The Disappearance of Jessica Stark

14. Better

                                      ***

      "Even though you have special fire powers" Westbrook threw a very impressive punch, aiming directly at my face. I narrowly dodged it "It's important to know fighting techniques. That's your last line of defense" Being a former Agent of SHIELD, Westbrook knows all of this stuff like the back of his hand. We were training together in the front yard of Laura's house that next morning.

      "I've worked with Natasha Romanoff" I boasted proudly, preparing for another punch "I think I've learned quite enough"

      Suddenly his fist connect with my nose, my head snapped back in response. I fell on my ass and squeezed my eyes shut. My mouth dropped in shock "Did Romanoff teach you that?" He asked, extending his hand to me. I felt the extremis rush to my nose, healing whatever pain he inflicted.

      I took his hand and he pulled me to my feet "We didn't get that far in the lessons" I pursed my lips and cracked my neck "Speaking of lessons, how did you become a History teacher? And what are the odds that I would end up in your class... Henry set you up to this, didn't he?"

      "Well, when SHIELD fell" he started, sitting down in the grass. I sat across from him and played with the blades of grass "I decided to start over... that or work with Hydra. So I left, I completely severed my ties with SHIELD and soon went back to college to get a degree in teaching"

"Why teaching?"

      "Good government benefits, well paid... sorta. And doesn't the thought of enriching children with the subject of history sound like a great job to you?" He smiled jokingly.

"Not dying sounds like a good job to me" I raised my eyebrow.

      "Anyway" he went on "Just when I thought SHIELD was all behind me, Henry Morgan called me up. We've been friends in the Agency for years. He asked me to keep an eye on a blonde haired, short girl who just may or may not be Jessi Stark. Spoiler alert, she was"

      So that's why Henry sent me to this particular town and that particular school. Westbrook was already here "What about Stephanie?" I asked "Why was she there?"

      "An extra set of eyes. And Henry figured that you'd want a friend. She started attending that school three weeks before you arrived because Henry knew that he would send you there. Steph is actually twenty-two years old"

      "Twenty-two?!" I gasped... I love that song.
After a few more minutes of chatting we returned to our training.

      Later that day, after dinner, I returned back to the yard for more exercise. Stephanie sat out next to the barn and observed me.

      I stepped out into the green field, across the way was Laura's house. Her parking lot was loaded with cars now. Her car, the station wagon, Maxwell's car and Matts freaking awesome black Porsche. The afternoon sun was perched in the cloudless sky.

      "Hey Cooper" I waved. He was sitting on the front porch, a book rested in his lap. He barely paid me any attention, but he did say hi back.

"Hey"

"Whatcha doing?" I asked, walking to the porch.

"Nothing" was all he said in response.

      I nodded, not knowing where to go with this chat "I was gonna train, wanna watch? Or-?" His eyes left the book and landed on me. I wasn't sure where to go with this conversation.

"Sure I guess, whatever" he shrugged.

      I went to the middle of the lawn. The smell of food cooking floated from the open kitchen window. Extremis has been the least of my problems lately. As each day passes, it gets easier to deal with it. The serum flows to the groove of my body, and stays down unless I intentionally let it show. Right now I relaxed my muscles and let the extremis glow from my veins. With it my strength increased, and also my senses seemed to be heightened.

      I tilted my head back and stared straight into the sky. Bruce Banner crossed my mind and so did Thor. Bruce disappeared off the face of the earth and Thor went back to Asgard last year after Ultron occurred. Can you believe that my friend is a Hulk, and my other friend is a Demi-God of Thunder? I missed them both.

      Bruce taught be a lot about life in a science lab, and how combine certain chemicals and also how to classify elements. There's so much more we talked about, it wasn't all science. Thor sometimes would go on forever about Asgard and the nine realms. I would listen to him and completely forget about whatever I was doing before. His descriptions of Asgard and his home were so perfect that I could actually see it all in my head.

      I sometimes took him around town and showed him the important things of New York like the best hotdog stand, or a Broadway show which he would almost always fall asleep in. He also made a damn good peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I opened my eyes, my mind returning back to planet earth. The blades of grass were sizzling under my feet.

      I began my workout. But with every bead of sweat that fell, Ames would appear back in my mind. His soft, tanned skin and brown eyes. He was the star of Patrick Stewart High with a great future ahead of him. More than likely he would have got into college with a football scholarship, and maybe NFL after. There's no way to know now.

      I spent the remaining evening training until the sun sank behind the trees. Endurance, strength, and skill. I've gotten into a few hand to hand scraps, but nothing too major. Natasha Romanoff has taught me a few moves in her spare time, and Steve showed me how to use the special training room in Avengers Tower.

      I know enough, but most of the time I just flail my arms around and hope for the best. The extremis makes me stronger, and more durable. With it, I will take down April. She won't get away with what she has done.