CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
( MISSING )
QUINN HAD BECOME accustomed to the strict regiment of the academy. No talking out of turn, no sneaking out, no fighting. Get the best scores in the class. That was the main goal of every cadet. The constant sound of gunfire was a new norm to her. If she closed her eyes she could imagine that there was a distant battle of good versus evil happening. Luckily, it was just the firearm's course. Something she hadn't excelled at. Hitting targets was a lot harder than what they appeared to be.
Natasha and Blair made it look so easy in the archived footage of the S.H.I.E.L.D. website. To her it just was unnatural. The targets were too real for her, even if they were made out of wood and paper. The worst kind of target practice was when they used dummies. Something about it didn't settle well in her stomach. Especially since she envisioned most of them being actual targets, living, and breathing people. Of course, they were trained to never engage in any hostile activity with their guns ablaze but there were always the rare times that they could. She still couldn't imagine shooting anything, let alone a human being.
Although, from the stories she's been told, she had taken a few shots at Natasha when she was under Hydra's control. This was also a fear of hers. If she actually did become a good shooter, if Hydra came back she'd be even more dangerous as before. Hopefully they wouldn't find her but since she was with Steve there is always a high probability that they might and that they will approach her. There was an upside to her training. If Hydra did find her, she would be ready, or else she would go down in a fight. She could never be the helpless damsel once again, she would rather die than have Hydra be in control. It's not like Steve would ever let her out of his sight for Hydra to take over as well.
Even being at the academy for the past couple of weeks he's managed to call her almost everyday to give her an update on what happened and how Rudolph was managing. According to him she had let Rudolph go soft, and grow a little belly. Steve has been taking him on jogs through Central Park, carrying him back home after he was tired. She couldn't understand how Rudolph kept pace with him. Maybe Steve actually slowed down for a change, it must drive him nuts.
He'd tell her how much he's missed her and she'd return the gesture but at this point everything was just words, she couldn't help but wonder if he actually missed her. He definitely wasn't missing the paparazzi following him around and being a nuisance in their relationship and it seemed like the eye catching articles about their relationship ceased after that night. There was no need information to feed to those vultures. This was the right time to let their relationship grow, flourish even.
Why did it feel strained? Was it the distance? Was it the constant communication? Could this have been just a fling?
The butterflies in her stomach told her no but her mind screamed a solid maybe. She just wished that she hadn't left so soon. Maybe that's what put the strain on them. They hadn't even been together for a couple weeks before she was shipped off to Quantico. It wasn't like she wanted to talk that much after her day. Most of her classmates disliked her being there, especially Rome who liked to make her life hell. Whether it be just insulting her under his breath in class or just giving her snide looks every time she spoke in class, something about him made her feel unsettled. She hadn't told Steve about it although a part of her desperately wanted. Yet a small voice in the back of her mind told her not to, that she'd just sound annoying if she were to tattle on Rome.
Besides, if she did tell him about Rome, he could tell Stark, Stark would tell Yvette, Yvette would tell Suyin, and then he'd have some sort of lecture causing him to lash out even more. All she'd be doing would be painting a large target on her back to the other cadets. She was pretty sure her score in Basics had already done that though. She had moved up a couple spots to seventh, booting out two cadets.
She didn't even see Lena or Linnea on the board. Yet, they still socialized with her. Linnea had to, she was her dorm mate but Lena was around for whatever reason. Maybe she thought she was an easy target too and she didn't like to see her get ragged on, she definitely stood up for her to Rome a lot more than Linnea. That could be another reason as to why she's sticking around, it appeared that Rome was interested in her and by gluing herself to her side she'd be the main subject of attention that Rome gave if he ever wandered over to them.
He could hate her all he wanted but she needed to pass the semester. She wasn't just coming here for herself, she was doing this to help her mother and it wouldn't hurt to have a little more cash in her bank. It's ironic that she has to put her life on the line in order to make more money but she's willing to do it despite Steve's protest against it. She was her own person and protecting everyone she loved was above anything in her moral code. Now she could be saving more people.
