Valor ↠ Prequel [0] ✓

07 | As If!

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VALOR
vii. AS IF!

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  THE END WAS NEAR, and surprisingly, Riley was more okay with it than she wanted to admit.

  It was bittersweet for her to think about. S.H.I.E.L.D. was all Riley had for... forever, actually. They had taken her in when she had nothing, raising her and shaping her as a person all of this time. But S.H.I.E.L.D. was never her home.

  Riley didn't know much about homes, but she knew that home was somewhere you felt relaxed, comfortable, welcomed. Riley never felt that way when it came to S.H.I.E.L.D. They always made her feel anxious, uneasy, even scared. Now that Riley was finally wrapping her head around the situation at hand, she was also realizing where her true home was. Riley's home wasn't S.H.I.E.L.D., it was her village. It might be small and dysfunctional, but her village made her feel like she was at home. That was all Riley could ask for. Maybe that was why she was so okay with the untimely downfall of S.H.I.E.L.D.

  Maria Hill led Riley, Sam Wilson, and Steve Rogers to the Triskelion for the last time. Riley had to keep reminding herself that it was going to be okay, that the Triskelion was HYDRA's home, not her's. It didn't mean anything to Riley anymore.

  Riley strode beside Steve, adorned in her dirtied white suit while he wore his World War II uniform that was usually on display in his museum exhibit. Riley found herself smiling at the sight of it, imagining what it was like to see Captain America during his golden years.

  "I like the suit," Riley lightly mentioned, which was true, but in her opinion, Riley thought that suit did nothing for his ass.

  The corners of Steve's lips twitched subtly. His mind was cloudy with thoughts about Bucky, but he appreciated the fact that Riley was trying to distract him from that. Even on his darkest days, Riley tried to embody the sun.

  "Thanks," he replied. "Though I'm still not sure if it's considered stealing if it was mine in the first place."

  Riley chuckled and glanced up at the others, seeing that they were further ahead. This was one of the few moments Riley got to be alone with Steve. She and Steve were always with Natasha these past few months, making them a trio; but Natasha was away busily fulfilling another part of the plan with the Council.

  "I hope this goes fast," confessed Riley. "I have an essay due tonight." Steve shot her a bewildered glance, causing Riley to realize that he didn't know she was still in school. "What, just 'cause I'm always working doesn't mean I can't be in college!" Riley prided herself on her ability to multitask her way through life. She had graduated at a high school level at 10-years-old, took a gap year, and then resumed her education as a student at Columbia University at 11, just before she turned 12. Riley also prided herself on being a Biochemistry major at such a young age.