Previously on Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D...
You were dead for days.
GH-325.
Agent Coulson was injected with it and literally minutes later,
his wound showed signs of cellular regeneration.
I'd like to turn the machine on again.
It induces theta brain wave frequencies
to help uncover the secrets buried in the subconscious.
Please let me die.
When did you start doing this?
First night I saw Garrett's writings.
- What do you think caused it? - The GH-formula.
This is what you've been doing up here.
It's what I did yesterday.
No matter how much I carve, it still means nothing to me.
I don't even have a theory.
I do. It's a map.
You're being transferred.
Your brother wants you in his custody.
Burning Man.
Two years ago, we were stuck in the desert
on a glow-in-the-dark bus. Is that it?
What's Burning Man?
On.
Are you sure you're not from Iowa? Because you just sounded like it.
Baltimore. Born and raised.
This is gonna drive me nuts.
I mean, it's crazy, right?
We see each other from across the bar,
and we just wave at each other like we're long-lost friends.
I know I know you. I just can't figure out how.
- To remembering. - Hmm.
- So, you're an artist? - Hmm.
Yeah, I do some painting and I teach community art classes.
Is that how I know you? Are you an artist?
I do some carving now and then.
Well, maybe the reason we think we know each other
is because it was our destiny to meet tonight.
Look, I haven't been entirely honest with you.
We have met before.
And I've traveled a long way to be with you.
Oh, maybe we should just slow this down.
No. We share so much.
So many memories.
So much pain.
How do you know about that?
I'll help you remember.
Damn it.
How long were you standing there?
Long enough.
May gave us specific instructions.
You go on a date with the crazy wall, I have to chaperone.
I didn't wanna wake you.
Do I look like I've been sleeping?
What's keeping you up?
It's all connected.
Everything-
Ward has information about my father,
who just happens to have the alien buzzkill device,
which is somehow connected to the writing,
that is related to the GH serum that is in our blood.
Like we're pieces to a puzzle.
Except we don't know what the puzzle is,
or how the pieces even fit.
It's a hacker's worst nightmare. Everlasting Gobstopper of firewalls.
It wants us to know. I can feel it.
Then "it" should tell us,
because I have been trying to match the writing
to constellation maps, navigational charts,
genome diagrams, and if it's a map, it's a map to nowhere.
I need you to stick with it.
The writing's coming more and more frequently.
It used to be two, three times a month. Then once a week.
Now it's every day, every night.
I can't turn it off.
How do you function? When do you sleep?
That's why we need answers.
And what if we don't find them?
Anything else?
When does May get back?
Not until we find Ward.
This is Morse.
I have agents positioned at multiple locations.
We have been sitting here for an hour.
He has 11 hotboxes
within 200 miles of his last known position.
Odds are, he'll show up at one of them.
Why isn't there a nationwide manhunt?
He escaped from federal custody.
Senator Ward is covering it up. No one's looking but us.
Welcome to Philadelphia.
30th Street Bus Terminal. This terminal is a non-smoking facility.
Smoking is strictly prohibited.
Triplett here. I've got eyes on the prize.
I've got a clear shot and a trigger finger that needs some love.
NO.
Stand by and wait for your orders.
Director, say the word and I can end this.
The Senator wants him alive.
What do you want?
Bring him in. By any means necessary.
Copy that.
Damn.
I don't know how, but he knows we're on him.
He's got a dead man switch and enough C-4 to take down the block.
Bus 741 to Atlanta, now boarding.
He's on the move.
Do not engage. He's not bluffing.
Keep an eye in the sky, May.
Have Agents Hunter and Morse in position at the next stop.
If we can't bring him in, at least we can see where he's going.
We found Ward.
What?
One of my sources, this guy, Micro, he's kind of a crime scene junkie.
He came across something.
The writing, but not exactly how we wanted to see it.
When were these taken?
Last night.
Whoever did this is still out there.
This is the victim?
Janice Robbins. Lives... Lived in Upstate New York.
She's a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent.
No, she's an art teacher from Iowa. I have her full bio.
I'm not wrong. I've seen her.
We should check it out.
You know, we're breaking about 14 laws right now.
One of the perks of being outlaws.
This had to happen on my shift? You couldn't wait till May got back?
May's got her hands full with Ward.
And we're the only ones who know what we're looking for.
What are we looking for?
Answers.
You're right.
This place just screams S.H.I.E.L.D. agent.
You two don't have a single thing in common
unless you have some Enya albums you've been hiding.
No. Nothing in common at all.
I take that back.
There's a lot of overlap.
We were definitely working on the same design,
but she has some pieces I was missing.
