rusted [pжавый]

Hennessy watched the blond man throwing punch after punch at one of the many punching bags in a room dedicated to hand-to-hand combat training.

She wasn’t used to coming to Brooklyn and was still letting the energy of the place fill her—chaotic, yet full of life.

The man in front of her fit both of those descriptions, and Hennessy observed his demeanor and the storm inside his mind, which seemed to be expressed in the precise blows he delivered.

Henny hadn’t yet had the opportunity to see Captain America in person and was excited when Director Fury assigned her to summon him. However, she was nervous. She admired Captain Rogers and all the work he had done. Besides, he had known her grandfather, and she herself, despite being born before he passed away, had no memories of Howard.

— Captain Rogers? — the young woman called, finally mustering the courage to approach, putting on her best smile. Steve stopped his punches, held the bag in place, and turned a curious gaze toward the voice. His expression softened for a moment when he saw Hennessy.

— Miss Stark? — he raised an eyebrow.

— So they told you about me. — Henny extended her hand for him to shake. — It’s an honor to meet you, Captain. — Steve accepted the handshake. — I hope the accommodations we provided are to your liking.

— The quarters are excellent, but I haven’t spent much time there.

— Trouble sleeping? — She gave him a knowing smile.

— I slept for 70 years, Miss... — A sad smile threatened to appear on his face. — I think I’ve filled my quota.

— Please, call me Hennessy. — She shook her head at his formality. — Have you been enjoying the outside world? Exploring it?

Steve sighed at her question and, this time, offered a bigger smile. Not because of the topic itself, but because he could tell how genuine she was in her curiosity and concern for him.

— While I was asleep, the world was at war, Miss... Hennessy. — He corrected himself at her disapproving look. — When I woke up, they told me what we won, but not what we lost.

— We made a lot of mistakes, Captain Rogers, some very recently. — She hesitated. — I’m sorry for everything you had to go through. I assume you’ve heard about my research at S.H.I.E.L.D.?

— Somewhat. — Steve looked at her, intrigued. — The technical details were incomprehensible, but the application interested me greatly.

That made Hennessy’s eyes light up.

— I’d love it if you could visit the facility so we could discuss the implications of my theory, Captain. — She widened her eyes, realizing something. — Not that I want to use you as a lab experiment, that’s not it...

— It’s okay. — Steve smiled reassuringly at her. — It would be my pleasure. And please, call me Steve.

— When we’re not on a mission, I’ll try, Captain. — She straightened her posture, her expression shifting into that of an agent.

— Are you here on a mission? — He gestured toward the folder she held tightly to her chest. — Here to bring me back into the world, Agent? — Steve now spoke as Captain America, mirroring her serious expression.

— With your help, Captain Rogers, we intend to save the world. — Henny handed him the documents.

— Hydra’s secret weapon. — Steve wasn’t asking.

— My grandfather reported finding this in the ocean while searching for you. — Seeing Steve’s lack of reaction, she continued. — He believed, as S.H.I.E.L.D., my father, and many others do, that the Tesseract could be the key to unlimited sustainable energy.

— Who stole it? — The Captain handed the folder back to her.

— His name is Loki. — Hennessy wrinkled her nose. — He’s... not from here.

— And Fury sent you to convince me?

— He thought a familiar name and face might persuade you. — She offered him a small smile.

— Does that usually work? — Steve raised an eyebrow at her.

— With my father? Always — She shrugged. — But I told the Director it wouldn’t be necessary with you.

— May I ask why? — His blue eyes stayed fixed on her, and the intensity made Hennessy blush.

— I told him the cause was all you needed. — Hennessy Stark answered, and the sincerity in her eyes stirred something in Steve. She seemed to understand him and genuinely sympathize with him.

— I hope Director Fury gives you the credit you deserve, Agent Stark. — Steve stood up, gathered his things, and threw one of the punching bags over his shoulder. Henny barely managed to keep her jaw from dropping. Reading about Captain America was one thing; seeing his displays of strength in real life was another. The blond nodded toward the exit, and they walked toward it.

— There’s a lot you need to know before joining us, Captain. — Silence wasn’t Hennessy’s strong suit. — The world today is much stranger than the one you knew.

— At this point, I doubt anything could surprise me. — Steve kept his eyes forward, but the girl caught a small smirk on his face, which she took as the perfect opportunity.

— I bet ten bucks you’re wrong. — She couldn’t help herself. At that moment, Steve looked at her and saw Howard Stark himself—her sarcastic remark, the relaxed posture, the amused expression. The memory made him smile. He had a feeling he and Hennessy could become friends, and he liked the thought.

Maybe the same could happen with her father.

— You’re on. — He chuckled. When they reached the exit, Steve turned to her before opening the door. — I’ll see you at the base? — He extended his hand to grab a keychain with just two small keys.

— Not much, but I’ll be around. There’s a package with information for you at your apartment. — She bit her lip, glancing between the door and the blond man in front of her. — Is there anything else we need to know about the Tesseract right now?

— Honestly, Agent Stark? — Rogers sighed. It wasn’t the girl’s fault, but she needed to be aware. — Your grandfather should have left it in the ocean.

***

Hennessy Stark was leaving the SHIELD base's main control room after watching the reflection panels activate, having Fury's approval to head to the lab.

The director had asked her to subtly keep Tony in check. Someone else might have been annoyed by this supposed babysitting role for her fully grown father, but she actually found it amusing. If making sure Tony Stark did his job and didn’t get into a fistfight with someone in there would benefit the mission, she’d gladly do it. She wasn’t the best fighter there, nor the smartest. But she could read and work with people's emotions like no one else.

As she was about to climb the stairs to get to work, Steve walked toward her and, without a word, handed her a ten-dollar bill.

Hennessy smiled at the captain’s gesture. She’d tell her father about this later.