Never Saw It Coming: Pietro Maximoff

Chapter 6: Dining with the Elite

[ Author's Note: These are here because I don't want to make another "part" just for a little note. Every "part" will be a chapter. If you read this please let me know, because feedback is greatly appreciated. Again, I don't own MARVEL. Only Christine Blake.]

<<<<<<<<<< Christine's Point of View >>>>>>>>>>

As I leave my room I have to take a second to remember where the Dining Hall is. In another second, the memory comes back to me and I head in that direction. During my walk, I see Natasha walking perpendicular to me. Since I haven't seen the Black Widow in a while I figure that not only can we have a chat but maybe she can walk into the dining hall with me. I really don't want to go into a crowded area alone. It's not that I'm not a big girl or anything. I can handle it. Let me put it this way, I like being alone, not being lonely. Plus having so many eyes on you is weird. I don't like attention. As I get closer to the trained assassin I shout out,
"Nat! It's so good to see you!" She turns towards me and gives a short smile. Knowing her, this isn't out of common curtesy or for the fact that I did actually save her. Twice.
"Blake. It's great to see you again. Cap, got you on board, huh?" Red asks.
"Not as a part of your team, but I'm training the Maximoffs." I tell her.
"You are training the twins? How's that going?" She asked a little concerned.
"Today was my first time working with them. It went fairly well!" I decided to leave out almost dying.
"I'm glad to hear that. I didn't think the Maximoffs would want to work with someone they didn't know. They keep to themselves." She tells me.
"Only time will tell when it comes to how well everything goes but I'm optimistic." I state with a smile.
"Good to know agent. You headed to the dining hall?" She asks while gesturing in that general direction.
"Yeah, dinner isn't served for another hour though." I remind her. I doubt she needed it though.
"It doesn't matter, the gang tries to get there early before the recruits so seating can be arranged and somewhat of a calm before the storm thing happens where we sit and wait for the recruits to barge in. If we are there beforehand, they seem to behave a bit better. Overall dinner is more enjoyable if it isn't so hectic." She tells me as we walk towards the hall entrance.
"Does it matter where I sit?" I asked concerned.
"This isn't high school Christine. You sit where you want. But you are sitting with us." She tells me.
"Who exactly are you referring to?" I'm confused now.
"Us, as in the dream team. Cap, Clint, Sam is here, and the twins." She states casually.
"I'm guessing Stark isn't going to drop by? What about Banner?" I ask her.
"Stark is too busy being a millionaire and playing with his new tech. Banner has gone under the radar since Ultron. No one knows where he is." She finished sadly. If I didn't know it any better, I would confuse her tone as one with affection.
When we walk through the entrance of the hall, there is only one other person sitting at a table to the far right beside the wall of windows.
"I was starting to wonder where you got to Nat." Clint states from his lonely seat at the empty table.
"Found Blake here. We were busy catching up." Nat told him casually.
"Since I never heard a rescue call I assume everything went great?" Clint asked me as Nat and I took a seat.
"Yeah! It went great. I would have tried to find you and give you a status report but I needed to settle in and get prepared for tomorrow's training." I smile.
"I'm glad to hear it went alright. Did you go easy on them?" I hear the smirk in his voice before I see it.
"Of course I did! I wanted to see their abilities in action before I started with actual training." I tell him. Nat was about to say something when the door closest to us opened to reveal Cap and the twins. We all exchanged greetings and the three sat down with Cap at the head, Clint and Natasha on either side of him, I sat beside Nat and Wanda was beside Clint, putting Pietro at the end of the table. After everyone was finished greeting one another, Cap set a file on the table. I noticed it was the progress report I had sent him. What did I do wrong now?
"How did training go with the twins, Blake?" Cap seemed upset. Ish.
"It went rather well. I got to see their enhancements in action and was able to plan tomorrow's training with the information I received today." I answered truthfully.
"You were late." He didn't ask.
"Yeah. It's a downside to my enhancement, I vitals were repairing and my body wouldn't let me wake. It's almost like a state of lucid dreaming." I tell him. I hate having all their eyes on me.
"Why did your vitals need to repair?" He knows.
"I went out with Agent Hill last night. A celebration if you will. I can't get drunk per say, but I can feel when my body is trying to repair itself. I just didn't heal quick enough to wake up with my alarm." The truth is all I have to give.
"So when you did show up, how did your vitals fair during training?"
I don't see why he is questioning me like this.
