Chapter Text
---
Since winter vacation had officially begun on that day, most kids in the Jersey City vicinity were celebrating their time off by sleeping in or playing games or hanging out with their friends. Kamala Khan, on the other hand, was sulking. She decided to eat her breakfast quickly to avoid being questioned by her parents and brother at the table. The last thing she needed was a familial interrogation. After cramming the eggs, paratha, and tea down her throat, she decided to make a bee-line for the Secret Warriors HQ. It was the only place she could think of going. Sure, she ran the risk of bumping into Dante again, but it was a risk she had to take. After much walking and subway taking, she made it there. For a moment, she hesitated going into Wilson's, but she mustered up some courage then boldly went inside.
Once she arrived in the secret bunker below, she took a look around. The place looked uncharacteristically deserted for a change. No one was in sight, including Lockjaw. This made Kamala feel relieved, and also disappointed. She did want to hang out with her friends, even if it also meant seeing Dante there. There were a lot of conflicting feelings brewing inside of the girl, mostly of the negative kind. Why did Dante have to reject her like that, and just what happened with his family exactly? He was keeping secrets from her, and it hurt her not knowing what was going on with him.
Something cold pressed against the side of Kamala's head, prompting her to shriek. "Eek!"
"Oh, didn't mean to freak you out." Amadeus said, pulling the can of soda away from her. "I saw this in an anime, and thought it'd be...endearing."
"Nothing endearing about that." Sighing, she rubbed her eye with her wrist.
"Everything okay, Kamala?"
"You know, I never really introduced myself to you..."
Amadeus popped the tab off the can, proceeding to offer it to her. "Agent Johnson wrote me some detailed descriptions of each of the Secret Warriors to get me up to speed."
Accepting the drink, she took a swig of it. "Figures."
"You dodged my original question so I assume you're not okay. Would it be easier if I tried to figure out what the problem is?"
Kamala closed an eye. "...Sure. Take a guess."
"Just one?" He grinned.
"One." She lifted a finger to emphasize that.
"Let's see..." Amadeus walked around her in a circle, scrutinizing her. "Hmm."
"What is it?" asked Kamala, wondering if this was a bad idea.
He put his hands behind his back. "You're experiencing strife involving someone else. Possibly regarding a...disagreement?"
"Okay, that's way too vague. Most of the time, people are going to be upset because of a disagreement with somebody!"
"True, that's why I ventured that guess." Shrugging, Amadeus turned, and walked a few steps before looking back at Kamala. "Does it have something to do with Dante?"
"Dante?" Wow, he was pretty sharp, she thought to herself.
"Yeah, him. I noticed you gazing at him, he was also rather protective of you... Plus, I saw you join him on the roof as I was coming back from the convenience store with my snacks."
Kamala frowned. "So...you saw us?"
"Not much. I'm guessing something happened after I went inside."
This made her take the soda, and chug it down quickly, mostly as a ploy to delay responding to him. As soon as she drank it all, she accidentally let out a burp. "Excuse me!"
"You don't need to spill the details. Besides, I can fill in the blanks myself if I feel like it." Amadeus said, finding himself amused by her abrupt belching.
"Please, don't. It wasn't a big deal..." lied the girl, furrowing her brow. "Dante has a lot on his plate, it seems. And he doesn't want to tell me about it. That, and--"
"He rejected you, right?" He glanced at her then.
Lifting her head, she replied, "...Yeah."
Amadeus sighed, then a somber smile formed. "I know what that's like."
"You do?"
"Yeah." He signalled at her to follow him, which she obliged. When they arrived at the couch, they both sat side-by-side. As he spoke, he rubbed his index finger against his chin. "I sometimes find it difficult to relate to others due to my intellect and personality, and well, people find it difficult to relate to me as well."
"Oh..." Kamala looked at the empty can in her hands, feeling bad for him.
"Even here, I think the other Secret Warriors are already...overwhelmed by me. But I find it very hard to change, and I'm also pretty stubborn."
"No, that's not exactly true."
"Not exactly true?"
"Well, America is pretty annoyed by you. But she tends to be like that with everybody! That aside, we're all glad you're here to help us! We're definitely going to need it! Oh, and you know, it's really sweet that you're trying to talk to me, and find out what's wrong with me."
"I was trying to satisfy my curiosity more than trying to help. It's my inquisitive nature." Amadeus said.
"No," Kamala said as she shook her head. "I think you're actually a nice guy. Also, you're a Hulk. That's pretty awesome."
