I have a presentation soon but here I am publishing this chapter.

Year Three: Held at Gunpoint

Operations Training Room B - 9:45 AM

Weapons day. The day where they get to start training with actual weapons.

Their training room was filled with stations with different types of weapons on display. They were supposed to read about them in their textbooks and lecture notes so everything looked familiar. Artillery, range, hand-to-hand, and firearms with their subcategories of manual, semiautomatic, automatic. There were so many more weapons but they weren't allowed to use some and others aren't meant for close combat.

James looks at the station next to him and sees Merida holding a simple handgun. He watches her check the cartridge and the safety mechanism as if she's done it before. Probably has. She likely came out of the womb with a gun. Once she was done with her checks, Merida raises the gun, gripping it in both hands, and fires at targets on the wall they were meant to practice with after. Everyone watches and Merida doesn't acknowledge them. Her fire was so fast that James wonders if she aimed at anything despite her innate perfect aim.

"Too noisy," Merida states, putting the gun down. "I like my bow better."

"Even the air pistol?" Ashton asks.

"Definitely that one."

James knows Merida doesn't have any interest in learning how to use other weapons. She always preferred her bow. James wasn't ignorant when it came to weapons. Modern weaponry was impressive, he'll give it that, but he prefers to use his bioelectricity. He can change sizes, shoot bioelectricity, and fly. He's overqualified for this class but he's being humble.

-o-

Private Training Room Two - 11:00 AM

"If you're held at gunpoint, it's too late for fear," Agent Moore says.

"You can't shoot a gun without first touching it nor take hold of it without first intending, nor intend to without first having some reason, nor have a reason without first giving it meaning," Agent Vander adds.

"If there's a gun, then you will get shot. Find a way to get rid of the gun, don't disarm them."

"Stand from the side when at gunpoint to give them less of a target," Agent Vander says, readjusting Xavier's posture before leaving him with the target.

"Don't hold back because you're scared of the outcome," Agent Moore states, double-checking Angela's stance. She stands in the station next to Xavier. "Take the risk, even if you fail. If you stay stagnant, you'll never see your full potential."

Angela and Xavier glance at each other, both standing in front of targets pointing guns. They've taken their profs advice and chose to have private sessions with their SOs, who then decided to collaborate to make things easier on them. Angela and Xavier aren't sure if their normal class is this strict, if their prof is yelling those statements at them, or if it'd feel this intense. Holding a gun, being taught how to stand and how to aim, makes their futures as SHIELD agents more real.

Or maybe their SOs are being tougher since Angela and Xavier are, well, Angela and Xavier.

Standing so far from his target, Xavier can barely see it. It looks like a bare white dot from the distance, but he knows that it's composed of intricate shapes on the inside and he's supposed to aim for the centre. Xavier turns to the side because, in a hypothetical shootout, it'll give his opponent less of a target, as he just learned. He squints his eyes as he holds up his gun and takes a breath. And on the exhale, he opens fire. Bullets echo through the air. He almost loses track of how many shots he's made, but that doesn't matter now.

He may have a target, but his real goal is to mute out the words of his supervising officer, just for now.

"At some point," Agent Vander says, his voice prompting Xavier to lower his gun, "you'll have to put yourself on the line. There will come a day when you'll be holding your father's shield."

Xavier glances at Angela who's already looking at him. He isn't sure if she heard that but her soft features point to yes. Instead of being sad, she nods. He and Angela never talked about who was getting the shield but everyone acted like it was him. Everything was pointed to him. The shield, being team leader, all of it. It wasn't only Agent Vander but many of his professors and trainers at the Academy have told him the same idea. Xavier can try all he can, but those words and that shield will drop him in a position he doubts to be capable of taking. He isn't his father and he never will be. No training will ever get him to that point.

-o-

Edison Residence - 11:35 AM

Considering he just aced a test while still hungover from the night before, Daniel has a feeling he'll survive the day. It started stranger than usual and he almost forgot about the screaming incident until he sees Keith sitting on the floor in front of his dorm. Keith looks up from his phone and slides his headphones off when he sees Daniel approaching him.

"Did the girl come back?" Daniel asks.

