseract fuel cell, so...there's that.

H.Q.: Copy. You are a go for check-in guidance through restricted airspace. Safe travels.

COULSON: [ Sighs ] Top speed's a priority, May. Obviously. I know you didn't want to see combat. I apologize for that. [b*at] Do you need anything else before I go check on the device fueled by evil that's sitting in our cargo hold?

[May aggressively flicks a switch]

COULSON: This was fun.

INT: Bus lab. Simmons is handling the 0-8-4. Skye is looking nervous.

SIMMONS: Not to worry. The device is s*ab. Not that it couldn't explode at any minute, especially if h*t with machine-g*n f*re. But things like this happen from time to time when in the field, and at first, it's very unpleasant, and you regret your decision to leave the lab at all.

[ Door opens ]

[Fitz and Ward walk in]

FITZ: Are you mental? I did explain in great detail exactly what I meant, using the queen's bloody English!

WARD: I use normal English -- words like "duck" and "run" and "might blow us to pieces."

FITZ: Oh. Oh! Well, congratulations, Agent Ward. You managed to string three words together in a sentence.

INT: Bus cargo hold

COULSON [coming down stairs]: Is everyone all right?

MAN 1: Banged up but alive. Thank you for the extraction.

CAMILLA: But we lost a lot of men.

COULSON: We'll make sure the rest of you get home safe.

CAMILLA [looking through glass into the lab]: Are we safe? On a plane with that? [b*at] There's a PMP airfield in Iquitos. It's a short distance -- 

COULSON: We'll burn as fast as we can for a S.H.I.E.L.D. containment facility. There's no safer place for us to go.

MAN 2: Sir, if I may? You got anything to drink around here?

COULSON: Upstairs. I think you'll find it quite comfortable up there.

[men get up and start to amble about]

CAMILLA: I expect the grand tour.

COULSON: I know you do.

[Coulson and Camilla walk into the lab to the dulcet sounds of the boys getting pissed at each other]

FITZ (talking over Ward): I'm trying to tell you --

WARD (talking over Fitz): ...don't understand anything you are saying!

COULSON: Do we have a problem in here?

WARD: No, sir. Just working on our communication. Not everyone was prepared for a firefight.

COULSON: We got out, didn't lose anyone, saved a few of theirs -- I'd say we did all right. Anything else?

[Skye raises her hand]

SKYE: Uh, yeah. I have a small question. Because I've been feeling like the tagalong hayseed rookie, but now I get the sense that Ward doesn't know which one's Simmons and which one's Fitz, and they've seen even less g*n than me, and I'm no rocket scientist, but is this your first mission together?

SIMMONS: No. Of course not. [b*at] It's our second.

SKYE (flirtatiously, to Simmons): I was your first? That's sweet.

WARD: You're amused?

SKYE: I'm terrified. I am in way over my head, but I have been on this team just as long as any of you. I might as well be team captain.

[ Simmons scoffs ]

SKYE (to Coulson): I was joking, but maybe that's not a bad idea, because these guys do not like each other much.

WARD: This isn't about that. I'm a specialist. Today, I could have eliminated the enemy thr*at myself if I was working alone, but I had non-combat-ready agents --

FITZ: Whoa, whoa. Wait. You work alone?

SIMMONS: So typical. Who do you think designs your equipment?

FITZ: Or the polymers for your w*apon. 

SIMMONS: Yeah.

FITZ (talking over Simmons): People like us do it. 

SIMMONS (talking over Fitz): Try going into the field with just your bare bum.

SKYE (to Coulson): See them proving the point I just made?

COULSON: You're not wrong. We still need to iron out the kinks. But, Ward, you can speak six languages. Simmons, you have two PhDs in fields I can't pronounce, and, Fitz, you are a rocket scientist. So work it out.

[Coulson exits the lab]

SKYE (calling to Coulson): I-I'm -- I'm good at stuff, too. [ Sighs ]

INT: Bus cockpit. May's flying stoically.

INT: Skye's bunk. She plays with a bobblehead that's part of her belongings.

