X marks the spot

The Asset

Aaron was back in his cell, still chained to a wall. His vision blurred at first but slowly coming into focus. The door opened, a man silhouetted by the light entered. "You ready for a new day?" The man said in a distorted voice. The man came towards Aaron, his face just darkness, an unknown.

Aaron was then dragged out of his cell and thrown to the floor. He slowly got up but was kicked in the stomach. "Pathetic, get up!" The man yelled, Aaron trying again but, yet again, being kicked to the ground.

"GET UP!" The man yelled. The man then kicked him in the head. Making him black out.

Aaron woke up in his bed on the plane, panting as he laid there. He didn't know what time it was, but it was dark outside, so he assumed it was most likely early in the morning, or around then. He sat up slowly, rubbing the back of his neck as he did so. He put his head in his hands and took a breath. He took once last look around his room, just to solidify to himself that he was there. And walked out of the room into the main area of the plane. It was completely clean, no signs of the fight that happened in it.

He walked quietly through the plane to the cargo hold. There he saw some punching bags. And decided that, if he wasn't going to go to sleep. He may at least try to do some exercise. He hung it up and started hitting it. Over and over again his fist connected with the bag, pushing it back and yet it kept coming back for more punishment.

"I was wondering where you were." A voice broke him out of his time with the bag. He turned and saw May looking at him from above.

"Figured that if I wasn't go back to sleep and not see.... You could probably guess. Figured I may as well try and do something active." He told May, who simply walked down the steps towards him.

"You're punching at an awkward angle." She said as she started moving his shoulders, legs and arms around, "Try again." She said, and he did.

"You know... They wouldn't do this there. They'd just make you start again. Now I can see why they let me go." He admitted as he hit the bag, the last bit grabbing May's attention.

"What do you mean, let you go?" She asked him with her face still expressionless, but there was a hint of something. He just couldn't lable the emotion.

"The base, or whatever it was, that I was at. They gave you a sort of trial run. You pass by saying that you comply. You do that, they made you one of theirs. Those who failed. They cast out. Made you work harder and harder. Essentially working you to death. Or break you until you comply" He told May, who simply nodded. Making a note to tell Coulson about it later.

"I'm sorry. Not the greatest at talking to people. Never used to." He apologized.

"You don't need to apologize. We'll work on it. I can do this type of thing. But we'll find a way." She said, him simply hitting the bag some more.

That's how he spent his time, her helping him perfect the techniques that he had been shown by them. Which was basic, but a start.

"Every agent has a moment. They either decide to stay and continue or drop it and leave. Ward likes to call it a 'Defining moment'." May told him.

"And what do you call it?" He asked as he kicked the bag.

"Seeing your breaking point." She said quietly. Aaron nodded as he kicked the bag a few more times. Aaron didn't know when, but at some point, Ward walked in and waited for his turn for Skye.

"Alright, that's enough." May said, the boy stopping and looking at her. She simply nodded upstairs, Aaron got the message and nodded before leaving.