Valor ↠ Prequel [0] ✓

16 | Valor

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VALOR
xvi. VALOR

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   THE 2012 BATTLE OF New York was the first fight that truly traumatized 11-year-old Riley O'Dair. She didn't remember much of it, but somehow, that was worse than remembering everything. The dark spots in her memories forced her brain to yearn for the pieces to be put together, like a big jigsaw puzzle. All she remembered was the fighting, the ugly ass Chitauri aliens, and the pain that came afterward — both, physically and emotionally.

   Shortly after Phil Coulson's death, Steve Rogers and Tony Stark managed to discover that Loki had his followers set up the Tesseract on the Stark Tower. It was time for everyone to get suited up, including a newly rescued Clint Barton, and fight for the safety of the planet. There was just one minor catch.

   Riley had been in her room, processing Phil's death, when Steve went knocking on her door. She had tried to force herself to cry, but all she could feel was blind anger. Instead, she had been alone and filled with frustration that she didn't know how to deal with.

   She furrowed her eyebrows together after Steve told her to suit up. Riley found herself more concerned about something else that didn't involve fighting Loki. "So..." she began, "we're not telling Fury about the Tesseract's location?"

   Steve hadn't been anticipating her response. After everything, Riley was still prepared to be Fury's loyal dog? "I think you're the last person I'd expect to advocate for Fury right now," admitted Steve.

   Riley shook her head. "Fury's annoying, but he's not totally awful. Besides, I'm not advocating," she corrected. "Just curious. Aren't you the guy who's been yapping on and on about teamwork and being united for the past few days?"

   Steve wasn't sure how to reply. He could sense her hostility from miles away. Maybe he needed to be gentler, more sympathetic. "You lost a soldier today. If you're not ready to head into battle today, I understand. You're too young to fight in wars," Steve said.

   Riley's eyebrow cocked upward, her frustration boiling in her veins. "You know, Cap, you're no better than the rest of us," Riley declared. "You're just like me. Cursed with a gift that got you somewhere you weren't planning. And, by the way, we're not soldiers. We're just people trying to make things right in a world that makes no sense. Phil had a choice to be here and he died because of that choice. I might be upset about it, but don't talk to me like I'm a kid because of my age, Steve. I've seen more than half of the people here combined."

   Steve hesitated. She had a point. He knew she did, but he couldn't bring himself to look past the fact that she was a child. She wasn't even a teenager yet, after all. But nonetheless, she had a point.