How does the carving we found in Miami fit into this?
Whoever did it was on our wavelength.
There's just a few pieces missing. It's almost there.
You were right. She's a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent.
Agent Rebecca Stevens, Level 6. Stationed at the Triskelion.
That's probably where I saw her.
Not recently, you didn't.
According to this, she died five years ago from cancer.
How is that possible?
We won't know until we perform an autopsy.
Don't you need a body for that?
How'd you two manage to acquire a body?
Corpsey diem. "Seize the dead."
Look, like I told my man here,
you want something in life, you gotta grab it and walk out like you own it.
Is that all it takes? Really?
Because I always thought if you wanted something in life,
you had to work hard and earn it.
Give me some room, please.
Does she have any family?
Mmm-mmm. No one. No relatives, no kids.
She didn't deserve this.
Is anything coming back to you?
She was Level 6.
It should all be in my head, but it's not.
We're going to need blood and tissue samples.
Full CBC and multi-element analysis.
Would anyone like to leave before we get started?
We'll stay out of your way.
I'll let you know when I finish.
Bus 16, limited service to Montgomery, is now boarding.
All passengers for Montgomery are welcome to board at this time.
Bus 417, Dallas-Fort Worth, is now boarding lane five.
Passengers for Dallas can board in lane five.
- Need some help with those? - I'm okay.
It's no problem, really. I promise I don't bite. I'm Zack.
Eliza. This is Graham.
Hey, Graham.
So, you wanna give me a hand with this?
- Sure. - All right.
Oh.
Looks like you don't need my help after all.
Graham here is doing all the heavy lifting.
You mind if I tag along with you anyway? Where you heading?
Dallas.
Must be fate.
There you go, sweetie. Thank you. You're a real savior.
Join us for the ride?
I prefer the back.
Excuse me?
Is that seat taken?
All yours.
Thanks.
Don't like to fly, huh?
Excuse me?
I never understood why people would take the bus when they can fly.
Says the man on the bus.
Ah, last-minute trip. Didn't have a choice.
You here by choice?
Yeah, I like the scenery.
Can't see the world with your head in the clouds.
Can't see it with your face in a book, either.
It's a long trip. There's plenty of time for everything.
Well, you could just skip to the end.
And miss all the good parts in between?
It can't be that interesting.
Why do you say that?
Because you were on page 117 when you were waiting outside,
and you're still on page 117.
So, either you're a really slow reader,
or you're working for Coulson.
Who?
I am impressed. You tell him I said that. I almost missed you.
What are you talking about?
I'm sure they told you about this.
If you try or say anything.
Everyone in this bus will be flying.
So, just keep reading your book,
and hope for a happy ending.
Driver?
Yes, sir.
I'm on the wrong bus.
Guess I, uh, need to pay closer attention to things.
Last call for bus 4168 to Boston.
All passengers...
Sorry. Had to get rid of some excess baggage.
You were right, May. He's good.
Very good.
Hunter, if you're in position, he's all yours.
Copy that, darling. Happy to oblige.
The cuts were all quite deep, but the cause of death was cardiac arrest.
She died from shock due to the pain, not from the wounds.
Very common in this type of ritualistic murder.
"Ritualistic"?
It has all the characteristics.
The cuts are very precise,
and the killer continued to carve on her long after she died,
as if there was some need to complete the work.
My hunch is that it wasn't the first time either.
It's also not the first time we've seen these carvings.
They're the same ones Garrett was making, correct?
Dr. Simmons, here are the reports you requested.
Thank you.
It's the analysis from the subjects.
Subjects? Plural?
We found blood and tissue samples
from a secondary source under her nails.
She put up a fight.
Oh, no. Just as I suspected.
She had GH-325 in her blood.
A T.A.H.I.T.I. patient.
Whoever killed her also had GH-325 in their blood.
Don't look at me. I didn't do it.
No, of course, but you both had GH-325 injections.
Hypergraphia was one of
the side effects they tried to treat with memory replacement.
Garrett suffered from it. Apparently, so does our killer.
And they both turned into dangerous psychopaths.
Have either of you been experiencing a compulsion to write, or carve?
We're fine.
But somewhere out there is a T.A.H.I.T.I. patient
who may be targeting all the others. We need to find him.
The patient files were all destroyed.
How would anyone be able to locate them?
I don't know.
How many T.A.H.I.T.I. patients were there?
I don't know.
Do you think the killer will come after the two of you?
I don't know.
If you don't know anything, then how are we gonna find them?
You're gonna have to torture it out of me.
Is all this really necessary?
If you're going to insist on doing this,
I'm going to be monitoring you very closely.
