Jali decided that she would stay at S.H.I.E.L.D during this time of chaos. After a lot of thinking and subtle convincing from Natasha, she believed that she would be safer here than anywhere else. The past two days have been so tiring for her; from having a shootout at her apartment to apparently floating in the air in a white forcefield. Her life had taken a serious 180° spin in less than a week. But she understood that this organization just wanted to keep her from harm's way and make sure her powers aren't used for destructive weapons to kill even more people---on top of that, she didn't want to be in the hands of Strucker's minions again.
To make her feel more at home they had given her a bigger room to stay in and it was pretty nice. It smelt like warm cinnamon, had white and black marble floor, a white fuzzy rug from underneath her queen-sized bed with fluffy lilac comforters, a connected bathroom---that was the same size as her actual bedroom back in her apartment---, the walls on the left of her bed was glass and it that gave her a beautiful view of the upstate scenery. The technology here was absolutely astounding. Also along with the people who worked here---they were professional but actually nice---made her feel welcomed and that really made her feel a lot less anxious about staying here.
Natasha also promised that after this problem was over and solved that Jali had the choice of getting her apartment completely repaired or she would get another one all on S.H.I.E.L.D. And that was a pretty nice deal.
"Thank you, Natasha, really," Jali grew a bit comfortable with Natasha over the past few days just slightly. Turns out that she was in charge of S.H.I.E.L.D since the former director, Nick Fury, had vanished. But she was doing a good job running this organization.
"No, thank you for giving us a chance," Natasha smiled softly. She liked Jali and had no problem with her staying here. They had just got done eating dinner just a few minutes ago and it felt nice to feel almost normal again. It's just that Natasha was going to be patient with Jali getting out of her shell. She saw right through her and there were so many emotions in that woman's eyes Natasha could pick it out one by one. But she chose not to; if Jali wanted to be more open then Nat will be there when that happens. "If there is anything you need just let me know."
Jali fumbled with her fingers, stopping Nat before she left her room, "Um actually--,"
"Yes?" Natasha turned around, her eyebrow rose up.
"Do you think you..you guys can help me control myself?" Jali asks gently looking down at her hands. She never really reached her full potential and she always wondered what else she could do. Stucker and his people were the only ones who took advantage of her powers more than her.
"Like your powers?" Natasha inquired, facing her again with her arms crossing.
"Yes," Jali nods. "There is only so much I know how to do...I haven't tried doing anything else because I was--,"
"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."
"You are feisty," Jali laughs a bit. "I like you Rocket."
"Hey, I like you too Jali," the talking creature swoons giving her a polite smile.
"I think it would be better if you go to your room and put some clothes on," Steve ordered crossing his arms over his chest. "Now."
"So pushy," Rocket muttered underneath his breath as he rolled his eyes. Then he turned back to Jali, smiling a bit. "It's nice to meet you, pretty girl. I'm just down the hall if you need me."
"Noted. It's nice to meet you," Jali nods.
"You see that Cap? That is called having a civil conversation," Rocket sneered at the man.
"Out," Steve muttered underneath his breath as he held open the door.
"Alright, America's Baby," Rocket sighed, he turned around and went the room without saying anything else.
Steve shook his head as he cracked the door after the small animal walked out. He looked at Jali with a disappointing but playful look, "He's really a character."
"I can see," Jali grinned.
"Was he bothering you?" Steve asked with a brow up. "Because I can just give you a small taser that'll only hurt for about two or three minutes if--,"
"No, he was just asking if I used the hot water today," Jali cackled.
"Oh..okay," Steve put his hands up in defense. Clearly, if it wasn't a problem with Jali then it wouldn't be a problem with him. It's just that being with Rocket for a year now has Steve on his toes 24/7. He didn't know what to expect when it came to the Guardian.
"He's funny," Jali pointed out, feeling a whole lot better.
"And talks way too much for an animal," Steve chuckles, leaning against the wall next to the door. He took note that he hasn't seen Jali this bright look on her face ever since they met. And quite honestly, it was nice seeing it.
"Maybe that's what I needed. A talking animal to just brighten my entire week," Jali couldn't believe that a damn raccoon came in her room like that, talking like a human and interacting with her so casually. She couldn't help but laugh about it.
