Hub

For other uses, see Hub (disambiguation)

Hub (S.H.I.E.L.D. Facility)
Location	Earth
Notable inhabitants	Victoria Hand
Affiliation	S.H.I.E.L.D. (formerly) United States Armed Forces
Appearances
TV Series	Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

"Wow. Didn't realize Big Brother was this big."
"Oh, this is nothing. Wait until you see the Triskelion."

―Skye and Jemma Simmons^[src]

The Hub was one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s headquarters, alongside the Triskelion, and was the primary staging grounds and provider of back-end support for ongoing operations. After the HYDRA Uprising and subsequent destruction of the Triskelion, it briefly became S.H.I.E.L.D.'s primary facility before it was occupied by the United States Armed Forces.

History

Overkill Mission

Briefing

"That's all the intel you recovered?"
"I certainly hope so."
"Well, thank you, Agent Shaw, for keeping it safe up there. We'll push this through at the Hub. In fact, we're headed there right now to drop you off."

―Phil Coulson and Shaw^[src]

Phil Coulson and his team traveled to the Hub in order to deliver information collected by agent Shaw in Siberia, regarding a Clearance Level 8 classified mission.

Skye asked for the possibility of using one of the Hub's computers in order to run a search on the file about her parents. Coulson promised her to search for it, but there were more important things to do while in the Hub.

Jasper Sitwell greeted Coulson, and informed him that Victoria Hand was waiting for him, inviting Grant Ward and Melinda May to a meeting in the Operations Room. Leo Fitz and Jemma Simmons were amazed to know that legendary agent Victoria Hand was in the Hub, but as Skye tried to enter the room and her Tracking Bracelet blocked her way, they decided to check the tech corridor and leave Skye alone.

Hand and Coulson introduced themselves and Hand directly explained to them the situation regarding the intel retrieved in Siberia. A separatist group in South Ossetia had built a weapon called the Overkill Device, intending to use it in the following 24 hours to declare their independence from Russia and Georgia.

As the weapon created sonic vibrations that were capable of triggering weapons at distance, a full-scale attack was discarded, favoring an incursion by a two-man team that could sneak the border between Georgia and South Ossetia, and disable the weapon.

Hand intended to use two men from Coulson's Team, and they immediately guessed they would be Ward and May, but as they needed someone who could identify and dismantle the device on-site, Hand intended to use Fitz as one of the participants in the mission.

Learning the Truth

"On the plane, you're always telling me to think outside the box, so I went off book 'cause I was trying to watch their backs."
"Our team can go off book because there is a book. A Hub. An organization watching our backs."

―Skye and Phil Coulson^[src]

Leo Fitz prepared for his mission, despite Jemma Simmons' worries, but Fitz assured he would be fine, and he was capable of fulfilling his mission. Phil Coulson and Melinda May finalized the details of the mission with Grant Ward, with Coulson asking Ward to take care of Fitz. Skye started showing her concern about splitting the team and not accompanying Ward and Fitz, but Coulson assured that these missions are prepared by S.H.I.E.L.D.'s best operatives, and they know exactly what they are doing.

Skye tried to ask May about the status of the mission following Ward and Fitz's departure, as her superior clearance level would grant her access to more information, but May simply replied that they knew what they were supposed to know, and they would react once they have more information. Skye, wanting answers, convinced Simmons to obtain more information from Coulson.

Coulson and Victoria Hand oversaw the mission from the operations room of the Hub, discussing the backup for Coulson's men. Hand asked Coulson about his recovery, and how Director Nick Fury treated him during his recovery, granting him a plane and sending him to Tahiti. During the conversation, Coulson realized for the first time that he automatically answered the words "it's a magical place" whenever Tahiti was mentioned. Hand remarked that Coulson had returned to important S.H.I.E.L.D. missions, but, as two of his agents were the key of the mission, Coulson replied that he never left the "big leagues".

Skye encountered Coulson, and he dismissed her thinking she was going to insist about the file regarding her parents. However, what Skye really wanted was to know more about the status of Fitz and Ward's mission. Coulson replied that she didn't have the clearance to know more information. However, as she saw preparations for missions, such as squads of soldiers in tactical gear or crews of analysts working, she deduced it had to do with her teammates' mission. Coulson's only answer was that she must trust the system.

Coulson sought May's advice about how to proceed, as he was feeling uncomfortable keeping secrets from his team; May did not answer and continued doing tai chi silently, but Coulson was convinced during his own speech to continue trusting the system.

