Buzzkill: The Reckoning

Chapter 11

"I still don't get it," Ruth said, looking at the battle plan in front of her with eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"What isn't there to get? Just place the ships where you want them," Sam replied, an irritation in his voice.

"But this is so unrealistic. If I were commanding a fleet I wouldn't put them within such close quarters of each other, that could lead to disaster," Ruth remarked.

"For crying out loud, Ruth, it's just a game!" Sam shouted.

"Calm down, Sam," Steve urged, sitting next to him.

"But Steve it's Battleship, not a real life situation."

"Put that one there," Bucky motioned for Ruth, sitting next to her.

Ruth nodded, placing her ships as strategically as possible.

Ruth glanced up at Sam from over her Battleship board, internally grinning at seeing how Sam was already getting so worked up. This would throw him off.

After breakfast, Steve came over to Ruth and Bucky and suggested they play a board game of some sort to take the tension off and get to know each other more. Once Battleship was suggested, Ruth admitted she had never even heard of the game, so Sam heartily urged they go with that one, thinking to himself that he would definitely win against Ruth.

"G 7," Ruth called out. She had been studying Sam's face throughout the first few moves, he couldn't bluff for anything.

"...hit," Sam muttered.

"What was that?" Ruth asked, a grin on her face.

"Hit."

Ruth felt her spirit lift as she placed a red peg on the enemy radar. Bucky gave her a high five.

"Nervous, Steve?" Bucky taunted. As soon as the game was suggested, Bucky elected to be on Ruth's team.

"Don't listen to him, Sam. Just focus," Steve said to him.

"B 8," Sam called out.

"Miss," Ruth replied.

Sam grumbled under his breath.

A few moves later and Steve had to give a lot more words of encouragement.

"E 3," Ruth called out.

"Dammit," Sam muttered. "Sunk."

"Yes!" Bucky cheered as Ruth placed the final red peg for that ship. It was the third, and largest, ship she had sunk.

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Sam. You got two of my ships," Ruth said, her voice flowing with sarcasm.

"Yeah, the smallest ones!" Sam retorted.

Bucky laughed, Ruth smiled from ear to ear. This was the best she's felt in a long time.

A collection of loud, rumbling footsteps made their way into the room.

"Where's the girl?" Secretary Ross' voice boomed as he locked his eyes on Ruth across the room. "There she is. Cuff her," he commanded to his agents beside him.

They all stood at Ross's command. Ruth startled as agents stormed over and slammed her to the ground to put cuffs on her. The wind knocked out of her as she hit the hardwood floor, the cuffs too tight.

"Hey! What the hell is going on here?" Bucky questioned as he laid a hand on one of the agent's shoulders to tell him to be careful.

Everyone was now on edge, Tony entered the room as the commotion built, Rhodes beside him. Ruth was cuffed and moved to her feet. Her shoulders already feeling the ache from hitting the ground so hard. An agent stood on either side of her.