Chapter 21: Insight
In the months since Catra was officially inducted into the Avengers, and had of course begun her relationship with Adora, things had admittedly been rather great. She Celebrated her first real birthday and Christmas with the team, and had integrated rather well. She especially took a liking to Natasha and Steve, though that might have something to do with the fact that they were Adora's father and Adopted mother. She even enjoyed getting to know Banner and Thor, as rare as Thor's appearances at base had become. Her and Adora had even gone on SHIELD missions together frequently, when not hanging out with the Avengers. Life was grand.
Although Catra had to admit a bit of jealousy as well. Adora had two parents who loved her genuinely, while Catra's mother had spent the last decade or so a complete psychopath, and was now dead, and a pile of ash. She never even knew who her father was. Knowing what she knew about Santos she wouldn't be surprised if he was just some anonymous donor or another complete nutjob. Still, as corny as it was to say, she had found a wholly new family in the Avengers, one she had no intention of ever leaving.
That and the penthouse in Avengers Tower was a nice bonus. Recently, though,her and Adora had been moved back to the Triskelion with Steve Rogers, as SHIELD seemed to be moving towards something big.
2014 – Washington, DC
It was early in the morning when Sam Wilson, Former USAF Pararescue airman, decided to go for a lengthy jog around the city. As he was running, he heard several footsteps coming up behind him. He was expecting to be passed by a small group of people, but soon heard a voice calling out behind him.
"On your left!"
Looking to his left, Sam was surprised, but amused to see Captain America himself running past him. He'd heard the legendary Super Soldier was in the city, but didn't exactly expect to see him in person. Before he could react, another voice called out.
"On your left!"
Soon he saw yet another Avenger passing by. Adora Rogers, the daughter of Captain America, if the news reports were true, came running past him, keeping a bit behind her father but still keeping pace with him. As he shook his head, another person came up beside him.
"Don't feel too bad. They like showing off…" Catra deadpanned as she jogged alongside Sam.
"Not sure I can particularly blame them." Sam replied with a shrug. "Name's Sam, Sam Wilson. You?"
"Catra Santos." She replied with a smirk, slowing herself enough to keep pace with Sam. "What brings you out for a run this early?"
"Keeping in shape. Retirement doesn't mean I can slack off." Sam admitted, chuckling. "How about you?"
"They roped me along…" Catra sheepishly responded.
"Well, Least now you're not racing to keep up with them, right?"
Some time later, as the two jogged even further, they both heard footsteps behind them again and rolled their eyes.
"On Your Left!" Steve ran on by.
"On Your Left!" Followed shortly by Adora.
"Uh-huh, on my left, I got it." Sam commented as they darted past.
"Yep, I heard you last time.." Catra deadpanned.
Later in the day, Sam was beginning to feel pretty winded. He noted that Catra while breathing heavier, seemed to be doing a little better than he was. He chalked that up to her being an Avenger. That's when the two heard footsteps behind them again and Sam looked behind him. Sure enough, he saw Adora and Steve coming up behind him once more. "Don't say it, don't you say it-"
"On your left!" Both called out, with Catra catching the faintest of smug grins on Adora's face as she passed by.
"COME ON!" Sam yelled out, picking up the pace a bit more.
"Okay now you two are just fucking with us!" Catra added, also speeding up. Eventually though, Sam ended up giving out, and laying against a tree to catch his breath. Catra stopped as well, leaning on the same tree with a chuckle. "God they're annoying sometimes…"
"Need a medic?" Steve quipped as he and Adora circled back and stopped near the others, Adora seeming a bit more winded than Steve.
"I need a new set of lungs." Sam deadpanned, looking up at the two soldiers. "Seriously, you guys just ran like 13 miles in 30 minutes!"
Adora smirked. "Well, we got a late start, waiting for Catra to get going." She joked, causing the tired feline to flip her the bird with a smile of her own.
Sam chuckled as well. "That so? Well you two should be ashamed of yourselves. You should take another lap." He looked away briefly as he chuckled, before looking back and acting surprised. "You just take it? I assume you just took it." Even Adora had to chuckle at Sam's joke.
"What Unit you with?" Steve asked Adira walking over and ruffling Catra's hair. Catra growled a little and gave her a playful shove.
"58th Pararescue." Sam answered," But now I'm working down at the VA." HE reached a hand up for a handshake. "Sam Wilson."
Steve smiled, grabbing the hand and helping him to his feet. "Steve Rogers, that's my daughter Adora."