It took me and Fitz six weeks to figure out how to operate this.
And quite honestly, I never thought we'd have to use it.
We should've destroyed it.
In the history of bad ideas, this is light-years ahead of everything.
No, trying to bring dead agents back to life using alien blood
blows everything else away.
They buried those memories for a reason, Coulson,
they were driving people insane.
And now you wanna uncover it when you've been getting worse?
May would never...
May's not the Director. This is my call.
I was put in charge of the T.A.H.I.T.I. Project,
so those people are my responsibility.
If going back in this machine saves even one life,
then it's worth the risk.
Stealing bodies, talking about aliens
and bringing the dead back to life?
What kind of Creature Feature did I sign up for?
Coulson lost his...
Marbles? Mind?
No, memories. The machine helps him find them.
Mack, I need you close, just in case.
In case?
In case he starts screaming and you need to hold him down.
Okay, try to stay relaxed, listen to my voice.
I'll guide you through,
but at the first sign of any duress, I'm pulling you out.
No. Not until we have everything we need to find this guy.
All systems are go.
Concentrate on Agent Stevens. She's your access point, focus on her.
All right. Take him back.
What do you see? Where are you?
The Guest House.
In the interview room.
Do you recognize anyone?
I'm alone.
Concentrate on Agent Stevens.
How do you feel today?
Terrific. I've never felt better.
Do you remember how you got here?
I volunteered. I was dying, and when I woke up,
everything was okay.
She's here. She's doing well.
And the others? How many are there?
Thank you, Agent Coulson, for all your help.
I'm ready to get back in the field.
I can't believe this actually worked.
I feel great. It's a new day.
How long are you keeping me here?
Six patients, well-adjusted.
I'm recommending immediate release.
No!
- His heart rate is spiking. - What's happening, Coulson?
I see the writing. For the first time.
Something's happening to them.
Oh, my God! I wanna get out of here!
I wanna get out of here! I wanna get out of here!
No!
How long are you gonna keep me here with these lunatics, Coulson?
Vital signs elevating.
Tell me what's going on, Coulson.
Degenerative effects. They're unstable.
They're getting worse every day.
They're getting worse every day. We're losing them.
We need to shut down the program.
This isn't a failure, Agent Coulson, it's a first step. We rejuvenated life.
This isn't life.
We need to shut it down and destroy the host.
You can't do that!
It's thousands of years old, predating the pyramids.
We haven't even scratched the surface of the benefits.
These are human beings, not lab rats. I'm contacting Fury.
There's still hope for them.
The host's genetic material may be implanting
its own genetic memories onto theirs, creating the psychic schism.
If we were to completely wipe away all their memories...
Erase their minds? That's hope?
We can give them new memories, new identities.
They'll never be agents again,
but they'll be able to lead normal, healthy lives.
Let me die!
No, stop! Please, no!
Please, will you make it stop? Please, make it stop!
Please, somebody! Somebody stop it!
Damn it, stop doing this, please! Please, stop!
What have we done?
What did you do? Tell me.
We erased them. All of them.
New names, new memories. It was the only way.
You did the right thing. Can you find their new names?
- How much more can he take? - I don't know.
Whatever you're doing to him, you need to stop.
Coulson, we need their names.
Find their names so we can pull you out!
Lewis Seaver.
That's one. Keep them coming! Keep them coming!
Looks like the Big Bad Wolf is stopping for a pint.
I'll give you a choice.
Columbian Necktie, or Bullet in the Head?
Bullet in the Head. On the rocks.
On the house. Welcome back.
Hello.
May, we have a problem.
Grant Ward.
In from the cold at last.
Mr. Garrett spoke quite highly of you.
Imagine my surprise when I received your call.
I wasn't even aware that phone was active.
Or you, for that matter.
We thought you were dead.
Not dead. Waiting.
I was locked in a cage.
Before that, I was trapped behind a S.H.I.E.L.D. badge.
Now, I'm finally free.
How can we help you?
Since Strucker is overseas, I assume you report to someone else.
- That's correct. - I want a meeting.
Though we do appreciate your talents and your loyalty,
Mr. Whitehall is a very busy man.
Will his schedule open up if I can get you face-to-face with Coulson?
Close enough to put a bullet in his head?
Skye? Coulson? Anyone?
When the cat's away...
Keep trying to reach them. I'm taking us down.
"The body of Lewis Seaver was found
"in the remains of the Santa Maria church fire in Miami."
The fire was this guy, too.
Three of the others died of unnatural causes in the last six weeks.
This guy is definitely targeting T.A.H.I.T.I. patients.
Is there still a chance?
Two of them are alive.
We need to find out which one is the killer.
