AD ASTRA. | VI.

( 'THE GOOD SAMARITAN' )

Loghan blinked, bright light meeting her eyes. Her face scrunched up in confusion as she sat up, looking around at the lab. She got to her feet and managed to make her way onto the hangar, where she saw Robbie sitting on the hood of his car. 

"You're up," he said. 

"Yeah," she pressed a finger to her temple. "What happened? I feel like I just died."

"You got infected," he answered. 

"That's it?" she furrowed her eyebrows and stepped closer. "I feel like there's more."

He paused for a moment before answering, "Apparently, your powers went loco and you suffocated." 

"Great," she grimaced, sitting next to him. "Hey, I'm sorry I lost your uncle."

"It's fine," Robbie shook his head. "I should have been there."

"Did you..." she paused, searching for the words. 

"Kill him?" he finished for her. 

She nodded. 

"Yeah," he answered simply. 

"I don't know if this is overstepping," Loghan started. "But who was that guy?"

Robbie clenched his jaw. "The reason my brother is in a wheel chair."

"Oh," was all Loghan could say. 

They settled into a tense silence, that was broken by the sound of another voice. 

"Robbie!"

Loghan and Robbie both looked up. Daisy was wheeling in Gabe, who looked very concerned. 

"Hey, what's up man," Robbie stood up and walked over to his brother. "Look, I'm sorry for all the drama. I'm just glad to see you're safe."

"Me?" Gabe asked incredulously. Daisy stepped off to the side and Loghan joined her. "What about you, disappearing like that? I thought you trusted me."

Robbie looked pained as he said, "I do."

"Then why are you hiding such a big secret?"

Loghan's eyes widened. He knew? She looked to Daisy, who said, "I didn't tell him anything."

"She doesn't have to," Gabe told claimed. "I can do the math. The night's you're away, the blood on your clothes, now this?"

Robbie swallowed and looked down. 

"I wanted to tell you. For a long time," Robbie clenched his jaw. "It's just, how do you tell your brother you're a—"

"A secret agent," Gabe interrupted in awe. 

Loghan had to admit, she did not see that coming. 

"You know, he wanted to, but," Daisy stepped forward. "He took an oath. It's, well, it's a secret."

Gabe had the widest smile. "Hey, I get it. This is super dope. And kind of a relief. Sometimes I'd find blood in the sink, I was afraid of something else."

Robbie's facial expressions were not helping him, but at the moment Gabe seemed too excited to notice. 

"Like what?" Robbie asked. 

"Something bad," Gabe said. 

"Well, you can relax, now that you know the truth," Loghan came up beside Daisy. 

"How come you're telling me now?" he asked. 

"We had to bring you in for your protection," Daisy explained. 

"Tio got snatched out of prison," Robbie said. "We think that the person that took him might try to grab you for leverage."

"But the important thing is that you're safe now," Daisy interjected. 

"We're gonna find your uncle Eli," Loghan gave a small smile. 

It was her mistake that he was gone. And she was going to fix it. 

"Into the module, now," Mack commanded, walking down the stairs. "The new director boarded with a tact team and they want to take you into custody."

"Why?" Loghan asked. 

"Why?" Mack mocked. "Just get in the damn box."

He started pushing Gabe's wheel chair towards the white cell.

"Hey, screw you," Gabe protested. "Nobody moves this thing except for me!"

Loghan followed behind and stepped into the white-paneled module. 

"I like this kid," Mack commented, before shutting the door and letting the box into the lower level. "Bot no offense, you can't be here. Any of you. You're going down."

Loghan sat down on the cot, across from Daisy. Through the window, she could see the sky around them and thin clouds floating around. 

"You know," Loghan remarked. "I've been in this box way too many times for my liking."

Daisy rolled her eyes and tried to comfort Gabe. "Don't worry. We're safe. Even if we detach, it has thrusters—"

"I understand the science," Gabe said. "I'm not worried about falling. I'm worried about what you guys aren't telling me."

"It's because of me," Daisy replied. "I used to be an agent of Shield but I left, and now the director's hunting me down."

"Why do Robbie and I have to hide?" Gabe looked at his brother, who was staring out the window. "Aren't you a Shield agent, too?"

"Yes, his is, but—"

"Stop," Robbie shut his eyes. "I appreciate what you're trying to do here, but I can't lie to him anymore."

Daisy nodded. 

