✓ | parted [ ➁ ]

[ chapter two ]

Andi sat beside Wanda at a coffee table. The small cafe they were at was quaint, and out In the open, allowing them a good view of the streets nearby. It was the optimal place to keep an eye on the situation around them, in case things went south. And, of course, this was supposedly where they would find their target. Or some sign of him at least.

For a mission, Andi was dressed relatively normally. This was mainly to blend in. She had been using the suit that Tony made for her for training, but not today. Now, she was dressed in a simple t shirt and a pair of cotton shorts, to allow her to move around easily. She also sported a blue jacket that was not entirely an ordinary jacket. It looked normal from the outside, but the shoulder pads were lined with an empty space for her to store things. Well, small things.

In Andi's case, it held seeds, for the purpose of demonstrating something she had been working on for a while now. And, of course, the jacket had been a gift from Tony so the whole seed idea was his. If she used it today — which would be her first time doing so — Tony wasn't going to be there to see it.

Through the earpiece, Andi heard Steve's voice. "All right. What do you see?"

He was speaking to both Wanda and Andi. As the newest members to this whole dangerous game, this was more a test of what they'd learned through training. Wanda had been on more missions before this, but for Andi it was the first, so she was determined not to mess up.

"Standard beat cops," Wanda answered, idly stirring the coffee in the mug in front of her while she got a better look around. Andi followed her gaze to identify things as Wanda listed them off. "Small station. Quiet street. It's a good target."

"There's an ATM on the south corner," Steve continued. "Which means?"

"Cameras," Andi answered almost immediately, remembering a few sessions of hers with Nat. "And both streets are one way so, compromised escape routes."

"Which means our guy isn't afraid to make a scene or make a mess on the way out," Steve added. "You see that Range Rover halfway up the block?"

Andi vaguely wondered which building Steve was hiding out in, but he obviously had the same view as them.

"The red one?" Andi asked for confirmation before Wanda piped in.

"It's cute."

"It's also bulletproof," This time it was Nat who spoke into Andi's ear. "Which means private security. Which means more guns, which means more headaches for somebody. Probably us."

"Okay, keep your eyes on the target, folks," Steve spoke. "This is our best lead on Rumlow in six months. I don't want to lose him."

"Huh," Andi recognised Sam's voice through the earpiece. He was likely stationed up high somewhere. "If he sees us coming, that won't be a problem. He hates our guts."

There was a bit of silence for a few moments before Steve spoke again. "Sam, see that garbage truck?" This time, Andi couldn't see what Steve was talking about so it must be further down the road, where a building blocked her view. "Tag it."