INT: Bus lounge area. Camilla's men are eating

[ Indistinct conversation ]

[ Laughs ]

[Camilla and Coulson go up the stairs towards Coulson's quarters]

INT: Bus lab. Fitz-Simmons are working over a big table screen.

[device beeps]

SIMMONS: So, should we work or just continue to --

FITZ: I'm saying I said there would come a moment when we would regret the decision to go in the field. I didn't think that would happen in week one.

SIMMONS: [ Scoffing ] Oh, God.

[she pulls up something significant-looking on the 3-D holographic projector whatever the hell fancy tech table it is they have]

SIMMONS: This seam in the sedimentary layers suggests some sort of molten cave-in a few decades back.

FITZ [sliding a holographic image towards Simmons]: Yeah, well, this here -- it's optical amplification. Now, I think -- well, I'm most likely d*ad-on -- that the tesseratic energy excites plasma with an inverse population of energy levels.

SIMMONS: A laser.

FITZ: A ray of...pure energy -- two terajoules. See the amplifier? We're lucky the drones didn't trigger it while we were taking electromagnetic readings. This is a w*apon, powerful enough to --

SIMMONS: Enough to melt through 50 feet of solid rock to bury itself. Imagine what it could do to a person.

FITZ: Yeah, or an airplane. [b*at] For example.

INT: Bus lounge area. Camilla's men have largely cleared out, and the few that remain are subdued and chatting on the side; Ward sits alone, reading.

[Skye approaches, bottle of liquor in hand]

SKYE: "Hunger Games"?

WARD: "Matterhorn." One of a hundred books my S.O. gave me that I'm just getting around to. [b*at] S.O. -- supervising officer.

SKYE: Got it. Hackers have lingo, too, but I'll pick yours up. I feel like you and me -- wrong foot. Can I... [shakes liquor bottle] buy you a drink?

[ Ward chuckles lightly and gestures for her to join him on the couch ]

[she does]

SKYE: What I said before -- when I said the uprising was -- whatever I said -- a good thing. I don't want you to think I'm oblivious. What I was talking about was the tweets.

WARD: Tweets. You trying to make things better or worse?

SKYE: Peruvians have organized for the first time in decades. Thousands of suffering people who have never met uniting over a common idea? It's mind-bl*wing. And I don't want to bring it up because I don't want to see your hate face, but...that's what the Rising Tide is all about.

WARD: Okay.

SKYE: Usually, one person doesn't have the solution. But 100 people with 1% of the solution -- that'll get it done. I think that's beautiful -- pieces solving a puzzle.

WARD: You and I see the world differently is all.

SKYE: I've never been in a w*r zone during a w*r until today. That was crazy. I take it you've seen that a lot?

[ Ward sighs, drinks ]

[Ward sets his glass down. His side is bleeding. Skye notices.]

SKYE: Wh-- did you get sh*t?

WARD: Skin deep. Nothing to worry about.

SKYE: You got sh*t. Did that happen protecting us?

WARD: Said don't worry about it.

SKYE: Well, no wonder you were so pissed.

WARD: I wasn't pissed. I was trained to be the whole solution -- to eliminate variables. And today [he glances Significantly at Camilla's men nearby] they keep adding up.

SKYE: We're turning.

WARD: We've entered restricted airspace, so we have to follow certain flight paths -- regulation. This plane is capable of fully automated flight, but May has to be on the stick herself tonight.

WARD: You've got an S.O. May's got to be on the stick. Lots of good lingo on this plane.

WARD: Yeah. We just can't seem to understand each other.

INT: Coulson's cabin on the Bus. Coulson is showing his gear to Camilla.

COULSON: First walkie-talkie wristwatch -- 1936, Poland. They only made 20, I think. [hands it to her] Still works.

CAMILLA: I forgot you're such a sentimentalist, Phillip.

[ Coulson chuckles ]

CAMILLA: Romanticizing history.

[she goes over to his tchotchkes shelf]

COULSON: Yeah, most of it's glued down. There was an elegance to things back then.

CAMILLA: There we agree.

COULSON: With everything around us changing so quickly, it doesn't hurt to have a few touchstones to the past. Reminds me what's important.

CAMILLA: The last thing I want to do is relive days gone by. A few nights, maybe.

