[2] An Executioner's Requiem | Leo Fitz

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Nina was sat on the floor of the quinjet next to Fitz's legs. The engineer was strapped into the vehicle, with his laptop in his grasp. He was typing away, following an order Coulson had given him while the man himself stood behind May as she flew the jet.

Nina wasn't doing anything particularly practical; she'd thought about sharpening her knives, but such a thought was quickly squashed when she remembered the equipment needed for it was left on base and that her knives were probably still sharp enough to cut a person's head off.

So instead, she settled for sketching on the back of a random box she'd found in the corner of the jet. The drawing resembled the Malibu house, and Nina felt oddly nostalgic. She'd loved that house, and was incredibly pissed when Tony's ego led to it getting blown up.

"I'd like to formally voice my doubts about bringing him on this mission," May's voice echoed through what had been a silent ride, bar Fitz's typing.

Nina looked up at her comment, locking eyes with Cal, who sat opposite them, buckled to a seat with headphones over his ears and two guards stationed either side of him.

"I understand your concerns, May, but Cal's lived with the Inhumans," Coulson stated.

"So has Nina," May responded.

"For like 4 days and I was unconscious for most of it," the woman in question responded, tilting her head to face them. May remained focused on the sky while Coulson turned around, acknowledging her face to face.

"All I'm saying is that he knows what we're getting ourselves into. We do not."

"He's a loose cannon," she deadpanned, and Coulson spared the clueless Cal a look.

"Worse comes to worst, we let the cannon loose. Any distraction might help us take that boat," Coulson stated as Nina placed her hand on Fitz's knee. The engineer tensed slightly at the feeling, relaxing only when Nina used the contact to pull herself up and let go. She looked at him a little confused but when she noticed the blush on his cheeks, she just smiled and looked away, "look, Cal's erratic, but if there's one constant it's his concern for Skye."

"Do you know what's worse than letting a rabid dog loose?" Nina asked as she straighten out her clothes and shook out her hands, they were oddly stiff and she needed to remedy that before they landed.

"I can think of a few things," Coulson responded and Nina smirked.

"Letting a rabid dog, with their own agenda, loose," Nina pointed to Cal, "I don't care that you're using him, but I suggest you have someone keep an eye on him. He's the kind of dog you leash, not set free."

"Are you offering?"

"Hell no," Nina said immediately before clearing her throat and speaking a little more professionally, "I'm gonna have my hands full with Dawn, I don't have time to watch him too."

"Is she that dangerous?"

"She can kill you by just asking you to stop breathing," Nina stated and Coulson's eyes widen, "so yeah, dangerous."

"Are you sure you can handle her on your own?"

"If she's out to kill me, probably not," Nina shrugged, elaborating when she saw the concern on his face, "I've seen her in a room with Jiaying once and she seemed afraid of her. It wasn't intimidation or respect. Dawn's terrified of her for some reason and I can play into that. All I have to do is explain, maybe show her the footage and she's on our side."

"That easy?" May asked.

"That easy. Fear's a great enforcer, take that away and you have a world of possibilities," Nina nodded, "plus I gave her a job. If she kills me, that contract is terminated."