"Earth to Quinn," Linnea hisses in a whispering voice snapping her out of her trance. She takes in a deep breath as ash tries to adjust her senses to the sudden voice of her dorm mate. These early hours and strenuous work were starting to get the better of her. She perked a brow up as she looked at Linnea who just jutted her head in the direction of Professor Caulfield. Her posture immediately straightened up. She had almost completely forgotten that they were in the middle of a hands on training exercise with Professor Caulfield. They had traded out their normal lecture hall desks for a smaller gymnasium - the smallest she'd ever seen, complete with blue mats that muffled their footsteps and made the room sound a bit more normal than echoey, even though Professor Caulfield's voice did reverberate off the sides of the white walls a little. "What is the point of this?" a cadet questions.
"Psychologically preparing you for reality," Professor Caulfield answers while pacing on the blue mats in front of them. "In reality you have to talk them. If someone demands the impossible like a whale or the White House being renamed to the pink house you can't just call them nuts and shoot them,"
"The why do we have so much firearm's training?" Rome's irritating voice asks, making her roll her eyes. Of course he would be the one who was gung-ho to use guns. It made sense, knowing his personality type he'd be the first one to have the tagline of dirty cop in front of his name. He would definitely be the type to just go off of how someone looked to archetype them as hostile. "That's preparing you for a tactical response for when things get out of hand. You're job is to make sure things don't get out of hand. If things do, then you fail and innocent people die," Professor Caulfield grimly answers.
As if she didn't feel pressured enough by firearm's training, now even her academic classes were starting to make her feel uneasy. She hadn't realized how much danger went into Hostage Negotiations. "We're going to pair off into groups of three. I will decide who plays what. Negotiator, hostage, and fugitive," Professor Caulfield announces, rolling up his dress shirt to his elbows. He starts at the end of the line, rattling off who would be who and giving what she assumed was a toy gun to the negotiators and the fugitives.
"Negotiator," he calls out to her, pressing the cool, dark toy gun in the palm of her hand. For a decoy gun it still looked and felt real. It wasn't as weighted as a normal, loaded handgun felt but it still had the painted safety switch, and she was still able to pull on the top of the muzzle as if she were reloading the gun. "I want my negotiators to come forward," Professor Caulfield beckons at the center of the room. She absentmindedly steps forward with seven other of her fellow cadets, looking quizzically at the professor.
He begins at the other end of the room, placing each cadet on one side of a blue mat. "Cadet Cruise stand here," he points to the second to last blue mat on the ground, which she obediently follows. She was now facing towards Lena and Linnea, who were addressed as a fugitive and a hostage. She hoped one of them was in her group. "Hostages come forward," Professor Caulfield calls out once again. Quinn watches as Lena steps forward, her eyes accidentally locking with hers.
A little glimmer of hope sparkled in them as she wanted to be a part of her group. Unfortunately, Professor Caulfield had a backwards way of dividing the group up and sends Lena down to the opposite side. "Cadet Sisk stand in front of Cruise," he addresses, causing her to frown. Cadet Sisk was a tall and burly man, taller than Steve. If she hadn't known any better she could've easily mistaken him as older than her. The cadet politely smiles at her before stepping in front of her. He was one of the few cadets who hadn't made a fuss about her being here. But he was usually quiet so it was hard to tell if he truly didn't mind her presence at all. She felt bad for the fugitive who had to hold him hostage since he towered over everyone.
"Fugitives step forward," Professor Caulfield's voice rings out once again. She can't see where Linnea is but she wanted her in her group. It would delight her to see her try to hold Sisk hostage. She can, however, see down the line at the other cadets. She stifles a small laugh as she sees Rome standing out as a fugitive. Unfortunately, her glee comes to an end once Professor Caulfield beckons out, "Cadet Rome come into Cadet Cruise's group."
She can practically feel her eyes roll to the back of her head, her arms crossed her chest. Everything about her casual demeanor changed drastically into a disheveled look as soon as she was paired with Rome. She hadn't been in close contact with him since her first day, just a few side glances and insults but nothing too drastic to make her blood boil without him saying a word.
There was something dangerous about him having a gun, real or fake, that made her nervous. His blue eyes shimmer as he gives her a snarky look before taking his place in front of Sisk. She directs get attention back to the professor as everyone has shifted into their groups. Sisk and Rome leaving her alone on one side of the mat. It was pretty comical to see Rome, who was at most six-two, trying to wrap his arms around Sisk who was much taller than him, at least by a good five inches. She tries her best to avoid eye contact all together, keeping her focus on her professor instead who was pacing back and forth on the mats.
