| For other uses, see Providence (disambiguation) |
- "What is this place?"
"One of Fury's secret bases. I call it Providence, although technically it doesn't have a name, because technically it doesn't exist, it being a secret base and all." - ―Skye and Eric Koenig[src]
Providence is one of Nick Fury's secret underground S.H.I.E.L.D. bases, located in Ontario, Canada.
History[]
Creation[]
- "This is one of the most classified facilities on the planet."
- ―Phil Coulson to Glenn Talbot[src]
Nick Fury established a secret underground S.H.I.E.L.D. base in Canada as part of the aftermath of the Battle of New York, keeping its existence unknown to the rest of the S.H.I.E.L.D. Fury stationed Eric Koenig in the base, only allowing him to contact with either him or his brother Billy, also stationed in another secret base. Koenig spent the following two years isolated in the base, seizing the opportunity to read historical fiction and play online games with Billy. During his assignment there, he unofficially gave the base a name, Providence.[1]
Arrival of Phil Coulson[]
Landing[]
The Bus arrives to find Providence
Phil Coulson and his team left the Hub in the aftermath of the revelation of HYDRA's existence within S.H.I.E.L.D., in order to escape a raid of the facility by the United States Armed Forces led by Glenn Talbot. While traveling aimlessly, Coulson received a set of coordinates through his S.H.I.E.L.D. badge, and, believing they were sent by Nick Fury, he traveled to the location of the coordinates despite the disagreement of some members of the team.
Using the last of the fuel left in the Bus, Coulson and the rest of the team arrived to the Ontario region in Canada, landing with the Bus in a location seven miles away from the coordinates, forcing them to continue on foot. Antoine Triplett proposed to lead a scouting party with Melinda May and recognize the terrain to make sure it wasn't a trap, but Coulson said they had no time, as a NATO satellite would pass over their location in less than eight hours, witnessing the Bus and pointing the global authorities to their locations, as now they were fugitives of the law.
Coulson was convinced that something was waiting for them at the location, but he let each of the members of the team to choose if they wanted to accompany him or not, knowing that with all that had happened, they could have doubts about their mission, or even about him, but Coulson did not have any doubts, so he was ready to find whatever Fury intended him to find a this location. Skye and Melinda May followed Coulson without hesitation, and Leo Fitz voiced his trust to Jemma Simmons and Antoine Triplett, who doubted Coulson's judgment regarding the whole situation, but they nevertheless followed him.[1]
Entrance[]
- "This is a S.H.I.E.L.D. facility."
"Shoot first, ask questions later? Doesn't sound like S.H.I.E.L.D. to me."
"It's not HYDRA. This is Fury reaching out." - ―Phil Coulson and Antoine Triplett[src]
Upon arriving to the specific locations that he received through his badge, Phil Coulson and his team found themselves in the middle of nowhere. Leo Fitz, who was remotely investigating the area, found no sign of life or trace of a S.H.I.E.L.D. facility around, and started to lose faith in Coulson, still wanting to believe he knew what he was doing. Jemma Simmons comforted him, saying that they still had each other, though it was too late for wishing that things did not change.
Skye asked Melinda May about Coulson's well-being, but she told Skye not to act like if she knew what Nick Fury ordered May to do with Coulson, and then Skye asked the actual reason to spy on Coulson, and May lied, saying that Fury was concerned about Coulson finding the truth of the procedures used to resurrect him, because doctors said that it could have unclear negative consequences.
Providence's defense measures kicking in
May noticed that Coulson seemed stable until that day, because he was, in May's words, chasing ghosts in the middle of nowhere, but Skye tried to defend him, saying his whole world fell apart with the destruction of S.H.I.E.L.D., though May said he was not alone in that, as her world was also destroyed.
Coulson finally found a clearing in the exact point of the coordinates, and he ordered everyone to stay alert. Skye asked how long they should look before heading back, and Coulson answered they were not heading back until they found what Fury wanted them to find, and they used all its remaining fuel in the Bus, so they could not escape the authorities if the satellite located them.
The team started to lose hope, and Simmons angrily asked if Coulson knew there won't be enough fuel to escape before flying to the Canadian wilderness, but Coulson continued to justify his decision, saying that Fury sent the coordinates for a reason, and though he did not know it yet, something had to be there, as the world still needed S.H.I.E.L.D. to protect them, now that HYDRA was out in the world. Coulson, having lost his temper, still defended their roles as agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., something that, according to him, has to carry some weight, especially after everything they went through.
