A/N: welcome back!

i am feeling so lazy today, i just wanna curl up in my bed and watch a bunch of cute movies but i can't 😭

anyway, i don't remember what happens in this chapter i think i wrote it a few months ago but it's (probably) good? idk have fun

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to try to kill me, are you?"
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Adelaide woke up to the sunlight pouring in through her east-facing window and the brilliant, golden hue of the light told her it was much later in the day than she'd like it to be.

She let out a low groan, rolling over to rub her tired eyes. The forgotten cuts on her knuckles throbbed mercilessly as she did and, just like that, she was suddenly wide-awake. Her eyes fluttered open, squinting in the light of the room. There was a moment of disorientation as she tried to remember how she ended up here when she'd been in the living room downstairs. Faint memories of Steve carrying her upstairs flashed through her mind, and she let out a sigh.

She really, really hated mornings.

After some forcible hygienic routines in the bathroom, she lazily made her way downstairs. It was late already, past noon so when she entered the kitchen, she poked her head in the fridge for something to heat up or defrost for lunch. Her stomach grumbled as if reminding her just how hungry she was.

Adelaide was in the middle of heating up some pasta when Natasha walked in, clad in a plain t-shirt and joggers with her hair tied up into a ponytail.

"Yes, I do know what time it is," Adelaide sighed, pulling her pasta out of the microwave. Natasha smiled and took a seat at the kitchen island across from the teenager. "Where's Griffin?"

"Didn't realize you two were already so close that you can't have one meal without him," Natasha said. Adelaide almost laughed.

"The opposite, actually," she said, "I have to keep an eye on him. Last time he was here, he had an agenda."

"Oh?" Natasha asked, raising an eyebrow.

"He wanted revenge on the Avengers for killing Thanos," Adelaide said, casting her eyes down at her plate, "He was using me to get closer to you guys."

"And now he's not?"

"That's still up for debate," Adelaide sighed.

"If he tries to kill me, tell him in advance I said I'm sorry for breaking all his bones," the assassin said with her trademark smirk, making the teenager smile. As if he had been listening to their conversation, Griffin walked into the kitchen right after that. He looked like he'd already gotten dressed, clearly having been awake for longer than she had. Adelaide and Natasha shared a look as he poured himself a cup of water.

"So, Griffin," Natasha said, "You a morning person?"

"Depends on how many broken bones I have," he answered smoothly, joining them at the island, "Usually it's under two so I aim for six o'clock. Still getting used to the hours here, though."

"Mm, I bet it's easier to scout for potential murder locations earlier in the morning, isn't it?" the assassin asked. Adelaide stifled a laugh by stuffing her face with more pasta. Griffin looked at her as if she'd let him down before he pressed his lips together, slightly embarrassed.

"I wouldn't know, I've never tried," he answered. Natasha smiled.

"Good answer," she said, "How many hours were in a day back home?"

"Thirty," he answered, sipping his water, "And four hundred forty days in a year. Of course, we always had a ship so we could go to any planet we wanted so night could become day and vice versa."

"That's always a nice option to have," Natasha said, nodding.

"Adelaide?" someone said. The teenager looked up to see Rhodey walking into the kitchen with Steve trailing in shortly after. Her eyes lit up and she stood from her seat to give him a hug. "I thought I heard your voice!"

"Rhodey!" she grinned, "When did you get here?"

"Just this morning, actually," he smiled, "Had some boring government work to deal with. But how have you been? Didn't you just have a birthday? Happy belated birthday! How old are you now? Can I buy you a beer yet?"

"I turned eighteen, but you can always buy me a beer," she grinned.

"Not sure Tony's gonna be happy to hear that," Steve said, clicking his tongue. He was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Killjoy," Adelaide said, briefly making a face at him. He chuckled.

"Don't worry, I've done plenty of things right under Tony's nose that he has no idea about. You don't get to be his friend for over ten years and not know how to get things by him," Rhodey said, winking at her. She grinned. His gaze drifted over to Griffin sitting at the kitchen island.