Keith shakes his head disappointedly. "The one time I decided to get some fresh air and grab some food, she came back."

"How'd she get in? I gave you my key."

"Stupid RA opened the door, I think." Keith hands Daniel his keycard.

"Oh well."

"But she looked familiar."

Daniel shrugs. "She's a classmate from The Boiler Room. You're bound to run into her again. "

"Here's hoping."

"Why? Did she forget something else?"

"Uh, no…"

Daniel opens his door. "Anyways, I'm still fucking hungover so I'll catch you later. Let me know if she stops by."

-o-

Suttner Residence - 11:54 AM

Merida met Victoria at her dorm when they were both free and they knew Naomi wouldn't be there. It wasn't their business to snoop around Naomi's things, especially since they don't know Naomi that well and they wouldn't want Naomi poking around their things, but when a seemingly introverted and innocent academic girl runs into class without her things (and shoes), it's suspicious.

Merida took the closet while Victoria scoured the desk. Merida swiped through the hanging clothes, not seeing any risqué outfits. Victoria flipped through the pile of notebooks and post-its, not finding any incriminating scribbles within the lined pages or coloured blocks.

"Are you sure that was Naomi in class today?" Merida asks.

Victoria shrugs, spinning around Naomi's desk chair. "She responded to Naomi's name."

Merida crouches and starts sorting through the shoes on a rack on the floor. She leafs through many coloured converses and snow boots, but one pair of multicoloured ankle boots catch her eye because they don't match the other shoes in the closet. When Merida pulls them out, Victoria slides over in the office chair which indicates that something's off about them. They look more pricey compared to the sweatshirts and sneakers in there.

"Are these new?" Merida asks. "They're pretty cute."

"I haven't seen them before," Victoria responds. "They look expensive but they can't since I just found Naomi's financial aid paperwork on her desk. She won't splurge on boots, of all things. We're international so our tuition is double yours. The Asgardian Grant wouldn't have covered the buckle on these beauties."

"Knockoffs?"

"Sugar daddy?"

Merida cringes. "Seriously?"

"What? She's a cute girl and it'd explain how she ran into class. Maybe a late night with the older man."

Merida is about to argue that when they hear the door opening. Merida and Victoria look at the door, the boots in their hands, and each other. Merida tosses the boots back in the closet and scrambles to her feet to close Naomi's closet doors. Victoria kicks off and rolls the chair back to Naomi's desk. She crosses her legs as Merida slides down the doors to sit on the floor as Naomi walks in.

Naomi pauses, looking at them since they're not doing anything. Merida and Victoria are silent, skewed expressions on their faces that don't help their case. She was wearing a sweatshirt and black leggings with Uggs and big round glasses, not the scandalous look she showed up to class in. Naomi looks like a different girl than the one who ran into class and left seconds later.

"Where were you last night?" Victoria adds as she reapplies her dark purple lipstick.

"The Boiler Room," Naomi says as she closes the door behind her.

"Why didn't you just go to The Silent Note on Communications grounds?"

Merida nods. She's been there a few times with Victoria. They went on a headphones night where everyone has their own pair and listen to music through them instead of speakers. It was more relaxing and mellow compared to Concrete Beach.

"Because I'm also in Sci-Tech," Naomi responds as she walks over to her desk. She stands beside Victoria, ignoring the eyes on her as she goes through her books to exchange the ones she currently has in her handbag.

"You hate clubbing."

"It wasn't clubbing."

Victoria leans back to look at Merida. "How often are you at The Boiler Room?"

"Nerds hate the training uniforms," Merida responds.

Victoria looks back at Naomi. "I could've taught you how to club."

Naomi's eyes widen and Merida holds back a laugh. "No thank you."

Merida finally laughs. "Nobody wants grinding tips from you."

Victoria rolls her eyes. "They're good tips for getting tips! Money- and men-wise."

Merida gags. "Ugh, fuck off."

"That's the goal."

They didn't notice Naomi left while they were bickering.

The part with Xavier training is a modified version from the SA sneak peek in Emily's story.

Also, I do have a chapter taking place in The Silent Note. It'll be in year four. (As I'm publishing this chapter, I started thinking about that chapter more and it's a fun one).