Calming himself and seeing the faces of the rest of his team, Coulson apologized to them and angrily threw his badge, triggering a large machine gun that destroyed the badge. Everyone ran to get cover while the machine gun sought new targets, and Coulson theorized they found a S.H.I.E.L.D. facility, though Antoine Triplett doubted that "shoot first, ask later" was not typical of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Coulson said it was Fury's way of reaching out, and in order to make sure, Coulson approached the machine gun. The security system ordered Coulson to identify himself, and he did it, saying that he was "Phil Coulson, agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.". The security system welcomed him, saying that he was expected, and the entrance to the Providence base was opened behind a rock.[1]
Welcoming[]
- "It is an honor to meet you, Agent Coulson. And I apologize for the kerfuffle outside. The precision remote system was designed to destroy any rapidly moving metallic object."
- ―Eric Koenig to Phil Coulson[src]
Phil Coulson and his team entered the Providence base, where Eric Koenig, the only agent stationed in the facility, explained it was one of Nick Fury's secret bases, whom he named Providence, although technically it did not have a name because its existence was not official.
Koenig led them to the dining room, where he introduced himself as a Level 6 S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, honored to meet the legendary Phil Coulson. Koenig apologized for the security system they encountered outside, as it was designed to destroy any rapidly moving metallic object, even something as harmless as Coulson's badge.
To replace it, Koenig promised Coulson to give him a personal S.H.I.E.L.D. Lanyard, though acknowledging that lanyards for the rest of the team would be distributed on a case-by-case basis, to make sure none of them were HYDRA operatives. Koenig, answering Coulson's question, revealed that Fury died in Washington, D.C. and that the Fridge had fallen to HYDRA, which prompted Skye to immediately call Grant Ward to check his status. Koenig worried about letting the agents call to the outside, and requested to have a private conversation with Coulson.[1]
Revealings[]
- "My bad. Fury is not dead."
"What?"
"Yeah, they– HYDRA thinks they killed him, but he managed to escape from D.C."
"So, you just lied to my team."
"Well, I don't know them. And those are Fury's direct orders. Only a select few people can know that he's alive. Maria Hill, Cap, a couple of others, and now you and me." - ―Eric Koenig and Phil Coulson[src]
Eric Koenig requested to have a private conversation with Phil Coulson. Koenig revealed it was nice having company, as he had been isolated in the Providence base since the Chitauri invaded New York City in 2012, and though the base was designed to make the as bearable as possible, and Koenig spent many time reading historical fiction and gaming online with his brother, he had been alone for two years.
Koenig revealed the true reason of this private conversation, that Nick Fury managed to escape alive from Washington, D.C., but he kept his survival secret to let HYDRA think that they managed to kill him. Coulson was upset that Koenig lied to his team, but Fury's direct orders were that only select few people could know he's alive, including Maria Hill, Captain America, Koenig and Coulson, but none knew where he was now, as established a Full Eclipse Protocol.
Coulson did not feel comfortable keeping secrets from his team, but Koenig revealed that those were Fury's direct orders, and nobody else could know, especially if they had not been vetted. Coulson accepted the conditions for the time being, and Koenig went to get a S.H.I.E.L.D. Lanyard for Coulson, telling him to ask Melinda May to get the Bus into the base's parking space.[1]
Arrival of Grant Ward[]
Grant Ward is welcomed into Providence
- "Thought you might have given me bad directions."
"At least the machine gun outside didn't start shooting at you." - ―Grant Ward and Skye[src]
Grant Ward arrived at Providence, having been explained by Skye where to find the base and how to bypass the security system at the gate. Ward identified himself as an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., and security system welcomed him, saying that he was expected. Inside the base, Skye was waiting for him at the entrance, and Ward downplayed his wounds, though he had even broken ribs. Skye took him to Jemma Simmons' presence so that she could examine him, and then maybe they could get the drink Ward asked her to share while in the Hub.[1]
Simmons examined Ward, healing his wounds the best she could, while Ward explained his cover story of what happened at the Fridge. According to Ward, when he arrived at the facility, it had already overrun with HYDRA operatives, who managed to take weapons and alien artifacts. Phil Coulson correctly guessed that the prisoners had been liberated, but when he was asked about John Garrett, Ward said that he was not going to let him escape after all what he did, and though he was responsible of Ward's wounds, he managed to kill him with two bullets, one for himself, and the other for Antoine Triplett.
