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VALOR
iv. HIDE AND SEEK

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   HUMANS ARE PREDICTABLE CREATURES. They're beings of habit, navigating their lives according to predetermined patterns without realizing it. When they're exposed to something new, they react in response to their quirks they've developed over time, like biting their nails or procrastinating. Though the universe is entirely perplexing beyond our understanding, the creatures inhabiting it are actually quite simpler than what meets the eye.

   Children are the most impressionable form of humans. No matter who you are, where you come from, or what you've been through, children are all the same. They're ticking time bombs as they grow older, becoming adults and exploding with their personal truths that make them unique individuals.

   Riley O'Dair oftentimes forgot that she was just a child. She'd lived such an eventful life for someone who hadn't even really lived yet. To think that she'd singlehandedly changed her entire life at two-years-old tended to freak her out. Riley used to always wonder who she would have been had that accident never happened.

   Six months had soared by in the blink of an eye since Riley started training under Natasha. It hadn't been easy, and if Riley was being honest, she didn't think it ever would be. Still, every time Riley got knocked down, she always found a way to get back up. That was just the kind of person she was growing up to be. Natasha Romanoff was no exception to Riley's fierce determination to thrive.

   The craziest part about working under Natasha was that their training together was only meant to last one month. However, it'd been six months since it all started. The idea of it all blew Riley's mind. She originally didn't think she'd get through a week, never mind six months.

   Riley liked to think she was actually growing on Natasha, and that was why they'd decided to continue their training together. But then again, Riley was usually just getting ahead of herself. Whatever the reason was, Riley was just glad that she stayed strong throughout the journey.

   Clint Barton had been peacefully eating his lunch in the cafeteria when he felt the bench he'd been sitting on shift. It wasn't much, but it was enough for the keen man to notice. He turned to his left, surprised to find that no one was there. He paused. Clint was positive someone had sat down beside him...

   He jumped only slightly when Riley O'Dair turned herself visible. "I'm never gonna get used to that," grumbled the archer.

   Rather than addressing his surprise, Riley looked around the room frantically. Heavy breaths slipped in and out of her mouth. "Sucks... to suck," she managed to spit out. She dropped her head onto the table as she continued to catch her breath. "I just... I just need a... a minute..."

   Clint narrowed his eyes at the child, chewing and swallowing another bite of his sandwich. He noticed the fear scrawled across her youthful face before she moved to rest her head on the table. "...What's got you all worked up?" wondered Clint.

   Riley whipped her head upward once more. "Natasha!" she cried out between pants. "Who else!?"

   Her eyes moved to the water bottle before her as Clint offered it to her. She thanked him briefly before chugging half of it. Meanwhile, Clint tilted his head to the side. "What's she doing now?" he inquired.

   "It's... It's this new training thing she came up with. You know how she's always coming up with those weird methods to train me," mentioned Riley. "This one's the worst!" Riley glanced around worriedly, likely searching for Natasha Romanoff. "I was tellin' her about how normal kids get to, you know, have recess and play outside instead of training, and then she came up with this... this game!"

   "Game...?" repeated Clint. He seemed unsure. "Are we talking about the same Romanoff?" Riley snapped her attention back toward Clint, shooting him a glare that sent shivers down the grown man's spine.

   Over the past six months, it was evident that Riley had begun to adopt many of Natasha's personality traits. Riley had grown colder and edgier in record-timing—a true contrast from her usually sunny personality. She hadn't completely changed, at least not yet, but it was enough for Clint to notice.

   Clint raised his hands in defense. "Okay, okay," he continued, "tell me about this game."

   Riley released an exasperated sigh. "It's a stealth activity mixed with a stamina one. It's supposed to help me with my powers. We just started last night," described Riley. "I have to stay invisible for as long as I can and hide from Natasha. When she finds me, visible or invisible, she has a chance to shoot me. When she tries to shoot me, I have to make a forcefield to protect myself. If I don't do it fast enough, I get shot."

   Clint paused. "...Did you say shoot you? Is she even allowed to do that?"

