Ward quickly spoke up, "Agent Hand, Skye is a crucial part of our team. Her hacking skills are vital for finding Coulson."
Hand looked over at May and asked, "May, is she really of any use here?"
After a moment of consideration, May shook her head, "No, she's of no use here."
Ward and Skye looked shocked by May's response. Ultimately, Skye was forced off the plane, with Hand planning to have her escorted by security to a designated location.
However, Ward intervened, telling Skye, "The security team will be here in 15 minutes. Leave now; the outside world is where your skills will shine best."
"This place is filled with Hand's agents, and rules are her top priority. Skye, I know you can find the answers you're looking for, even without S.H.I.E.L.D.'s equipment."
Skye nodded, already knowing where she would go next, "Alright, I'll pinpoint Coulson's location as soon as I can."
With a final look back at the plane, Skye left, carrying her belongings, knowing she might never return.
…
Elsewhere-
Coulson was dreaming, seemingly back at the relaxing Tahiti beach he once visited, lying by the ocean and enjoying the breeze as a woman massaged his shoulders.
"Can you feel that?" she asked.
Eyes closed, Coulson replied, "Don't stop."
A man with a tray of drinks and fruit approached, saying to the masseuse, "You heard him."
Then, addressing Coulson, he asked, "Who ordered these two drinks?"
In the next instant, the peaceful scene faded. Coulson woke up to find himself strapped to a machine, blood dripping from his nose.
Everything had been a dream, and now he realized he was tied to a device designed to probe subconscious memories.
Seeing Coulson awake, Po said, "Coulson, if you don't want to experience more of this pain, just give in. Tell us how you came back to life."
Coulson, weak but defiant, grinned and said, "If your Clairvoyant has the power to foresee the future, then let him see it himself. Why would he need me to explain anything?"
Po replied, "Coulson, you're different from the others. Before the Battle of New York, you were within the Clairvoyant's sight. He knew everything about you… including your beloved cellist."
"But when you died in that battle, your heart was shattered, and the Clairvoyant saw your body grow cold, saw your death, and later saw your revival."
"But he couldn't see how you were brought back."
"Coulson, your time dead wasn't just a few seconds. It was days."
"Don't worry; we'll get there. Slowly. We'll dig the memory out of your mind."
Coulson was also curious about how he survived, but he knew this secret was classified by S.H.I.E.L.D. and could not let Po and his team uncover it. So, he fought against the machine's invasive probing.
Po injected him with a sedative, putting him back to sleep, and restarted the machine.
…
Meanwhile-
After leaving the S.H.I.E.L.D. base, Skye immediately took a car to Charles Agency.
Walking in, she greeted Selene, "Selene, my request has been approved?"
Selene smiled and nodded, "That's right. Your request has been accepted by the Charles Agency."
"Now I need to take you somewhere. Our boss wants to meet you to confirm a few things."
Surprised, Skye asked, "Charles?"
Selene nodded with a smile and, turning to a man nearby, said, "Michael, I'll take Skye to the base to meet the boss. Keep a watch here."
With that, Selene led Skye to the backyard, where a helicopter was waiting. They boarded, and Selene piloted it toward the Charles's base.
…
Elsewhere-
Ward, with questions lingering in his mind, found Agent May in the cockpit and asked, "May, why did we kick Skye off the plane?"
May replied, "I was just being honest. With so many agents watching her on the plane, she truly wasn't of any use here."
Ward nodded in agreement, "If all else fails, Skye can still turn to Killer Bee for help, though I'm not sure how effective the Cloud Village's rescue abilities are."
May nodded, "Let's hope she finds a way."
"I'm going to check on the interrogation of Vanchat."
With that, Ward left the cockpit and headed to the lab where Fitz and Simmons were working.
Watching the surveillance feed from the interrogation room, Ward grew impatient, "This guy sounds like he's reading a bedtime story!"
Turning to Fitz and Simmons, Ward added, "I can't stand this soft approach. Coulson doesn't have time to wait."
Ward then stormed into the interrogation room, telling the agent inside, "Agent Hand wants to see you in the control room."
The agent didn't hesitate and left immediately. Once the door shut, Ward sat down, fastening himself to the chair with a grin.
"I don't have time to waste. I need the entire list of your clients, written out in alphabetical order."
Vanchat shook his head defiantly, "I won't say a word."
Ward smirked, "Hope you can hold out."
The next second, the ceiling of the interrogation room opened, creating a sudden decompression that pulled everything towards the opening.
Secured in his seat, Ward remained stable, grinning as Vanchat struggled against the force. Clinging to his handcuffs chained to the table, Vanchat's body was nearly pulled upside-down.
"Aahh…"
"Help! I'll talk, please, I'll talk!"
"I'll give you everything!"