A\N: I apologize for the slow beginning, I promise next chapter will be much better!
Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel Comics or any of their characters except my own!
"Iced green tea for Lisa."
Annalesia shook her news paper and folded her right leg over the left. The serene hum of the leisured coffee shop alleviated her nerves and aided her relaxation. She gazed at her surroundings dully before settling her eggplant colored eyes upon a middle aged man ordering his coffee.
He was fairly tall and rather pale with dirty blonde hair that looked ruffled from sleep. He wiped the sweat from his brow as he talked to the barista. He kept shifting his weight from one foot to the next. He kept his hands close to his chest and she watched him cracked his knuckles, trying to figure out what he wanted to eat. He continued to do so, even after all the joints had been sufficiently popped. Her head tilted to the right as she observed his anxious tendency. She eyed his shoulders flexing as the cashier asked him to recur himself. His eyes closed a moment longer than blinking and he took a breath before repeating his order.
"Anger issues; insomnia, maybe?" Anna whispered under her breath as he shuffled away from the counter and sat down three tables away from her. She watched his left foot impatiently tapping while waiting for his food. When her eyes traveled back up to his face, he was staring at her. I got caught. His eyebrows were furrowed and he gave a spiteful look.
"What are you looking at?" he sneered. Anna noticed him clenching and unclenching his fists. "Mind your own business." She unfolded her legs and refolded them, left over right.
"Oh, I'm sorry, sir, I didn't mean to stare." She easily put on a surprised, regretful face, dramatically placing a hand over her heart. "I was just wondering what brand your shoes were; do they happen to be Kenneth Cole?" His entire personality seemed to change as Anna pointed to his footwear.
"Actually, I think they are." He mused, now relaxed and completely calm. Bipolar disorder.
"I was thinking about buying my boyfriend some for his birthday," Anna lied easliy. "How do you like them?"
"Good enough," He offered before being called away by the employee to gather his purchases. He then hustled out the door.
"Geez," She sighed. "Don't people say goodbye anymore?"
"I do. I also try to always say hello too." She folded her newspaper and placed it on the table.
"Good morning." Anna greeted the man across from her with quirked brows. "I haven't seen you in a while, Phil."
"How have you been doing, Anna?" Phil smiled softly.
"I've been good. Yourself?" She scooted her chair closer to the table and placed her hands in her lap.
"Good, good." He opened his mouth to say something, but she cut him off.
"Phil, cut to the chase. I know you aren't here to idly chat," She peeked at him over her reading glasses. "You know how simple it is for me to read you. Sweating, averted eyes, adjusting tie, licking lips; you're tense."
"Should've known I couldn't outsmart you," He laughed dryly. "We," He paused. "SHEILD," he corrected. "Needs you to come in," Her eyebrows rose and she instinctively leaned forward.
"How can I be of use to you?" Anna didn't understand why they would need her in the first place. "Do I need to strip down the mental physique of some poor soul in order for SHEILD to get the information they require?" She leaned back in her chair and folded her arms.
"No, you're more of a precaution for us this time," He informed her. "Your other skills, on the other hand, might be useful in one way or another, but we only need you for one duty this time," He tilted his head and clasped his hands on the table. "One of your former clients will be helping us this time and you know how to handle his-"
"What is SHIELD doing that is so important that they needed to take Bruce out of the stable life that he had created for himself?" Anna sighed and ran a hand through her bistre colored hair. "And he wasn't a client, Phil, he was a friend. Plus, it's been years since I've seen him!" She defended hurriedly. "You should just leave him alone." She bit her lip and looked down at her hands before returning her gaze to his. "He's probably changed too. I'm afraid I won't be able to help," She looked to her left, out the window.
"I didn't think bringing him up would make you so defensive," Phil laughed. "I didn't even get a chance to explain the mission to you before you went off." He smiled warmly at her. "You talk so fast whenever he's the subject. Plus, he hasn't really changed much to my knowledge."
"Well, it's not like we parted on the best terms, Phil. Also, it's kind of difficult to decide something that was just thrown at you," Anna retorted rudely. She paused and regretted her words. "I'm sorry, Phil. I shouldn't shoot the messenger, I just… don't know." The two of them kept quiet for a while.
"Anna," Phil began softly, awkwardly reaching across the table to pat her hand, "The world is in danger and SHIELD needs your help to keep it safe." She sighed and rubbed her eyes, glancing away tiredly. She considered her options for a moment and then stared back at him.
"When do we leave?"
A\N: I hope you liked it!