"Start with a threatening opening and list demands then digress from there. Just use your imagination," Professor Caulfield explains, before turning towards the opposite end where he was. She tries her best to no avoid eye contact with him as well. Although, he was her professor he gave her an odd reading, wanting to really dig into her mind about the whole situation that happened. She'd honestly love to forget the Hydra incident happened all together but she kept getting reminded that she was one of them even if it were briefly and out of her control. "Let's start with Cadet Cruise's group,"
Quinn rolls her eyes as she grumbles under her breath that she knew that he'd start with her. Everything about her seemed to pique his interest. She felt like she was being calculated every time he watched her. Not as if she were a threat, but as if he was genuinely interested to see what she would do with anything. She watches him careful with guarded eyes as he passes between the two sides of the mat. Something was off about this today. "Begin," he commands with a smirk, hugging his clipboard tight to his chest.
Quinn wastes no time in holding her gun up, training it on Rome as she was taught to do. Even with how much she hated him, aiming at him made her stomach flip uncomfortably. "Sir, I'm asking you to put the gun down," she demands in an authoritative voice - one she had to practice with in college. She watches as Rome lets out a breathless chuckle, his grip around Sisk's neck shifting and becoming tighter as he drags him closer. "No way, kiss my ass. As soon as I put it down you'll shoot me,"
The smirk on Rome's face grows wider with each passing second as Quinn tries to think of a retort. She had been completely thrown off by his comment. It must've showed as she looked at him confused, lowering her gun. "Okay, there's no need to use that kind of language, Cadet Rome," Professor Caulfield calls out to him. With a shake of her head to clear her confusion she aims the gun right back at Rome.
"I can assure you no one will hurt you if you just comply," she says, trying to be as reasonable as she can. Rome tightens his grip on Sisk and pushes the muzzle of the gun closer to his temple. "If you don't listen to me I'm going to blow his brains straight to hell," he threatens. She's once again thrown off causing Professor Caulfield to speak up in a warning tone. "Rome -"
"Sorry, sir, it's just how I'd imagine these situations to go," he addresses their professor, turning towards him with Sisk still in an awkward headlock. "No niceties,"
To everyone else it came off as nonchalant and calm but to Quinn, she could hear the venom in his tone, see how he glares at her from the side as if she were nothing but trash. Her blood pressure was through the roof but she managed to stay somewhat calm. "Very well. Proceed," Professor Caulfield announces with a sigh. Due to her sudden spike in adrenaline from Rome's backhanded words and gestures she immediately points the gun at his head. Her hands trembling from the pure frustration that surged through her veins. Two can play at this game. "Well then screw you, I asked you to put the gun down," she demands in a hostile voice, brow furrowing in anger.
Rome returns the glare as he argues back, "No fuck you -"
"Okay, we don't need to get into that," Professor Caulfield interrupts once again, his eyes looking as if he were already tired if this exercise. Finally, Rome had crossed over the line, something he was privileged enough not to know it existed, the expression on his face said it all. She had to refrain from smirking as their professor continued. "We don't use that kind of language in the field. This could be a real life situation so let's treat it like that. Let's just stick to pressing the demands," he explains.
In a way she could see why harsh language could upset a highly unstable human being but at the same time it was a stressful situation. She could imagine people freaking out and using the vulgarities. She couldn't help but imagine if Steve ever used such harsh words while being on a mission. He didn't seem like the type to curse, nor had she ever actually heard him swear - or if she had she'd forgotten. It appeared that she had a new challenge for her. Operation: Make Steve Swear.
Professor Caulfield had moved down the line to the pair next to them. A few cadets that were Rome's friends who didn't have as smart as a mouth as him, or they just didn't have the gull to viciously insult her like he did. The negotiator points the gun towards the fugitive. "All right, put the gun down Rick," he says in a clam voice. Quinn watches as Professor Caulfield jots down notes on the clipboard as he watches the scene take place. She wondered how many tallies her group had gotten from Rome's outburst. "I have your wife and kids here, they want to see you," he states.
