Forty minutes after lunch, Jayden found herself sitting at the side of the training room, awaiting the three Avengers to exit the weapons locker. Since they were together again, Steve suggested the team undergo training shortly after lunch. Most of them attempted to wriggle out of it with excuses of wishing to celebrate with Jayden, but they were swiftly road-blocked when she agreed wholly with the captain and wanted to see them in action.
Only Bruce and Tony managed to worm away, with one unwilling to become an angry, semi-uncontrollable beast and the other fleeing the scene, muttering something about suit upgrades. definitely not an excuse.
She swung her legs impatiently. With all the sugar and the excitement of her abilities' freedom, it should come as no surprise to anyone at her inability to sit still. She flexed her fingers, staring at them as though they were separate from her, and relished their constant buzz.
The adults eventually walked into the main room, clad in their workout attire with their varying weapons. Steve's lip curled as he noticed her at the edge of the chair and had them do their own thing, granting her to come up close to whoever she wanted. She chose him, eyes skimming his shield and wondering how it actually worked.
"You can have a go at figuring it out. I've been using it for years, and even I don't know the complete ins and outs." Steve shrugged when she asked him about it.
With her on his heels, he went to the right of the room, where there was an assortment of dummies positioned at various heights and positions. "Maybe it has something to do with how the vibranium curves?"
He threw the shield at the furthest dummy, and it carved through the air as a blur, its sharp rim spinning smoothly. She thought it might cut straight through the dummy's neck, but instead, it ricocheted off its chest and loyally returned to its owner. Steve caught it easily and used the momentum to deliver another throw, this time making the dummy tip over.
"How does it always bounce back to you?" she asked. "It makes no sense."
Steve's eyes glinted with amusement. "That's how it goes. Here."
He handed her the shield, but as soon as he let go, she stumbled, not expecting such a weight from something he so effortlessly carried. She would've fallen over if it weren't for him steadying her by the crook of her elbow. Pressing her lips together, she tightened her grip on the back strap and attempted to hold it up in a defensive position like she saw Steve do, but within twenty seconds, her arm was straining.
"Take it. It's too heavy." She pushed it back to its owner and shook the ache from her arm. "I don't know how you make it look so easy."
"Benefits of super strength."
"I'm supposed to be stronger as well, double stronger, actually."
"Well," he pondered. "Maybe your body hasn't recovered enough from the lab for those benefits to show yet."
"But it's been weeks."
"It takes time. You'll get there eventually."
She huffed, echoing him with a scowl. Even with her abilities, physically, she was as weak as a kitten. Steve repeated his throwing a couple more times before he twisted back to her, a hesitant expression on his face. "Can I ask you some questions about Bucky? Clint mentioned you knew him."
"Um, yeah, sure."
"What was he like around you?"
"Cold. He was just a soldier following orders," she shrugged. "Apart from that one time."
"Yeah, Clint spoke of that as well. Did he say anything to you?"
"No, nothing," she answered, furrowing her brows. "What happened when you saw him?"
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Unforeseen¹
FanfictionJYD2641 had enough. In her seven years, she's only ever known the cruel hands of her doctors, who were determined to make her the next Winter Soldier. All she'd ever known was death, pain, and fear. Instead of a parent's loving embrace, she had the...
