Renegade Rising || Leo Fitz Book Two

Chapter ThirtyFive

Notes:

So I saw a post on Tumblr the other day about what would happen if someone did fanart of my fic...and I just want to say, I'd literally cry happy tears. People have asked me about it before, and yes I am 100% comfortable with this!! In fact, I encourage it! I'd love to see what you creative lovelies could do. ❤

Asia knew the rest of the team wasn't going to be gone for long, and Skye, Asia, Jemma, and Leo were left on Bus duty. Aka, watching the Bus while the others set a trap for this Kree guy. Once they had him secured, they would bring him back to the large aircraft, and then Sif and Coulson would interrogate him, figure out his purpose for being here.

But since the others were gone, Asia decided to take a moment to herself and call the number she had found when searching for a message from Nat and Clint. Grabbing one of the SAT phones from the lab, Asia made her way to her bunk room on the Bus.

As she shut the door behind her, she tucked herself up on the bed, thinking of her first night here, and how far the team had come. Of course, that lead her towards the path of thinking about Ward, something she didn't exactly want to be doing. But now that her thoughts had trickled there, she couldn't stop them.

There was little time in her life where she couldn't remember Ward in it. Her early childhood, and that was it. They met at the Academy as teenagers, and had been close ever since then. Incredibly close. He had been her first partner, and her first competitor. They vied for the top spot in class and kept each other pushing to their limits. Kept them on their toes, working their hardest. She had trusted him, and he had trusted her. At least, she thought he had. He couldn't have trusted her all that much because he never told her about Garret. He hadn't shared with her his dark secrets, the fact that he needed help.

Maybe she could have gotten him out. That's where her guilt resided. Obviously, there were other things she resented. She would never, ever forgive him for what he had done. But maybe. Maybe. She could have gotten him out. If he had come to her, told her who Garret was...

She lashed out suddenly, punching the wall, hard, a sob choking out of her mouth in a gasp. Maybe things could have been different.

Because Ward had been there for her. That time some dude roofied her (he had fucking obliterated the guy's ass), on every single anniversary of her parents' death, when she went down rabbit holes searching for her sister. He was there, for all of it. He had seen her in her ugliest of times and hadn't run. And she couldn't have saved him. She wanted so badly to have been able to save him, but she couldn't.

So the only thing left, really, was to destroy him.

She resided herself to that revelation, then sat back up, pulling out the SAT phone, quickly punching in the numbers, waiting, breath held tightly. If they didn't answer...she didn't know what she would do.

The phone rang and rang and rang and then finally. It connected. A muffled voice came on the phone.

"Monroe, I swear to god if you ever use your failsafe for someone other than yourself again, I'll kick your ass," Clint's familiar drawl came through. As she heard his voice, a single tear trailed down her cheeks as she smiled happily. She thought she might crumple with the happiness that brimmed over the edges of her heart.

"Clint, I am so happy to hear your voice!" She said, voice shaking. "Is Nat with you? Did you guys make it out okay? And how's Harper?" The questions tumbled out of her mouth like a flood as she waited for good answers.

"We're all okay, Tasha is here waiting for me to hand over the phone, rather impatiently I might add," Clint chuckled. "Things are a little...difficult here, with the HYDRA takeover, but we've been in on and off in communications with Coulson, when we can. Also, on a brighter note, Harper is pregnant, so my wife and I are expecting a little baby avenger next year," Asia could hear the happiness ring through in Clint's voice when he said the words out loud.

"That's..that's amazing! I'm so happy. Congratulations!" Asia cheered.

Suddenly, Nat's voice exited the receiver. "Asia, I'm glad you're doing okay," she said, admitting the most emotion that the assassin ever did. "How is everything on your end?"

"Things are...complicated, but we're working through them," Asia admitted. "It was a terrible few months. But, thank you for the jacket. I love it."

"Thought you would, I picked that one out," she could practically hear Nat's smirk through the phone. "Heard you've been making quite the reputation for yourself, little Renegade." The words were teasing, but they still hit Asia like a punch.

"I've just been doing my job," she replied quickly. "Helping Coulson stop HYDRA in whatever way was necessary. Keeping my people safe."

"I'd expect nothing less," Nat replied, sounding supportive, motherly. "Any other important news for us? Anything...significant?"

"I do have intel to share, but it isn't safe enough over a line. Would prefer in person," Asia replied quickly, clenching her fists. She couldn't really tell her mentors her enter DNA had transformed over the phone. That wasn't a phone conversation. "We will have to arrange a time."

"We're planning a meeting with Coulson hopefully in the next coming month," Clint's voice returned. "Maybe we can all grab dinner after? Chat away from wandering ears?"

"I would love that," Asia replied earnestly, already working out in her head what she would have to tell her former teammates. The things she needed to deliver. She still had that vial, tucked away in her underwear drawer, from the underground bunker. That would definitely have to be passed along.

The three agents said their goodbyes, and as Asia hung up the call, her watch buzzed. Skye and Leo were looking for her. Sighing, Asia set the SAT phone on her bunk, and stood up over it. She held out her right hand, aiming it down at the device, breathing deeply, and watching the ice form and seap out of every crack and screw, until the entire thing shattered to pieces. No one would track her calls this way.

She looked down at the ice shards in front of her, picking one up and rolling it in her hands. This was the first time she had commanded whatever powers were flowing in her. This was the first time they had done what she wanted.

And it felt good. Really good.