Saccharine

Chapter 3: Slow Start

Today Eryn was told to come in along with some of her peers for a briefing. After she was told that she was to be relocated to the Avengers Tower to continue her "babysitting." A task Eryn was far from happy about having. She made sure to arrive early before the briefing to appease Fury. In honesty Eryn had forced herself awake hours earlier then what she planned. Not knowing what to do with herself, Eryn made her way to the mess hall for a pick-me-up in hopes caffeine would stop her yawning. She needed a little extra dose of energy. After acquiring a cup of coffee, Eryn was summoned over to a table where Agents Romanoff and Barton were occupying. Dread, an all knowing and familiar response filled her as she made her way over to the pair.

The two were very well known in their line of work, Eryn knew of them well, and occasionally spoke to them when she needed to be corrected somehow. "You're on the field now?" Asked the stunning redhead. Eryn shook her head. "Not...really I'm still on the ground. Fury doesn't trust me yet." Eryn answered, standing awkwardly."Well you haven't given him a reason to trust you yet." Barton said, earning a small elbow jab from Natasha Eryn and smiled nervously. He was indeed right. Though Fury was reluctant to give her any opportunity. "He put me on security, as some sort of way to prove something. I'm a bit confused by it." Eyebrows raised at her. She could feel herself shrinking under their disbelief. She felt like a walking awkward billboard of incapability to them."That's a bit of a step up, are you sure you can handle it?" The question stung her a bit. Was she really that dense not to be able to handle something as little as the babysitting she was told to do? Was she really that hopeless to them. "Oh yeah, I'm sure I can." Eryn said, walking away from the table.

The two were very well known in their line of work, Eryn knew of them well, and occasionally spoke to them when she needed to be corrected somehow. "You're on the field now?" Asked the stunning redhead. Eryn shook her head. "Not...really I'm still on the ground. Fury doesn't trust me yet." Eryn answered, standing awkwardly."Well you haven't given him a reason to trust you yet." Barton said, earning a small elbow jab from Natasha Eryn and smiled nervously. He was indeed right. Though Fury was reluctant to give her any opportunity. "He put me on security, as some sort of way to prove something. I'm a bit confused by it." Eyebrows raised at her. She could feel herself shrinking under their disbelief. She felt like a walking awkward billboard of incapability to them."That's a bit of a step up, are you sure you can handle it?" The question stung her a bit. Was she really that dense not to be able to handle something as little as the babysitting she was told to do? Was she really that hopeless to them. "Oh yeah, I'm sure I can." Eryn said, walking away from the table.

They had never seen her in action, there was no action she was trusted to be in. When New York happened, Eryn was sent home. Home of all places. That's how much her agency trusted her. Eryn could have helped, she wanted to help, her parents were ashamed she didn't help. They hid it from her, hid it in hushed whispers as appeared on their porch while the news blasted about the city's perial. Talk about embarrassing.

Eryn stowed away outside the compound, downing the coffee. She took a seat at a bench most of her peers would use at lunch. Thoughts of scrambling as they often did when Eryn began the dance of doubt.She knew deep down she wasn't fit to be at the agency, but when others showed their doubt in her too attached her, the dejection. What was she doing there, what to be constantly belittled silently about her worth to her job, or to bask in the glow of the praise of her parents, praise she knew she could care less about.

 "You look like you're down." a voice spun her back to reality. Looking up was a surprise. Eryn felt flustered to see S.H.I.E.L.Ds poster child Steve Rodgers. Eryn wasn't sure how to address the situation. She simply nodded as words seemed to be stuck in her throat. "May i join you?" he asked with a polite smile. Eryn scootched to the end of the bench, noticing she was in the middle.Her mind was screaming at her to act cool as he took a seat. "I don't think we've properly met, though I haven't actually properly met anyone," Her voice was emitting heaps of awkwardness." "You were the agent that came in late. Hence was it?" Eryn gave a small nod. "I'm hardly an agent, my name is Eryn." The man offered her a hand, Eryn offered her own. He shook it frimley.