warrior | captain america

[ R O C K E T ]

"Scared?" Nat finished with a sympathetic smile.

"Exactly," Jali exhaled deeply, glad she got that out finally.

"We could help you. We have experts here that will definitely show you the way if you are wanting to learn. But for that, we have to run a few tests to get a better understanding of what makes you..you," Natasha says encouragingly.

Jali didn't like the sound of that at all. Strucker did so many tests on her that it nearly killed her.

Natasha noticed how her body physically tensed up and her face literally drained of all emotion. It made her feel bad because obviously, Jali was not over what Strucker had done to her---no one would be---and it was clear that Natasha must have triggered her. She knew exactly how it felt though, but she pushed those dark days of being raised in the Red Room behind the back of her terrifying and traumatizing memories. Yet she doubts that Jali has done the same.

"I-I'll think about it. Thank you," Jali stammered before turning around to go sit on the edge of her bed.

Natasha wanted to give her a hug and tell her that everything was going to be okay, but she remained professional and nodded her head, "Anything," and with that, she left the room.

Jali laid flat on her back, hands covering her face as she felt the tears surface. She hated living like this. She had scars, nightmares, anxiety, all of that. It was like Strucker had this control over her that she couldn't shake off. He was an evil man; evil enough that sometimes she wished that he would have killed her back in Sokovia.

"Excuse me, ma'am," said a voice with a few knocks.

The woman wiped the tears as best as she could, quickly, before she sat up straight to see an animal in her room.

"Have you been using all the hot water?" The furry creature asked with a towel wrapped around his waist, voice masculine enough for Jali to assume that it definitely was a he.

"N-No," she stuttered shaking her head, having no idea what the fuck was going on.

"Okay, just asking," he shook his head. "Because this is the third night inna row where I haven't had any hot water!" He shouted in frustration.

She just eyed the raccoon.

"I'm Rocket by the way. I heard your name is Kali or something? Right?" Rocket tilted his head.

"Jali," she corrected in a soft voice.

"Right, right, right," he snapped, nodding. "Well, it's nice to meet you. Cap talks about you a lot."

"He does?" The woman asks with a questioning look on her face. What could he be possibly talking about? She wonders.

"All the time," he chuckles. "He goes on and on about how he wants to get to know you more and how he thinks that you have the potential to become an Av--,"

"Rocket," interrupted someone who stood by Jali's room door. And it was no one other than Steve Rogers himself.

"Captain America," Rocket cleared his throat awkwardly as he looked up at the tall man. "Nice to see you around Cap. What have you been up to these days?"

Steve ignored his question, "Please don't bother our guest," he tells the animal in a knowing tone.

But Rocket took offense to that, "How dare you accuse me of bothering somebody? I'm the most likeable person in this entire building!"

"I have gotten ten complaints in one day about you," Steve deadpans.

"Eh," he waved it off. "All the people here are soft. They need to get over it."