XIV.

Souta sighed. It didn't take a genius to notice the rising tension between his sister and Hill. It didn't take someone who had been witness to most of their recent interactions to know that some sort of fight was brewing between the two women. Even he didn't know the full reasons why they couldn't get along, and he was never feeling stupid enough to ask. "Can't we all just pretend to get along for the moment? Or is that a stupid question?"

Both women snapped their glares over to him, and it took every bit of self-control not to look away or show weakness in front of them. Like the wildlife channels always said: don't show your fear and you won't be eaten. This situation seemed just as dangerous as the ones prey often found themselves in.

Surprisingly, it was Kagome who softened first. He knew firsthand how hot and long her temper could run; the fact that she was still pissed at Hill was proof enough of how long she could hold grudges. "Fine," she said, softly with an exhale meant to take her anger away. But it didn't quite look, not with the furrow still between her brows.

She took a step closer to Hill, hand extended. "Allies, for the moment. Until this ill-advised venture is through?"

Yet Hill didn't take it. Instead she looked at Kagome and then to her hand with what he could only describe as suspicion.

He sighed, grabbed Hill's hand and put it in Kagome's. "Friends. Allies. Acquaintances unwilling to kill each other. OK? Kill each other once I'm dead," he said, uncaring of the sharp looks he received in reprimand.

Once he let go of their hands, however, both swatted him upside the head at the same time. "Don't you dare say anything like that again, Souta."

He glared at them both and walked away. Typical, the only time they agreed was to gang up on him.

Steve cleared his throat. "As amusing and confusing as this is, I think we came here for a reason."

Souta sighed. He had only touched on what they wanted a little bit on the walk over here with her. He was somewhat unwilling to bring her into his life so fully again. Because she would leave. She always left. And when she did, he was the one left to pick up whatever pieces remained. It was how it always was, always had been since she was fifteen.

"Right. Kagome, we want to offer you a place on the team. At least until we know the extent of what HYDRA knows and if they worked alone," Hill said. And it was fitting that Hill would be the one to offer.

He watched his sister think about it, as if she hadn't already decided. He thought she had, as she always made rash decisions and rarely thought them through. Or at least the sister he once knew did. "You can say no, though." He thoughtfully added.

But the second she met his eyes, he knew. "I guess I'll join. Someone has to make sure no one tries to kidnap Souta again." She was doing it all for him, which meant she was doing it for herself. Both of them knew the reason anyone would go after him would be to get to her, so keeping him safe was keeping her safe.

He liked to conveniently forget that she didn't need to be kept safe. More like kept secret, with all she knew and all she was.

Souta sighed and turned to go into her bedroom. He knew his sister kept her things ready to be packed at a moment's notice, as that had been her life for hundreds of years. And he knew dealing the inevitable just made it that much more unbearable. So while they discussed the finer details, he gathered her things like he was nine again.

Only this time, the first thing he did was take down all her sticky notes on the wall beside her bed. They were her new normal, reminding her of whatever life she was leading at the moment and important events she didn't want to forget. The names of dead friends, of family, of goals and plans and her name were written down and posted so that she could remind herself every morning. He knew how much it embarrassed her, how much other people didn't need to know that private side of herself. So, of the two other times he had done this, he knew to remove and pack those away first before starting on clothes and then weapons.

He returned to the main room just in time to see Stark throw open her front door, still in his newest suit, but very obviously rather beat up. "What'd I miss?"

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