Oceans Away || Leo Fitz Book Three

Chapter FortyThree

"Agent Monroe," Coulson said, looking at her from his desk. She stood across from him, arms crossed, refusing to sit. "Thank you for joining me. You really should sit," he gestured at the chair in front of his desk.

Asia glanced at the window behind her and shrugged. "Nah, I'm good right where I am. But now that we're all here, you might as well tell me why you called me up here." A solo meeting with the boss was never a good sign, though Asia couldn't guess what it might be for. She hadn't done anything risky recently, she hadn't shot anyone, hadn't made any bad calls. The only thing it really could be was about her sister.

"I'm sure you've guessed by now, but we need to discuss your sister," Coulson said, opening a file in front of him. "America Monroe. Inhuman, just like you, but nearly polar opposite powers. Fire manipulation. Interesting, aye?"

"I guess," Asia replied with a small shrug. "I don't know why you're reading me her file. I can tell you nearly everything that's in there. She is my sister after all." She looked from the relatively thin file then up to Coulson. "Unless there's something you plan on surprising me with." Coulson had expected this sort of reaction from her.

"Yes, you probably could," Coulson replied with a sigh, shutting the file. "Nothing new in there to review. However, I did want to review one thing with you. Her placement."

The sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach opened up and she felt like she needed to lurch for the garbage can so she didn't lose her breakfast all over the floor. But she held her position, not moving, as her world felt like it was falling out from underneath her feet.

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one day ago

Asia stood outside the glass door to her sister's room, staring inside. She was awake now, and talking with Hunter. Whatever he had just said had made her laugh, a laugh where her mouth was open wide and eyes squeezed shut. A part of Asia was jealous, wishing that were her in there, making her sister feel comfortable through all of this, all of this change.

She wasn't sure what Hunter had told her, if anything. Did she know she was with Shield? Did she know that Hydra was the bad guys? Did she remember her sister, the torture she was put through? Asia had so many questions and so few answers. She wanted to run in there and ask them all right now, but she told Hunter she would wait until he waived her in. The anticipation was killing her.

And then, finally, he waived her in. It was weird having someone else be closer to her sister than she was, much less someone like Hunter. She loved him, but he wasn't always what people considered 'personable.'

But she entered the room anyways, the breeze of cool air hitting her in the face, helping calm her down a little. She was glad it wasn't overly hot in her room, the way she often made her space cooler without even intending to. Though, it made since, it was pretty much a containment module after all "Hello," she said sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck.

America looked at her for a moment, unblinking, as if she were sizing her up. "Hello." She responded back after a moment. "I recognize you..but I don't know you." She squinted, her eyes narrowed as she studied her form, as if she were trying to remember from where. "Oh," she said after a moment, leaning back into the pillow behind her. "Now I know."

Asia tilted her head quizzically, staying standing where she was. She didn't want to unsettle her by moving too close. She felt like she was approaching an animal in the wild.

"From Ward," Mer continued after a beat. "You were one of the people he...kept. For a while." Asia nodded slowly, putting up a wall to block her own memories of those moments out. "Not the only one, he kept a lot. I didn't feel very good about those times..." she turned and looked at Hunter. "I didn't want to be a part of things like that...regardless of the intent." He nodded at her, pressing his lips into a thin line, as if the two of them were communicating without words.

"And you're in this photo," she added, nodding at the one to her right. "With me. Apparently. Why?"

Asia shot a glance to Hunter. He didn't tell her? "Because...well, we're...sisters," she replied after a moment, awkwardly, waiting to see her reaction.

To her surprise, Mer tipped her head back and laughed. "No, sorry, that's not true. I don't have any family, they were all Hydra." She looked over to Hunter for him to agree with her, but he shook his head, no. "Why are you saying that? You mean...all those things they told me. All of them, have been lies?"

Hunter shook his head, frowning. "I'm sorry, love, that's Hydra for you." Hunter's tone was apologetic. "Everything they do, they do to manipulate you. I'm sorry they told you all that. Because you did have a family, looking for you the whole time. And that's her, right there." He nodded towards Asia.

Asia tried to give her a warm smile, but warm smiles had never really been her specialty.

Mer shook her head, looking back and forth between Hunter and Asia. "I think it's probably best if you leave. Both of you."

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Present

"What do you mean, her 'placement'?" Asia said, standing up straight, anger flaring in her voice. "She doesn't need to be placed anywhere. She is fine right where she is. Which is here. With her family. Me." She jabbed her finger against her chest, shaking her head at Coulson.

"Unfortunately, Monroe, it's not really up for debate." The Director replied, shaking his head. "She needs time to rehabilitate. Relearn. Become a useful asset to the team." The Agent in her new that he was right, that if she wanted her sister to stay around, that this is what she needed to do.

"So you're just...sending her away?" Asia replied, her voice coming out much smaller than she wanted it to. She felt self conscious that anything that weak ever came out of her. "With no one that she knows?"

"Not exactly," Coulson replied with a shrug. "I'm sending someone with her, but it's just not you."

Before she could even open her mouth to object and demand to know who it would be and why, the door to their right opened, and Hunter walked in through the door. "Hey love. Hope you're not too mad."