Simmons finished treating Ward's wounds, as she could not do anything more with Ward's cracked ribs or his zygomatic fracture, that both Triplett and Leo Fitz hurried to explain it was a hairline fracture to the cheekbone, and Simmons asked Ward to take some time lo let his body heal itself.
Ward revealed he managed to retain the hard drive that stored all the research their team had done, but before following Ward's advice of restore its contents to the Bus' main system now that they were in a secure facility, Coulson asked Skye to begin a threat assessment to write a list of all the inmates at the Fridge that managed to escape.[2]
Fridge Inmates[]
- "You sure it's wise to split up the team, leave this base? What if it's part of HYDRA's plan, a distraction?"
"She's got a point. I mean, Fury brought you to this base for a reason. We're safe here."
"Yeah, we're safe here. But what about everyone else, people who don't happen to have access to a top-secret underground shelter? What about them?" - ―Melinda May, Skye, and Phil Coulson[src]
Skye managed to obtain a list of all the inmates that managed to escape from the Fridge, including Ian Quinn, the man who shoot and almost killed her, but there were other inmates that scared her even more than Quinn. Phil Coulson acknowledged that, while Quinn was a sociopath, many prisoners were dangerous psychopaths, including some of them who possessed super-powers. Worried, Coulson asked an inmate in particular, Marcus Daniels, and Skye showed him Daniels' file, with Coulson recognizing him without a doubt.
Coulson then asked Skye to cross-check the list with recent activity in crime databases, as he felt there would be a rising in criminal activity following the liberation of the inmates. Skye needed time for that, and more computing power than what she could obtain with her laptop, and she suggested asking Eric Koenig for help, something Coulson was sure he would agree.
Coulson then asked Grant Ward if the S.H.I.E.L.D. Jump Jet he used to arrive at Providence was operational, and Ward offered himself as a pilot, but Coulson dismissed his idea saying that he needed to rest, as he would take a splinter team to chase some of these inmates, starting with Daniels, as he knew where Daniels was headed. Melinda May asked Coulson if it was wise to splint the team and leave the base, because it could be a distraction staged by HYDRA, but Coulson argued that, though they were safe in the base, everyone else was not, so even though it may not be wise, it was the right thing to do.[2]
Orientation[]
- "What part of "secret base" don't you get? Fury said to let you in, and you show up with a bunch of people?"
"Agents!"
"Whatever. The point is, they know where this place is now." - ―Eric Koenig and Phil Coulson[src]
Phil Coulson asked Eric Koenig for assistance in tracking the former inmates of the Fridge, but Koenig strongly disagreed with the idea of someone leaving the Providence base, as it was against protocols, an excuse that Coulson did not agree with, as S.H.I.E.L.D. and its protocols had collapsed.
Koenig was upset with Coulson for not appearing alone, letting know the members of his team about the secret base, despite Fury's orders were to let Coulson enter alone, as Koenig did not trust them because they did not know them, and now they knew the location of Providence. Coulson that with HYDRA having released all of the inmates of the Fridge, violence will escalate, and innocent people would die, and Coulson still considered his duty to be the shield that protected them. Koening, seeing that Coulson was determined to leave, told him that, before leaving, every agent should go through orientation.
Melinda May is questioned by Eric Koenig
Koenig reunited all the agents in a room that housed the Lie Detector a machine designed by Nick Fury himself to measure 96 different variables to make it the ultimate lie detector, something that even Natasha Romanoff couldn't beat.
During her orientation, Melinda May revealed such details as her full name being Melinda Qiaolian May and having been married once. When asked about Project Insight, she denied any knowledge, though she met once Alexander Pierce and shook his hand. May answered the final question, the reason why she was there despite S.H.I.E.L.D. having collapsed, saying that Coulson was the only reason she was there.
During her orientation, Jemma Simmons revealed such details as the first thing she would want to see in a deserted island was the Tardis from Doctor Who. Simmons answered the final question, the reason why she was there despite S.H.I.E.L.D. having collapsed, saying that in honesty, she wasn't entirely sure.
During his orientation, Leo Fitz revealed such details as his immediate family consisted of himself and his mother, or that the first thing he would want to see in a deserted island was Jemma Simmons. Fitz answered the final question, the reason why he was there despite S.H.I.E.L.D. having collapsed, saying that they needed to stay together, keeping the people they trusted close.
