The way this site wasn't working earlier and I was concerned.
Year Four: A Humbling Moment (Or a Few)
Imanu's Parents' House, Wakanda - 19:55 PM
Today wasn't Iqadi's day.
Her morning started out with a rough training session that literally knocked the wind out of her. She napped for most of the day — nearly five hours — and awoke remembering that she had to write a speech for an upcoming diplomacy event. Imanu was in their room when she opened her eyes, holding a clipboard with a pen. She took it to his parents' place where they had dinner before spending the rest of the night in their room at the house.
Iqadi looks down at her scribbled lines and grimaces, hovering her pen over them. She's reached that point where anything she writes, including her name, doesn't sound nice.
"I could give you a massage while you write," Imanu suggests. He sits behind her in the bed and starts rubbing her shoulders. "I'm not a masseuse so this might be terrible."
Iqadi laughs a bit. "It's fine."
"Maybe it's working. Western culture does say that laughter is the best medicine, isn't it?" He looks over her shoulders at her clipboard. "That doesn't sound like you at all."
"I know. This is why I do not have a speechwriter."
"Let's fix it."
Imanu takes her clipboard and sits against their headboard. He pays the spot next to him and Iqadi scoots next to him.
"What is it with you and fixing my problems?" Iqadi asks.
"I'm your husband."
"You weren't the first time."
"Almost was." He kisses her right on her forehead scar. "Come on, just talk to me. We've had many conversations before. You once entertained the idea of having a pasta bar in the palace."
She grins. "I was in Italy for one afternoon and it was beautiful. Do not write that down in the speech."
Imanu pretends to scratch it out.
-o-
Atlantic Residence - 17:32 PM
Merida has been in her room all day with headphones in and recorded German lectures playing back-to-back. All that she had for consumption was a pack of German beer and a giant jar of sauerkraut she was slowly making her way through with a plastic spork. She had to set the mood for studying for her German exams. And while listening to German vocabulary and conjugations being yelled at her, she has all her drawers open and suitcases on the floor since she's already packing her things to move out.
Someone bursts into her room and Merida yells profanities in German as she rips out her headphones. She points a spork at the door and sees Angela standing in a fighting stance with her fists up. Both girls lower their arms and Merida pauses her German lecture.
"That is a scary language," Angela says as she closes their door. "No wonder my dad has flashbacks to the war."
"I'm a month behind in classes. What's up?"
"I was looking for Agent Moore to talk about my placement after graduation, right?" Angela starts. "She wasn't in her office so I was just gonna head out and catch up with her later. I passed by Agent Vander's office and, turns out, all our SOs were there."
"Okay?" Merida picks up her jar of sauerkraut and offers Angela a sporkful. She shakes her head. "They're usually together anyways."
"I planned to pop my head in, but it looked serious. Instead, I eavesdropped on a lot of it, putting my Academy training to the test."
"Okay…"
"So you and I are probably sticking together under my SO's supervision which answered my questions. Apparently, Iyu's going to stay here at the Academy with Victoria cause she won't be heading out till the winter semester. James and Daniel are sticking around the Academy for a bit, we know that too. Agent Moore said she could take James under her wing as well once Nine clears him for the field."
"I don't see the point in you eavesdropping if this is what you obtained."
"Agent Vander said he will meet with Xavier after their meeting and break the news to him."
"What news- oh scheiß e!"
Angela nods, opening a bottle of German beer for herself. "Oh yeah. Apparently, Xavier has a meeting with Vander this evening so we gotta warn the others."
-o-
Operations' Faculty Building - 17:58 PM
Xavier didn't expect to see his friends' SOs on his way to Agent Vander's office, but they were just leaving as he was approaching. They acknowledge him with court nods and small greetings, but something doesn't sit right with him. Dr. BV wouldn't look at him, Agent Iyu's face softened but still remained sharp as she looked at him, Agent Moore expressed pity, and Professor Nine patted his shoulder. When Xavier walked into Agent Vander's office and closed the door behind him, he didn't bring it up.
"I know about your group chat on your floor," Vander states.
Xavier doesn't say anything. Vander doesn't look cross, but Xavier takes a seat across from his desk before Vander follows suit. He leans back and Xavier just watches, waiting for him to start talking cause he doesn't know what to say.
"I stopped by your floor because of a follow-up and your cadets were yelling about the vending machine," Vander explains. "I had no clue what they were barking about until someone explained your codes for alerting about dorm inspections. Mind you, they all had to agree to reveal it; not one man snitched on his own accord. No wonder all your cadets pass with flying colours."
Xavier nods slowly. He's so getting fired.
