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Bikinis, By Law Part Four:
After Director Fury escorted us inside the medical centre, all the agents present looked at us as if we were psychopaths. That was only for a second after Director Fury told them all to get back to work and they started to tend to Angela's broken arm. I caught a glimpse of Agent Carter who ran in here in immediately and instantly looked like a mom whose child is hurt rather than a federal agent. Once they were all out of our sights, Fury made me, Iqadi, and Merida sit in the waiting room. I'm in the middle and my other girls are at my sides.
The thrill of the car chase has worn us all out and it felt like we just remembered that Angela's arm was broken when she started sobbing in front of Director Fury. That part made us feel uneasy. That image will be engrained in my brain forever.
I'm not sure how much time passed, but we look up to see our parents: Agent Barton, King T'Challa and Queen Ororo, and my father. They all look a mix of ashamed, distressed, and angry. My dad passes us some SHIELD windbreakers that we all put on over our bikinis. Until we're all zipped up (I didn't bother zipping it up because I'm feeling warm), it's silent because none of us know how to possibly start this conversation.
Eventually, my dad clears his throat. "I think we should start with this: Angela's fine. They're running through some x-rays and all that. It was smart of you three to bring her here."
"And as much as I'm impressed by your driving, Merida," Clint starts, "that was the most reckless shit you could have ever pulled."
Merida remains quiet.
T'Challa smiles. "That was the most American thing we ever saw. We watched the whole thing happen from Director Fury's office."
Iqadi facepalms a little. "Father, you can't just say things like that."
Dad puts a hand on his arc reactor. "I'm flattered."
Ororo smiles as well. "It was quite entertaining if you were to ask me. But, we are glad that you three were not hurt at all during that scenario. At least you looked like you knew what you were doing."
I honestly did not expect that reaction from mine and Iqadi's parents. I bet it was because we weren't the ones driving. I have never seen Clint Barton angry before but now, he's completely livid. I didn't think he had that emotion in him.
"Go apologize," Clint orders.
Merida crosses her arms. "For what?"
Clint scoffs a little, not believing that's his daughter's response. "Ah, we're still in denial. Do you have any idea how careless you were?!"
"Angela broke her arm and you wanted me to wait in a line?! It was an emergency situation! Not to mention that Iqadi was the one who got us through the blockade!"
Now, we're all looking at her, even me despite the fact that I witnessed the entire thing. Iqadi's parents look so stunned that she would pull such a stunt on an organization that they have some sort of correspondence with. Iqadi looks up at her parents and smirks a little, showing that she has no regrets about her actions because it was fun. Merida and I glance at each other, grinning because we never expected Iqadi to react like that. Iqadi's parents give her that non-verbal stern warning that says wait until we get back to Wakanda.
Clint focuses back on Merida. "You didn't only put yourself at risk but your friends as well! Do you have any idea how many rules you broke just by doing that?!"
Merida sighs frustratedly, dropping her arms at her sides. "Breaking the rules is just as fun as obeying them and I panicked!"
My dad's taken aback for a second. "That was panicking?"
Clint ignores him and keeps looking disappointedly at his daughter. "I have good news and bad news for you. Which do you want first?"
Merida narrows her eyes, looking completely done with this conversation. "The good news."
"Well, the good news is that you'll never be driving again."
I look over at my father. "That's good news?"
"Because the bad news is that I'm telling her mother even though she probably already knows about this."
Merida immediately starts sassing him in Russian (I could only tell by her tone). Clint responds in English, not accepting any of the shit his daughter is telling him. They stop when we notice a distraught Captain America runs in. He looks at us and without needing to ask, we all point in the general direction of where Angela is and he's gone in the blink of an eye. Moments later, Xavier strolls in. He looks at us and is even more confused. He probably only knew that Angela broke her arm and had no other context as to how it happened.
"You showed up?" I question.
Xavier nods. "Dad had to check on his favourite child. I had to park the car since he jumped out the moment we pulled up."
I smirk, holding back a laugh. "C'mon, I know you care too."
"Of course I do, she's my twin." He takes a quick glance at me, Iqadi, and Merida. "Should I even ask what you guys were doing?"
"Go ahead because I wouldn't be able to answer."
Xavier smiles as I feel Dad wrap his arms around me from behind and kiss the side of my head. I turn around and hug him back, finally feeling completely relaxed after the most adrenaline-pushing day of my life to date. I feel like sleeping and waking up the moment Angela's cast is off.
Iqadi clears her throat. "Agent Barton, Merida has a fake driver's license."
Merida's eyes nearly bulge out of her head. "Princess!"
Iqadi gives Merida a look that says that she wouldn't have gotten away with it for much longer which is why Merida isn't mad at her. I bet Merida just wanted to see how long she could go driving illegally.
"What?!" Clint yells, actually looking more pissed off at Merida which I didn't think was possible. He seems madder at that than her driving. Passing medical agents can't help but notice because the usual quiet hospital setting is now full of screaming. "Merida Клинтовна Barton…"
"Left my real one at home?" Merida suggests as a joke to lighten the situation.
Clint's face doesn't even budge and then Merida accepts defeat. It's easier to swerve around SHIELD blockades than that confession.
"She failed the road test a few times," I add.
As Merida bites down on her lips, embarrassed and in full hatred of us right now, Xavier roars laughter as Clint looks so ashamed in his disbelief that his daughter did all this behind the scenes and it took a broken arm for it to be revealed. This past hour must have been stressful for him as a parent. Merida passes Clint her fake license when he holds his hand out for it. When he looks at the ID, he's surprised at how real it looks. He glances up at the other parents who look at him in anticipation on what he's going to do about this.
"No parenting book has a chapter on this," Clint mutters.
"I thought you were cool with it," Merida grumbles to Iqadi.
"I care about you too much to risk you going to jail," Iqadi responds. "Today was a close call."
My dad goes white. "You almost went to jail?!"
"Yeah," I say more casually than expected.
Iqadi's parents start scolding her in their dialect and Iqadi explains herself in the same language. She gives a lengthy explanation, using professional hand gestures, and it seems to have worked because her parents nod understandingly.
"What she said," I state.
"Merida, we're going home," Clint says. He seems exhausted with all of this.
"Finally!" Merida cheers.
"But you have to apologize to every single agent in this building before we leave."
Merida groans before following her father. She waves goodbye to us because she thinks we'll never see her again after all this.
"I'm going to see Angela," Xavier says before leaving as well. "I will text you any updates."
That leaves only me and Iqadi with our parents.
"You always do something radical here," Ororo says to her daughter.
"Is Wakanda boring you, my child?" T'Challa asks her.
Iqadi shakes her head. "Not one bit. I want to see the ocean."
"You can see it on our flight home. Just look out the window."
Iqadi narrows her eyes not amused. Her parents laugh amongst themselves and even I'm smiling. I glance over at Dad to see if he's going to punish me or do something like that but he seems too preoccupied that I had to look at my friend's broken arm, live through a close call with jail, sit through a car chase, and still have perfect lipstick.
"You've had a long day," is all he can tell me.