During his orientation, Antoine Triplett revealed such details as his grandfather was one of the Howling Commandos. When asked about Project Insight, he denied any knowledge, though he revealed that John Garrett often received calls from Alexander Pierce because, in Garrett's words, they had mutual friends. Triplett answered the final question, the reason why he was there despite S.H.I.E.L.D. having collapsed, saying that his grandfather fought HYDRA and won, so they would do it again.
During her orientation, Skye revealed such details as her full name being only Skye, as she had no family and therefore she did not inherit a family name, though she was named Mary Sue Poots at the Saint Agnes Orphanage. Koenig then revealed that his brother gave him the nickname "lightning foot". When asked about Project Insight, she denied any knowledge, and she told Koenig that the first thing she would want to see in a deserted island was her laptop, but she did not want to look subversive due to her affiliation to the Rising Tide, realizing her laptop would be useless as there was no wi-fi. Skye answered the final question, the reason why she was there despite S.H.I.E.L.D. having collapsed, saying that her team was the only family she had ever known.[2]
Splinter Team[]
Phil Coulson reunited Leo Fitz, Jemma Simmons, and Antoine Triplett to capture Marcus Daniels, explaining his profile as a physics laboratory assistant that was exposed to a form of cosmic radiation called Darkforce, obtaining the power to absorb all types of energy.
Simmons correctly guessed that as the human brain and the heart ran on electrical impulses, Daniels could absorb them as well, something that Coulson assured, as Daniels was able to kill with one touch. Triplett asked if he could be stopped by a bullet, but Coulson said he could absorb the energy of most conventional weapons, and explained how last time he was able to capture him overloading his system with pure light.
Fitz said that he and Simmons could engineer a delivery mechanism en route to expose him to more energy than he could absorb, and Triplett said that he would be the specialist on the mission, being whatever Coulson wanted him to be. Proudly, Coulson said to each of them that they said exactly what he hoped them to say.
Melinda May looked for Coulson, and confronted him saying she should be in the mission, but Coulson, not fully trusting her, said that he preferred to stay at the base and repair the fuel line of the Bus. May knew how personal this mission was for Coulson, but before she could continue, Coulson said they were done talking about personal things.
May, to demonstrate she wasn't hiding anything, referred to the Lie Detector she was submitted, but Coulson simply said she was not hiding anything else. He asked her again if she knew who has behind Project T.A.H.I.T.I., but she was ordered by Nick Fury not to ask, arguing that Coulson would have done the same in her place, their job was to follow orders.
Coulson also said that their job was also to determine right from wrong, and the situation where she let him spend time searching for the truth behind his resurrection without saying anything was wrong. He finished the conversation by saying that, as Fury was no longer giving orders, she should follow his orders, or leave.[2]
Selective Truths[]
Phil Coulson's team ready to be separated
Skye and the rest of agents before her obtained their respective S.H.I.E.L.D. Lanyards, Grant Ward, the last to go through orientation, asked Skye how it was, saying that it was easy if he felt comfortable with talking about himself, something he would hate.
Eric Koenig began Ward's orientation, asking basic question such as his full name and his immediate family, and realized that the baseline had a lot of spikes, due to the pain caused, in part, by Ward's broken ribs. Koenig asked Ward to not move too much, as it could affect the results, and Ward said he would try his best.
Ward denied any knowledge about Project Insight or having had any contact with Alexander Pierce, but as he answered the final question, the reason why he was there despite S.H.I.E.L.D. had collapsed, Ward said it was his duty as an agent, something the Lie Detector marked as a lie.
Koenig asked Ward to repeat the answer, and as he did it, the Lie Detector continued to show it was a lie. Koenig retrieved a gun and continued with another question, if he was associated with HYDRA, something that Ward cleverly answered, saying that all of them were as HYDRA infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D. to its highest levels.
Not satisfied with the answer, Koenig prepared the handgun and pointed at Ward, directly asking him if he was HYDRA, though he replied he was loyal to S.H.I.E.L.D., to Phil Coulson and to his team. The lies continued, and Koenig asked if he had another agenda there. Ward remembered John Garrett's orders to obtain the password for the hard drive containing the research about the GH.325 drug from Skye, and Ward then cleverly answered that Skye was the true reason why he was there, he came back for her to spend time together.
This selective truth convinced Koenig that this was what Ward was trying to hide, and gave him a S.H.I.E.L.D. Lanyard without discovering his true identity as an HYDRA operative.
As soon as he got out of the room, Ward removed a splinter from his finger, that he put there to feel pain and bypass the results of the Lie Detector, almost being caught by Leo Fitz once he did it.