Skye convinced Simmons to help her gain more information, as Ward and Fitz could be in danger, and they needed to know if there was something they could do for them. Simmons entered a restricted area in order to gain access to one of the Hub's mainframes so that Skye could remotely hack it. However, Jasper Sitwell discovered her and asked what she was doing there. Skye advised her to make up an excuse, but she was so nervous that tried to flirt with Sitwell. Sitwell called for an agent to escort Simmons out of the hallway, but Simmons, nervous for being discovered, shot Sitwell with the Night-Night Gun.

Skye prompted Simmons to seek May's advice, while Skye hacked the mainframe. However, Skye had to choose between obtaining the file regarding her parents and checking the status of Fitz and Ward's mission. Entering the files about the troop locations for the current mission, Skye learned that there was no extraction planned for Fitz and Ward. Coulson discovered Skye, but she answered that the system she was told to trust sent Fitz and Ward to their deaths.

Skye confronted Coulson about the discovery, as a large-scale attack on the separatist compound was planned without Fitz and Ward being extracted. Coulson justified there was a reason to keep secrets, and they could act as they do because there was a huge organization behind them. Coulson reminded Skye that she intended to become a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, and maybe she would need to be trusted with a secret, so Coulson needed to know if she could keep it. Before leaving, Skye asked Coulson if he knew that Fitz and Ward were not going to be extracted, but he simply replied that the answer is classified.

Extraction Team

"I know what the safety of a thousand men is worth. I know the importance of taking the Overkill Device out of play. But I also know my men, and what they're worth! The decision to go in should have been theirs to make."
"Perhaps. But you need to trust the system, Agent Coulson."

―Phil Coulson and Victoria Hand^[src]

Phil Coulson went to confront Victoria Hand about the lack of an extraction for his men in South Ossetia. Hand told Coulson that she had been informed of the incident regarding Jemma Simmons shooting Jasper Sitwell. Coulson didn't hold back from the confrontation he intended to have, and demanded to know why he was told that an extraction team would be in place when there was not. Having the proper Clearance Level, Coulson told Hand that she should have informed him of the situation regarding the welfare of his team.

Hand replied that Coulson designed dozens of similar operations, and that agents Clint Barton and Natasha Romanoff never had an extraction plan, but Coulson noted that they knew that when fulfilling their missions. Hand continued to justify herself, saying that Leo Fitz could have lost focus or courage during the mission if he knew there was not going to be an extraction team, and that she was not sure Coulson would have agreed with this decision, as his team included a non-agent who had leaked secrets in the past.

Coulson's answer was clear, he knew about the worth of the safety of the thousand men involved in the operation, and the importance of taking out the Overkill Device, but he also knew what his men were worth, and they should have made the decision to accept the mission knowing its full scope. Hand's only answer was that he must trust the system.

Melinda May, Jemma Simmons and Skye returned to the Bus in order to depart the Hub and go to South Ossetia, to act as the extraction team for Grant Ward and Leo Fitz. Coulson was waiting for them inside the Bus, and told them he was joining their extraction mission.

In the operations room, Hand saw how the Remote Beacon was activated by Ward in South Ossetia, signaling that the Overkill Device had been neutralized, and she authorized a full-scale attack over the separatist compound. Jasper Sitwell joined Hand at the operations room, and informed her that Coulson's men were clear. Sitwell thought there was not going to be an extraction, as all resources were needed elsewhere, and Agent Coulson's Team did not need an extraction, as she had planned that the rest of the team would rescue them.

Clairvoyant Candidates

"Agent Sitwell, I just received word from the Triskelion. You have orders to report to the Lemurian Star immediately."
"So I assume you'll take his place?"
"In your hunt for Santa Claus? No. I'm taking a transport jet back to the Hub where I can quarterback the field teams via satellite. Someone's gonna have to pull your asses out of the fire when things go south."

―Victoria Hand and Phil Coulson^[src]

Phil Coulson and John Garrett devised a plan of investigating the candidates rejected from the Index as possible identities for the Clairvoyant, enlisting senior agents Victoria Hand, Jasper Sitwell and Felix Blake to assist them. However, Sitwell was reassigned to the Lemurian Star, and Hand returned to the Hub in order to coordinate the field teams intended to assist the agents randomly chosen to investigate the potential candidates.

During their mission, agents Blake and Melinda May were attacked by Deathlok while investigating one of the candidates, Thomas Nash, and May quickly informed Hand of the attack. Hand ordered the backup teams to mobilize, while informing the agents investigating the other candidates of the attack, as they could be the subject of a similar ambush.

