THE OLD DAYS PART ONE
PRESEND,TWO DAYS LATER IN STEVE ROGER'S APPARTMENT,DC
“So,let me get this straight”,Steve spoke,his arms crossed as he paced over,myself sitting on his couch. “You have been tailing a woman,a blind woman,no criminal record whatsoever,for two months just because you suspect your friend was visiting her?”,he was looking at me from up high.
“And you”,he turned to Barton whom was sitting on the old,purple armchair, “have been helping her?”,his brows were lifted,bafflement filling up his voice.
“It's not exactly like that Cap”,Barton tried to explain,his hands moving in front of him.
“What is it like then?”
“Steve”,i spoke directly to him for the first time in a long,long time. He turned to look at me,although my gaze was lowered down.
“She's not as she appears. You of all people should be able to get that...”,i started. “Some people see with more than just their eyes”,he relaxed his body for a bit,and then sat on the armchair across from me.
“There's something about her. Although blind,she knew I had fires forming on my hands. She knew things no one from here ought to know”,i lifted my gaze to see him,straight in the eyes for the first time in two months.
“Trust me Steve. Please just..trustme”,he took in a huff of air and then leaned in towards me,his hands tied together as he spoke.
“Then cut the crap”,he said in a firm voice and I twitched. “You want me to trust you? You already got my trust Pearse”,my lips parted,as I didn't expect to hear these words. “But you want me to put my ass on the line,in front of Fury and SHIELD for..just a hunch? Save it. Be clear. Tell me everything that happened,explain it to me. If you want me to help you then you should trust me first” ,he didn't even breath as he said that. I could only put on a half smile as I fell back on the couch.
“You are relentless Rogers. As always”,i chuckled,some amusement mixed up with bitterness. “You want the juice? Fine”,i huffed. “I will tell you what happened. I will tell you all the things I told Fury,and the thing I didn't “,he flinched as I said that. “Things...i didn't even tell Barton”,Barton lifted his head,surprised by that statement of mine.
“What?”,he asked baffled.
“Sorry Clint”,i turned to him, “But..after I explain,i'm sure you too will understand why I decided upon keeping some things to myself “,i inhaled a huff of air.
“What ima say here..it's my story. Fury knows most and you don't. But even Fury doesn't know everything. Just bear with me” ,Barton fell back on the armchair and Steve nodded.
And so,i began my story.
FORTY FOUR DAYS AGO,INSIDE THE HELICARRIER
“She's for real Fury. She's dangerous”,i huffed,still trying to calm myself down upon remembering what had happened the day before. “I don't even know how I got out of there,i was enraged,and yet I left. As if I wanted to”
“Pers,you sure this all..happened like that?”,Natasha asked me,her voice faint.
“Yes,fuck Tasha,yes i'm not making this up!”,i almost yelled at her.
“She ain't wrong you know..”,we all turned to look at Barton whose gaze was fixed on his hand on the table's surface. “She went inside like a walking tornado,ready to kick anyone's ass in there. Stayed for five minutes,then came back looking like a junkie,asked me to take her home to sleep”
“See? Doesn't even sound like me”,i protested.
Fury and Natasha both shared a look. He breathed in and wiped his face with his palm.
He then turned around,his fingers scrolling and pressing buttons on a big screen in front of him.
“Agent Hill?”,he spoke to himself,probably through an intercom. “I sent you an address. Kindly send me every piece of info we hold on this residence's owner”
My eyes were filled with hope.
After a while Fury turned back,a holographic picture like a big screen appeared in the middle of the table.
There were words,many paragraphs in a deep blue colour,and then Reina's picture; she appeared much younger than when I saw her,but her smile was the same.
“Reina Yamamoto,thirty six years old “,Fury read her file for us,his voice loud. “She was born blind”,he lifted his eyebrows,his gaze falling upon me as he said that. “And she came in the States in 1982 from Kyoto,Japan and her parents were the ones to purchase the property. They both died in a big fire which almost ruined the house in 1993,and Yamamoto was the only survivor”
“Bet she was the one behind it”,i murmured but Fury payed me no attention.
“She rebuild it the same year and has been living there ever since. She lives off a handicapped pension, not married,no children” ,he finished and looked at me with pursed lips.
“So,how does this work Pearse? How is a blind,poor woman responsible for brainwashing you and your friend,your homeless friend's disappearance?”,he was suspicious,he didn't believe me.
“How is a five foot tall man responsible for brainwashing two of the smartest people you know,and an alien raid in Manhattan?”,i asked,daring him to question me any further. Fury sighed.
“Fine. You and Barton can take this on. Surveil her,keep a tab on her moves. If things come down to it,we will act. But not before you take your orders Agent Pearse”,he said that slowly,as if to make himself even clearer.
