Revamped!


Chapter 25: Back to the Training Wheels

SHIELD's Training Facility - 10:07 AM

Although Angela, Xavier, Merida, and James all changed into cotton tank tops and shorts, it was still boiling inside the training room - so hot that there were no other agents or recruits training in there. Steve, still wearing the spandex suit (without breaking a single sweat, which nobody understands), thought it was a benefit to having the place to themselves. He was the only one who thought that.

"Push-ups," Steve orders. "Fifty."

Everyone drops their arms. Nobody likes the sound of that.

"What?" Merida questions.

"Fighting isn't the only type of physical exertion," Steve replies. "You can or you should continue to build your upper body strength." He glances at James who's already grinning at him. "And no amount of money could get you out of this."

They all groan before dropping to the ground. They run through drill after drill until there's no time to think. Muscles retain memory when one trains repetitively. Hand-to-hand combat is unpredictable and every second one is engaged increases the risk of losing, which is why push-ups are the start.

"Lesson number one - never let someone take your fights for you," Steve tells them.

"Any more of your sage wisdom, Dad?" Xavier asks, a tad annoyed as he rises from his push-up.

"A few, actually: keep off streets when you could access any secluded area. Never use stairs when someone can roll or throw a grenade down them - didn't that happen with Ivory?"

"Well, yeah, but -"

"Always shoot twice: once to kill and the other to slow the nervous system for stealth. Only give a fake address when using a cab for undercover missions. The best way to get across some barbed wire is to have someone lie on it first and let someone take the wires for you."

Xavier laughs a little. "That last one is a joke, right?"

Steve just looks down at his son. Xavier immediately diverts his eyes and continues his push-ups.

-o-

Elsewhere, Peggy hurtles towards him. Daniel braces himself against the instinctive panic. The anticipation of one more hit tightens every muscle in his body, despite her barely putting any effort and going easy on him. He squeezes his eyes shut moments before impact - an impact that never came.

"Stop closing your eyes."

Daniel forces one eye open and then the other. Peggy stands in front of him, her right fist in mid-swing towards his cheek.

"It makes it easier for people to sneak up on you," Peggy continues. "When you close your eyes, it makes you vulnerable. You must be fully aware of your surroundings - never underestimate the stealth of a criminal mastermind.

Daniel scoffs. "Criminal mastermind."

"How did you survive Sci-Ops?"

"I have no idea."

-o-

"I already know how you're going down based on how you're standing," Steve tells James.

"Really?" James replies, surprised when he shouldn't be.

"You speak physics so you should understand that you have a low centre of gravity which is always the first to go in battle since it's the first thing you'd forget. Also, your height is at a five, maybe six-inch disadvantage compared to me, and your muscle factor is way too slow."

James's jaw drops at the accuracy of those statements. "Okay, maybe that's true, but -"

"I wasn't done." Steve smiles. "Your thoughts have a less practical approach when it comes to strategy since you believe in instinct or that 'gut feeling.' You use your size-changing abilities, bioelectricity blasts, and charm to seem superior."

"Well -"

"Not to mention your insecurities which involve leaving your left side open and back unwatched."

James has no response due to being left with literally nothing to say and suddenly having the wind knocked out of him. He hits the ground and feels himself getting pinned down by Angela. She looks up at her father who's smiling at his daughter.

"Just like your mother," he comments proudly.

"I can't breathe!" James exclaims, slapping the ground.

"My entire body is stronger than yours, babe," Angela says to her boyfriend who's flailing at her tight grip. "That's why I can easily pin you in less than ten seconds."

"Because I let you!" James yells, gasping for air. "Because I love you."

"Sure, babe, sure."

Merida and Xavier glance at each other. They both know why Steve is tougher on James than the others - he's the one sleeping with the overprotective old man's daughter.

"Think your dad could give me that kind of palm reading?" Merida asks Xavier.

-o-

After another round with Peggy, Daniel becomes much more familiar with how to fight with his fists. After all, muscles retain memory.

His eyes divert towards Peggy's arm which heads in his direction. He ducks, expecting her arm to whoosh over his head but like before, nothing comes. Daniel warily looks up and sees Peggy standing to the side with her back facing him. He stands up straight, wondering if this is a part of the sparring, but stands down when he hears Peggy on the phone.

"Are you bloody serious?" Peggy whispers harshly on the phone. "How could that have happened?!

Daniel takes a few cautious steps towards Peggy. She looks over at him and Daniel mirrors the look of alarm on her face.

-o-

After a rigorous training session, the four of them lie dead tired on the gym floor, panting like dogs for air, even the enhanced Angela and Xavier were winded. Their lungs are burning and their hair and clothes are soaking wet with sweat. The added humidity makes it all a living hell for them, well, not for Steve since he enjoyed every minute of it.

"That was worse than Camp SHIELD," Merida wheezes miserably.

"Agreed," the others mumble, barely moving their mouths.

They hear a key card being inserted into the door, meaning that someone is coming in. Nobody has the energy to see who it is. For all they know, it could be some killer but they're too exhausted to fight back - if a killer were to murder them, it would be useless since they're all dead already.

"Hey, Peg," Steve greets, "Daniel."

"Blimey, what happened here?" Peggy asks on behalf of her and Daniel as to what they're seeing as the result of Steve's training.

"Where were you the whole damn time?" Xavier asks Daniel, wanting to point at him but his arms are in excruciating pain.

"I ditched you back in the hallway," Daniel replies.

"Mom," Angela says, "I know that look on your face. What's wrong?"

Peggy sighs. "I have terrible news. While I was training Daniel, I got a phone call from SHIELD's prison warden. He called to let me know and tell you that Ivory Gates has escaped prison."