Chapter Summaries

Daisy helped Barbara and Mike save Agent Coulson while Stephanie offered mechanical organs and medical staff. Salomon used blazing whirlwinds to draw Hive toward him, and the monster approached across the desert.

• Daisy told Barbara that Mike had warned them not to rely too much on the automated surgical machine, and Barbara urged Daisy to check its software settings.
• Stephanie offered Coulson Vibranium mechanical lungs and a heart, but Mike declined the organs and agreed to let her field doctors assist.
• Mike told Stephanie to stay out of the base’s other affairs and promised to keep Skye under control.
• Zero reported that the planet had few ley lines and was dying, while Salomon led the Sisterhood and Praetorian Guard through the desert.
• Salomon cast several fiery whirlwinds to counter the approaching sandstorm and draw Hive toward them.
• Salomon sensed that Hive had accepted his challenge, and the black desert giant strode toward his group.

Salomon drew Hive’s attention with magic and fire while the Sisterhood fought off its parasites, hoping to keep his squad alive. He entered the heart of the black sandstorm, where Hive awaited him and intended to persuade him to join its plan.

• Salomon prepared to confront Hive, igniting his sword and sending firestorms across the horizon to burn away the parasites.
• Jemma Simmons recognized the rescuers’ voice as Will warned her that Hive’s sandstorm was approaching.
• The squad and the Sisterhood fought Hive’s parasite tentacles while Salomon raised a force wall and ordered firestorms to cleanse the air.
• Salomon sensed Hive’s central consciousness and entered the storm, where Hive opened a path and waited to speak with him.

Salomon lured Hive into the heart of the sandstorm and used himself as a target for a coordinated nuclear strike. He survived the hydrogen bomb’s blast only by raising his shield, but was left badly burned and near death.

• Catherine led the Sisterhood against Hive’s parasites while Praetorian Guard Zero reproduced Salomon’s teleportation spell and brought reinforcements into the battle.
• Salomon followed Hive’s main consciousness away from the Sisterhood and fought through its duplicates as he drew its forces toward himself.
• Catherine noticed the sandstorm shifting toward Salomon, and Tita opened portals from Earth so the gunners could fire missiles through them.
• Salomon shielded himself as the missiles and a hydrogen bomb devastated Hive and the surrounding sandstorm.
• The blast disabled Salomon’s armor and senses, and he struggled to remain conscious beneath his shield.

Salomon killed Hive with a low-yield hydrogen bomb but suffered severe injuries and searched the radioactive glass for survivors. At S.H.I.E.L.D., Stephanie explained the strike to Mike as Sisterhood forces regrouped and awaited news.

• Salomon endured the explosion inside his ruined Power Armor until Hive's collective consciousness vanished and the sandstorm stopped.
• Salomon tore off his fused armor, healed with the help of the Holy Marks, and searched the glass for any surviving parasites.
• Catherine called the scattered combat squads, ordered them to rendezvous, and demanded that two mortals be found and dragged out.
• Mike confronted Stephanie about the Helicarrier's firing, and Stephanie told him that the forces had used a tactical hydrogen bomb against parasites on another planet.
• Stephanie pointed out the decontamination corridor and demanded that the sterile towels she had ordered be brought in.

Stephanie oversaw the Sisterhood's return from the mission and quarantined the arriving squads while Mike questioned Fitz. Fitz claimed Salomon had manipulated Coulson and said he had a lead about the Monolith's secret.

• Stephanie noticed the Teleportation Magic array activating and ordered the Sisterhood to prepare for the returning squad.
• Sigma squad arrived and underwent decontamination and medical examinations before being sent to quarantine aboard The Punisher.
• Mike learned that Fitz had been rescued and arranged to speak with him through the quarantine room.
• Fitz told Mike that Salomon had manipulated Coulson and that the mission was meant to kill something on the planet, not rescue Simmons.
• Fitz said he had a lead and urged Mike to follow it because the Monolith's secret was more complicated than it seemed.

Salomon returned from the battle with Hive badly damaged and learned that S.H.I.E.L.D. agents had gone to Tangier in search of a clue about The Monolith. Daisy Johnson and Melinda May pursued the clue while S.H.I.E.L.D. struggled to reach Simmons and the astronaut.

