𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑. | ❛ Ill At Ease. ❜

    JAMIE FIDDLED WITH HER BRACELET AS SHE LOOKED AT HER REFLECTION. A frown etched onto her features as she was contemplating about showing up at Tony's party. The desire to stay in bed and watch her favorite comfort movie was tempting and she almost gave in, but knowing her friends they would drag her out of her room. Jamie was the life of the party, according to Tony, and she had to share a laugh at that. She remembers the others pleading her to show up, a sparkle painting their eyes at the presence of the Heroine. She couldn't say no, so here she was hiding in the bathroom, away from prying eyes as she had a nervous breakdown.

Her nerves have been nagging her ever since HYDRA captured her. Flashbacks, insomnia, and feelings of overwhelmingness are nothing new for Jamie. Bruce reminded her that it's her PTSD kicking in and that it's heightened because she was put in the same spot as 150 years ago. But it was torturing her. Every single reminder and reminiscence in the past that she has repressed has come bubbling up to the surface, squeezing her chest till she lost air from her lungs. Her night terror hasn't been better. She can still see Strucker's sickening smile inside her mind, tormenting her and making her life a living hell.

Although she tries to reassure the others, they can clearly see her being badly affected by it. She's been more quiet than usual, often staring at empty space, and putting up a brave face as she busies herself with training the new employees at the Avengers Tower. Bruce and Clint are heavily intimidated by her change of demeanor and have been keeping their distance. Thor and Tony check up on her through small gestures like buying her favorite coffee, a pat on the shoulder, and including her with their schemes and ideas since they value her opinion a lot.

Natasha and Steve, however, have been by her side most of the time. The redhead had been worried sick ever since she saw her for the first time after months of searching. Her heart broke at the sight of her, anger coursing through her veins at the fact that HYDRA had something to do with it. She remembers bursting into tears, away from prying eyes as she poured her worries to her best friend, feeling her pain and trying to cease her bruised heart. She cried at how fragile she looked, the sight almost impossible to believe since Jamie never let her guard down. Steve has been more cautious and hesitant with his approach, not wanting to overwhelm her with so many people looking out for her.

Jamie has been grateful for their support and appreciates every little thing they've done to make her feel better. Her heart flutters, their kind gesture making her feel loved and seen. She considered her fellow Avengers close acquaintances and she's grown a soft spot for all of them. They understood her, knowing where she came from and the great thing about it was that she was not alone. She wouldn't say she could act like her full self, but she was comfortable with showing her nature, something they all can relate to.

The ex-soldier let out a shaky exhale, feeling her heart thumping against her chest. Her eyes wandered over her choice of clothing. She wore a simple black dress with long sleeves, the adorn hugging her curves like water. She hummed with satisfaction, reminding to thank her kind student for loaning her dress. She had to stifle a laugh, Robin's voice echoing inside her mind.

A small knock behind her pulled her out of her thoughts. She abruptly turned her head to the door. "You okay in there, ma'am?" she heard one of the guards, their muffled voice reaching her ears.

A crimson color crept up her features, causing her to crane her neck to the side. She sighed, clenching her jaw. "I'm okay," she replied, her voice slightly hoarse.

Jamie cleared her throat, taking one last look in the mirror before opening the door, meeting their concerned look. She kindly smiled at the old man, reassuring him that she was fine. "I'm very sorry for worrying you, Tom." she sheepishly apologized, her pink cheeks glistening from the lights above.

The guard let out a chuckle, his eyes painted with genuine fondness towards the ex-soldier. "It's alright, ma'am. Made me a little worried. I hope you enjoy your night." he politely said, giving her a warm smile.

Jamie returned his smile, gently patting his arm. "Please, call me Jamie. No need for formalities," she suggested with another charming simper, making him nod his head respectfully before leaving the empty hall, leaving her alone.

Just as she was about to enter the headquarter, she heard bickering a few feet away from her causing her to snap her head towards the sound. A soft smile curved upon her lips, watching her two favorite students walking towards the big building. She raised her eyebrows, the choice of their attires impressing the Heroine.

Steve Paddington had his arm linked with his best friend, Robin Kowalski, as they mindlessly showed up at Tony's party being completely oblivious of a pair of eyes watching them with amusement. "Screw this, I wanna go home, Steve."

The brunette rolled his eyes, giving her a look. "Why are you having second thoughts? I thought you wanted to go. It's Tony Stark, man. This is only a lifetime experience. Consider yourself the luckiest person in the world. I mean, the Avengers are there too!" he ranted, giving her a nudge on her ribs.

