MarlonEdwards3 suggested a "VERY AMERICAN" special. I thought it was a splendid idea so here it is! It takes place separate from the storyline of my book. (Meaning Torrun and Francis are on earth)
Petra-Fireworks
It's July Fourth, otherwise known as Independence Day for America. The day we, as Rebels, flung off the reign of Britain and became our own nation. A nation where freedom and justice would be the statutes by which it would be governed..I need to stop my patriotic monologue...I'm beginning to sound like James....
I finish my makeup with some dark red lipstick and then turn and leave my bathroom. In honor of today's holiday I have donned an unusually patriotic skater skirt with a black tank top, my cherry red doc martens, and a small black purse. Today, I am accompanying the Next Avengers to enjoy an evening in the park and celebrate America's independence so I wanted to look the part.
I leave my quarters and go down the hall to where the boys and Torrun are waiting. I'm always the last one ready UNLESS we are going on a mission, then I always manage to beat everyone. They are sitting on the couches waiting for me.
"FINALLY I thought you couldn't possibly take any longer." Francis complains as he stands up.
"Shut up Barton."
He rolls his eyes and adjusts the purple sunglasses that are sitting on top of his head. Torrun is the next to stand. She is wearing a red dress that falls just above the knee. Francis places his arm around her shoulders and she looks up at him lovingly. Ugh....romance....C'mon guys do you have to do it here? Every since they officially became a couple they've been unable to stop showing it. Henry notices it too and I can see him look away uncomfortably. I guess it just takes some getting used too. James gets up with a huge grin on his face. He is totally unaffected. He seems so excited....I guess he gets it from his dad.
"You guys ready to rock 'n roll?"
"Let's go!" James exclaims as he starts to walk towards the door.
I walk behind everyone as they all follow James out to the parking garage where our vehicles are waiting. We've been S.H.I.E.L.D.'s best agents for so long that they decided to let us have our own vehicles.
"Who's driving?" Henry questions.
"I am!" Francis yells as he runs over to his silver convertible that he has nicknamed "Arrow".
"I'll drive" I offer.
That's it. We need two cars to get us all to the park. Torrun and Francis get in their car and James, Azari, and Henry decide to follow me to mine. I hop into the driver's seat of my black Camero and start the engine. I take my round frame sunglasses from the cupholder and slip them over my eyes. My world suddenly turns red as I look through the lenses. I look to my right to see who has taken shotgun. My gaze is met by the redhead with the bright blue eyes. James...
I focus on the driving instead of my companions around me. Once we get out of the S.H.I.E.L.D. compound I am more relaxed and even begin to get excited to spend the day with my friends.
"Anybody want to listen to music?"
"Eh...not right now." Henry mutters.
I look in the rearview mirror and I see that Azari seems a little down.
"Why are you guys so quiet? Are James and I the only ones excited to be here?"
James looks a little surprised. You sir are excited even if you try to pretend not to be....You can't just start hiding it now! The park is just about ten minutes away.
"I'm just a bit tired."
Sureeee you are.....Maybe he just misses his parents....or even Wakanda... I decide to cope with the silence rather than jabber and fill the car with unwanted conversation. I can see the park in the distance. There are all kind of red, white, and blue tents set up on the grounds and I can't even imagine how many flags are waving in the air. I roll down a window and get a whiff of the delicious smell of hot dogs and hamburgers roasting on a grill. My mouth waters when I think of the delicious food just waiting to be devoured.
"I didn't realize I was hungry."
Apparently I'm not the only one to catch a whiff of the delectable smells coming from the outdoors. Azari and I think similarly when it comes to food. The hot humid air races through the car and I mentally groan when I think about how hot it will be in the full sunlight. The good news is that it should be dark in a couple hours. The night brings cooler temperatures... I'm not a huge fan of sunlight. I'll take the cold, rain, and fog any day over scorching heat. The only exception is when I'm at the beach. I want as much light as possible so I can get a tan. I think next time we have a day off...WE SHOULD GO TO THE BEACH....
