Chapter 102: The Last Signal

The S.H.I.E.L.D. team arrived at the firehouse that had been reported as the site of the last energy signal. The building was silent, except for the occasional sound of equipment being moved by the firefighters who were still there.

— "Here we are," Coulson said, looking around the building. "Let's go check out the area and see if we can find any signs of another floating body."

Skye, Fitz, and Simmons split up to conduct a thorough inspection of the firehouse. Fitz and Simmons began using their devices to track any signs of energy or unusual substances, while Skye reviewed the records and security camera footage.

— "I'm already seeing some signals on the monitor," Fitz said, adjusting his equipment. "It looks like the power source is coming from a specific point within the building."

Meanwhile, Coulson and Ward explored the area with a more manual approach. They headed to the closet where the firefighters' helmets were stored.

— "Here's what we're looking for," Coulson said, finding a helmet that looked like it had rust marks on it. "This is the helmet the victims were cleaning."

Ward examined the helmet more closely and found some signs that confirmed his suspicions.

— "It looks like this helmet might be related to the problem," Ward said. "Let's see if we can find any more clues."

Finally, they reached the third firefighter, Tony Diaz, who was in one of the firehouse's medical rooms. He looked weak and was clearly suffering from the same condition as the other two firefighters.

— "Tony, we need to talk to you about what happened," Coulson began, leaning closer with a sympathetic expression. "We can figure out what's causing this and how we can help you."

Tony, looking at Coulson and Ward with a pained expression, tried to speak.

— "I… I picked up a Chitauri helmet during the battle," he said, his voice weak. "We thought it was just a souvenir, something interesting to show the kids."

While Coulson and Ward talked to Tony, Simmons was checking Tony's vital signs and analyzing samples of his blood.

— "I did a preliminary analysis and found evidence of an alien infection," Simmons explained. "It appears the helmet was contaminated with an alien virus that has severe side effects, including floating and death."

Fitz joined Simmons, looking over the results.

— "The virus could have been transmitted through contact with the helmet," Fitz suggested. "That would explain why the firefighters who cleaned the helmet were affected."

Coulson and Ward continued to talk to Tony, trying to offer some comfort as he lay in his final moments.

— "Tony, I was at the Battle of New York," Coulson said, his tone reassuring. "I know this may be hard right now, but I want you to know that when I almost died in that battle, I saw the sky, and it was beautiful and peaceful."

Tony looked at Coulson with a look of relief and a faint smile.

"Thank you... for being here," he murmured, before his breathing began to become ragged. "I... I see the light."

Coulson and Ward walked away from the medical room, they heard the distinct sound of lightning, followed by a flash.

"It looks like the energy causing the fluctuation effects is finally wearing off," Ward commented, looking up at the lightening sky.

Coulson did one last check on his equipment and prepared to leave the scene.

"We're going to make sure Tony is treated with dignity and that everything we need to do here is completed," Coulson said. "And we also need to review what we found and make sure there are no further risks associated with the helmet."

On the way back to the S.H.I.E.L.D. shuttle, the team reflected on recent events and what their next steps should be.

— "We need to find a way to neutralize any future risks related to this alien virus," Simmons said. "And make sure nothing else like this happens."

Fitz agreed, adding.

— "We'll need to look deeper into what caused the infection and how we can treat or prevent it in the future."

Skye, watching the team work, thought about how they had handled complex and dangerous situations.

— "We'll keep investigating and work together to solve any problem that arises," Skye said. "We always find a solution."

The team prepared for the next phase of the investigation, knowing that the situation was serious and required a quick and effective response. With renewed determination, they set out on the next challenge.