In the cargo hold of the plane, the atmosphere was silent, but the tension was palpable. Coulson, Fitz, Simmons, Skye, May and Ward remained tied up, under the watchful eye of some of Camila Reyes' men. Ward, however, kept his mind sharp, his experience making him calculate every detail of the room, observing the movements of the guards and the location of the weapons.
He exchanged a quick glance with May, who remained still, as if they were in tune, ready to act. Discreetly, Ward began to dislocate his thumb, moving it slowly until he managed to free himself from the handcuffs. He bit his lip so as not to let out any sound of pain as he dislocated his finger, and May did the same in sync.
With impeccable skill, Ward advanced quickly and silently. He grabbed the first guard, delivering a sharp blow to his neck, knocking him out instantly. Meanwhile, May was already on the move, attacking the second guard with a firm blow to the base of the skull. The two fell to the ground before they had a chance to react.
— "Quick, we don't have much time," — Ward muttered, as he released Coulson, Fitz, Simmons and Skye.
— "We have to regain control of the plane before it's too late," — Coulson said, taking the lead.
May, already in operational mode, looked at Ward.
— "I'm going to the cockpit. I'll get the pilot out of there and take control. Take care of the men in the passenger compartment," — she said firmly.
— "Done," — Ward replied, picking up a gun that had fallen to the floor.
May ran towards the cockpit, moving nimbly through the narrow corridors of the plane. She found two more Peruvian guards, but before they could react, she was already on them. With a series of quick and precise blows, she took them down and advanced to the cockpit door.
Inside, the pilot, one of Camila's trusted men, was focused, not realizing that the situation was about to change drastically. May kicked the door open with a strong, swift kick, causing the pilot to suddenly stand up. He tried to pull out a weapon, but May was faster, disarming him with a swift movement and delivering a blow that knocked him out instantly. She took control, checking the instruments and stabilizing the plane.
— "May, control," — she reported over the radio, her voice calm. — "The plane is under control."
Meanwhile, Ward was already in the passenger compartment, where Camila's other soldiers were keeping the team under surveillance. With quick, precise movements, he took down each of them, using a combination of blows and shots with the weapon he had picked up earlier.
— "Ward, we're surrounded," — Fitz said urgently, pointing to the 084 artifact.
— "Not for long," — Ward replied, eliminating another soldier with a strong blow to the chin.
Skye, observing the scene, realized that the artifact was being handled carelessly by the enemies. She knew they needed to act quickly to retrieve the object before it caused even more destruction.
"We need a distraction," Skye suggested.
Fitz looked at her and then at the artifact, an idea flashing in his mind.
"I think I can make this work to our advantage," Fitz said, quickly approaching the artifact.
Simmons, beside him, was worried.
"Fitz, do you know what you're doing?" she asked, watching him adjust the devices around the object.
"Of course I do. Sort of," Fitz murmured, focused. "I just need a small, controlled explosion. That should destabilize the plane enough to create an opening for us."
Ward and Coulson, keeping the guards at bay, nodded. It was risky, but it was the best option they had.
"Do it, Fitz," Coulson said confidently.
Fitz adjusted the device on the artifact, connecting it to a makeshift mechanism he had quickly assembled. Simmons helped him, both in a frenzy of scientific work as the plane shook slightly.
Suddenly, a dull explosion echoed through the cabin. One side of the plane partially exploded, creating a large hole in the fuselage. The wind began to roar as Fitz and Simmons struggled to maintain their balance.
"We did it!" Fitz shouted, holding the artifact as it began to emit an intense light.
With the explosion, Camila's remaining soldiers were knocked down by the impact, unable to continue the fight. Skye, taking advantage of the moment of chaos, ran to the artifact and, together with Fitz and Simmons, managed to grab it and pull it to safety.
"Ward, Fitz, Skye, you need to get out of there!" May shouted over the radio, as she struggled to stabilize the plane.
Ward, holding his weapon and keeping his eyes on the fallen soldiers, looked at Coulson.
"We did it, now let's get out of here."
Coulson agreed, and they began moving toward the cabin, with Skye, Fitz, and Simmons carrying the artifact carefully.
As they reached the front, May was struggling to maintain control of the plane, but she had managed to stabilize it enough to make an emergency landing.
—"Everyone ready for a crash landing?" May said, her voice firm, as she adjusted the controls.
—"Always," Ward replied, holding on tight as the plane descended rapidly toward a nearby base.
The plane shook violently as May masterfully guided the descent. The wind still roared through the hole in the fuselage, but despite the difficulties, May managed to align the plane with the landing strip. The impact was hard, but controlled, and after a few tense minutes, the plane finally came to a complete stop.
—"Landing complete," May announced, with a slight sigh of relief.
The team quickly exited the plane, taking the artifact with them. Camila and her soldiers were neutralized, and the S.H.I.E.L.D. team had managed to not only protect the artifact, but also save the plane and, by extension, their own lives. Coulson looked at his team, sweaty, exhausted, but victorious.
"Good job, guys," he said with a satisfied smile.
Ward took one last look at the plane and then at the artifact.
"That was... intense," he commented, still feeling the adrenaline in his body.
Skye, beside him, smiled.
"Welcome to S.H.I.E.L.D.," she said playfully.
With the mission complete and the artifact safe, the team prepared for the next challenge, knowing that in the world they lived in, the next crisis was never far away.