Laws of Inferno Dynamics
“Out of my way. I need to see him.” The gang member ordered as he made his way to where Joe was holed up. “Joe. Joe we got a problem. Cops, SHIELD, they're everywhere, man.”
“Keep them busy.” Joe ordered. “That's why I pay you.” the gang member scoffed.
“You guys been paid yet?” He asked his buddies behind him. “I haven't been paid. You want us to go to war with SHIELD? I don't know, man.”
“You're right.” Joe nodded, turning to face the gang member. “A hard day's work deserves a hard day's pay.” the thug began choking and spit out several bloody diamonds. “Hope you take diamonds.” Joe smirked. “They're unrefined, but they're priceless once properly cut. Speaking of which, you may have to cut the rest out of his lungs.” The other gang members watched as the thug fell to the ground, dead.”If SHIELD wants to see what I'm creating, I'll show them.” Joe said, turning back to face his massive Quantum Box. “I'll show them all.” Outside, Police and SHIELD swarmed the area, blocking off exits as to keep the Chinatown gang and Joe Bauer from escaping.
“We're live in downtown LA, where several city streets have been blocked off due to what authorities are calling a potential threat.” A reported said into the camera. “The details are scarce, but when SHIELD arrives on the scene, it suggests the threat may be an Inhuman one. Joining us on the phone right now is the director of SHIELD himself, Jeffrey Mace. Director Mace, can you clear up some of the rumors about what's happening here right now?”
“Of course, and thanks for taking my call.” Mace replied from his office back on the base. Also present were Coulson, May, and Burrows. “The situation is that there is an escaped fugitive on the loose and SHIELD is assisting LAPD with the hunt.”
“Is the fugitive you're referring to Quake?” The reporter asked. “There have been reports of seismic activity in the area.”
“No, I can assure you the threat is not Quake, and it is not Inhuman.” Mace stated.
“Then why the evacuation?” The reporter demanded. “Why is SHIELD involved?”
“You know, it's still an active scene, so I'm afraid I can't comment.” Mace replied. “But once the situation resolves, we'll hold a full press conference. Hey, thanks for your time.” Before the reporter could say anything else, Mace hung up on her. “It's like a circus out there. And that picture of me on the banner…”
“Agreed. Not your best side.” Burrows said. “I'll schedule a reshoot for this week.” May and Coulson gave Burrows disapproving glares.
“Burrows. Give us the room.” Mace ordered. Burrows nodded and left. “How many people do we think Bauer has in there?” Mace asked.
“A small army.” May answered. “Leftovers from Chen’s Chinatown gang.”
“We need to move in.” Coulson stated.
“Agreed.” Mace nodded. “Who do we have on site so far?”
“Agents Palamas and Mackenzie are on the ground.” Coulson answered. “So are Kara, Daisy, Lincoln, Donnie, and Robbie. Ward’s situated in a sniper position.”
“Any chance he can get a shot on Bauer?” Mace asked.
“Negative.” Coulson answered. “Bauer’s smart enough to stay out of the line of sight from snipers. But Ward’s got eyes on what he’s building. Says it looks like one of those boxes but bigger. Based on what Lucy and the Peanuts Gang have said it’s necessary for Joe’s powers to work. The quantum energy is what’s fueling him, allowing him to make more complicated stuff than just carbon and other elements on the periodic table.”
“And what about the science team?” Mace asked. “FitzSimmons, Radcliffe, and Aida? I mean if the tech’s the same as what sent you to wherever the hell you went I’d say we want them on site to potentially figure out how to counter it.”
“They’re already on their way.” May assured.
“And given the magnitude of the situation I think we could use as much firepower as we can get.” Coulson stated. “To that end, we have an inhuman asset in LA that could be of assistance. Elena “Yo-Yo” Rodriguez. With your permission I’d like to bring her in to help.”
“If my memory serves me correct she worked with Agent Ward when he went up against Hive right?” Mace said. “Ms. Rodriguez has a form of superspeed.”
“Yes.” Coulson nodded. “Like I said we need as much firepower as we can get. Stacking the deck with as many powered people as we can will go a long way towards countering Bauer’s advantages. And I think Elena has powers uniquely suited for someone like Bauer.”
“Alright.” Mace agreed.
---
“Yo, I'm not wearing a mask man.” Robbie said as he glared at the mask Mack handed him as they stood outside Joe’s lair.
“It's not a mask it's a balaclava.” Mack corrected.
