Chapter Six - Hitching A Ride
They reached the small jet not long after leaving Walker and Hoskins behind, Clara following Barnes and Wilson into the aircraft. It wasn't a large space, but wasn't too small either. Along either side of the jet ran two long benches, in the centre was an empty parking area for vehicles and other cargo. Just beyond that space, was large, sturdy looking storage container strapped to the floor.
The two men weren't necessarily happy to see she was coming with them, but they didn't refuse her entry up the ramp and into the cargo hold. Torres was pretty confused as to why she was there, but with both Sam and Barnes pressing to question her, he likely wouldn't be confused for long. 'S.H.I.E.L.D. sent you?' Sam asked for the umpteenth time since leaving Walker and Hoskins behind.
'Yes,' Clara answered for the umpteenth time since leaving Walker and Hoskins behind. She shifted in her seat, feeling an ache spreading down her back from carrying the weight of the bag that was now sat between her legs. Sam and Barnes stood looking down at her, opting to stand while Torres watched on from a distance. 'I started working with them a few months back, given my "unique" skill set, they decided I'd be a good agent for gathering intel on anyone of interest; I can get close, use their tech, all the while the people I'm hiding from are standing a foot away none the wiser.'
'You started a few months ago?' Sam folded his arms over his chest. 'How much training have you had? How much time have you spent out in the field?'
'Enough,' she rolled her eyes. 'Unique skill set, remember?' She lifted a hand, waving it as it disappeared in front of them.
'How come they brought you on so soon?' Barnes asked, looking at her now invisible hand as if it were completely alien. Though, Clara realised that it wasn't far from it considering it wasn't exactly the norm for a human to do what she could. 'After what went down with HYDRA, getting to work with S.H.I.E.L.D. takes years of proving your trustworthy enough. They wouldn't just throw you into a mission.'
'My parents work with them,' she explained. 'That, and Fury and the Avengers vouched for me.' It was only a little bit of a stretch to say so; Fury did vouch for her, and one Avenger did do the same.
'You know the Avengers?' Barnes questioned dubiously.
'Yep.'
'Which Avengers?' Sam pressed.
'Spider-Man,' Clara said, looking away from their scrutinising gazes. She tried to hide any reaction she might show from thinking about Peter. She'd only been gone a couple of days, and the guilt of leaving without giving any explanation - or warning, was beginning to weigh her down. Giving herself something else to think about, she unzipped the top of her backpack, tugging a water bottle from within.
Barnes and Sam shared a look, Sam finally lowering himself onto a seat opposite her. 'Okay, say we believe you-'
'Which we don't,' Barnes chimed in, Clara rolling her eyes yet again as she twisted open the cap of her water bottle, hearing the crack of the seal breaking. She took a long drink before placing it back in the bag, zipping it up again.
'Say we believe you,' Sam continued, glancing at Barnes as if giving him a warning not to interrupt again. 'Why should we let you tagalong?
Clara snorted in amusement. 'I didn't ask to - at least no longer than the flight, anyway. Once we get to wherever it is you're going, I'll be going my own way and getting back to what I was doing before I had to help with all... this.' She waved in their direction.
'Again, just want to remind you that we never asked for your help,' Barnes interjected.
'You implied it,' Clara narrowed her eyes at him. 'With all the, you know, screaming you were doing.'
Bucky opened his mouth to say something presumably rude, but Sam held up a hand to stop the oncoming argument. 'We'll take you back with us, but if you're carrying on with this "mission" we're gonna need to call your S.O..'
'Sure,' Clara shrugged, looking to the cargo hold ramp as Torres activated the closing mechanism. 'Whatever makes you feel better.'
They stayed in silence for a little longer, the jet lifting into the air as Bucky eventually took his seat atop the large storage container strapped to the floor. 'Let's take the shield, Sam,' Bucky said, finally speaking his thoughts. 'Let's take the shield and do this ourselves.'
Sam looked over to him, a deep scowl woven into his brow. 'We can't just run up on the man, beat him up, and take it. Do you remember what happened the last time we stole it?'
'Maybe,' Bucky shrugged, his expression still set into a glare, though now the glare was directed at the floor in front of him.
'I'll help you in case you forgot,' Sam started helpfully, filling Clara in on the information whilst he was reminding Bucky. 'Sharon was branded enemy of the state, and Steve and I were on the run for two years. I don't know about you, but I don't want to live the rest of my life la vida loca.'
'Sharon?' Clara asked, not recognising the name - not that she knew much of why they stole the shield in the first place. All she knew really were the stories Peter had told her, and the videos of his trip that he had shared. Clara wasn't sure if Peter even knew why the Avengers had been fighting.
'Carter,' Bucky and Sam spoke in unison. Clara raised her eyebrows, now making the connection.
'We just got our ass handed to us by super soldiers, and we got nothing,' Sam continued.
'Not entirely true,' Bucky uttered, walking to sit beside Sam. 'There's someone that you should meet.'
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