What They Become

What They Become is the tenth episode of the second season of the television series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the thirty-second episode overall. It is also the winter finale.

Synopsis
Coulson and Whitehall's forces meet in an explosive confrontation that dramatically alters everyone's fates. Meanwhile, Skye discovers shocking secrets about her past.

Plot
The combined piloting skills of Melinda May and Antoine Triplett save the Bus from destruction by the three HYDRA Quinjets that pursued it. A fourth quinjet took Grant Ward, Skye, and Raina to Puerto Rico; the Bus went there as well.

Ward admired how much May taught Skye, then reunited her with her father, Calvin Zabo. He was elated to see the girl he named Daisy years ago; she was repulsed to see the man that death followed no matter where he went. Zabo told Skye about how he met her mother, how he knew that Daniel Whitehall killed her years ago, and how he was with Whitehall to see her and to exact his revenge. Zabo and Skye were called to meet with Whitehall.

Raina was called away from watching the Plasma Drill digging to the Kree City to attend the meeting.

At the meeting, Whitehall wanted to know the motives of Ward for bringing Skye to the Ponce de León Theater‏‎. Raina explained that Ward loved Skye. Whitehall forced Skye, with Agent 33 holding her at gunpoint, to touch the Diviner; when she was not petrified, he wondered if Skye had the same power as her mother. Whitehall promised that before Zabo died, he would see him experimenting on Skye. Stunned and on the floor from the paralyzing device that Whitehall put on him, Zabo could do nothing as Whitehall approached his daughter. Then S.H.I.E.L.D. attacked.

Leo Fitz, Antoine Triplett and Jemma Simmons were tasked with placing explosives in the corners of the city. Sam Koenig was told to stay aboard the Bus in case things went wrong. Everyone else was assigned to rescue Skye. As the agents went from the top to the bottom and the HYDRA operatives came the opposite way, fire fights ensued.

Raina stole the Diviner and entered the city. Ward also used the battle to distract the guard enough for Zabo to kill him. However, Zabo would not free Ward or Skye because he did not want them to see him kill Whitehall. As Zabo sought his wife's killer, Ward freed Skye; she then shot him to pursue Zabo on her own. Zabo found Whitehall near a staircase. As the two approached one another, a shot was heard; Phil Coulson killed Whitehall. Angered that his quest for revenge was lost, Zabo began beating on Coulson. Skye found the two struggling and told her father to leave and never see her again. Zabo agreed, but promised Skye that she will come to him for comfort because only he will understand her after her transformation.

Agent 33 found the body of Whitehall. Realizing that she had no objectives outside of Whitehall's commands, Agent 33 escaped the scene with Ward, who survived through his Bulletproof Vest.

Skye pursued Raina. Coulson pursued Skye. Inside the city, Raina saw Alphonso Mackenzie, who, upon seeing her carrying a Diviner, escorted her to the temple. When Triplett reported to May that the bombs were set, he was told that Skye and Raina were in the city. He immediately went after them and defused the bombs. Mackenzie defended the temple from Coulson's intrusion, but, when he saw Skye inside, Triplett entered. Inside, Raina told Skye that they were exactly where they should be when the Diviner floated from her hand to a pedestal in the middle of the room. The three witnessed as the artifact opened to reveal the Terrigen Crystals within it and a mist filled the room. Skye and Raina were engulfed in a cocoon. Triplett kicked the Diviner, causing it to shatter. As the mist lifted, he noticed that a shard of the Obelisk embedded in his abdomen. Antoine Triplett turned to stone.

Suddenly, Skye explosively emerged from her cocoon. This explosion caused the statue of Triplett to crumble. Seeing this, Skye began to cry and an earthquake occurred.

Elsewhere, an Eyeless Man, holding another Diviner, told someone over the phone that he will investigate the newest transformation.

Cast
Main Cast:
 * Clark Gregg as Phil Coulson
 * Ming-Na Wen as Melinda May and Agent 33 (impersonation)
 * Brett Dalton as Grant Ward
 * Chloe Bennet as Skye
 * Iain De Caestecker as Leo Fitz
 * Elizabeth Henstridge as Jemma Simmons
 * Nick Blood as Lance Hunter

Guest Stars:
 * Adrianne Palicki as Bobbi Morse
 * B.J. Britt as Antoine Triplett
 * Henry Simmons as Alphonso Mackenzie
 * Ruth Negga as Raina
 * Patton Oswalt as Sam Koenig and Billy Koenig
 * Reed Diamond as Daniel Whitehall
 * Kyle MacLachlan as The Doctor
 * Jamie Harris as Eyeless Man
 * Hunter Seagroves as HYDRA Agent
 * Craig Baxley, Jr. as HYDRA Agent #3
 * Carlos Rivera Marchand as Diego
 * Maya Stojan as Agent 33 (voice only)

Locations

 * San Juan, Puerto Rico
 * Castillo San Cristóbal
 * Ponce de León Theater
 * Kree City
 * China (mentioned)
 * Playground (mentioned)

Events

 * Battle for the Kree City

Items

 * Holocom
 * S.H.I.E.L.D. Lanyard
 * City Blueprints
 * Photostatic Veil
 * Diviner
 * Plasma Drill
 * Bulletproof Vest
 * Terrigen Crystals
 * Terrigen Mist
 * D.W.A.R.F.s (mentioned)

Vehicles

 * Bus
 * Quinjet
 * S.H.I.E.L.D. SUV

Sentient Species

 * Humans
 * Inhumans

Organizations

 * S.H.I.E.L.D.
 * HYDRA
 * Howling Commandos (mentioned)

Mentioned

 * Dum Dum Dugan
 * Skye's Mother
 * John Garrett
 * Theta Protocol