We start off we we left off and that is Hunter in the wrecked car after Creel’s attack killed Hartley and Idaho. May comes across him and tries to get him out before Talbot’s soldiers arrive. Hunter tells May to go and pursue Creel as he has the obelisk. May goes off as but gives Hunter something to use to escape. Alas, Talbot’s soldiers arrive and arrest him.

May is in hot pursuit via motorbike of Creel, who has stolen a red pickup truck. As May weaves in out of traffic, she gets a clear shot of Creel but Coulson tells her to stand down and follow Creel to find out who he works for.

Back at SHIELD’s new home base, Tripp and Skye have come back with the cloaked plane and briefly debrief with Coulson. Later, Skye lets Coulson know that the obelisk contains the same symbols that he has been drawing. Skye wants to start investigating that but Coulson says they have other things to worry about and that is Hunter has been captured and might betray SHIELD and that isn’t good news.

Later, Tripp, Skye and Mack are looking at the cloaking technology from the plane and worry that Fitz might get offended that they aren’t asking him for help. Fitz does come on the scene and Mack, in a goodwill gesture, asks for Fitz’s help.

However, Fitz tries to help out but “Simmons” convinces him that his brain power is better served to stop Creel.

Speaking of May has tracked him to a roadside diner. Creel is waiting for someone and we see that he has absorbed some of the obelisk’s power and it is making him wonky. A waitress accidentally touches Creel’s arm and the obelisk power claims her as his next victim. May hears the commotion, rushes inside and sees the waitress dead and Creel gone.

Meanwhile, Hunter has been dropped off by the soldiers only to be picked by Talbot via helicopter. During the chopper ride. Talbot wants Hunter to give him Coulson. Hunter says he will if he gets the following: $2 million and a proper burial for Hartley. Talbot agrees and we see Hunter turn up to the Bunker. Coulson knows that Talbot offered Hunter a deal and offers a counter proposal.

At Hartley’s quarters, Skye has been tasked by Coulson to pack her things when Hunter arrives. Hunter shares stories about Hartley with Skye. Hunter then asks Skye if she wants to be a mercenary but she replies that SHIELD is her life now.

Later that night, Creel has gone to his hideout van and reaches out to his HYDRA contact, who tells him to meet him at their secondary rendez-vous spot. Creel is becoming increasingly unstable and is about lash out at some restaurant workers when Raina comes in and offers him a deal: give her the obelisk so it won’t fall into HYDRA hands and she will give him a substance that would make him pretty unbeatable. Creel doesn’t take the deal but take the substance and takes off.

Back at the Bunker, Skye comes in and says the HYDRA frequency they hijacked has a message and a phone number. Coulson et al call the number and it is Raina who assures that she isn’t working for HYDRA and talks about the importance of the obelisk and how SHIELD can find Creel as the substance he stole has a tracking device.

Meanwhile. Fitz is working with Mack on something that will stop Creel. Fitz keeps on repeating that he didn’t solve this today and Mack takes it it mean that Fitz has solved this before and they go through all of his old blueprints till they find what they are looking for.

Coulson is assembling the mission’s team that includes Skye. Tripp, May and Hunter. However, Hunter betrays the team and takes out Skye, May and Tripp with the night-night gun and goes after Creel himself. But that doesn’t work out as Creel gives Hunter chase while Creel’s HYDRA contact tries to make away with the obelisk only to see Raina walking away with it.

Just when it looks like Hunter is going to suffer the same fate as the waitress and Hartley, Coulson comes in and neutralizes Creel with the device that Fitz invented.

With the mission over, Hunter watches from afar Hartley’s funeral and Coulson is there too and wants Hunter to join SHIELD. The only thing Coulson wants his for Hunter to turn him in to Talbot.

Back at the Bunker, we see Mack and Fitz bond over the device that he invented. Talk turns to how Fitz and Simmons worked on the device and Mack asks how Fitz is doing since Simmons went away. Fitz looking at “Simmons” says he is doing fine.

Watching from a far, Skye thinks it is a good thing that Fitz has someone to talk to now and shares with May her concern over Coulson. May says that Coulson is fine.

Later in Coulson’s office, May is worried that he is due for another episode and as if on cue, Coulson goes up to a blank wall and starts to carve out the alien language as May looks on and takes pictures.

And what of the obelisk? Raina has taken it to a mysterious man, played by Kyle Maclachlan, who we know plays Skye’s father. Skye’s dad orders Raina to touch the obelisk. And when Raina does, instead of burning up and dying, the obelisk light’s up and reveals those alien symbols. Skye’s dad tells Raina that the obelisk decided that she won’t die and Raina wants to know more. Skye’s dad that he will tell her everything if she brings Skye to him.

In the post-credit scene, Coulson and Talbot meet. Coulson gives Talbot a petrified Creel in exchange that Talbot lays off SHIELD. If they do, then expect SHIELD to continue to give Talbot bad guys as Talbot will continue to rise in the military ranks. Talbot says no to deal since he believes that SHIELD is a shadow of its former self with no weapons.

To prove him wrong, Coulson gets the cloaked Bus to reveal itself and its guns and Coulson the boards the cloaked plane that they stole.

Not quite as action-packed or cool as the first episode of season 2 although, we briefly did see Coulson look at Agent Carter’s file while he was going through some evidence. But we are starting to see some stories planting itself like Skye’s father and why didn’t Raina die when she touched it.

And no Ward this episode, I wonder how useful that character can be if is not redeemable. Also, I really hope that Simmons isn’t a HYDRA agent but is a mole and will be reunited with her fellow SHIELD agents and Fitz. We shall see.