"Who are you?" Elias Morrow's eyes widened. Just minutes ago, he hadn't even noticed the woman standing next to his nephew. A strong sense of impending trouble swept over him, and Elias wished he could hang up the phone and return to his cell immediately. He gestured at Robbie Reyes, demanding an explanation.
"I'm the one who fixes problems, Mr. Elias Morrow. Let me tell you what's really going on." Wanda took the seat Robbie Reyes had just vacated. "That machine may seem like it violates the laws of physics, but there's no such thing as something from nothing. Equivalent exchange is a fundamental principle. So that machine draws material from outside our reality to create matter. Every time it operates, there's a price to pay. Dr. Lucy Bauer, Joseph, and the rest of the research team have all paid that price…"
"They're all dead," Elias Morrow said, glancing at his nephew, then nodding at Wanda. Though he had no idea who this woman was, he trusted Robbie, and he didn't want to say too much. "There was an accident. The police ruled it an accident, but Joseph forced them to keep working. They thought they were playing God, pushing the boundaries of the real world. The whole team died—including his wife. They should have listened to me. The police say it was a freak event, but I know Joseph killed them. I was so angry, I lost control… Girl, I don't really understand what you mean, but Lucy Bauer is dead. She can't be killing anyone."
"Why didn't you tell me this?" Robbie asked.
Elias Morrow had struck Joseph with such force that the man had fallen into a coma and remained unresponsive to this day, which was why Elias had been convicted of attempted murder. Elias looked away from the phone, surprised, and noticed the flesh-toned earpiece in Robbie's ear. Wanda made a gesture, and the guard watching them turned around to face the wall.
"Because you were just a kid back then." Guilt clouded Elias Morrow's expression. "I should've been there for you and Gabe. I let you down, but this is my own demon to bear—it has nothing to do with you. I'm sorry, Robbie. Gabe's condition… that's on me."
"Lucy Bauer is dead, Elias Morrow," Wanda cut in, halting Elias's spiral into self-pity. "But she owed a debt. So she came back. You're the only one still alive who really knew her. Think carefully—where would she go? What would she want?"
"She'd go after the book." Elias took a deep breath, pulling himself out of his emotions. He had to issue a warning—to his nephew and to this strange woman. "I don't know what it was, exactly, but they said the knowledge in that book helped them design the machine. It contained everything anyone could ever want to know."
"Did the whole team read it?" Wanda asked, suddenly alarmed.
"Yes, they were obsessed with it," Elias looked up at both Robbie and Wanda. "That book is evil. If possible, I'd rather you stay far away from it. Everyone who read that book ended up dead. Robbie, I don't want that for you. And you, girl—this is not something humans can deal with. Only God could cast out such evil."
"The Dark Codex. Last time I heard that name was… well, a hundred years ago, or so it feels," muttered Nick Fury. "Okay, not quite a hundred—but it's been a long time. I once helped your monarch track down that book's whereabouts, and we came up empty-handed. They say it's even worse than the one Coulson once had. We have to find that book, Constantine."
"I have to find it, not we," Constantine corrected him. "You're stuck in the office."
"Still counts as collaboration," Fury said cheerfully. "Joseph Bauer—he's the key, the one Elias mentioned. He must know where the Dark Codex is."
"Joseph Bauer's a vegetable," Constantine said flatly. He waved his hand, signaling the Fimbulvetr 1st Secret Battalion to carry out their orders and secure Dr. Holden Radcliffe's residence. Jemma Simmons and Dr. Radcliffe had successfully resolved Melinda May's post-possession hallucinations—essentially by rebooting her brain and adjusting her hormonal balance. Fitz remained at Radcliffe's residence to continue observing May, while Mike and Simmons had left with Coulson aboard a Quinjet. Judging from Simmons' expression, she had noticed something strange about Radcliffe's assistant, Aida, and Fitz was clearly trying to cover it up. Constantine had watched the whole comedy unfold from afar.
"He's been comatose for years. Over time, his brain would've degenerated to a point of near-fetal smoothness. Even if I removed his brain, I wouldn't get anything useful," Constantine added. "I've studied plenty of coma cases. I know how this works."
"Sure, but a few hours ago, Joseph Bauer woke up," Nick Fury said, slipping into his old, calculating tone. "He's wide awake now, thrashing around like a fish out of water."
"We need to move, now. Joseph must know something," Wanda said as she stepped out of the prison. She didn't get into Robbie's Dodge. As he climbed into the driver's seat, she stood by the window. "But I don't want you to come, Robbie. I want you to do what Daisy's doing—handle something else. You can stay here. Soon, agents from the Undying City will come to take your uncle, give him a new identity. I suggest you stay here with him, let him enjoy the feeling of being free again."
"This is about clearing Uncle Morrow's name, Maximoff. I don't want him carrying the burden of a crime he didn't commit," Robbie said, lifting his head. Even growing up in a slum, he took life seriously—he obeyed the law, avoided illicit substances, and hoped his hard work would help Gabe escape the mud. "We'll go together. We'll find that book and end this once and for all."
"You want to show up at the hospital you burned down?" Wanda shook her head. "I'll call Daisy first. Hopefully she's made progress hacking into S.H.I.E.L.D.'s database."
"I need to speak with you, Agent Coulson. Privately," Mike said as soon as he stepped off the plane. His expression was heavy, troubled. He wasn't even sure if he should tell Coulson what had happened—after all, the current Director required all staff to undergo regular polygraph tests. S.H.I.E.L.D.'s lie detection tech was so advanced even the Black Widow might not pass. Still, he couldn't hide this.
Coulson immediately sensed it had to do with the previous mission. He nodded and found a blind spot in the surveillance network.
Once they were sure no one was listening, Mike told Coulson what had happened at the research facility.
"You saw Daisy? Where is she?" Coulson raised his eyebrows in surprise. He'd assumed he'd never see Daisy Johnson again. Just hearing about her—someone he viewed as a daughter—briefly drowned out his usual sense of duty with joy. "Why didn't you bring her back?"
"She didn't want to. And now she's mixed up with people from the Undying City—a witch and a super soldier, all incredibly dangerous individuals," Mike shook his head. He didn't mention Yoyo. He wanted to deal with that on his own. "This is beyond us, Coulson. If Salomon's involved, it means this is something extremely dangerous—beyond what ordinary people can handle. We should let them deal with it. If we interfere, it'll just be another nuke hanging over our heads. You know him—he doesn't give a damn about Congress. He'll do whatever it takes."
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