He chortled a bit, now looking towards her. "Totally awesome."
She smiled, actually feeling a little better. "I kind of want to know more about how you got those powers."
"It's a long, boring story. Trust me on that."
"I wouldn't mind listening to it. Maybe over some video games?" Kamala then picked up the two controllers that were lying at her feet, waving one at him.
Amadeus graciously accepted it. "Sure. That sounds like fun."
After she set a game up on the console, she settled back into her spot, proceeding to comment on the game that was in it. "Ooh. I like this one."
"Been wanting to play this. Let's get to it."
They looked at each other briefly before turning back to the game.
---
What should I do? That was the question Dante kept asking himself over and over again that morning as he sat on a bench outside a local bakery. He had left his room earlier that morning, opting to go out, despite having no idea where to go or what to do. Thus he spent his entire morning in that same spot, his mind running in circles, so to speak. Kamala was at the forefront of things he was dwelling on, particularly the kiss she gave him. Although Dante did enjoy it, and he really liked her, there was still something missing. What that could be, he had no idea. In a way, he felt the same way about Gwen, something felt missing with her as well. But they were people, not things, so he felt bad about acting like they were puzzles with missing pieces meant to fulfill his needs. That's just not the way love worked... Was it?
As if on cue, Gwen made her way towards him. This sent Dante into a panic. Should he leave? Should he stay? Should he-- "Dante?" Busted, it seemed.
Dante stood up, waving a little at her. "Hey, Gwen. How's it going?"
"Let's see, what's a good word for how I feel... Confused. Very confused."
He became concerned at her response, though he had an idea of what may be bothering her. "About the whole...Kevin thing...?"
"Yeah. The 'Kevin thing', definitely." Gwen's fingers moved up and down along the strap of the bag she was carrying, something she did when she was nervous. This was something Dante had observed about her at times.
Looking around, he noticed the music store he and Gwen had gone to recently. An idea brewed in his head. "Hey, Gwen?"
"Hm?"
Then he pointed at the store, smiling slightly. "Want to go hang out there? Bet you need another drumstick, right?"
This made her smile in turn. "You bet..."
And so, they went over to the same shop they had been to before. In they went, noting that there were no other customers in sight. Not surprising, given that it was still rather early in the day. A set of drums were off in a corner, Dante noticed. "Look at that. It's the sort of drumset I'd be saving every penny for."
Gwen turned to him. "Pretty cool, huh?"
"That's an understatement."
Boldly, Gwen went over to the counter to speak to the owner. "Do you mind if we try out those drums over there?" When the owner cocked an eyebrow, she quickly added, "We're drummers, so we know how to play. Don't worry." Without a word, the man motioned for them to go, and do whatever they wished. Taking some drumsticks from a bin nearby, she bounded back over to her companion.
"Are you sure about this?" asked Dante, surprised.
"Totally. Go on, I want to hear you play." Gwen practically shoved the drumsticks into his hands.
Hesitantly, he accepted them, then turned toward the drums. "It's been forever since I--"
"Get in there!" That was when she began pushing him to the designated chair.
"Okay, okay!" he exclaimed with a chuckle.
Taking a seat, he looked at the drums in front of him for a moment before his eyes wandered back to Gwen. After she shot him two thumbs-up as a means of encouragement, he felt his face begin to burn. All of his worries suddenly disappeared, replaced with a desire to impress her. Twirling one of the drumsticks, he then set forth to playing. Dante quickly lost himself in the rhythm of the music he was playing, his latent passion for drumming quickly taking over. Every movement he made was precise, from the flicking of his wrists to the swing of his arms. Both Gwen and the shopkeeper listened, and were profoundly impressed by his talent. Since the song he chose wasn't particularly long, Dante finished with a final crash of the cymbal.
"Wow." uttered Gwen after a pause.
He looked up at her, panting. "Y-you think so?"
"You really should join the Emm-Jays, my band, as a back-up drummer. Heck, do you happen to play anything else?"
Dante's expression softened, touched by her words. "I don't think I'd want to join a band right now. But thanks. I really appreciate the offer, Gwen."
Although disappointed he rejected her invitation, she didn't let it get her down too much. "Offer's probably gonna be on the table forever."
Forever? Something about the way she said that made him feel flustered. "Sure. I'll, uh, keep that in mind."
