I'm up at six and pecking Peter on the lips before slipping out of bed and into workout clothes. We were up a little later from me telling him everything and while I feel a little lighter after telling him, I'm no less conflicted. I kiss Mercy's forehead too before jogging outside. It's brisk in my shorts and sports bra, but the rising sun is warm on my skin. Spring could hurry up just a bit more in my opinion. After a quick stretch in the dew-covered grass, I'm jogging in the direction of the front doors like I usually do. This time, however, I pause. I'm really not in the mood to argue with Steve right now. Instead, I start running by myself in the direction of the river. Since Steve, Sam, and Bucky usually run the path around the facility, I'll keep to the path going up and down the Hudson. The water is soothing anyway.
Breeze cool on my face, I'm turning on my fifth and final lap when I nearly run head first into someone. My hand reaches up and grabs their shoulder so I can flip over them and not run them over. "Christ, Sam!" I scold slightly breathlessly as I land on my feet. He grins sheepishly at me and shrugs.
"Sorry, Jo, but surprising you is the only way I could catch up." He tells me and I shake my head with a smile tempting my lips. Sam's always so bouncy. It's infectious. "Wanted to see if you knew why our resident Captain is so moody this morning?" My near smile disappears and Sam's eyebrows raise.
"Why don't you ask him about it?" I ask and start walking down the path with him at my side.
"Oh, it's like that is it?" He questions and a heavy breath leaves me.
"We had a sort of fight last night," I reveal and he hums. Apparently, he'd already ascertained that. "I'm considering an opportunity that Steve doesn't want me to take. Considering. He wouldn't even let me think about it before putting down his seal of disapproval." Sam chuckles and sways into me playfully.
"Did he say why he didn't approve?" Sam asks. My shoulders lift and fall.
"He said he didn't think it would be good for me. But I've been deciding what to do with my life since I was twelve! Sure, I've made some mistakes, but I've learned a lot too." My eyes go to the muddy water glimmering in the early morning light. "It hurt that he didn't trust me to make the decision myself. Doesn't believe in me," I admit.
"I think you're looking at this wrong. It's not that he doesn't trust you, but that his protective side is winning out over it. He cares about you." I make an ugly bleh sound at that and Sam laughs at it. My eyes meet his warm brown ones and I stop in the middle of the path. He steps in front of me and stops too.
"It's not just that. He brought up the plane." My voice is quieter than before. "He knows what that did to me, but he brought it up anyways. To prove a point? To win an argument?" I shake my head. "I don't know, but I'm pissed whatever his reason."
"Jo, I'm not saying you don't have a right to be angry, but reevaluate this. We both know you've said quite a few things you shouldn't have in the middle of a heated argument." Sam retorts and I roll my eyes.
"Sure, I've called him an asshole, but I've never hit below the belt before." He looks at me skeptically with an eyebrow raised.
"I've heard you call him Bucky's bitch before." Sam reminds me and I chuckle softly.
"That's not below the belt, that's just true." I shoot back and Sam grins. "Look, I'm not saying I'm going to be pissed forever. I'm just going to be pissed until I'm not pissed anymore. Nothing anyone can do about it."
"Ugh, fine." Sam groans. "But I hope you keep in mind that the reason you two argue so often is that you're too much alike." I shove him with a grin.
"I'll accept that." I agree and now we're rocking back and forth as we shove the other. We're to the front doors and I'm winning the shoving contest by dodging his attempts when we come across the blonde super soldier. My eyes pass over him as if he's not even there and Sam sighs heavily next to me in opposition. "Hey, Bucky." I greet him happily and he shakes his head at me knowingly.
"Jo, are you not even going to let me try and explain?" Steve asks as we all ascend the stairs to the gathering room.
"Sorry, did you hear something, Sam? Like an annoying buzzing?" I respond sharply. Sam raises his hands.
"Please don't involve me in this." He pleads and Bucky chuckles.
"That's pretty juvenile, Josephine." Steve grumbles and I am so very tempted to turn around and zap him.
"You know, I remember this one time when someone gave me the silent treatment for eating his leftovers. Funny the stuff you just randomly remember." I laugh to myself and walk to the fridge for a water.
"It was the last slice of pie and you'd already had two. It was unfair." Steve objects and I bite my tongue to keep from speaking to him. I take my water and a banana over to the kitchen table with a paper towel. Steve immediately sits across from me while I busy myself with unpeeling my breakfast. "I understand that you're upset, but hear me out, Jo. I just want what's best for you." Steve tells me in a soft, but impassioned voice. I swallow and hold my ground. "Are you even thinking about what this means for the rest of the team? You just made a commitment here. Besides, how would Buck feel at the prospect of you messing around with someone's mind-" I slam the banana on the table and it splatters all over Steve. Bucky and Sam on the couch freeze and look over, shocked.
