A Limit In Spite
Peggy’s face reddened, she liked to believe she was a very perceptive woman. Apparently not.
She recognized more than half of the women in the room, because they happened to live in the Griffith as well.
At the bar she spotted Thompson and two other agents looking very uncomfortable. Thompson was talking to one of the bartenders, while furiously flashing his badge around. He flashed it very publicly and was making sure his voice could be carried throughout the bar. Thompson wanted everyone in the bar to make sure to know that he wasn’t in the bar for pleasure and strictly business.
The male ego was so fragile.
Peggy ducked behind a waiter to avoid being seen. Hiding from half her apartment complex and three SSR agents was going to be a challenge.
She spotted a door in the back corner, a plaque on the door read - STAIRS -. She kept her head low and flirted with a few women along the way. She felt bad using them, but she had to admit it was kind of fun. It was definitely a change of pace. She had flirted (and kissed) her share of guys on business, but it was never ‘fun’.
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Eventually she made it towards the door, she turned the handle and hoped it wasn’t locked. The door slid open and she went inside. There was a single bare light bulb poorly illuminating the narrow hallway. The stairs went up to a single door. The plaque on this door was hanging by one nail and read -ATTIC-.
She knocked on the door and called out “Howard?”
“Passdord.” The slurred words came from none other than Howard Stark
She kicked the door open without a second thought.
The attic was dark, but there was a window that led out to a firescape on the opposite wall. It let in some moonlight. She saw wooden crates of various types of alcohol throughout the room. Peggy shut the door behind her and dragged a crate in front of it, because she had broken the lock on the door.
A half conscious Howard Stark spat out the words “Yer, didn’t slay the pass” -hic- “werd”
“We don’t have a password you drunken ninnie.”
Jarvis looked distressed, “We had to make sure i-it was you.”
“I swear, I don’t see how you have survived this long without me.”
Howard tried to sit up from the stool he was sitting in but proceeded to knock himself and the stool over.
Jarvis looked up helplessly from Howard to Peggy then back to Howard
“So, what’s the plan?” Jarvis said while heading over to help him up.
“Plan?! You expect me to come in and save you both from the mess you’ve managed to make! You think I just know exactly how to save the day and make everything ok! I am not your maid, I am not here to clean up after you!” Peggy was fuming.
Howard was about to make a comment before Jarvis shushed him
“We’re very sorry b-”
“Sorry! You're sorry? Sorry doesn’t cut it Jarvis. Sor-”
“If you’ll just listen, please.” He said the last word quietly.
Jarvis looked like a kicked puppy, Peggy felt bad for chewing him out for Howard’s incompetence.
“Alright I’m all ears, but keep it short we don’t have much time.” Peggy took a seat on one of the crates of beer.
Jarvis spoke quickly and managed to sum up the nights events in less than a minute. Long story short Howard had gotten into a fistfight with one of the men at the bar. The dispute was over how the other man was treating one of the women. (Howard Stark may be a womanizer, but from time to time he developed a conscious. It usually showed up at the worst times.) The bartender had then called the police because he managed to pick a fight with the head of a gang member. It was all downhill from there, not that it was a good situation to begin with.
“How could you Howard. First you go and get drunk in public and then you decide to go and pick a fight with a gang leader?”
Howard was to out of it to respond.
“I’ll admit public drinking probably wasn’t our best idea, but how many fights have you picked to save a pretty dame?” Jarvis stated matter-of-factly
Peggy was speechless.
“Don’t pretend like you don’t bully men into treating women correctly. There’s a certain waitress that I’m thinking of at the moment.”
“No, you don’t get to turn this on me. Making me seem like I’m the bad guy.”
“Not at all, actually I applaud you for your courage, all I ask is go easy on him, he’s really trying to be better.”
Trying. That’s all he was doing, and he wasn’t succeeding, but Peggy wasn’t a complete arse.
“Fine, let’s just get him out of here.”
Jarvis had a slight smile on his face. Seldom did he win an argument, especially with Peggy.
“Now wipe that smile of your face and help me.”
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They were in the process of getting Howard onto the fire escape when they heard muffled voices at the other side of the door. “He’s gotta be in here.” Thompsons voice was unmistakable.
“Damn it!” Peggy knew they wouldn’t have enough time to get Howard out of here.
“Go! I’ve got this!”Jarvis ran over to the door and began stacking up crates against the door.
Peggy hauled Howard out through the window. She pulled his unconscious body onto her shoulders. She went down the stairs taking them two at a time. By the time she made it to the ground floor there was an agent waiting for her. She tried her best to stay in the dark, her cover couldn’t be blown.
“Put your hands where I can see them!” The agent pointed his gun at her. She could see that he a was fairly new agent in the office. Good.
Peggy lowered Howard onto the ground slowly. With her hands up she started to walk towards the man.
“Now put your hands behind your back.” He was too proud of himself of this arrest to realize the mistake of lowering his guard and his gun. Peggy was lightning fast she reached out and grabbed his wrist and pulled the gun behind her and him towards her. The gun went off with a loud bang somewhere behind her. Peggy used her free hand to punch him in the face twice. That’s all it took to take the man out.
She went back to where she had laid Howard down and began to pick him back up when she heard Thompson call out for her to freeze. Peggy gritted her teeth before standing up. She didn’t want to turn around for fear of being discovered. She could hear him stepping closer. Slowly Peggy put her hands behind her back. As he was reaching for her wrists she grabbed his. She spun around and with a swift kick, brought him to his knees. She elbowed him in the back while he was doubled over. Thompson was sprawled in the alleyway and out like a light.
The third agent was caught off guard by her attack, he barely had enough time to pull his gun out before she struck him. Peggy was unable to put as much force into this punch as her others. He was only caught off balance, but he still raised his gun and fired two wild shots. The first shot ricocheted off the wall.
The second shot caught her in her left shoulder. Peggy dodged a punch and hit him twice in the jaw. He dropped like dead weight. The pain from the gunshot shot through her body. It was electrifying. She could see black spots dancing in her vision.
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