Gwen began to feel something stir within her. What could it be, she wondered. The way he looked at her made her chest feel tight, and her cheeks bloom. With everything that had been happening lately, she hadn't really stopped to think about flippant silliness like crushes. In fact, she was never really the type of girl to sit around, and oogle anybody. So feeling any sort of attraction toward someone was a relatively foreign sensation to her. If that's what she was developing towards Dante. Regardless, she tried hard to shake it off. "Hey..."
"What is it?"
"Are you going to be okay? Want me to walk you back to Wilson's?"
Shaking his head, he replied, "No. I'll probably go sit at the bench, and...think about stuff."
"Are you sure? Maybe it'd be better if you had company at least." Gwen felt her face redden again.
In turn, Dante's face also reddened. "Another time." He handed her the drumsticks. "Buy these. They're pretty good."
Holding the drumsticks close to her chest, she nodded. "Sure."
Then Dante headed towards the exit. As he pushed open the door, he looked back at Gwen momentarily. Again, he asked himself, "What should I do?"
---
The elevator ride up the tall building had been mostly quiet. For some reason, it was going unbelievably slow as well. Riri stood beside Daisy, both of them feeling awkward and confused over the situation they were in, including why they were there to begin with. Tony Stark himself had summoned them there for an 'urgent matter'. They wondered just what he meant by that, Riri especially worried that it had something to do with her being Iron Heart. Or more like, it likely had something to do with that. As soon as the elevator stopped, a bell dinged, and the doors opened for them. Riri peered anxiously at Daisy, which said it all.
"Don't worry." Daisy placed a reassuring hand on Riri's shoulder. "I've got your back no matter what."
"What if he says I'm not allowed to be Iron Heart anymore? Or he tries to sue me? I really admire Mr. Stark, and--"
"Let's cross that bridge if we get to it. For now, just relax. This isn't like you, Riri."
Riri bit her bottom lip. "I...I know."
"Tony's more bark than bite. Trust me on that."
Now she sighed ever so slightly. "I'll take your word for it."
Hurriedly, they walked through the hallway that led to Tony's penthouse suite. It felt like going through the inside of a castle, there was a majesty to the way the place looked and felt. When they reached the door, Daisy smiled at Riri, who forced a half-smile back. Upon opening the door, Daisy took a step inside, and looked around. "Hello? Agent Johnson of SHIELD."
"And, uh, me. Riri Williams. Of...Empire Tech."
All was suspiciously silent. It put the two heroines on guard immediately. Before they could take further action however, a child ran out from behind the couch, wearing an Iron Man mask and gloves. She screamed loudly as she slid across the floor, and firmly slapped her hand against the wall. "Made it!"
"What the--" Daisy got cut off when Tony finally appeared.
Despite acknowledging Daisy and Riri's appearance, he still went towards the little girl, and picked her up. "Looks like I'm still 'it'!"
"Yay!" she exclaimed as threw her hands up.
"Alright, Maguna. Go hide again. Make sure you stay away from my and mom's room, okay?"
Nodding, she responded, "Okay!"
Tony set her down, and she ran off quickly. "One... Two... Three...!" He counted quite loudly, and ceased when the girl was out of the room. "Kids. Well, actually, you two are basically kids."
Daisy scowled. "I'm not a kid."
"That's right. You just pick up after a bunch of teenagers all the time now, so you're more like a nanny."
His snark was certainly grating on her nerves. "So, why are we here?"
"I'll get straight to the point, Agent Johnson." Tony went over towards Riri, then pointed at her. "I never gave the okay for a Mini Iron Man."
"Iron Heart." Riri corrected him.
"Don't care."
"Listen, Stark--"
"No, you listen, Agent. And you, too, half-pint." His words made Daisy and Riri visibly upset. "You saw that little girl from before, right?"
"Isn't that your daughter?" guessed Riri.
Nodding, Tony confirmed it. "Morgan's her name. I try to keep her out of the public eye. She's eight, so she's real impressionable. When she sees a heroine named Iron Heart, who wears a suit similar to the one her dad has, she's going to pay real close attention to her."
Riri's eyes widened. "What are you...?"
"If something happens to you, it's going to be my responsibility...and I'm going to be the one who has to break it to my kid."
"With all due respect, Mr. Stark," the sharpness in Riri's voice actually gave Tony pause. "I have something to say about that."
"Go on." He folded his arms, waiting for her to speak her piece.
Riri cleared her throat, mostly out of nervousness, then looked straight at the man she considered her idol. "My...former best friend, Natalie, and I grew up watching you, admiring you, and wanting to be you. It wasn't just because of how cool you looked...though that was a contributing factor, but because you were a great hero. And it made me want to be a hero, too. I wanted to protect people the way you did. All kids need heroes to look up to. I...don't mind being the sort of hero your daughter wants to look up to."
