Sam: Meeting The Avengers (Book 2)

Hi, My Name is Clumsy

  Confidence is key when battling another opponent. Although, it was a little difficult when my anxiety was shoving confidence down my throat so I could choke on it. It was no surprise that Natasha scared me - and a lot of other people - since she was experienced and had a tough attitude. It was intimidating, to say the least. The only comfort that I did have was Steve's kindness. This was a plus for me because I knew he wouldn't let Natasha beat me to a pulp. Not that she would, but my anxiety sure liked to picture her doing it. 
  After taking a deep breath to calm my pounding heart, I stepped into the area that Natasha was standing in. A sudden feeling washed over me that made me hunger for approval. I wanted everyone to know that I could handle myself when it came to fighting. Not only did I want people to believe in my capabilities but I wanted to believe in myself as well. Which meant that I had to practice if I wanted to be good at defending myself and others.
  With these thoughts fueling the desire, I gave Natasha a quick nod to tell her that I was ready for this. So Natasha started the lesson, "Alright, for today, I will teach you how to defend yourself and avoid attacks. Which means we'll start with trying to predict your opponent's moves." Then her right fist clenched into a ball and she reeled her arm back. "Judging by this stance, you can tell that I'm about to throw a swing at your left side. So, which way should you dodge?"
  Of course, this gave me the opportunity to over think it. If she was going to swing at my left side then that meant I can't dodge right because that's the direction that her fist was going to go. Which meant that I had to duck left. Luckily, Natasha wasn't going to actually hit me so it gave me longer to think about it. Although, I hoped it would soon enough become instinct.
  Finally, I made the move to dodge the 'attack' and slipped to the left of the blow. However, while I was trying to be swift and graceful, my foot caught onto the mat. This, in turn, caused me to gasp then slam my side against the cushioning on the ground. Instantly, I became hot under my clothes as my face turned into a tomato with embarrassment. I slipped my hand to cover my face so I couldn't see their disappointed reactions. "I'm the clumsiest person you could've chosen," I pouted.
  Even though I couldn't see them, doesn't mean I couldn't hear them. Like the deep chuckle that came from behind me but the voice reassured me, "Don't worry, I was the exact same way."
  Which made me pull my hand away from my face to stare at Steve with a look of shock and disbelief. There was no way that the hunk of muscle and elegance was ever clumsy in his life. However, it only made me realize how much I didn't know about them.
  When I turned back to Natasha, I noticed that she had pulled out some protective pads from the pile on the floor. "Put these on. Just in case the practice heats up," the red head in front of me ordered while she held the black covered clothing out to me.
  Reluctantly, I took the padded armor and began to slip it over my shoulders and chest so any blow that she threw at me would hurt less. Although, it didn't comfort me at all because she pointed out that the workout would get harder. Luckily, she put some padded gloves on her hands to absorb the force of her attacks.
  Training was back on as I got into some sort of stance that I thought would help me maneuver away from her. Alas, the thought quickly subsided when she threw another punch. I managed to scramble out of the way enough so she wouldn't hurt anything vital but I wasn't swift enough to completely get out of the blow as her protected fist connected with the pad on my shoulder. The attack made me lurch back but it didn't hurt so I was more startled than anything.
  "You have to think quicker on your feet," Natasha claimed.
  "Yeah, I got that," I grumbled with annoyance. Then I shifted myself back into my earlier defensive position. Although, I was already starting to become tired so I wasn't excited when she threw another attack. Thankfully, Natasha went a lot slower so I could anticipate where she was aiming to hit. Eventually, Natasha moved quicker when she saw that I could handle it. A smirk formed on my face when I kept dodging her. Finally, I was doing it! I managed to duck and dodge without her fist connecting with me.
  Except, Natasha noticed that I was getting cocky. So, she paused to throw another punch. Before I could realize what she was doing, Natasha lifted her foot and slammed it against the pad on my chest. The blow was still so hard that it launched my back against the ground.
  A groan left my lips but it was mostly from irritation than pain. Although, I decided to stay sprawled out on the forgiving ground. I let my eyes wander around the ceiling as I focused on the details of the roof. My mind left the situation that I was in and, instead, thought about the recent enemy we were facing. Then I wondered how I got here at all.