The fugitive cadets mouth opens and closes as he tries to think of what to say next. "Oh my god, I haven't seen my kids since I lost custody over them two years ago. I can't have them seeing me like this." In an instant the fugitive cadets places the muzzle of the gun underneath his chin, reenacting what would be a gruesome scene. "Okay, good!" Professor Caulfield points out, drawing everyone's attention to him "Important not to talk to a divorced man about his ex wife and children," his eyes dart over to her group once again.
There was no doubt that her eyes were filled with indecision and confusion but her brings up his clipboard once more. "Try another method," he encourages them. She merely nods her head but something in the back of her mind says Rome is still going to be as counterproductive as he was earlier. She sighs as she points the gun at his head once more. "All right, I asked nicely to put the gun down, sir. You're going to hurt a lot of people -"
"Why don't you make me, you Hydra mind controlled freak?" Rome interrupts, targeting her in specific. Her mind goes blank for a millisecond before hot white anger starts to flow through her body. A scowl forms on her face as she drops her gun by her side. "What!" she shouts out, her face becoming hot with rage. It only takes a few large steps for her to cross the mat over towards Rome and Sisk (who looked like he wanted no part in this). "I'm not under Hydra's mind control you ignorant ass!" she screeches, coming within a few inches of his face.
Sisk unravels himself from Rome, dodging the bickering teammates. It was clear to everyone that Rome had finally snapped Quinn in half. Her hands trembled with anger as she resisted the urge to deck him on the spot. Somewhere from behind them she could hear the clam voice of her professor try to coo out towards them, "Okay, okay -"
"Step back, princess or else," he warns her, drawing his gun close to him where she could easily see it. She rolls her eyes at the threat of the dummy gun. "Or else what? You're going to shoot me?" she taunts, watching a cruel smirk appear on Rome's lips. "You want to punch me," he notes. "Do it. I dare you -"
Rome can't even finish his sentence before Quinn's palm connects with his nose, causing a searing pain to radiate within him. Tears sting his eyes as the sensation throbs throughout his body. There's a commotion from all the other students coming from beside them as they watch him try to stand back up. Once he does, he turns and faces Quinn, who looks like she hasn't had quite her fill in hurting him.
"You're dead," he mutters to himself before quickly crossing towards her. She didn't have time to defend herself as she feels her legs being swept from underneath her. The wind escapes her lungs as her back thuds hard against the floor. She groans for a moment before she feels Rome's presence once again. He straddles her waist, holding down her arms as she sits indefensible. His fist connect to her face, one, two, three times before his body is pulled off of hers. Each strike ignited a new jab of pain, and at one point she can see stars and then nothing out of her left eye.
She has a whirlwind of cognition as she sits up, watching Sisk and another cadet pull Rome off of her. "That's enough!" Professor Caulfield's muffled voice rings from behind her. She numbly scratches her head as she tries to recouperate from Rome's blows. She hadn't felt like this in a while. Soon Professor Caulfield's figure comes in between the two, his face red with anger. "Dial it back, the both of you!"
Out of the corner of her eye she can see Linnea offer her a hand. She takes it, staggering up to her feet, as she holds her eye. "She started it!" Rome childishly puts the blame on her. She wants to spew out that she was taunted into doing so. However, she can barely form a sentence as her head aches from the blows sustained from Rome's fists.
"I don't care who started what. I'm ending it!" Professor Caulfield exclaims. It was a rarity to see him angry, but he was truly engulfed with it. It almost had her fearful of him and his actions. Something in her said not to trust the professor, especially after he stated he wanted to pick at her brain for fun. He turns to glare between the two squabbling cadets, shaking his head in frustration and disappointment. "Rome, Cruise, my office, now!"
~ BOOK TWO: AGE OF ULTRON ~
SHE CAN'T REMEMBER the last time she ever sat in front of a desk feeling the way she did. Unbelievable guilt for losing control was coursing through her veins and the imminent thought of being expelled spiraled in her mind. She hadn't meant to lose control - although Rome had it coming. She hadn't thought ahead about how this could effect her in the long run. If she could take it back she would, but life is filled with "would've-could've-should've"'s as her father would say.