"I kinda put that together." Sam panted as he caught his breath. "Must have freaked you out, coming home after the whole defrosting thing...and finding out you've got a kid." He smirked.
"Yeah it takes some getting used to." Steve sighed. "Good to meet you Sam."
"Same here, Sam. Always nice to meet new people." Adora added in, walking over with Catra.
"It's the beds right?" Sam asked.
"Beg your pardon?" Adora looked briefly confused.
"Beds are too soft aren't they?" Sam elaborated, causing Adora to look a bit sheepish and Catra to nod in agreement. "When I was over their we slept on the ground, used rocks for pillows. Like a Caveman."
"That's not too far off how crappy the cots in the Followers base were." Catra commented, giving a shrug.
Sam nodded and continued. "Now I'm home, lying in my bed, and it's like…"
"Like sleeping on a marshmallow." Steve finished, nodded. "Feeling like I'm gonna sink into the floor." Sam nodded in agreement. "How long?"
As Sam and Steve continued to reminisce about their military days, Catra smugly looked at Adora. "So, how long before they start making out." She said, quietly, to Adora.
Adora quickly gave Catra a shocked look, as Catra gave off her normal Cackle. "Seriously Catra? They're just being friendly!" She replied. "Also please don't make me think of my dad doing that..."
"Chill out Adora, I'm just fucking with you." Catra said, giving Adora a light punch on the arm. "Still, it's good to see the Captain integrating well to the modern day."
"You have no idea." Adora replied with a chuckle. "Took him weeks to figure out Blu-Ray and DVD. I also had to teach him how to use a laptop on a Quinjet ride to the Helicarrier." she chuckled again remembering Steve trying to figure out how to turn it on. "It wasn't easy. At all."
"How long did it take him to figure out how to turn it on." Catra deadpanned.
"I don't want to say, it's painful…" Adora admitted.
As they glanced over at the two soldiers, Adora noted that Steve was putting his notepad away and checking hid phone. Adora chuckled a bit seeing the notebook. "I tell you about Steve's 'Things I need to do' book?" She asked Catra.
"Is Star Wars on there?" Catra asked. "I've really been into that series lately…"
"Star Wars, Star Trek, Rocky, a buncha stuff." Adora shrugged. "Oh uh….I also recommended he watch She-Ra-"
"Of course you did."
"W-well it's easy because Nat bought me a box set of the show. For my last birthday." Adora admitted, rubbing her head nervously. "I also tried to convince him to watch some other stuff from around that time, like Transformers, He-Man, Thundercats…"
"You are such a dork, Adora…" Catra laughed.
"Coming from the girl who chases laser pointers." Adora deadpanned, causing Catra to look incredibly humiliated.
"Fuck you Hairpoof." Catra groaned.
"No that's your job, Catra." She replied with a smug grin.
"Okay who are you and what have you done with Adora."
Before Adore could come up with a snarky reply, Natasha pulled up in a car, and they quickly headed over to see what she wanted.
"Anyone know how to get to the Smithsonian, I need to pick up a fossil." Nat joked, as Steve shook his head.
"That's hilarious." He quipped as he climbed in the car. Adora quickly rushed over.
"We have a mission Nat?" She asked hopefully.
"No, me and Steve do. As of now, you and Catra are to report to Director Fury." Natasha replied, causing Adora to let off an irritated sigh. "You'll have a mission soon enough Adora. But right now the Director wants you both as part of his protective detail."
Adora groaned and nodded. "Alright, good luck Nat." She said as Natasha drove off with Steve. Adora tucked her hands in her pockets, and even Catra could tell she was upset. "Catra is it just me or is she keeping me out of the field more frequently?"
Catra nodded, putting a hand on Adora's shoulder. "It does seem like that doesn't it?" She replied. "Though, maybe she's still annoyed that you got yourself captured for me. Probably worried you'll do something equally stupid if you're out in the field." She gave Adora a cat-like smirk as Adora glanced over at her with an unamused glare.
"Oh shut it, Wildcat. You're in no position to make fun of me for that." Adora groaned as they started heading back to base.
"You know," Catra begin. "Can't help but be a bit jealous of you too."
"How So?"
"You've got your father, who's Captain Fucking America, and you have a loving adopted mother." Catra explained. "Meanwhile, I have a dead mother who spent most of our life possessed by a freaky Otherworldy eldritch monster, and I have no fucking clue who my dad is. I mean, I'm sure he's just some anonymous donor, but still."
Adora winced as Catra spoke, pulling her girlfriend close. "I'm sure your father is still out there somewhere. Maybe SHIELD can help find him?"
