-Earth, NYC, S.H.I.E.L.D. HQ, The Next Day-

The present Secret Warriors gathered before a screen by a transmission from the Golden Griffin revealed the rest of their team on the ship in space. Ghost Spider smiled.

"Hey guys, how are things going?"

Ms. Marvel sighed in relief.

"We got the first one. The Soul Stone is with us, thankfully. You won't believe what we went through to get it."

Patriot smiled, arms crossed.

"You can fill us in when you get back."

America Chavez grinned, chuckling.

"You can count on it."

Inferno nodded.

"For a while, I wasn't sure we'd get it. Thankfully we did. A.E.G.I.S. is transporting us to the next location."

Quake turned to Patriot.

"How are things going on at home?"

"About the same. Cap's got some ideas for taking back the city and Crusader is in D.C. working with the President on collaborating with NATO to defend the planet."

Iron Heart turned to Squirrel Girl.

"Hey SG, how's it going?"

The young woman looked to her.

"Oh, I guess things are ok."

"What do you mean?"

"Like I said: things are ok."

She sighed, rubbing her neck.

"Sorry, just stressed about this invasion."

Iron Heart nodded.

Vixen focused on Quake.

"I hope you're taking care of the ship, it's one of my dad's most prized ships."

Ms. Marvel chuckled.

"Thankfully, A.E.G.I.S. has got that covered. We're just trying to get the stones and get back in one piece."

Chavez gently nudged her friend with her elbow.

"Have some confidence in us, we made it through getting the first one."

"I remember us getting kick-"

Chavez winced a little.

"Right! Right! Don't remind me!"

Quake sighed before turning to those on Earth.

"Well we need to start preparing and strategizing to get the next stone. Good luck with your missions guys, keep our home safe."

They nodded before the transmission ended.

Patriot turned to the group.

"Ok guys, let's go to the training room. Cap and the other Faunians are out scouting the city, so they informed me we should keep up training on our own for now."

They all nodded.

-S.H.I.E.L.D. HQ, Training Room-

Several L.M.D.s in the guises of the invading soldiers rushed towards the Secret Warriors, weapons raised. Patriot's eyes focused on them.

"Strategy SC! Go!"

They all rushed around, splitting their group and making the soldiers rush at them. Patriot blocked the strike of a sword with his shield then struck out with the spear, cutting the blade in two. He then bashed the shield against the helm of the soldier.

"How's it going guys?!"

Ghost Spider leapt over two of the soldiers, firing web shots at their feet. They held them tight while Ghost Spider fired her crossbow, the bolts struck through the soldiers' torsos.

"Good so far over here!"

Vixen blocked the strike of a sword with the blade before she swung back, cutting the soldier in half at a diagonal angle. Another launched a stabbing strike with a pole arm. As they did this, her ears perked up and she quickly twisted out of the way of the attack. She locked one hand on the weapon below the bladed tip then cut at it with the heavenly sword. It cut the weapon in half before the Fox lunged forward, stabbing the soldier with her blade.

"I'm good too!"

They turned to see Squirrel Girl racing at one of the soldiers, firing with the bow. The arrows peppered the nearest soldiers, stabbing into the torso and helm. As that one fell, Squirrel Girl jumped on the next and stabbed an arrow into its helm. Another lunged forward, but the young woman leapt over and around it. She then locked the bow around its neck then pulled the spectral string back then fired another arrow.

The team watched as the soldier reverted to its normal form, the arrow through the neck. Squirrel Girl gritted her teeth a little, kicking the machine before turning to the others.

"...What?..."

Vixen watched, ears straight up.

"Um, I think you got him."

Squirrel Girl raised and eyebrow at this.

"Weren't you the one who shouted out earlier: 'WHO ELSE WANTS SOME?!'?"

Vixen rubbed the back of her neck.

"...Yeah...that was against the actual invaders. These are just machines that can look like them."

Squirrel Girl frowned lightly then turned back to the last machine she defeated, the arrow evaporating.

"Can't slow down, Vixen. I can't slow down, gotta make sure we're fighting as hard as we can."

Patriot nodded after a moment.

"Agreed, just don't strain yourself here. This isn't life or death here."

Squirrel Girl's eyebrows furrowed.

"But maybe we should be acting like it is? If we take it easy here, we might not be as prepared and ready out there."

Ghost Spider rested her free hand on her hip.

"We can't lose our heads though."

Squirrel Girl frowned.

"I'm not losing my head...I'm just sick of this war!"

Ghost Spider turned to the group.

"Maybe we should take a break?"

Squirrel Girl shook her head.

"You can, I'm not."

"SG-"

"I'm not gonna be caught off guard out there. You can stay if you want, I'm gonna keep going."

Patriot turned to the others.

"You two can take a break, I'll stick with her for a bit."

Ghost Spider and Vixen nodded after a moment before leaving the room. Patriot looked up.

"Restart the program!"

The machines regenerated and stood up, taking on the forms of the invaders again. The soldiers rushed forward and Squirrel Girl lunged forward, stabbing an arrow into the helm of one. Patriot followed after her, parrying the strike of a sword with his spear. He then bashed aside the strike of a mace with his shield before slashing with the spear, cutting off the arm of the hand wielding the mace.

"You want to tell me what's going on?"

Squirrel Girl was on the shoulders of one of the soldiers, stabbing an arrow into its helm before jumping off it and firing an arrow at another. The projectile struck the helm of this soldier as well as Squirrel Girl leapt away from the stab of a pole arm.

"I'm just angry we haven't beaten these jerks by now? I mean, it's never taken us this long to beat anyone!"

Patriot blocked the strike of a sword with his shield, sweeping the soldier off its feet with his spear while cutting off its feet.

"This isn't any ordinary threat."

"I know!"

