Marc launches a rescue. While he builds forces with Mitch and Clint, he sends James and Ellie to retrieve Norman. Their jet cuts through clouds—then the sky clears unnaturally. The engines stall. Controls die. Ellie fights the panel, nothing responds. James looks back—missiles incoming. He shouts to eject. They jump as the jet explodes behind them. They land on a small island surrounded by soldiers. Strider steps forward, calm. They’re under arrest for conspiracy and federal airspace violations. Ellie demands to know where they are. Strider says they tracked Norman’s escape, but he’s already gone. Now they’re headed to a holding facility with Daryl and Killshot. James calls him a traitor. Strider slaps him, saying James isn’t the man Ellie chose. Ellie accuses him of jealousy. Strider says he made his choice, but watching them suffer helps. On the mainland, they’re locked up. Strider leaves to meet Jack and Shepard. Daryl visits James, saying hope won’t save them. Cut to Norman returning. He tells Marc about the new Mercenary island, Tobey’s sister, and finally—Mercenary is back. Marc erupts, furious he hid it. An alert interrupts: James and Ellie captured. Marc, Norman, and Mitch race to the Ares shoreline outpost. They fight through Hunters, barely surviving. Inside, they reach the cells. As they unlock them, gunfire erupts. Alarms scream. The building shakes. Self-destruct activated. The compound begins collapsing around them.
