Ambush at the Barbershop Headquarters

Ambush at the Barbershop Headquarters
Previous	Attack on Providence
Next	Battle at Cybertek
War	HYDRA Uprising
Date	Early 2014
Location	Barbershop Headquarters, Havana, Cuba
Result (Outcome)	S.H.I.E.L.D. gets to monitor HYDRA activities
Combatants
Coulson's Team
HYDRA Centipede Soldiers
Commanders
Phil Coulson
Kaminsky
Casualties
-
Unknown

"So, who do we talk to about getting a haircut?"

―Phil Coulson to the Centipede Soldiers^[src]

The Ambush at the Barbershop Headquarters was a trap staged by HYDRA to assassinate Phil Coulson and his S.H.I.E.L.D. team. A team of Centipede Soldiers remained in the Barbershop Headquarters waiting for S.H.I.E.L.D. to come while John Garrett and his operatives had abandoned the facility. However, the S.H.I.E.L.D. team survived the ambush.

Background

"Trip I.D.'d a number of Cybertek shipments that ping-ponged across the globe. Brazil, Cambodia, Syria, but they all ended up in Havana."
"S.H.I.E.L.D. used to have a base there."
"I told you we'd find them. We're going to Cuba."

―Phil Coulson and Melinda May^[src]

The HYDRA Uprising dealt a crippling blow to S.H.I.E.L.D., causing the world to label the agency as a terrorist organization. Despite being outlawed, Coulson's Team decided to fight back against HYDRA, especially since they had learned that one of them, Grant Ward, had actually been a HYDRA operative all along.

Skye was briefly captured by HYDRA before being released by Phil Coulson. During her captivity, she planted a Trojan horse within HYDRA computer systems which needed to be activated thanks to a flash drive Skye had with her. Given the association between HYDRA and Cybertek, Coulson's Team infiltrated Cybertek Corporate Headquarters to access their computers, but to no avail. Later, Antoine Triplett managed to identify several Cybertek cargos which all converged to Havana, where S.H.I.E.L.D. used to have a base now used by HYDRA. Therefore, they decided to head to the facility to investigate.

Unbeknownst to them, however, John Garrett decided to move all the equipment out of the Barbershop Headquarters and take it back to the United States.

Ambush

"Coulson probably figured out we were using the barbershop. Call Kaminsky. He'll know what to do."

―John Garrett^[src]

Antoine Triplett performed a reconnaissance alone in the Barbershop Headquarters, only to find that all the equipment had been moved out and that HYDRA had seemingly abandoned the place. Phil Coulson was ready to order his team to leave and try to reach Leo Fitz and Jemma Simmons who had located the Bus stolen by HYDRA, but Skye suggested to try to find a computer in the Barbershop Headquarters nonetheless so that she could use her flash drive and access HYDRA's files.

Coulson, Skye, Triplett and Melinda May entered the Barbershop Headquarters. They found the underground levels completely emptied, but Triplett used a Portable X-Ray Scanner and identified a possible secret room behind a wall. Coulson managed to open the secret door, revealing a HYDRA computer.

Melinda May wields the Berserker Staff

However, it turned out that HYDRA had ambushed the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, who were soon attacked by multiple Centipede Soldiers led by Kaminsky, who wielded the Berserker Staff. While Skye hacked into HYDRA's files, the rest of the S.H.I.E.L.D team fought the Centipede soldiers. Triplett was knocked over by one of them, but May managed to take the Berserker Staff from Kaminsky's hands. Coulson ordered May to use her newly found strength to take down the entire building while he, Skye and Triplett escaped. Ultimately, the Centipede soldiers were buried under the rubble.

Aftermath

"We now have eyes on their operation right in the palm of my hand."

―Skye^[src]

Thanks to Skye, Coulson's Team could monitor HYDRA's activities all over the world. They managed to locate the Cybertek Manufacturing Facility in New Mexico and devised a plan to assault the facility in order to take down John Garrett and end his plans once and for all.