Chapter Two; here we go!
Disclaimer: I do not nor will I ever own any of characters depicted below that you may recognize...they belong to forces higher then me, and I respect them and applaud them for their beautiful creations.
"What is this?!"
Steve shot the men and women assembled around the conference room a tight smile. Maddie had been around for two days, and already Natasha's words had proven true. Since Maddie and Steve had gotten drunk together and then Maddie had woken up to find herself the only one with a hangover, she'd been furious with him. Up to this point, he had kept himself from having to deal with her. He shouldn't be...but he wasn't exactly certain how to act around her. So he avoided her. But apparently his luck had just run out. The chair Steve was sitting in squeaked as he turned his tight smile onto the doorway, where Madison Sinclair stood, breathing heavily. "What is what, Sinclair?"
Maddie's eyes narrowed dangerously, and she marched into the room and thrust the piece of paper underneath Steve's nose. "THIS." She hissed. "What kind of sick joke is this?"
Steve leaned back to read the form, and then he sighed. He'd been afraid of this reaction…which is why he'd made Tasha give it to her.
"That's your schedule." He said slowly.
"Duh, Captain Obvious." Maddie rolled her eyes. "But why is there SCIENCE on it? And also," Maddie poked the paper so hard she ripped it. "EXERCISE?"
"You're new to all of this," Steve said patiently, shooting the group he'd been meeting with an apologetic look. "We,"
"You mean YOU," Maddie interrupted.
"Fine." Steve shrugged. "I," He stressed, "believed it would be best if you spent time learning about all of the aspects of the center, and of being an Avenger, science included. If you had bothered to look, both Wanda and Pietro have similar schedules,"
"Yes, but THEY want to be here." Maddie interjected angrily.
Steve pushed his chair back and stood. "You wanted to be here two days ago."
"Yeah, when I thought this was going to be a wham, bam, thank you Cap, kinda thing!" Maddie threw her hands up in exasperation, and Steve winced internally.
"I'm not a team player, I'm allergic to heroics, and don't get me started on SCIENCE!"
"I'm not giving you a pass." Steve interrupted. He crossed his arms. "Science stays."
Maddie stopped ranting to consider Steve's words. She could tell he was serious, and she wasn't one to beat a dead horse. She wasn't some dumb teenager.
"Well. What about the EXERCISE?" Maddie crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow.
"Exercise is good for you." Steve shook his head.
"Eggs as sides, are good." Maddie corrected. "EXERCISE is bad for me."
"I'm not changing that either." Steve shrugged apologetically, and Maddie growled.
"Why not?"
Steve smiled as Maddie fidgeted. "Because I don't want to." He said simply.
Maddie snarled. "You're an old fart." She whirled around, intent on making a dramatic exit.
"Oh yes." Steve retorted dryly. "Insult me. Surely that'll work in getting you what you want."
Maddie threw the conference room door open, turning for one last parting shot.
"Don't be surprised if the next time you choose to use the facilities all of the toilet paper is mysteriously missing!" She warned, slamming the door shut behind her.
Steve shook his head wryly. "Sorry about that" he apologized to the group.
"No worries." One of the men grinned. "That was vastly entertaining.
"But was her threat a real one?" A woman mused.
Steve snorted. "She wouldn't dare."
"SINCLAIR!"
Maddie, seated between Pietro and Wanda, diligently taking notes on the lecture Tasha was subjecting the three of them two, smiled mischievously.
"Do I want to know?" Tasha asked, smirking.
"Do you?" Maddie asked slyly.
Tasha tilted her head…. then she shook it, quickly continuing in her lecture.
Underneath the table Pietro and Maddie fist bumped, and Wanda, agreeing with Tasha, shook her head.
She didn't want to know either.
"Alright. Laps." Steve strode into the lab, interrupting Helen and Selvig as they argued with each other, leaning over Maddie's shoulder and glaring at the notes she'd taken.
Maddie looked up, eyebrow raised. "Aw darn. Better suit up, Selvig, looks like spangles wants you to run laps."
Steve crossed his arms. "No. I want you to run laps."
"Is this because I stole all your toilet paper?" She guessed shrewdly.
Steve blinked.
"Because, in all fairness," Maddie continued, tapping her chin with her pencil. "I did warn you."
"Sinclair." Steve said slowly. "Laps. Now."
Maddie crossed her arms. "You want me to run laps?" She inferred.
Steve nodded.
"Right now?" She asked.
Steve nodded again.
"How many?" Maddie questioned.
"How many laps?" Steve thought for a moment. "How old are you?"
"22." Maddie answered promptly.
"Your age multiplied three times."
Maddie shook her head. "My age multiplied three times plus three." She bartered.
Steve frowned. "That's 69 laps."
Erik snorted. When Steve shot him a look, Erik just shook his head. Steve turned back to Maddie. "Fine Sinclair. Your age times three plus three."