Robbie sat down beside her and looked at Gabe sadly. "You deserve the truth. All of it."

"Stop beating yourself up about that night," Gabe said. 

"What night?" Daisy asked. 

"He blames himself that I'm in the chair."

"Because it's my fault," Robbie said. 

"It was bad luck," Gabe countered. 

"There's no such thing as luck," Robbie snapped. "There's decisions and consequences. And I made a whole lot of bad decisions that night. Like bringing you along."

Loghan and Daisy listened silently as the two brothers spoke about the incident. From what Loghan could piece together, Robbie was going to street race one night and took Gabe along. Someone shot at them and they got into a really bad accident, which was how Gabe ended up in a wheelchair. 

"I was sure you were dead," Gabe said. 

Robbie looked up at him darkly. "Because I was dead."

"No man, you're crazy," Gabe shook his head. 

"Am I?" Robbie alluded. "What do you remember about the Fifth Street attack?"

"You mean after I thought you were dead?" Gabe asked. "I guess...it was the good Samaritan."

Loghan furrowed her eyebrows as he continued. "I heard his motorcycle pull up. Next thing I know, he pulled me to safety."

"Who was this guy?" Daisy pondered. 

Loghan had a vague feeling that it was the person who gave Robbie his...powers. 

"Don't know," Gabe answered. "I never saw him. Just some good Samaritan. He stopped, saved us, and moved on. I remember he went over to you, bent down to check on you, and then you moved. That's when I knew you were alive."

"Yeah," Robbie said, his voice low. "That's not what happened. The first part is like you said. The fire, the chase, the shooting. But what I remember most is feeling like I screwed up. Because of me you were going to die. We both were."

"But we didn't," Gabe attested. "We survived."

Robbie bit his lip. "This is the part I never told you; the thing I tried to hide. When I was thrown from the car, I begged God, I begged the universe, I begged anyone who would listen that you would be spared. I swore that I'd give anything to save you."

Daisy put a comforting hand on his knee. "Don't stop there. Then what?" 

"Then I hit the street. And I died," Robbie conceded. "And there was nothing. Just darkness. And I heard a voice. It was asking me if I wanted a second chance. Did I want to punish those who hurt my brother. Did I want to avenge my own death." 

Loghan knew where this was going. She glanced between Gabe and Robbie as the latter revealed, "I answered yes. More than anything, yes. And I was alive again. You're right, there was someone there when I came to. But it wasn't a good Samaritan. It was the devil. Whatever was inside him, he passed it into me."

Gabe thought for a second. "Ghost Rider."

"That's the deal I made," Robbie's voice broke. "I swore to go after those who spilled innocent blood. And I was reborn."

Gabe's face twisted with anger and hurt. "You killed all those Locos."

"No," Robbie reached forward and grabbed his brother's hand. "No, that wasn't me. The thing inside me. It craves vengeance. Those gangsters got what they deserved for what they did to you."

"Did to me?" Gabe pushed Robbie's hand away. "I'm fine. You ever hear me complain? So I can't walk anymore, I didn't ask for that, but I'm fine with it. Don't you put their blood on me."

Loghan shared an unsure look with Daisy and leaned back. The module began to move upwards and the view of the sky was replaced with that of Coulson and another man in a suit. 

"This is bad," Loghan mumbled. 

"I've seen Coulson talk his way out of tighter spots than this."

Fitz urgently walked up to Coulson and showed him a tablet, but the Director took it. 

"Yeah, but it's just a few signatures," Fitz argued. "I believe it could lead us to Lucy Bauer and Eli Morrow."

Loghan and Robbie both stood straighter at the mention. 

"I those two are our top priority," Coulson reasoned. "If Fitz can determine where they are, we have to act immedi—"

The Director gave the tablet to another agent, and Coulson stopped. 

"You know where my uncle is?" Robbie called. 

The Director dodged the question. "You'll get a fair trial. Both of you."

Loghan swallowed the lump in her throat. She knew people connected that guy's death to Fallout, but now that they knew who she was? She knew they'd charge her with something big, especially since she was Inhuman, despite it clearly being an accident. 

"What about my uncle?" Robbie repeated. 

"We'll take every appropriate action once we've landed," the Director turned to Coulson. "Turn your plane around. We're going back to HQ where these people will be detained and charged."

"There's no way I'm going back to their base," Robbie went up to the door and tried to pry it open. "My uncle's in trouble."