"You're a good man, Rogers, and a good leader," Vander continues. "I bet you've been thinking about where you'll be heading after graduation. You might've heard about other cadets in your year already being cleared."
Xavier continues nodding, although now he's suspicious. Why would Vander phrase it like that? Why did the other SOs face him the way they did earlier? He knows that Angela and Merida were cleared for the field already, as with other classmates.
"You're staying here at the Academy."
Xavier's stomach drops and he repositions himself in his seat. His gaze hasn't left Vander but, for some reason, he doesn't know how to react or respond. His mind didn't process those words nor did he want to hear them or their explanation.
Funny enough, he wants to laugh but doesn't.
"What?" Xavier asks softly.
"You'll continue your RA duties at a higher level and go to Camp," Vander explains. "If it helps, you'll still be an agent and with that new level, you'll receive a stipend for Camp."
Xavier shakes his head. "What do you mean I'm staying here? You can't do that."
"As your supervising officer whose signature you need to be cleared onto the field, I can and I did."
He says nothing. What can he say? He doesn't know how to argue because … what the fuck. Usually, if a cadet wanted to appeal something like a grade or a policy, they would report to their professor or higher up, the head of their program. But Agent Vander is the Head of Operations.
Instead, Xavier nods one last time.
"Yes, sir," he says.
Vander raises a brow. "You're oddly taking this well."
"I don't think I took it yet," Xavier admits. "If you don't mind, I'm dismissing myself. We'll discuss this later."
Before Vander could say anything, Xavier stands and leaves the office.
-o-
Howling Commandos' Lounge - 19:00 PM
James and Daniel sit at a table in the Howling Commandos' Lounge with some take-out food they ordered after receiving Angela's warning messages about their SOs meeting. While waiting for their friends, Daniel and James look at each other's phones at their final grades for the year that have already been disclosed.
"Shit, I got a better grade in Advanced Holographics than you!" James exclaims, zooming in on both their phones to get a better look.
He laughs when he sees the higher mark on his screen. Daniel remains silent and his eye twitches.
James grins. "Wasn't Stark's thesis on data holographics? Nevermind, did you start your valedictorian speech?"
Daniel shakes his head. "I'm not valedictorian."
"Wait, shit, really?"
"I didn't do my field test so they're not giving it to me. I thought it would be you, or that you would be at least salutatorian, especially since you got a better grade than me in Advanced Holographics."
James laughs as he opens a box of jalapeño poppers. "They're not giving either to me since I didn't complete my first-year requirement PhD."
They both look at each other silently, eating poppers and boneless wings that Daniel opened. To think that they're both the first and the third of their Sci-Tech cohort and neither of them will be giving speeches at graduation. Their parents would be so disappointed in them (at least it's a feeling James is used to; Daniel not so much).
"How are we graduating?" James asks.
Xavier approaches their table and sits across from them, shaking his head when Daniel slides over a box of boneless wings. Daniel and James glance at each other, knowing that something is wrong. Xavier could eat a whole family meal and he would never reject food, especially boneless wings. The boys knew that Angela's warning texts were about Xavier and their SOs, but she wouldn't give any more information since she didn't have any.
"Hey, I think I'm dreaming," Xavier tells them, "but I don't know how to wake up from it."
"Why?" James asks.
"I'm assigned to the Academy next year," Xavier admits. "I'm not going on the field. I can't tell my parents."
"Same!" James exclaims, holding his hand up for a high-five.
Xavier stares at him horrified albeit for not being cleared for the field or stuck at the Academy with James for at least another year. He rests his head on a warm pizza box that James offered.
Daniel puts his phone away and, on cue from his text, Angela and Merida run up to their table. Angela pats Xavier's shoulder as she opens a box of cauliflower bites. Merida offers her half-eaten jar of sauerkraut and James and Daniel both shake their heads.
"What is it?" Angela whispers, covering Xavier's ears. "Merida and I think we know but I'm not sure."
"Vander's not clearing him for the field," Daniel mutters.
Merida bites down on her lips and exhales sharply as Angela shakes her head. The girls guessed as such when Angela didn't get intel on Xavier's placement following graduation. They were initially shocked when Angela would be with only Merida instead of with Xavier.
"If it's any consolation," Angela starts as she removes her hands from Xavier's ears, "do you know how pissed Fury's gonna be? Let's call him."
Merida puts her sauerkraut jar down and starts dialling. James peers inside the jar and tastes it with her spork, immediately gagging and opening Xavier's pizza box pillow to grab a slice.
"Fury probably already knows," Daniel tells her.
