Everyone headed out.
Clearly, this mission was important: the whole team had mobilized, even Jemma and Fitz from the science team.
Hermione stayed aboard the Bus, bored out of her mind, browsing the tablet Skye had left behind. It contained material on cybersecurity and code cracking.
She couldn't make sense of it.
She knew how to code, but only as far as "hello world."
Before long, the hatch opened.
Coulson and Ward walked in, their combat uniforms stained with dust and grime. They looked dirty and rather worse for wear.
Apparently, the operation to capture Ian Quinn hadn't gone smoothly.
Ward held a round metal component that looked as though it had been removed from a large piece of equipment.
They hurried to the Holographic Imaging Table in the center of the room and set the component down.
"This is it. Once we figure this thing out, we'll know where they all went," Coulson said urgently, then went off to tend to his wounds.
Ward nodded beside him and placed the component on the Holographic Projection Table.
He looked this way and that, utterly at a loss.
Hermione watched him through narrowed eyes, even slowing down her eating.
Ward swiped at the controls a few times.
"Holographic desktop, activate."
Nothing happened.
"Holographic desktop, start."
Silence.
Ward: ...
Hermione: ...
Hermione could almost see a few crows flying overhead inside the Bus.
After fumbling around for ages, Ward finally found the switch.
Click.
The Holographic Imaging Table lit up, projecting a pale blue screen of light. It scanned and displayed the component's intricate, precise internal structure.
"Oh, so you have to press the power button!"
Coulson returned, assuming Ward had already figured it out.
"Nice work, Agent Ward!"
Ward looked proud, as though he'd accomplished something extraordinary.
"Zoom in on this