Fitz wanted Ward to know he was glad to have him back, as he did not got along with Antoine Triplett, and wanted Ward to go with them in their mission instead of Triplett. Ward asked him if his complaints were about Triplett, or about what was happening with Jemma Simmons, a question Fitz did not understand.
Ward advised to tell her everything he wanted to tell before it was too late, but ended up being tired of the conversation and telling him to do what he wanted as he did not even care.[2]
Fridge Fugitives[]
Eric Koenig and Skye reviewed crime databases trying to locate some of former prisoners of the Fridge, and Skye noticed a police police report in Morocco about an attempted murder where the attacker reportedly appeared out of nowhere and disappeared into thin air, though Koenig said that kind of description was used in even the most common mugging.
Skye noticed Koenig was using their S.H.I.E.L.D. Lanyards to track the location of everyone inside the base, testing her theory by dropping hers, what caused an alarm to beep on Koenig's tablet. Koenig turned around and saw how Skye realized the purpose of the lanyards.
This gave Skye an idea, proposing to track the inmates of the Fridge getting satellite images of the area. Koenig recognized that it was a good idea, but S.H.I.E.L.D. Satellites were inoperative. Skye, already knowing it, proposed hacking the NSA and getting the images, something that Koenig was not sure, as they already had S.H.I.E.L.D. on its watch list. Skye was very disappointed to see how Koenig did not want to take some risks to do what was right.
Grant Ward entered the room at that moment, and Skye asked him to convince Koenig, sarcastically calling him Steve Rogers, explaining her plan to hack NSA satellites and get footage from the Fridge breakout.
Ward agreed with her plan, and proposed him to upload the hard drive and get some specs about the weapons stored in the Fridge that the prisoners might be carrying. Skye revealed that the encryption of the hard drive was location-based, so they would need to travel to decrypt it.
Finally convinced by Skye's skills, Koenig agreed with the plan, and gave her the keys to the comm/sat room where the mainframe was located, but he asked her to send the feed to the monitors in that room.
Ward asked how much time she would spent hacking the satellites, and she said that it would take her an hour due to the difficulty.[2]
Melinda May's Departure[]
Melinda May decides to leave Providence
- "Coulson needs help. And he won't take it from me anymore."
"Where is he?"
"Providence base." - ―Melinda May and Maria Hill[src]
Grant Ward entered the Bus with the intention of killing Melinda May, but before he asked her about the status of the plane, that she managed to repair, and with the tank now filled it would have a range of about 10,000 miles.
As Ward was about to shoot May, she took a bag with her belongings, intending to leave the base. Ward was surprised to see her leaving, and she said that Phil Coulson was the only reason she was in the facility, and as he couldn't see past her lies, she decided to leave.
Ward, seeing that her situation mirrored his, said he understood her, as once someone like them got orders, they did not question them, just followed them without worrying about the price, but in this case, the price was too high for her, she lost Coulson, and now he did not want her there.
As May left, Ward asked what should he tell Coulson, but she said that it did not matter, as Coulson would not hear it. May then went to the door of the base, and abandoned it.[2]
The Mole[]
Grant Ward went to check the status of the satellite images Skye was hacking from the NSA, and Eric Koenig revealed that she managed to get access to its complete sat-feed history.
Koenig praised Skye's skills, and started to see why Ward liked her. He continued to say that the images were still unclear, but their quality will improve once they finished downloading. Ward, knowing he would appear in those images, closed the door and killed Koenig, hiding his body inside of a closet.
Skye looked for Koenig at the room, but she did not find him, and though some images were displayed on the monitors, they did not show anything of relevance. Ward appeared and congratulated her for managing to obtain the images, saying he went to send them to the NATO, CIA and Interpol, as a gesture of good faith from S.H.I.E.L.D.
In order to distract her, Ward revealed that Melinda May left the base, and he did not even asked where as she would not have answered. Skye was surprised that she did not even said goodbye, but then realized she never felt anything for the rest of their team, she only was there to watch Phil Coulson as part of her mission.
Skye asked Ward if he felt anything for May, but he answered that he did not. They both knew they did not have to feel something for each other. Skye said feelings were not chosen, he replied that he usually could choose, but it was different between him and Skye.
Skye thought they may be going to fast to consider themselves as a couple, even though she was the one who kissed him, but she did it because she was almost certain they would die, something they obviously did not, but she felt no rush in becoming a couple, because that was not a good time to start a relationship, though Ward replied there was never a good time for that and they needed to start somewhere.
