Agents of SHIELD: Nexus

Mick spent the night restless. He made a web hammock while Patten lay on the floor, mostly because he hated how sticky the webs were. He wondered what Daisy was seeing in the future, what a fractured world could really be like, or was Robin's drawing just a metaphor for how bad things were? If it was broken, where they on some kind of space station or were pieces of the world still habitable? He also wondered where this new brash side of Fitz was coming from. Sure, when Jemma was transported across the universe he was erratic, but never as hostile as he seemed lately. Perhaps it was due to his time as the second in command of the Hydra faction in the Framework, or maybe his compiling guilt he felt for his involvement with Aida. Either way, something was clearly messing with him, but Mick wasn't sure how to approach the situation. 

He finally managed some sleep only to be woken by Lance making everyone eggs and bacon for breakfast on a small propane stove he found. Enoch even sat in while Mick, Fitz, and Patten discussed how they intended to break into Blue Raven Ridge while Lance finished cooking.

"Jerren is too much a wowser for this," Fitz scoffed as Mick frowned. 

"He used to break the rules all the time!" Mick fussed. "Besides we need his tech." 

"Then he became a leader of rebranded STARS, and that went to his head!" Patten scoffed. 

"You have a friend in that Damage Control group?" Lance asked sitting down to enjoy his breakfast. "Why didn't we call them to break you blokes out of prison?" 

"Jerren's too far stuck up his own," Patten started only for Mick to interrupt.

"Fine, we don't call Jerren to help with that, but I'm sure he could help give us some tips to get to the future! At the very least we could get a tech upgrade!" Mick argued.

"I doubt flying DeLorean's can help us, much less telephone booth," Fitz snapped. "Besides, I doubt Mr. Stark is going to let him pitch an idea for the insanity of time travel!" 

"Look, we need to save them yesterday!" Mick snapped back. "It wasn't your girlfriend that Robin predicted dead!" 

Fitz seemed a little taken back by the rage in Mick's tone. "You're right," he sighed. "We could use any help we can get. Sorry." 

"First things first, we need disguises," Lance stated. "They're going to be on high alert. Especially after we broke you two out of there." 

"Which is why I wanted Jerren to come," Mick said firmly. "His pull with STARS," Mick growled and cursed under his breath. "Damage Control and their authority on all things SHIELD would make getting Zephyr One back much easier." 

"But wouldn't it look suspicious if a known former accomplice of someone high on the Most Wanted list goes digging for a missing SHIELD jet a few days after he broke out?" Patten questioned. 

"The man has a point," Lance muttered. "Let's just make it a simple plan. Bring in your pals as a diversion, we go in as a cleaning group with some forged papers from the robot, grab the jet and we fly out. Clean easy, we'll be back by five for drinks."

"That actually sounds doable," Fitz gasped as Lance scowled. 

"Where was that kind of thinking when we broke them out?" Patten teased. 

"Don't you start that again!" Lance barked. 

It took a while, it took some serious convincing, but Jerren managed to get them a rented cleaning truck on the Stark bill that they just had to pick up once they arrived at an old STARS safe house in Chicago. It was now being used as a storage facility for Damage Control. Thankfully Davis would be waiting there with Jerren, as Enoch didn't want to risk disclosing the location of the Lighthouse unless he had no other choice, mostly to protect Robin and her mother. Another elven hour drive in the terrible smelling RV and they reached the safe house. 

"I thought you said we'd run this op during daylight?" Davis fussed as Mick and the others walked into the safe house. 

"We didn't fly like you did," Mick huffed. 

"You could've flown in with us," Jerren frowned momentarily, then embraced Mick warmly. 

"Don't think customs would've allowed that mate," Lance smirked as Jerren glanced at him curiously. "These two at the top of the Most Wanted list and all." 

"Right," Jerren huffed. "I'm sure Mr. Stark could get you amnesty if you joined Damage Control."

"I'm SHIELD, not changing that," Mick said as Jerren rolled his eyes. 

"Same difference," Jerren scoffed. 

"Not really," Davis interjected. "But that's not why we're here. What's your plan for breaking into that place?" 

"You're gonna love this," Lance smirked. 

Morning came, and they boys loaded into the cleaning truck, Davis and Lance sitting in the front with Mick, Patten, and Fitz in the cab. They pulled up to the gate, Davis slipped some official looking papers, and without much hassle they were in. Davis followed directions to the cafeteria, passing by what they assumed was the hanger where Zephyr One would be. Once parked Davis and Lance started their fake garbage collection, placing a few light explosives in the trash cans to cause a diversion. Mick, Fitz, and Jerren made their way across the base toward the hanger, carefully avoiding any surveillance with the help of Jerren's jamming unit. 

Mick eased open the door seeing not only Zephyr One, but a quinjet as well. "Found it!" Mick cheered. 