Blake was taken to the Hub in critical condition, where the rest of the agents involved in the operation discussed how dangerous Deathlok had become, and how the suspect, Thomas Nash, was listed as a resident in the Tranquility Bridge, but he was not there, so Grant Ward guessed Deathlok should had attacked May and Blake because they were getting close to the actual Clairvoyant.

Hand asserted that Blake and May should have not gone alone, as backup teams should have been sent with them. Hand also said that the plan was flawed from the start, as even with all precautions, the Clairvoyant saw them coming, and an agent was down. Coulson said that, despite everything, Blake was alive, and they finally had a suspect, Thomas Nash.

Hand requested Jemma Simmons for debrief regarding Project Deathlok and Michael Peterson, so that Hand and the agents in charge of the operation knew exactly what Deathlok was and what he was capable of. Simmons, prepared for staying at the Hub for the debrief, as S.H.I.E.L.D. saw her as the resident expert on the Deathlok program, giving her past experiences with Peterson and his Centipede Device. However, she accepted staying at the Hub hoping to use the laboratories to run a molecular breakdown of Skye's blood and study the remains of the GH.325 drug, and Leo Fitz offered to establish an encrypted line to stay in touch with her from the Bus. Antoine Triplett was also ordered to stay at the Hub in order to debrief the assault teams regarding his encounter against Deathlok.

From the Hub, Simmons and Triplett accompanied Hand in the situation while they were monitoring Thomas Nash's interrogatory when he was found in Pensacola. Simmons couldn't believe what they saw as Ward killed Nash in cold blood, and Hand remarked that even if he was an actual clairvoyant, Nash didn't see that coming.

HYDRA Uprising

Blood Analysis

"If they want me to stay here, at the Hub, then that's that."
"Well, don't you seem awfully chipper to pack up and leave me by my lonesome."
"Do I?"
"Yes. I wonder, could it be because the Hub's lab facilities are much more comprehensive than ours?"
"In case I'd like to run a molecular breakdown of Skye's blood? Yes. Brilliant deduction, Dr. Watson."

―Jemma Simmons and Leo Fitz^[src]

Jemma Simmons ran a series of analysis of Skye's blood, hoping to analyze the effects of the GH.325 administered to her, hoping to recreate the drug. Antoine Triplett visited her in the laboratory, and she quickly concealed the blood sample. Triplett casually chatted about all the movement he saw at the Hub, having witnessed many operatives in tactical gear, while Simmons told him that she asked around, and it looked like a Level 8 operation was taking place.

Triplett asked what Simmons was working on, but she quickly turned off the screen showing the results of the blood sample. Triplett acknowledged that her team was too secretive, even for an organization like S.H.I.E.L.D., and asked her if she was hiding something, hinting her secret research may had to do with the drug that miraculously saved Skye.

Triplett continued trying to coax Simmons into revealing something about what she was doing, saying that she did not mention the drug when Agent Felix Blake was critically injured, and though Simmons tried to excuse herself, Triplett said that if she had the means to save him and did not use them, Blake's blood was in her hands too.

Simmons closed the door and revealed Triplett was right, but many men died trying to protect the secret of the GH.325, so they kept their research secret for safety. Triplett offered his help, borrowing a Holo-Box using his superior Clearance Level in order to contact the S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy, as her research couldn't advance in the Hub.

Triplett went to retrieve the Holo-Box, as they thought that Agent Victoria Hand was too busy with an operation to notice it, but before leaving, he told Simmons to let him talk if they got questioned for it, as Simmons was a bad liar.

Taking Control

"I saw your trajectory. You're being tractor-beamed straight to the Hub. Those drones were launched out of there for sure."
"Victoria Hand."

―John Garrett and Phil Coulson^[src]

Victoria Hand quickly reacted to the reveal of HYDRA's infiltration within S.H.I.E.L.D., cleansing the Hub of suspects that may be affiliated with HYDRA in order to keep the facility secure, and ordered preemptive attacks against high-ranking officers whom she suspected to be HYDRA, such as John Garrett and Phil Coulson. Hand ordered the launch of a series of S.H.I.E.L.D. UAVs to take down Garrett's Jump Jet, and remotely set a course for Coulson's Bus back to the Hub.

Hand monitored the UAVs sent to destroy Garrett's jet, and agent Barbour informed her that the UAVs were destroyed, so Garrett was still alive, and he managed to dock his plane with the Bus. Agent Jacobson suggested to send more planes and destroy the plane, but Hand dismissed the idea, saying that she sent drones because they could not seize control of Garrett's plane, but now he was with Coulson they could take care of him when he landed on the Hub.

