Birds of a Feather | | Leo Fitz Book One

Chapter 68

Leo and Jemma watched in utter horror as the two ops agents outside fought, the fight much more like a dance than it was a battle, the give and take ebbing and flowing like a wave. Asia would land a good blow to Ward's face, only to take one to the side. Both were scrapped and bloody, but neither would stop moving, fighting.

Their blows were easily blocked, deflected, stopped, and so far neither had seemed to get a one up on the other. The two had trained so many times over the years that they knew each other's moves too well.

With a tumble forward, Asia swept Ward's feet from under him. If she could get him down, maybe she could keep him down and this could be done with.

But as he fell he lunged forward, landing a blow to her cheek that left her realing, head spinning, seeing stars. How had he connected so well? She didn't have time to think before her felt his hand yank her ponytail back sharply, causing pain to ripple over her skull. Neck exposed, she felt Ward place the cold blade against her skin.

"Now now, Monroe that's enough. Garrett wants you a prise, but if you struggle I'm not against killing you if I have to," Ward whispered into her ear, as he let go of her hair and pinned her arms behind her back. He steered her over to the cube, where Jemma and Leo were waiting behind the glass.

"Alright, FitzSimmons, I know you're logical. Think about this logically. Open the door, or she dies." Ward said coldly, making sure they could see the knife pressed to her neck.

Asia could see Leo fighting against Jemma's grasp, frantically trying to get the door open as he said over and over "You don't have to do this!" So she looked to Jemma instead, Jemma who was still rational, Jemma who looked back at her evenly even as she had tears in her eyes. And she gave her the smallest, tiniest shake of her head, no. No, do not open that damn door. So Jemma rooted herself in place, holding Leo back, refusing to break her gaze from Asia. It was comforting, really. She felt like if Ward slid the blade across her neck, she'd be ok. Itd all be ok.

"Fine then, have it your way." Ward growled. But instead of ending her life, Ward turned her around, moving them both towards a panel on the wall. "Monroe, now you have to watch your friends die. Are you happy about that?" Moving the blade from her neck, still restraining her arms painfully behind her back, he typed into the panel until it glowed green.

"Wait, Ward. No, please," Asia started to beg as she realized what he was doing. She had to stop this, there had to be a way. "I'll do anything. Whatever Garrett wants," but it was too late.

Ward turned her back around, now holding the blade in front of her neck, but not pressing it into her skin this time. "I'm sorry Monroe. You three made me resort to this." He said as Asia watched, horrified, as the pod began to slide back, falling out of the plane. Ward pushed her forward, holding her by her wrists as he dangled her, close to the edge of the opening, so she could see two of the people she loved fall deep into the ocean below. Tears began to stream down her face.

What could she do? What the hell could she even do?? A tiny thought entered her mind and in a split second she acted on it. With enough space between her and the knife, Asia slammed her head as hard as she possibly could against the open frame of the plane. She could feel a crack in her jaw, knowing she probably fractured it, as pain eruppted over her face. But more importantly, she could taste copper in her mouth as the tooth in the back of her right jaw came loose.

And she spit forward, hoping the tooth would land close to that damn pod. The tooth. That was her only backup. She, Natasha, and Clint all had one implanted. A failsafe. A break glass in case of emergency. A tracker which would only activate when removed. As her vision went black, all she could hope was that somehow, somewhere, someone was waiting for that emergency beacon to activate.