Begin Again | Sam Wilson

Chapter Seven

It took Brianna hours to calm down from the mission. Luckily, she had an entire plane ride to DC for that. It had been successful and no one got hurt. That was all that mattered. However, it was different than anything she had ever faced before. Sure, she had faced danger greater than that. She had fought an AI as well as a giant purple alien and his army. It didn't get much worse than that. General Richardson had been right. Everyone was just so normal. No special abilities or powers. Maybe that was what scared her. They weren't as well protected as the Avengers.

Her t shirt was covered in sweat and dirt making her desperate for a shower. She didn't even want to know the state of her hair. She was happy when she was finally able to remove the vest and helmet. That helped with the heat. She just wanted to go home and get some sleep, but they had been informed by Blane that the General wished to see them before they were free to go. Brianna tried not to groan when she found this out.

"I know you're both tired," the General spoke as they met him inside of his office. "I just wanted a chance to speak with the both of you."

"We're fine, sir." Sam said and Brianna shot him a look. He may have been fine, but she was tired and hungry.

"I'll make this quick. Everyone was quite impressed with you both, especially how Agent Barton handled the situation with the boy. We would like to extend the trial to a month, if you're both okay with that. After that month, we'll go from there."

"That sounds great to us." Sam said while Bri nodded in agreement.

"The only thing is that I just want you, Agent Barton, to spend one day training with us. Just so you know the basics. It won't be anything crazy. We'll have you ride in one of our F-15s to see how to handle it. A trained pilot will of course accompany you. Maybe go over a few emergency situations so you know what to do. Test your agility." He explained.

"I can do that. Just let me know when."
She told him.

"I will. Now go get home. Get some rest. A shower would help too. You both smell terrible." He joked.

Brianna half smiled at him before following Sam out of the room. "I'm hungry."

"Hungry?" He asked. "You're going to have to be a little more specific than that."

"Meaning; I want food. Just stop at a drive thru somewhere. I'll pay." She told him.

"You know, you get cranky when you haven't slept or ate." He said as they got inside his car.

"I know."

It was the middle of the day which was good for them. It gave them a plethora of options. They settled with McDonald's since it had the smallest line.

"You know, you did good with the mission." Sam admitted as he took a sip of his soda.

"Yeah?" She asked and settled into the seat, trying not to smile proudly. "I was definitely out of my element."

"You could hardly tell. It'll get easier the more accustomed you become. Besides, I'll be there to help you if you need it."

"I guess I should thank you."

"Thank you?" He asked confused.

"For thinking of me for this. It's been a welcomed distraction." She admitted.

Sam gave her a half smile. "I thought you said you were fine? Why would you need a distraction?"

"I am fine." She lied. "It's just been...I hate you."

He chuckled. They drove the rest of the way to his house enjoying their meals. Her body felt even more tired, if that was even possible, as she climbed up the stairs. Just as she was about to walk into the guest room where she had stayed the night before, a familiar leather bag caught her attention in another room. Steve's shield. Well, now it belonged to Sam. She stared at it for a half second before she noticed Sam watching her.