Escape from the HYDRA Preparatory Academy

"I'm not interested in going to outer space. I'm not a damn cosmonaut." "I think as long as we avoid the altitude dial, we should end up somewhere on Earth." "You know the Earth's 70% water, right?"

- Glenn Talbot and Phil Coulson

The Escape from the HYDRA Preparatory Academy was a successful attempt by Phil Coulson and Glenn Talbot, assisted by Carl Creel and later a team of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents led by Quake, to escape from the HYDRA Preparatory Academy.

Background
"I see they've shown you to your new accommodations." "Of all the blindfolds I've forcibly worn, that was one of the nicest."

- Hale and Phil Coulson

When they returned into their time from the 2091 Lighthouse, S.H.I.E.L.D. was soon confronted by an hostile organization led by General Hale. In order to know more about Hale's motives and agenda, especially regarding her hostility towards S.H.I.E.L.D., Phil Coulson and Melinda May successfully captured her. However, it turned out to be a set up and thanks to the reinforcements of Carl Creel and Anton Ivanov, Coulson was taken prisoner into the HYDRA Preparatory Academy, prompting Quake and Melinda May to try anything to bring him back, including requesting help from Robin Hinton. Coulson, who learned that Hale had actually revived HYDRA, refused to collaborate with her on the Project Destroyer of Worlds, fearing that this would lead to the Destruction of Earth. While Coulson was locked in his cell and discovered that his friend Glenn Talbot was also in HYDRA's custody for several months, Carl Creel was asked to experiment with a bulk of Gravitonium. However, the experiment went wrong and Creel began hearing conflicting voices in his head.

Leaving the Academy
"They agree I shouldn't help him." "They? Who's "they"? We got a man down. Come on, soldier! Do something!"

- Carl Creel and Glenn Talbot

Upon hearing the name of Phil Coulson being mentioned by the voices arguing in his mind, Carl Creel rushed at Coulson's cell and assaulted him, claiming that the voices wanted him dead. However, Coulson revealed that Glenn Talbot was also Hale's prisoner and requested Creel's help to rescue him, as Creel used to be Talbot's friend as well. At first, Creel disbelieved Coulson, who insisted that he was speaking the truth. Therefore, Creel destroyed the Sleeper Mech guarding Coulson's cell and decided to follow him, threatening that Coulson would die if he had lied. Coulson and Creel made their way through another part of the HYDRA Preparatory Academy and found Talbot in his cell, who was mumbling incoherent thoughts. Knowing that Coulson had told him the truth, Creel agreed to take both Coulson and Talbot out of the HYDRA base. However, between Creel hearing voices and Talbot having a tendency to speak too loud, they were spotted by a Sleeper Mech, prompting Hale to order her daughter Ruby to capture the fugitives.

Coulson, Talbot and Creel encountered two more Sleeper Mechs. While Creel fought against one and destroyed it, Coulson tried to take down the other android. However, the Sleeper Mech violently punched Coulson in the chest, causing Coulson, who was weakened by his deadly condition, to fall on the ground and faint. The android was shot down by Talbot, who ordered Creel to do something to help Coulson. However, Creel still heard the voices calling for Coulson's death. Talbot insisted, enabling Creel to regain control and to absorb the properties of the android's metallic body, using a spark to conduct electricity and successfully restart Coulson's heart. Coulson thanked Creel and the party resumed their escape, but they were soon confronted by Ruby and two more Sleeper Mechs.

Coulson, Creel and Talbot fled under the gunfire of the Sleeper Mechs. They found a secure door Creel managed to open, but Ruby and the androids caught up with them. Creel decided to stay behind and fight them while Coulson and Talbot would escape. Ruby sent the Mechs after Coulson and Talbot while she fought Creel. The androids nearly killed Coulson and Talbot, but they used the Chitauri Communication Device right in time to escape the facility, finding themselves lost in the snow. Creel and Ruby had a fierce duel, with Creel using a wooden fighting staff against Ruby and her Ring Blades. Both fighters managed to land several blows on each other, but Creel's physical strength ultimately enabled him to gain the upper hand. In response, Ruby intended to throw her chakrams at Creel to kill him, only to be stopped by Hale who wanted Creel to be captured alive.

Nonetheless, Ruby threw her Ring Blade, but Creel absorbed the properties of his staff, which enabled him to withstand the assault. Hale confronted her daughter about her behavior, but when Ruby claimed to be the Destroyer of Worlds, Hale smiled in satisfaction and ordered her daughter to find Coulson and Talbot, who were struggling in the snow.

Battle in the Snow
"I don't want to be you. I want to beat you." "You can certainly try."

- Ruby Hale and Quake

Ruby used the teleporting device and found Coulson's and Talbot's footprints. She quickly caught up with them and attacked them with her Ring Blades. Coulson and Talbot fled, but Talbot tripped and fell, finding himself threatened by Ruby. However, as she prepared to attack, she was assaulted herself by Quake, who had taken the Zephyr One to Coulson's location thanks to Robin Hinton.

Melinda May and Deke Shaw soon joined them. Coulson and May helped Talbot to get back on his feet and to reach the Zephyr One while Shaw was tasked by Quake to watch their back. Quake herself remained behind to fight against Ruby, who claimed that her ultimate goal was to defeat Quake.

The young women soon began to fight. Although Ruby's fighting skills were on par with Quake's, the HYDRA assassin could not do anything against Quake's Inhuman abilities. In the end, Quake used her powers to violently throw Ruby against a tree, knocking her unconscious. Shaw, who had remained behind to watch over Quake instead of Coulson and Talbot, attempted to confiscate Ruby's Ring Blades, but he was shot in the shoulder by Hale, who had teleported as well with other Sleeper Mechs.

Despite Hale joining the confrontation, Quake managed to take Shaw away from the fight. They reached the Zephyr One and soon took off, with the rescue mission being successful despite Shaw's heavy wound.

Aftermath
"The doctors said you should take a deep breath. Calm your mind. You know what is best. What is best is you comply. Remember, your compliance will be rewarded. Glenn, are you ready to comply?" "I'm happy to."

- Carla Talbot and Glenn Talbot

Despite being heavily wounded and nearly dying out of blood loss, Deke Shaw was quickly taken back to the Lighthouse, where Piper and Alphonso Mackenzie successfully performed surgery on him and saved his life. Glenn Talbot was also taken to the Lighthouse to be safe and so he could recover from his six months imprisonment in the HYDRA Preparatory Academy. However, S.H.I.E.L.D. was unaware that Talbot had actually been subjected to the Faustus method and that he was actually a HYDRA sleeper agent. Having been tricked by Candice Lee, Talbot's wife Carla activated the Faustus programming over a phone call, which would cause Talbot to attempt kidnapping on Robin Hinton. Infuriated by her daughter Ruby's reckless behavior and disappointed by her failure to capture the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, Hale decided to lock her up in her bedroom cell devoid of all Ruby's personal belonging. As a result, Ruby soon became wary of her mother's rule and decided to trick her so she could escape the Academy with Werner von Strucker and find the Particle Infusion Chamber to become the Destroyer of Worlds.