"Rhodey, you remember Griffin," she said. Rhodey nodded, a smile forming on his face.

"Yeah, I remember you. How's your jaw, man?" he asked. Adelaide bit back a smile.

"It's fine," Griffin mumbled.

"For now," Adelaide mumbled under her breath. Only Rhodey heard her and he chuckled, squeezing her shoulder.

"Well, I've gotta head out, but it's always good to see you, Adelaide. And I owe you a birthday present. Don't let me forget, alright?" he said.

"Never," she smiled. And just like that, he was gone and then there were four again.

"Natasha filled me in this morning," Steve said after Rhodey had left, "Finish your...what is that? Breakfast? Lunch?" He eyes her plate and the teenager gave him a look.

"I thought the compound was a judgment-free zone," she mumbled, her mouth full of pasta. Steve smiled slightly.

"And yet you push the boundaries of it each day," he said, making her roll her eyes. He turned serious again. "Anyway, finish your meal and then meet me in the conference room. We've got things to discuss."

He glanced at Griffin momentarily before nodding and heading out of the kitchen to the conference room.

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"Natasha and I decided it's better if we join this little mission of yours. It seems bigger than just New York," Steve said later when they were sitting around the conference table. He looked to the teenager who shrugged.

"Okay," she said. Steve frowned.

"Okay? I thought you'd fight me on this," he said. She gave him a small smile.

"I know what my limitations are, Captain," she said, "I don't expect to be able to take down an entire syndicate single-handedly, as cool of a story that would be."

"Well," Steve said, nodding, "my mistake. You're an adult now, gotta trust you to make your own decisions. Anyway, I did some research this morning to find Sienna Maranzano."

"But?" Natasha asked, sensing the catch coming.

"But she's been off the grid for the past three years," he said, pulling up a hologram with a picture of her on it. She had short, dark hair and a pair of lips that were curled into a smirk as if she knew secrets no one else would ever know. To Adelaide's surprise, she looked young— in her mid or late twenties, not much older than that. "Not even her closest friends or the most trusted members of her syndicate have heard from her."

"She's a ghost," Griffin said and Adelaide gave him a side-eyed look at his attempt at a joke. He seemed indifferent to her gaze, happy with his joke regardless.

"As of 5:30 this morning, Elena Grimaldi was found dead. Suspected to be killed by one of their own," Steve said grimly. Adelaide pressed her lips together into a thin line, twisting Elena's silver ring around her finger. It seemed to get warmer and warmer until it felt like it was branding Elena's name into her skin. Elena was dead because Adelaide had stolen her ring and discovered her identity.

She's dead because of her own choices, she reminded herself, You didn't kill her.

"And Sofia Grimaldi?" Adelaide asked quietly, not sure she wanted to know the answer.

"On the hunt," Steve said. The for you part was unsaid, but well-heard. Adelaide tried to not shrink in her chair. She didn't particularly enjoy having a target on her head by a vengeful sister. Adelaide knew she'd destroy hell if anyone touched a hair on Morgan's head. She could only imagine Sofia was feeling the same for her right now.

"So what's the plan?" Griffin asked.

"We think the syndicate's next target will be at the President's annual ball. Sienna herself is rumored to make an appearance and if we play our cards right, we can have her in our custody by the end of the ball," Natasha said and Adelaide glanced at the hologram of Sienna Maranzano again.

"I'm sorry, but the President of what? A company? An organization?" Adelaide asked.

"The President of the United States," Steve said.

"Matthew Elis?" Adelaide asked, trying to keep her mouth from falling open, "They're targeting the president now? I thought we still had time while they tried to secure lower-level officials like...governors or something."

"They already have leverage against the governors of New York, Michigan, and Texas. Governor Paul Whitaker of New York was sexually assaulting minor while still in office. He was never charged because no one ever had proof of it, but the syndicate got a hold of some security camera footage not that long ago. One mention to the media and his career is gone. He's under their complete control already. Governor Yolanda Sink from Michigan has a history of tax fraud she paid people to hide a long time ago. Maranzano has every shred of evidence to get her in jail and they're holding it all against her. And governor Alexander McWalker from Texas was wrongly convicted as innocent for the murder of his ex-wife. Same thing here. Maranzano has it all."

