Wishing Well | Leo Fitz Book Four

Chapter ThirtyFour

Asia sat in the Captain's seat of the Zephyr, staring idly out at the open sky. She couldn't do anything now but wait for what was to come, so she might as well spend it sitting at the top of the world. There was so much out there that flying a plane could provide, bring clarity for. It felt like the entire universe was at her fingertips up here, away from everything. She didn't have to worry about her team because all she could do was wait, and stare out at the blue and white before her.

"Agent Monroe?" Agent Davis asked, knocking on the cockpit door. He was wear a suit and tie today, likely still dressed from the conference this morning, and seemed stiff in the way he held himself. Uncomfortable, even, in the fancy attire. Not in a bad way, but like he belonged in something smoother, like the flexibility of a field agent's clothing. "We've found the crash site. But our scans don't show the Quinnjet anywhere nearby." He frowned, brow furrowing.

"They probably are messing with the transponder," Asia sighed, turning to the Agent beside her, Agent Billings. "Flight controls are all yours," she said, climbing out of the seat with ease. She took one last look over her shoulder. The tranquility of the skies would have to wait for another time. Now, it was time to bring home her team.

Daisy and May were waiting for her on the bridge. "We've got FitzSimmons on the line," May said, nodding towards the screen. "They've got something you might want to hear." Her gaze fixed on Asia, as if she were trying to read something deep in her eyes, trying to predict if Asia already knew what she was about to hear. Little did Asia know, she did. She just didn't expect everyone else to know it too.

"There is a briefcase that was sent with Director Mace," Jemma explained slowly, her eyes on Asia, and as she spoke, Asia knew that Jemma had an idea, too, that the Director had been lying about his Inhuman status. It seemed a lot like they were about to find out why. "In that briefcase were several vials of an, well, a serum made specifically for Director Mace to enhance his strength. Without it, he does not have his strength. Unfortunately, the government has been masking him as an Inhuman." She was certain Jemma knew she knew, too.

Asia pressed two fingers to her temple for a moment, closing her eyes. Of course people like Talbot were behind this. Of course. Anything else would make too much sense. "So there is a chance he is out there with super strength, and there is a chance he isn't?" Asia said, to which Leo nodded. "And the Watch Dogs, lets be honest this is probably something they concocted up, are out there looking for a man they think is Inhuman." She sighed, shaking her head. Stupid, stupid, stupid. He knew she knew he wasn't an Inhuman, but she didn't know he had been juicing. She could have done something, prevented this somehow.

"Alright, well," she said turning to face everyone. "May, Daisy, and I will be headed on ground to intercept. If we can get a beat on where the Watch Dogs are, that's bound to be where our team is. Leo," she turned to face him on the screen, crossing her arms over her chest. "Find them, if you haven't already. We'll be in the Quinnjet waiting for your mark." She turned back to Daisy and May, nodding at each of them, dismissing them to go grab whatever they needed and meet on the smaller plane docked above. She turned to Agent Davis and gave him a nod of thanks, before she too, turned and left. There was work to be done.

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They were able to successfully extract their team, which wasn't exactly a surprise. The three women working together simply could not be stopped. The flight back to Base though was terse and quiet. The Director all knew they knew his secret, yet he still did not seem to be addressing the matter. Asia didn't much care, she was just ready to be home. She had spent this day far too tightly wrung, and she wanted to relax in a place where she felt the safest.

When she got back to Base, she first went to check the Lab, but found Leo wasn't there. She continued moving about the Base, searching, until she finally found him in the Hazardous Materials enclosure, in front of a row of six green hatches. He closed one and turned around to face her, a surprised look on his face as he tucked his phone into his tweed jacket pocket.

"Hey you," She smiled, leaning against the door frame. "There you are. I just got back. Want to get dinner together?" She couldn't help but smile when she laid eyes on him. It felt comforting as a long day just to be near him. Especially with how bad this particular day had been.

"Hey," Leo replied with a smile, moving to be nearer to her, as he always did when she was around. "I was just locking up Aida's head for good," he thumbed back towards the container door behind him. Asia followed with her gaze over his shoulder.

"Probably for the best," she said after a moment, her smile going slightly more tight lipped. "No need to mess with something that wanted to kill us."

"Imagine if I did. You would have to take control of the situation like you did earlier today," he grinned slightly, picturing her as she was bossing everyone around, giving orders like she was born to do it. "Is it bad if I found that a bit attractive?" he asked with his admission.

"You did, huh?" She asked back, her smile growing now as she met his gaze, he taking another step closer to her till there was only about half a foot between him. She could easily lean up and kiss him, or he down to her, two magnets sucked together whenever placed in too close a proximity.

"You really lead everyone today, Asia," he replied, leaning against the wall beside him, eyes never leaving hers. "It was wildly attractive, the way you knew exactly what to do, the way you showed everyone else what to do, too. It was quite attractive." He punctuated the word with a quick kiss to her lips.

Asia smiled bashfully, leaning in to him, resting her forehead against his. "How about you tell me more about all that after we get some dinner? I'm famished." He nodded, and the two headed off together towards the kitchen to prepare something side by side, another small ritual of theirs. They cooked at least one meal together a week, working in tandem in the kitchen, each picking up where the last had left off. Even if neither of them were wildly fantastic in the kitchen, at least it was a quiet moment together. After a day like today, Asia needed a moment like this. After how this whole month had been, they both did.

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Daisy, Asia, and Director Mace were going to the Capital for a hearing, for Daisy. Daisy wore a magenta suit, Asia's was navy, four buttons on the front. She was nervous, even though she didn't show it outwardly. Having to be in the same room with Senator Nadeer was always stressful. The Chairman, Gene Williams from Minnesota, called the meeting to order, and they began the swearing in. Asia settled into the wood of the bench behind her and studied the room, before squaring her eyes firmly on Senator Nadeer. The woman's gaze only flickered to her once, before looking away uncomfortably. Good. Asia wanted her to feel intimidated. It was a shame, though, that it didn't last long.

It all went downhill as Nadeer started her line of questioning. When Nadeer was trying to make Daisy appear as only a criminal rather than an Agent. And it got even worse when her guards escorted Coulson and Yoyo into the room, handcuffed, after their failed attempt to break into Nadeer's office while she and her people were all at the meeting. Cameras flashed and clicked incessantly at their appearance. Asia could feel the migraine growing behind her eyes.

As quickly as they were brought into the room, Daisy, Asia, Coulson, and Yoyo were escorted out of the room as the Chairman tried to quiet everyone down. The four of them were not about to be privy to the conversation between Mace, Talbot, and the US Government. Maybe it was better that way - Asia wasn't certain she wanted to even know the details that were about to be discussed. Because what just happened meant there was a leak, a mole. Somewhere in the organization they had worked so hard to rebuild, someone was betraying them. And that was what she had to focus on now. All she wanted was to get back home.

But things were not all well back at the base either. Jemma and Leo, after a heated argument about Aida that Asia strongly took Jemma's side on, had sussed out that Dr. Radcliffe had programed Aida to read the Darkhold. That he was truly the Mastermind behind her dangerous powers and thinking. He wanted it all along. So now, as she entered the halls of her home, she watched him be escorted, feet and hands bound, to a containment chamber. She couldn't imagine what would be going on in Leo's mind right now, the hurt that must be going through him. Radcliffe had become somewhat like family for him. She knew she needed to find him now, before anything else.