Rivals ➢ Iron Man [ON HOLD]

1.11

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Training Exercise

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WASHINGTON DC

Thea's eyes kept dropping down to her watch.

She was waiting on something. Someone. Tony. She hadn't accepted his invitation to attend the party he was throwing at his condo in Dubai. She had a company to run and a back to watch. Obadiah couldn't be disregarded. She couldn't just shake him off. She had to keep her ears peeled and eyes opened. And it's a wonder what you realise when you're paying attention to the things around you. Luck had visited her early in the morning while she was still asleep on her desk to remind her of a crucial appointment. Thea couldn't believe she had almost missed it completely, which was how she ended up on the other side of the continent so quickly.

Thea was currently sat down at a reserved table in a small restaurant located in the heart of Washington DC. There were three occupied seats around her and she mildly listened to the way the men she spent her afternoon with conversed over their shared Air Force experiences. She felt something nudge her Jimmy Choo heels and she lifted her head to glance up at Luck with a clueless expression. His greying moustache dipped downwards in a small frown. He didn't know what Thea was thinking about, or if she had anything better to do, but he found it disrespectful when she would zone out every ten minutes. Their guests were beginning to notice her behaviour, and instead of taking it personally, they realised she must be worried about something.

Thea sighed and straightened up in her seat, bringing her hand up to push a loose stand of hair behind her ear. Her eyes flickered between the two men opposite her and offered them an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry. I'm being such a terrible host." She said. Luck cleared his throat and reached out to grab his almost empty pint of Guinness.

Sam Wilson let a charming smile spread across his face, and he waved a dismissive hand at Thea's words. "We forgive you." He replied, motioning to himself and his good friend Riley, who was trying to suppress a quiet chuckle behind his closed fist. "After all, you've selected us for a super cool, super secret government program." He continued to say in a low, playful tone that made Thea laugh.

Riley grinned. "Don't forget super expensive." He added, to which Sam nodded his head.

Luck wiped the froth of beer from his lips and exhaled from the taste of his beverage. It paired great with his ribeye steak and potato wedges. "Thea's been working on this project for years. She can probably recite the fifty page memo for you off the top of her head."

Thea folded her arms on the table and tilted her head at Luck. "It's fifty eight pages, Lou." She then turned to face Riley and Sam, and breathed out. "And he's right. You two got time to listen to all that B.S. on why the program exists and what it requires out of us all and... blah, blah, blah?" She questioned, raising a brow.

Sam picked up his cola and shook his head. "Hell no. I've read that thing twice and I'm beginning to have nightmares." He joked.

Riley pushed away his empty plate and leaned back in his seat. "It still doesn't feel real." He spoke up, getting Thea to frown out of curiosity. "I mean, I get that we were eligible for the program and that you hand picked us for the line up, but it's been sixteen months since then and I guess all I'm saying is that... when are we going to take those things out for a test drive?"

Sam was surprised by Riley's sudden question, but he had to admit, he was eager to get fitted and soar into the sky with Thea's technology. The pararescue duo had their attention on Thea, and how she paused briefly before replying. There was a sparkle in her eye as she leaned forward and sent them a smirk.