"Then we'll head that way!" Davis replied on the comms. "Brace yourselves, here comes the boom!" With that several explosions went off setting off alarms across the base. 

"Go get ready for take off! We'll be there ASAP!" Davis ordered as Mick and the others ran to the Zephyr. 

Fitz input a code which opened the loading dock, then he and Jerren filed inside. "We need to hangar open or we risk damaging the refractors!" Fitz said as Mick nodded. 

"You guys prep, I'll figure out the doors!"

"Don't be reckless!" Jerren barked. "It would be a shame to come this far and you end up dead!" 

"Don't be such a worrywart!" Mick winked as he sprinted toward the large frayed door. "Besides, it'll be just like old times, right?" 

He reached the door seeing a numerical padlock on the chain. He cursed under his breath as he tried to force the lock off. "They've got it locked!" Mick barked. 

"Can you break it?" Fitz asked. 

"Not without breaking the keypad," Mick jerked on the lock. "It's got a numerical code." 

"Nine, one, one," Davis called. 

"Five digits," Mick groaned. "Who the heck would use that as their code?"

"Easy to remember," Davis sounded winded. "But that's not why I said that!" 

"I'll see if I can remote into it. Don't touch anything else," Jerren interjected into the chaotic sounds on the comms. 

"We've been made!" Lance fussed, sounding quite winded. 

"It's almost as if this plan wasn't fool proof" Jerren muttered. 

"Apparently they were expecting this!" Lance replied. "Just get that door open and us in the air!" 

"Zero, six, six, four, four," Jerren called out. 

Mick quickly hit the numbers as he could hear soldiers gathering outside the door. "Hope you guys are ready!" Mick gasped as the lock clicked. He tossed it aside then pulled the chain. The door lifted as multiple squads of soldiers were running toward them. 

Zephyr One slowly eased forward as Mick ducked behind the wall as soldiers opened fire. "I'll get them backed up, but we need our pilot to get off the ground!" Fitz called out. 

"Don't worry that curly little head of yours! Just get us a path!" Davis barked. 

"I'll have the hatch down momentarily!" Jerren replied. 

"Going so soon?" That cold, viscous tone shook Mick to his core. How was that monster free? They locked him up after his involvement with Hydra. "Don't make me beg you to come play with me."

Mick slammed his hands against the wall, then turned to see Jake, shirtless, his metallic left arm and side shimmering in the sunlight. "I thought for sure after you got beat by Daisy you wouldn't want to show your face again," Mick taunted as the soldiers behind Jake pointed their guns at him. 

"From what I hear she deserves to be on the Raft," Jake called out. "How's she doing by the way?" 

"She'll be fine soon enough," Mick snapped. 

"So you do know where they are?" Jake's smug tone annoyed him. "Then I'll really have fun ripping that information out of you! Get the others! Mick is mine!" 

Jake began running at Mick, his left arm glowing in a purple color matching the energy crystal in the palm. A powerful blast fired from his palm, Mick slid underneath as the blast wizzed just under the wing of Zephyr One. Mick then shot webs only for Jake to block them and burn them off with his left arm. Jake collided with Mick, the two rolling in the dust until Jake slammed Mick hard on the ground. 

Jake was then pulled off Mick by Lance tackling him, then Davis helped him up. "No time to play, gotta move!" Davis yelled as gunfire followed, several shots wizzing by. 

"I'm not done with you!" Jake screamed as Lance rolled and ran toward the now open hatch of Zephyr One. 

"Too bad we're done with you!" Mick called as they jumped onboard, closing the hatch quickly. Davis headed straight for the cockpit with Lance on his heels while Mick ran toward the helm to control the guns. 

"Are we fully armed yet?" Mick called. 

"Non explosives are online and ready," Fitz replied. 

"Perfect, just hoping to clear a path!" Mick replied with a smirk. 

"This thing flies like the old busses?" Davis asked. 

"Ey," Fitz responded. 

"Then they'll really like this!" Lance called back as the Zephyr lurched hard. Mick watched on the feed as the soldiers and Jake flew backward due to the force of the thrusters lifting off. Moments later they were in the air. 

"Activating full cloaking!" Jerren called out as everyone breathed as sigh of relief. 

"Someone have some coordinates for me?" Davis asked. "I know you said New York, but I'm gonna need more info than that." 

"It's not going to show up on the map, but I'll put in the coordinates Enoch gave us. Just wait until you see this place!" Patten said cheerfully. 

"You were right," Jerren said patting Mick and Davis on the shoulders and shaking his head. "Just like old times." 

Mick and Fitz rejoined in the lab sharing a smile. "I don't know about you, but I feel like we're finally getting back to normal," Mick stated With a smile. 

"One step at a time," Fitz nodded.