Relentless

It was going to be a good day today. Zara could feel it. She'd had a great weekend with Bucky, gotten heaps of training done - what was supposed to be a couple of hours of gym time had turned into a full day and for the first time since she could remember, she'd slept like a log. Most of Sunday had been spent relaxing in front of the television, Bucky had dug up all her old favorite movies - which luckily for him were also his favorites. He was grateful for having an action/thriller girl over a soppy romantic one... Although if he was honest with himself, a little old-school romance was kinda nice. He'd threatened to take her dancing more times than he could count, the look of sheer terror in her face never got old, neither did the laughter it induced.

Zara adjusted the duffel bag strap on her shoulder as she pulled the door to their room shut behind her, smiling to herself as she made the way down the hallway to the elevator. She was in such a good mood it didn't bother her that she didn't have it to herself, like it usually would have. She even gave a smile and nod to the guys in suits and was pleasantly surprised when they returned the gesture - maybe they weren't as horrible as she'd assumed?
As she approached the training room door she could hear Bucky's booming voice giving instructions to his students, well, they sounded more like orders. Zara chuckled, his old military days came out in him in situations like these, he must have been quite a strong soldier on the field. She waited outside the door until he'd finished, not wanting to interrupt, and when he stopped talking she quietly pushed the door open. He looked up at her, the corner of his mouth turning up enough for her to notice and make her do the same.

It didn't surprise her that Jess was already here. She'd found a waist-high stack of gym mats at the back of the room and sat herself on top of them like a queen on her throne. She waved to Zara and gestured enthusiastically for her to get her butt over there asap. Zara chuckled and walked back there as quick as she could, dropping her bag in its usual spot against the wall. Jess put her arm out to help her up and they scooted back so their backs were against the wall.
"What's news, girlfriend?" Jess asked, a beaming smile on her face.
"Absolutely nothing, had a relaxing weekend for once! How about you? Oh my god, how was your meeting!?"
Jess chuckled, clearly far too excited to speak.
"Meeting went GREAT!" She enthused. "I'm not gonna be an I.T tech anymore" She smiled.
"What? You're moving?"
"Yep, I start field agent training in the next intake."
"Holy shit! Congratulations!" Zara said, giving her a big hug. "What prompted this?"
"Well, I've been bored with I.T since, well, forever. When we started doing all of this stuff, I found I really enjoyed it. Then I heard that there was a dire shortage of field agents, so I set up a meeting."
"Oh Jess, that's great. You're a natural, too! So when's the next intake?"
"Thanks Zee, I don't know about being a natural, but I'll get there. They're not sure at this stage, they wanted to start us early, but the usual trainers are currently working with all of us now." She said, gesturing at Bucky and his group of students. "So they're gonna have to work it out. Either they take all the applicants and send us off to get started and regroup all the self-defence classes, or they wait the three weeks for it to finish. From what I gathered, I think they want to get us started as soon as possible."
"Wow, I didn't know there was a 'dire' need for field agents?"
"Yeah, well you just have to look at the Elites - Rogers has been out all this time, Barnes is here, and you don't even hear about Stark, Romanov or Banner. Who else is there?"
"There's always Coulson's team?" Zara said, a brow arched.
"Nope, they've been out for weeks." She shrugged. She looked over her shoulders, making sure nobody was listening in earshot before she leaned into Zara... "Think about it, there hasn't been a strike team since D.C, we have rookies that aren't even close to being ready, Romanov's team was ripped apart in the Hydra bombing... We're operating on a skeleton crew. They need to train up as many people as they can, and do it quick. That's half the reason Fury ordered for all of us non-combat members to train. We have to be able to protect ourselves, because nobody's gonna come running for a bunch of lab assistants..." She said darkly, her voice barely a whisper.

Zara nodded, a dark cloud forming over her good mood as she realized that Jess was right.
"There must be a reason for the massive influx of trainees... I wonder if we've been threatened?" Zara pondered aloud. She looked up at Bucky, and he held her gaze, reading the worry on her face before being distracted again by one of his students.
"They wouldn't tell us if there was, even at our level..." Jess said, turning her head in time to notice Zara looking over at the class with a concerned look on her face.
"What?" She asked.
"I was just wondering if we had been threatened or not... And if we had been, do they know about it?" Zara said, focus in her eyes now gone. She shook her head and got her shit together, she'd have to speak to Bucky this afternoon. He'd be honest with her at least...

