Birds of a Feather | | Leo Fitz Book One

Chapter 49

When the words rolled across the screen, Asia felt as if she might puke. Like the entire contents of her stomach, and maybe even her stomach too, might hurl itself out of her and dance upon the floor. She raised a hand to her lips to keep them pressed tightly together. And as if he had a second sense, Leo was suddenly beside her, slipping his hand into her open one, and squeezing softly, staring at the screen with a matched look of horror.

Now it all made sense, the rerouting of the plane, the lack of control, the guns. The blocked out communications. Asia's mind was racing, flying from Jemma and Trip stuck at the Hub somewhere, no way to get a message to them, to Nat and Clint, who were only God knows where. But there was no way HYDRA could take out her mentors, right? They were far too deadly. The were Avengers, damnit. But the anxious thought wouldn't stop themselves.

"Ok," Leo said, "I thought HYDRA was irradiated. Wasn't that the entire bloody point of SHIELD back in World War Two? There's been nothing but small insurgency cells since then, one's easily taken down by SHIELD every time they pop up."

Coulson sighed. "You're not wrong. SHIELD was founded in the wake of the victory over their evil regime. We've had a handle on them since then. But, it appears they're back."

"Fucking HYDRA," Garrett muttered, "They always seem to come back."

"Cut off the head," Asia whispered, eyes squeezing tightly together for a second, trailing off.

Coulson finished her thought for her, "And two more will take its place." He nodded grimly, lips pressed into a thin line. He looked utterly exhausted in that moment.

"So if this was sent from a SHIELD source, that must prove Hand is one of them, right?" Skye pointed out, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms over her grey t shirt.

"We are so fucked," Asia muttered, shaking her head.

"We might not have control, and we might not know whats waiting for us, but we do have one thing: a little time." Coulson pointed out. "We can prepare. We can be ready when we land, for God knows what. Maybe we can turn things, somehow."

"Simmons and Trip, they're at the Hub," Leo said, frowning, his brow forming that slight crease it always did when he was worrying. "We can't just abandon them. We have to save them." Asia squeezed his hand softly, acutely aware over their fingers still firmly laced together.

"We're going to need your other specialists for this one, Coulson," Garrett said, reminding them all that Ward and May were still locked up in a holding cell, waiting their time out. "It's going to be a shitshow when we get there. Might as well call in the Calvary."

Coulson sighed, "You're lucky I won't tell her you called her that."

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Asia slipped her wristlets on, one at a time, beginning to lace the small ties at their corners to secure them snugly. It had been a bit since she had used them on living people, and she had always thought it'd be a cold day in Hell before she turned them on anyone she knew, but here they were, preparing to fight former SHIELD agents. HYDRA agents, really, because she couldn't consider them even close to real SHIELD agents.

"Here, let me help with that," Leo said after he shrugged on his bulletproof vest. He grasped one of her hands in his, and gently tied the laces into a secure knot, before performing the same with the other. "There you go, all safe and ready."

Asia smiled softly, patting him lightly on the chest of his vest. "You, too," she replied, pulling on her combat jacket over the wristlets to conceal them. She then slid a knife into one of her boots and two pistols into the holsters on either side of her hips.

"As good as you look, I hate seeing all dressed for battle like this," Leo admittedly suddenly.

Asia felt her cheeks burn red, but she quickly hid the reaction by bending down to relace her left boot. "Well, this is as much my work uniform as a lab coat is for you," she said, trying to make the situation seem more normal. But, really, nothing about this is normal. "Plus, to get two of our own back, I'd do this any day," she looked back up at him, smiling. She knew he was still worried about Jemma. Part of her felt jealous over it, but she knew this wasn't the time nor place for that sort of reaction.

"I don't doubt that," Leo replied, sighing. "I'd be bloody terrified if I knew Strike Team Delta's trainey was about to unleash an onslaught on me," he actually managed to chuckle, masking his worry for a moment.

Suddenly, they felt the direction of the plane shift as it pulled into landing mode, hovering itself to the ground. The impact with the earth was slightly jarring, causing Leo and Asia to collide into one another, then smash into the opposite side wall. With the commotion, they wound up arms and legs tangled, faces only a hairs length apart. Asia couldn't help but drop her eyes to his lips for a split second.

"Leo, I," she began to say, wanting to tell him everything, wanting to finally get this weight of her feelings off her shoulders, even if it wasn't returned. After all, they had no idea what they were heading into.

"Shh," Leo said, placing a finger over her lips, then shifting his hand to run his thumb gently over her lower lip, causing her to shiver.

Before either could speak another word, move another muscle, gunfire rang out, piercing the hull of the Bus. They hit the deck, crawling back towards the Lab. This was it. The assault was about to begin.