Now she sat in the empty lecture hall, beside the man who made her lose control, ice pack glued to her eye to wear down the swelling. Across the way her professor sat, looking between the two with the heavy burden of expulsion weighing in on his shoulders. "I'm disappointed in you two," he begins his lecture as if he were the parent of two bratty children. "Rome for provoking the fight and Cruise for initiating it -" his eyes dance between the two as he addresses them but he's ultimately cut off by Rome. "Doesn't she get expelled now?"
Her and Professor Caulfield's brows at his sudden outburst. It was abundantly clear that he didn't like her, but for him to set her up to get expelled, that was a new low. She knew that's what he had been doing, now. Unfortunately, it was too late to notice. Rome crosses his arms against his chest, his nose discolored with a ripe bruise that was starting to swell up. "I mean things were a lot better before she showed up. Now everyone has to be on guard -"
"She's not getting expelled," Professor Caulfield speaks up in an exasperated tone - as if he were tired of hearing Rome. "It was a simple training exercise that you two took way too far and it got a little personal," he explains. Rome's mouth opens and closes like a fish gasping for air, distraught on the fact that he wasn't getting his way. All the while, Quinn celebrated her minor victory of not being expelled although she very well deserved it. Once again the professors eyes flicker between the two as her addresses them. "Rome, I know tensions are high and Cruise that's not your fault in any way. Hydra has made us all a little paranoid. But Cadet Cruise is no longer under Hydra's control -"
"But she could -" Rome tries to argue but is quickly shut down by the professor. "She is no longer under Hydra's control," he enunciated every word as if he had said it over time and time again. Rome's demeanor changes as he slumps into his seat, defeated by his goal. "We treat our fellow cadets with respect and we don't care how they were brought up," he lectures Rome. "Since the day she arrived you have become part of a family. Get used to each other or else I really will have to report you to Suyin. Both of you,"
"Yessir," the two cadets hiss out in unison as if they were children who were forced to be apologetic to one another. Their professor leans back in his seat somewhat satisfied that he had gotten through to them. Somewhat. Knowing Rome he'd still have an affinity in making Quinn's life hell while she was here. But that didn't matter at the moment. "First and only warning. Dismissed," he threatens while waving his hand in the air to dismiss them, his voice was harsh but sounded exhausted.
Quinn stands up slowly while mumbling out an apology to the professor who just grunts in affirmation. She feels embarrassed, here she was a grown adult getting into childish fights with a guy in his early twenties. Not to mention her professor who just lectured them was not too much older than her. She must've looked like a messed up charity case to him now. Rome forcibly pushes his shoulder against hers as they exit the doorway. "Stay out of my way," he growls, not even bothering to glance at her. Her brows furrow as she watches him walk in the opposite direction of her. It was as if everything that Professor Caulfield had lectured them on went in one ear and out the other.
She looked up at the clock on the wall. Thirteen hundred. She was supposed to be in Basics but she didn't know if she could handle any more if Rome's harassment. She'd take a demerit for skipping out on the rest of her classes. She felt foolish for letting her emotions get the best of her. She didn't like feeling belittled about something she didn't or couldn't remember, it was something that was out of her control.
She can feel a tear leave her swollen eye, whether it was a tear of sorrow or if it was just because her eye was reacting to the sudden puffiness was beyond her. She did feel a tight coil in her chest. Maybe it was because she felt disheartened. If Rome provoked her again, and she stood her ground again, she'd be expelled. It didn't settle well with her. She fishes in her pocket, grabbing her phone out and quickly tapping at the screen.
"Do you have time to talk?"
~ BOOK TWO: AGE OF ULTRON ~
SHE SAT NERVOUSLY in front of the computer screen. She should be in Basics, she should be training for her field work but the subtle nudging feeling in her mind told her she wasn't ready for this. Nor was she ready to handle doing paperwork from behind a desk. She struck herself a deal, she would train and be in at least fifth by the time her training was over. She wouldn't settle for less. If her professors asked where she was the day before all she'd have to do is show them her eye and her lip. They'd piece it together, especially since Rome was walking around with a bruised and bloodied nose. Thankfully she hadn't successfully broken it all the way. Even thinking about the sudden pop she felt in the palm of her hand made her squirm in embarrassment.
