Chapter 13
Steve rotated his shoulder and let his fingers find the well-worn grooves of his shield’s straps. The comforting weight pulled at his arm and his legs automatically adjusted for the uneven burden.
After everything, the piece of metal was one of the few things left unchanged. It even smelled the same. If he closed his eyes, he could almost imagine being shoulder to shoulder in a trench with Dum Dum or playing poker at camp with Jones.
Under his feet, glass pieces crunched as he shifted. Stray leaves blew in from the new hole in the wall and in the vicinity a car alarm sounded. Tony had contacted the authorities, but there would need to be a road closure until the mess could be cleared. Too much debris. From where he stood, Steve could see superficial damage to the street and nearby buildings.
Where the front desk once sat, the trespasser smoked a cigarette. In his other hand he fiddled with a cellphone and shook his head at whatever he saw. Concrete dust clung to his dark pants and a bruise bloomed high across his cheek. Human?
Steve faced all sorts of adversaries as Captain America. Aliens, Nazis, and everything in between. But a league of assassins? He would have to add it to the list. Bucky would have found…. would find… it fascinating.
The guy’s attention flickered to him before he turned back to his phone with a huff somewhere between disbelief and frustration. He took a long drag and held it in for several heartbeats.
“What?” Steve asked, unable to help himself.
“Nothing.” He smiled tightly and eyed Steve with a distinct look of apathy.
The Avenger pursed his lips and ignored the blush on his cheeks. He didn’t have to explain himself to this guy. People like the intruder were all violence and swagger; Steve had met dozens of individuals like him over the years.
The man kicked at a piece of steel and it skidded across the floor with a screech. Steve’s grip on his shield tightened.
“Cool it.” He didn’t bother to look at Steve. “I’m not interested in fighting the embodiment of American pride.”
“You seemed pretty interested two hours ago.” His jaw flexed. What a bully.
“Ha,” the would be kidnapper responded flatly. “I didn’t realize you were so fucking sassy. Would have been a good fact for my seventh grade report.” The dark haired man scratched a scab on his hand. “Things change.”
As if Steve needed the reminder. He moved his shield to his back and leaned against one of the untouched support pillars.
The stranger fiddled with his earpiece and flicked the butt of his cigarette. It landed in one of the few unharmed large potted plants.
“Got somewhere better to be?” Steve couldn’t help but ask. Let him try to run.
“Sorry, Sunshine,” the guest answered with a mean grin. “You’re stuck with me.”
Goody.
"How long you been awake?" The man asked abruptly. He stared out into the street and lit another cigarette. The familiar smell reminded Steve of the market on Saturdays and packed dance halls.
"Long enough." He responded shortly.
"Must be weird. All your friends with one foot in the grave or long dead. Fashion. Politics. Food. War. Everything's different."
Steve glanced down at his steel toed boots before looking at the sleek futuristic room they stood in. Even trashed, it looked like something out of a sci-fi movie.
"And you, of course." The man continued with a knowing look. "No way you could come through something so jacked up unscathed."
Captain America thought of his nearly empty apartment in the tower and the meticulously detailed book of lists he carried everywhere. He crossed his arms and said nothing.
"I can't imagine decades just gone." The stranger gave a rueful laugh. "And I thought I was fucked."
Steve opened his mouth to respond, not sure just what would come out, when a pop song blared. He jumped at the upbeat notes and cheerful female voice. Natasha and Sam kept introducing him to all sorts of music, but the melody was unfamiliar. The guy growled something obscene under his breath and pulled his phone to his ear.
Huh.
“What?” He hissed into the speaker and froze. His face tensed and went from cocky and irritated to cold. “Why are you calling me?”
The man listened for only a moment before hanging up. The phone rang again. He sent it voicemail. It rang again.
“Don’t call me. Call Nightwing.” The growled out words were dangerously quiet and Steve felt his breath slow and attention focus. His fingers itched with the urge to arm himself. “I’m not dealing with your bullshit.”
The person on the other end said something and the masked man listened with barely restrained emotion. Steve eavesdropped with fascination. He could audibly hear the man’s teeth grind as he clenched his jaw.
“I’m not – ” He stopped. Took a deep breath. “You can’t –”
He kicked at another piece of rubbish and watched it hit the far wall with a resounding thump.
“Would you just listen? I already know that, Red Robin told me! If you had been on top of your shit this wouldn’t even be a thing. And how you even let him –”
Steve noted the new name and the sudden protective edge to his voice.
“Hey," Tony’s voice sounded in his ear.
“Yeah?” He responded quietly without taking his eyes off their guest. The man made a rude hand gesture as if the person he spoke with stood in front of him.
“How we doing down there?” Tony asked. He popped a piece of gum.
“Fine?"
“Fine? That’s all? What about the Mad Max style villain we’ve got? He’s more emotionally stunted than you. Think he has any weird piercings? I swear, Natasha is going to – ”
“He’s on the phone.”
Tony made a humming noise and the connection went quiet for a moment.
“Jarvis!”
Steve winced at the sudden shout.
“Looking into it, sir.” Jarvis’ steady modulated words answered.
“I got another name to add to the list," Steve added. “Red Robin. Jarvis?”
“Of course, Captain Rogers.”
“Thank you, Jarvis.”
“We were able to find some info you’ll want to see,” Tony continued. “Bruce is babysitting Nightwing and the kid is getting his hand looked at. Jarvis found all sorts of good stuff.”
The sound of glass clinking came through the phone.
“Are you drinking?”
“Just some Irish coffee. Minus the coffee. Started a bit early; I deserved it. Awful shit. Clint’s having one too.”
“And chewing gum?” The idea horrified Steve.
“Yeah? I mean, I’m good at multitasking.” Tony popped his gum again and Captain America winced.
“Tony, do you – ”
“Don’t you dare,” the man hissed into his phone. “Unless you want to fuck everything up even more. Fuck you and fuck this mess.” He dropped his phone and crushed it under his heel. A moment later his cigarette joined it.
Steve froze, mouth half open and thoughts abruptly halted.
Their guest smiled down at the destroyed object before meeting Steve's eyes. “What?”
“Uh –”
“It’s Red Hood.” He introduced himself without prompting and tucked his hands into his pockets. “And I’m over this. My earpiece is offline again and my phone is shockingly, not working. I need to speak to Nightwing. Can you escort me or whatever?”
“Uh.”
“Cross my heart I won’t murder anyone.” Red Hood glanced over the damage. “Really, this has nothing to do with you or your friends. Just fuck off and leave it alone. We have work to do.”
“Nothing to do with us?” The ruined room around them said differently.
“Nope.” He moved forward at a leisurely pace and Steve eyed the coiled muscles and forced nonchalance. “Really, just shitty luck on Red Robin’s part. And New York’s.”
“Cap?” Tony’s voice questioned. Steve ignored it momentarily.
“Red Robin?”
The man’s smile slipped and he looked unexpectedly much older. His words came out cold. “You know, the teenage soldier you seem hell bent on treating like an invalid? He’s been taking down baddies since before your little club was even an idea.”
“Soldier?” Steve repeated, dumbly.
“Wait, what?” Tony asked. “What is he saying?”
Red Hood cracked his neck. “So, you gonna let me chitchat with my friends? I'm outta cigarettes and we really should get this figured out before anyone else decides to show up.”