The weeks with the team had been adding up on one another, mission after mission unfolding with a pretty high success rate. The team was beginning to behave as such: an actual team. A team which could help one another and have each other's backs. Asia had become rather close to Skye, Leo, and even Jemma, although Jemma still seemed to keep an odd distance from her. Still, the four of them spent much time together in the lab, even when they weren't working on a case.
This morning, however, Asia was working on her normal workout routine. She spent a minimum of an hour beating at a punching bag, and afterwards she would run on the treadmill for at least an hour as well. Beating at the punching bag was one of her favourite activities, it allowed her to let out the raw emotions she so often kept bottled up. She would punch and kick and punch that bag until, at some points, it completely broke apart. That was one of the most satisfying feelings. She had put on a white tank top and some black leggings, earbuds jammed in her ears, the music blocking out everything around her as she hammered away at the punching bag.
"What do you think she's listening to? Well she, erm, punches all of that?" Leo Fitz asked from within the Lab, where he leaned against one of the tables. Jemma looked up from one of her test tubes, studying the brunette figure outside of the room.
"Probably something very intense, from the look of things." She muttered in response, going back to moving a liquid from one test tube to another.
"Well," Skye said from behind her computer screen, "There is only one way to find out for sure." She wiggled her eyebrows mischievously, before she began to type rapidly at her keyboard. "I can just hack into her iPod, and we can listen for ourselves. Anyone want to take bets at what it'll be?"
"I would say it's some of that nasty screamo where you can't tell what the words are" Jemma offered up, stopping her work to watch Skye.
"Something intense, but not crazy," Leo suggested, "Hollywood Undead or, um, some sort of rap. Possibly."
"Well, now is the moment of truth..." Skye said, pausing, before hitting the key, music flooding the room. It was anything but what they expected, causing the three to burst out laughing. "It..it says...it's called the Elizabethan Serenade!" Skye said between laughs.
"Ballet music?" Jemma snorted, "She listens to ballet music while doing that?"
Leo couldn't help but laugh as well, stuffing his hands into his pockets and watching the agent who was separated from them by a sheet of glass sheepishly.
Agent Asia Monroe had no idea that several feet away her friends were giggling uncontrollably. She just kept hitting away at the bag until suddenly, from nowhere, Ward came up behind the bag, applying full force to stop her violent bashing. Asia jumped back, pulling the headphones out of her ears. "Ward! Jesus, watch yourself. I wouldn't want to hit you on accident."
Ward shrugged, smiling sheepishly, "Nah, you wouldn't have hit me, I wouldn't have let you," he teased, before stepping away from the punching bag. "I'm going into the Lab to discuss some things with Fitz...wanna come with?"
Asia exhaled, brushing back her bangs from her face. "Yea, sure, I can come with you," she replied then, trying to keep the light blush off of her cheeks. In the past few weeks, she and Fitz had become quite close, although she was rather positive she was the only one who had an inkling of feelings toward the other. But, even as small as the crush was, just beginning really, Ward had picked up on it instantly. He knew her too well. It was almost annoying how well.
"Thought so," he said with a light grin, before turning and leading the way into the Lab, Asia following behind him, carefully wrapping the bandages off of her hands as she did so, taking practiced inhales and exhales and composing herself in the methods Natasha had taught her.
Ward entered first, and Asia followed him, moving to sit by Skye, perching lightly atop her desk and sitting crisscross. She looked down at Skye and smiled. The other agent seemed to have a mischievous glint on her face. "What's so funny?" Asia asked her, brow furrowing.
"Oh, nothing, nothing," Skye said, quickly shutting her laptop screen. Asia raised an eyebrow at her, but it was clear Skye was playing around and there couldn't be anything serious going on. "How was the, you know, punching thing?" Skye asked.
"Oh, the bag really fought back today," Asia joked, "Almost got me right in the face." The two girls shared a smile, but their playful banter was interrupted by Ward and Fitz, seemingly having a rather intense disagreement.
"Sorry, Fitz. It's close, but it's just not right. I need perfection if I'm going to use this in the field," Ward said, placing the latest version of the Night-Night gun down on the table in front of him, getting right to the point of the matter.
"Really?" Leo Fitz asked, crossing his arms over his chest and glancing back at Skye and Asia, "Cause Agent Coulson had no problems. I don't hear Agent Monroe complaining either."
Ward sighed, shaking his head, "It's an ounce too heavy." Asia had to hold back a snort of laughter. An ounce? God she had missed this ridiculous man.
"An ounce, seriously?" Skye interjected, the disbelief apparent on her face. She had no buffer for hiding her emotions yet, and Asia made note of this for something to try and train her on later. It helped in some of the best and worst situations. "How the hell do you even know?"
Ward flicked his gaze over to Skye, giving her a steady glare, before turning back to Fitz. He picked the gun up once more and shifted it from hand to hand, taking the weight of it. "It's the difference between success and failure. When you're on a roof top building, lets say, with a headwind of 20 miles per hour. Your target is 500 meters away and you only have this gun to take him down-"
"Yea but we have a rifle," Leo interjected, pointing at the weapons rack behind Ward.
