[2] An Executioner's Requiem | Leo Fitz

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"Much of it is, uh... much... all right," Ward said, giving up, "can we just address the elephant on the plane? I know. This is weird. Mistakes were made."

"By you," Fitz stated.

"And people got hurt," he continued.

"By you," the engineer repeated.

"And I could stand here and explain again how my parents and brother left me vulnerable-"

The biochemist and Skye shared a look that showed their annoyance at Ward's audacity while May scoffed.

"We all had our traumas, Ward. Didn't turn any of us into psychopaths," Ward immediately turned to Nina at May's words and the woman grinned.

"Sociopath actually," Nina shrugged as she recounted a few comments made by the plethora of doctors she'd met. Garner had been the only one to outrightly tell her that she had exhibited some sociopathological tendencies and she honestly hadn't been surprised, "you're the only psychopath here, Grant."

"Well, we all have our own ways of coping, don't we?" Ward said focusing on May, "for example, I was yours."

May glared at him while Nina grimaced, she didn't need to be reminded of the time May and Ward were sleeping together. At the time it was happening she hadn't really cared, but due to the developments of everyone's relationship, the thought made her sick.

"Watch it, Ward," Coulson warned.

"Look, I'm just saying we all made mistakes. Coulson handed me over to my abuser, thank you. Skye shot me-"

"After you killed how many people?" Simmons cut him off.

"Yeah, and we were a team and a family, and you betrayed us," Fitz hissed and Ward sighed once more.

"I know. It's what I regret the most. Not the lying, the SHIELD agents I had to put down, and... I'm sorry, not even dropping you three into the ocean, it's this," Ward gestured between them, "my actions destroyed this. I'll regret that forever 'cause there were good times. Right? Before? I mean, for a while there, we were a good team. Weren't we?"

Nina wasn't sure if Ward was aware that his speaking was making the situation worse for him. Yes, they all agreed that they had been a good team, a good family, but Ward was the one to ruin that. Ward was the centre of the plethora of personal problems they had been dealing with through the year and they would always hate him for that.

Nina especially because the moment she saw the anger and hurt on her team's face, she didn't hesitate to draw her gun and fire.

May, however, was always faster than Nina. The more restrained of the pair grabbed Nina's wrist the moment she had the weapon levelled and angled her hand upwards, causing the bullet to pass over Ward's head and into the glass behind him.

The room was full of gasps at the sound of the gunshot and everyone turned to face Nina. May still had a firm grip on her wrist and the gun remained in her hand as her finger released the trigger. Nina's face was blank but very quickly merged into a sadistic grin and she broke her tight hold on the gun and allowed it to balance on her single finger.

May pulled the weapon away from her, reholstering it by her thigh while Nina slumped against the table, the grin still very much present as Ward gaped at her. Nothing was said for a few moments but Nina caught Coulson giving May a grateful smile before Skye broke the silence.

"I'm still happy I shot you."

"Yeah, me too," Fitz agreed.

"Should've aimed for the face," Simmons added and May nodded in agreement.