Birds of a Feather | | Leo Fitz Book One

Chapter 56

Agent Monroe looked out one of the Bus windows at the bleak landscape around them. Snow touched everything in sight, coating the rocks, the towering pine trees, everything, and it glistened in the sunlight. Perhaps if times weren't so dire she wouldn't have found the setting so sad. Canada could be beautiful, even in its snow-covered state.

"Maybe we should send out a scouting party and make sure we have the all-clear?" Trip suggested, zipping up his SHIELD issue winter coat and pulling the hood over his exposed head. "It wouldn't take long, then we can make sure."

Coulson sighed, shaking his head and shouldering a backpack. "We don't have the time for anything like that. The clock is ticking until satellites catch our bird with their eyes and then we're toast. We need to be gone before they spy us. I know Fury, I still know what SHIELD stands for, and I know something is out there, waiting for us." He said, addressing the entire team. "I know these past few days have tossed almost everything we knew out the window, but I know those things. I also know some of you may think I'm on a wild goose chase, but I know I'm not. I won't force you to come, but I'm not going to stay here." He pulled his badge out of his pocket, along with a compass, and opened the door of the bus, stepping outside into the snow.

Asia sighed, pulling a white cap down over her ears and slinging her own backpack over her shoulders, stepping forward and following their leader out into the snow. Frankly, what other choice did they have? Leo stepped beside her, looking at the crew behind them. "Well, you heard him! Let's get going," he said, stepping out beside her into the cold air.

The entire teams' steps made crunching sounds, shoving through the snow as they trudged onward, through pine trees and up inclines. Asia naturally fell instep beside Leo, or perhaps he fell instep beside her, as she scanned the treeline, and Leo watched his tablets for signs of life.

"This is not good," Leo muttered softly, tapping his tablet a few times, before swiping up.

"Please don't tell me it's a trap," Asia said, looking over his shoulder at the tablet, not entirely sure what she was seeing.

"Worse," Leo frowned, "I don't see any signs of life where we're headed. Nothing. There's nothing." He looked for a second as if he were about to chuck the tablet down, but stopped himself and kept walking.

"Did you mean everything you said earlier, about how we have to stick together for the sake of the team?" Asia asked, trying to bring up the previous discussion without causing a fuss again, especially now that things were looking so bleak.

"I want to trust him," Leo said, "And I know you do too. But you saw the tablet...there's nothing here..." he trailed off, looking at the others still pushing forward ahead of the two.

"Well, you've still got me," Asia said with a small smile, bumping her shoulder against his lightly as they walked.

"That's true," Leo smiled. "Asia, you and I, we're like birds of a feather. We have to stick together, or however that silly saying goes."

"I believe its 'flock together'" she murmured, but smiled shyly over at her friend. "But I think youre right, we are."

The two continued marching in silence, keeping up with their team ahead, watching slowly as the sun moved and Coulson lead them by compass towards whatever waited for them over the hill.