"It's called a containment module for a reason," Daisy pointed out. 

Loghan pursed her lips and clenched her fists, doing her best not to loose her cool. 

"I don't think you're considering the threat level these three people present," Coulson chided. 

"Securing two known fugitives and a killer is more important than rescuing an escaped convict," the Director argued. 

"Yeah, but it's not Eli Morrow whose in danger," Fitz interjected. "I believe that what Lucy Bauer is trying to achieve could theoretically affect thousands of people."

"Jeffery," Coulson kept his voice calm. "I'd argue that Daisy, Robbie, and Loghan are already secure. We should—"

"It's Director Mace!" the Director fumed. "And I'd be more meaningful to your suggestions if you'd been honest with me from the start. But by wasting my time, you've wasted my good will. Now turn the plane around and return to HQ!"

"I'm not going back to their base!" Robbi began punching at the doors. 

"Robbie," Daisy warned. "Don't give them more reasons to be afraid of you."

"It's not me they need to be afraid of," he continued his barrage. "It's the other guy! HE WANTS OUT!"

Gabe watched in slight horror as the scene unfolded in front of him. 

"Robbie, stop!" Loghan ordered, but he kept pounding on the doors. 

"What's gonna happen?" Gabe looked around in fear. 

Robbie grunted as steam curled off his body. His face burned away to the flaming skull of the Ghost Rider. 

Ghost Rider came at the doors even harder. Loghan stepped in front of Gabe just in case Robbie lost control. She didn't think he would, but she didn't want to take the chance. 

The doors of the module fell off, allowing Ghost Rider to step out. He began treading to the Director. 

"Shit," Loghan muttered, leaving the cell. 

The armed agents shot their icers at him, but they did nothing. Ghost Rider charged at Mace, who just threw him into his car. 

Loghan ran in front of the director and shouted, "Robbie, this isn't helping our case!"

He didn't seem to care. Loghan decided she wouldn't hurt him, so she left her powers out of it. She swung her legs under his feet and knocked him to the ground. He just got back up and threw her to the side. 

She hit a stack of crates with a painful thud. She slowly got back to her feet, still not ready to use her powers. 

Ghost Rider began to engage in combat with the Director, who was faring oddly well. After a mostly even fight, Ghost Rider held Mace against the railing of the stairs and punched him repeatedly in the face. 

Coulson tried to rip him away, but also got thrown across the hangar. 

Loghan and Coulson both tried to talk him down, but their words fell on deaf ears. 

"Robbie!" Gabe boomed. "Robbie, look at me, stop! Robbie!"

Ghost Rider stopped his attack on the Director and glanced at Gabe. 

Ghost Rider let go of Mace and retreated back into Robbie Reyes. 

Gabe looked absolutely heartbroken. "Get me out of here."

Daisy silently wheeled Gabe out of the Hangar. 

Loghan placed a hand on Robbie's arm, but didn't say a word. 

Coulson and Mace retreated into a conference room to converse. Judging by the sideways glances the Director kept sending them through the glass, Loghan guessed he wasn't thrilled to have them. 

Soon enough, they got onto a quinjet to leave. Among the team headed to the plant were May, Fitz, Mack, Coulson, Robbie, and Loghan. Daisy was taking care of the computer side of things through coms. 

They landed outside the compound. May and a tactical team joined them. 

"May?" Loghan's eyes widened. 

May just gave a curt nod in acknowledgement. 

"They're definitely here," Coulson said. "The plant started producing energy about an hour ago."

"The stats are high and very unstable," Mack informed. "The turbines can go and destroy the whole building like a dam and wipe out everything in its path."

"So, no pressure," Coulson joked. 

Robbie stood up. "What are we waiting for?"

"Remind why he's here after what he did to Mace," May spat. 

"Mr. Reyes wants the safe return of his uncle as much as we want the power plant shut down," Coulson said. 

"I'm gonna stop that lady the way I stopped the other ghosts," Robbie nodded. 

"And who's gonna stop you?" May countered. 

"Alright," Loghan interjected, glancing anxiously between Robbie and May. "Maybe we should all just calm down."

"Hey guys," Daisy's voice called over the quinjet's communication system. "I've got some big, fat, disappointing news. I can't hack in to shut down the plant's operating system."

"You're out of practice," Fitz teased. "Too much punching, not enough hacking."

