Renegade Rising || Leo Fitz Book Two

Chapter Twentyfour

But Mack was back at it, whipping his arms around. "Fitz, grab the ICER!" Coulson ordered, throwing a punch at Mack as he did so, trying to keep the berserker away from him. It wasn't the easiest task, till he saw Leo reaching into a bag, rummaging around, and Mack's attention turned on the scientist, a harrowing roar escaping his lips as he lumbered towards the man. Asia's heart froze. She was on the opposite side of the cavern, she couldn't get to him, she couldn't protect him. She felt like her stomach had lept out of her throat and jumped down the tunnel.

Leo raised a gun shakily in front of him. "Mack...Mack, please, don't make me do this," he fumbled with the safety, clicking it off and aiming down the line at Mack's broad chest, swallowing hard. He couldn't even imagine shooting him...one of his only friends, the one who had been there for him this entire time.

"Shoot him, Fitz!" Coulson ordered, not liking how close the man was getting to his agent. The ICER, hopefully, would have enough power to knock Mack out, until they could figure out exactly what was going on. But Fitz was hesitating. He hadn't pulled the trigger. Mack was still lumbering towards him.

"This isn't an ICER!" Leo protested, and Asia's stomach sunk even further. He wasn't going to do it, he wasn't going to pull the trigger. Asia knew it in her heart of hearts. He was too good, too purse. He would never kill his friend, even if his life depended on it. Asia didn't know if she could say the same. "These bullets are real, Sir!" His hands were shaking, fingers slipping on the grip of the gun.

"Fitz, damnit, just shoot!" Coulson shouted, now his voice echoing around the room. Fitz took a deep breath and closed his eyes, finger moving towards the trigger once more. But before he could fire, Bobbi sprung into action, jumping behind Mack and slamming her signature, electrified batons, against either side of Mack's neck.

The electricity ran through his body, zigg-zagging over his skin. They could see the electric blue scour over his black eyes. Then, his eyes rolled back in his head and his body slumped, hitting the floor before tipping, down, over the lip on the hole. His body disappeared completely into the darkness. Far, far below, there was a sickening, heavy thud. The sound of his body hitting the bottom.

"Seal the tunnel," Coulson ordered, nodding at Bobbi, who was still heaving, breath coming fast and deep, beside the lip of the hole.

"What?" She looked up, eyes wide like a rabid animal. "But...Mack! We can't just leave him down there!" She protested, sheathing her batons and standing up, challenging Coulson. That was her friend, their teammate. They couldn't abandon him. And she never thought that Coulson, of all people, would choose that.

Coulson looked evenly at her, then Jemma, Asia, and Leo. "Let's make one thing clear. That wasn't Mack."

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HYDRA had Skye and Mack was....Asia wasn't sure. He was gone, for now. Missing. Asia felt incredibly sick to her stomach. May and Coulson were hashing out a plan in his office. Jemma and Leo were in the interrogation chamber, trying to figure out a science side to what was going on in those tunnels, and how they could safely get down in them. Bobbi was upset, and taking it out on Asia's usual punching bag. And Lance, the only other person on this plane Asia felt comfortable going to outside of Jemma and Leo, was busy consoling his ex wife. So Asia sat, tucked in a chair, knees to her chest, staring out the window at the forest outside.

She knew something was wrong with her, but she didn't know what. All she could picture was the look of recognition, almost, in Mack's black pits of eyes, as she stared him down, challenging him to attack her. And he didn't attack her. He turned away. Whatever parasite was in him didn't want her, didn't want to hurt her. And then, there had been the whispers. The whispers she had heard floating out of the cavern and into her mind. She couldn't shake them couldn't get the thought out of her head. Something was dangerous, down there. Something wasn't right. She was going to need to watch herself, closely, if they were all going to make it out of this safely. Skye's words of warning echoed through her head once more. Something very bad was about to happen.