"Miss Morgan" Came a voice that made them both jump. It was Grant Ward. Zara swallowed hard, wondering how much of that conversation he'd heard. She hoped he'd only just walked up...
"Ward" She said, acknowledging him.
"A word, please" He said, putting a hand out to help her down. Jess shot her a confused look, how in the hell did she know Ward? Zara let out a breath, taking his hand and jumping down from the pile of mats. He walked her to the corner of the room, out of earshot from anyone. Zara glanced over to Bucky who had stiffened up and was watching their every move from the corner of his eye.
"What can I do for you?" Zara asked, half annoyed, half genuinely curious.
"I've been meaning to come have a private chat with you." He said. She cocked an eyebrow, waiting to hear more. "I assume you didn't tell Barnes about our encounter, either that or he's being very civilized about it..." He said.
"Is that a question?" She asked, getting her answer when he pursed his lips at her and let out an annoyed sigh. "No, I didn't tell him. He would have overreacted, you know what he's like... That and I like to think you didn't mean me any harm that day." She said with a shrug.
"No, I didn't mean it at all. I really am sorry for what happened, Zara."
"It's fine, it's fine" She said, waving it off. "And it's Zeejay while I'm here... The walls have ears."
Ward gave her a smile and nodded.
"I appreciate it" He said. "Now go sit down before a certain someone shoots laser death rays out of his eyes at me"
Zara chuckled and made her way over to Jess, pulling herself up on the mats.

"What was THAT all about?" She asked.
"Long story" Zara laughed. "Bit of an inside joke"
"How do you know Grant Ward well enough to have inside jokes with him?"
"I know a lot of people around here... I'll tell you all about it soon" She smiled. Jess chuckled, not about to question the vault of secrets that was the pretty, black haired girl beside her. She wondered like always what had gone on with her, how could someone so friendly seem so closed off, so brave in the face, yet so scared in the eyes... How did she know Tony Stark and Grant Ward personally, and well enough to have a friend level re-pore with them? She knew better than to question, and she wasn't about to go snooping for information... All the same she'd look forward to the day when it would all be explained as promised.



The class began with a recap of what they'd learned the week prior with Lance, and some new manoeuvres were introduced. Mostly how to block and deflect hits in a hand to hand combat situation. They were paired off, Zara being grateful that Jess had chosen her, and they'd run through the moves together.
Much to Jess's delight, Barnes had stuck around to watch the class, pottering around in the gym, putting things away and doing odd jobs around the place. Zara had a hard time stifling her laughter every time Jess made 'swoon eyes'.
"Sorry to burst your bubble, but you DO realize he's seeing someone?"
"I know, I heard... I don't care though, he's so pretty. I'm allowed to look!"
Their giggles didn't go unnoticed, and Ward was straight onto them, unamused by their antics. They were given a stern warning that they needed to focus. They both apologized and carried on with the class on their best behavior.

"Did you see reaction on Barnes when Ward told us off?" Jess asked after the lesson.
"No?" Zara questioned, raising a brow.
"He turned and looked like he was about to kill him."
"He always looks like he's about to kill someone" Zara joked.
"No, seriously. I bet there's some bad blood there. If he hangs around tomorrow, which I think he will, keep an eye out" Jess said, giving a nod. "His body language went from relaxed to aggressive in a second. He looked like a dog that was ready to pounce, and then seconds later - back to being relaxed again... I can't believe you didn't notice" She said, earning a shrug from Zara.



The following day, the lesson structure was much the same. This time Ward chose the pairs, and Zara was put together with a tall, dark haired guy around her age. Unfortunately for her it had been one of the guys that had given her a hard time the week prior. Zara groaned inwardly, as much as she'd really like to hand his ass to him, this guy was both bigger and stronger than her. Something deep down assured her that this didn't matter, but the logical side of her seemed to disagree.
They were told to start sparring and much to her delight, Zara found that he was hesitant to hit her, probably because she was a girl she thought. This would either be incredibly awkward or incredibly funny. Most likely a bit of both...
"Everybody stop!" Ward yelled out, bringing the class to a screeching halt. Zara let out a breath of relief.
"Brad, why are you so afraid to hit her, she is your enemy." His voice boomed.