She groans as she cringes at her actions. She would never crawl out of the pit of anxiety she had created for herself. But there was one way to calm her nerves, one way to make herself feel as if she were okay. She lets out a shaky breath as she taps the green call button under Steve's name. If there was one person who could comfort her and make her feel at ease it was him. Her only grievance was that she didn't put anything on to cover up her bruise. She absentmindedly shudders as she thinks about trying to massage the foundation into her skin.
The bruise throbs with a sudden pain that made her unwillingly touch her eye. She yelps as her fingers connect with the sensitive area. The ringing of the video chat stops and the speakers are filled with the muffled sounds of struggle coming from the opposite end. The screen is completely dark as she hears Steve mutter out how worthless his laptop was. After a moment of finnicking with the laptop - and from what she can only assume was Steve hitting the side of the screen - his face appeared on the glowing screen.
Pixelated albeit beautiful.
A sense of relief washes over her. He was literally a sight for her sore eyes. "Hello - whoa!" his sweet singsong voice turns concerned as his eyes are drawn to her bruise. She lets out a short but exasperated breath as she begins to tear up. Her emotions swelled. She had missed him so much that even seeing him made her heart ache. She had made the idiot mistake of not hiding her bruise. "Oh, you look...so great?" he states, trying to cover for his outburst. She rolls her eyes at the forced compliment. "It's okay, you can ask -"
"Where'd you get that shiner?" he blurts out, not even letting her finish her sentence. The outburst makes her chuckle a little, straightforward and blunt. He had said he wasn't the greatest at talking to women. Even through the pixelated screen she can see his sheepish smile creep on his face as he recoils in embarrassment from his outburst. She relaxes into her chair in her dorm. "Class," she answers shortly. "Like for training? Seems intentional," he observes.
"Oh it was," she shrugs off as if it were no bid deal. Her eyes drop to the floor in disappointment and embarrassment. "You know, believe it or not, not a lot of people like the idea of having a glorified Hydra zombie training with them. Puts them on edge and they're more prone to attack me,"
"Does this happen often?" Steve questions, concern seeping into his voice. "I'm just worried about your safety. I'm not there. They could really hurt you. I can talk to Tony -"
"Please, for the love of God, leave Tony out of it. It's bad enough people know I got I with his help, if I get certain people in trouble..."
"I understand," he replies catching her off guard. She thought she'd have to argue with him about this. "I'm just a little concerned and worried about your safety," he says in a low tone. She lets out a breathless chuckle as she begins to relax into the conversation. "Welcome to my life for whenever you go on missions," she announces, causing him to roll his eyes as he nods his head. "And to answer your question from earlier the physicality of the teasing doesn't happen often but the under the breath insults..." she trails off thinking of all the belittling words Rome and his goonies had called her, even going to the length of destroying one if her academy shirts with the word "ZOMBIE" written in large, bold letters across it with a marker.
She shakes her head, she was at a loss of words for the constant harassment she was receiving. She never wanted to return home so badly. "Sounds like they're just trying to haze you," Steve notes, crossing his arms across his chest. "Not to make that sound normal or good," he corrects himself only earning a head shake of assurance from her. "It's just something you'll overcome. I know you will. You're one of the strongest people I know,"
The compliment sinks deep and makes her heart clench. Now she was missing him and home more than ever. She knew she could feel validated by talking to him. "Thanks, I'll keep that in mind," she hums out in a dreamy tome. Her lips protest as she attempts to smile, her cut cracking in the process. She hisses in pain and tries to conceal it before he can even as what's wrong. "Although," she begins, trying to take the focus off her injury. "I do have to say, when my hand connected with his nose -"
"His?" Steve reiterates, his voice sounding harsh from discovering the gender of her assaultant. She simply ignores this and tries to continue. "It seemed familiar. I think Blair taught me that,"
She watches as he pulls his bottom lip through his teeth to bite it. It was clear he was now annoyed with the fact that it was Rome - a man - who had given her the black eye. But this was an achievement for her and he did recognize that. It wasn't every day she remembered something from earlier this year when she had known him, even if the memory wasn't about him and their time together, it was a result of how much time they spent together.