Tony had listened intently to everything Riri had said, as had Daisy. Before he could say anything in return to her, Morgan returned to the room wearing a frumpy look. "Dad! I'm bored..."
His face softened somewhat as he went over to pick her up. "How about...if you give me five more minutes to talk with these ladies, I'll buy you a double cheeseburger with fries."
This made her change her entire demeanor completely. "Oh, okay!" Morgan glanced at the pair of strangers, suddenly feeling a bit shy. "Hi."
Riri smiled. "Hey."
"By the way, Morgan, you like that new hero called Iron Heart, right?"
"Yeah! She's really cool!" answered Morgan enthusiastically.
"A lot of girls in your class do, don't they?"
"She's like you, Daddy! So, yeah!"
Tony glanced at Riri then back at Morgan. "I'd say I'm a little cooler than she is."
Riri scowled at that. "That's subjective."
He set Morgan down on the floor. "Change of plans. Go get your coat. Let's get that double cheeseburger and fries for both of us. I'm pretty famished." Morgan darted towards her room, without another word, too excited to speak. Once she was out of sight, he turned to Daisy and Riri. "I brought you here to get a feel for what you're about, and whether I want Iron Heart associated with me."
"Do you?" Daisy asked before Riri did.
"I'll be keeping an eye on you, and we'll have another talk later. But if you do anything that I disapprove of, you're done." He said, directing his words right at Riri.
A stern expression formed on Riri's face. "I won't let you down, Mr. Stark."
"You'd better not." Tony took Morgan's hand as soon as she barreled out of her bedroom. "Anyway, time for lunch, Maguna."
Morgan beamed at her dad, then turned to Daisy and Riri. "Are you friends of my dad's?"
"Not yet," Riri said, "but we will be."
This made Morgan's brow furrow, while Tony appeared amused by the comment.
---
Walking down the sidewalk, Rayshaun had his hands inside his pockets. Usually, he had many thoughts floating around his mind over various business affairs. On that day, however, he decided to just bask in the uncharacteristic calmness of the streets of New York. The atmosphere was quite nice with people going about their business, very little traffic, even the area appeared more clean and tidy than usual; which was weird for the Big Apple. Turning the corner, he bumped right into Doreen, and she dropped the bag of peanuts she had been snacking on. Tippy-Toe, who was hanging around on her shoulder, chirped angrily at Rayshaun.
"Whoa, Doreen? Are you okay?" Rayshaun looked concerned.
Doreen blushed at the way he was staring at her, though she tried to hide it. "I'm fine! Just dropped my nuts!"
He saw the peanuts strewn around the ground, and groaned. "Sorry about that. I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings. This is what I get for trying to relax for a change..."
"No, no, no! Relaxation is good, Rayshaun!"
"You say that, but it's never been good for me to let my guard down. Things tend to go wrong that way."
Waving her hand, she said, "Nonsense! Everybody needs to chill out every once in a while. Even a guy like you."
His eyebrow quirked at her words. "Guy like me?"
"Well, sometimes, you can be a bit of a...stick in the mud." The corner of Doreen's mouth twitched after she said that.
Rayshaun let out a deep, heavy sigh. "I guess I am. Can't deny that."
"Listen, why don't we hang out together for a little while?" Doreen proposed with a grin. "We'll go to the snack cart nearby, and I'll get another bag of peanuts, and whatever you want."
"What sort of snacks do those carts sell? I've never been to one before."
Then she gasped very loudly at that, covering her mouth after. "You've... You've never been to a snack cart? Ever??"
Her reaction made him feel flustered, so he tugged at his shirt collar. "No, not really. I never really saw the appeal of them, honestly."
Suddenly, she was behind him, prodding him to move forward as she pushed him with both of her hands. "We need to get going then! You're really missing out!"
"Whoa! Doreen!"
It only took a few minutes for them to get to the snack cart, and she had pushed him there the entire way. Rayshaun gave it a look over, feeling hesitant to try it. The thick scent of greasy food wafted in the air, of which Doreen loved while Rayshaun..did not. However, her bright smile and the eagerness in her eyes prompted him to relent, and he was determined to give it a try. Slowly, he turned toward the vendor. "I'd like...uh..."
"Want to try a pretzel?" Doreen suggested.
"Pretzel, huh? Never had one of these."
This shocked her, though she appeared more irritated this time. "Are. You. Kidding. Me."