[ she closes the door ]

COULSON: I see what you're doing.

CAMILLA: I'm reminiscing. This plane is such a step up from the R.V. we used to work out of when you were stationed in Cusco.

COULSON: I don't remember much working.

[ Camilla chuckles lightly ]

COULSON: I also don't remember you being this direct.

INT: Bus lounge area

[Camilla's men are giving each other Meaningful Looks and Ward notices]

WARD: Skye, hand me the bottle.

SKYE: Okay, Turbo, but you're still nursing the one you got.

WARD: I'm not the only one.

[a shadow stands menacingly outside the lab, looking in at Fitz-Simmons]

INT: Coulson's cabin on the Bus

CAMILLA: We're stuck above the clouds for the next few hours. We might as well enjoy ourselves. We could make a few more memories to add to your collection. What do you think?

COULSON: I think... Ward already knows you'll have to eliminate May from the equation to have a chance... which gives him about 20 seconds to get to her first.

INT: Bus lounge area

[Ward att*cks Camilla's men]

EXT: cockpit

[man puts device on cockpit door]

[ Device beeps, drill whirs ]

INT: Bus lounge area

[fighting]

[ Air hisses through cockpit door hole ]

INT: cockpit

[May starts to fall unconscious]

INT: Coulson's cabin on the bus

[Coulson and Camilla fight]

[Coulson rushes downstairs to Bus lounge area, Camilla close behind, where Ward punches down one of Camilla's men]

[everyone pauses]

[on a screen showing the inside of the lab, one of Camilla's men holds a scalpel to Fitz's throat]

[another one grapples Skye]

COULSON: We were allies. We had history. When did you decide to throw that away?

CAMILLA: As soon as I saw your team.

[blackout]

INT: cockpit. One of Camilla's men is flying the Bus.

INT: Bus briefing room. Coulson is tied to a table leg.

[Man punches Coulson]

COULSON: The reason I'm still alive is because you need me to verify the change of routes for your pilot when H.Q. calls in any minute now.

CAMILLA: I'd appreciate that. 

COULSON: But if I don't, S.H.I.E.L.D. will sh**t this aircraft out of the sky. That'll take the 0-8-4 out of your hands. Maybe I should let them.

CAMILLA: Oh, no, I think you'll make the calls. You already handed me your plane for the life of one of your little lab rats. If I open the cargo hold, you'll lose them all. And you are such a sentimentality.

INT: cargo hold. Fitz-Simmons, Skye, Ward, and May are tied up. May is passed out.

FITZ: This is my fault. Should have learned kung fu.

SIMMONS: Oh, yeah, but I shouldn't have pushed you into the field in the first place. You weren't ready.

WARD: It was my job to make a proper thr*at assessment.

FITZ (to Simmons, over Ward): Uh, we -- We weren't ready.

SKYE: This wouldn't have happened if Agent May wasn't on the stick. She would have busted out some of her ninja know-how.

FITZ: Agent May? No. No, no. She transferred from administration.

SKYE: Well, I've seen her destroy a guy, so...

[b*at. Fitz-Simmons looks to Ward]

WARD: You've heard of the cavalry?

SIMMONS (talking over Fitz): Yeah.

FITZ (talking over Simmons): Yeah.  Wh-- everyone at the academy talks about st--

[b*at]

FITZ-SIMMONS: She's the cavalry?

MAY, clearly not so passed out: I told you never to call me that.

SIMMONS: I can't believe it. Oh, we're sure to get out of here now. (to May) Um, how do we get out of here?

MAY: [ Grunts ] Can't go through the doors. They're bolted, tied to the pressurization lines. You two geniuses have nothing?

FITZ: Yeah, well, it's hard to concentrate in these intense situations.

WARD: Hey. Don't freeze up. Take a breath. You don't need to come up with the whole solution. Just part of it. Right?

SKYE: Yeah. Pieces solving a puzzle.

INT: Bus briefing room

COULSON: You knew this was a w*apon all along.

CAMILLA: But you got to it first. I had to play nice. Yes, Coulson. For once, I'm actually ahead of you. My country commissioned that w*apon decades ago. After the fall of Hydra, many scientists followed their n*zi friends to hide on this side of the world.

