Puerto Rico. This was the final location discovered by S.H.I.E.L.D. Deep underground lay a Kree experimental base that had existed for thousands of years.
Above the ruins, on what had once been empty ground, a massive Quinjet appeared. Its hatch opened, and S.H.I.E.L.D. agents marched out under the leadership of Phil Coulson.
Behind Coulson, Simmons and Fitz pushed a strange device that clearly displayed the Kree base beneath their feet.
"Finally… this is where we'll find the answers," Coulson said seriously. The Kree blood in his body had tormented him, driving him nearly mad. The strange symbols had haunted him with endless doubts. Now, the truth was finally within reach.
"Mike, are the bombs ready?" Coulson turned to Agent Mike, who was holding a box marked SSR—the old Strategic Scientific Reserve, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s predecessor.
"It'll only take four of these plastic explosives, the same ones used by the Howling Commandos, to blow the base sky-high," Mike replied, opening the box to reveal four bombs shaped like roaring lion heads. Developed by Howard Stark, their power was undeniable.
Nearby, Skye, Melinda May, Mockingbird (Barbara Morse), and Lance Hunter stood on alert.
Just as Coulson located the entrance to the Kree base, a roar split the sky. A HYDRA fighter jet descended and landed opposite them.
"Damn it. HYDRA just won't quit," Coulson muttered, drawing his pistol. Skye and the others raised their weapons as well.
"Coulson, Skye… we meet again."
The HYDRA jet's hatch opened, and the first to step out was Grant Ward, once Coulson's trusted agent, now a traitor. By his side was Raina, wearing her usual sly smile.
"As expected… Raina and Ward," Skye said, her voice filled with rage. The past ten days had been enough for her to burn with hatred—hatred for Raina's manipulations, and a complicated, painful resentment toward Ward.
The entire team glared at Raina. For over a week, she had haunted them.
With the "future comics" given to her by Allens, Raina had led HYDRA like a prophet, anticipating every move S.H.I.E.L.D. made. Time and again, Coulson's team had been forced into desperate retreats, paying heavy prices against HYDRA's ambushes.
Though no one had yet been lost, Coulson knew they were on the brink.
And what unsettled them most was how much Raina had changed since siding with Allens. She was always one step ahead, always aware of their strategies before they even made them. Her uncanny foresight kept them in a constant state of panic.
"Prophet… do you really know everything?" Ward finally asked, his tone uncertain. He hadn't forgotten that it was Raina's visions that had freed him from S.H.I.E.L.D.'s custody. She had known every weakness of the Bus, every move Coulson's team might make. Rescuing him had been effortless.
That was why Ward had stayed with HYDRA—because beside him stood someone who could see his every plan before he even acted. It was suffocating.
"What's wrong, Grant Ward? Worried I'll expose your little promise to Skye?" Raina teased, her smile laced with mockery. She had already seen his future in the comics, and the knowledge thrilled her.
"Relax. Just follow my plan. Bring Skye into the Kree base, and you'll walk away alive." Her eyes turned cold. This was the most critical stage of Allens' plan—failure was not an option.
For ten days, Raina had pushed Coulson's team step by step toward Puerto Rico, forcing them onto the exact path foretold in the comics. Her foresight had earned her the codename "Prophet" within HYDRA, and even Whitehall himself had ceded control to her.
"Everything is going according to plan. Attack!" Raina ordered.
Under Ward's lead, HYDRA soldiers advanced quickly.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Gunfire erupted instantly. Coulson's team was pinned down under the overwhelming barrage. Even Mike couldn't move to plant the explosives.
"Too much enemy fire! Fall back to the Quinjet!" Coulson shouted, taking out two HYDRA agents as he gave the order.
Barbara, Hunter, Mike, Simmons, and Fitz pulled back toward the jet. Only May, Skye, and Tripp remained exposed—May and Tripp trapped by suppressive fire, and Skye paralyzed by her desire for answers.
"Coulson… I can't. I can't walk away, not now," Skye said, glancing at him before leaping straight into the tunnel below.
"Skye!" Coulson yelled, stunned.
Tripp, closest to her, didn't hesitate. Without thinking, he dove after her.
"Perfect. Everything is falling into place," Raina whispered with a satisfied smile. She ordered a HYDRA soldier to carry the obelisk into the base.
Knowing her own future led to becoming a thorn-covered monster, Raina had no desire to witness Skye's transformation firsthand.
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