New Mission

Getting Ready

Star's POV

The sun was scheduled to rise at 6:40am so I got up at 5am to get ready - just like I had been trained to by the best S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. It had been a while since I had fought for something good and I was struggling on how to approach it. I had lost my motivation and mentor years ago.

I was staring at my rack of mission appropriate clothes - I still had my old S.H.I.E.L.D. outfit.
"You don't have to wear it." I heard Sharon say from the doorframe to my room "It's not a S.H.I.E.L.D. mission." She hugged me from behind and rested her head on my shoulder.

I was an only child and everybody in my life had died, left or I deliberately pushed them away before they could do either; when I Nick Fury recruited me to join S.H.I.E.L.D. I thought I had finally found a place in the world but then it fell and all my friends scattered to opposite ends of the world or suffered the consequences. I had to call in favours with my not so legitimate friends to stay alive. Turns out a lot of former S.H.I.E.L.D. agents had escaped to Madripoor - I ran into Bobbi and her husband Hunter a few years ago they were on the run from Russian Intelligence. Sharon arrived here after being branded an enemy of the state for helping the same people we were helping today.  That was the first time we had actually met, previously we had only heard of each other in the Triskellion. We helped each other and worked our way up the Madripoor food chain so nobody would mess with us, becoming incredibly close and trusting each other with our lives.

"How about this one?"

"It kind of matches mine."

"You know, that's my 'supervillain look'." I told her looking at the outfit I had used during the times I worked on the wrong side of the law "But, as much I want to hate it - I do look really good in it. Now the question is, what weapons?"
"Just take what you're good at."
"I'm good at everything. Any idea what we're walking into?"
"Nope."
"I'll just take a bit of everything then."

Sharon left to start making breakfast whilst I finished suiting up. As I walked through the living area to the kitchen I saw Bucky doing push-ups and Zemo still asleep on the couch. I couldn't quite believe the Winter Soldier was in my living room - his killing record didn't bother me - after all mine was quite lengthy for 10 times less the amount of time he had been the Winter Soldier. No, what shocked me was the incredibly hot, super soldier, WW2 hero, and avenger doing shirtless push ups in my living room and the fact it bothered me like I was a teenage girl after pushing all emotional attachments away for the past 8 years.

I thought about greeting him but he seemed very focused so I continued to the kitchen and made my coffee whilst thanking Sharon for the food and began eating.
"Mmm, food." Sam said like a zombie clearly awakened by the smell. He had slept in our guest room whilst Bucky offered to sleep in the living room to keep an eye on Zemo.

I returned to the living room where Bucky had now switched to tricep dips and Zemo was now awake.

"Hey, Sharon made breakfast... if you guys eat that sort of thing." The two of them slowly stood up and headed for the kitchen. I stopped Bucky on his way and said "You know, you could've used our gym if you wanted."
"Oh the floor was fine... unless you would've preferred me not to. I just wanted a short warm-up, nothin' fancy."
"Oh no you're fine, just making sure I'm not a bad hostess for leaving you to work out in the living room when there's a fully furnished gym down the hall."
"Don't worry doll, you've been great." He said smiling at me and I actually smiled back. When I looked up the others where staring at us funny "What?" I asked.
"Nothing S, absolutely nothing." Sharon said sipping her coffee "We leave in 15 minutes." She told us all.