STARK GIRL

The Winter Soldier

"This is harder than I remembered." Claire breathed as Nat shoved her down.
"You know..." Nat breathed as well. "You're a dancer; why not use that to your advantage?"
"How?" Claire asked. She could barely keep up with her.
Nat grabbed Claire's arm and then the other one. "Here," she instructed. "You lift your arms high enough..." she showed her. "Clench your knuckles, Now you're going to strike, hit me," Nat urged her.
"I'm not going to hit you!" Claire couldn't do that.
"Just do it."
"No!"
"Stark your staring to get on my nerves,"
Claire went in, and she swung towards Nat but failed. Nat had her pinned against the Matt in a matter of seconds.
"Had enough?" Nat asked.
Claire shook her head. "Again," she freed herself and flipped herself up.
"Nice..." Nat had jumped backward to keep Claire from kicking her. "Let's go," she ordered.
The girls were at it for hours. Claire had gotten enough to keep herself together, and she missed two of Nats' punches clear away from her face and stomach. She felt proud that she had finally accomplished something. Nat showed her how to drop when someone was coming from above, and just like Nat! Claire was just as flexible. Her leg movement improved in a matter of seconds, and Claire remembered how easy it was to kick high. They moved in a pattern following eachothers moves and throwing punches hard enough to bruise one another. Nat was right; she was a dancer and damn good one, too. But that didn't help much just yet as Nat knocked her over a few more times. Claire got up and sighted.
They took a water break in silence before Claire spoke. "Show me how to disarm a gun?"
Nat breathed. "It's been a tough day," she was actually tired. "Tomorrow," she promised.
Claire agreed. "Fine, but tomorrow," she pressed.
Nat smiled warmly. "Yeah."
Both women laid on the outdoor patio on the floor, staring up at the sky as the lights from the city made it a little harder for them to see the stars.
"In the countryside, the stars are so close to you-you can actually feel them staring back at you," Claire told Nat.
"I wonder if his looking back at me," Nat whispered softly.
"Who?" Claire tilted her head over to Nat.
Nat closed her eyes. "It's nothing,"
"It can't be nothing; your eyes can't hide it," Claire sat up. Her hair was no longer sticky with sweat; it was chilly tonight, and it didn't help that they were way up high.
"Bruce," Nat murmured.
Claire gasped softly. "The Hulk man?" She gazed with wide eyes. "You and...hulk man are...?
"No," Nat sat up quiet quickly. "It... happened... After we stayed at Clint's, we got personal... but..." Nat bit her lip and didn't go into details.
"No?" Claire gasped, surprised by this.
"After I told him I couldn't have children after he told me he couldn't have a normal life...things took a turn, and we..." she stopped and pressed her lips into a line.
Claire nodded softly. "Do you love him?"
Nat shook her head. "Love, what is that?"
Claire didn't say anything. She watched as Nat cleared her eyes. "In the old days, you would've never seen me like this, maybe Clint, but," she apologized.
"It's the first time for everything." Claire gave her a small smile. "It's okay,"
"Yeah, and right now, family isn't seeing eye to eye," Nat faced her.
"It happens," Claire told her. She could see that this was tearing them apart. What was going on? It had been two months. Claire had trained morning and night with Nat, and Tony didn't make it any easier. Happy joined in once in a while, and by the last hour, she couldn't move. It went on for a month. One morning, Claire was making breakfast.
Tony marched in. "Get dress were going,"
Claire was slightly confused. "Going-going where? I have a meeting with the university tomorrow," Claire had been in the kitchen cooking bacon and eggs. She turned the stove off and followed Tony.
"Tony, what's going on?"
"Dress now!"
In no time, she dressed in regular blue jeans, a T-shirt, and her black leather jacket. "Here," Tony handed her a black beanie; it's going to be chilly in Europe,"
"Cool! I always wanted to go to Europe,"
"Yeah, well, I'm sorry it's not a vacation,"
"What's going on?" Claire asked. She was tired of all this nonsense. Of being left out, this is why she came back to be a part of his life not to be shut out. She strapped herself up and waited for him to speak. Tony could see that she wasn't happy, and her brows rose in question, pressing him on for the matter.
Nat had already taken off before Claire even got to the shower, and Tony had already dressed.
"Cap and his flying comrade are in heat," Tony rubbed his forehead. "There can be jail time,"
"What?" Claire hissed. "Why? Tony, what's going on?" She repeated with frustration.
"Cap was chasing the culprit...his the one who blew up the Vienna international center,"
Claire felt appalled. "Why would he be jailed for trying to catch the person who did wrong?" She meant Captain.
"Have you not been listening to a word? We are under government supervision now; we must abide by the laws, and we must wait until we're called in,"
Claire stayed quiet. "Tony," she finally said. "You of all people can barely sit still are you really going to let your friend go to jail or are you going to oh I don't know agree with the government especially when people's lives are at steak?!" Claire didn't agree now. She was starting to see that. "What are you going to do?" She wondered.
"What, I should have done."
The flight was quiet.
Claire must have fallen asleep because Tony woke her up.
"Claire, we're here,"
They landed in a facility and were shown in the building.
"She's with me," Tony told them as they checked them.
They were taken into some backrooms where cameras shots filled a few t.v screens, and others worked on their computers that held important data. Tony's phones rang, and he began to speak to someone rather quickly and grew very aggravated.
"You bet there will be consequences. " he turned around and came face to face with Steve and Sam. He hung up his phone, but Tony really wasn't paying attention to Sam or Claire anymore. He was starting intently at Steve.
"So there are consequences now?" Steve asked. "I don't believe I'll be able to have my sheild back, will I?"
"It belongs to the government and the wings too," Nat smiled as she eyed Sam.
"That's cold," Sam eyed her.
"It's better than jail," Tony commented. "Come on, Claire," Tony kept on his feet.
Claire turned to face Steve. "Can I speak with him?" She had a guard stand near them. "I'm with him," she pointed to Tony, who was halfway down the hallway already. "I am a classified agent from..."
"Shield," Steve finished.
The guard stepped away two feet, and Claire glared over at Steve. "Tony told me everything,"
"Did he?" Steve sighted. "Listen, Claire, I don't expect you to choose any sides, but you wouldn't understand,"
"You're right. I need to know why you did this? My brother he has so much respect for you and his creating a war in his head, and it's driving him crazy," she hated seeing Tony this way. But she needed to hear Steve's side. "Why did you do this?"
Steve was hesitant at first, but he pulled Claire to the side.
"Tony would do anything for you, Claire." Steve smiled warmly now, his face softened. "I would too in a heartbeat, wouldn't you for Tony?"
"Yes," Claire nodded. "For my family,"
"Sometimes, you do things for those you love that don't make sense, but it's right for you,"
"If it's wrong and bad, then why do it?"
"What if it's the right thing, and it's not wrong?" Steve told her.
Claire simply nodded. She understood now.
The guards took Steve and Sam into two different rooms. Steve was boxed into a glassed room.
Everything had Claire thinking. Could this person really have caused such chaos? Who was he to Steve aside from someone important because Claire had caught on he was someone Steve knew? Who was he? Claire looked over to see steve standing tall by himself.
"I'll be back," Tony told her. "Stay put," she watched as he went into the room with Steve and turned away.
Claire began thinking about both men. Both didn't seem to agree on the fact that something had to stand and she had no say in this she would stand behind tony no matter what but she couldn't allow him to be taken for granted either.
Claire went to go stand next to Nat, who looked well dressed and cleaned up and followed Nats' eyes to the screens. "Who is he?"
"His known as the winter soldier."