Ward explained that as a specialist, he spent many time alone, and the few occasions he had to interact with people, they were similar to him, trained to get the job done and keep emotions in check, but Skye was different from all of them, and it was bad for Ward in a way, as he needed to stay focused, but he couldn't avoid thinking about her, especially after seeing her when she was shot and almost died.
Grant Ward speaking with Skye
Ward revealed there were things about his past that she would not like, and explained how his abusive older brother did not abuse their youngest brother, as he was crueler and forced him to do it, letting him do it because he was afraid, and he was not a good man, though Skye replied he was, and they began to kiss.
As they were kissing, Skye noticed there was blood behind one of Ward's ears, and he left saying that probably one of his wounds had opened. He refused Skye's help, knowing the blood was not his, it was from Eric Koenig, and he did not want Skye to notice.
Skye went to find Koenig, and used the tablet to locate him through his S.H.I.E.L.D. Lanyard while Ward washed his hands from the blood, and also the weapon he used to kill Koenig. Ward went to the room where, hoping to find Skye waiting for him, but she had left, so he began searching for her through the base.
Skye followed Koenig's signal to a storage room and as she opened the door, she noticed a little coin falling from above, and as she called for Koenig and did not get any answer, she approached the end of the room, where she realized that drops of blood fell from the ceiling, discovering Koenig's corpse, and realizing that Ward was the only one who could have killed him.
Skye was horrified by the reveal that Ward had been a HYDRA operative all along, but she tried to calm herself in order to play him, and wrote a message in one of the moving windows of the facility to let the rest of her team know Ward's true allegiance.
Ward continued searching for Skye and he entered the room where he hid Koenig's body, fearing she had found it, but as he opened the door, the coin he placed above it to know if someone entered the room fell as expected, and Skye appeared behind him, asking him if he thought she would be hiding inside a closet.
Ward asked why did she leave the room, and Skye told him that she was scared, for the kiss they shared, as she acted impulsively, but now she wasn't scared anymore, and kissed him again, just to play him as he had been doing with all the team since they met.
He said he wished to stay there with her and imagine the world outside did not exist, but he lied saying that Leo Fitz contacted him, and the rest of the team needed their help, so they were leaving immediately inside the Bus. Skye tried to gain some time, first saying they should alert Koenig, though Ward said he already did, and Koenig went outside to open the hangar doors. Then Skye tried saying she needed to grab something, but Ward seized her arm, saying they were leaving right now, and Skye, to avoid suspicions, followed him, leaving the facility inside the Bus.[2]
Returning from the Mission[]
Phil Coulson's team learn the Bus is gone
Phil Coulson, Leo Fitz, Jemma Simmons and Antoine Triplett returned from their mission in Portland to the Providence base, with Coulson intending to make amends with Melinda May, as he couldn't expect Audrey Nathan to forgive him for lying to her when he would not do the same with May.
However, as they arrived, they noticed the facility was empty, the rest of the team had disappeared and the Bus was nowhere to be found.[2]
Wolf in the Herd[]
- "There's no other way in or out."
"The blast door and the hangar door are the only exits."
"And both are undamaged. So nobody attacked the place, and they weren't running away. So why?" - ―Phil Coulson and Antoine Triplett[src]
Phil Coulson reviewed with the team he took to Portland the footage of security cameras of Providence, in order to know what happened inside and why none was in the base when they returned. Leo Fitz explained that all internal camera images had been erased, and the only ones left where the ones from the hangar's landing assist system, as it had a separate feed where the camera only activated when it tracked movement.
The footage first footage showed Melinda May leaving the Bus with a bag containing her belongings, and the entry log showed that May left the base alone minutes later through the front door. The footage then showed Grant Ward and Skye entering the Bus holding hands, with the plane leaving the base after that.
Coulson and the rest of his team wondered where all of them were going, or where Eric Koenig was, theorizing that, as the blast door and the hangar door are the only exits, Koenig must have gotten onto the plane too. They dismissed the theories that the base got attacked or they were running away from something, so another theory was that Koenig got orders, though not from Nick Fury. Fitz even wondered if there was someone left to give orders in S.H.I.E.L.D.
Jemma Simmons acknowledged that the theory still did not explain the erasing of the security footage, why Ward and Skye left their phones in the base, or why May left alone. Coulson said that May leaving was his fault, as he was mean with her. Antoine Triplett said that if that was truly the reason that made her leave, then they did not need May, because that was not the better time to simply leave.
