SHIELD Agent Eleanor Flint

Chapter 18

Tensions were high for each of the agents as they searched for Flint and Kite. Rumlow made the decision to follow through with the new plan when Kite and Flint were taking care of the snipers. The remaining hostiles were tied up and the STRIKE team had control of the ship, but they didn't know where the other two agents were. And Flint's line was dead. 

Reed was the first one to start running when they heard a woman's screams. The rest of the unit followed him down the ships deck until they reached hold no. 2. Reed ran down the steps and stopped at the bottom when he saw the scene before him. The other agents stopped too and Reed slowly approached Flint as she held Kite's dead body in her arms. 

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," she mumbled. 

"Nell," Reed began. "Nell, what happened?" 

"He's gone... he's gone, he's gone," Flint began repeating this in a frenzy. More tears poured from her eyes and she sobbed. 

Reed walked around to kneel in front of her and frowned down at Kite. He shut his eyes and looked up, muttered a curse under his breath, then looked at Flint again. Her sobs continued as she held Kite in her arms. Reed began to reach for Kite but Flint pulled back. 

"Don't touch him!" 

"Nell-" Reed started, but then looked at Rumlow. "Help me out here." 

Rumlow nodded and stepped forward. He walked around Flint and began to lift Kite's legs and pull him from her grasp. Flint sobbed harder and Reed pulled her arms from around Kite. He continued to hold her arms as he tried to calm her down. 

"Nell, stop," Reed said and Flint tried to pull away from him. Her gaze followed Rumlow as he picked up Kite and headed towards the stairs. She sobbed more and tried to pull away from Reed. "Nell, get a hold of yourself." 

"It's my fault!" She looked at Reed. "He's dead and it's my fault!" 

"It's not your fault!" Reed shook her shoulders as she cried. "Stop screaming!" 

"He's gone!" Flint cried. "He's gone!" 

"Stop it!" 

Reed's hand met with Flint's face. Her cheek stung and her screams stopped, but she continued to weep quietly. Her head remained turned to one side from the impact of Reed's hand and she stared at the blood stained floor. Rumlow and Rollins carried Kite up the stairs and the rest of the STRIKE unit began a search of the freighter for more hostiles. 

"Get a hold of yourself, alright?" Reed put his hand on Flint's shoulder. "I had to stop you screaming, I'm sorry." 

Flint stopped crying but her eyes did not leave the floor. For the first time since World War Two, she lost a partner during a mission and she still did not know how to deal with it. Reed put his hands underneath Flint's arms and he lifted her from the floor. She leaned against him and he walked up the stairs. Reed shielded her view from Kite's body as they began to call for a second Quinjet for the extraction. Reed took Flint to the bridge and sat her down on a bench, and waited with her till the second Quinjet arrived. 

~~~~

"Mission report, Rumlow," Fury said. 

Rumlow cleared his throat and began to summarize the mission. Flint was practically falling asleep on Reed's shoulder and had yet to change out of her bloodstained shirt. Fury didn't say anything. They got back at 5 a.m. instead of 4. 

"There were more hostile's in play than we thought. The rest of the unit got held back from reaching Flint," Rumlow explained. "At this point, Reed had sent Kite to find Flint. I'm not sure what happened after that." 

Reed nudged Flint and she sat up, blinking. Fury held up his hand to dissuade her. 

"I can get her report when she comes back in tomorrow afternoon," he said. 

Flint nodded slowly and slumped back into her seat. Rumlow finished his report and without another word, Fury dismissed them to go home. Reed helped Flint from her seat and practically carried her outside to hail a cab to take them home. 

~~~~

Reed carried Flint down the hall to his apartment room and leaned her against his chest to unlock his door. He lifted her onto his hips again and carried her inside then set her on his leather armchair. Reed walked to his kitchen, opened his cabinet and pulled out a box of Froot Loops cereal. He grabbed a bowl and spoon, poured the cereal, then milk and brought it over to Flint. She sat up and took the bowl, set it in her lap, and began to eat. 

"How are you feeling?" He asked after sitting down on the ottoman in front of the leather armchair. 

"My cheek still hurts," she answered. "But I'm okay." 

"I said I'm sorry," Reed said. 

"I know, but there's just... better ways to... snap me back to reality," Flint explained. 

"It's the first thing that came to mind, and I'm sorry," Reed repeated. 

Flint paused and stared down at her bowl of cereal. "Am I going to get in trouble... for Kite?" 

"No, probably not," Reed replied. "I probably am, sending him out on his own like that." 

"Why did you send him after me?" Flint looked up. 

Reed stared at her in silence for a moment before drawing in a deep breath. "I got scared. I saw how many hostages there were, it worried me that you were on your own." 

"Henry, that cost Kite's life," Flint said. 

Reed stood up and took a couple of steps away from her. "Yeah, I know." His hands closed into fists and he turned his head to look at her. "I know, Nell. I didn't mean for that to happen." 

Flint looked back down and wiped a tear from her cheek. She ate a few more bites of her Froot Loops before looking back up at Reed. 

"Henry, come here." 

He turned and walked back to her. He sat at the ottoman again and Flint set her bowl on the table next to the chair. She scooted to the edge of the seat and wrapped her arms around Henry's neck. He returned the embrace around her waist and kissed the side of her head. 

"I want to go to bed," Flint mumbled into his chest. 

"Yeah, I do, too." Reed rubbed his hand up and down her back. 

With his grip around her waist, Reed picked up Flint and carried her to his bedroom. As he walked, he continuously kissed her jaw and neck before setting her on the bed and kissing her lips. 

"Whatever trouble I get into," he began. "I'll deal with it." 

"Okay."