I park my car and turn the engine off. After unbuckling I push my door open and step outside onto the brick. The S.H.I.E.L.D. base that we live at is just a few minutes away from a quaint little town that still has red brick road for effect. I can visually see the heat radiating off the ground and a groan escapes my lips as I feel myself baking in the sun.
Francis and Torrun walk towards us and we all congregate on the sidewalk.
"It's really hot. Why is Florida so hot?" Francis exclaims.
"Well.....it's because-"
We all give Henry a glance. We don't want a lecture right now. He closes his mouth and then scoffs.
"You did ask!" He tries to defend himself.
We are like a bunch of siblings....Always arguing and being sassy and sarcastic....I love it.... After my mom and dad died the closest thing I had to family was Uncle Peter*, but He didn't visit me very often when I was in S.H.I.E.L.D. custody. I suppose I should try to get close to him again, but maybe he wouldn't want to see me. Some choice words fell out my mouth the last time I saw him.... Such sad thoughts as those should not be on such a day as this.
We all look so...normal. The guys all have on shorts and some form of t-shirt with sunglasses. Torrun and I have casual attire on. No one would suspect that we are the superheroes that cover the magazines and newspapers. Except for James....he is the only one of our team that doesn't wear some form of mask or head gear in combat. If he wasn't wearing sunglasses and a hat I think almost every fangirl in the radius of a mile would come running. His red hair is quite recognizable.... Frankly I had even wondered if he was going to wear his Captain America costume today.
There are so many people here today. Just bustling about and enjoying every moment of their merry lives. It makes me so happy to see it. This is what we strive to protect. Freedom.
"I don't know about you guys, but I want a hot dog and a slice of apple pie."
Of course Francis would be the one to mention food.... I'm game for food.
"I second that."
There isn't much of a line at the hot dog booth I see from our current vantage point so I don't wait for them to respond. I walk quickly over to it and stand at the back of the line that consists of three people.
"What are you getting?"
Francis must have dashed over when he saw me make my move because he is standing right behind me. What am I getting? I have odd tastes in food. Sometimes I like my food chaotic and flavorful like Cajun spice and Blackened stuff or sometimes I like it bland. With hot dogs I just prefer them plain with nothing on em.
"Just a hot dog on a bun. What about you"
"You are so weird....Why don't you want anything on it? I'm gonna get mine with the works. You know, ketchup, mustard, chili, and coleslaw."
That sounds so awful. Why would you put all of that on a hot dog? Its my turn to order so I tell the man what I want and he excepts the money I pass him. He gives me the change and I am handed a bundle of foil that contains my food.
"Thanks."
Francis gives his elaborate order and pays the man. He too is handed a hot dog and then we walk back to where our friends were standing. Key word is were.... They aren't there. Great...just great... It isn't that the park is big...The problem is that it is small. There are so many people jam-packed into the same place that it is going to make it difficult to wade through the crowds to find them.
"Got any ideas Bird Boy?"
He grimaces at my use of his nickname and starts to scan the crowds for them.
"Well...Petrafied...I'm not quite sure where they are. Do you have your phone? Maybe we could call them."
His attempt at giving me an annoying nickname kind of backfired. I don't actually mind it. My phone is in my purse so I reach in the satchel and pull it out. I quickly dial James and put the phone to my ear. Pick up James.....C'MON! The phone rings continuously and finally sends it to voice mail. I don't bother to leave a message. I click on Azari's contact and hope that he actually picks up.
"Petra. I'm assuming you are calling because you are wanting to know our location."
"Yes."
"You can find us by the blue tent with the red balloons and streamers. We wanted hamburgers rather than hot dogs for dinner."
"Thanks Azari."
"No problem."
He hangs up and I point to the tent that is somewhat in the center of the park.
