Redback Widow V I Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. [16]

Inside Voices

I hit the bag in quick succession, the pounding almost music to my ears. I swung a roundhouse kick, setting that foot on the ground and pivoting, kicking with my other leg. I felt on top of the world, being able to move around and spar again.

I nailed the bag particularly hard, and it went swinging up. "Wow. Hey, Simmons was right. She said that you might become stronger than before, but you're murdering that heavy bag," Mack commented.

I was sweating like a horse, so I pulled off my shirt. "Feels good not to be stuck in a bed for once," I replied, setting it near a pillar.

"Yeah, well, maybe--maybe just don't push too hard though. We just put those things on you," he advised.

"I'm fine. Just getting used to them," I said, flexing my robotic arm.

"Mm-hmm. Look, I know you like to do things fast, but you don't know your strength yet. So maybe a little caution couldn't hurt for a change," he said, and I sighed.

"I know that speech by heart," I commented.

"Well, you were talking about how you're indestructible and can't die," he said. "How was I supposed to take that?"

"It was the pain meds talking. Besides, I said I was being crazy, like...a sentence later. I know I'm not invincible, Mack," I said.

"Yeah. Well, you can at least hydrate. Okay, Povetkin. And later on, I can run a diagnostic on those limbs," I gave him an annoyed look. "What? Don't look at me like that. What, I'm not babying you. I'm a mechanic. A well-oiled machine needs oil," he defended.

"Okay, yeah. But later. At least let me have a few hours with these on,"

"That is the plan," he pecked me on the cheek. "Go easy on those. I don't need to start repairs this early,"

-

"Structure looks good. Hydraulics are okay. I guess you didn't do any damage with all that sparring," Mack said.

"Well, these things are pretty durable," I pointed out.

"Well, if the arm fits..." he said, and I chuckled.

"So you're making arm jokes like that? I thought those were off-limits," I commented.

"Alright, it'll be the first and last. I'm just glad to see that these are...are in good shape," he said.

"I want to do more than sit around, hit things, and get check-ups. I just...I think you should let Fitz out. Before you object, hear me out. The person he is here and the person he was in the Framework are two very different people that live in the same mind. The worse side of his personality just got control for that time. You can't punish him for that. If we punished everyone for letting their dark sides out, I would be in that damn room for a thousand years. Look, there are things in the future that I learned about this team, about Coulson, about you," I said.

"I don't want to hear about the future! Look, all I know is, right here, right now, you're in front of me. Safe," he said.

"You can't protect me forever, Mack," I warned him.

"Did you ever stop to think that you survived in the future because I did? No. Fitz stays where he is. And so do you,"