"Steve, what is with you?" I ground out. His stubborn blue eyes meet my brown ones as I stand. "Back off. I'm not seventeen. I can make my own life decisions. Besides, you're not the only one who cares about this team. This is my family as much as yours. I care about them as much as you and it's shitty of you to imply any different." I push my chair back and walk out without a glance behind me. Deciding I'm too riled up for exercise, I decide on music. The music room is on the bottom floor and I happily retreat from human contact for some peace. Just sliding onto the piano bench is relaxing and I take a deep breath as my fingers rest on the keys. My fingers start playing before I realize what piece I've decided on. No. 12 in C Minor 'Ocean' by Chopin. It's complicated and occupies my mind as well as my hands. The dulcet tones fill my ears and the room and I'm more than happy to get lost within them. Too soon though, the song ends.
Loud applause startles the peace out of me and I look to the doors to find a grinning Tony. "While I love hearing you play from my lab down the hall, you only play Chopin when you're pissed." He tells me and slides into the seat with me while I laugh.
"You're not wrong." I relent and lean into him for comfort. His arm wraps around my shoulders and he presses a kiss to my hair. "Little pissed at Steve right now."
"Ah, well that's every other day for me." He teases. "Let me guess, he thinks that he's right. You're half mad because there's actually no straight answer and because he's at least half right. Did I get it?" I huff with a disbelieving smile.
"Almost exactly right." Tony hums in victory.
"Yeah, that's Cap's thing. It's even more irritating when he turns out to actually be a hundred percent right. Makes him more insufferable for the next time." He chuckles self-deprecatingly. I turn and look at his amber eyes.
"What if there's no way for either of us to be a hundred percent? What if it's just a judgment call?" I question and he screws up his mouth for a moment.
"Cap's got pretty good judgment, Josie. But, if it's for you, you should make the call." He scoots away a bit and examines me. "Everything alright?" I nod and slip out from behind the piano.
"Yeah. Thanks, Tony." I peck his cheek before heading out to the tech room. I've made my decision and while Coulson said to talk to Natasha, I'd rather not get Steve more pissed at her than he already is. I head to the computers and pull up the gate footage from last night and pause it just as a black SUV pulls up. "Lightning Sense Protocol Stealth." My black suit melts over me like liquid and I press my mask to my face like always. "Jac, I need you to track this license plate for me."
"You got it, Jo." She affirms and scans it so I can get rid of the footage. I'm slipping out of the room and out the back door of the facility as Jac marks the car's path through the city. "Seems you'll be doing some off-roading, Jo. They're in an underground bunker a couple of miles away."
"Highlight the path?" I request and she does so while I straddle my bike. I hesitate a moment when I look back at the facility. "Jac, where's Peter?"
"On the roof." She tells me and I waddle forward on my bike before looking up. As she said, he's there with his feet hanging off.
"Anyway to get him off without drawing attention or hurting him?"
"Uh, wave?" She suggests and I sigh.
"Peter!" I shout and he looks down.
"Jo? What're you doing?" He asks and thank god, starts rappelling down the building. He runs over to me and scans me with trepidation. I shrug.
"Up for a little adventure?" I suggest and he smiles lopsidedly.
"Taking me with you this time?" He teases and manages to get me to smile.
"If you'll have me." He chuckles and leans down to give me a kiss before he boards the bike behind me.
"When have I ever been able to say no to you, Jo?" He asks rhetorically and I laugh. "Let's go." I start my motorcycle and tear out of the driveway with Peter's arms tight around my waist.
* * * * *
It takes us a little over an hour to get to where Jac said the car went. Turns out it's an empty field. I set my bike under a pine before a now suited up Peter and I venture out into it. "Jac, scan the area. Peter, is Karen saying anything?"
"She's scanning the field as well." He responds and we both stop at the same time when a rectangle roughly the size of a semi drops a foot into the earth. "That's definitely something," Peter says and I nod in agreement.
"Identify yourselves." A voice speaks from the hole. Peter and I move closer together just in case.
"Josephine Leigh. Lightning Sense."
"And Peter Parker. Spider-man."
We respond and I hold my breath.
"Identification accepted." Suddenly the rectangle of earth separates into little rectangles; stairs leading down into uncertain blackness. I breathe a sigh of relief.
"Jac? Diagnostics?" I question as Peter and I both look into the hole.
"It's an underground bunker not unlike an anthill. This is definitely what you were looking to find, Jo." She tells me and I nod. Thought so. Not like anyone else is likely to have an underground anything out here.
"Alright, no mask, Jac. Thanks."
"You got it." My mask melts back and Peter's does the same. I meet his eyes and accept his offered hand before we head down the stairs and into the dark.
A/N
...all the chapters after this are totally gut-wrenching...so now is the time to grab a stuffed animal, blanket, maybe some water to keep you hydrated after all the tears...whatever you need. Just saying. You've been warned.