Agent Shaw was unsure of the actions they were taking, as he did not feel comfortable killing people they called friends. Hand told him that the encoded transmission to the HYDRA sleeping agents changed everything. Hand, only trusting in a few agents who had demonstrated their loyalty to S.H.I.E.L.D., said that day would test their loyalties, and they could die if they wavered when dealing with their enemies.

Hand oversaw the detention of many HYDRA members stationed at the Hub, and Barbour informed her that agents Jemma Simmons and Antoine Triplett were not found, but they were still searching for them and they had no place to go. Hand advised Barbour and Shaw not to underestimate Coulson's agents.

Simmons and Triplett were hiding at a laboratory, unaware of the whole HYDRA infiltration and what was happening at the Hub, and used a Holo-Box to contact Anne Weaver at the S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy. Weaver did not give Simmons time for explaining the intentions of her call, as she was visibly worried and scared, asking if the Hub was secure and if she was still with her team.

Simmons, confused, asked what was happening at the Academy, and Weaver revealed that the Academy was under siege by HYDRA forces, revealing that HYDRA infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D. and they were taking control. Weaver told Simmons that she would know where to find her if they both survived, and finally, she advised her not to trust anyone before the communication was cut.

Triplett locked themselves inside the laboratory, and Simmons, fearing Triplett was one of the members of HYDRA, asked him to let her out. Triplett told her that the door would not resist if they come looking for them there, but it was a safe place to hide for now. Simmons asked why should she trust him, and he said he was trustworthy, as Simmons was the one working for Coulson, describing him as a "zombie robot back from the dead". Triplett handed a knife to Simmons in order to protect herself, acknowledging that if she used it to kill him, he would not trust her.

With their trust issues settled for now, Triplett and Simmons tried to use the Holo-Box again to contact outside, but they were unable to do it, as the HYDRA signal hijacked every communications channel.

Victoria Hand and her loyal agents stormed the laboratory where Simmons and Triplett were hiding, and Hand made them a proposal, making it appear she was a HYDRA operative, she revealed that the infiltration had been successful, having the support of the high level agents, and having killed the ones who refused, including Nick Fury. Hand offered them to swear loyalty to HYDRA or die, but Simmons and Triplett silently agreed to sacrifice themselves if needed, with Triplett disarming some of Hand's agents and taking one as a hostage.

Triplett said that if Hand killed them, one of his agents would die too. Hand revealed that it was all a test to their loyalties, and the number of people she trusted increased to seven, and the rest of their agents briefed her on the news that happened while she was testing Simmons and Triplett.

Simmons, still fazed, asked if that had been a test, and Hand acknowledged that very few had passed it. Simmons was thankful to hear that Hand was not a member of HYDRA, but she revealed to Simmons that Coulson was one of them.

Arrival at the Hub

The Bus landing at the Hub

"We have no idea what's waiting for us at the Hub."

―Phil Coulson^[src]

The Bus landed at the Hub, automatically rerouted to the Hub under Victoria Hand's orders, and soldiers under Hand's command disarmed the plane using handheld versions of the Overkill Device.

Phil Coulson ordered Melinda May, whom he recently discovered she had been reporting on him and the whole Coulson's Team, to use her secret line, that she claimed was a direct contact to Director Nick Fury, to learn about the whole situation regarding the infiltration of HYDRA within S.H.I.E.L.D.

Coulson ordered May to contact Fury, who used an emergency protocol to directly contact Fury, but another man answered the line, and informed her that Director Fury died in Washington, D.C. Before they could react to the news, the soldiers opened fire against the Bus, injuring May and damaging the plane to make

Grant Ward, being released from detention due to killing Thomas Nash, asked John Garrett what was happening, and Garrett briefed him about Coulson's suspicions that Hand was the Clairvoyant, and later asked Garrett about his opinion regarding Fury's death.

Coulson tended May's injuries, who was worried about Fury's death, that had to be true as they were informed through Fury's direct line. Coulson then acknowledged that she could not prove her allegiances then, but she assured she did not report them to anyone else.

May revealed the truth about Coulson's Team, with Fury wanting someone to watch Coulson in case he showed signs of physical or mental deterioration due to the procedures used to resurrect him. Coulson was horrified to learn that she knew about Project T.A.H.I.T.I., having seen him suffer and struggle to learn the truth behind his resurrection, specially after all they went through together, and the time he spent helping her after their mission in Bahrain, giving her a second chance when he assembled his team.