"Well it's good you're remembering some of your training," he notes, trying to sound impressed even though his mind was clouded with frustration over her carelessness for her safety with Rome harassing her. He wanted to be there for her, he wanted to kick his teeth in and show him not to mess with her. But he couldn't. He knew this was her battle and if he fought it for her she'd never forgive him.
"How is Blair by the way? Any news from her?" she questions out of the blue. She hadn't heard from her in quite some time and he had stopped relaying messages from Blair to her and vice-versa. His brow furrows as if he were deep in thought while his lips pulled in to a thin line. Something was wrong and he was trying to find the most delicate way to phrase it to her. "What's that look for?" she asks, her voice sounding more stern than what she had planned.
"It's nothing," he tries to shrug off but the perk of her brow told him that she wasn't buying it. He scratches the back of his neck while looking around the room to see if he was alone. He lets out a frustrated sigh as he returns his attention to her. "We haven't gotten an update from Blair in a week is all and we're unable to find her coordinates," he informs her in a low and discreet voice, fearful that he may get caught disclosing the information to someone who wasn't authorized to know.
"So she's missing," she assumes, anxiety starting to ache in her chest.
"She's not missing," he corrects her, trying to calm her nerves. "She's just doing her job," he sighs out. At this point it sounds as if saying this out loud meant he was trying to convince himself that she was fine. Maybe he was. "If she's gone for more than a couple of weeks we'll send a search team out for her," he states, watching her try to furrow her brow as best as she could. It seemed impossible to do with her eye. But she still managed to narrow her gaze at him, she could call bullshit at any moment but she didn't want to start an argument.
"Wouldn't that be impossible? You don't know where she is," she simply asks, even though it sounds more of a critical statement. "It's not impossible. It's difficult but never impossible to find her," he replies with a shoulder shrug. He didn't want to worry about it until the time came - he was already starting to get nervous about the situation though. She had never gone this long without communication. But he had a duty to not stress Quinn out even more than she was.
"She'll show up, you shouldn't worry about her. This is Blair we're talking about," he states as if this were a regular thing for her to do. "She's probably off trying to manipulate people into buying things for her and going off grid," he lists off. That was like Blair, before coming to S.H.I.E.L.D. she was a renowned cat burglar from what Quinn had read online - not to mention she was the only survivor in her family after a freak accident. She couldn't help but think that the accident that killed her family wasn't that freak nor was it an accident.
Instead of asking Steve his opinions on this or where he weighed in on the "freak accident" scale, she in turn pouts her lips as best as she could as she tries to maul over the information. She wasn't missing but they had no idea where she was, that by definition, sounded like she was missing. Or maybe she was escaping.
"Do you think she'd leave the Avengers?" she questions out of the blue.
All of Blair's information stayed classified in the vault of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s vast information hold but ever since Natasha leaked everything out in the open, perhaps whatever freak accident happened to her family was now on the look out for her. This was her perfect opportunity to run. She'd just wish she actually said goodbye. "Anyone can leave the Avengers. If she wanted to, she would tell us," he assures her while also soothing his conscious.
She sits back for a moment trying to work out all the pieces in her head. If Blair wanted to leave the Avengers she could, but she didn't notify anyone. She could possibly be in danger. Quinn tries to shake the thought, instead focusing on Steve. She knew he didn't like living under Tony's control but she didn't know he had an option to leave. This intrigued her. Why would he stay? She quickly realizes it's because he had a good heart and a good head on his shoulders.
Much like her, he wanted to help people who needed it most. He couldn't do that without the Avengers. She did have to wonder what his life would be like without them. Would they have even met? "Do you want to leave the Avengers?" she asks, watching his face tear in two.
There was a part of him who wanted to live the normal life that he once thought he could have, a life where he could give Quinn flowers without people flashing their cameras and asking who the flowers were for. Yet, he knew that once he had the serum injected in him there would be no chance of a normal life. And he took it.
"I can't. You know I can't," he replies, his tone firm but disheartened as if he thought she wouldn't like his answer. It was a touchy subject after all. "But if you could. Would you?"
