[2] An Executioner's Requiem | Leo Fitz

epilogue

"Why are you so devoted to your pain?"

WARNING: SELF HARM

Fitz couldn't remember the last time he slept through the night, couldn't remember the last meal he ate that Mack hadn't shoved down his throat and he sure as hell couldn't remember the last time he went outside.

He was losing his mind and no one could find it in themselves to blame him.

How could they when he'd lost both his girlfriend and his best friend in the same day?

Now, Nina's absence differed significantly from Simmons'. Watching the Playground's security footage had told the team that, while Simmons had vanished into the now-quarantined grey rock, Nina had calmly walked out of the room, through the corridors and off base.

Though, calmly may not accurately capture her movements. Even in the monochrome footage, the team discerned the anguish etched on her face. Her spirit seemed to fracture, evident as she shakily lifted herself from the ground and struggled to avert her gaze from the shattered red remnants beside her.

Simmons' phone booth, her gift.

It felt as if life itself had departed from her along with Simmons, a sentiment evident to all watching the video. As she exited, Nina encountered multiple agents, her body hitting into the sides of them without so much as a misstep in her departure, their expressions ranging from fear to concern upon making eye contact and noticing the drops of red trailing behind her. Marking her path. Nails digging into the crescent scars on her palms, scars that finally healed now leaked blood.

Watching Simmons die? disappear? Watching the biochemist vanish before her eyes, having been so close to her that the two had quite literally touched, destroyed Nina.

She'd seen enough of her friends die and somehow this one, where there was no blood, knives or guns, hurt so much more and it didn't help that she now had a new voice to plague her thoughts.

It's alright boss, it's not you-
It's okay boss. Death comes for us all.
Cyrus.
Tell Tommy I love hi-
I do...
...smile, Nina.

Nina!

"Come on Turbo, you haven't left your room in days," Mack said as he looked down at the engineer. He was sat in his bunk, books surrounding him as the only source of light emitted from his laptop, "some sun would do you good."

"The only thing that will do me good is finding out where Simmons is," Fitz stated, not taking his eyes off the book in his lap, "Nina will be back, and when she gets back I need to have a foundation we can work off."

"Fitz," Mack said softly, "Nina, she-"

"Texted me," he responded and before the mechanic was able to follow up, he shut him down, "now please, I have work to do."