James laughs a bit. "I can't believe we're snitching to Fury. I mean, if we can't complain to Vander, I guess Fury's next."
Merida grunts as she puts her phone away. "Fury sent me to voicemail! Dick. He'll handle this later. Maybe Fury has beef with Vander. And Nine. We all know Fury has a soft spot for Daniel."
Daniel frowns. "Does not."
"I'm saying this as his favourite godchild. You're Fury's favourite followed by me, Iqadi, Angela, Xavier, James, Stark, Apollo, and Britney. You know our favourite witch gave him a stroke."
"I'm higher than Stark?" James asks. "Nice."
"That's only because you attended the Academy."
Angela nods. "I agree with Apollo and Britney's placements. Do you know how many times they've parked in his parking space?"
They laugh for a bit, reminiscing in those memories of Apollo and Britney driving and parking wherever they so please.
"Actually, shall we take a road trip?" Merida asks. "Probably tomorrow, though."
-o-
The Next Day - SHIELD Headquarters - 16:04 PM
Following the steps of Apollo and Britney, the group drove to SHIELD Headquarters and parked in Fury's spot. James drove, Daniel gave directions, Merida continued listening to her German lectures, and Angela and Xavier were strategizing how to approach this with Fury. While Merida got the hang of the imperfect tense, Angela and Xavier didn't have a plan and James took five wrong turns even with directions.
"Apollo and Britney would be so proud," James says as they get out of the car.
"We didn't have to do this," Xavier says.
"I thought we were going out for food," Daniel says.
Merida waves him off. "Later."
Angela sighs. "This was stupid."
Xavier nods, agreeing. "That's what I'm saying."
Merida groans. "I want to go on missions with all of you. Even James, for fuck's sake. We're a team, at least we're supposed to be."
"Aw," James says, holding a hand to his heart. "Merida."
"Shut up."
Angela looks at Xavier. "Yeah, but that's not what we meant."
"Then what did you mean? We're here to talk to Fury."
Xavier points to the parking sign. "We're parked in Fury's spot."
"So?"
Angela shakes her head. "Merida, that means Fury isn't here."
Merida pauses, looking at Fury's parking sign and then James' car in the spot. She blinks, smiling with a plastered expression.
"Dick," she states more calmly than expected. It's concerning.
James walks up to the main doors. "I mean we could just go inside. You know he's onto us showing up so he moved his car."
The five of them approach the secretary, a middle-aged lady who looks like Agent Iyu in her regal accountant appearance. However, this woman could definitely dismember them if provoked. No wonder SHIELD put her on the front lines. Once her conversation on her headset ends, she glances at them without a shift in her expression.
"Do any of you have an appointment?" She asks.
"Are you serious?" Merida asks.
"Dr. Banner," Daniel says before Merida starts cussing in German, "4:30."
The secretary looks at her computer and nods, handing Daniel a tablet to sign in. He passes it to the others and they follow suit.
"Head on up and scan your Academy ID cards. All of you."
They nod, thanking her, and walk up to the elevators. When Angela calls one, an elevator opens and they walk inside.
"I made one on the way over," Daniel admits as the doors close. He hits the top floor. "That's why we took a wrong turn."
"So it was your fault," James says.
"A wrong turn," Daniel clarifies, "not all of them."
"Fuck you," Merida tells him.
Xavier shakes his head. "This will do nothing. Does Fury even have jurisdiction at the Academy?"
James shrugs. "Iqadi has jurisdiction wherever she wants."
"She's not even here."
"So now you're giving up?" Angela asks her brother.
Xavier hits the ground floor button. "Yeah."
"No wonder you're staying behind."
Xavier and Angela glare at each other until the elevator stops at another floor.
"What's Fury going to do?" Xavier asks. "Tell me."
"Override Vander's clearance? And maybe Nine's clearance?" Merida suggests.
Daniel looks at James. "I thought you didn't want to go."
James holds a finger to his mouth and shushes Daniel.
The elevator doors open and Fury walks in, briskly shutting the doors and overrides the elevator. The button commands reset and he presses the ground floor button again. The group is silent as he eyes every one of them. Angela and James smile brightly, Daniel not as brightly, Xavier nods, and Merida narrows her eyes at him.
"Who's going into the field?" Fury asks them.
Angela and Merida put up their hands. Fury looks at James and Xavier with a raised brow. They both shrug.
"Did not expect that…" Fury mutters. "I'll be having words with Vander and Nine."
"Do you like me or Stark more?" James asks him.
Fury stares at him, glaring. "Pym."
"Is that your answer or are you reprimanding me?"
"Pym."
"I'll take that as your answer."
Fury rolls his eye.