[3] Odyssey of Shadows | Leo Fitz

2

Fitz was halfway to the building when he realised his mistake.

Actually, that wasn't exactly true.

He'd realised his mistake the moment he left the Playground with one duffel bag instead of two. But, in what had become true Leopold James Fitz fashion, he'd brushed the concern to the back of his mind and continued walking.

He'd realised his mistake once more on the plane, when the baby on the lap of the woman beside him made a mad lunge for the silver bracelet cladding his wrist; a Stark original that Nina had let him borrow a while back. Yet again, he'd ignored the burning sensation in his stomach telling him he was doing something wrong, only choosing to smile at the baby and pull his sleeve over the accessory.

He'd only decided to acknowledge and process his mistake when he stepped out of the taxi onto the desert terrain and began to move towards the building of his desire.

He hadn't told Nina.

He hadn't told her anything about the lead he'd found a day prior or that he would be leaving the base let alone the country to follow it.

Bobbi had just called, letting him know that Coulson was looking for him but there was no doubt in his mind that Nina was as well.

Fitz knew she was going to be pissed but as he stood in the desert, he decided he had no choice but to make that another concern he'd process later. He'd grovel and beg for forgiveness back at the base and he hoped that Nina would grant it.

"I'm looking for Yusef Hadad," Fitz called out to the man not so subtly guarding the entrance, " is he here? I'd like to see him."

"But does Yusef want to see you?" was the response he got, and Fitz tried not to laugh. Sure the man was intimidating and could probably take Fitz's head off in a fight but over the years he'd learnt that not many people were as intimidating as Nina. 

He was one of the lucky ones she allowed to know her beyond the knives, scars and militant attitude. How could he even start being afraid of a man with a gun when all she had to do was frown and his knees would buckle? 

"I'm fairly certain he's gonna want what's in this case," the engineer said, gesturing to the metal briefcase in his hand. 

"Let me take a look, huh? I'll decide," the man made a lunge for the case but Fitz stepped out of his grasp. 

"Hey, wait. I want to see Yusef. You understand?," he hissed, "or is your English worse than you think?"

"Suit yourself," the man said as he grabbed Fitz's arm.

The agent had expected to be manhandled so Fitz didn't put up much of a fight, he allowed himself to be dragged into the building, in a less than grateful manner. His body hit into walls and too many corners for it to be an accident but he kept his mouth shut until he was tossed into a room with the man he was looking for, a handful of guns for hire and the lead, a scroll, he'd set out for sitting on the table. 

He's briefcase was immediately stripped from him and he allowed it, knowing they would not be able to open it without him. 

His knowledge was only supported when a tense couple of minutes passed and the briefcase remained closed. 

"So," Yusef started, obviously frustrated, "we can't open this so we'd like you to do that for us now."

"I'll open it and give you what's inside, no problem," Fitz said, strangely not phased by the knife pressed up against his side, an attempt to keep him docile, "but only in exchange for something in your possession."

"How about in exchange for your life?"

At those words, the man standing next to him, decked him across the face. The agent tried not to be effected by it, but he was visibly in pain so all he could do was force himself upright, spit out some blood and lock eyes with Yusef once more.