As she said this, she fired an arrow at another soldier that rushed at Patriot with its sword raised. The young man saw the arrow cut through the helm before the sword could reach him. He smiled a little.

"Thanks."

The young woman leapt away from a sword strike.

"Like I said: we should treat this like life and death."

"We're just worried you're over stressing...even though one would obviously justify this situation is something to stress about."

Squirrel Girl stabbed an arrow into the helm of another soldier before kicking it away with one of her feet.

"Exactly! I'm only reacting understandably here!"

She fired another arrow, the projectile cut into the throat of another soldier before it fell to the floor. Patriot looked around, seeing there were no more L.M.D.s to fight. He sighed.

"You just enjoy the thrill of a good fight."

Squirrel Girl chuckled a little at this.

"I still enjoyed beating bad guys, I'm just trying not to be blind to what we're facing here."

"No one thinks you're blind. I'm just not used to not hearing your jokes and snarky remarks in fights."

The young woman's eyebrows raised at this before she grinned and punched his shoulder. Rayshaun winced in response, rubbing his shoulder.

"Ow!"

"I'm still hilarious, tough guy."

Patriot frowned a little.

"That wasn't funny."

"I think it is. Now let me show you what else I think is funny."

"What?"

"Restart program! Up the difficulty!"

"Wait, what?!"

The machines regenerated again and stood up, more appeared appeared in the room with all of them taking on the form of the invading soldiers. Squirrel Girl grinned widely.

"Let's do this!"

She rushed forward, bow up.

Patriot watched as she leapt into the fight, sighing.

"And I thought I was worried when I thought she wasn't having fun."

Vixen and Ghost Spider eventually walked back in several minutes later, seeing Squirrel Girl grinning widely as she danced around and stabbed multiple L.M.D.s in the form of the invaders while Patriot was blocking the strikes of one of them. SG turned to them, laughing.

"What are you waiting for girls?! Come on!"

The two turned to one another, eyes wide a little, before they shrugged their shoulders before they jumped into the battle.

Vixen slashed with the blade, cutting the head off one of the soldiers as Ghost Spider webbed up one rushing at her. The former's ears perked up at hearing Squirrel Girl laughing. She turned to see Squirrel Girl stabbing the helm of a soldier with an arrow right before another bashed their shield against her face.

"SG!"

To her surprise, she saw Squirrel Girl only smirked in response with a cut on her forehead.

"Seriously?! That all you got?!"

She took another arrow, stabbing it into that same soldier's helm. Vixen's eyebrows raised up at this.

"SG..."

The Fox's ears shifted back, hearing another soldier rushing at her. She ducked under the slash of a sword, swiping her sword at them and cut them in half. She then blocked the stabbing attack from a spear, trying to get to her feet. As she moved to stand up, Squirrel Girl fired an arrow at her attacker. The arrow cut through the half, making the soldier fall onto the floor. Vixen turned to her.

"Thanks."

"Too easy."

Ghost Spider leapt onto the ceiling and fired her crossbow, the bolt punctured the shield of one of their opponents as they slashed their axe at Patriot.

"Got you covered, Patriot!"

The young man then stabbed his spear through the same soldier's helm.

"Thanks!"

Ghost Spider then fired another bolt at one of the soldiers that aimed a blaster at her. The projectile cut into the chestplate of the soldier and while it fell back to the floor, Squirrel Girl grabbed its blaster then threw it at another. It exploded on contact with the blaster of the other's, sending the one flying back. Vixen slashed her sword as it flew back, cutting its head off.

Squirrel Girl groaned.

"Oh man, I wanted that one!"

"You can have the next one."

As she said this, she noticed a visible vein on her friend's forehead.

"SG? What's-?"

Squirrel Girl was firing her bow again, the projectile cut into the helm of one that rushed at the Fox.

"Got it!"

Patriot watched this as he slashed with his spear, cutting the head off one of the soldiers. Ghost Spider leapt over, webbing another's hands together as it rushed at the young man with its halberd positioned to strike at him. The young man then stabbed his spear through its helm then turned back to SG.

"I'm glad she's having fun, but I think she's trying to hard to make a point."

Ghost Spider leapt down to stand beside him.

"Would you rather have her sulking?"

"Good point."

Vixen growled as she slashed one of the soldiers in half vertically before cutting another's shield in half at a diagonal angle. She then lunged at it, stabbing the heavenly weapon through the chest plate. She bared her fangs.

"I'm looking forward to doing this to that murdering bastard, Imperious."

Squirrel Girl grinned at this.

"Save some for me!"

She jumped away from the strike of the last soldier, firing her arrow. It punctured through its helm before it fell to the floor. Squirrel Girl panted a little, chuckling despite that. The young woman turned to her friends.

"Still the same happy go lucky gal you guys know. Just needed a pep talk."

The others gathered together in a small circle. Ghost Spider nodded.

"Good workout...I could use a nap though."

Patriot chuckled.

"I'm down for that."

Vixen sighed, panting.

"I might go see if the kitchen's got anything good."

They turned back to Squirrel Girl. The young woman looked to the fallen L.M.D.s then back to her team.

"I think I might stick around here for a little bit longer, I think I got my groove back."

Patriot's eyebrows raised up at this.

"Are you sure? You look-"

She nodded, smiling. The vein on her forehead slowly faded as she did this.

"Don't worry, I think this is helping me. Besides, I think getting back to my banter will throw them off some or annoy 'em enough to maybe make them mess up."

Patriot nodded after a moment.

"Ok, we'll meet back up in a few hours and continue training or see if the vets have a mission for us."

They all nodded, with Squirrel Girl remaining in the room. She grinned widely as she turned to the machines, eyes almost gleaming.

"Restart program!"

AN: Thoughts anyone, did anyone spot anything interesting ;)