"They were fine. I told both of them to show me their skills in basic combat so I could assess their skill range. It went fine. Then I asked Wanda to use her abilities to stun me." I say casually, making eye contact with Wanda for a moment. I think she knows where this is going.
"Did she hurt you?" He asked.
"Cap, you read my file report. I don't understand why you want me to say it again."
"You're avoiding the question so I take it she did."
"It was nothing I couldn't handle. The whole point of training them is to improve their skills. When she threw me against the wall, it didn't break me. The force would have been enough to keep a man on the ground without killing him. She stunned me. She did what I asked her to do." I tell him defensively.
"What about Pietro? Did he hurt you."
"It wasn't his fault." I defend him. I don't know why but I feel like I need to.
"It was an accident." Wanda tells Cap.
"Of course it was. I mean, I doubt he meant to break her neck." Cap says with some venom. At his statement, Nat and Clint look at Pietro and Wanda and I are staring Cap down.
"If you remember correctly Captain, I have the ability to heal. So he didn't kill me. Clearly, because I'm sitting right here." I'm getting annoyed now.
"The reason you were brought him in was to train them, make them stronger, and show them control. Not to be put into pain." He tells me as if I didn't know this.
"Contrary to popular belief, I don't like pain Captain. But I needed to know exactly what I was up against. As you know, this was out first session, I know what I need to do to show them the control they will need. These things take time." As I say this, Cap leans back in his chair. His expression changes completely. He was testing me.
"Good. I'm glad everything worked out." He tells me. I'm so confused as to why he had to do that. I look at Clint and Nat and they have smug grins on their faces. I turn to face Wanda and Pietro to see if they were in on it too, by the looks on their faces... They were.
"Wait a minute. I don't understand. You all knew he was going to start questioning my motives?" I ask towards everyone at the table.
They all just nod. I look towards Cap.
"Why did you do that?" I ask him.
"Because if I asked you by yourself, I wouldn't have got as strong an answer. I've figured out that you fight for what you believe in especially when it comes to protecting others. You stuck up for your actions. I wanted to make sure I was right." Cap tells me.
"Well were you?"
"Yes. I wanted to make sure I picked the right trainer." He shrugs.
I cross my arms and sigh.
"I have no doubts that I did. With that being said, you will have more time with them each day and if you need any backup for certain routines or training exercises you can call on Clint, Nat, Tony or myself. We all want to see you succeed." As soon as he finishes, the doors to the hall opens and the recruits start filing in. The Cap stands up and waits for every recruit to have a seat. Sam comes up to the table and pulls up another seat, wedged in between Nat and myself. When everyone is seated, Cap starts to speak.
"Good Evening recruits. I would like to take this time to thank you for your hard work and dedication. Don't worry, I will let you eat soon..." With that statement being said, some of the recruits start laughing softly. Then Cap begins again. "I would like to introduce to you, our newest Agent. Christine Blake." He tells the hall while gesturing to where I'm sitting. That's just it, I'm sitting there shocked. It takes a nudge from Sam to get me to rise to my feet. And now I'm just standing there. Great, this isn't awkward.
"Agent Blake has been called into train our newest Avengers, the Maximoffs. I am telling you all this information because if she happens to ask for your help, you will stop whatever you are doing and assist her. Even if it's an order from Barton, Romanoff, or myself. If she needs you, it's important. She will inform us of your absence if you are needed. With that being said, I'd like for you to give a warm welcome to Agent Blake." And now everyone is clapping. I can't believe he told them to listen to me. I nod my head humbly as they clap. This is weird. When they stop clapping, Cap motions for me to sit and that is exactly what I do. He then continues, "Now, you can eat." And he has dismissed them so table by table they get up to get their tray of food. By Roger's protocol, the recruits are all given food before the Agents' table receives their portion. It's a sign of respect to everyone. When Cap sits down I lean towards the table and slightly over Sam, "Why would I need any of the recruits during training?" I ask.
"I figured that having 'enemies' is some of the training sessions would be a good idea. And it would still be considered training to the the recruits, when you file in that a recruit was present, it will be put on their record and added to their training hours. They help you, your training helps them." Cap informs me. I nod,
"That's a great idea."
The recruits have all returned to their seats and now the Agents can get food. It's a good thing because I'm hungry.