"No, I've just never had one of these big ones before. Sure, I've had those bagged mini pretzels before--"
"Your saltiest, most delicious pretzel, please!" Doreen interjected, speaking to the man running the stand.
With a stoic expression on his face the entire time, the vendor ploddingly put a salted pretzel on a dry waxed paper then handed it over to Rayshaun. "Two bucks."
Rayshaun shot him an apprehensive smile as he handed over the money. "Thanks."
"Wait! This was supposed to be my treat!" Doreen exclaimed.
"Nah, it's fine. I've got this. Get what you want."
"...I'll treat you next time, though." She pointed at the cinnamon pretzel on the rack (deciding that to be a better treat than peanuts), which was then given to her when Rayshaun paid for it.
The pair began to walk away from the cart, strolling along the pathway that led into a local park. Glancing to the side, he observed her devour the pretzel in a squirrel-like fashion. Was that even a feasible way to eat a pretzel? Regardless, he decided to take his first bite. "Mmf. Not bad."
Swallowing what she had in her mouth, she turned to him. "You like it?"
"Yeah, I wouldn't mind getting another one sometime." He took another bite.
"With me, you mean?"
Rayshaun smiled softly at her. "Yeah. With you."
Crimson colored her cheeks once again, moreso than before. Having him say that made her feel like she was on Cloud 9, at least for a few moments. Tippy-Toe brought her back to reality by yanking on her ear. "Ow! Tippy! What the heck?!" Tippy-Toe merely chittered a response only Doreen could understand. "I was just...uh...well..."
He chuckled. "You two argue like sisters."
"Well, we kind of are," answered Doreen bashfully. "Then again, all squirrels are kind of like family to me."
"I'd say that was weird to basically anybody else. But it's not when it comes to you."
"It's not, huh?"
"You know, I feel like I can let loose around you. Otherwise, I really do take life way too seriously. I guess it's because I grew up admiring Cap so much, and I wanted to be just like him. And I thought that meant taking everything super seriously. Even coloring in pictures in school was like a mission to me."
Doreen snickered at that. "Coloring can be serious business."
"I guess I just like having a friend who can get me to...come to a snack cart, and try a pretzel." Rayshaun lifted the now half-eaten pretzel.
"I bet you'll be forever grateful to me for that."
Shrugging, he said, "Probably."
Doreen then took a hold of his hand, and he looked at her. "I, uh, just...er..."
"It's...okay. I don't mind." Rayshaun squeezed her hand gently.
This wasn't what Doreen had expected to happen. She and her crush holding hands? It was difficult for her to contain her glee, and she stifled a laugh. Rayshaun could tell she was excited over the turn of events. Though it did briefly make him question what the extent of her feelings toward him were, and his own. Instead of dweling on these questions for too long, he decided to lead her into continuing their peaceful stroll through the park.
---
America wore an uncharacteristically sullen look on her face as she walked through the chilly streets of New York. Everything had become so...complicated lately, in ways that she had no idea how to deal with. Even as a child, she was a go-getter type, someone who just jumped into the fray when it was needed, and got problems solved as soon as possible. But now? With inter-dimensional time travelers who seemed to imply doom for her and her friends, and Inhumans who planned to wage some kind of war against them? How was she supposed to fix that?
Nearing Excelsior's, she stopped to look inside the window. It was still early in the morning, so the eatery hadn't opened yet. All dark inside, she noted. If she couldn't go out and do something about her problems, she figured the next best thing was to distract herself. Though, she wondered, why stop here? Was it because of..? No, America stopped herself right there. She could not be thinking about seeing Trish again. Not now, it just wasn't the right time. Things were so messed up at the moment, how could she even think about cute girls and frivolous nonsense like crushes at a time like this? Just as she was about to spin around to leave, she found herself face-to-face with-- "Trish!"
"Good morning!" she greeted with a sweet smile.
"Good, uh, morning." America repeated to the best of her ability, while also sweating bullets.
Trish had a reusable grocery bag slung on her shoulder, full of various food products. "I came from the store with some ingredients my uncle needs for today."
America looked at it. "Nice dolphin." There was a dolphin graphic sewn onto it.
"Thanks. I picked it out from the bunch due to that. I really love dolphins, and dolphin related stuff. I...heh...have a collection of dolphin merch in my room at my apartment."
Dolphin merch, huh? Duly noted. "I see. That's...weird."
"Really?" Trish looked a bit hurt by that.
