Captain America: Professional Best Friend

The Battle of Sokovia Part 2

The team dives into mission planning mode and Emma can't help but feel like there is an elephant in the room being ignored. Tony is going to Oslo; Steve, Natasha, and Clint are heading off to Seoul to check on Helen; and Emma doesn't know where she'll fit into the plan.

Steve emerges into the living room back in his suit, followed by Natasha and Clint shortly. Tony is in the room as well telling Steve details about his side of the mission. Emma takes a deep breath and approaches the group. Not having the courage for eye contact, she looks at the wall past them as she says, "Hey, Cap, I...I don't think I'll be of any help with either of the missions at hand. I'm not prepared to go on another one right now, and frankly I'm not sure I'm meant to be on any at all. I'm not trained like you guys are and this is something that needs to go smoothly."

"Emma," Clint says. He told her to take a step back but he didn't mean it like this. "It sounds to me like you're quitting."

Emma sighs, "I'm not going to botch another job. Take it how you may..."

As Emma turns to walk away, Natasha speaks up, "You know, you may not be trained like us, but that doesn't mean we can't get you there."

Steve puts aside his feelings and speaks as a leader, adding on to Natasha's words, "As long as you would want to, we can train you up after all of this is over."

Emma considers the words of the two of them and replies, "I'll think about it...good luck out there." She then walks away without giving them a chance to say another word. On the way back into the kitchen where Fury is, Emma tries to stop the shaking in her hands and voice as much as she can. "Can I go with you back to New York?" she asks quietly.

"We've got room," Fury replies with a nod.

Emma nods and begins to head out the door with Banner and Fury. Before she can get out the door though, Tony calls, "Baker, don't you forget that drone." Emma fights the urge to say It's not like I'll need it but heads to grab it anyways for appearances sake. 

When they get to Fury's secret jet, Emma sits down the drone and takes a seat. She sits in silence as she pulls out the glasses for the drone and tries to calm her nerves with the music from them. Emma doesn't say anything the whole ride, and that choice is respected by the two men who have their own conversations on the way back.

For the whole ride, Emma's mind is chaos. She is plagued with the thought of how she feels like a hindrance to the team, how the first real conversation she had with Steve since Ultron revealed her past was her running away from a fight, and snippets of the past haunting her. From the front of the jet, Fury debates on saying something, but decides against it once Bruce tells him that Ultron revealed her past to the team.

Once back in New York, Emma thanks Fury for the lift before quickly exiting the jet. "Hey, Emma," Maria says with a smile as she approaches.

"Hey, Maria," Emma replies quietly.

Maria senses something off with Emma and holds out her hand before Emma can pass her, asking, "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing, I'm fine," Emma lies with a smile.

"I can tell you're not, that's the fakest smile I've ever seen on you. What's wrong?" Maria asks while crossing her arms.

Emma looks back and sees Fury approaching so she uses that as her scapegoat, "I think Fury has something he would like to talk with you about."

She then quickly walks off with Maria calling her name after her. Emma feels light headed and overwhelmed with emotions as she makes her way out of the tower and to her apartment building. She doesn't even know how she gets back into her apartment, but once inside she breaks once again.