Do you remember anything? Any clues?
Stay out of my head, Coulson.
There's nothing wrong with me.
Roll up your sleeves.
You don't need to erase me.
There's nothing wrong with me!
You're not okay, and it's only gonna get...
...worse. But I can help you.
No!
It's the only way to know!
You can't erase me, Coulson! Don't do this to me, Coulson!
I need to know!
No!
You can't erase me! I need to know what it means!
It wants me to know!
I need to know!
It wants me to know! I need to...
...know! I need to know!
I need to know! No! No!
I need to know!
Get him the hell out of there!
- Shut it down! Shut it down! - I need to know!
Sedate him! I'm calling May!
I've got Skye.
Skye? We have a Ward situation that's about to get really bad for all of us.
Coulson went into the memory machine.
What? And you let him?
It wasn't my call!
Lock him up and keep him under observation until I get back.
What the hell is going on?
Let's just stay focused.
I need to know! I need to know!
- What did you do to him? - Just hold him down!
Coulson! Don't make me use this.
I'm sorry.
I spoke to May. She wants us to lock you up until she gets back.
I think that's a good idea.
His name was Sebastian Derik.
He was an assassin from the dark side of S.H.I.E.L.D.
How many others did you say are still alive?
Just one. Hank Thompson.
He only lives a few hours away from here,
so I'll send some agents to protect him.
That won't be necessary.
Coulson?
Sorry. I need to take care of him personally.
Coulson, what are you...
Hey, you wanna slow down that train, buddy?
You wanna see him crash, don't you?
I fear for the world the day you get your driver's license.
Hank! There's someone up at the house that wants to see you.
Is it a customer?
Says he's an old friend.
Okay, I'll be right there.
I've seen some messed up stuff in my day, Turbo,
but nothing quite like that.
Holding down the Director like he's possessed.
Yeah, well. What happened, that's not... Wasn't his fault.
Oh, I know. Someone jumbled his memories.
No, his memories weren't jumbled. They were replaced.
Just some of them.
- You're up. - No, I'm okay.
No, come on. It's good for you.
Helps your brain and hands learn to get their act together.
Replaced memories, jumbled memories.
How the hell is he supposed to keep everything together?
What if he forgets what team he's on?
You know, I like my bosses un-jumbled at all times.
Yeah, he is.
Or he will be. He'll recover. He did before.
Besides, brains never delete files, they just lose connections.
But there's always a back-up.
Just a matter of digging and finding them.
So you've got back-up files, too?
Has anyone seen Skye?
Oh, no. Guys, quick.
It's about time!
- Coulson did this to you? - You think?
Is he going after the killer?
Not the killer.
Can I help you?
My name is Phil Coulson.
You don't remember me, but we've met. It's very important that we talk.
This isn't a good time.
You need to listen to me.
Look, I have no idea who you are or what you want, but you need to leave.
Mr. Thompson, please.
Look, if you have something to say,
you can say it out here.
I have every reason to believe that your life is in danger.
Is your family home?
No.
That's good, because I need to pick your brain.
No one's been in or out since the party started.
You're sure no one saw you?
I didn't blow my cover.
You suggesting I did?
It's okay, it happens.
What did you do? Come on too strong? Subtlety is key.
- You were dressed like a cowboy. - I...
Enough!
There's a good chance Ward's wearing his Ka-Boom Box.
If we can't get a fast, clean shot,
he could take the whole building down with us inside.
We don't have the resources for this.
We should call in outside reinforcements.
No. If Ward saw them coming, he'd take them all down with him.
So, what's the plan?
Get a fast, clean shot.
I don't wanna hurt you, but you need to listen to me.
You were an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Please. Just go.
Do you recognize these symbols?
No, no, I don't! Look, is that all you need?
Think. Have you been drawing, carving, painting?
Anything that reminds you of these?
I've never seen them in my life.
Look at them! Try to remember!
I need to know what this means! You have pieces that I need!
I don't know what you're talking about and I don't care!
Look, I've told you both. You've got the wrong guy!
Both? Someone got here before me?
Is he dead?
I'd be very quiet if I were you.
Agent Coulson, I've got bad news.
The lunatics are running the asylum.
Do you remember me, Coulson?
Do you remember what you did to me?
I tried to help you.
What? By erasing my memories? Trying to change who I was?
It was the only way to save you.
It didn't work.
You wanna know why?
'Cause I discovered a little secret.
Pain made me remember.
I found out after I started cutting myself.
The more pain, the more I remembered.
That's how I found the others you erased.
I remembered who they were and who they became.
I came for you first, Coulson.
But you were already dead.
