Revamped!
[I'm no meteorologist so the weather science here might not make sense, but in a way it makes sense. Like if you don't think too much about it from a logical point of view, it will make sense. I don't know if those statements made sense but just go with it]. [2020: *me arguing anything ever*]
[2020: I almost cut this chapter and the next one but they're cute breaks from the last arc].
Chapter 24: Pause
SHIELD Headquarters - 8:22 AM
Angela, Xavier, James, Merida, and Daniel walk through SHIELD's hallways. All around them, fellow agents work in their cubicles, sleeves rolled up as high as they can go, all sweating to death even with the air conditioning systems on full blast and electric fans pointing in their directions.
Recently, the weather has been on the extremely dry and humid side of the spectrum. It wasn't only happening here but all over the city and most parts of the world as well. It feels like the hottest summer ever although it's only the middle of spring. No meteorologist could explain why since nobody predicted it beforehand, it just happened.
The team enters the room they were all called into and the screen in front of them shows the world map with an explosion of the warmest colours coming from the coast of Africa, representing a harsh storm with an enormous radius. As the map zooms in closer, they can see the storm with the strongest hit coming from Wakanda. With that, the pieces start to connect.
"Wakanda had quite the heavy storm," a voice tells them.
They all turn around and see Captain America approach them, star-spangled suit and all. At first, they're all surprised to see him but their shocked faces quickly turn into smiles.
"Dad!" Angela and Xavier exclaim like children.
"I see that your team has started," Steve comments proudly.
"It's a work in progress," Xavier responds.
"How are you not dying in that suit?" James asks Steve due to the spangled spandex in brutal heat.
Steve chuckles a little. "Being frozen in the ice for seven decades makes a man appreciate the heat."
They nod, agreeing with that point even if they didn't experience sleeping in the ice. Sleeping in ice sounds nice right about now.
"So, are you going to tell us about this storm?" Merida asks.
"Right," Steve says. "According to King T'Challa, Queen Ororo, under the control of someone or something else, almost destroyed Wakanda and all of Africa with her weather manipulation abilities. Just imagine abusing all that power for destruction. The country was nearly flooded with heavy rains, and just take a guess at how they saved the day."
"Another storm," Daniel guesses confidently (and correctly). "Iqadi would've had to create a second storm on top of Ororo's to neutralize it. That explains all the dryness and humidity in the air. Queen Ororo and Iqadi took all the moisture to create more rain."
"Do you think they could give it back?" Angela begs, fanning herself with her hand. It wasn't a helpful strategy but she didn't care.
Daniel lowers her hand since Angela fanning herself with her hand increases her body temperature due to the energy being used to perform that action. Angela just sighs and ties up her hair instead. Merida enviously glares at her since no hair elastic could handle her curls.
"Wakanda's officials say that the meteorological equilibrium should be restored soon," Steve says.
"And how's everyone in Wakanda?" Daniel asks.
"Beaten and tired while restoring their country, but they're fine."
That's relieving to hear compared to what comes next.
"However," Steve says, changing the holograms. "Let's talk about this."
Before their eyes, the world map is switched with a new series of photos. It's a collage consisting of photos from all over the world such as Miami, New Orleans, Barcelona, and Sydney, specifically regarding their first mission involving Ivory Gates. The pictures have all of them in it and nobody bothers to ask Steve where they all came from since the answer would be "it's classified."
"And I'm not going to bring up the intergalactic wrestling show," Steve states.
They're all silent although Daniel is relieved for only that second point.
"The first I hear about your team is from you." Steve points right at Angela. "My own daughter labelled as a fugitive, running away from authorities in a pregnant lady disguise."
"Dad…" Angela moans, bringing a hand up to her temple. "Could you please spare me the lecture? My SO already scolded me."
Steve softens up and mimics his daughter's action of bringing his hand up to his temple.
"This seems like a family matter so we'll be on our way," Merida says quickly.
Before her, James, and Daniel could make a run for it, Steve stops them instantly.
"This will involve all of you," Steve says.
"Dad," Xavier says, "are you getting to your point?"
"I am." Steve puts his hands squarely on his waist. "You've mastered and graduated from The Academy but you all need more training. Your lack of experience might make you die young."
At first, they all laugh at that idea but stop when they don't see Steve laughing along. He's serious.
"You've got to be kidding," Xavier says to his dad. "Please tell me that you're kidding. We're better on the field than a training room."
Steve scoffs a little. "You sure about that, son? You're a team of five and you could barely take on a single normal kleptomaniac. What would happen if you were faced against Ororo's powers?"
"Get an umbrella?" James guesses.
"Your umbrella will fly away before it opens," Steve replies with no tolerance for that joke from James. "I will be training you myself."
Nobody likes the sound of that but it seems as if they have no other choice.
"I'll have you know that I taught myself quantum mechanics and made a teleportation device that brought us to space," James says, hoping that'll get him out of training.
"I don't care," Steve replies.
"Yeah … neither did the Council."
Steve smiles a little. "C'mon, this will be fun. Take a pause on missions until you're properly trained to do them."
"But Dad…" Angela nags. "Can we train when it's not a heatwave?"
"No."
Steve begins making his way to the exit and the team follows reluctantly. Even if it was a day where it wasn't crazy humid, this was still going to be the worst training session of their lives.
"Change into something cotton if you're so concerned about the heat," Steve tells them. "It's breathable."
-o-
The team follows Steve through SHIELD's hallways as Daniel trails. Daniel's walking pace slowly decreases purposely. Once he was far back from the others without anybody noticing, he quickly turns the next corner, ditching them.
Daniel exhales in relief once he's on his own. There is no way in hell that he would train with Captain America. That would kill him. He wasn't made for combat and everyone knew that, but that didn't stop him from being dragged into those situations, even if it was against his will which it mostly is.
"Thought you could escape, huh?"
Daniel pauses as he hears footsteps approaching him. He curses to himself, thinking that he was so close to escaping. His first thought was that Steve found him but the voice behind him was everything Steve wasn't: feminine and British.
"I was close," Daniel responds, not turning around. "Admit it, Peggy."
"Not close enough," Peggy replies. "You need your training. What if someone holds you at gunpoint?"
Daniel doesn't even flinch when he feels the tip of her gun against the back of his head.
"You can't shoot me with an empty gun," Daniel tells her.
He turns around as Peggy lowers her empty gun. She loads it before holstering it. Even if it was loaded, she wouldn't have pulled the trigger.
"I will be training you myself," Peggy says.
"Fine," Daniel responds with dread.
That is the only right answer. Even if he said no, he would still be forced to partake in it. It's basically like talking to Angela.
Peggy smiles. "I'm so happy you agreed because that was an order."
[The training is basically a second part to this in-between chapter and it will be posted sometime later].