"Well, it's weird but in a nice way. It's not weird-weird, just weird-weird. You know?" No one in the entire world probably understood what she meant.
...Except Trish seemed to. "Oh, I get it. You're probably right."
America made a face, feeling bad about almost hurting her like that. "Sorry."
"No, don't apologize, America. I really do understand. It's not every day you meet someone who has a bunch of dolphin stuffed animals on her bed, or dolphin posters on her walls, and...you get the idea. I mean, my entire room isn't only dolphin stuff! That'd definitely fall under weird-weird."
"Still, I... Look, I can be pretty...abrasive sometimes. My moms used to warn me not to get too judgy and hotheaded, but old habits die hard. Really hard."
"I don't really remember much about my parents. I stayed with my grandma for most of my life, then I moved in with Uncle Karl when my grandma's health started failing. And the only nuggets of wisdom I got from him were about veganism and baking. Two things I actually grew to love."
A smile appeared on America's lips. "Your uncle's a nice guy. He feeds me and my friends all this great food, so he's good in my book."
Trish liked seeing America smile, and it emboldened her to reach out to her to take a hold of her wrist. "Come on."
"What?" America was flabbergasted by this.
"Let's go somewhere. Just for a bit." Trish explained, grinning.
"What about the stuff for your uncle?"
"I'll be back soon. I want to show you something."
Rather than fight it, America decided to go with the flow. After all, she had nothing better to do that day. So she allowed herself to get led through the city by Trish, who seemed pretty giddy by this turn of events. "Where are we going exactly?"
"It's a place I like going to." answered Trish.
It didn't take long before they arrived at their destination. Trish opened the door to what appeared to be a small housing complex. Putting a finger against her lips, she indicated for America to be quiet as they went up the stairs. Of couse, America obliged, though she was still confused as to why they were there to begin with. After getting past the stairs, Trish opened a door that led into the rooftop of the building. There was a gorgeous view of the city where they stood, almost breathtaking. America had never quite seen the city like this before.
"Wow, this is... Wow."
Trish smiled. "I found this place one time while making a delivery for my uncle. It's pretty 'wow', right?"
"I'll admit, I've never really seen a view like this before. Not outside pics online or whatever."
"I sometimes like to come here, and just sit. Think about stuff. You know, that sort of thing."
America folded her arms, though she kept a small smile on her face. "I know the feeling. Whenever I need to get away from the world, I work on my bike."
"Bike? Like...a motorcycle, right?" Trish inquired curiously.
"Yeah. My boss, Wilson, says I treat the thing like my baby. I guess I like the freedom it gives me. Being able to ride it on a nice day, just let the wind hit my face."
Trish placed her hands behind her back, appearing coy. "Mind if I ride with you sometime?"
A slight blush formed on America's cheeks. "Uh, yeah. That'd be fine. I've only ever given rides to Kamala, maybe--"
"Kamala?"
"Friend of mine. From...our bowling team."
A snort came in response to that answer. "Bowling team, huh? I can't see you bowling."
"...I don't really bowl much on the team. I just like to hang out with my friends, and feel like I have...a purpose." It was rather true. If it hadn't been for the chance encounter that introduced her to the rest of the Secret Warriors, she wouldn't have bothered using her powers to fight any threats, and would opt to being a recluse that fixed cars and motorcycles for a living.
Trish found it strange that she thought being on a bowling team gave her a purpose, though America said that with such sincerity that she didn't want to question it. "We should probably head back now."
"Oh, yeah. Sure."
America found herself smiling at Trish again, and this time, she wondered why she felt so happy around her. Was this what it was like to be in love? Could she have feelings for her?
---
Although snow lined the sidewalks all over the city from the night before, the day was actually quite sunny, and the perfect kind of weather to go out and about even if it was still rather cold. Kevin walked down the street with both of his hands stuffed into the pockets of the jacket he had been given by Daisy (courtesy of SHIELD, of course), while Gert shivered as she tried to keep up behind him. They had been quiet the whole time since they had left Wilson's, both of them keeping to their own thoughts. A lot had happened within the span of a few days, and while they tried to remain strong, they will felt overwhelmed by the gravity of the situation they were currently in. Neither of them felt prepared for what they were assigned to do. So doubt filled their minds, and they questioned everything they had done up until then.
"...I'll never get used to New York, especially the New York weather" Gert remarked, finally breaking the long silence between them.
Kevin gave her a quick look before focusing on his feet again. "You mentioned being from LA, right? Yeah, I can see why you'd hate it here."