Seeing that tensions may arise, Simmons proposed to make some food for all of them, and Fitz ran to help her despite Triplett offering to do it first. Fitz told Simmons that he thought while they were in Portland that things were normal again, and then this happened. Simmons had no clue about why they all left, but they needed to stay positive for Coulson, as he was betrayed, in different ways, by two people who considered close friends, John Garrett and Melinda May, and he saw his love Audrey Nathan without having been able to reveal his presence.
Simmons suddenly realized that pancakes would cheer up everyone up, so she went to the storage room to retrieve some, while Fitz went to prepare the griddle.
Grant Ward revealed to be HYDRA
Triplett, who stayed at the room with Coulson, asked him, as an expert on analysis, which ones were the most probable scenarios. Coulson said that the best case was that Koenig knew something the rest of them did not, so he took a team and did not inform anyone else for their safety, but the worst case was that there had been a traitor among them the whole time.
While Jemma Simmons entered the storage room and retrieved the pancakes, Fitz realized that one of the windows of the base was not right, and as he approached to investigate, he saw it was fastened with a screwdriver. Simmons realized there was a trail of blood in the wall of the storage room, and as she followed it, she discovered Koenig's corpse, screaming at the same time Fitz removed the screwdriver and a message was displayed in the window: "Ward is HYDRA".
Fitz was unable to believe that Ward, whom he considered his friend, was a HYDRA operative and a murderer, and though Triplett tried to help him calm down, due to his similar experience with Garrett.
Eric Koenig's body is examined by the team
Fitz prompted Simmons to confirm that Ward was unable to do that, as she was performing a rudimentary autopsy on Koenig's corpse, but Simmons rudely asked him to let her work. Fitz continue theorizing that something else was happening, and maybe the enemy was trying to confuse them, but Coulson, keeping calm, told him to go one step at a time, and Simmons' report was the next step.
Simmons started voicing the details of what she learned examining Koenig's corpse, that he had been dead for about 10 hours, being that after May left the base, he was killed of asphyxiation with a thin wire used to strangle him in a hurry, as demonstrated by his crushed, partially sliced trachea, and that the killer was at least taller enough to lift Koenig, finally concluding that Ward was responsible.
Fitz lost his temper, angrily hitting a tray, and though Simmons hurried to his side, it was Coulson who managed to calm him down, making him focus his pain and anger on saving Skye, who left the base with Ward knowing he was a murderer just to play him as Ward did with them. Coulson asked Fitz if he could repair the communications to track the Bus, as he knew Skye and knew she would have a plan, so they needed to locate her before Ward figured it out.[3]
Fitz managed to repair the communications using the S.H.I.E.L.D. Jump Jet's relay to power the system, with Triplett praising his technical skills. Coulson asked how Fitz was, and Triplett said that while he had not still regained control, he was focused on the task.
Coulson and Triplett also discussed the implications of Ward being a member of HYDRA, which surely meant that Victoria Hand was dead, Garrett was still alive, and he and Ward were responsible of raiding the Fridge, obtaining a large number of weapons. They guessed why Ward returned to Providence, as they had all their intel in the hard drive, and Coulson suddenly realized he came for Skye, as she had surely encrypted the hard drive, so she could buy some time as they needed to keep her alive.
The system revealed that the Bus was in Los Angeles, with Coulson finally receiving good news. However, the security system alerted that the perimeter defenses had been activated, with multiple contacts on the ground triggering the gun turrets, making Coulson regret not having knocked on wood while speaking.[3]
Attack on Providence[]
Arrival of the Special Forces[]
Glenn Talbot arriving inside Providence
- "I wasn't a huge fan before chasing you to the damn tundra, Coulson. I wouldn't push it."
"I'm flattered you came in person."
"Fury's private base on North American soil? I just had to see it for myself." - ―Glenn Talbot and Phil Coulson[src]
Phil Coulson and Antoine Triplett equipped themselves with weapons to defend Providence from the incoming intruders, while Leo Fitz and Jemma Simmons got a pair of I.C.E.R.s to protect themselves.
Coulson discussed strategy, saying that the blast doors of the facility would hold, and major artillery would be needed to enter the compound. However, the intruders managed to deactivate the door using the proper clearance, and as soon as he recovered from the surprise, Coulson ordered his agents to take cover.
Coulson recognized the soldiers entering as member of the United States Army Special Forces and not members of HYDRA. Colonel Glenn Talbot appeared and ordered the agents to surrender on behalf of the United States Armed Forces.