Robin sighed, tightening her grip. "I'm not. I'm just freaking out right now. We're the only trainees at the party. We need to at least look professional. I literally lend my dress to Jamie, which I know looks stunning on her." she shared, her heart thudding against her chest at the mention of her mentor.

Steve's eyes softened. He wrapped an arm on her shoulder. "We're gonna be fine. I don't think anyone gives a shit, to be honest. Try to loosen up and blend in." he comforted, giving her a toothy grin before disappearing into the busy crowd.

Jamie folded her arms in front of her chest, her narrowed eyes on the younger woman. She puckered her lips before voicing her thoughts. "Need a date?" she said, pulling Robin away from her thoughts.

Robin's mouth gaped open. Heat crept upon her face, her eyes shyly trailing down her figure. Her dress looked perfect on her. "I-uh, yes, please." she managed to let out, a small giggle emitting from her lips.

The Heroine smiled, linking her arms with hers as they entered inside the building. She could feel her body stiff and she squeezed her bicep, trying to cease her worries. The duo was met with multiple cheers, mostly to Jamie. She met their energy with a grin, nodding her head in greeting. Robin eventually loosened up, having taken a shot and staying by her side chatting about whatever came to her mind. She had to leave her side in the end, watching Steve making a scene.

▹

Jamie sipped from her margarita, feeling the liquid entering her throat. She let out a small cough, wiping her mouth with a napkin. She sat across from Natasha, who was currently making drinks while chatting with Bruce.

"Is this seat occupied?" She heard a very familiar voice say, and she snapped her head towards the voice, a smile reaching her face before she launched herself into their arms.

Elijah closed his eyes, hiding his face in her hair as he took in her familiar scent. He felt guilt prickle at his chest for not checking up on her often, and he felt even more worse when he found out what she's been against the past few months. Elijah was the first person Steve told about her sudden departure, being scared shitless as he shared his worries about the Heroine. They spent months trying to track her whereabouts, and soon the others joined too.

"I'm so glad you're okay. Jamilla, I've been worried sick. I thought we lost you." he fretted into her hair, his grip tightening around her.

Jamie felt tears well up inside her eyes. She sniffled, sliding her hand to his neck, hugging him closer to her body. "It's okay. I'm okay." she consoled, her voice wavering at the end.

The pair pulled away. Elijah brought his hand to rest on her cheek, a pained expression etched onto his face. He sighed, rubbing her jaw with his thumb. "You're so strong, you know that?" he told her, his tone firm.

Jamie bit her lip, a scorn forming on her face before it disappeared. Not wanting to spoil the mood, she gave him a smile. "I try, Lijah." she simply said, rubbing his arms.

She furrowed her eyebrows, her mind wandering to the short brunette. She voiced her thoughts. "Is Annie okay? How's the research going?" she asked, curiosity getting the best of her.

Elijah took a seat beside her with another exhale. He gripped on his drink, kindly thanking the redhead before downing his whisky. He turned his head to the ex-soldier. "She's doing fine. The research, well, we're getting there," he answered, a thoughtful look on his face.

Jamie nodded, fiddling with the rings on her fingers. She pushed her chair closer and leaned closer to him. "Not any leads on the others?" she said in a low tone, quickly glancing at the side to make sure their conversation was hidden from prying ears.

Elijah adjusted his glasses. "Hardly, you know how they are. It's been 70 years, and their retiral is understandable. I've been in touch with Fred, though. Apparently, there's an H.R.N. base located in Zagreb, just outside the capital." he shared, fiddling with the straw from his drink.

She scowled, a stressed look on her face. She closed her eyes, rubbing a hand over her face. She gestured with a hand to elaborate. "We tried to look for any information about Doctor Williams, but the connections don't add up. Anna tried to use her magic, but something prevents her from going further. It's like—" he continued, but couldn't find the right word at the end.

Jamie beat him to it. "Someone or something is blocking the spells." she clenched her jaw, her eyes finding themselves darting across the busy crowd. Her eyes landed on Steve, a small smile forming her features as she watched him catching up with Sam. She moved her attention back to the scientist.

"You're not staying here, then?" she asked him, her eyes narrowed as she bounced her leg, which went noticed by Elijah.

He put his hand on her leg, ceasing the habit of hers. "I'm heading to Croatia in a few hours. I need to find out who's responsible for this. A small part of me is afraid at the thought of the possibility..." he trailed off, the last sentence creating a reign of emotions inside her body.

"We can never get a break, can we?" Jamie told him, leaning her body against the counter.

I'm so happy to introduce Robin and Steve into this series! I was thinking of adding a slight Stranger Things x Marvel crossover? This idea has been into my drafts for awhile and I was very satisfied with how it blended well with each other. I hope y'all like the idea! Let me know in the comments <3

Happy Reading!