Agents of SHIELD: Nexus

Once back at the Lighthouse, Jerren and Fitz immediately went back to work on probing the white monolith. Mick and the others then set out to help Patten reconfigure the equipment in the new base as to once again have a functional command center using the 'outdated' tech Davis had smuggled from a nearby abandoned Damage Control warehouse. While it wasn't the most modern, it was much better than the 1970's tech they currently had. 

Incidentally, they uncovered an old memo by a man named Rick Stoner. He was a former general from the army, who also held high rankings within SHIELD. Apparently this base was designed with withstand an earth ending event, which was helpful given the amount of drawings Robin had featuring a shattered earth. There was however a new concerning image of a large purple man that appeared to be snapping, with six different colored orbs around him that just made Mick's skin crawl. 

Mick left the formatting the new systems to Patten, seeking out Fitz and Jerren instead. He walked into the large room that held the white monolith, watching as Fitz and Jerren went from looking at the tablets in their hands back at the hunk of rock, then back to the tablets all in silence. "Guessing it's not going well?" Mick remarked as Fitz barely glanced up from his tablet. 

"We already brought them back, we're just trying to bring them back to normal size," Jerren grunted as Mick glared at him. 

"It's as if we're trying to crack a code on a constantly shifting codex," Fitz sighed. "And we don't even have a starting point in solving it." 

"I've seen some crazy stuff on Mr. Stark's hard drive. Loki's scepter, as close as this thing resembles its scrambled radiant waves, is radically different," Jerren frowned. 

"Stark had specs on Loki's scepter?" Mick was quite curious. 

"Not exactly on his own, no," Jerren said as Mick became more curious. "More like borrowed some from SHIELD, and did his own research later." 

"Turns out it was studied just before Ultron and Vision were created. Same with the Tesseract," Fitz said as Mick huffed. 

"Vision works because of something called an Infinity Stone or something like that," Jerren said as Mick raised a brow. "It's actually pretty ingenious. One of a kind robotic technology for sure." 

"I thought the Accords said no more robots?" Mick grunted. 

"Vision was made before that," Jerren said sternly. "Bit hypocritical of you guys with your LMD's though." 

"Yeah, clearly we're paying the price for that," Mick scowled. 

"Sorry," Jerren frowned. "I really am. Missed hearing from you." 

"Yeah, it's been a few years," Mick said grateful that his old friend was here now. "Have you tried replicating the vibrations like we did with the black monolith?" Mick asked as Fitz seemed rather annoyed. 

"That's the first thing we tried," Jerren answered as Fitz began muttering under his breath. "It's looking like Enoch was right. The only way this thing opens is from the future." 

"So there's no flux capacitor happenings?" Mick said as Fitz and Jerren both chuckled. 

"No," Fitz shook his head. "Time doesn't appear to allow us into the future without someone in the future to bring us." 

"But how would they know that our team would be here, much less, who would be bringing them there?" Mick asked anxiously. 

"Perhaps a temporal paradox," Jerren suggested as Fitz shook his head. 

"That would suggest that the future is trying to prevent the past, which then causes the future," Fitz said as Jerren shook his head. 

"What?" Mick shook his head, confusion sweeping over him. 

"Clearly your friends were needed in the future for something, they weren't around, so someone in the future used the monolith to bring them there," Jerren stated. "The paradox becoming they don't exist anymore in our timeline, and the only way they get back to our timeline is if someone sends them, which clearly cant happen until their finish whatever mission they're there for."

"The other problem at hand, we haven't a clue what that mission is or who knew they were needed for it, and clearly the time jump isn't a straight line back. They've been gone for months, and if they were going to return to the same time they were sent, they'd already be here," Fitz explained as Mick rubbed his head trying hard to understand this information. 

"On the other hand, it could be a sort of time loop," Jerren started as Fitz seemed to disagree with that notion. "Think Final Fantasy, when Garland was defeated, he was cast back in time to be used by Chaos, sent the Four Fiends forward, starting the loop of gameplay that only ended when you defeated Chaos."

"Makes sense so far, I think?" Mick said as Fitz scoffed. 