COULSON: German engineering.

[out of Camilla's view, he starts fiddling with the ties on his hands]

CAMILLA: The w*apon was lost during a clash in the jungle until today. With it, we'll end the rebel uprising and finally s*ab my country.

COULSON: You mean rule your country.

CAMILLA: You stay in your borders. I'll stay in mine.

COULSON: Those borders are disappearing. Aliens descended on New York, remember? They don't care whose colors you wear. They just care who's in the way. We should be working together, not fighting.

INT: Bus cargo hold

SIMMONS: Well, that's clearly the worst idea we've heard yet.

SKYE: But it could work.

WARD: Reyes is gonna k*ll us the minute we land, regardless, and blame it on rebels. This way, we have a fighting chance. I'll take it. What's first?

FITZ: We can't get upstairs without going in the lab.

SIMMONS: And the only way to release the lab doors is from upstairs.

SKYE: The first thing is, we're tied to the cargo door, so unless you can --

[ Crack from May's body ]

FITZ: What the hell was that?

WARD: Her wrist.

[above, one of Camilla's men walks by, patrolling]

[there are only four people tied up]

[May jumps man from behind, tackling him down]

[ Crack as May resets her wrist ]

MAY: What's next?

INT: Bus briefing room

CAMILLA: Was it 11 years ago, now? You swooped in with S.H.I.E.L.D. with so much confidence, so much mystery. You had 100 men at your disposal. And now -- 

COULSON: A hand-picked team. And, yes, they're that good.

CAMILLA: Oh, Phil. You're not even aware. Your renewed idealism, your collectibles, your airborne man cave, surrounding yourself with young, attractive agents -- you're having a mid-life crisis.

COULSON: More an afterlife thing, really.

CAMILLA: And I'm not going to even mention the red Corvette.

COULSON: Her name's Lola.

CAMILLA: [ Laughs ] Of course it is. It's textbook. You built this team so you could feel relevant, to feel needed.

COULSON: They don't need me. They need time.

CAMILLA: Well, time is not on their side.

COULSON: No, but you gave them something better -- a common enemy.

INT: Bus cargo hold. The g*ng is now untied and standing in a circle.

SKYE: Okay, we're sure, right? Everyone's sure?

SIMMONS: We're all on board. 

FITZ: Yeah, let's do this fast.

WARD: No turning back. No freezing up.

FITZ: Because if we do, then...

WARD: All of us die. 

SIMMONS: We know.

FITZ: Yeah.

WARD: All right.

[ Engine revs ]

MAY: You guys talk a lot.

[ Vehicle door closes, engine revs ]

[Ward pushes Skye and Fitz-Simmons to the side]

[May drives the car straight through the f*ck wall]

INT: Bus top floor

CAMILLA [rushing out to open lounge area] (to her men, who are moving): No, no, no! (in Spanish) That's exactly what they want.

INT: Bus lab

[ Drill whirs ]

[Simmons unscrews a vent cover]

[Fitz sets up his drones]

[ Device beeps ]

[May bodies open the lab door and rushes out]

[Fitz sends his drones into the vents]

[Skye and Ward attach rappelling gear to Skye]

H.Q. (over P.A.): S.H.I.E.L.D. 6-1-6, we have radar contact. Requesting confirmation on a change in course. Over.

[ Camilla's g*n cocks ]

CAMILLA: Answer it, or they all learn what a 30,000-foot drop feels like.

H.Q.: Agent Coulson, are you there? You have course confirmation. You are cleared direct to the Slingshot.

[Coulson unties his hands, catches sight of a drone, and then rewraps his hands to the pole]

H.Q.: Agent Coulson? Everything all right up there? We heard you had a little dustup on the ground.

COULSON: Yeah, we're all good. It's gonna be blue skies from here on out.

INT: Bus. Catwalk over cargo hold.

FITZ: Simmons, forget what I said before. This is the moment that we'll regret.

INT: Bus lounge area. Drone hovers above 0-8-4.

