Wishing Well | Leo Fitz Book Four

Chapter Two

"May!" Asia shouted, trying to not appear like she was storming into the training room full of Shield Agents, even if she were. It felt wrong to take a stern tone with someone she had once thought of as a teacher, or at very least, a supervisor. But now, technically speaking, she held authority over the other Agent, especially when it came to this mission in particular. But she was upset. Maybe it was a sort of embarrassment, the feeling that May didn't think she earned her title? That she could run this op? Whatever it was, it made her stomach churn and flip flop angrily.

She turned and glanced and Piper and the other agents in their training sweats. "You, out," she thumbed back towards the door, ordering the more junior Agent to get the rest of them out of the room, to leave her and May to their conversation. Piper, thankfully, knew much better than to hesitate.

"Asia," May said, wiping off her hands and taking off her boxing gloves. "I was wondering when you would come to find me. Figured it would be sooner." The brunette couldn't tell if that was a dig or a compliment, so she crossed her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow at the woman. "I'm assuming your going to ask why I called Coulson and Mack back to base?" She sat on the table beside her, studying Asia.

"Read my mind," Asia said back, studying May with equal scrutiny. "After all, that is my team, my mission. Some people would say making a call like that is..." Asia trailed off, not wanting to say the word out loud. She narrowed her eyes at May. "I think it isn't a good call it be changing my own team's plans without getting me involved. And, it makes me look incompetent when they radio me and ask me what's going on."

"I made the right call, you'll see," May replied flatly. "But I see that you don't trust me to do that." There was no depiction of hurt in her eyes or in her words, but Asia knew regardless.

"You know that is not what I mean," Asia said exasperated, throwing out her hands in frustration. "I don't even know why you called them back yet. You haven't felt the need to inform me, which means something is going on. How am I supposed to run the Inhuman division of this Agency if I don't even know what my own Agents are doing?" Her voice was pained, tired, and full of weight. She was Head of the Inhuman Division of Shield now, she was in charge of bringing her kind home, making them safe, teaching them, teaching the world that none of them were a threat once Mace decided to unveil to the world that Shield was a legitimate agency again. And that weighed on her. Her job had purpose, it had weight. She could save lives, but not if people were going around behind her back.

And maybe it was more than that. Maybe it was because she knew all along that this job wasn't meant for her. This job was meant for Daisy. Her best friend. Her best friend who she hadn't heard from in over six months. Daisy should be running things here, she should be leading this team of Inhumans through everything, through the Sokovia Accords. And if she hadn't left, Asia knew there was no way she would be the one holding this job. Daisy was a natural born leader, she couldn't hold a candle to that. Maybe she felt insecure about it, not that she would ever admit it out loud to anyone.

"So what did you call them back to do?" Asia asked, narrowing her eyes as she regained her composure, crossing her arms back over her chest, waiting for an answer. What answer would justify this, could justify this? This was blatant betrayal of her trust.

"I have a lead," May said finally after a moment. Asia quietly took a step closer to her, so both of them could drop their voices as May revealed whatever she had done. "A lead on Daisy, out of Los Angeles. It was a good one, I know she's out there Monroe. So I sent them to go bring her back, before the military does something worse."

Asia stopped for a moment, closing her eyes and rubbing two of her fingers against her temple, trying to calm herself down. "You realize I have to report on this, right?" She asked May calmly and quietly. "I have to explain to the Director why my team is out there in LA. They can't be there without reason."

"Why do you think I hid it from you?" May asked flatly. "I know he puts you and Simmons under regular lie detector tests. If you knew, he would know. I didn't want that for them while they try and run this risky mission."

"Yes, risky, that's the entire point I was trying to make. Even if Daisy is out there, sending them like this is risky," Then she gave May a flat look. "And honestly, do you think I'm really worried about the Shield lie detector tests? I've lied and passed them before, I'll lie and do it again. I learned how to pass those things from Natasha Romanoff, I am not worried about that at all." She made a damn good point.

May paused for a moment, before nodding. "Alright then, now what?"

Asia sighed, shaking her head. She didn't think she had sighed this much since their last department head meeting. "I will, unfortunately, have to document this blatant insubordination. If not, Mace isn't going to understand why I allowed it. He trusts me, May, for whatever reason. If I want to stay in the inner circle, stay where the information flows, he has to trust me." She closed her eyes for a moment and reflected them, before opening them and flashing a stern gaze to May. "You will take your strike team to LA, and pull Phil and Mack out, with the Zephyr and their team. By force or whatever means are necessary. And then you will report back to me."

"Yes Ma'am," May said, and the two locked eyes, fully understanding one another. Asia nodded, then turned and strode out of the room. When she saw the other four agents waiting outside she sighed and nodded, signaling they could head back in. She had a whole day to plan out now, and several reports she would have to write.

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"Look up at that one, Asia. What star is that?" Her father asked as she sat tucked into his shoulder, both of them looking up at the stars above their patio. Even by age three, this was one of her favorite places to be, out here with him, watching the sky. He turned to grin down at her, waiting for her reaction. She was a smart thing, for how young she was. She would be brilliant, once she really started schooling. Shield would benefit from her.

"That's not a star, silly," the tiny, four year old replied. "That's Jupiter. I'm not a baby, I know what a planet is," even at that age, Mr. Monroe knew his daughter was going to grow up full of sass and strength out there in a hard, difficult world. And he was proud of it.

"Give me another one!" She giggled, kicking her feet back and forth, looking back and forth between her father and the night sky. Suddenly, there was something wrong. His face was starting to twist, turn, blood coming out of the side of his mouth. Asia sat up, eyes wide, staring at her father and he began to melt in front of her. She grabbed his shoulders, trying to shake him out of it, when suddenly his eyes snapped open, blood red, whirling on her. .

Asia let out a scream, jerking up in bed to find Leo's arms wrapped around her as he was gently shaking her, trying to wake her out of the nightmare. She was drenched in sweat, shaking. She hadn't dreamt about her family like that in a long time. A long, long time.

"Hey, hey, love, is everything ok?" Leo asked, cupping her face in his hands and searching his eyes, worried. "What happened?" Even if it were just a dream, he wanted to make sure she was alright, understand what was going on, how he could help.

"Just...a dream," she said, shaking her head, trying to force the thoughts out of her head. "About my dad. It was...weird. I haven't...haven't dreamt like that in a long time." She shuddered, shaking her head and turning to look at him, a thankful smile on her face as she leaned her head on his shoulder. "Thank you, for being here. Better than waking up to a nightmare alone."

"I'll always be here, love," He said, kissing the top of her head, squeezing her tightly to him. "Anytime you need me."