“Thought that was a dessert.” Robbie muttered.
“What? No, ma... Never mind.” Mack sighed. “Director just wants you to keep a low profile. There's a lot of media out here. With what happened at the prison I can’t say I blame him.”
“I don't answer to him.” Robbie frowned.
“No, you don't.” Mack nodded. “Guy you answer to is a lot more unforgiving.”
“Yeah, well, you know a little something about that now, don't you?” Robbie chuckled.
“Well, hopefully, when all this is over, he won't be anybody's boss anymore.” Mack replied.
“Amen to that, brother.” Robbie nodded.
“Ward what’s it looking like in there?” Mack asked.
“I’m seeing a lot of guys in this big room.” Ward stated. “A big box in the middle. I’m guessing Bauer’s quantum box or whatever the hell it is. Asshole’s still staying out of my sights.”
“Second you get the chance take the shot.” Mack ordered. “Sooner he’s dead the sooner this is all done.”
“Copy that.” Ward nodded.
“How’s it looking?” Coulson asked as he and May pulled in a SHIELD SUV.
“Robbie’s on his way to Kara’s team.” Mack stated.
“Good.” Coulson nodded. “Agent Simmons, the gang's all here and in position.”
“Copy that, Agent Coulson.” Simmons replied from the Zephyr. “Fitz, do we have thermals off the satellite?” Fitz nodded and pulled up the satellite feed. He saw a number of heat signatures inside the building.
“Bauer's men retreated inside a few minutes ago.” Fitz stated.
“Zephyr to Assault Team, be aware that all Bauer's men have pulled back.” Simmons stated. “You need to be ready for anything.”
“Yeah I see ‘em.” Ward nodded, watching though his scope. “Still no Bauer.”
“Shards of carbon out of thin air.” Fitz muttered. “It's not possible. You can't create something out of nothing.”
“First law of thermodynamics.” Simmons agreed.
“Exactly.” Fitz nodded. “Even in the realm of quantum vacuum fluctuations, there are still laws. So how's he doing it?”
“Maybe it's magic.” Simmons suggested.
“I do not like magic.” Fitz sighed. “Or clowns. Or clowns with knives... in the dark.” They heard beeping coming from the computer which indicated another earthquake.
“Reading another earthquake, 1-4.” Simmons muttered.
“For the record, it wasn't me.” Daisy stated as she and the Secret Warriors arrived outside the entrance.
“Yeah, well, all the same, Daisy, I'd like to look at the new gauntlets after the mission, check that they're calibrated correctly.” Fitz said.
“They are, trust me.” Daisy assured. “The effect on my bones is a tenth of what it was.”
“Here comes Burning Man.” Elena said as Robbie approached.
“Any life on your side?” Kara asked.
“No.” Robbie shook his head. “You sure Joe's in there?”
“Let's find out.” Coulson said. “Assault Team, you have a go.”
“Copy.” Kara nodded. “Breaching now.” Kara and Daisy stood in front of the doors and cracked them open slowly.
“Looks all clear to me.” Robbie said. “Which means it isn't.”
“I’ll see if I can sense anything electrical in the hallway.” Lincoln said.
“Since when could you do that?” Daisy asked.
“Picked up some new tricks while you’ve been gone.” Lincoln smirked. He closed his eyes and held up his hand. Sparks shot between his fingers as he seemed to sense the electricity in the hall. “Nothing.” He said as he lowered his hand. “Nothing electrical anyway.”
“I hear something.” Elena said. “Sounds like water running.”
“Can you do a little recon up ahead?” Kara asked.
“Well, that depends.” Elena shrugged. “If "recon" means ‘look around’ sure.” She ran in at superspeed, seeing some kind of black substance covering the walls. Then she landed in some kind of puddle. The liquid splattered and landed on the black substance, causing it to ignite. Reacting quickly, Elena turned back and raced back down the hall to escape the fire. She was launched back out the door and into the wall of the opposite building.
“Yo-Yo!” Daisy shouted. Donnie rushed to Elena’s side and used his powers to put out the flames covering Elena’s arms.
“You like playin' with fire Joe?” Robbie scowled. “Let's play.“
---
“Director Mace.” Mace looked up from his desk to see Radcliffe standing in the doorway.”
“Doctor Radcliffe.” Mace greeted. “Is there something you need cause we’re kinda in the middle of a situation here.”