• Salomon emerged from the teleportation circle injured, and Stephanie confirmed that Catherine had successfully brought the girls out.
• Stephanie told Salomon that Jemma Simmons and Leopold Fitz had been recovered, along with a NASA astronaut, whom Salomon ordered kept isolated and away from S.H.I.E.L.D.
• Stephanie reported that Agent Coulson had been injured but was recovering, then revealed that S.H.I.E.L.D. agents had gone to Tangier.
• Daisy Johnson searched Tangier's old city for a historical document linked to The Monolith while Melinda May directed her over the Quinjet's communications.
• Melinda May ordered Daisy to retrieve the clue and withdraw quickly, warning that S.H.I.E.L.D. had been denied access to Simmons and the astronaut.

Daisy Johnson pursued Leopold Fitz’s lead in Tangier, while Salomon visited Coulson and revealed that anyone confirmed to be infected would face extreme measures. Fitz feared for Jemma and Will as he urged Mike to help Daisy and May uncover the mystery behind the Monolith.

• Daisy disguised herself in a burqa to meet Joseph Hadad, but fought her way past his guards and called Melinda May to switch to Plan B.
• Salomon declined Stephanie’s offer to send someone after S.H.I.E.L.D. and went with Stephanie and Barbara to visit Coulson.
• Salomon told Coulson that Simmons and Fitz remained quarantined because Simmons had returned with an astronaut who might be infected, then warned that confirmed infections would be burned.
• Fitz overheard Salomon’s warning and worried that he, Jemma, and Will might be burned alive.
• Mike reassured Fitz that S.H.I.E.L.D. would seek a solution and promised to pass along Fitz’s hope that Daisy and May would quickly investigate the Tangier lead.

Mike pursued a cautious investigation into the infection and The Monolith while Salomon and Stephanie prepared a covert operation against the Inhumans. The chapter ended with a brainwashed assassin waiting for orders to kill Melinda May and Daisy Johnson.

• Mike insisted on questioning Fitz, Simmons, and Will separately and continued seeking a way to free the infected rather than burn them.
• Salomon allowed Mike's investigation to continue because he needed The Monolith as bait for a prophesied enemy.
• Salomon ordered Stephanie to prepare the next phase of the war on the Moon and remove the Inhumans' alien mutant genes from humanity's genetic pool.
• Stephanie revealed that she had assigned a sniper assassin to kill Melinda May and Daisy Johnson, then agreed to recall him.
• The assassin waited aboard a Quinjet, ready to kill the two women when his master ordered him to act.

Daisy Johnson and Melinda May pursued Joseph Hadad through Tangier, but a hidden sniper wounded him and forced them to retreat to the Quinjet. Salomon’s assassin reported success, while Salomon prepared to question the isolated astronaut Will.

• Daisy Johnson chased Joseph Hadad through Tangier’s old quarter and used her powers to steer him toward Freeport’s loading dock.
• Joseph Hadad was shot by a concealed sniper, and Melinda May shielded Daisy and the wounded target with the Quinjet.
• Daisy brought Joseph Hadad aboard and insisted they interrogate him for the combination to his lockbox to help rescue Fitz and Simmons.
• Melinda May ordered Daisy to treat Joseph Hadad for hemorrhagic shock while warning that other forces were involved in the operation.
• The assassin reported the mission complete, and Stephanie also reported success to Salomon.
• Salomon kept Will in isolation at a City of Immortals facility and planned to speak with him about a job.

Salomon supported Hunter’s covert mission against Grant Ward and reviewed intelligence linking an artifact to the Malik family’s history and Kamar-Taj. He warned Stephanie that Terrigen could trigger dangerous genetic contamination, leaving him troubled by a still greater threat buried in humanity’s genes.

• Salomon told Hunter he knew about his mission and offered to provide Barbara Morse with a bio-enhanced lung if she agreed.
• Stephanie arranged Hunter’s restricted quarters, while Salomon began reviewing reports and footage aboard the Helicarrier.
• An assassin’s surveillance revealed a parchment bearing a Hebrew word connected to the Malik family and The Monolith.
• Salomon explained to Stephanie that Psychedelic Mushrooms and magic had shaped Apostle John’s visions on Patmos and the writing of the Book of Revelation.
• Salomon said he intended to stop Terrigen from spreading because it could expose dangerous astral pollution in Inhuman genes.
• Salomon concealed the full danger of the First Celestial Descent and feared the hidden threat that humanity’s eventual evolution would unleash.

Salomon and Stephanie continued preparations to sever the Malik family’s ties to Hydra while dealing with their workload aboard the ship. Meanwhile, Daisy Johnson and Barbara Morse investigated an attack on Joseph Hadad, unaware that an assassin was listening to their plans.

