Okay I just want to say I know this chapter is short...like really short...pathetically short, but I think I have a good reason. My soccer team actually did fantastic this year and went further than any other soccer team for my school has ever gone. We won our district for the first time ever and went to the state quarterfinals. Now I know you're probably excited now that soccer is over, but basketball starts Monday and I just don't have a ton of time on my hands. I will try to get a chapter up during Thanksgiving break and another chapter or two during Christmas break, but I don't think I will be able to update any sooner than that. I'm sorry, but I promise I'm not giving up on this story. In fact, I was going to go back and rework this story and the prequel because I think I can improve them, strengthen character connections, and strengthen the plot which seems to be continually weakening. So I promise I'm not giving up and hope that you will stick with me and my busy schedule.
Blaise yawned as she walked into the S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters back home in New York. The headquarters was practically abandoned because of how late at night it was, but the city outside was just as busy as ever. She had dropped the President off on the White House Porch then grabbed a cup of coffee before her flight home. She was hoping that she would be able to get some sleep, before getting yelled at by Director Fury because she had not called in for the past couple of days, but knew that she was more than likely going to get chewed out tonight. When she was able to board the elevator without any interference her hopes rose, only to be dashed when the doors opened on her floor. Clint stepped inside the elevator and pressed the down button.
"Can I leave?" Blaise tiredly asked.
"Sorry." Clint apologized as he gave her a sympathetic pat on the shoulder.
"I didn't think so." She grumbled in reply as she tried to mental prepare herself for the upcoming rant. The elevator doors opened with what would normally be categorized as a cheerful ding, but to Blaise it just meant she was that much closer to getting screamed at. She started to weave in between the empty cubicles and Clint followed her.
"I can walk on my own." She muttered.
"I know, but I'm not allowed to leave." Clint replied sounding genuinely sorry. The pair walked over to Fury's door in silence and just as Blaise raised her hand to knock, the door was opened.
"Agent Williams take a seat. Barton dismissed." Fury ordered and Clint walked out of the room shutting the door behind him. Blaise wearily slouched down in the nearest seat and faced the Director.
"Do you know why you are here Agent?" Fury asked.
"How about you just tell me? I'm too tired to play games." Blaise calmly replied.
"You have broken protocol, Article VI, section 7." Fury informed her.
"My phone fell in the ocean and broke. Plus, I saved the President shouldn't those two cancel out?" Blaise asked.
"You were never authorized to reveal yourself to Mr. Stark, Agent." Fury coldly replied.
"I saved his life." Blaise argued.
"It was not endangered when you revealed yourself." Fury retorted.
"How did…You had someone tailing me." Blaise scowled, running her hand through her hair in frustration.
"It was a test, Agent Williams. A test you most certainly failed." Fury explained.
"How do I make up for it?" Blaise sighed in resignation.
"For the next semester, you will be taking classes at S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy to re-learn protocol and hopefully learn some obedience." Fury ordered.
"What about Amber? I am her supervising officer." Blaise asked trying to wheedle a way out of her punishment.
"Agent Barton can take over for the time being. Winter break ends in a two weeks. Don't be late." Fury replied dismissing her. Blaise frowned and walked out of the room. She had a week to pack before she left for the cursed Academy. She walked back to her room half asleep and was unprepared for the red haired-ball of energy that had been waiting in her room for her to get home,
"Oh my god! I, like, saw you on the news and you were so awesome and I like, missed you so much! It's hard to believe that you are back! How was it?" Amber squealed, as she gave Blaise a huge hug.
"It was alright. Until I got back and got in trouble." Blaise grinned at her. Even though Amber was older than her by eight years she still viewed her as a younger sister.
"Oh dang flabbit. What did Fury do?" Amber frowned as Blaise stumbled over to the bed.
"I have a semester at S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy. I have to relearn protocol." Blaise smirked, "Apparently I'm supposed to have it memorized and you know, follow it."
"When do you leave?" Amber sighed.
"I have to be there in two weeks." Blaise scowled running her hand through her hair, "So I will probably be escorted there in a couple of days."
"That's like totally ridicules." Amber sympathized as she started thoughtfully chewing her lip.
"Wait! Who is like going to be my S.O.?" Amber exclaimed. Blaise tiredly shrugged. Amber finally noticed how tired Blaise was and decided to leave her be.
"I'll let you sleep." Amber quietly told her as Blaise's eyes slowly drifted shut. The red head tucked her friend in and turned off the lights. As she walked out of the room she glanced over her shoulder at her sleeping friend. It was funny, when Blaise was asleep, she actually looked like the kid tried so hard to prove to others that she no longer was.