Ward looked at him steadily, not speaking for a moment. The silence was uncomfortably heavy in the room, until finally he said, "Just lose the ounce." He gave Asia one last look, before turning and walking out of the room. Agent Monroe made no move to go after him.
"'Lose the ounce,'" Leo mimicked, turning back to Asia and Skye, dropping his voice lower and taking on a hysterical American accent. " I'm Agent Grant Ward…" He squats into a stance of an old Western gun slinger, "I can shoot the legs off a flea from 500 yards…" He then dropped the accent and straightened up, "As long as it's not windy."
Asia and Skye immediately burst into laughter, Asia so much so that she nearly rolled right off the desk she sat upon. It was nice to hear Skye happy again.
"There's a familiar sound, haven't heard it in a while," Agent Monroe said, looking down at Skye with a gentle smile. After what had happened the week before, and Skye being tagged with the SHIELD tracking band, which kept track of her every move.
"Yeah, well, you wouldn't be laughing a whole lot if you were living in Ward's doghouse," Skye said with a sigh, her shoulders drooping slightly "I know he's your friend and all, but he can be a real dick some times." Asia looked up and met Leo's gaze.
"You made the rounds, apologized to us all, too many times if you ask me. What more does he want?" Leo said, offering a sense of comfort.
"Yea, I mean, I love Ward, don't get me wrong," Asia began, "But he can be a stubborn ass. He needs to let it go."
"I mean, I know I lied to you guys, I get it. Trust is the base of a team. But I was trying to protect my... I guess my ex-boyfriend." Skye frowned slightly.
"Hey, we all make mistakes," Leo said, leaning against the table beside him.
"Who cares about your ex-boyfriend?" Asia and Leo both asked at the same time, then both looked at each other, surprised at the synchronization.
Skye stood from her chair and started to pace back and forth, "It's not like I'm comparing Ward to Miles, but at least with Miles, I didn't have to deal with him being a passive-aggressive dick. He'd just say what he was thinking, good or bad. There were no mind games, and certainly no dog house-ing."
Neither Leo nor Asia said a word, letting Skye talk it all out. It was clear she had some pent up frustration over the entire situation. "We were on the same wavelength, you know? He got me."
Asia nodded, "I completely understand that." She wasn't sure she entirely meant it, but she wanted to be sympathetic.
"Yea, yea," Leo added on, "A bit like we do." He glanced over at Asia with a quick smile.
"Totally. You and Simmons are so tight, it's like your minds are linked together," Skye nodded appreciatively.
Asia's smile dropped only slightly, and only for a second. Someone would have been needing to watch her every movement to even catch it. Apparently she had misread what Leo had been saying, which was her own mistake.
"No, you…No. Actually.. I meant As-" Leo began, when suddenly Jemma's voice could be heard moving towards the Lab. The three of them swiveled to face the door she would soon be walking through.
"So, Ward was here? Let me guess, the night-night pistol again? It's always one thing or another. Never pleased, that one." Jemma stated when she entered, typing away at her tablet.
"Yea," Fitz said, suddenly remembering the task at hand, "He thinks the gun is off by an ounce. Literally."
Simmons scoffed and was about to continue on, when Ward reentered the room. The four of them turned to face him, wondering what he could possibly desire now. Asia gave him a small wave from her position on the table. As hard as Ward was on them, and likewise the others on him, Asia still respected the hell out of him, and was grateful for his friendship. She trusted him with practically anything, and especially so with her life.
"Hey, hustle upstairs, bring your packs. We're going on a mission," He said, moving so that he was in a circle with the rest of them. It was hard for everyone to keep a straight face, what with Fitz' impression and the ridiculousness of the ounce request. Ward, as perceptive as he was, of course did not miss this. "Find something funny?" He asked, crossing his arms over his firm chest.
"Oh no, just poor, silly Fitz," Jemma said, picking up the handgun from the table and extending it to Ward. "He left a dummy round in the gun. Should be all good and proper now, no imbalance issues or anything. Try it, you'll see the ounce is gone."
Ward delicately took the gun from her, he always had been very careful with his weapon handling, and shifted the weight in his palm. Suddenly, he jerked it up to look through the sites, as if preparing to shoot. Asia had to bite back a laugh.
"Great. I appreciate it, thanks for taking my request seriously," Ward said after a moment, before turning and exciting the Lab. The four remaining agents turned to one another and burst out laughing. The gun, of course, had not been changed one bit.
Asia was in her room, changing after a brisk shower, when she heard a knock at her door. "Come in," she called out, adjusting the hem of her white tank top to keep it from being too revealing, and pulling her hair up into a high ponytail. She turned, surprised to see Coulson there. She was expecting Fitz or Skye, or possibly even Ward. Those were the three people who usually visited her. "Phil. What can I do for you?"
