USAgent pulled the trigger. He watched as Alex's chest seemed to explode with lightning and Nick stumbled back, surprised. So that was what Godkiller did to an actual god. With the flash still seared on his eye, Nick lifted his hand to rip out his ear piece and cut his comm and gps connection with S.H.I.E.L.D. This was it, everything he'd worked up to without knowing how it would play out, what the pay off would be. He still didn't know.
When his vision cleared, Nick dropped to his knees beside the kid's body. He was still breathing, but not for long. There were a thousand things Nick wanted to say now that no one was listening but Alex, but there was no time and the words wouldn't come. He touched his arm and bent close to mutter a phrase only Alex would understand, their code phrase, to prove that he was Nick and everything that could possibly mean.
The words seemed wrong now, given that the kid was dying. He added, "I'm sorry kid. It had to be this way?" What should have been a reassurance came out as a question, but Nick didn't have time to wait for the answer. He had to run before anyone tried to apprehend him, and so he rose to his feet and leaped off the scaffolding to disappear into the night.