"Yeah…" Catra replied, looking to the sky. "Question is, do I even WANT to know who he is. I mean he clearly didn't care enough to stick around. Assuming he's alive..."
Catra hated the Triskelion. It was huge and easy to get lost in, and filled to the brim with SHIELD spooks. While she was now an official member of SHIELD, she still didn't exactly like feeling like everyone was watching her at all times. Hell, she wouldn't have even come to the Triskelion in the first place if it wasn't for Adora being reassigned there. Though admittedly there was one SHIELD Agent, apart from Natasha and Clint, that she actually liked.
"Hey Kyle!" Catra yelled out as the Blonde agent was walking by.
"Oh hey Catra, Adora, got called back to base?" he asked, smiling as the two Agents walked over.
"Good to see you Kyle. And yeah, Nat says Fury wants me on security detail or something." Adora replied.
"I mean, I can kinda understand his concern, given the work being done on Project Insight." Kyle commented, shrugging.
"Project what?" Catra asked, looking at Adora, who for once didn't seem too confused.
"Right, was gonna mention that. I was informed a few months ago that SHIELD is working on this big operation called Project Insight." Adora commented, almost absentmindedly. "New helicarriers synced up to a network of Targeting satellites in orbit. They're intended to track threats to national security from SHIELD's records, like Terrorists or Super-villains, and take them out with precision weaponry." As she finished her explanation, she noticed the shocked look on Catra's face. "What?"
"Adora, that sounds REALLY fucked up." She responded, still staring.
"We neutralize threats before they even happen." Adora stated, defending the project. "We'll never have another incident like New York. We're still repairing the damage from it."
"This sounds more like the kinda shit that you'd see an Evil Empire pulling, not SHIELD." Catra retorted, a bit louder than before.
"Catra, I understand your concern, I really do." Adora said, putting an arm on her shoulder. "But you have to understand, after the Battle of New York, Fury had to work hard with the World Security Council to reach a solution to prevent such horrific collateral damage from ever occurring again."
"By holding the entire Earth at Gunpoint?" Catra scoffed.
"Well when you say it like that-"
"What else is it Adora? I'm just saying, this is beyond fucked up, and you know your dad would agree with me." She finished, looking down as Kyle and Adora shared a look.
"I'm not the biggest fan of the idea myself Catra." Adora finally admitted. "But you have to understand. The Chitauri and Loki caused so much pain, so much Death. Not just them either." She began to count on her fingers as she continued. "Hydra in World War 2, Obidiah Stane and the Ten Rings, The Abomination in Harlem, the Asgardian Destroyer running rampant in New Mexico, Hammer Industries wannabe Iron Man Drones?" She took Catra by her hand and looked her in the eyes. "And Our own creators? The Followers of Inperatio?" Catra's ears fell slightly as Adora gently touched her face. "There's so many threats to the innocent people of the world appearing all the time. If this is the price we have to pay for a safer future? So that no more families are broken up, or worse, by the next World Conquering psychopath? I don't like it, but I see the necessity of it."
Catra sat quietly, looking Adora in the eyes as they held one another. Eventually, she found the right words and spoke up. "Let's agree to disagree on this Adora. I can't shake the feeling that this is a horrible idea." She finally said.
"Deal, Thank you." Adora kissed Catra quickly, before they noticed Kyle uncomfortably watching them.
"Right, I didn't expect my comment to open up that emotional discussion." He calmly replied, despite his obvious discomfort.
"Wow, you clearly don't know Adora that well…" Catra deadpanned with a smirk.
"You are probably right there Catra. Now you should get going. Nick's probably waiting for you."
To Be Continued…..
OKAY I know I implied last chapter that this would be the introduction of the Winter Soldier, but things had to change a bit due to a few reasons. The first was serious writing Burnout. Ended up going on a three week Hiatus on AO3 from the story that's exclusive to that site, and that ended up translating to a GIGANTIC Hiatus from all writing on this site. Anyway It's good to be back and I'm hoping to get back to my weekly uploads of any one of my stories from here on out.
It was weird that this chapter ended up being so hard to write. I think part of it comes from the fact that fitting Adora and Catra into Winter Soldier is difficult, but it's necessary considering their ties to HYDRA, which if you recall Doctor Lorraine Santos was once a part of, and they were originally created as Hydra experiments.
On another happy note, I finished She-Ra at long last. I'm very happy to be finished and glad to have experienced the show. So avoiding spoilers is no longer necessary.
I do not own the MCU or She-Ra. Please review if you liked.
NEXT TIME: Fury in peril.