May angrily revealed that she was the one who assembled the team, as Fury knew Coulson would want May to join him due to their past together, so she evaluated what the team needed and gave the assessment to Fury, who in turn gave Coulson the parameters for the team. Those parameters evaluated by May were a scientist who could repair Coulson's body, a technician who could reprogram his brain, and a specialist to help her put Coulson down in case of need.

May revealed that everything she did, it was for Coulson, as she only wanted to protect him, because he meant a lot for her, and she was devastated when she was informed of his death, and she was not affiliated with the Clairvoyant or HYDRA, she kept her secrets to protect him. Coulson acknowledged he wanted to believe her, but she used that against him the whole time.

Ward appeared to inform Coulson that the soldiers outside had stopped firing, but they could not return fire as they did not have clear shots through the windows. May assured them Hand would send a surgical strike team to kill them and preserve the aircraft, but Leo Fitz had cut the hydraulics on the cargo ramp to slow them down.

To protect all the research their team had done, Skye uploaded all the information into a hard drive, including specs for the Peruvian 0-8-4, the Berserker Staff, the Overkill Device, Donnie Gill's device, the Gravity Field Generators and Jemma Simmons' research on the GH.325 and the creation of portals.

Ward was worried that HYDRA could obtain all the designs, especially those about Gravitonium, but Coulson revealed it was customized below the Fridge, and there were no records of its existence. Ward's advice made Coulson order to wipe the systems of the plane, as the information would be kept safe inside the hard drive under an encryption only Skye would be able to bypass.

One of the soldiers placed an explosive at the cargo ramp of the plane to open it, and a tactical entered the Bus to apprehend or kill everyone inside. The first agents were caught in a trap, triggering an explosive device, and the subsequent ones found the plane was empty, as Coulson and the rest of agents had used one of Fitz's Mouse Holes to escape the plane.

Battle at the Hub

"Phil, this is a battle for S.H.I.E.L.D.'s soul, and we're on the front lines. History will remember us this day."

―John Garrett to Phil Coulson^[src]

Phil Coulson, John Garrett, Grant Ward, Leo Fitz, Melinda May and Skye managed to escape the soldiers tasked with apprehending them, exiting their plane to the Hub with the intention of rescuing Jemma Simmons from Victoria Hand, whom Coulson strongly believed to be the Clairvoyant.

Coulson tasked Skye and Ward to disable all the systems in the Hub, and most importantly, their control of the Bus, in order to escape if needed, reminding them that the agents were not their enemy, as they were under Hand's orders. Coulson and the rest of the agents headed to rescue Simmons.

Garrett thought they should go straight for Hand, but Coulson said their priority was to rescue Simmons and Antoine Triplett. May, who had been handcuffed given her reveal of her true motivations inside the team, asked Coulson to uncuff her in order to help him, but Coulson denied her request.

Fitz and Garrett posed as agents loyal to Hand, making it appear they had captured both Coulson and May through the security cameras, in order to enter one of the control rooms of the Hub. As they entered, Coulson and Fitz used I.C.E.R.s to knock down all the agents in the room, and Fitz started looking for Simmons through the security system of the facility.

Victoria Hand returned to the Operations Room of the Hub, with Simmons and Triplett among the agents she trusted, and she was informed that Coulson and the rest of his team had escaped the Bus, so she ordered to search for them in the tunnels of the facility, posting squads of men in every corridor, allowing to use lethal force if needed.

Simmons could not believe that Hand was ordering killing her teammates, but Hand excused herself saying that HYDRA would not show mercy, so neither could they. Simmons strongly doubted Coulson's affiliation with HYDRA, but Hand angrily said that Coulson was a liar, and revealed how Felix Blake discovered an ongoing conspiracy among the Level 8 agents, and then was sent into an operation by Coulson, ending in critical condition.

Hand ordered Agent Jacobson to recite a list of Coulson's known crimes, such as recruiting known enemies of S.H.I.E.L.D., disobeying direct orders, multiple counts, violation of international law, failure to report crimes. Hand also talked about how Franklin Hall ended up dying by Coulson's hands, how he did not report about Akela Amador and her eye technology ended up in Michael Peterson, or how the main suspect of being the Clairvoyant was killed by Coulson's agent.

All those facts led Hand to believe that Coulson was a member of HYDRA, and asked Simmons that probably he also kept secrets for her. Simmons, realizing Hand may be right, was advised not to underestimate HYDRA, as they hid in plain sight to earn their trust and sympathy, striking while the rest hesitated.

