Legend's Apprentice

Prep

The next day I went to the tower to start training for Spartan after the session with the accelerator. The bruises from my fight with Wolverine were gone and the cuts healed enough not to draw attention, just faint, pale lines. The training room was surprisingly crowded, so I warmed up, stretched, and joined Natasha at the barre while I waited for my uncle. After a quick hug from Bucky, I got instructions for a weight lifting sequence for the upper body. Natasha offered to spot me, and he was able to move on to the next individual. She was rather surprisingly encouraging as I lifted. I don't know why exactly that surprised me, but it did. I knew she and my aunt didn't get along anymore and she and my uncle were exes, but she kept all that out of her interactions with me. She asked questions about Spartan and laughed when I told her it was an obstacle race.

"Steve would have adored that," she said affectionately.

"Why is that?" I asked, focusing on the barbell. "That's the second time I've heard that."

"Oh, he loved obstacle courses," she said, smiling. "He just really enjoyed challenges and kept making the one we had in Seattle more challenging. He'd have been thrilled to find somebody who actually liked them too. Most of us just tolerated it, but a few actively loathed. He'd have been first at the starting line, encouraging everybody, leading the way, helping where he could."

"Well, the rules say that the elite athletes can't help each other, but that's not us, I'll accept help from my teammates if I need to," I said, racking the bar after my last press.

"But you're going to do your best to make sure you don't need that help," she said knowingly, with a grin. I grinned back.

"You bet. I'd rather be doing the helping." Her grin got a little wistful.

"It's too bad you never got to meet Steve. You're a lot alike."

"Not so much," I disagreed. "You're not going to see me lining up to be a hero."

"There's more than one way to be a hero than pulling on the spandex," she said, then helped me select a weight for my triceps.

After I got done with my list of exercises, Natasha had a few tips for me, then waved at Bucky before she left. He came over, looking a little cross after apparently arguing with Quicksilver about doing more than cardio, and asked me if I'd mind showing somebody how to punch using the heavy bag. I agreed, of course, and followed him over to a nice-looking guy a little older than me.

"Come on, dad," he protested as we approached. "I don't need to hit, that's not my thing. I'm nonviolent." Dad? I covered my shock. I had no idea my uncle had a kid, and it was now over a year now since I'd met him. I couldn't help feeling a little hurt, but covered it and put on my gloves, showing this guy, introduced as Peter, how to punch. Uncle Bucky watched as I observed Peter and made a couple of corrections, then he moved on to other people. After I thought he had the idea, I moved to the next bag over where I could hit and still monitor his progress. He wasn't enthusiastic, but he dutifully complied with Bucky's instructions for another ten minutes before stopping. I didn't really feel like that was much of a workout, but I didn't have authority to say so. He asked for help with his gloves, and I suppressed an eyeroll with difficulty. They stayed on with Velcro tabs, not the latest complicated Stark tech. I ripped open one of my gloves with my teeth and got the tabs on his gloves open quickly. He flushed a little, muttered thanks, and walked away. I put my glove back on and finished another ten minutes before hitting the treadmill, pushing the pace a little. I had Lifetime Sports with Steve and knew he was strong and a good runner; I knew from personal experience that Roger was cut, and his cardio was good because he liked to play basketball, so I had to assume that Rob was the same way. No way was I going to let down the team or be the weak girl. I waved to Bucky when I left.