[ Device beeps as drone fires at 0-8-4 ]

[0-8-4 goes off]

[expl*si*n]

[Camilla's man goes flying out the hull breach]

COULSON [hanging on for dear life]: Aah! Aaaaah!

INT: Bus. Catwalk above cargo hold.

[door device pings green[

SKYE: It worked.

SIMMONS: The drop in cabin pressure released the doors.

WARD: I'll take care of the soldiers. You guys get to the 0-8-4.

FITZ: And Coulson?

WARD: Let's hope he can handle himself.

INT: Bus lounge area. Things are flying everywhere. Coulson and Camilla are trying not to be sucked out of the hull breach. Coulson is still attached to the table leg with his hand bindings.

[ Alarms blaring ]

CAMILLA: Aah! Aah!

[ Wind howling ]

[Ward muscles his way into the lounge area]

[g*n]

WARD (to Skye): Get back!

[Ward and Camilla's men fight]

WARD (to Skye and Fitz-Simmons): Go now! Find the 0-8-4!

[Ward and Camilla's men fight]

[ Grunts ]

[Skye inches towards the 0-8-4, held steady by Fitz-Simmons and the three of them being linked by rappelling gear]

FITZ: Help!

INT: cockpit

[May and man fight]

[plane starts to nosedive]

INT: Bus lounge area

CAMILLA: Coulson! 

[he grabs her arm]

COULSON: Got you! Camilla! Hold on! It's okay.

[Ward and men fight]

SIMMONS: Aaah!

[Simmons grabs the 0-8-4]

SIMMONS: I've got it! Fitz! 

SKYE: We got it! Reel us back in!

FITZ: I've got you!

[safety manual goes flying; hits Skye in the face]

[Skye undoes her gear buckle; it clicks]

SIMMONS: What are you doing!? We need your help!

SKYE: Trust me!

[Coulson ties Camilla to a furniture leg]

COULSON: Don't want you to know what a 30,000-foot drop feels like.

INT: Bus cockpit

[May fights a guy and beats him off]

[May grabs the plane wheel, starts to s*ab the Bus]

[guy jumps May from behind]

MAY: Aah!

[they fight]

[ Bell chimes ]

[ Both grunting ]

[May summarily kicks his ass]

INT: Bus lounge area

[Ward and man fight]

[Skye grabs folded-up emergency raft]

SIMMONS: Aaah! Fitz!

[Fitz-Simmons move towards each other; Camilla's man grabs the rappelling gear and tries to drag them towards him]

SIMMONS (to Fitz): Cut him loose!

[Fitz undoes his gear]

[Fitz-Simmons fall onto floor together]

[Man goes flying past Ward; Ward grabs him]

FITZ: Sorry! 

SIMMONS (talking over Fitz): Sorry, Ward!

WARD: Hold on!

[ Fabric rips ]

[man yells, flies out breach]

[Skye releases the emergency raft; it seals the breach. Pressure settles.]

[Coulson punches out last guy reaching for his g*n]

[everyone is relieved]

INT: Cockpit. May is back and flying and happy!

INT: Bus lounge area.

[Fitz-Simmons pull themselves up]

[Skye pulls Ward up]

SKYE: I read the safety pamphlet.

WARD: I think you might be the first.

COULSON: No other way in, huh? [puts half-shattered glass on table] Was just starting to warm up to this place.

[Skye puts a coaster under the glass]

FITZ: The 0-8-4 is cooling and s*ab. But we should call H.Q. and get it to the Slingshot as soon as possible.

COULSON (to Camilla, still tied up): Told you they were good.

EXT: The Slingshot. Location: Classified.

[ Hammers pounding, tools whirring ]

INT: Bus cargo hold

[Coulson examines Lola. She's okay.]

SKYE: Not a scratch. But your plane's totaled. I hope S.H.I.E.L.D. insurance covers hijackings.

COULSON: Sure. Under "incidentals."

SKYE: [ Chuckles lightly ] What exactly am I signing up for?

COULSON: Like I said -- front-row seat to the craziest show on earth.

SKYE: Yeah, but I didn't expect the show to get this crazy this fast all for an object you're just gonna destroy.

