Stealing Winter

Chapter Six

"I am so sore!" Charlie complained. She twisted her back, sighing in relief when she heard multiple pops and cracks.

"Well you've been flipped at least fifty times today." Clint points out, tossing her a towel. Charlie caught it with a groan, then fell onto a bench to rest.

"Don't remind me already." She said, glaring playfully in his direction. Then, she laughed when a thought popped suddenly into her head. "I haven't had a work out this hard since the fifties. Or any work out, really." Clint stared at her for a bit, then spoke.

"I will never get used to the fact that you and Cap are ninety years old." He said plainly, grabbing a water bottle from seemingly nowhere. Charlie scoffed, scooting over so that Clint could sit comfortably on the bench.

"Excuse you." She crossed her legs and sat up straight. "I'm ninety-seven." She corrected him.

"Yeah, whatever." Clint mumble, taking a long sip from the bottle. He had been on the treadmill during the last ten rounds (which Natasha won). "Your still old." He deadpanned.

"Well to some people, so are you." Charlie commented smoothly. She started tapping her fingers against the bench.

"Captain Rodgers, Mr. Stark would like to see you in the lab." A robotic-like itish-laced voice echoed off the walls. Steve sighed from the other aise of the room. Charlie watched him stretch, admiring the muscles oh his back.

"Thank you, FRIDAY." He said to seemingly no one. Charlie looked around the room in confusion, desperately trying to find whoever had spoken. Steve left the room quickly.

"Who is FRIDAY?" Charlie asked. "There's no one else here 'sides you, me, and Natasha."

"It - sorry, she - is our AI system. Although, she's not as good as JARVIS was."

"I didn't know you AI talked..." Charlie grumbled, even though Clint's explanation left her even more confused. She didn't understand advanced technology well. She leaned back, using the wall for support as she continued to complain.

"How many more time am I going to have to do this?" She whined. Natasha rolled her eyes with a smirk.

"Until you can beat Steve." Charlie held her breath for a moment. And then for another moment. And then for another moment. And then she fainted with a final, unsatisfied;

"Shit"

---two weeks later---

"From what I've heard, you're not making much progress." Travis said, leaning into the doorway of the makeshift kitchen as Charlie began to slurp down her third cup of coffee. She pushed past him to get to the living room, where once she sat down, began shaking involuntarily in her seat.

"Travis, I have to beat Steve Rodgers - The Captain America - in a sparing match. And he isn't going to go easy on me." She set the cup down gently and groaned in frustration, rubbing at her tired eyes. "I'm gonna freaking die!" She whined "At least Natasha and Clint are there to supervise."

"You know..." Travis rubbed the back of his neck, slightly embarrassed. "I'm not all that comfortable with you being pushed so hard in this training. What if your luck runs out, Charlie? What if you become... Un-immortal." Charlie laughed, shaking her head.

"Un-immortal?" Charlie raised an eyebrow, smiled and shook her head. She watched with amusement as Travis' lit up pink. "I'll be fine, Travis. I'm ninety-seven, I think I know how to take care of myself." She finishes off her coffee.

"Do you, Charlie?" Travis crossed his arms. Charlie grabbed her bag from beside the table and stood. She passed him by, patting his cheek affectionately on her way out.