"They could end all their careers in a matter of minutes," Natasha said grimly.

"Don't they deserve it, though?" Griffin said, voicing her exact thoughts.

"They do. But Maranzano isn't interested in sending them to prison. They're not a group of pacifists trying to clean the world. They found their pawns and they need to keep them employed," Steve said, "So they'll continue to weasel their way through the federal hierarchy until they have a metaphorical gun pointed at the head of every official."

"What about the people that are actually good?" Adelaide asked, "The ones that have a clean record."

"Then they'll create artificial evidence," Steve replied, "No one is the exception."

"They want to hold the First Lady for ransom at the ball," Natasha said and the hologram switched to a video of Elis and his wife at last year's annual ball which had been in tribute to the families who lost loved ones lost in the Blip. They raised millions from donors willing to help out those newborns left without parents and elderly left without any family and the list went on for longer than anyone liked for it to. "We don't know what their plan is exactly, but we have to stop them before they get too much power. Once they have evidence to hold against enough officials...it's game over."

"When's the President's ball?" Griffin asked.

"In three days," Steve said.

"And how do we get in?"

"Leave that up to me," Adelaide said.

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"Remind me again why we're here?" Griffin grumbled from beside her.

"The ball is in three days and all the clothes you own are stained with beer which I'm pretty sure is not proper attire for a president's ball," she muttered, looking through the hanging racks of suits for one that she could coax Griffin into wearing.

"Why do we get stuck buying clothes when the other two get to go stop another kidnapping?" he said.

Steve and Natasha were currently in New Jersey where the governor's grandson was having his fifth birthday party. The Maranzano syndicate supposedly had plans to kidnap his five-year-old grandson and hold him for ransom to extract a false admittance from the governor for a crime he never committed. They would be expecting someone to meddle with their plans so it would be trickier to stop them.

Adelaide pointed to the cast on Griffin's forearm.

"That's why," she said, "Now come on, we need to get your measurements. Plus, I still don't trust you around them yet. As far as me...well, I don't think you're stupid enough to try to kill me, are you?"

"That depends," he grumbled.

He hated shopping. In fact, he'd started to question just how much Adelaide meant to him and if she was worth this agony. He'd much rather be down in Jersey, getting a chance to use some weapons. He didn't really care for the Maranzano or the federal officials they were targeting. In truth, he was kind of just here to earn back Adelaide's trust.

Thanos would laugh at him right now if he could see.

Griffin wasn't one for apologizes or big gestures. It was one of the reasons he never made up to Gamora after their fallout. Maybe he needed a big gesture, maybe that's would it would take for Adelaide to trust him again.

And for him to possibly feel a little less guilty about Gamora's death.

"What about you?" he asked as she motioned for a man with measuring tape to join them, "I don't think the president would let you wear sweats and an oversized t-shirt to his ball either."

"I'm getting my gown later," she said, "I just figured you'd need help buying a tux. I've bought enough dresses before to know the drill."

"Just don't make me come here again," he grumbled, "I hate this place."

Adelaide held back a smile as she turned around to look through another rack of suits.

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A/N: my comp sci degree is kicking my ass again 🙃

it's barely been two weeks and i'm already so ready for winter break, this is not the vibe at all lmao. i've also been feeling major writer's block for a long ass time now and it's so frustrating because all i want to do is write but i can't

i've also started taking judo and karate classes and judo, too, is kicking my ass. i think i messed something up in my leg and now i'm literally limping lmao. hopefully it'll go away on its own, i don't have the time to deal with it. i thought it'd be cool to learn how to fight like all these characters do, but, apparently, getting thrown around by someone else is not as fun as throwing someone down on the ground instead

question: i'm so tired i barely know my own name rn lol you guys can ask me something if you want

see y'all next week