"I mean," she paused to exhale. "I don't hate New York. I basically considered it my home after a month of moving here, back when I joined the team. Trust me, if I absolutely hated it, I would've just left, and started my own team in LA."
"Didn't you mention that you were a part of a group back then?"
"Oh, yeah. Our little club of edgy teens who rebelled against our evil parents. That didn't last forever." explained Gert, quite bitterly.
Again, he took a glimpse at Gert then went back to bowing his head. "What happened?"
"Don't want to talk about it." The bitterness was still apparent in her voice.
He decided not to press her on the issue, and went back to brooding as he made his way to no destination in particular. His mind drifted back to Gwen. Just days ago, he had lost his Gwen, and had to endure watching her die in his arms as she lamented the way Dante had betrayed her, and pleaded for him to stop that monster. Thinking about it was painful, causing him to shut his eyes tightly for a moment. But now she was back in his life, in a way. A younger version of the Gwen he knew, wide-eyed and innocent. Kevin couldn't let anything happen to this Gwen. Losing her twice in one lifetime was a thought he didn't want to have. So he knew what he had to do: prevent this Dante from killing her, no matter what he had to do to accomplish that goal.
"Hey, Kevin?" Gert's eyes now lingered on him.
Kevin shivered as he felt a sudden cold envelop him, and he rubbed his arms to alleviate his discomfort. "Yeah?"
"Do you...think..."
"Do I think what?"
Knitting her brow, it appeared she was thinking carefully on how to word her question. "Do you think...we should've tried harder to save Amadeus and Morgan? Maybe we could've brought them, too..."
That brought him as much pain as the thought of losing Gwen did. Their dimension was so messed up, and they themselves likely had a hand in that. "...There wasn't enough time. I don't think Cho ever intended to come with us. I bet he was going to get all three of us to go if he had the chance."
"That jerk." muttered Gert.
"We need to focus on what we were sent here to do. On the here, and now." Kevin said. Though was he merely reminding Gert of that, or himself?
"Are we really going about this the right way? We're already keeping secrets from them. That never goes over well, in my experience. The truth'll probably come out eventually."
"I know that. But still, for now, we need to plan what we'll do, and how we'll do it."
Gert stopped, which got Kevin to come to a halt as well. "What do you have in mind?"
Kevin frowned. "I don't know yet." That was at least partially a lie, since he did have some ideas as to how to stop Dante.
Although Gert figured that was the case, she didn't intend to point that out. "I'm still not sure why he sent us here. Why would Cho send us here? Why not go further back?"
"Like I said, he probably chose it because this was when he joined the team. I guess it was meaningful to him for that reason."
"He's not really a sentimental kind of dude. There had to be another reason..."
"Gwen's birthday is in two days, and..." His eyes widened when he realized there was something else that had happened on that day.
"What is it?" she raised an eyebrow, wondering what he was thinking about.
"On Gwen's birthday, something happens. I need to tell them about it so they're ready."
"How do we know what happened in your...our past is going to come to pass this time? Us being here probably changed their future, even if only a little." Gert pointed out.
Kevin put a hand on his waist, staring directly at Gert as he spoke. "True, though we have no way of knowing for sure. I'm going to make sure things definitely change here."
Something about the way he said that bothered her. Just how far was he planning to go to do that? Regardless, Gert did agree with his overall statement. "Yeah. We'll do what we can so their future is better."
"Thanks, Gert." Then he reached out to shake her hand, which caught her off guard. "We were never really close back in our original dimension. Actually, I usually felt a little intimidated by you."
"Gee, thanks." she replied dryly.
"But I'm glad you're here. I don't think I could've done this alone. You're helping me a lot more than you probably know."
A small smile formed on Gert's lips. At least they had each other, right? Even if they couldn't save their world, they could save this one as a penance of sorts for their previous failure. She took a firm grip of his hand. "Same to you, Kev. I'm glad you're here. Just remember, we're a team here. Don't go doing anything reckless without telling me."
"I won't, I promise."
---
"Are we really going to allow ourselves to get strung along by Hala?" asked Elena as she sat atop a crate in the warehouse. "If she asked us to jump off a bridge, would we do that in the name of our mission?"
"For now, yes." Daryl replied, gazing at her as he leaned against the wall. "Hala is going to help us get a lot more done than if we just went around, trashing places and making a scene in the name of helping Inhumans. What we need to do is be patient, and if she oversteps her boundaries, we'll...take care of her."
Xiaoyi appeared worried when he said that. "Would we even stand a chance against Hala?"