  "Did every superhero had to have gone through some traumatic experience?" I questioned out loud. "I mean, it seems a little unfair to me," I rambled. "That the people that save so many others went through so much crap. Do you guys even get recognition?"
  However, instead of answering, Natasha peered up from me to Steve, "I think I hit her too hard."
  In response, I sighed and leaned up so my back wasn't touching the ground anymore, "I'm serious. Everything you guys do for people and they decide to turn on you? I'm surprised you don't quit. If so many people are saying they hate you, then how do you not just give up and start a day job?"
  Finally, Steve stepped forward then he lowered his hand down toward me. So, I reached up and he pulled me to feet. Though, surprisingly, he answered with a smile, "Well, part of it is because we're too stubborn. And the other part is because it's not about us. If people hate us then that's fine but as long as we're helping people then we're not going to stop."
  The explanation made me go completely mute. I had no words for how he explained things. These people were so selfless and it felt like I was drowning in kindness. These were the last people to deserve hate and it made me frustrated that Lesser cared so little that he would try to ruin them. It made me livid to think about! I wanted to slap some sense into him. However, a realization that I had to join this group of hate exasperated me. But - after listening to Steve - I knew that I had to be selfless too and join Lesser's team because I cared about the Avengers. Pretty ironic if you think about.
  Natasha broke the silence to admit, "That's all of the training we are going to get done today. But I think it's best if you train at least once a day. No offense, you need it."
  So I dipped my head in as a reply then I took a deep breath, "I second that... Well, I guess I'll see you guys tomorrow."
  The two Avengers waved bye to me as I left the training room. I was a lot less sore than I thought I would be but I could still feel my muscles ache as I traveled down the hallway. It didn't take long for me to reach the elevator so I jabbed my index finger into the lobby button. With a ding, the doors swung open and the space was - luckily - empty. So, I slipped into the elevator and watched as the numbers lowered until it hit one.
  When I stepped out of the elevator, my eyes locked on to a familiar person standing a ways away from me. A smile carved itself onto my face as I gasped, "Pepper!"
  The woman's head snapped toward me then her mouth peaks up into a grin, "Hey, Sam."
  Beaming even brighter, I jogged over to my aunt and threw my arms around which she gladly returned the hug. Even though I hadn't know Pepper for a long time, she still felt like family and - honestly - missed her.
  Pepper pulled away and her face melted in a slight frown, "Sorry it's been forever since I've seen you. I've been meaning to visit you or something."
  Although I gave a small shrug, "Ah, it's fine. I understand."
  Except her frown stayed, "I'd love to talk and catch up but I came here to do some work. How about you and me go somewhere soon so we can talk and catch up?"
  "That's a great idea!" I grin with eagerness. I really wanted to hang out with Pepper since she was the closest thing I had to family. Call me crazy but I hoped that hanging out with Pepper would bring back some memories of my mother when I was little. Even if it didn't, Pepper was still a good person and I wouldn't mind hanging out with her.
  As a response to my reply, the woman in front of me smirked and dipped her head, "Then I'll see you sometime soon."
  "Yeah, you too," I nodded then waved bye to her as I scurried through the lobby. I was quick to leave SHIELD's public headquarter and slip to the street. The familiar black van caught my eyes but I didn't head to it immediately. Instead, I twisted my body so I could look up at the towering building. Tomorrow was the day that the mission started and I was admittedly terrified. There were so many scenarios of how the day could go wrong playing in my head.
  My heart started to beat out of control so I turned away from the building before I had a panic attack. Then I jogged over to the vehicle and slipped in. The guys in the suit only glanced at me briefly before starting the car and began to drive back toward my house. I leaned back in the seat and tried to relax even though my mind was spinning. I just hoped that tomorrow went smoothly. 

(Hey guys! I just want y'all to know that no matter how long I don't post, I'm never going to leave this book! I promise I will finish this series one way or another! Anyway, thanks for reading and all the support you guys give this book and this series! Love you guys!
~~~~~ LL2z)