Ward and Skye arrived at a corridor with a dozen of heavily armed tactical agents in their way to the processing center, so Ward borrowed Skye's I.C.E.R. in order to battle the agents and pave a way for her. Skye said that the plan was a suicide, but Ward said that if he died, maybe he deserved it, showing regret for killing Thomas Nash, and explained his motivations to kill him, as Ward thought Nash was going to hurt Skye.

Ward asked Skye to grab a drink together if he survived, just like she proposed in the bar they visited in Dublin, though at the time he did not want to talk, as he needed to keep his emotions in check, but Skye replied saying she knew about his relationships with May. Ward acknowledged he could keep his emotions in check with May, but did not want to take risks with Skye. Ward said that now he wanted to have the chance to have that talk with Skye, and Skye agreed, kissing him before he left.

Ward exited to the corridor and managed to knock down many guards before being disarmed, and evaded their shots to defeat the rest using the weapons at his disposal. He was surrounded and beaten in the ground by four guards, but he managed to retrieve a knife and kill those guards. Upon clearing the path, he went to retrieve Skye, who revealed her intentions to blow up the systems instead of hacking them.

Meanwhile, May located Hand in one of the screens, but Fitz wanted to locate Simmons. Garrett insisted that their best chance to rescue Simmons was to infiltrate the situation room through the ventilation system and mercilessly kill Victoria Hand. Coulson was reluctant to simply kill her, without even questioning her, as the last time they did it, they killed an innocent man but Garrett said that Hand, as the Clairvoyant, wanted them to kill Nash.

Garrett tried to convince Coulson saying they were fighting for S.H.I.E.L.D.'s soul, and history would remember that day. Coulson said that precisely as they were fighting for S.H.I.E.L.D.'s soul, and murder without consideration was not the path. Garrett started retelling all the crimes committed by the Clairvoyant, attributing them to Hand, such as killing one of Garrett's men with a bomb in his car, and two more left to float in a hotel's pool.

In order to further convince them, he started to talk about what directly affected Coulson and his team, such as burning alive Michael Peterson and transforming him into a monster, shooting Skye twice in the stomach, and torturing Coulson using the same machine used on Raina, probably doing the same to Simmons now.

However, that detail, that Raina had previously used the machine, was something that Coulson never revealed to anyone, making him realize that John Garrett was the actual Clairvoyant, as he appeared right after Skye was shot, and Coulson led him to the Guest House to find out how Coulson was resurrected, just like the Clairvoyant had planned.

At first, Garrett tried to dismiss the accusation and made Coulson thought what he was saying. But Coulson was convinced of the discovery, and Garrett admitted it just a moment before a tactical team entered the room they were standing. Coulson ordered the agents to take Garrett into custody, but Garrett asked to the agents that were recruited by Jasper Sitwell to do what they had been ordered in a situation like that. Suddenly, the HYDRA infiltrators killed the rest of the members of their tactical team, and Garrett finally acknowledged his allegiance to HYDRA by its motto, "Hail, HYDRA".

Coulson, May and Fitz now were being held as prisoners for Garrett and the rest of the HYDRA infiltrators, though he revealed he did not want to kill them, as he had many occasions to do it, but he valued his friendship with Coulson, back to the days Nick Fury was their Supervising Officer. Angrily, Coulson said that Fury would kill him for his betrayal, but Garrett said that the only thing he could do is to roll over in his grave, as the reason he was killed was probably that he uncovered HYDRA's existence, what force the sleeper HYDRA operatives to reveal themselves.

Garrett acknowledged that many high ranking members of S.H.I.E.L.D. were involved in the conspiracy, he was not a true believer, he only felt that he would have better personal opportunities with HYDRA than with S.H.I.E.L.D., and advised Coulson to join them. Coulson angrily refused, saying that he would die before serving HYDRA, though Garrett said he had been doing it all along, and that was sad to kill him, as he considered Coulson a friend, and was happy to heard that he didn't die, though Coulson said that he tortured him to find out how he was resurrected.

Garrett turned his attention to May, but he did not try to recruit her, knowing she would follow Coulson, so he offered Fitz the possibility of joining HYDRA with a high rank, or being tortured to help them. Fitz instead threatened Garrett, saying he would suffer for what he did, and that Fitz planned to have a very big part on it.

Garrett ordered his men to kill Coulson and May, and shoot Fitz in the kneecaps, but just at that moment, Ward and Skye exploded the processing center. Coulson seized the opportunity to attack Garrett, while May battled the HYDRA operatives and Fitz took cover. However, as May was surrounded by some agents, Fitz had to take one of the guns that was in the ground and kill one of the agents that was about to kill May.