"I think so." Jaycen went over, and put his arms around Xiaoyi in order to comfort her. "All of us combined would give her a run for her money."
"We may need to find out more on her, particularly her Kree physiology. Cover our bases, and all that." Daryl scoffed when he noticed how close Jaycen and Xiaoyi were. A pang of jealousy was felt, mostly because he wished he had a signficant other himself.
Naja stepped forward, getting closer to the others. "For now, we keep working under Hala, and obeying her commands. Agreed?"
"Yeah." Elena responded immediately.
Daryl nodded. "Definitely."
"Agreed." Jaycen looked at Xiaoyi when he noted her silence. "Hey? You agree, too, don't you?"
Xiaoyi put her hand behind her neck, eyes on the floor, and a frown drawn across her face. "What if..."
"What if what?" snapped Elena, appearing irritated by Xiaoyi's hesitance.
"Look," began Xiaoyi, looking around at her fellow Inhumans, "I just...don't think hurting other people is the way to go. Hala might make us do it. We even got close to doing that the other day..."
Daryl scowled, which was obvious to them even with his mask on. "Sacrifices have to be made. You knew that going in."
"Yes, but--"
"Do you think they'd spare us if the chips were down? No. They would take us down. Like animals."
To that, Jaycen sighed. "He's right, Xi. I...don't like the idea of people being hurt or worse either..."
"Same here." Naja stated with a nod.
"We just need to get over it. This is a war we're waging, and we're basically soldiers on one end, and they're on the other."
Closing her eyes, Xiaoyi understood what Jaycen was saying, even though it still troubled her. "I...I get it."
Elena stormed over, glaring at Xiaoyi the whole while. "Don't mess this up for us."
Jaycen pushed Elena away, shielding Xiaoyi from her. "She said she gets it! Back off, Yo-Yo!"
"A lot is riding on this so we don't want your little girlfriend to screw this up! Not just for us specifically, but for all Inhumans!"
Xiaoyi clenched her fists, wearing a determined expression as she directed her words at Elena. "I know that. It's why I'm here in the first place. Don't worry, I won't screw anything up! I'll do as I'm told...like a good soldier." Her eyes flickered toward Jaycen over that last part. Before he or any of the others could properly react, she turned on her heel, and walked away to another part of the hide-out.
Immediately after Xiaoyi left the vicinity, the remaining Inhumans stood in silence, mulling over various thoughts. For one, Elena wondered if Xiaoyi could be trusted and whether she really did get the gravity of the situation they were in. Daryl felt a surge of agitation arise, for reasons similar to Elena. However, Daryl took it a step further, and tried to come up with a contingency plan in case Xiaoyi did somehow attempt to sabotage their plans. Despite her own doubts over whether they were doing the right thing, Naja also worried about where Xiaoyi's allegiances laid. Would she really be able to do something like hurt humans if it came to that, she wondered to herself. Then there was Jaycen, Xiaoyi's lover. Conflicting thoughts clouded his own mind, much like the others. From the beginning, he hated the idea of using his powers to cause harm to others, but at the same time, he remembered the way humans saw his kind, how afraid and hateful they were towards Inhumans. Clenching his fist, he also thought about what Xiaoyi had told him about her own past...
"Hey," Jaycen's voice got them to pay attention to him. "I'm going to go talk to her. Don't worry, everything's going to go according to plan."
"It better." said Elena.
He chose not to respond to her, opting to instead head towards where he thought Xiaoyi went. Usually when she felt sad, she would retreat to a specific corner in the warehouse, behind some large crates that gave her cover. Sure enough, he saw her as soon as he peeked behind one of the crates. Quietly, he went over to her, sitting beside her. Although he glanced over at her several times, she didn't acknowledge him at all, and wore a blank stare. Due to this, he decided to initiate a conversation to bring her back to reality. "I'm not sure what to say." Well, he wasn't.
She shut her eyes for a moment before looking over at him. "Is all of this going to be worth it, Jaycen?"
Turning his body toward her, he cupped her cheek. "Yes. I think Inhumans are going to be better off once we get the ball rolling."
"I...hope so." Xiaoyi sighed softly.
Jaycen leaned in, giving her a kiss that lingered for several moments. "It's going to be worth it. I promise."
In return, she kissed him back, both of her hands now holding his face. Since they figured no one was going to come looking for them after the spat they had, the pair decided to take full advantage of their time alone in order to comfort each other with displays of affection. After all, they weren't being soldiers right now, just teens in love.
---