"Glad that he was useful for something," Steve emitted with a small chuckle.
"Yeah," Jali breathed out, wiping the corner of her eyes. She then looked at Steve, her eyes awkwardly going side to side before returning back at him. "So ug..was that why you came in here?"
Steve coughed awkwardly, standing up straight again, "Um..I just came in here to tell you that Nat and I, along with others and a lot of agents, are going to head to Florida tomorrow night. We found the second compound like in Sokovia and we're going in to take them out," he tells her.
Jali's happy mood faltered a bit, "Oh..I didn't know that."
"But you'll still be here. Safe," Steve assured her.
"I just feel like you guys are fighting my battles for me. And I don't want that," Jali tells him with a shake of her head. "It doesn't feel right. And it's unfair."
"Then what would you want?" Steve was interested in what she had to say---after all, she was right. This was her battle.
"To go to Florida as well...at least be apart of something that's my fault," Jali explains to him, a short shrug following afterward as her head went down in a bit of shame.
"Jali, none of this is your fault," Steve sighs walking over to her. He sat next to her on the edge of her bed with a friendly amount of space between them. "Why would you ever think that?"
"All those women died for no reason, Steve," she uttered in sadness. "Not only do they want me to make weapons, but they were trying to make superhumans my powers."
Steve frowned. She hadn't told him or Natasha none of this beforehand, this was all new information, "What do you mean?"
"You remember Aldrich Killian?" She asks him, hoping he would know that monster as well.
Luckily, Steve knew about Killian when he nodded his head at the name, "Tony told me about him after the first attack in New York back in 2012. Something about human evolution, bombings, and mutations."
"Strucker talked too damn much when he was doing all these tests on me and poking me with shit," Jali cursed, shaking her head at the horrible memories..but kept talking anyway. "I overheard him mentioning Killian and I'm pretty sure they did some deals underneath the table a couple of years back. They were for sure close friends."
"Figures why he mastered to enhance the Maximoffs," Steve understood why it was a connection, it made sense.
"Exactly, because after Killian died Strucker still knew how to carry out his plans, meaning Strucker had Killian's technology and research because they were also business partners. So he knew how to run tests and experiment on people," Jali explained to him, making sure he was following along and comprehending this information. She continued, "So, therefore, Strucker wanted to make superhumans not only from Loki's scepter but from me as well. The Maximoff twins were the only two that survived from Loki's scepter..but no humans survived from my powers."
This was a lot deeper than Steve thought it was. His mind was racing trying to let this settle in, but there was something that didn't make any sense to him still, "Why does this connect with the girls who were found dead in New York?"
"They were failed experiments, Steve. So they dumped them around the city," Jali whispers, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. "I don't know how they still have so much left of me after all these damn years. But, I've seen the markings on their arms because I have the same ones."
Steve noticed that she rolled up her sleeve all the way up to her bicep and showed him the scars on her arms. They were faded since it was years ago, most likely from needles and cuts, but they were still dark and noticeable on her skin. It made his throat dry and his heart hurt.
"That's why I want to go," Jali rolled down her sleeve and looked over at the man next to her. "I wanna help. Make things right again and get them gone for good this time."
"I understand where you are coming from. But honestly, this isn't my call so I can't give you an answer whether or not you can come," Steve broke it down to her with honesty.
"I suppose you're right," she sighed in a disappointment. Who am I kidding? She wasn't about kicking ass or that "superhero" life, nowhere near it. She barely survived that shootout at her apartment. Lord knows what could happen if she raided the compound and is brought to face her worst fears again. Jali didn't know if she could handle that.
"But I do know that you can come train with me at the courts if you would like to learn some fighting moves or see what you are capable of doing," Steve offered with a genuine smile on his face. "It's south of this building, a mile out if you follow the grassy trail."
Jali didn't expect this at all, "Really? The courts?"
"See you bright and early at six in the morning," Steve gave her a soft pat on the shoulder from standing up to his feet.
"That's really early," Jali eyed him.
"Exactly, so you should get some rest," he suggests before walking out of her room, but not before peeking his head out. "Goodnight, Jali."
"Goodnight, Steve," she said back to him.
-
wow this is a lot .. i had trouble with this chapter at first but i hope none of you guys are confused ?????? god i really hope not ug lmao .
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- BookOfBandz