Oh Jesus, here we go...

Zara shot a look at her opponent. Ward had singled them out. This was bad. Brad looked at her with apologetic eyes and she gave him a nod of understanding.
"Brad! I asked you a question..." Ward said, striding over to them. Zara instantly felt sorry for him, this was really unfair, even for someone who had called her names and laughed at her. Maybe this was karma coming back for him, but Zara still didn't like it.
"I don't know about you, but I don't feel right swinging at a 115 pound girl." He said, keeping his voice low as if he was ashamed to admit it in front of his peers.
"What if she had a gun in her hand and your life depended on it?" He asked.
"That would be different then I guess."
"Well, that's what this training is for. So start treating it as such. Zeejay, you're holding back too. Step it up." He said abrasively. She shot him an unappreciative look and looked back towards Brad.
"Okay, fight!"

Brad swung at her and she ducked, instinctively, landing a punch in his ribs, regretting it the second her knuckles made impact. It was the only way he was going to feel comfortable about this. He winced and she mouthed an 'I'm sorry' to him. He clenched his jaw.
"Good. Again."
Zara stepped in, swinging a punch, allowing him time to dodge. It was the only way to get Ward off their case. All she had to do was put on a show... Nobody needed to get hurt. She swung another, letting him block her, and she took a hard hit in the stomach, knocking her to the ground.

There. That should do it.

The apologetic look had disappeared from Brad's face on hearing the cheers from his friends when Zara hit the deck. She wasn't sure if this pissed her off, or pleased her, but either way it was done now. Bucky was watching them like a hawk so she stood up, catching her breath again and wiped the dust from her ass. She turned to face Ward again, a hand casually resting on the site of the hit she'd taken.

"Zeejay, I know you're better than that" He said, his voice holding frustration back.
"Brad knocked me down fair and square -"
"You're holding back, you need to step it up" He said, still pushing.
"I'm doing my best." She countered.
"I've seen your BEST and that's not even close"
"Fine" She said flatly, shooting another look at Brad. Ward gave him a nod and they walked up close together once again. Obviously she hadn't made her point, and Ward had a chip on his shoulder.

Brad stepped into her and took a swing which Zara ducked, then a second and a third in quick succession. Zara Dodged all three, using her small stature against him. He might have been bigger and stronger, but she was quicker and more agile. She sunk a fist into his ribs, harder than she meant to, making him grunt at the impact. She swept a leg under him, tripping him and he landed on his back with a thud.
"Good!" Ward praised her. "That's exactly what I'm talking about!"

Brad stood up, eager for round two. The gloves were off, so to speak. He looked pissed off and something inside Zara stirred. He intimidated her and suddenly she felt sick... She was frozen. She forced her body to move, deflecting his hits with her forearms, one after the other as if on autopilot. He sent a leg up, kicking her in the ribs, catching her off guard. She gasped at the impact, turning to face him in time for a stray punch to catch her in the jaw.
Zara hit the ground, hard. She'd heard gasps from a few of them. She lifted her head, seeing the blurred faces of Jess and Kyle, both worried sick by the look of them.

"That's enough!" Bucky called out angrily, jogging over. He glared at Brad who knew well enough to back right off. Ward swallowed hard, sensing an epic shit-storm. He crouched down to help Zara up, only for Bucky to shove him out of the way and help her to her feet himself. He steadied her, taking her face in his hands and looking into her eyes, trying to make her focus.
"Zee? You still with me?" He whispered. She wobbled in his grip, making him clench his jaw angrily. He looked over his shoulder and made eye contact with Jess and Kyle before tearing his gaze away again.

"Class dismissed" He said loudly, looking around the room. Nobody dared move and Ward looked like he was about to say something. Bucky glared at him.
"I said class DISMISSED!" He repeated himself more assertively. Everyone shot into action, gathering their things to leave. It was amazing the power an angry super soldier had over a room. Bucky looked back over at Jess and Kyle.
"NOT you two..." He said, making them stop in their tracks. They dared approach him and his expression softened. "Take her back to her room" He said. "Level 44, room 18. Stay with her till I get there. Don't talk to anyone. Don't look at anything. Don't touch anything."

