•Night Angel•

CHAPTER XXIII - THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM

1st December 2006. 12:30pm. Location Unknown

Once the jet had taken off from Wakandan soil, the directors and agents were on their way to Paris, so Sophia could see her parents before departing to New York. It was now time for her to go to SHIELD and stay there for a while until needed for another mission whether it was in Paris or somewhere else.

They had been in the air for around an hour and a half and she started to feel sleepy. She had been able to get some sleep in Wakanda, but she would need a lot more time to recover from those sleepless nights and early mornings at Daylight.

Sophia stood up from her seat and went where her uncles were. She saw them in the cockpit of the jet. Walking steadily there, they turned their heads when they saw her.

-Shouldn't you be getting some rest?.- Pierre asked when he turned quickly to look at his niece.

-Shouldn't you be working right now?.- Sophia replied to her uncle with a smirk on her face.

-I am working, just not at the office right now. Besides, this is a highly classified mission. Why do you think the only ones here are us four?.- Pierre retorted to his niece while looking at the sky in front of him.

Sophia let out a chuckle and smiled, reclining in the pilot's seat.

-I guess you have a point.- She turned to see Nick laying on the other copilot seat, with his head reclined in the seat and a book laying in his face. - You are the worst copilot ever, Fury. Has anyone ever told you that?.- Sophia said while laughing at her other uncle.

-I am awake, in case you haven't noticed. Besides, Pierre can handle this, and in case anything happens, I'll do my thing. I'm just resting my eyes.- Nick said while lifting the book just a little from his face to see Sophia with his eye.

-Eye.- Sophia said to Nick when he placed the book back on his face.

-What?.- Nick questioned, lifting the book again.

-You said, "I'm resting my eyes", as in plural, but I guess you meant to say you were resting your eye, in singular.- Sophia said while trying to hold her laugh.

She heard how Pierre snorted, also trying not to laugh.

-We leave you for a month and you come back a clown. I don't fire you, because you're my best agent, but if you weren't, I would've thrown you out of this jet already.- Fury said with a dead serious tone in his voice, but Sophia saw the little smirk that appeared in his lips.

-Geez. Thanks, boss. I'll try not to get offended.- Out of nowhere, Michael's voice resonated from the other side of where Sophia was standing.

-I have my group of favourites Sinclair. And while you're on that list, the number one is still Dumont.- Nick said while shrugging his shoulders and crossing his arms in front of his chest.

Michael let out a laugh and turned to look at Sophia. She looked at him and they both locked eyes for a few seconds. Before walking away, Michael smiled at her and she returned it.

The feeling of butterflies settled in her stomach after her brief interaction with him. She wondered what he had that made her so nervous and happy. It was like he made her vulnerable in some way, and not in a bad one. He was taking down Sophia's walls one by one, and she didn't know if that was a good thing or bad.

Sophia stood behind her uncle's seat and looked through the windshield. She saw the white, fluffy clouds that looked like cotton and she wondered what it would feel like to touch one.

-Speaking of favourites, where's Clint? Why didn't he come?.- Sophia asked after a few seconds of silence.

-He was going on a mission, but he told me to tell you that he would see you when you arrived in New York.- Pierre said while looking at Sophia, then turning back around.