Maddie smiled. "That's my punishment?"
Steve frowned at Maddie's smile. "Yes?" He said slowly.
"And then we're even?" She added shrewdly.
Steve felt like he was being manipulated…but he couldn't tell how. He nodded slowly…VERY slowly.
Maddie grinned.
"I get out of science, the most horrifying thing in the entire universe….in order to do 69 laps, which is 17 miles, give or take a lap…" Maddie nodded. "For the former high school cross country star, I think I'll be able to handle it!" Maddie jumped up from the table." Thanks, Spangles, you're the best!" She gave Steve a giant hug as she left. Erik and Helen began to laugh the moment Maddie disappeared, laughing harder at the look on Steve's face.
"What just happened?" Steve asked, bewildered.
Helen and Erik just kept laughing.
"Wait….there!"
"And…Again!"
"3…2….HAH!"
"This seriously never gets old…THERE!"
Steve, Tasha, and Wanda, discussing training ideas, paused as they saw Falcon, Rhodey, and Vision looking out one of the windows all with vague amusement.
"What's going on?" Steve joined the group at the window, and Sam beamed and pointed. Steve followed Sam's finger to find Maddie, wearing the black nike's she always wore along with dark skinny jeans and a gray hoodie, an angry look on her face.
"She didn't change into running clothes?" Tasha asked bemused.
"She looks angry." Wanda bit her lip.
"Good." Steve said firmly.
"You haven't even seen the best part." Rhodey and Sam turned back to the window, and after a moment, Steve did the same.
Maddie ran the perimeter of the building easily, her strides long and her elbows bent close to her sides. But her fists were clenched tightly. After a moment, a gust of wind rushed past her, throwing her off balance and against the side of the building. Maddie's eyes narrowed and she mumbled angrily under her breathe, moving to continue her lap. Not even two seconds later, the gust of wind returned, throwing Maddie off balance once more, darkening Maddie's expression even further.
"Pietro." Steve said after a moment. "That's brilliant."
"That's not nice." Wanda's brow furrowed.
"But it's funny." Sam grinned, and catching Rhodey's eye, the two beginning to laugh uproariously.
"Maddie will be forced to seek revenge," Tasha warned.
"Yeah…if she can catch him." Sam and Rhodey began to laugh again.
"Oh," Tasha leaned to one side to catch sight of Maddie, her smile widening. "I don't think that'll be a problem."
Everyone turned to the window to see Maddie frozen mid-run, one foot planted on the ground, the other half-lifted, her arms raised. Her eyebrows furrowed, and the gust of wind passed her once….then twice, not noticing that Maddie hadn't moved. Steve's eyebrows raised as he realized Pietro probably didn't a notice a difference between what she was doing now and when she'd actually been running, what with how fast he'd been going. After Pietro's third time running around a frozen Maddie, Maddie suddenly burst into motion, her feet flying as she ran as fast as she could, allowing Pietro to pass her two more times before she stepped quickly to the left.
Pietro continued his laps, oblivious to the fact that Maddie had disappeared.
"Now what?" Vision asked, bemused.
The rest of the group stayed silent, wondering the same thing.
Suddenly, Maddie jumped out of her hiding place, timing it exactly right…so that when Pietro reappeared for his next lap, she rammed right into him, throwing him off balance…and to the ground.
"Ooohhh!" Sam and Rhodey winced in sympathy, but Steve's eyes widened.
"Clever." Tasha nodded, impressed.
Wanda laughed, loudly. The group turned to her, and she shrugged.
"My brother has never been bested before." She admitted. "This is a wonderful change of pace." Wanda winced. "But he won't be best pleased."
And Pietro wasn't. He had jumped up and was arguing angrily with Maddie, who was just as angry, poking him in the chest, eyes flashing. The argument went on for a while, and Steve quickly grew bored. He rapped on the glass a few times, and the duo turned quickly, eyes widening as they took in their audience. Without even glancing at each other, the two came to the same decision, bodies going limp as they fell to the ground.
Sam and Rhodey burst into laughter once more.
"They're not really dead." Vision said after a moment.
Tasha shot Vision a look. "No." She agreed. "They're foolishly playing dead."
"Oh. Good." Vision walked away, oblivious to the stunned silence he left behind. Sam and Rhodey burst into giggles once more. Steve rolled his eyes at them and rapped on the window.
"I know you're alive." He yelled. "Knock it off!"
Maddie jumped up and turned to the window, sticking her tongue out at Steve. Pietro stood as well, sending Steve an apologetic look before wrapping a hand around Maddie's waist and disappearing; taking the brunette menace with him.
"She's going to be the death of me." Steve moaned.
Tasha just smiled.
So Maddie's not going to make it easy...surprise surprise!
And what kind of former track star doesn't like exercise?
A lazy one...that's who!
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~CLC~