X marks the spot

Providence

There was no alcohol left. There was glass on the floor. He still hadn't showered. So, the blood had started to stick to him at this point. He was tired. His ribs in pain. His mind was racing.

And there was no fucking alcohol left.

He turned at the sound of footsteps. Fitz entered the room. He looked up, seeing Aaron numbly stood in the middle. Aaron had turned away, Fitz watched the boy as he ran a hand gently down where the glass with the SHIELD insignia once stood. Now just pieces of glass on the floor.

Fitz watched as the boy bent down, using his bare hands to pick some of the glass up and place it in a bin bag that wasn't near him.

Fitz concluded that that was the whole point.

He watched as Aaron went back and forth and back and forth over and over again. Watching as the boy made no grimace on his face as he picked up shards of glass that almost definitely cut into his skin. How the boy didn't complain with the journey he went on from where the shards lay to the bin bag and back again.

He also noticed how he hadn't spoken once since asking Coulson about Rebecca.

Aaron finally turned to Fitz, only looking at him. Asking an unspoken question.

"The... The uh – The bloody fuse isn't working." He stumbled through his words. But Aaron only continued to stare. Fitz played with his hands, before biting his nails.

"Oh for Christ's sake." Fitz swore, seeing Tripp beside him. The man frowned, before looking to the boy with distrust. But, he saw that Aaron was back to work.

"You just letting him do that?" Tripp questioned, not understanding the boys logic behind his actions.

"I can't exactly stop him, can I?" Fitz snapped, a jealous undertone coming from his tone.

"Sure, you can, look." Tripp doubted, walking up to the boy. He placed a hand on his shoulder. That was how he found himself pinned against the wall with Aaron glaring into him. His breathing harsh and full of rage. His eyes full of it too. Bitter hatred. But, deep down, Tripp knew that it wasn't at him. It was at the boy himself.

He could tell by the slightly bloodied hands that held his shirt tightly.

"Hey. Hey, let him go." Skye called, rushing forward and pulling Aaron back. The boy didn't fight her. He only let her drag him back. His gaze softening a little. But still holding a small amount of anger still. This one definitely being directed inward.

"I could use your help getting us back online. Tripp, I need you to check the fuel lines. Fitzsimmons. Just... I don't know –"

"We'll do inventory." Fitz offered, walking away. Slowly, Tripp left too.

And then it was just them left.

"I don't know how to even turn that fucking thing on." Aaron said as he looked back at the glass on the floor that remained. Skye followed his eyesight. Sighing when she saw what he was looking at.

"We'll finish it up later. Go wash your hands. I'll be here. Promise."

When he returned, Coulson had entered the room. And the first thing he heard was Skye talking about how all HQ systems where gone. And that they were on their own now. But, with Coulson's next orders. They really were going to be on their own.

Coulson wanted to wipe their existence off the face of the earth. And, as Skye put. They wouldn't be Agents of SHIELD anymore. They'd be Agents of nothing.

"What about Ward, have you heard anything about him? He and agent Hand should've dropped Garret off at the fridge by now." Skye asked. Coulson denied that he had heard anything, but he did give her a phone to call him on.