“Well I just wanted to come clean about something.” Radcliffe said. “And I want you to know I did this with the best of intentions, intentions that have proved fruitful.”
“What did you do?” Mace frowned.
“You know my assistant Aida?” Radcliffe said. “She’s an android. Not AI I want to be clear on that. She’s programed to mimic human behavior. I built her to be able to save the lives of agents in the field. Accomplish otherwise lethal tasks or investigate an enemy compound and disable traps without the risk of, well, death. In fact it was due to her existence that we were able to bring the team back from that alternate dimension.”
“What do you mean?” Mace asked.
“That book.” Radcliffe explained. “According to the Momentum Labs team that book is incredibly dangerous and will corrupt the mind of whoever reads it. So we had Aida read it. She wouldn’t have her mind corrupted and would be able to read it without going mad the way Joseph Bauer has. And we can wipe it’s contents from her memory so that even if there’s unforeseen complications as a result, it’s an easy thing to fix. Without her we would’ve lost the team. And I hope me coming forward is evidence of my noble intentions.”
“Telling me about this buys you some good will.” Mace sighed after a long moment. “But I still don’t approve of you doing this or that you did this behind my back. But we can discuss what to do with her later. Depending on this next mission.”
“What do you mean?” Radcliffe asked.
“Well if your android has knowledge of the tech we’re dealing with, I think I’d be a waste not to utilize her.” Mace replied.
---
Robbie made his way inside the warehouse. They ran into a pair of thugs but dispatched them with ease and entered the room with Joe’s machine.
“Is this thing on?” Robbie asked, lightly tapping his body cam. “Anyone seeing this?”
“We do.” Fitz nodded. “Ward was right. Looks like the power cells from Momentum Lab, except economy sized.”
“Bauer has created a giant battery for himself, filled with quantum energy.” Simmons murmured.
“Well, not ‘created’ exactly.” Fitz corrected. Robbie walked towards the power cell, giving them a good look at a box of some kind on the wall.
“What's that object on the wall?” Simmons asked.
“Hope it's not cesium again.” Fitz groaned.
“Cesium?” Simmons frowned. “Is that what ignited the entry hall?”
“Based on the spectral analysis of Yo Yo's jacket, yeah.” Fitz nodded. “It's highly unstable. And pyrophoric. Reacts on contact with water.”
“First carbon, now cesium?” Simmons mused. “It's like Bauer’s is testing his abilities, making his way through the periodic table. Who knows what other traps he's set?”
“I do.” Fitz said gravely, tapping the screen, his eyes widening with horror as he realized what the box was. “I've seen that setup before.” Robbie looked around the outside of the box when he heard footsteps behind him.
---
“The ‘demon core?’” Coulson frowned as he, Mack, and Daisy entered the Zephyr’s control room. “Seriously?”
“You cannot make this stuff up.” Mack sighed.
“I didn't name it that.” Fitz shrugged. “The physicists at Los Alamos did. This is what Robbie saw inside the power cell.” Fitz pulled up the image side by side to another image with a similar looking device.
“They do look awfully similar, whatever they are.” Daisy murmured.
“It's a fail-safe.” Simmons stated.
“It's a fuel source.” Fitz said at the same time. “Well, it's both. Powering not just the cell but Joe himself.”
“But it's also the perfect insurance policy to keep us all at bay.” Simmons added.
“Now when you say ‘fail-safe?’” Mack frowned.
“See this beryllium lid?” Simmons said, motioning to the image of the box in the power cell. “It's a neutron reflector rigged to drop at the touch of a finger.”
“If that lid drops into place, it would trigger supercritical mass.” Fitz sighed.
“Time-out.” Daisy said. “Fail-safe? Supercritical mass? Are you guys talking about what I think you're talking about?”
“Joe's made his way through the periodic table, all the way to plutonium.” Coulson stated.
“And if Matchstick messes with it?” Mack asked. At that, Fitz made a gesture to demonstrate a large explosion.
“Time for Plan B.” Coulson said. “Anyone? Feel free to chime in.”
---
“You’re Eli’s nephew aren’t you?” Joe said, pointing a finger at Robbie. “What’re you doing here?”
“Taking you to hell.” Robbie snarled. Meanwhile Ward watched from his sniper’s nest with his thermal scope activated. Joe was still standing just outside his line of sight. Then he noticed a pipe on the opposite wall.
“Robbie.” Ward said into his comms. “I’m gonna try to distract him. The second he takes his eyes off you, rush him.” Robbie gave a slight nod as he glared at Joe.