COULSON: Slingshot is protocol. A w*apon like the 0-8-4 is too dangerous for any person or country to have. People like Reyes would always be after it.

SKYE: What happened with Reyes, anyway?

COULSON: She's being held at a S.H.I.E.L.D. detainment facility. I expect the Peruvian government will negotiate for her release. She probably won't spend much time in jail.

SKYE: No, I mean what happened with you and Reyes? You guys totally did it back in the day, right?

COULSON: That's classified.

[ Skye laughs ]

[Ward and May are sitting nearby]

WARD: Looks like Skye might end up as more than just a consultant, despite our reservations. She could turn into a solid asset... with some serious work.

MAY: Well, if she wants to be a field agent, she'll need a supervising officer -- someone disciplined, someone good.

WARD: All right. I'll do it. [b*at] Just to clarify, you were, uh, talking about me, right?

[Fitz-Simmons come down the stairs to the cargo hold with a cooler and beers]

FITZ: We blew up a plane.

SIMMONS (talking over Fitz): I had a new experience.

FITZ (talking over Simmons): Eat that, Professor Vaughn.

SIMMONS (talking over Fitz): You had a new experience. But it was new for all of us.

MAY (to Ward, about Fitz-Simmons): They're happy.

FITZ (to May): Hey, come on. You guys don't want to miss this.

[May, Fitz-Simmons, and Ward sit on the edge of the cargo hold ramp, drinking]

[Skye stands behind them]

FITZ: So, it'll take about 180 days to reach the sun. Now, yes, of course, it would have been faster if they'd used hydrogen-fueled APUs, but they're having fun.

SKYE: How many of those have you guys had?

SIMMONS: [ Laughing ] Sk-- Skye. It's important when in the field to unwind from time to time.

FITZ: Yeah, yeah, especially after a hard day of everyone almost dying.

SIMMONS: Which doesn't happen every day, right? It's an anomaly -- an irregularity. [Coulson walks up] Not...the norm.

COULSON: Speaking of "not the norm," whose idea was it to blow a hole in the plane?

SKYE: May said that the doors were tied to the pressurization, so I thought --

SIMMONS: So we thought it was the only way to release them.

WARD: It was everyone's idea, sir.

FITZ: Yes, quite genius, really.

COULSON: Nice work.

MAN (over P.A.): All clear for liftoff.

FITZ: Oh, time for blastoff. [ Nasally ] Launching... In three...

[Simmons laughs]

FITZ: ...two...

[we watch them watching a rocket sh**t into space]

FITZ: The trajectory will take it beyond the Lagrange point so that it doesn't h*t Herschel.

SIMMONS: And there haven't been any coronal mass ejections, so it shouldn't lose telemetry.

WARD: Guys, English.

[they watch. It's really, really sweet.]

[Ward slaps Fitz on the shoulder, bro-style]

FITZ: Ow.

[ Sky's cellphone vibrates ]

[Skye's cellphone reads: Rising Tide in a holding pattern. Planning to go dark. What is your status?]

[Skye responds: I'm in.]

[BOOM. S.H.I.E.L.D. logo end card.]

INT: Bus. People are repairing it from the inside.

FURY: Really? Really, Coulson? Six days? It only took you six days to take a completely renovated piece of state-of-the-art machinery and turn it into scrap?!

COULSON: My team acted with my authority.

FURY: Don't talk to me about authority. Do you know how much this plane cost? It's got a bar. A really nice one. Talking to me about authority. You know, I have the authority to downgrade your ass to a Winnebago.

COULSON: I'm aware of that, sir.

FURY: Well, I want it fixed just like you found it.

COULSON: So don't have Fitz-Simmons going making modifications, like a-a-a-a... damn fish t*nk.

COULSON: Yes, sir.

FURY: And the new girl -- she's a risk.

COULSON: I know, sir.

FURY: You know, sir? How's Lola?

COULSON: She's fine, sir. Thanks for asking.

FURY: Talking to me about authority.

[Fury walks out]

COULSON (into earpiece): Yeah, we're gonna have to k*ll the fish t*nk.
{"type": "series", "show": "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.", "episode": "01x02 - 0-8-4"}