Search for the Shrike

Search for the Shrike
Previous	Rescue of Leo Fitz and Jemma Simmons
Next	Destruction of the Shrike Tower Infiltration into Zephyr One
War	Sarge's Campaign
Date	Mid-2019
Location	Fort Dodge, Iowa Des Moines, Iowa Zephyr One
Result (Outcome)	S.H.I.E.L.D. destroys the Shrike with Sarge's help S.H.I.E.L.D. agrees to work with Sarge's Squad
Combatants
S.H.I.E.L.D. Sarge
Shrike
Commanders
Alphonso Mackenzie Sarge
Shrike
Casualties
One S.H.I.E.L.D. agent
Two Shrike

"We nabbed two Shrike that were headed for each other. My team has them inbound, so it looks like we're gonna save those lives after all."

―Alphonso Mackenzie to Sarge^[src]

The Search for the Shrike was a mission undertaken by S.H.I.E.L.D. to find and capture two Shrike which had been located in Iowa and which were getting closer to each other. It nearly resulted in the destruction of the Zephyr One due to the Shrike's mineral protrusions, which were eventually destroyed thanks to Sarge's advice.

Background

"He's hunting creatures called the Shrike. Their creator is coming. Earth will be destroyed. Possibly by Sarge."

―Melinda May^[src]

In attempt to retrieve the Di'Allas she needed to open a portal and enable her kind to acquire physical bodies just like she had, Izel sent a parasitic race of creatures called the Shrike across the galaxy for them to take over hosts and use their energy, causing the destruction of several planets, including Chronyca-2. Some of these Shrike also arrived on Earth and began infecting people as well, for example Harold Simcoe. The Shrike hosts were hunted down by Sarge's Squad, who sought to put an end to Izel's actions.

The occurrence of the Shrike also caught the attention of S.H.I.E.L.D., who had crossed the path of Sarge and his teammates on several occasions. Thanks to the efforts of Melinda May, Sarge's squad were captured and brought into custody in the Lighthouse. Reclaiming their effects, Alphonso Mackenzie tasked Deke Shaw, another of Sarge's targets, with hacking into the detection device Sarge used to track down the Shrike. Shaw was successful in this endeavor, enabling S.H.I.E.L.D. to pinpoint the location of two Shrike hosts in Iowa.

Search

Search in Iowa

"This is Zephyr One, we're en route to target. We'll check in when we've caught the birds."

―Melinda May^[src]

Having been informed that the two Shrike hosts were apparently trying to get close to each other, S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Alphonso Mackenzie sent a STRIKE team to intercept them, notably including Agents Melinda May, Yo-Yo Rodriguez and Diaz. May headed to Fort Dodge, where she captured one of the host in his car and returned it to the Zephyr One, while Rodriguez took a Quinjet to Des Moines and captured a host as well in a building.

Attack on the Zephyr One

"What do you want?"
"My team and my truck. Then I give you something that maybe saves your plane."

―Alphonso Mackenzie and Sarge^[src]

However, S.H.I.E.L.D. made the mistake of putting the two Shrike hosts into the same Containment Module. As soon as they were in contact, the two host violently reacted, screaming and their body heavily shaking. Asking for advice from the Lighthouse, Melinda May instructed Yo-Yo Rodriguez to try and sedate the hosts with an I.C.E.R.. Nevertheless, as one agent tried that, large mineral spikes burst out of the hosts' bodies, and one of the protrusions violently stabbed the agent to death, prompting Rodriguez to shut down the module.

Rodriguez and Diaz knew that the Containment Module would not be able to hold the spikes for long. Figuring out that Sarge might have a solution, Alphonso Mackenzie had him taken out of his cell and brought to the command center of the Lighthouse. When May asked whether they should drop the module, Sarge advised against it, but refused to say anything further as long as he could not reclaim his crew and his truck.

Left with no other option to preserve the lives of his friends, Mackenzie agreed to Sarge's demands. Sarge then told S.H.I.E.L.D. that the Shrike and their mineral creations did not stand cold. May asked Rodriguez and Diaz to leave the cargo bay, but since it was too late as the spikes had broken out of the module, Rodriguez opened the ramp herself to cause a massive depressurizing, holding on to cargo along with Diaz.

The attempt proved to be successful, despite one of the spike nearly killing Diaz before being broken by Rodriguez thanks to the cold which had rendered it more fragile. With the Zephyr One now safe, the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents then returned to the Lighthouse.

Aftermath

"Don't get comfortable. There's a lot more out there where those two came from. And their maker's coming."

―Sarge^[src]

Having been warned by Sarge that this Shrike outburst was only the beginning as the person who had created them was coming to Earth, S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Alphonso Mackenzie agreed to collaborate with Sarge and enabled him to reclaim his truck. However, in order to keep an eye on him, Mackenzie only allowed Sarge to choose one of his teammates to join him, which ended up being Snowflake, while Pax and Jaco were replaced by Daisy Johnson and Melinda May.

Using this relative freedom of movement and the fact that S.H.I.E.L.D. took the Shrike threat as seriously as they should be, Sarge attempted to carry on his plan to destroy the Shrike Tower before Izel arrived, with an Atom Bomb if necessary. However, such drastic actions were avoided thanks to Johnson, who kept the bomb from exploding, while S.H.I.E.L.D. was able to safely destroy the tower and to exterminate the resulting swarm of Shrike.