On the Airbus-
Ward argued loudly, "It was the plane you let me get on."
"Not to teach me to be a better person, Coulson."
"It was for me to make a difficult decision. I made it."
Coulson replied seriously, "I'm not asking about that, Agent Ward."
Ward said, "I answered your question, and I didn't cooperate with anyone."
"I take full responsibility for my actions."
Coulson shouted angrily, "Then why?"
At that moment, Killer Bee burst in, pushing the door open.
Seeing him, Coulson asked, "What's wrong?"
Killer Bee responded, "We've got trouble."
"Fitz says that Agent May has a separate encrypted line in the cockpit and has been regularly reporting our movements."
"And he suspects May is a traitor, either the Clairvoyant or working with them."
Hearing this, Ward looked at Killer Bee with surprise but couldn't help finding it amusing—he knew very well who the real traitor was and who the real Clairvoyant was.
"I told Fitz to cut that communication line. Now we need to find him."
Realizing the severity of the situation, Coulson immediately ordered, "First, we find Fitz and May."
"Ward, stay here. Don't leave."
···
At this moment, May was searching the plane for Fitz with a handgun. She checked the lab but found no sign of him and then moved to the cargo hold.
Suddenly, she heard a noise behind her and quickly fired two shots.
Fitz, standing behind bulletproof glass, was startled. He hadn't expected May would actually try to kill him.
As May approached his position, Coulson's voice rang out, "Put it down."
May looked up to see Coulson pointing a gun at her, his expression stern, "Put it down, May!"
May explained, "It's not what you think, Coulson."
"This is just an ICER."
Coulson countered, "Mine isn't. It's live ammo."
"So, you'd better drop your weapon and tell me what's really going on."
Realizing the gravity of the situation, May hesitated, "I..."
Coulson shouted, "Now!"
May shook her head, "I can't."
At that moment, Killer Bee suddenly leaped behind May, holding a knife, and said, "You'd better listen to him, Agent May."
May glanced at Killer Bee behind her. She knew she was no match for a ninja but tried to reason with him.
"You don't know what you're doing."
Killer Bee remained unfazed.
"Maybe not," he said.
"But I do know that you're no match for me, and that thing in your hand won't do anything to me."
May looked up at Coulson, then lowered her gun and spread her hands apart, "Listen, I can explain everything—but not here."
Coulson pressed, "Why not?"
"Do you need to use the encrypted phone in the cockpit to check in with someone?"
"Who's on the other end of that line, May?"
May met Coulson's gaze and replied, "I can't tell you."
Coulson responded, "That's fine. I think I know."
"No wonder Agent Blake was gravely injured while you walked away unharmed."
"No wonder he lured us there, only to vanish without protecting his handler."
"Why would he do that?"
"Because that wasn't his handler, was it?"
Hearing Coulson's accusations, May was bewildered. What did he think she was?
"What are you talking about?"
Coulson shouted, "Don't lie to me! Whose orders are you following?"
"Who's the real Clairvoyant?"
As the standoff continued, the Airbus suddenly lurched violently. The plane, originally en route to the Triskelion, abruptly changed direction.
Coulson steadied himself and immediately demanded, "What did you do?"
"Where are we going?"
May quickly explained, "I don't know!"
"It wasn't me, Phil!"
"I don't know what's happening—I swear!"
Killer Bee spoke up, "Coulson, just take her down and interrogate her."
Though suspicious of May, Coulson wasn't entirely convinced and didn't follow Killer Bee's suggestion. Instead, he asked, "If it wasn't you, then who?"
…
On the other side-
S.H.I.E.L.D. Central-
Inside the operations room, Agent Hand, accompanied by her trusted subordinates, had taken control of the facility. Using her access to central command, she had overridden the control of the Airbus.
Watching the Airbus plane heading toward the base, she issued a cold command, "When the plane lands, kill everyone on board—except for Agent Coulson."
"He's mine."
Clearly, Hand was unaware that Killer Bee had already returned to Coulson's Dream Team.
From Hand's perspective, Coulson was now a traitor working for HYDRA. She suspected that the brain surgery he had undergone had been a cover for HYDRA's brainwashing.