"Someone in the future started this loop by reaching out and taking your friends forward, and now it's on us to tie the other end by bringing them back," Jerren concluded. 

"I don't fully follow how that works, but if whatever you're planning gets them back, I'm all for it," Mick smiled as he shook his head. 

"I'm starting to believe Enoch's idea of cryofreezing is the only way we bring them back," Fitz frowned. "The problem that poses is who goes and who stays. It's only one pod, two of us." 

"Six," Jerren stated firmly. "Any of us would be willing to help." 

"Right," Fitz frowned. 

"So we pick someone to be frozen and go to the future the long way, while we simply live out our days hoping that this works?" Mick seemed skeptical. 

"We'll also have to agree on a date to try to return. That should set the loop in motion," Jerren said with a hopeful expression. 

"Which means we have to figure out a way to break the loop if this actually works and brings everyone back, including the one frozen," Fitz said firmly. 

"Then that's our plan. We freeze someone and have them bring back the others, the rest we'll figure out afterwards," Mick said boldly. 

"How do we pick who goes?" Fitz asked as he and Mick both wanted so badly to see people trapped in the future. 

"Draw straws, maybe ask for a volunteer," Jerren suggested. 

"This isn't going to be some school game," Fitz frowned. "The fate of our friends would ride on the chosen." 

"Straws it is," Mick teased as Fitz rolled his eyes. 

Davis stood with a smirk, the short straw in his hand. Fitz was rather distraught, and Lance quite pleased he wasn't the loser this time. Patten and Jerren however were just as on edge about how well this plan was going to work as Mick was. Enoch seemed quite content to aid them with this plan, however. 

"So now that I'm the one being frozen," Davis looked toward Enoch. "What's the next move?" 

"Judging by Fitz's and my own calculations, we have to freeze you, and you'll be transported off planet," Jerren started. "That should start that end of the loop, and once you guys return, it closes it. If we're right about how all of this works, it'll just keep repeating until we figure out how to break it." 

"Why off the planet?" Davis seemed uneasy about that one piece. 

"Based on Robin's drawings, something destroys the world. We're assuming based on what Enoch has stated, this place should be in the future, you'll be returning to it," Jerren stated. 

"Heavily dependent on what causes this cataclysm," Fitz added. 

"Enoch did say he took us to where they were, not when," Mick shrugged. 

"Then we'll make sure there's a distress beacon set to go off when he wakes up," Fitz scoffed. "We're also going to be taking back weapons and hiding them around the lighthouse so if there's a fight, you can win." 

"I like this plan, but how am I going to know where these weapons are?" Davis asked, only to be met by a coy grin from Mick. 

"We'll hide them in the vents, and build a walls that have my emblem," Mick replied. 

"Perfect," Davis was a lot more calm about this plan now. 

"Who's supposed to wake me when the time comes?" Davis asked as everyone looked toward Enoch who looking at a series of drawings from Robin. 

"I am going with you," Enoch replied as Davis nodded. "I have a hidden vessel I came to this planet on many years ago." 

"We're going to use the Quinjet to bring you to that ship, then start gathering supplies from old SHIELD bases that haven't been raided by the army," Patten said firmly with everyone falling silent. 

"So this is the plan now?" Davis asked as everyone nodded.

"If everything goes according to plan, you'll have two weeks once you wake up to arrive and open the Monolith," Jerren said with a half grin. "We'll be waiting on the other side for that moment to get everyone back safely." 

"Cool," Davis smiled. "It'll be one heck of a nap!" 

"Enjoy your vacation," Patten hugged Davis, then everyone followed suit. 

"Don't worry about anything," Davis said as Fitz and Mick both wore the same wish it was me expression. "I'll bring them all back in one piece. I promise." 

Fitz nodded as Mick embraced his friend once more. "You've got this," Mick admitted before stepping back. "Ready Lance?" Mick turned to see Lance nodding. 

"We'll handle things here," Fitz said somberly. "I'll let you know if things change." 

"See you soon," Mick nodded, then followed Lance to the Quinjet to load the cryopod they had taken after Blue Ravin Ridge.