Choices

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Reunited 

"Will you tie me tight in little strands of paradise? Will you walk with me before the morning fades?" - John Mayer: Waitin' On the Day

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 "What exactly are your repulsors?"

 "They're a type of proton called the muon."

 "I thought muon particles are... are... negatively charged?"

 "Not if you use the antiparticle that is positively charged," I reply to Fitz from where I sit on one of the laboratory tables.

 "So when at high... concen-concentration, they form to be like laser beams," Fitz looks over the hand of my suit.

 "Yep!" I swing my legs slightly.

 "How does Lucis determine your physical status?" Simmons asks as she plays around with my visuals screen on her holotable, "Like if you were to break a bone, how does he know?"

 "That is probably one of the most advanced features of my suit but the most under-appreciated one too. Lucis uses-"

 "I want to see it," Skye strides into the research and development lab. Agent Triplett follows behind her.

 "See what?" I inquire.

 "Your leg, I want to see it," Skye motions to my left leg.

 "Why do you want to see her leg?" Fitz scrunches up his face.

 "Yeah, that's an odd request," Simmons adds.

 "Because it bionic," Skye states. Fitz-Simmons's eyes widen. "I want to see the what I imagine to be the insanely kick-ass metal leg."

 "Whoa, wait, you have a metal leg?" Fitz looks at me.

 "See! I wasn't the only person who didn't know!" Skye exclaims to Tripp.

 "Well, they weren't in the room when Coulson told us the report." The corner of Tripp's lip twitches upwards.

 "But still!" Skye argues, "Come on, please?"

 I chuckle and begin to roll up my jeans.

 I am relatively comfortable with my missing leg now. I am no longer insecure about my bionic prosthetic when it comes to my friends and colleagues. I would do anything to have my actual leg back, but I have accepted that that will never happen. The prosthetic is now a part of me and I have to acknowledge that. Now it is up to other people to accept it just as I have. I have a metal leg and that's it; there's nothing I can do about it.

 "Holy crap," Skye looks fascinated.

 "Can I touch it?" Fitz blurts out; Simmons nudges him.

 "Sure," I shrug, a bit of heat rising to my face out of being in the center of attention.

 Skye takes a step back to allow Fitz to kneel down. He runs his finger down the side of it. Fitz asks me to bend it; he watches it with great interest as he watches each of the plates calibrate. "That is absolutely... I can't even think of a word to describe how phenomenal this is," Fitz looks at me as he stands up.

 "Well, thank you," I scoff.

 "I mean, technology-wise it is amazing. It is terrible that you lost your leg, though," Fitz clarifies with a cough.

 "Is it like super strong?" Skye inquires, "Could you kick through a wall?"

 "Probably," I think about it for a moment, "I've never tried to. Why would I try but now I'm curious. If I think about what it's made of and how it was made, it should be able to."