Nomad | Hawkeye FF ✓

FOR PETE SAKE CHILD

Sophie struggles with trust, and has a tendency to act like a witch towards individuals she first meets. Then, after, she grows fond of whomever she allows in. I find that trait of hers is like a built-in defensive wall she creates for herself. I'm noticing this as I go back in my memory and compare our first encounter to how things are now.
-Evaluation Notes, Owner, Unknown.

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    "PROFESSOR," Sophie began, brush in hand, her yellow bath towel wrapped snugly against her damp skin. The room was still warm from her morning shower and she bathed in the feeling. "I'm fine. There's no need to worry over petty things that don't need to be worried about."

    "You are a student at my school. I worry about all my students, and that includes you, my dear." Sophie rolled her eyes and bit her tongue. She leaned forward to wipe her hand across the foggy mirror in the bathroom, before plainly beginning to state her opinion. 

    "But Professor—"

    "There will be no 'buts,' young lady, what's done is done. I gave you a leave because I trusted your instincts, and knew if anyone would get some information tied to your family's abduction, it'd be you. Don't abuse my charity." 

    Sophie had paused midway as she combed her wet hair. There were rare times in her life when she came across someone who trusted her wacky tactics, and Professor Charles seemed to have been one of those extraordinary individuals. 

    She breathed deeply, gazing at her phone on the sink that was on speaker the whole time, and carried on combing her hair. "Yes, Professor," she muttered.

    "And for pete's sake child, call me Charles."

    "Yes, Charles," Sophie said. The gesture brought a renewed ease to her voice and a smile to her face that drew her lips higher. The special friendship that they shared was no doubt the reason for that little smile. The new glee twinkled in her eyes, twitched down to her phone that was flashing another incoming call on her screen. Agent Hill's picture had popped up next to the message. Sophie's ecstatic heart did a little leap of delight and fear at the same time.

    Two days since the Avengers' departure, Sophie had been a highly strung ball of anxiety. Waiting, wondering, and worrying. She waited for the Avengers return, wondered how things were going, if they had anything of use to her, and worst of them all... 

    Sophie was terribly worried that they had nothing to bring back with them, nothing to give her, nothing that would bring her only a little closer to her family's abductor.

    "Uh, Charles, I have to go."

    "Is something wrong?" 

    "Uh, I'ya ..." Sophie tried hard not to yell in her impatience. "...no Pro-Charles, nothing is wrong, just one of the SHIELD agents are here to show me around the place."

    "Oh, alright then. Goodbye."

    "Goodbye." Sophie had no explanation as to why she had just lied to one of the few people she trusted and, alarmingly, cared for. She shook off the strange feeling it left, and clicked on Agent Hill's call. "Do you have something? Are they back?"

    "Isn't it 'hello,' first?" Maria asked.

    Sophie internally grumbled as she heard the hint of a smirk in the agent's tone. "Hill."  

    "Yeah, yeah. Yes, they're back. But Fury wants their mission report as soon as they get here, and they're all gonna be debriefed in his office, too. I'd get here before the party starts," Maria suggested.