They both nodded wordlessly as he handed her over, putting one of her arms around each of them. He handed Jess a key-card which she slid into her pocket. Jess's mind raced. Zeejay Morgan LIVED in the building!? Barnes had her room key!? She had so many questions, and today looked like the day she was going to have many of them answered.

"Go, now" He ordered them, his voice low and threatening. Jess nodded, looking over at Bucky who was having a stare down with Ward. The threatening voice had not been for them. Oh how she would have loved to stay and be a fly on the wall for THAT conversation...



Jess and Kyle found the elevator, hit the button and made their way in, balancing a very limp and out of it Zara in their arms. Kyle entered the floor number and the doors closed with a 'ding' and it began to rise. He shot Jess a look, neither of them game to speak, but both thinking the same thing. There was another ding when the doors opened, presenting the infamous level 44. Home of the Elites. A level neither of them were supposed to ever get the chance to see. Jess swallowed hard and they made their way down the corridor, counting the room numbers as they went. They came to room 18, Jess fished the key-card from her pocket, swiped it, and sure enough the door clicked open.

She shook her head. No way was this real... No way were they here under instruction from Bucky Barnes on level 44 of Stark tower... They closed the door behind them and sat Zara down on the bed.
"I'll get a cold washcloth" Kyle said, nodding towards the bathroom.
"Good thinking" Jess said, still stunned. The room was bigger than she had imagined. Very plain, no pictures on the wall, nothing sentimental. It hardly even looked lived in. The decor was ultra-modern and everything was spotlessly clean, save for a leather jacket hanging of the back of one of the dining chairs and a couple of coffee cups upside down on the side of the sink.
She propped Zara up on the pillows and unlaced her combat boots, pulling them off one by one and putting them beside the bed. Kyle came back with a washcloth that he'd rinsed and wrung out. He folded it into quarters and lay it over her forehead and sat beside her, taking her hand.

"Easy there, Romeo. She's attached" Jess said with a smirk. Kyle shot her a glare, and let out a sigh. "Get your butt up, this is best friend territory here"
He stood without arguing and sat himself back down at the foot of the bed.
"You okay honey?" Jess asked, rubbing Zara's hand. Zara turned to face her, squinting at her through blurry eyes. Jess smiled. "You'll be alright, just relax"
"Wish I knew what was going on downstairs" Kyle said, after a few moments of silence. Jess chuckled.
"I guess we'll soon find out..." She said, giving him a genuine smile. "Thanks for helping, by the way"
Kyle gave her a kind smile and a nod back.

They both jumped when the door opened. Bucky came through it, closing it behind him. He dropped her gym bag on the floor and made his way over. Jess and Kyle both stood, stepping out of the way as Bucky leaned over the bed to examine Zara's face. He traced his thumb along her jaw lightly, feeling for bumps or irregularities in the bone. Zara opened her eyes a little and Bucky smiled.

There was a knock at the door which Kyle answered. A pretty young woman in a suit was at the door, smiling politely. Bucky looked up and then over at Jess and Kyle.
"Thanks for your help" He said to them both. "Jennifer will walk you out"
Kyle and Jess shot each other a look.
"Oooooh no... I'm not leaving" Jess said, standing her ground. Kyle opened his mouth, but decided against arguing. Bucky glared at her and then back down to Zara.
"She can stay" Zara croaked out. Bucky clenched his jaw but nodded, despite himself. Kyle smiled at the others and left with the woman in the suit. Bucky stood to get an aspirin out of Zara's cupboard and a bottle of water from the fridge. Zara sat up and took them, drinking a big mouthful of water before handing the bottle back to Bucky.

Jess sat on the edge of the bed and looked at Zara.
"So you live in the building, on level 44, and you know Bucky Barnes, huh?"

Zara took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment as if suppressing the thumping headache that was threatening to overwhelm her. Bucky crossed his arms, waiting to see what she'd say. Jess looked over at him and then back to Zara. She pursed her lips, this was bound to be good...