"Very funny," Daisy said. "No, I can't hack in because their system isn't on a network. It predates the internet."

"So does Coulson," Loghan commented. After seeing the unimpressed look on his face, she pursed her lips. "How did anything get done back then, anyways?" 

"I ask myself that all the time," Coulson divulged. "Okay, you heard Daisy. We're gonna have to do this from the inside. Fitz and Mack, you're the engineers, focus on shutting the power plant down. We'll rescue Eli Morrow."

"Got it," Robbie mumbled. 

They left the quinjet and entered the abandoned plant with surprising ease, something that both alarmed and relieved Loghan. It was nice to have something handed to them, but at the same time, there had to be some sort of catch. 

Loghan had carbon spikes in her hands and trailed in the back, while Coulson and Mack lead the group. 

"You're just full of good news today, aren't you?" Coulson remarked, presumably in response to Daisy over the coms. Loghan wouldn't know, since she and Robbie were denied access to them. 

The group split up into two teams; Coulson, May, Robbie, and Loghan to get Eli Morrow, and Fitz and Mack to shut down the power. 

Loghan followed Coulson and May down a flight of stairs, Robbie behind her. 

"May, are your coms working?" Coulson asked, gun aimed ahead. 

"Negative," she responded. "Just static."

Suddenly, the lights in the area sparked and went out. 

"Daisy?" Coulson called. "Do you copy? Are you there?"

Another light sparked and a voice said behind them, "No. But I am."

Everyone turned to see who had spoken. There stood Lucy Bauer, in all her ghoulish glory. 

"Back for round two?" Lucy challenged. 

"Scared you'll lose a fair fight?" Loghan fired back. 

"You guys go find my uncle," Robbie told the group. "I've got this."

"Are you sure?" Loghan asked. 

Robbie nodded, and she sent a fleeting glare at the ghost-woman before trailing behind Coulson and May. 

They entered another room, very similar to the one where Loghan had first met Mack and Fitz. There was a circular chamber at one end, with a control panel and crates on another. They found an old, worn out book on one of the tables by a computer. It had strange writing on its leather cover. 

Coulson managed to convince May to take the book, which they figured was the Darkhold, out of the compound. 

"You should get out there, too," Coulson insisted.

"You crazy?" Loghan asked. "I'm the only one who can resist those things."

Coulson just nodded and they continued through the halls.

They entered another room, very similar to the one where Loghan had first met Mack and Fitz. There was a circular chamber at one end, with a control panel and crates on another. 

"You," came a voice by the door. 

Loghan and Coulson stepped towards the figure that entered the room. 

"Mr. Morrow, we have to get you out of here," Coulson informed. 

"Sir, it's not safe here," Loghan added, watching with slight confusion as Eli raced towards the monitor. 

"Where's the book?" he asked frantically. "Did she take the book?"

"We sent it out," Loghan explained. 

"Shield has it. It's safe," Coulson assured. "You're safe now."

Eli held a hand out to stop them from approaching. "Stay away from it. It's very dangerous."

"You understand how this works?" Coulson asked in shock. "Can you help us dismantle it?"

"Yes, of course," Eli stepped next to the door of the chamber. "But why would I? When it's taken me this long to achieve!"

He slowly stepped backwards, and before Loghan or Coulson could stop him, he shut the hatch, sealing himself in. 

Coulson hit the glass on the door, but it didn't budge. Loghan cursed and kicked the side of the chamber, but didn't do anything except stub her toe. 

"It was you, all this time," Coulson exhaled in slight disbelief. 

"All those years in jail, I had to plan very carefully," Eli revealed. 

"The attack on Joseph Bauer," Coulson realized. "That wasn't payback, you just wanted the Darkhold."

"Yeah," Eli confirmed. "He was a lot tougher than he looked. I beat the hell out of him and he never gave up where he hid that book."

"What about Robbie and Gabe?" Loghan demanded. "You just lied to their faces like that?"

"I don't know who you think you are, but I did what I needed to," Eli sneered. "And if I were you, I'd get the hell out of here."

He turned to the side and started pushing buttons on the control panel. 

"No," Coulson muttered when he registered what was about to happen. He went to wires and began pulling them out, but nothing happened. 

"Maybe I can..." Loghan trailed off, changing her molecular state to enter the chamber. 

She was about to grab Morrow and drag him out when a bright white light flashed and a pulse of energy threw her back into the wall.