[1] Take the Shot | Leo Fitz

28

Today didn't feel like the day to die. It was a long day, Nina wouldn't question that. It was honestly hard to believe that almost 20 hours ago she was on a train in Italy but the drastic change of circumstances still didn't affect that fact. Today didn't feel like the day to die, but Nina couldn't help but think that the feeling was all wrong.

"So... we're all gonna die," Nina stated from her position on the floor as Garrett and Fitz showcased the explosives in the walls.

She stated her hypothesis nonchalantly as if she was unbothered by dying in the building but the fact that she'd gone straight to the floor told Fitz otherwise. The team had found the wounded guard quite easily. He was resting against a wall, not too far from his blood path and had stayed alive long enough to tell them about the bomb but not long enough to tell them how to stop it.

"Semtex. The whole place is rigged to blow," Garrett said as he inspected the devices.

"There's enough explosive to bring down the whole mountain on top of us," Fitz announced.

"So... we're all gonna die," Nina repeated but was ignored once again. Ward moved over to something in the corner and showed it to Coulson. It was a timer, currently reading 9:21.

"Sir, less than 10 minutes. It's probably a fail safe. If the guards had eliminated us, they'd stop the timer,"

"Since they didn't..."

"We're gonna die,"

"It's some kind of emergency override. Skye could probably get past it, but I can't hack the panel, which means we're trapped in here,"

"We're gonna di-"

"Nina!" Coulson said sharply and Nina immediately shut up. The tone he used was new, one that she had never heard from him and one that reminded her of being scolded by the numerous trainers that deprive her of her adolescence. The tone was familiar yet so unfamiliar at the same time, it immediately took Nina to a different time.

The rubbery fabric pressed into Nina's cheek harshly as she let out a pained hissed. Her arm twisted behind her back and the knee of someone years older than her dug into her spine. Bruises decorated her 16 year old body and it was starting to grow difficult, trying to figure out what injury was causing the hurt.

"Stop! Stop! Stop!" Nina called out in agony, slapping the mat with her free hand, yielding. She was immediately released by her attacker and a sigh of relief brushed her lips as she cradled her injured arm into her chest with a soft whimper.

"Get up," a voice said and Nina froze, completely startled.

The teenager was used to dealing with harsh trainers, who treated her like she was an action figure rather than a human being, but the man behind this particular voice was the scariest one yet.

"I said, get up!" He repeated and Nina immediately jumped to her feet, trying to play off the instant buckle in her knees as she forced to much weight on the newly relocated socket. She watched as the trainer dismissed the blonde woman she had been sparring with, afraid at the idea of being alone with him.

He was the one trainer Nina had that she didn't know the name of as she had never seen him in the academy and anyone she spoke to had never had the pleasure of meeting him. She couldn't even confidently recall his eye colour as she spent most of their time together with her eyes glued to the floor or getting pummeled by another agent he brought in.