Avengers Generations

Chapter 13

Charity's arms ached from the previous day's physical education as she trudged back to the training hall. She could feel muscles she didn't even know she had groaning in pain. It probably hadn't helped that she had stayed up for hours last night playing her new cello - compliments of S.H.I.E.L.D.. She had known her arms needed a rest, but playing transported her out of this crazy new reality back to her old, perfect life... and to Peter.

Her steps echoed down the metal hall as she pursed her lips, thinking about her boyfriend. She thought about his smile, and the way he had kissed her in the rain, and the way he had tried to save her, and the way he had fallen and hit his head... and she thought about how she wasn't even sure if he was alive or-

"No." She said aloud, shaking her head and trying to get rid of the thought. She couldn't think about that now.

"No?" Said a voice behind her curiously.

Charity whirled around, but didn't see anyone in the hall with her. "Wha-?" She turned back.

"No what?" Fenrir asked, standing in front of her with his head cocked to the side. His dark brown hair fell lightly into his sparkling, curious eyes.

"Uh-" Charity stuttered "I, um, did you...?" She pointed behind with her thumb, and then at Fenrir with her index, not sure what to say.

Fenrir smiled slightly at her, amused. "My name is Fenrir." He said, putting a hand to his heart and bowing a bit.

Charity raised her eyebrows in pleasant surprise and did an awkward little curtsy back. "Charity."

"Charity," Fenrir said "May I walk with you to the training hall?"

Charity's smile faded with guilt as she realized he was flirting with her- and she had been going along with it. She opened her mouth a few times before she could think of what to say. "I suppose so." Was all she could come up with.

Fenrir nodded, and they walked together through the metal halls and passed doors. Charity wanted to say something- but what? She didn't have any questions to ask him that she herself would want to answer, so they walked in silence.

Eventually they reached the PE hall: a gigantic, multiple story metal room with windows around the ground level. Yesterday, Charity had hoped for a round of dodgeball or something, but instead they had some sort of punching-training. Needless to say, this wasn't everyone's favorite place to be - not even Peggy's, even though she hadn't broken a sweat while hitting the practically-solid punching bags.

Charity broke away from Fenrir to step more quickly into the room where Agent Sharon Rogers greeted her with a smile. Peggy and Einmyria were also in the room - avoiding each other as usual - and William followed Fenrir in, watching him closely.

Agent Rogers looked up from her watch. "Tori, Anthony, and Jake are late." She said, not in the least surprised. She muttered something to a guard, and he walked briskly out of the room.

Fenrir made his way over to Einmyria, still followed by William - who was asking him a lot of questions. Charity couldn't hear what he was saying, but whatever it was, it seemed to agitate Fenrir.

"Today," Sharon said with a smile "We'll be practicing our intangibility."

"Oh, we're intangible now?" Tori smirked as she walked in, tailed be her partners-in-crime.

"If you were, that would make my job a lot simpler." Sharon responded, walking out of the room.

"Wait, where are you going?" Charity asked as Agent Rogers closed the glass door.

"To watch" she mouthed back.

One of the guards handed the Agent a tablet, and she nodded a thanks.

"...what's she doing?" Peggy muttered to Jake, and everyone seemed to wonder the same thing.

"Um... Guys?" Anthony said, tapping Tori's shoulder and staring at something high in the wall. Charity followed his gaze to see a row of guns coming out like cannons on an old pirate ship.

There was a whirring sound that grew louder and higher until the first gun fired. Charity gave a little shriek as she was hit, and Tori cussed as she ran over to her.

"Oh god, you're shot!" The ginger said, taking a step back in horror.

Charity looked down at her chest- sure enough, red fluid covered the front of her uniform. The spot hurt, but not terribly... "Wait..." She said "It's..."

"Paintball!" Jake called as he gracefully dodged a blue missile "It's just paint!"

"What is- paintball?" Einmyria questioned with her brow furrowed. She glanced around her, and received a splash of green on her cheek. "Ah." She said, retaining her dignity "I see."

Paintballs flew everywhere, and the group tried to dodge them as best they could by jumping, ducking, and sidestepping. Fenrir laughed as he dodged them almost unnaturally- Charity thought paint must move at his will, but she couldn't be sure as she dodged the attacks herself.

Einmyria gasped and put her hands up to shield her eyes as she crouched to avoid the pelts.

"Don't stay in one place, idiot!" Tori yelled at her as they were both splattered with pink.

"Actually, it's a pretty good strategy." Anthony informed her as he examined the wall "But crouching here would be smarter." He ran to the corner, and smiled when no paint hit him.

"He's found a safe zone!" Tori said, beckoning the group over "Come on!"

Everyone ran to the Starks and piled in the corner. Charity knew she was on top of Tori, but she wasn't sure who was touching her butt, or who's nose was smashed into her side.

The guns powered down and Agent Rogers stepped back in, clapping and laughing a little. "Well done!" She said "Extra points to Fenrir, Jake, and especially Anthony."

Charity glanced at Jake, wondering why he had been added to the list. He only had a few splotches of paint on himself, so he had apparently done fairly well... But then she noticed Peggy, who didn't have a spot. Charity smiled at how cute that was- but then realized that Jake must be very talented to have been able to block all that paint and still be cleaner than the majority.

Sharon began explaining how to properly avoid the paintballs, jumping gracefully from side to side to demonstrate. As she was talking, Charity glanced behind and saw William- who looked pretty shaken. He must have really been stressed by the exercise, because his eyes were wide and he was breathing slowly and deeply. She wondered if he had anxiety issues- that's what it looked like.

Charity returned to reality just in time to hear Sharon say "Again!" And leave the room. "Great." She mumbled, watching different guns pop out of the wall - probably so the kids couldn't dog-pile in the corner again.

"No, no, no..." William muttered, turning toward the door "Not again... I can't do this again, please!"

Charity wasn't sure what to do- the kid was obviously really stressed by the whole situation... She wanted to stop the exercise and reason with the agent, but she didn't have a chance. As Sharon was involved in her control-tablet, Agent Coulson walked quickly up to her and whispered something to her with a grave face. Agent Rogers looked like a marionette who's strings had just been pulled upward, and all the color in her face disappeared as Coulson opened the training room door.

"Phil, they're not ready!" Sharon called after them "They can't..." She looked at Peggy with concern.

"We don't have a choice, Rogers." He said solemnly - and angrily, which wasn't like him.

"What...?" Tori asked, biting her lip nervously. All the kids looked at the agents expectantly.

Phil drew a deep breath and looked at Charity directly. His gaze was sorrowful, and Charity could see an ocean of emotion behind his eyes.

"It's the Ten Rings." He said swallowing "They bombed Portland."