"See that blue one? That is our target."
Francis has already unwrapped his hot dog and is in the middle of a huge bite.
"Mhmmmm."
His voice is muffled because his mouth is full, but I take it as an exclamation of understanding. We both shove our way through the crowds and I keep my precious little bundle of food safety nestled in my hand. I catch sight of our motley crew sitting at a picnic bench and munching on their food. I slide in next to Henry which is across from Azari.
"This is certainly delicious." Torrun comments as she delves into her hamburger.
Francis steals a bite of her sandwich, but offers her a bite of his food in return. We don't talk much because we are all engaged in eating our Fourth of July Feast.
"So what time do the fireworks start?" James asks when he takes a quick breath in between bites.
"In about an hour and a half. It's seven thirty right now and they shoot off at nine." Henry answers.
We have an hour to kill before it is time for the fireworks. Its gonna be a long night tonight because we agreed to attend the celebration at the S.H.I.E.L.D. base afterwards... Luckily I'm a night owl and I don't require sleep. A trait I received from my dad.
"After we finish eating why don't we go down to the lake front and scout out a great place to stand?" I suggest.
They all agree and we swallow the last bites of our food. I am practically soaked in sweat due to the extreme heat and humidity. Ugh...I hate it... Azari is the first to stand and he offers to throw our wrappers away so we pass them down to him and he deposits them in the trash. I get off the bench so that Henry can get out. My fingers are greasy so I drag them down my skirt to get it off. The skirt is washable and there is no faucet available for me to wash my hands. I walk beside James as we make our way doing to the lake shore.
"It's been a pretty good day, hasn't it?" He says as he takes his glasses off to wipe them.
"Yep. It's been fun, but I suspect it isn't anywhere close to being over."
We had spent the morning training and filling out some basic paperwork until lunch. When they finally gave us the green light to leave the base we all needed to shower and get ourself tidied up. Instead, we came to the unanimous decision to go for a swim. We spent a few fun hours indoors in the swimming pool that had been built by S.H.I.E.L.D. for experimentation and some beings called "Atlanteans....", but they let us use it for recreation.
There is a nice breeze coming off the lake. It provides some relief to the otherwise hot and humid atmosphere.
"I don't know about you guys, but I'm going to sit on the edge of the dock."
Henry has a brilliant idea. He really is a genius... By sitting on the edge of the dock we would have a front row seat from which we can view the fireworks. The dock is ancient so the wood creaks underneath our feet and I can see the water flowing below through the cracks. The sound of splash reveals the location of a fish leaping out of the water.
"It's gorgeous." Torrun exclaims.
The sun has started to set so the whole world is seeming to glow. I place my sunglasses on top of my head so my vision isn't tainted red. The water dances as the orange sky reflects on the surface. I lower myself onto the edge of the dock and dangle my boot clad feet over the edge. Soon all of us are sitting closely together waiting for the sky to darken and the fireworks to begin.
"This is nice. All of us, in one place without having to battle for the earth....I can't remember the last time we had a moment where we were all completely free like this."
Francis is right. It has been too long. I lean forward a glance left and right at the faces of my friends. Friends...its nice to have them... Apparently I lean forward to much because I would have gone toppling first face into the water if it hadn't been for a quick reaction from James. He had grabbed the collar of my shirt and pulled me back onto the dock. Some ninja I am...
"Thanks." I offer.
He tells me not to worry so I don't. I let myself be as carefree and relaxed as I can. We chat and discuss the missions of our past. As time passes the evening gets darker and darker until it is only the moon that lights the sky. Francis tells a few jokes and then the fireworks finally start.
The colors burst across the sky and illuminate the night. The reflection in the water is just as beautiful as the actual explosions in the air. Music plays in the background, but is barely recognizable above the loud sounds caused by the fireworks. It is gorgeous....
We don't speak because we are all entranced by the display in the air.
Happy Fourth Of July......