   Riley nodded as if it was the most obvious thing ever. "Yep. The council and Fury don't care if it's apart of my training. You know, I've been shot four times now!" whined Riley. Clint's eyes widened, causing Riley to lift her shirt a bit to reveal the weighted bulletproof vest she was sporting. "I'm still protected, but she missed once and it hurt like a mother—!"

   "Wait, she actually shot you?" intercepted Clint.

   "Yeah," sourly grumbled Riley. She sulked at the memory. "I don't know about you, but it hurts!"

   Clint nodded slowly. He placed his sandwich down on a napkin, reiterating, "So you're playing hide and seek with a twist?"

   Riley paused. "Yeah, pretty much... Whatever hide and seek is," Riley answered, continuing to look for the redhead. "It's been helping me with my powers, but keeping them up for so long takes a lot outta me. I asked if we could take a break, but—"

   "Let me guess, she shot you again?"

   "Exactly!" exclaimed Riley. "The nerve of some people!"

   Clint bunched his eyebrows together. "Why don't you just... you know, make a forcefield when she tries to shoot you?" he suggested.

   Riley fully turned to Clint and stared at him with another glare. "Gee, Clint, that's a great idea! I wish I thought of that myself!" she sarcastically declared.

   "Something tells me you already thought of that," he mumbled humorously. Riley merely rolled her eyes. "So how long is this exercise supposed to last for?"

   "By the end of the day," revealed Riley. She folded her arms over her chest, stretching some of the holes in her uniform from Natasha's bullets. "She's having a little too much fun shooting me whenever she wants, in my opinion."

  Clint nudged her. "Aw, I'm sure it's not that bad," insisted Clint. "At least she didn't break your arm again."

   Riley perked up just a little at the memory. "She said it was an accident, but I still don't believe her," insisted Riley, shaking her head. "She's crazy."

   "She's not crazy," defended Clint, gaining a questioning look from Riley. "At least, not that crazy."

   Riley shrugged. "Whatever. She told me that if she shoots me one more time, I have to do 60 pull-ups for every time she shot me!" complained Riley. "Doesn't she know I have anxiety!?"

   Clint snickered at Riley's misery. He had acted as a mediator between the two these past six months. He knew that Natasha was slowly warming up to Riley, but it wasn't exactly noticeable. The only reason Clint could tell was due to the fact that Natasha was his best friend.

   "She just wants you to get better," insisted Clint. "That's what she's getting paid for, isn't it?"

   Riley sighed. "I know, I just hate—AH!"

   Rather suddenly, Riley sprang to her feet and created a forcefield that covered her entire body just as a loud BANG! echoed in the cafeteria. All conversations fell silent as a red-haired spy stood before the room, a pistol in her hand. Steam escaped the black weapon, heating the mouth of it as Natasha Romanoff stood in all her glory. Riley squeezed her eyes tight, relieved to discover that she'd protected herself in time.

   "HA!" bellowed Riley, a victorious grin on her face. "TAKE THAT, YOU CRAZY RUSSIAN!"

   Then, without another word, Riley turned herself invisible and fled the scene. The only thing that was heard in the cafeteria was her loud footsteps. Natasha merely shrugged, walking over to the table Clint had been sitting at while the others in the room returned to their conversations like nothing happened.

   Clint picked up his sandwich, unfazed. "Riley wants you to know she has anxiety," he simply declared while continuing to eat his lunch.

   Natasha snorted. "Don't we all?" she darkly joked, sitting across from the archer.

   "You know," said Clint, "I think she's starting to turn into a mini-Nat."

   Natasha rolled her eyes. "Maybe in her dreams," she contended. "She still has a long way to go."

   "...But she's making progress?" Clint returned.

   Natasha shrugged. "Eh, yeah, actually. But she's still a headache with legs," mentioned the woman.

   "That's an improvement from Brazillian Chucky," pointed out Clint with a chuckle.

   Natasha just lightly laughed. She knew one thing and one thing only from this whole journey with the orphan agent:

   It would be a cold day in hell when she decided she didn't dislike Riley O'Dair anymore.