“Agent Romanoff”,he turned to Natasha, “How's the situation?”
“Um..”,she shook her head, “Dr Banner is to come back tomorrow morning. Thor is already gone,and Captain”,i flinched at that,but remained silent. “he is currently in Germany,following on the lead he spoke of in his last report. We should get a new report later today. He is always consisted”
“Good”,he exclaimed. “You too should go back. As for you too “,he called on me and Barton, “i expect the first report by the end of the week”
“Yes sir”,i nodded and he left.
THIRTY EIGHT DAYS AGO,SHIELD HQ,DC
It's been six days since we've been pointed to surveil the Sparrow,yet nothing has come up.
Fury asked me and Barton to come to the HQ,in order to discuss our report file,but I know there's nothing to discuss,not really. Most probably,he will ask us to drop it.
The Sparrow lives alone,the woman we saw on that day is called Miyuki,a niece of hers whom helps her out with the chores of the house,sometimes they go on strolls in the park too.
But..i can swear she's seen me. Our eyes have locked at least twice,me being at a roof's top,one block away,her down there,holding Miyuki's arm as she walks.
It's like she can sense me being there.
“I gotta tell you Pearse”,Fury said,the report file on his hands, “this doesn't look too good”
Ah,fuck.
“But”,he then continued and I lifted my gaze,some hints of hope in my eyes, “i'm willing to give you more time. I trust your gut,so don't let me down. Bring me something I can work with”,his voice was serious,and I gulped,feeling somewhat nervous.
“How long has it been since you last had a good night's sleep Pearse?”,Barton asked me as soon as we left the building's premises.
“I...i don't know,really”,i admitted and we got inside the car.
“Don't go hard on yourself. Sleep,eat,rest. We need you on your top game if we're gonna catch that bitch”,he said with a smile and we took off.
He was right.
But that didn't do me any good.
THIRTY DAYS AGO,SHIELD'S APOINTED APPARTMENT TO AGENT PEARSE,DC
I can't sleep.
Every time I close my eyes I can feel her inside my head,inside my mind. I'm afraid I might be going crazy here...
“I'm actually going bonkers in this place!”
Jean always said that during the night,after a few sips of wine. I couldn't help but smile as her voice echoed inside my mind. I had to find her.
I had to-
PRESENT
“Ah,sorry. I'll go get that”,Steve said in a faint voice and stood up.
The doorbell had cut my relation.
I heard some muffled voices coming from the hallway,but I was also growing tired.
I could only sleep once every three,four days perhaps. My eyes felt hollow. My body too.
“So,i heard avatar here threw a tantrum in Manhattan?” ,i quickly turned my head to see Tony,Natasha standing right behind him.
“You...Fuck,Playboy...been a while” ,i said in a low voice as I slowly stood up.
Tony was in his nicest suit,and Natasha tilted her head as I hugged him tightly. I hadn't seen him ever since his party in New York,two months ago.
“Nice to see you too kid”,he said softly as he returned the hug,his grip tight on me.
“I thought i'd follow Fury's advice”,Natasha said with a smile,her voice soft as I turned to her. “And so,this time we do it the right way”
“Together”,Steve said as to explain her words better and I couldn't help but smile.
I sat down,falling behind as I felt my eyes getting watery.
“Damn guys..since when are you all so soft..making me cry and all”,i huffed and Natasha sat next to me,rubbing my hand slowly with a smile on her face.
“I really thought I might be going crazy you know...”
“Nonsense”,Tony said in a carefree tone as he sat on a chair next to Barton. “You're already a weird fire-throwing walking canon with anger management issues. To be crazy on top of that would be too much,kid”
“Charming as per usual I see”,i snorted.
“Oh,by the way Cap,you wouldn't happen to have an espresso machine,would you?”,he then asked rubbing his hands and Steve didn't even have to answer. “Alright,take out it is then. Coffee anyone?”, he asked eyeing all of us.
“Yes..double shot,black”,i said and he seemed surprised. “I have been here for over two months Playboy..i know what an espresso is”,i smiled and he nodded with pursed lips. “Also,i'm assuming you're buying”
“Always in the mood to rip me off. I'm glas to see some things never change. Aight,Cap?”,he pointed towards Steve.
“Ah,no i'm fine”
“Yeah me too”,Natasha said.
“Actually..given how i've been continuously stalking a middle aged woman for two months and losing my sleep and all..i wouldn't say no to coffee. Black,with milk”,Barton said and Tony nodded; he then went on and pressed some buttons on his phone and lifted his head again.
“Okay,so...what'd we miss kid?”,he then asked and I sighed.
I should start over.