In the Shadows of Legends - A Winter Widow Story

Chapter Three

"Don't you guys feel like something is missing? It's not adding up for me. I swear they are purposely hiding something from us."

I flipped the pages in front of me for what must have been the hundredth time. I scanned over the pages frustrated that I couldn't find whatever it was. I knew it was there, so close. But just not obvious enough to any one. It reminded me of something. I just couldn't put my finger on it. The connections to Doom felt odd, it didn't make sense. Why was he connected to Hyrda? He always kept to himself.

"I'm sure it's all fine. We've got enough to work off of, it's not like it's a complicated mission. Comparing it to the other files they've given us over the years it's a pretty simple one. In and out, makes sense for a first time mission." James shrugged a took a bite from his sandwich, mayo squirting across his face. He reached up to wipe it away, but missed part of it. Leaving a white streak across his cheek.

We sat on the padded training room floor, lunches next to us. Francis was a couple feet away munching on his chips. Loudly. It technically wasn't against the rules to eat lunch in there, but they didn't love when we did. Had it been against the rules there was no way James would be sitting with us right now. But the lunch room felt crowded and Morgan was really on one today so it was better to slip away and eat somewhere that my presence couldn't make things worse. 

"Ah yeah, they are always gonna give us the best information. Can always trust S.H.I.E.L.D. can't we? They would never do anything to hurt us." 

The blonde looked at the two of us, with his stupid purple glasses on, and rolled his eyes before tossing in another handful of chips. He bit down on them resulting in a loud crunch his chest. and crumbs tumbling to . His words reminded me of my conversation with Dad the night before. Even Dad didn't trust them and he had been an agent for them for over two decades now. 

James looked at Francis and muttered something under his breath that I didn't catch. The two boys were yin and yang. As different as could be. One a stickler for rules and the other ready to break every rule possible. Yet some how they seemed to get along well. For that I was grateful. I don't know what I would do if they didn't get along. 

"I'm not saying we can trust them, but if you really think they are going to purposely give trainees faulty information?"

I sat up straighter, James words echoing through my brain. "Yeah... Actually I do. It's the perfect way to test us isn't it?"

I thumbed through the papers again, begging my eyes to catch onto anything new. But nothing stood out. James leaned foreword and snatched the papers from my hands. He shook his head and tossed the file towards Francis' location. I narrowed my eyes and made to grab it but James grabbed my wrist and pulled me back down.

"Take a break Dash. You've been staring at the same file for days. Relax, okay. It's a trial mission. They aren't sending us out to get captured or die. They want us back. They know who our parents are. I don't think they'd risk it. Especially with yours. And even if they did don't you think you would have found it by now? You've read it a million times by now. If something is missing you won't find it in your files. Hence the missing part. Give it a rest. Maybe if you give you brain a break it will finally catch whatever it is you think you're missing."

"Fine." 

I mumbled the word before I grabbed the remainder of my sandwich and shoved it into my mouth. He was right even if I didn't want to admit it. He usually was. 

"Geeze, I thought Torrun could eat fast, you just shoved half a sandwich down your throat like it was nothin'."

Francis laughed, he had shifted his position and now lay on the ground with his bare feet resting on top of his gym bag. He was tossing and apple up and catching it in his hands. I rolled my eyes and pulled a knife from my thigh. I timed it, waiting for the fruit to begin it's ascent. I threw the knife, the newly sharpened blade cut through the apple with ease just as it hit it's peak in the air. The two halves dropping to Francis' lap, the knife embedding itself into the wall to his left.