Yet, here you are.
Why is that?
Are you one of us now?
Why? Why would you do that, when you know what it does?
I didn't.
I think it's because you wanted to know the answer to this.
Look, I tried to help the others remember.
I cut, and I cut, but no one had the answer.
I need to know, Coulson. What does it mean?
I don't know. I'm trying to find out, just like you.
Do they drive you crazy?
Yes.
I started carving on walls. Is that how you started?
Yes.
It's not deep enough.
You can't just scratch the surface, Coulson.
We have to dig deep.
That's why I started carving bodies. It has to be deep.
It's not two-dimensional.
No, the answer isn't on the surface. It's what lies beneath.
We can find it. Together.
That's the idea.
No, no.
But what does it mean, Coulson?
I don't know.
Take your family! Go!
Go, go!
What the hell is T.A.H.I.T.I.?
T.A.H.I.T.I. was designed to revive a fallen Avenger.
That's how it got started.
Captain America, Iron Man? Those Avengers?
Those are the ones.
How the hell could Coulson forget that? What, does he have alien blood, too?
Can you imagine that?
S.H.I.E.L.D. being run by a man that's part alien?
Yeah, imagine that.
- Hey! - What the...
Call the police!
There's two guys trying to kill each other.
They're out in my place, Thompson Welding.
It's right down the road.
All right, stay here. We'll handle this.
Okay.
You want pain? Come and get some.
You can't hide, Coulson.
We're connected by the blood.
The answer's right here, Derik! All you have to do is look!
Let him go, Coulson!
It's okay. I'm okay now.
That's what you said before you threw me in a cell.
Fair enough. But I'm not trying to kill him, I'm trying to save him.
I'm giving you to the count of three. And my gun's real.
It's here, Skye. Everything we've been looking for.
- One... - He's not kidding! Let him go!
- Open your eyes, Derik. - Two!
It's just below the surface, like you said. All you have to do is look.
Three!
You can put the guns away. He won't hurt anyone now.
How do you know that?
He found what he's been looking for. What we've all been looking for.
The final piece.
I don't believe it.
It's not so much a map as a blueprint.
It's a city.
So, I was some kind of super spy?
One of the best. We could use you.
The whole story's right here.
What you were, who you were.
I know who I am. I'm Hank Thompson.
Got a wife I love, a kid I adore, and every day I wake up happy.
Can't imagine I was happy being a spy. Uh, no offense.
None taken.
Thank you, Mr. Coulson.
Thank you for giving me a second chance.
For making me who I am.
You're a good man, Mr. Thompson. You always were.
These agents will take you home now. Sorry about the blindfold.
I understand. Spy stuff.
Oh, if you, uh, ever need any welding, you know where to find me.
Thanks.
Sebastian Derik has been turned over to the authorities.
He had sins to atone for long before T.A.H.I.T.I. ever happened.
But at least he found his peace.
And you?
The compulsion's gone.
How can you be sure?
I can feel it.
Whatever's in our blood, it was driving us.
To go to that city, like homing pigeons.
Only, we couldn't figure out what home was,
so it was just driving us mad.
Once I had all the pieces...
Now we just need to figure out why this alien was so hell-bent on getting there.
Any news on Ward?
We'll find him.
In the meantime, we'll take advantage of his gift, Mr. Bakshi.
Here's his cell phone.
See what you can find inside.
All right, let's get this over with.
To answer the question on everyone's mind.
No, I'm not crazy.
I know in the past few months it may have seemed
like I was leading you on some fool's errand,
chasing after strange carvings and artifacts.
At times, I questioned it myself,
wondering if I was chasing windmills, trying to solve some unsolvable puzzle.
But the pieces are coming together. The puzzle's taking shape.
The bad news.
HYDRA'S trying to solve the same puzzle
and they have more resources.
The good news. We now have a piece they don't have.
Everything we've been doing, it all leads here.
Our job.
Find it before anyone else.
All right, Mr. Bakshi, I hope you weren't into selfies,
or this could be embarrassing for both of us.
Hail HYDRA.
Hey, Skye.
Where are you?
Just wanted to make sure you got my present.
I promised him a face-to-face with Coulson.
Probably not exactly what he had in mind.
I'll be sending a few other gifts your way, now and then.
Like a cat bringing in dead birds? No thanks.
Just trying to be helpful.
Oh, met the new recruits.
I don't think they need to hang around much longer.
Is that a threat?
Just a suggestion.
Coulson could do better.
Then again, I am hard to replace.
How about you tell me where you are, and we can talk about it?
I have to go now, Skye.
I have a few personal matters to attend to.
But I'll be seeing you soon. I promise.