• Stephanie arranged for the Malik castle to be renovated and its old equipment and records to be documented, while Gideon Malick prepared to send the files to the Helicarrier.
• Salomon said the Malik family would have nothing more to do with Hydra after the operation, then argued with Stephanie about his injuries and the ship’s food.
• Barbara Morse identified the Hebrew word on the parchment as meaning death and asked Daisy Johnson to scan its case and question Joseph Hadad about its origins.
• Daisy told Barbara that Joseph Hadad had passed out after giving them a safe combination and that a sniper had targeted him; she found an enormous warhead at the sniper’s position.
• Barbara warned Daisy that the team lacked the people and leads to investigate beyond its primary mission, and Daisy prepared to return with Melinda May.
• An assassin listened to Daisy and Barbara’s conversation.

An assassin hid near Daisy and Barbara as S.H.I.E.L.D. discussed the investigation, while Salomon clashed with Coulson over quarantining Will and the danger of infection. Salomon threatened to destroy S.H.I.E.L.D. if necessary, and Coulson went to question Simmons and Fitz for overlooked clues.

• An assassin secretly listened to Daisy and Barbara discuss the investigation and considered redirecting S.H.I.E.L.D.'s attention away from his weapon and master.
• Salomon told Coulson that Will would be transferred to the Helicarrier under the City of Immortals' supervision, while Fitz and Simmons could end quarantine early.
• Salomon criticized Coulson's handling of Grant Ward and warned that he would not compromise security procedures to protect S.H.I.E.L.D.
• Salomon ordered Stephanie to prepare another bunker-buster nuclear bomb in case destroying S.H.I.E.L.D. was necessary to stop the infection.
• Coulson told Barbara about Salomon's past and said he would question Simmons and Fitz for clues they might have overlooked; Barbara offered to accompany him.

After Melinda May’s Quinjet suffered engine failure over the Atlantic, Salomon authorized the assassin to interrogate Joseph Hadad and directed Stephanie to investigate the Monolith with Kamar-Taj’s support. Stephanie also secured General Haig and Ruby’s possible entry into the City of Immortals, while Salomon learned he had to retrieve his sick cat from the veterinarian.

• Daisy Johnson and Melinda May woke when their Quinjet jolted, and May announced an engine failure over the Atlantic before ordering Daisy to protect Joseph Hadad.
• Stephanie told Salomon that the assassin had captured Joseph Hadad and reached a safe house, and Salomon approved the interrogation while the assassin operated on Hadad’s wounds.
• Salomon authorized Stephanie to use Kamar-Taj’s communications to investigate the Monolith at any cost, as Arcanists at Kamar-Taj began reviewing its records.
• Stephanie asked Salomon to accept General Haig and her daughter Ruby into the City of Immortals, and Salomon agreed on conditions and requested a face-to-face meeting with Ruby.
• Stephanie told Salomon that Bayonetta’s cat had become sick from overeating and was at the veterinary hospital, so Salomon decided to retrieve it himself.

Salomon arranged for Will to be isolated and taken to the City of Immortals while S.H.I.E.L.D. struggled with depleted personnel and resources. He planned to recruit General Hale and place Ruby under Stephanie’s guidance, then prepared to collect the Cheshire Cat.

• City of Immortals agents withdrew from the S.H.I.E.L.D. base with Will secured in an isolation chamber, despite Coulson’s objections.
• Coulson asked Barbara Morse to retrieve May and Daisy and contact Dr. Garner, and he discussed rebuilding S.H.I.E.L.D.’s training force after the massacre at the academy.
• Salomon reviewed Ruby’s origins and planned to put her in Stephanie’s care while recruiting her mother, General Hale, to help control the Ministry of Defence and gather military resources.
• General Hale sought Gideon Malick’s help as U.S. agencies investigated Hydra after the Langley attack, creating an opportunity for her to defect to the City of Immortals.
• Salomon planned to pick up the overweight Cheshire Cat from a veterinary hospital and discuss its weight-loss plan.

Daisy and Fitz searched for clues about the Monolith’s history, leading Daisy to suggest Professor Randolph as a source. Coulson then tried to recruit Randolph from prison, but Randolph’s fear of punishment after a bar fight left Coulson considering asking an unwelcome ally for help.

• Daisy apologized to Fitz because the Monolith lead and Joseph Hadad had been lost at sea, while Fitz said a parchment only established the Monolith’s Middle Eastern origin.
• Daisy remembered Professor Randolph might know the Monolith’s history and went with Coulson and other S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents to visit him in prison.
• Professor Randolph refused to leave his cell, explaining that he had drunk all his liquor after a bar fight with a one-eyed old man.
• Randolph said Asgard had learned of his presence on Earth and feared his king would punish him as a deserter.
• Coulson threatened to send Randolph back to Asgard, but Randolph insisted his fate was sealed and refused to help.
• Coulson proposed asking an arrogant ally to write an official letter, prompting Daisy and Melinda May to object.