Coulson and Garrett kept fighting in an evenly-match, but just when Garrett had the upper hand and was about to stab Coulson, Fitz gave Coulson a Thunderstick that he used to knock Garrett down.

Victoria Hand arrived with her loyal agents, and having heard the whole conversation between Garrett and Coulson through a microphone, she was now convinced of Coulson's loyalty to S.H.I.E.L.D. Coulson asked how deep the HYDRA infiltration went, and she silently admitted that it was too deep.

Hand informed Isabelle Hartley, who was on the Iliad at the time, that the Hub was secure.

Arrest of the Clairvoyant

"Pick up pieces here at the Hub if you can."

―Victoria Hand to Phil Coulson^[src]

John Garrett was taken into custody with the rest of HYDRA infiltrators within the Hub, as his identity as the Clairvoyant had been revealed, and while he was taken to a plane to be transported to the Fridge, Antoine Triplett angrily shouted at him due to his role in the death of his friend Dan Monroe and two other teammates. Phil Coulson informed Grant Ward of the discovery, what seemingly left him devastated, as Garrett had been his mentor and Supervising Officer.

Victoria Hand and Coulson discussed the aftermath of the battles between S.H.I.E.L.D. and HYDRA all over the world. Hand informed Coulson that Captain America destroyed the Helicarriers at the Triskelion, but S.H.I.E.L.D. had fallen and HYDRA factions took control of at least two facilities, the S.H.I.E.L.D. East African Headquarters and the Treehouse.

Hand informed Coulson that she would head to the Fridge, a facility that was still secure and was imperative to remain that way, to imprison Garrett in the deepest cell of the Ice Box. Ward interrupted them, saying he would like to imprison Garrett himself, saying that, with Garrett being his Supervising Officer.

Hand agreed with having Ward on board, and told Coulson to take charge of the Hub, as they may be the highest-ranking loyal S.H.I.E.L.D. agents alive, and she greeted Coulson before departing.

Skye, Jemma Simmons and Leo Fitz discussed what happened with the whole agency, that S.H.I.E.L.D. was torn into pieces and disbanded, just like their plane. Coulson ordered them to restore the plane and render it operative as soon as they could. Melinda May asked Coulson if he still wanted her on board, and he acknowledged that, though she was not a friend, she was an ally, and they needed every ally they could get in order to survive.

Head of the Hub

"The Hub is secure. All remaining agents stand ready to assist you in whatever–"
"I think we've had about all the assistance we can handle from S.H.I.E.L.D. I'm sending in a peacekeeping force. They're gonna take control."

―Phil Coulson and Glenn Talbot^[src]

Phil Coulson assumed command of the Hub in the wake of the revelation of HYDRA's infiltration within S.H.I.E.L.D., and started to try to maintain S.H.I.E.L.D. as an active agency. Coulson watched news reports from all over the world covering the different battles between S.H.I.E.L.D. and HYDRA factions, specially the Battle at the Triskelion in Washington, D.C., and how President Matthew Ellis reacted to the destruction of the world's most advanced intelligence agency.

Coulson ordered agent Shade to open a backchannel to any trustworthy contact within the United Nations, and Skye arrived to inform him of a preliminary list of S.H.I.E.L.D. bases believed to be secure, but only three of them were confirmed to be under S.H.I.E.L.D. control, including the Fridge and the Hub, but Skye quickly assured that more of them would turn up as time passed.

Skye acknowledged that Coulson was right from the beginning when he explained her that the secrets S.H.I.E.L.D. kept were too dangerous to be publicly known, and now that they were, there was no one left to protect the world from them. Coulson told her that they would still protect the world, but the battles at the Hub and at the Triskelion were only the beginning of a war, assuring that as their team was still intact, they still could fight HYDRA, and they would.

Leo Fitz and Jemma Simmons repaired the Bus from the damage it suffered, as they needed to repair the cargo ramp and make the plane operational by the end of the day under Coulson's orders. Simmons questioned if they were even proper orders, now that S.H.I.E.L.D. was destroyed, Director Nick Fury died, and the whole agency was labelled as a terrorist organization.

Simmons kept advising Fitz that he needed to replace the grounding wires for the cargo ramp while discussing, an idea he dismissed, but as soon as Fitz asked Antoine Triplett to connect the cargo ramp, it started to short-circuit. Triplett advised Fitz to replace the grounding wires, who then told both Simmons and Triplett to shut up.

