𝐀𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 | 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐑𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐬

What's Left in the Past

"𝙎𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙡𝙖𝙙𝙮?"

"...𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩."

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

Seren Soul was ashamed to say that being home didn't feel like home anymore. The truth is that she hadn't felt like any place was her home ever since she left New York two years ago. In London, she spent most of her time working and now she was in D.C. to continue doing just that. As her jet was landing, she felt these feelings doubled by the minute. Maybe she needed a break, that's what her director in London had advised her before leaving.

"After we finish this introduction, you need to take a well deserved break before we start this again," Rebeca Hale was cheery with the implications of her words.

Seren wasn't all that happy about it. "Have they said anything else about another team replication?" Long ago, they had discussed the possibility of once again recreating a team in a different country just like she had for London. But that was so long ago and nothing had been set since then.

Rebeca shook her head. "No, but I'm confident that they will once we present the team. After the presentation, though, you will take a break. It's only fair."

Seren sighed in her seat. She wasn't sure how to take the news if it were to actually happen. It was so strange because she'd been so happy — so thrilled — when Rebeca first brought up the fact France wanted to work with them. Two years later today...Seren found herself wary of it.

When the jet finally landed, Seren gathered her immediate bag and started for the door. She thanked the attendant for the care and walked out into fresh air.

"Seren!" she heard Chloe's call almost as soon as she'd stepped out.

Of course. Seren had planned on a surprise early landing but she didn't expect for Chloe to come out and actually meet her. With a wide grin, Seren hurried towards Chloe and hugged her.

"Ooh! Welcome back!" Chloe had Seren in a bone-crushing hug despite the latter being, quite literally, twice as strong.

Seren laughed. "It's good to be back, honestly."

Chloe pulled back from Seren, wearing a grin from ear to ear. "We're going to have so much fun, I swear! Here, let's go downstairs and get you a cab or something." She helped Seren with her bag and then started walking towards the door leading down to Headquarters. "Natasha will pop by later. She got assigned."

"No worries," Seren said, following Chloe into the building. Already she felt the nostalgia for the building when she walked down the hallway. "Place never changes..."

Chloe chuckled. "You would know. I wonder if Fury ever thinks about remodeling or something. I know a thing or two about international interior designs."

Seren couldn't help but laugh thinking how that conversation with Fury would go. It seemed like Chloe was thinking about the same thing, judging by the threatening laugh on her face.

"I missed you, Seren," Chloe said a moment later.

"Seriously? But you always travel anyways," Seren remarked.

"Yeah, but it was always nice knowing that when I came back, you would be here. Kind of like home, you know?"

Seren smiled. "Well, you did have the others. I know you spent most of your time living with Steve. Was it that bad?"

"Course not," Chloe shrugged, "But you're my best friend. It's just different." She bumped shoulders with Seren. "We're going to hang out later, you know that right?" She led Seren into a new hallway.