Stephanie arranged funding and armed support for Laura Croft to investigate ancient ruins, while Agent Coulson’s team questioned Professor Randolph about The Monolith. Randolph recognized a Hebrew word on the parchment and recalled seeing it engraved in a castle in Gloucestershire, leaving the team with a location to investigate.

• Stephanie ignored Agent Coulson’s message and contacted Laura Croft to help the City of Immortals research The Monolith.
• Stephanie approved funding and armed support for Laura Croft, who said she would first visit a friend of her father’s in Norway.
• Agent Coulson and Daisy brought Professor Randolph images and research on The Monolith while he was held in prison.
• Professor Randolph identified the parchment’s symbol as an ancient Hebrew word meaning death and recalled seeing it on a castle wall in Gloucestershire.
• Professor Randolph told Agent Coulson to use Google Maps to find the castle.

Salomon interrupted his work to find Jeanne, who had turned a Christmas shopping trip into a police chase and a motorcycle ride up a skyscraper. Bayonetta then took Salomon away and revealed that his adoptive mother had prepared the orphanage’s children to become a workforce for him.

• Bayonetta told Salomon that Jeanne had abandoned shopping to ride his motorcycle around Manhattan.
• Jeanne evaded the police and tried to draw a crowd of officers into chasing her before Salomon stopped her with a magical barrier.
• Salomon and Jeanne rode the motorcycle up a skyscraper, prompting Officer Carter to call for a warrant.
• Bayonetta confronted Salomon and Jeanne after seeing the news, then said she would take Salomon away before dinner.
• Bayonetta told Salomon that his adoptive mother had entrusted her with the orphanage and had prepared its children to support his work.

Athena explained Odin’s weakening power and warned Salomon that Odin was maneuvering to draw him into a meeting before he died. She left Salomon considering what he should do about Odin’s plans and Hela.

• Salomon described the differences between the Asgardians and the Olympian Gods, and Athena urged him to draw on the knowledge she had given him.
• Athena told Salomon that Odin envied his potential, was weakening, and still had enough power for one final strike.
• Athena revealed that Odin likely arranged for Professor Randolph to fight Salomon so Salomon would seek him out.
• Salomon reasoned that Odin wanted to meet him discreetly, and Athena warned him to avoid the dying All-Father and his hidden blades.
• Bayonetta teased Salomon about an Asgardian woman who had stabbed him while courting him, and Athena asked what he should do about Hela.

Salomon learned that Odin's plans could make Asgard a sacrifice in a larger scheme, and Bayonetta explained that she and the others had concealed the danger to protect him. The chapter left Stephanie preparing to receive Kamar-Taj Arcanists, who would reinforce the City of Immortals against a powerful threat Salomon could not yet disclose.

• Salomon considered Athena's warning that Odin was dangerous and that Asgard might be sacrificed as part of a plan for his ascendance.
• Bayonetta told Salomon that she, Miranda, and The Venerable One had wanted him to understand his situation, and Salomon asked for more direct advice in the future.
• Athena teased Salomon about making room for his companions as Lorna went to play with the Cheshire Cat and the barn owl.
• Salomon ordered Stephanie to keep the teleportation chamber supplied and receive Arcanists from Kamar-Taj.
• Salomon told Stephanie that the Arcanists would expand the City's defensive spells and that he needed to reduce his trips to Europe until the defenses and diplomacy were in place.

Stephanie visited Salomon at his New York residence with documents and discussed the City of Immortals’ financial and political plans. They turned to preparations for the next day’s negotiation with General Hale.

• Dinah led Stephanie through Salomon’s strange residence to his study, where he was working in pajamas.
• Salomon described his plans to short stocks and buy commodities, while Stephanie warned that the City of Immortals needed to maintain cooperative relations with plutocrats.
• Salomon said the City of Immortals’ military strength set it apart from wealthy investors and suggested preparing to profit from future U.S. military spending.
• Stephanie questioned Salomon about a forged battle axe, and he explained that he was training the Sisterhood’s new blood, Zero, and Praetorian Guard candidates on other planets.
• Salomon showed Stephanie sweaters he had knitted and offered her gloves, while she raised concerns about the cost of funding Laura Croft.
• Stephanie and Salomon began discussing how to use General Hale in their negotiation the next day.