"I just wanted to check in with you," Phil said, leaning against her doorway, wearing his usual suit attire. "See how things are going."
"Everything is great," Asia replied, looking around her room which now had several of her photos hung upon the wall, and her usual pillows piled on the bed. "Fitz requesting some of my items really helped . I owe him one."
"And have you been feeling comfortable with everyone? Fitting in just fine? I know you've been beating up quite a few innocent punching bags recently," Phil said, raising an eyebrow at her.
Asia shrugged, looping her thumbs through the belt buckles on her SHILED issue combat pants. "Yea, everything is great. I just like to keep up with my fighting routine. It's what Nat and Clint taught me, I don't want to lose their traditions I guess. I owe them a lot really, everything. Not to say I'm not honored to be here," she rushed, "Because I am. 100%. I love the team, and the opportunity. They are just...family."
"I completely understand," Phil replied, "And I know how important family is to you." Of course he knew about her family, her past. He was a senior ranking officer after all. "And," he continued, "I hope you can find that sense of friendship here as well. Oh, that reminds me..." he trailed off, tossing a small package into the air, directly at her face.
With lightning reflexes, Asia snagged the package out of the air. "What's this?"
"Oh, just something Nat sent along. She's terribly upset you could have forgotten it." Coulson winked before exiting the small room.
Asia sat down on the edge of her bed, slowly peeling back the packaging around the small bundle, until two wrist bands were revealed. They appeared much like Natasha's Widow's Bites, but were different. The bands were plain and black, with none of the Widow's modifications. Instead, they had a small trigger which cause knives to protrude from the end of them, long enough that if she were to make a fist, the knife could be used to both stab and slash. They had been a gift from Strike Team Delta about two months prior to her departure, a combat tool that fit in well with Asia' style. Smiling, the agent slipped them over her wrists, comforted by the secured feeling and the sense of home.
Of course, the first person Asia wanted to show her latest tech to was Leo. She rushed down to the Lab once more after she was all suited up-wearing her tight combat pants, boots, and a black long-sleeved V-neck. Her leather jacket, now with a patch on the arm, hanging over one shoulder. "Leo!" She called out, bounding into the Lab, "You'll never guess what-"
"Shh!" She was interrupted, hushed severely by Jemma, who was working once more at moving a liquid from one test tube to another with great concentration.
"Shit, shit, sorry," Asia whispered, sliding quietly past the scientist and moving to the back corner where Leo was tinkering with a weapon. "Hey," she greeted, still in a hushed tone, "I wanted to show you something."
Leo looked up, a soft smile on his face. He had a pair of clear safety glasses perched on his nose, which he took off after setting down the small tools he was using. "Safety first," he joked, indicating the glasses, "Now what was it? Oh I hope it's something good!"
"I think you'll find it appealing enough," she said, before sliding one of her wristlets off and handing it to him, gently slipping it around his own wrist. "Now, I want you to very carefully make a fist, and as you do, apply pressure right here to your palm," she said, grabbing his other hand to indicate the location. "Do it carefully, though. Wouldn't want you hurting yourself." Her tone was teasing, but the message was anything but.
Slowly, Leo did as she had instructed, his eyes widening as the lethally sharp knife shot out of the wristlet, the edge glinting beyond his knuckles. "Jesus Christ, Asia. Bloody...where did this come from?"
"I'll give you ten guesses, but the first nine don't count," The brunette agent teased, leaning forward on the counter in front of her, smiling.
"Well, judging by the, erm, imprint here, that little 'STD' I'm going to take a stab at it and say your old teammates. Get it? take a stab?" Leo joked.
Asia snickered and nodded, "A gift from Nat and Clint. Pretty neat huh?"
"Incredible, really, I'm going to have to take this apart some time. Is that okay? you don't mind that right? I'll put it all back together afterwards," Leo began to ramble.
"Of course that's okay, as long as you put it back together," Asia said with a laugh, "And maybe we can get it put back even better than it was before...think of all the things we could do!"
"Oh, I'm already drawing up plans in my mind!" Leo proclaimed in his beautifully accented voice. Before he could continue on, an announcement was made over the speakers that they were touching down and that they all needed to prepare to deplane. "Erm, how do I get the knife back in?" Leo asked.
"Same way you got it out, just apply a little pressure," Asia explained. Leo did as she instructed and the knife shot back inside of the wristlet, which Leo carefully took off of his arm. Grabbing Asia's small hand in his, he gently fastened the wristlet back around her. "Never know when you're going to need this," he said softly, both of the SHIELD agents acutely aware at their proximity to one another. Asia felt her cheeks tint pink for a second.
"Fitz!" Jemma's call broke the silence between them and Asia jerked away, pulling her hand from his grasp.
"Erm, I better go see what she needs," Fitz muttered, "I'll see ya on the ground, yea?"
"Yea," Asia whispered, "That sounds good to me." She watched him leave, rubbing her hand and wrist where his grasp had just been, but she couldn't seem to make the tickles of electricity disappear.