[2] An Executioner's Requiem | Leo Fitz

45

"Already been done, it's called my psych file," was her response and Mack chuckled softly, "it was co-written by a couple of doctors but it has enough direct quotes for me to be given writing credits."

"Good to know you've still got your sense of humour," he smiled as he bandaged up her cut.

"Why wouldn't I?" Nina asked as she stared intently into his eyes. He hesitated slightly as her eyes bore into his own, behind the dulled colour were obvious signs of anger, hurt and disappointment, "this isn't the first time someone I considered a friend betrayed me."

"Nina-"

"Thanks for the hospitality," Nina nodded as she leaned backwards, avoiding his touch now that he had cleaned and bandaged her wound, "but it isn't enough to ignore the fact that you betrayed the team and gave Gonzales the specs to those bracelets that almost killed me."

"I didn't know he was going to use them like that," Mack said but Nina shrugged. She pulled her knees up on to the bed as she pressed her back against the rigid wall.

"Doesn't matter," was her response, "you know what? I'm very happy I didn't know you last year. It makes your betrayal to the dark side easier to process."

"The dark side?" Mack questioned, his heart dropped in his chest when he realised all those emotions in her eyes were aimed at him, "Nina, I still work for SHIELD."

"It's amusing that you think that changes anything," she smiled, though there was no amusement behind her features, "it kinda sucks you know, I actually did like you. You remind me of Hunter... a stable version of him. But even my brother, with all that is wrong with him, wouldn't stab his friends in the back."

"I... I'm sorry,"

"Sorry," Nina asked with a dry laugh, "I thought I was a monster who needed to be handled. Why would you apologise to such a thing?"

"You're not a thing!" He exclaimed and Nina just shrugged as he succumbed to an embarrassing silence. He'd said those things, he'd said she needed to be handled, he'd given off the idea that he saw her as a monster but hearing her say it made him feel evil, "... I'm sorry."

"There you go again with the apology."

"I do not regret the SHIELD I work for," he said honestly, "but I do regret hurting you. You aren't a monster and you deserve to be protected not handled, I'm sorry for making you think otherwise. I will never play a part in your hurt again, I promise."

Nina had heard a lot of heartfelt confessions in her life, most of them from boys who thought she was easy and girls who were willing to wave the rainbow flag just for a chance of meeting Tony. This, however, was the first time, in a long time, someone had promised her something and meant it with their entire being.

It was why Nina felt incredibly flustered to see him move to the door and leave but not before catching her eye once more. There was something in his brown eyes that she'd only previously seen in Fitz's and she didn't know how to feel.

"Why..." she sighed as she bit down on her lower lip, "can't I catch a fucking break?"

*

May wasn't the kind of person who waited around for others. Coulson knew that, as did Nina, which was why they were a little surprised to see her when they were marched out of the Bus behind Gonzalez.

"Agent May," the man in question said as they stepped foot in the Playground.

"Sir," May responded, though her eyes were only on Coulson, "welcome back."

"Nice to be back," an unwanted voice said, causing the soft look on May's face to harden once her eyes landed on Ward. Nina turned back at his voice, smiling at Fitz and a healthier-looking Hunter, before glaring at Ward and Kara.