Magnificent Trio

Chapter 11

  "You're not an easy one to find, Castor."

  "Then what gave me away?" I questioned as I shut the motel door behind me.

  "I'd love to give a detailed explanation of some amazing detective work, but truth be told, I just saw you walking down the street." Coulson smiled from where he sat at the small table.

  "Damn." I scoffed. "What do you want, Coulson? I don't plan on getting dissected anytime soon."

  "Dissected? Is that....Is that why you left?"

  "Pretty good reason to." I crossed my arms, and Coulson stood up while straightening his suit.

  "Castor, I'm rebuilding SHIELD from the ground up. Nothing like that is going to happen."

  "Really?"

  "Really. I'll be honest, I would like to run a few tests just to get a better idea of....you, but nothing you don't agree to yourself. Everything will be on your terms. But I didn't come here for that."

  "Then what did you come here for?"

  "I want you back on the team. It's been months, Castor. We miss you." Coulson folded his hands in front of himself. "We're also short on allies, so we could really use your help."

  "....How....How are they?"

  "Fitz and Simmons? Why don't you ask them that yourself?"

  "They're not here, are they?"

  "Oh, no. I've been having to travel by coach. Not fun." Coulson chuckled.

~

  "You might be met with a lot of questions going in, but trust me, it'll be better with you here. Safer, too." Coulson said as he raised his badge over the scanner.

  "Agent Phil Coulson." A robotic voice said as the door opened to let us in.

  "So does everyone know?"

  "I'm sorry, but yes. We may be few in numbers, but they've been briefed on that. Which means you also won't have to hide it." Coulson gave me a reassuring smile as we walked down a hallway. "Funnily enough, it's safer that we know in case something happens to you."

  "....Safe until one of them blabs."

  "Not these people. After Hydra, standards have greatly risen. Fitz should be in the lab." Coulson pointed, and I already knew from our ride on the plane that Simmons was away on a mission. Details were limited because she was undercover, so I didn't pry too much so long as she was safe.

  I could feel the eyes on me as I walked past some windows.

  "Those are the newbies?" I muttered.

  "Some of them. Agent May is probably waiting in my office to chew my ear off for being late, so this is where I'll leave you." Coulson waved his hand, and I looked over to see a familiar face hunched over the side of a table covered in tech. "Castor....try to be understanding. He's going to be upset and, well, things haven't....been good."

  "Yes, sir." I nodded before he walked away, and I knew what he meant. Fitz had suffered some brain damage from nearly dying, and Coulson even said he would talk to Simmons as if she were right there beside him.

  I hesitated to open the door to the lab but eventually got the spine to and walked in.

  "It's not done, stop asking." Fitz droned since he had heard the door and didn't look up from what he was doing. He was soldering some wires to a board, and I slowly walked closer while shoving my hands into my pockets.