He pursed his lips into a thin line. He didn't want to answer that question. He didn't know the answer. As if the smell of panic released into the room, Rudolph stepped over by his side to give him an assuring presence. And a way to end the conversation. He'd never been saved like this before. "I have to let Rudolph out before it starts to get dark. I'll talk to you soon?" he tries to dismiss the conversation all together. She noticed this but ultimately gives up on trying to press it anymore. Instead, she merely nods her head. "Most definitely. Give my love to my puppy," she chides, a small smile coming to her face.
"And to me?" he teases, begging for affirmation.
"And some to you, big guy," she says as she playfully rolls her eyes. He tells her to hold on for a moment as he leaves the screen. She can hear the jingling of the golden retrievers tags in the distance and the cooing voice of Steve. He was a bigger pushover than her when it came to the dog. "Come here," he instructs the dog, as he places himself back in front of the screen.
Rudolph blissfully ignorant head pops up, offering Steve a tail wag as he pants in excitement. He grabs onto Rudolph, holding him in his lap like an infant - their usual ritual. "Say goodbye to your mother," he commands the pup by grabbing on to one of his giant paws and trying to make it look like he was waving.
Quinn giggles at the action, her smile so broad it hurt. "Bye my big baby. I miss you the most," she coos at the dog, giving him a tiny wave back. "Hey!" Steve's voice goes up in pitch as if he were offended by the amount of love and attention she was giving the dog instead of him. "Okay, I miss you too," she playfully teases, shrugging it off like it didn't matter. "Thanks," he mutters out in response. "Talk to you soon. Bye,"
She can't hang up on him fast enough. Even though he said Blair was fine, she could easily tell that her unknown whereabouts were a problem. She could be in trouble, I danger or worse. She felt as if it were irresponsible for the Avengers not go and look for her, even if it wasn't in their protocol. They could wait another week but who knows where she'd be able to wander off to or where she'd be taken. Her mind instantly springs to Hydra.
They must've gotten a hold of her. Even the thought of them taking her was enough to make her want to shriek in terror. But that was the result of being close to Steve or the Avengers. She's conflicted at first at the thought of Hydra controlling Blair but once she's made up her mind, she springs to her feet. Hidden in one of her bags of belongings she brought was EDGE. She told herself she'd work on it while she was away but due to the curriculum and early lights out she hadn't had the chance to. Now was her time. And she'd have to get it at least halfway operating in order to find her missing friend.
Maybe then she could convince Steve and the rest of the Avengers that she was in danger and needed help. Maybe they didn't care. Or they could become frustrated with her for knowing about Blair in the first place. Steve could get in trouble, and that would jeopardize them. She couldn't let that happen. Maybe it was up to her to help Blair out.
Hours seemed to fly by as she tinkered with the device's hardware. When she found Blair's last known coordinates (by hacking into Steve's laptop - he would never know) the evening had already start to set in and cadets had started filing back to their dorms. She had briefly seen Linnea and Lena as they entered the room, to ask how she was and then to inform her that they would have a study session in Lena's dorm.
Quinn bounces off her bed, laptop in hand, and pen in the other - transferring it to her mouth as she knocks on Lena's dorm door. Before Lena could even open the door she was already bursting in, looking like a piping hot mess, with a devilish grin on her face. "Hey, you busy?" she questions the two cadets who were casually laying on Lena's bed, Linnea's hair slightly tussled with her book open to a random page upside down. Lena looked positively out of breath, but tried to remain casual.
"Just studying for this quiz on Thursday. Why?" Linnea tries to cover for themselves, even though it was obvious what they had been doing. Quinn simply ignores this and shuts the door to the dorm, silently sneaking further in. "We're going on a rescue mission. I can't do it without you two," she whispers out, shining her laptop towards them.
She quickly explains what had happened and that her friend was in trouble, each of them absorbing the troubling information like true agents would. After a moment of Quinn going off on her tangent, Linnea slowly started to nod her head as she took I all the information. "Where to?" she speaks up.
"New York City," Quinn responds without missing a beat. Linnea gives Lena a side glance who returns it with a smirk. "I've never been," she admits to Lena, shrugging her shoulders. "It'd be nice to see the outside world. I haven't left Quantico since August," Lena agrees with her, giving her a blissful and hopeful smile that made her heart melt. Linnea quickly turns back to Quinn, a determined look on her face. "Consider us in,"