“And how exactly do you plan to do that?” Joe asked.
“You’ll see.” Robbie glowered. The sound of cracking glass filled the air and a pipe on the opposite side of the room ruptured, causing steam to spray everywhere. Joe’s focus shifted for a split second, giving Robbie enough time to rush him. He grabbed Joe by the throat and lifted him into the air, his eyes glowing and his face burning off.
“What are you?!” Joe choked out.
“Vengeance.” Robbie snarled. And then Joe burned to ash.
“Bauer’s down.” Ward informed the rest of the team. “Robbie neutralized the target.”
“That’s good but I’m afraid we’ve got a new problem.” Simmons stated over comms.
“What do you mean?” Robbie asked.
“We figured out what’s in the power cell.” Fitz stated. “If you do anything to it it’ll trigger supercritical mass.”
“So that would be ‘might blow us to pieces’ then?” Ward sighed.
“Correct.” Fitz nodded.
---
Mace touched down on the Zephyr with Radcliffe and Aida in tow.
“Jeffrey.” Coulson said as he greeted him.
“Coulson.” Mace replied. “You told me we had a nuclear bomb situation? Any idea how we’re going to handle it?”
“Not yet.” Coulson stated. “Anyone who goes inside the power cell will be bombarded by quantum energy and turned into a ghost.”
“Well luckily, Doctor Radcliffe has created us a solution.” Mace grinned. The rest of the team was introduced to Aida as an android and she went in to collect the plutonium. With the situation resolved, the plutonium was marked for transport to a government science facility.
---
“So what would you like to do for our week off?” Fitz asked Simmons once they’d returned to base.
“When were you going to tell me?” Simmons asked.
“Tell you what?” Fitz frowned.
“About that android you and Radcliffe have been building.” Simmons said. “Don’t even deny it I know you Fitz. I know how you’d react if you found out Radcliffe had built an android behind the backs of everyone.”
“Okay yes I didn’t tell you.” Fitz nodded. “But I only kept it a secret because you’ve been taking polygraphs.”
“I haven’t been taking the polygraphs for a week now.” Simmons frowned. “I even asked you what you and Radcliffe and Donnie were working on when we went out to dinner and you said you were just talking shop. What did you think I was just going to go right to the Director and tell him Radcliffe was building an android?”
“Of course not!” Fitz insisted.
“Then why’d you lie to me?” Simmons asked. Fitz let out a long sigh, trying to figure out what he wanted to say.
“Because I feel this distance between us.” Fitz admitted. “Because you’re always working and we never spend any time together anymore and I feel like we’re drifting away from each other. I mean last week was the first time we’ve actually gone out for a real dinner in months. I ask you to come do stuff and you’re just busy.”
“Fitz I know it’s difficult to manage.” Simmons sighed. “But please don’t shut me out. Talk to me so we can work things out.”
“Okay.” Fitz nodded.
---
“So you’re really sticking around?” Lincoln asked Daisy as they played Catan with Ward and Kara.
“I am.” Daisy nodded. “I’ve been running long enough.”
“Good.” Kara smiled. “And I’m glad you two patched things up. Grant’s been all gloomy since you left. And don’t even deny it I see how you two’re giving each other fuck me eyes.”
“Already did that.” Daisy smirked, causing Ward to choke on his drink and everyone else to burst out laughing.
---
Robbie made his way into the room with the gateway, followed by Eli, Gabe, Coulson, Mack, and Radcliffe.
“Thanks for everything Robbie.” Coulson said, shaking Robbie’s hand.
“No problem.” Robbie nodded.
“Good luck.” Mack said. “Gotta say I’m glad I’m not in you position.”
“Me too man.” Robbie chuckled. Radcliffe pressed a few buttons on the portal and it opened up, revealing a fiery hellscape.
“Do you really have to go?” Gabe asked as Robbie stood in front of the gateway.
“Yeah.” Robbie nodded. “I do. I made a deal. I don’t wanna find out what happens if I break it.” He bent down and hugged Gabe. “I promise I’ll be back.”
“You better.” Eli said. Robbie stood up and hugged his uncle.
“Take care of Gabe.” Robbie said.
“I will.” Eli assured. “And thank you. Because of you, I’m free.”
“I’m glad at least some good came out of this.” Robbie smiled. He let go of his uncle and with a deep breath, walked through the portal.