X marks the spot

Leap

"You know, for a while, I thought you or Jemma were just like me," Aaron Johnson said as he span in a chair within the lab that Leopold Fitz worked in. It was weird, seeing Fitz back in the lab, the kind man, not the broken side to him he hid away that had mutated into something else.

"'Like you'? How'd you mean?"

"Like, not into any of that shit, you know?" Aaron clarrified.

"You know I used to have a crush on Daisy, right?"

"You did?" Aaron asked, genuinely confused.

Fitz nodded, chuckling a bit to himself, "aye. Didn't last long though, was just a quick and done thing."

"Hm," Aaron said.

"Why do you say it like that?" the scotsman asked, hearing the slight dejection to Aaron's single word.

He shrugged, "just didn't expect it was all. I'm still wrapping my head around May and Ward."

Despite the slight shiver he felt at the mention of Grant Ward, Fitz still let out a humorous scoff, "yeah. Yeah, that one threw me too, mate."

"I'm glad this version of you is doing better, Fitz. I'm sorry I couldn't help you with your whole...thing."

Fitz scratched his neck, "yeah...why weren't you there? Can I ask?"

Aaron sat forward a bit, crossing his hands together as he spoke, "had a bit of trouble with my...shadow."

"Jung?"

"No, I mean my literal one. He came out to play, wisps and all. Kicked my arse."

Fitz nodded, "right. Right. Well. I'm glad you seem to be doing better with yours as well."

"Thanks, Fitz. I'm glad you're back."

"I'm glad to be back," the two shared a smile.

Alarms going off were nothing new to Aaron; he had heard them all the time back in his place in HYDRA. Lisa, meanwhile, hadn't; and for once, she'd had a deep sleep, so waking up to this was something that both set her senses on fire, but also made her sluggish.

Aaron joined Mack, Elena, Jemma and Fitz on their way to find out just what had happened. None of them spoke as they rounded the seemingly never-ending corners, a constant winding mess of drab colours.

Finally, they arrived at their destination, only to see Sarge being wheeled out with a bullet in him; Fitzsimmons breathed out the name of their dead friend. Right, Aaron remembered, they hadn't seen him.

"That's not our guy, remember that. Do what you can anyway." Mack ordered as Jemma slowly followed after the others.

"I'll keep you updated, director." With that, she was gone, Fitz following.

"Is she here?" Mack asked the agent from the Quinjet, she had been through a lot it seemed with her arm now in a sling.

"Yeah, but she won't talk to us, though." The other three entered the room at the agent's reply; Aaron was standing between the two, arms crossed.

Melinda May stood in front of them, like a robot. She only stood there, face masking any emotion too. This didn't seem like May, to be so brash. Old May? Sure, she tried to kill Fitz for fucks sake, but not this May. This May was more in control. This May was more open, this way had shut off almost entirely.

"No need to ask, I did it. I shot him." She said, bluntly.

"Why?" Mack asked the million-dollar question.

"Because it had to be done." Yeah, that definitely cleared everything up. Case closed apparently. It wasn't, obviously.

"His face –"