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Late the next afternoon, Blaise finally woke up. Her head was still groggy and her body ached all over, but she had been had been asleep for hours and decided it was time to get up. She rolled out of bed and pulled on her comfiest sweatshirt and sweatpants. She shuffled out of her room and down the hall to the kitchen. She paused outside the door, slightly startled by the smell of actual food wafting out from the room. Blaise hesitantly opened the door and peeked inside. She saw Amber stirring something beside a newly installed over and Steve flipping something pancakes over the stove. The kitchen was a mess. Bowls were everywhere and there was a spilled bag of flour on the counter. Blaise cleared her throat and walked into the room. Amber dropped her spoon, whirled around and ran over to hug her,
"Steve, look who's finally awake!" Amber grinned, hugging Blaise close to her. Steve moved the pan off the burner and turned around to look at the pair.
"Nice to see you again." Steve politely greeted her as he wiped his hands on a towel.
"'Yeah, you too." Blaise smiled at him.
"You two are so awkward." Amber whined, finally releasing Blaise and pushing her towards the super soldier.
"No you're the one who's awkward." Blaise retorted, flicking some flour at the red head. Amber's jaw dropped in disbelief of the fact that Blaise had just flicked flour into her hair.
"You did not just do that." Amber gasped.
"So what if I did?" Blaise taunted.
"Then I suppose I would do this." Amber grinned as she threw a handful of floor all over Blaise's black sweatshirt and dark grey sweatpants. Blaise dove to grab another handful of flour but Steve snatched the bag and held it up over his head, and more importantly out of both of the girls' reach.
"Steve don't be such a party pooper." Amber complained.
"Yeah Steve stop acting like an old fart." Blaise chimed in.
"I am not letting you dames make a mess of this kitchen." Steve firmly replied, keeping the bag held high above his head. Despite his serious tone both the girls erupted into giggles,
"He said dames." They simultaneously blurted out which only made the pair fall to the ground laugh harder. Steve rolled his eyes in exasperation. Blaise calmed down first and took a deep breath,
"Fine, you're right. We were acting like children." Blaise conceded as she started to dust some of the flour off.
"Thank you Blaise." Steve replied, visibly relaxing a little bit. Blaise smirked to herself and slowly stood up while Amber was still giggling on the ground. As soon as Steve's attention shifted off of Blaise and onto Amber, Blaise shot a shard of ice through the bottom of the bag of flour, showering the super solider in flour.
A flour-coated Steve stood in a stunned silence. His arm was still holding the ripped, empty bag of flour over his head. Amber erupted into another fit of laughter and that seemed to set everything in motion. Steve grabbed a handful of flour and lunged after Blaise who had taken off running out the door. She tore down the hallway with Steve in hot pursuit. She reached the elevator at the end of the hall and pressed the close door button repeatedly hoping that the doors would close before the Steve reached it. If Steve was a normal human being, there would have been no possible way that he could have made it onto the elevator, since he was not a normal human, he did. As soon as Blaise realized he was going to make it onto the elevator she built an ice wall around herself to protect herself from him. She pressed the down button and held her breath knowing that they were probably going to get in trouble. As soon as the doors opened she shattered the wall and darted into the maze of cubicles. She jumped onto a desk and started jumped from desk to desk with Steve in hot pursuit as agents scrambled to get out of her way. Loose papers were flying around the room and a few of the agents screamed as they dove out of the way. Suddenly there was a loud bang and the sound of gun shots. Everyone froze and turned towards the director's office where the sound had come from. An angry Director Fury stood in the doorway, a gun smoking in his hands.
"Agent Williams, Captain, I'd like to see you in my office…now." He ordered. Blaise sighed and Steve sheepishly dropped the flour onto the floor. The pair filed into the director's office while Fury sent a warning glare at the rest of his agents before walking into the office and slamming the door behind him.
Steve nervously bounced his leg and Blaise ran her hand through her hair in frustration,
"Would you stop that?" She hissed.
"Aren't you nervous?" Steve replied and immediately stopped bouncing his leg.
"This isn't my first time in here," Blaise smirked, "in fact, it's basically my second home."
"I hope you felt that little stunt was worth it because the next two weeks are going to be hell for you, Agent Williams." Fury darkly told them.
"Wait. Why doesn't Steve get punished? He was the one chasing me through the office!" Blaise protested.
"Because he was obviously the victim, Captain Rogers you're dismissed." Fury calmly replied.
"So I'm going to get punished and he's not?" Blaise grumbled.
"Captain Rogers has a level of respect for this organization that you do not seem to possess. He has only been around for a few months and already knows or should I say obeys protocol better than you do. You need to learn responsibility and respect for what we do here. The best way I can think to do that is to give you a cubicle." Fury explained.
"What and be your secretary?" Blaise snarkily asked.
"That's brilliant idea, Agent Williams, you start this afternoon."
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