Coulson was surprised to see Talbot there chasing a small group of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, but Talbot was annoyed for having to pursue them to such a location, but he confessed he had to see with his own eyes one of Nick Fury's private bases on North American soil.
Coulson asked for permission to come out without being shot, and as Talbot ordered the soldiers to hold their fire, Coulson asked him how he managed to locate one of the most classified facilities on the planet. Maria Hill appeared behind the soldiers, saying that she was the one who told them.[3]
Escape[]
- "You just sold me out and led the U.S. military straight to Fury's secret base."
"No, Phil. You led us straight to Fury's secret base as part of the deal we made."
"You can't be serious."
"You and I are going to turn over these abandoned tunnels to the U.S. government who will be ever so grateful to take possession of an enemy stronghold in their backyard." - ―Phil Coulson and Maria Hill[src]
Glenn Talbot interrogated Leo Fitz, Antoine Triplett and Jemma Simmons, who defended themselves saying that they were not criminals nor HYDRA, they were agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., but Talbot said that at least they were fugitives, and the rest of the world considered S.H.I.E.L.D. and HYDRA to be the same thing.
Talbot proposed them a deal, he would allow them to serve time awarded in exchange of actionable intelligence, as their other options were very bad for them. Simmons said they already gave him intel, the identity of Grant Ward, a known HYDRA operative, and he could escape because Talbot was keeping them retained, hampering them from saving the life of fellow S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Skye
Talbot threatened Simmons, saying that she still had not seen him intimidating, and they better should be careful not to piss him off, because the government had allowed the leaders of S.H.I.E.L.D. joining the private sector in exchange for valuable assets, so they would better be thinking why he should consider them valuable.
Maria Hill and Phil Coulson discussed her motives for appearing at Providence with the United States Armed Forces, having made a deal where Coulson offered the military the location of the base in exchange for his freedom and removing all possible charges against him due to being a member of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Glenn Talbot being attacked by Phil Coulson
Coulson could not believe Hill's offer, and asked what will happen to his team, which, according to Hill, would have to go through the system and being submitted to interrogations, something Coulson would not let happen. To improve their situation, Hill suggested to give some insignificant intel about the base to Talbot, but nothing about S.H.I.E.L.D.'s other installations.
Coulson realized Hill was still protecting S.H.I.E.L.D.'s secrets, maybe because she was afraid something else would be discovered, like Project T.A.H.I.T.I., realizing that Hill was treating like a liability, with Hill assuring him he was one, but she hoped he would do the right thing.
Coulson reproached how she and Nick Fury treated him regarding to his resurrection, saying that he would have protected their secrets as he had always did, but instead, they were worried about him instead of worrying about anyone else, which led to HYDRA being to infiltrate the organization to their deepest levels and remain unnoticed until it was almost too late.
Hill acknowledged that he was right, they should have realized HYDRA's infiltration, but they could not win after their loss in Washington, D.C.. Coulson informed her that John Garrett could still obtain his goals, and Hill was puzzled to hear that, believing Grant Ward had killed him.
Coulson revealed Ward's true allegiance, and how he killed Victoria Hand, raided the Fridge and kidnapped Skye, and how her visit with Glenn Talbot prevented them from rescuing her. Hill was shocked to hear that, as she had personally vetted Ward and did not realize his true side. Coulson asked her to do the right thing, not wasting the time they could use to stop them.
Talbot appeared to know what was happening in the end, as he wanted to examine the room where Hill and Coulson had been talking, and though Hill cooperated with them, she suddenly attacked the soldiers accompanying Talbot while Coulson confronted Talbot himself.
Hill easily knocked one of the soldiers, but Coulson was forced to shoot Talbot with an I.C.E.R. before he could kill him with his handgun, using it with the other remaining soldier too. Hill then ordered Coulson to gather his team, as they needed to move, leaving the base and departing to Los Angeles in the S.H.I.E.L.D. Jump Jet.[3]
Equipment[]
Providence has equipment that was specially designed by Nick Fury himself, including windows that change their "view" daily, and a high-tech Lie Detector.[2] Guarding the facility is a cannon designed to fire upon high speed metallic objects and a password in which one must identify themselves as an "agent of S.H.I.E.L.D." in order to enter.[1] It also contains a large hangar big enough to store an airplane, with plenty of room to spare. [2]
Trivia[]
- In the comics, Providence is one of Nick Fury's secret bases, used as a long-term storage facility.
- The Providence's geographical coordinates are 49°27'41.0"N 80°03'40.0"W.