Skye informed Coulson at the Situation Room that the Cube had been retaken by S.H.I.E.L.D. loyal agents, making it four bases under their control, and Melinda May informed him of the repairs made in the Bus, that its hull was almost completely repaired and the flight systems were online, though the cargo ramp still needed more time, but Fitz assured it would be operational.

Coulson was interrupted by a transmission from Colonel Glenn Talbot of the United States Armed Forces, demanding to speak to whoever was in charge of the facility. Talbot interrupted Coulson before he could explain the situation, and told him that given the deep infiltration from HYDRA within their ranks. Coulson assured Talbot that the Hub was secure and all agents were ready to assist him in whatever he needed.

Talbot announced his intention to visit the Hub with a peacekeeping force to take control of the facility, telling Coulson that they only intended to ask some questions and make sure that they were innocent. However, as the transmission ended, Coulson, May and Skye talked about their true intentions, and May informed that the base's defenses were still operational. Coulson dismissed that idea, as S.H.I.E.L.D. could not afford an oper war against the United States government.

Coulson shared his opinions about Talbot's true intentions there, either to give them subpoenas to court hearings for the following months in the best case, though the worst case meant a total attack against the Hub. Coulson ordered to apply Odyssey Protocol in the Hub, a full evacuation of the Hub, and they needed Fitz to quickly finish repairing the systems of the Bus to escape.

A few hours later, May informed Coulson that many agents were staying behind to surrender, a decision Coulson lamented as they needed all the help they could have against HYDRA, and that Fitz had managed to repair the ramp of the Bus to an operational status, but the fuel reserves of the facility were empty, so they had to fly with the fuel it was left inside the plane.

Antoine Triplett asked Coulson if he could join them as a temporal replacement for Grant Ward, who left the Hub to go to the Fridge with Victoria Hand, but Coulson refused, not trusting Triplett for being a direct subordinate of John Garrett, who turned out to be a HYDRA operative and the Clairvoyant. Triplett asked if Coulson had any problem with him, but he said that he simply would not let him travel on his plane.

Triplett told Coulson that he was fooled by Garrett like everyone else, but Coulson said that Triplett was too close to him not to notice. Triplett tried to convince him, saying that some of his friends and fellow agents died because of Garrett, and Jemma Simmons interceded for Triplett, having witnessed his willingness to sacrifice his life for S.H.I.E.L.D., and even defied Coulson's orders now that S.H.I.E.L.D.'s hierarchy had fallen, arguing that things should be democratically decided. Simmons recommended that Triplett come with them, and Coulson finally agreed, though warning Simmons that Triplett was her responsibility.

With the discussion coming to an end, May piloted the Bus with Coulson, Fitz, Simmons, Triplett and Skye inside to leave the Hub before Talbot arrived with his peacekeeping forces.

Location

Map of The Hub.

The exact location of the Hub is classified, but it is certainly outside of North America, considering the map displaying the Bus' location as well as the logistics of the mission to retrieve the Overkill Device.

Layout

The Hub was one of the largest S.H.I.E.L.D. facilities in the world. It contained many operation rooms, offices, a medical center, laboratories, tactical centers, a large hangar, several large atriums, all connected by numerous tunnels and corridors. The Hub was comprised of at least two levels. Locations:

The Hangar

The Nerve Center

The Tunnels under the Hub

One of the fully-equipped labs within the Hub

The main atrium of the Hub

The entrance of the science department

The offices for several divisions of S.H.I.E.L.D. including: H.A.M.M.E.R., EuroM.I.N.D., and A.R.M.O.R..

An operations room

Another view of a lab within the Hub.

A corridor in the Hub.

Hub's hanger

Another view of the Hub's hanger.

SWAThub.jpg

S.H.I.E.L.D. tactical agents at the Hub.

East Wing Situation Room

Known Personnel

• Agent Victoria Hand †
• Agent Jasper Sitwell (HYDRA Infiltrator) †
• Agent Shade
• Agent Barbour
• Agent Chaimson †
• Agent Jacobson †
• Agent Shaw
• Agent Baylin
• Agent Jones

Appearances

• Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
  • Season One
    • The Hub
    • T.R.A.C.K.S. (mentioned)
    • End of the Beginning
    • Turn, Turn, Turn
      • One Door Closes (mentioned in a flashback)
    • Providence
  • Season Five
    • The Force of Gravity (mentioned)

Behind the Scenes

• There is a sign post in the Hub base that points to the H.A.M.M.E.R. hangar, a nod to Victoria Hand becoming one of the highest ranking agents in H.A.M.M.E.R. in the comics, when S.H.I.E.L.D. was dismantled by Norman Osborn and established H.A.M.M.E.R. in its place.