Protective Custody

Chapter 19: Ready and Willing

The Avengers’ Tower-
Phil-

After Phil and Max had spoken about Ash and Annie and Mister Roger’s Neighborhood, Max took his leave. “There’s work to be done,” he’d said. “Gotta talk to Robert about the court date and see about a therapist for Ash. It’s gonna be hard. He gets even the slightest hint of anything wrong and he won’t talk to them.”

“I can help with that,” Phil offered. “S.H.I.E.L.D. has a lot of resources and, given the work we do, we have an unfortunate number of people with various issues. As a result, we have several people who specialize in mental and emotional troubles. They all have different backgrounds and education, so I think there must be someone Ash will talk to.”

“Thanks. He said he’ll try, but it’s gonna be a battle. Anyway, he won’t talk to anyone until all the legal stuff is done, one way or the other.” At Phil’s questioning look, Max added, “He thinks it won’t look good if the court finds out the eye witness sees a shrink.”

“And it won’t help if anyone tries to argue with him, will it?”

“I doubt it. The kid’s as stubborn a mule.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “It doesn’t help that he’s usually stubborn because he’s usually right.”

Max left then and Phil was alone with little to do but his daily paperwork. It wasn’t hard, just sign a few things and approve this or that. When it was finished, he turned his attention to the matter of the simmering tension Ash was causing around the world. While it wasn’t nice, Phil had to admit to a certain satisfaction in the fact that a victim of such abuse was able to make his powerful abusers shake in their boots. So he read over the reports Fury had sent him from the agents posted around the world.

“Got Ash’s list of suspects from the police,” Fury had written on the top page of the pile of reports. “Assigned agents as needed to the people more at risk of causing trouble. They’ll send word immediately if they notice something brewing.”

There was a separate report about the attack at the Chang Dai. While Fury and Phil had agreed not to interfere with police matters, that particular incident had involved Clint and, as he was both an Avenger and an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., Fury felt no hesitation at all in having his people investigate. They had secured the area before police arrived and they had send a few discrete agents around the neighborhood to interview people who might have seen or heard anything relevant. Many had heard the shots and many had gone to see what had happened, every one of them expressing fear or anger about the attack on a young woman everyone described as a respectable pillar of the community, good-hearted and generous. It seemed she had a reputation for giving food away when hungry people came to her restaurant and had no way to pay. She didn’t even seem to mind feeding the local street gangs. Despite all that, it was still a mystery about who had killed the attackers and Fury really, really didn’t like mysteries.

When finished, Phil sat and thought. It all seemed good, or as good as such a situation could be. In fact, he’d been expecting more trouble. He sent a quick email to Fury asking if any of the members of the World Security Council had been making things difficult for him. Phil had expected something about them in Fury’s reports, but there had been nothing. Soon, he got a reply from Fury saying that there hadn’t been any trouble at all since Phil, Clint, and Natasha had lent their voices to his to convince the council remembers not to stand in the way of them guarding Ash. “I don’t know what Thema Shehata’s up to, but she’s been completely silent since The Avengers took Ash under their protection.” Fury had written. “Not sure what to think about that. She’s usually too stubborn to just give up. I thought she, at least, would keep making trouble.”

When all his work was done, Phil left his rooms and headed up for the common room where they’d left Ash and Eiji. They were just where Phil had left them, leaning against each other on the sofa. Eiji turned his head a little and smiled when he saw Phil, but said nothing and turned back around. Phil sat at the kitchen table with Steve and whispered, “J.A.R.V.I.S, how’s Ash doing?”

“He is sleeping.” J.A.R.V.I.S. sounded amused when he whispered back, as if he might laugh, but then a lot of things about humans seemed to amuse him. “I think we should keep Mister Okumura. Apparently, he is good for Ash’s health.”

“I think he’s right,” Steve said. He sat at the table with his sketch pad in front of him and a pencil in hand. He was drawing a face that Phil didn’t recognize. “The boys have been quiet and it’s peaceful up here. Nothing to report at all.” It was Steve’s turn to keep an eye on Ash and it seemed he might have an easy day of it. A piece of cake, as the old saying goes.

Things seemed calm all day, even after Ash woke up. Ash and Eiji spend the majority of their time together, often teasing and poking at each other when it seemed no one was paying attention. They didn’t talk about ‘big’ issues, but talked about friends and a favorite ice cream stand and the good fishing in Izumo. Phil watched it all and found that he agreed with J.A.R.V.I.S.’ assessment that Eiji was good for Ash. The tension in his shoulders had eased and his eyes were brighter when he talked to Eiji. They watched together as the drone searched the city and Ash told Eiji about the attack on the Chang Dai. Eiji told Ash about how his parents had fussed over him when he’d returned to Japan and his little sister wanted to know all about his wild American friends.

Lunch went well when everyone gathered together to eat. In fact, it was better than ‘well’, it was a roaring success because Ash had eaten. Not just nibbled or sipped some milk, but he had eaten a full meal - roast chicken and mashed potatoes - with a smile on his face. The fact that Eiji had sat next to Ash might have had something to do with it as neither Max, Jessica, or Ibe-san had seemed surprised to see Ash’s stronger appetite.

After lunch, when people had gone to occupy themselves, Steve said to Phil, “We should tell Ash,” Steve didn’t look up from his drawing when he said it. It looked nearly complete, a young man with a wicked smile and dancing eyes. Phil and Steve had stayed at the kitchen table after lunch had ended. “About... you know... what you and J.A.R.V.I.S. found.”

They both glanced briefly into the common room where Ash and Eiji were looking at a newspaper together, side-by-side on the sofa. It was oddly endearing. There was no physical signs that there was anything more to their relationship than friendship, but Phil had caught some lingering glances and, even as he watched them, he noticed Eiji gave Ash a little nudge on the shoulder as he laughed at something Ash said and, as he knew much of Ash’s history, he was surprised when Ash didn’t flinch away. In fact, Ash nudged Eiji back and they laughed, again.

“It might be a good time. J.A.R.V.I.S., will you ask Max to come back to the kitchen?”

“Certainly.”

And, moments later, Max walked in. “J.A.R.V.I.S. said you might want to see me. What’s going on?”

“I’d like to talk to you and Ash.” Phil said it loud enough that Ash turned to look at him. They all sat together at the kitchen table. Phil put his work away and Steve set his art aside. Phil folded his hands on the table in front of him and looked directly at Ash. There was no delicate or tactful way to say it. “We found your brother.”

Ash went still. He didn’t break eye-contact with Phil. His face was so eerily empty of all expression that Phil worried for him. Eiji silently put a hand on Ash’s arm. Ash blinked. “Where?”

Phil told him. “I found out that his body was found at the entrance of a hospital’s emergency room. It took a while for them to find out who he was and try to contact family. I’m not sure what happened, but a friend helped Griffin and paid for a decent burial. Captain Jenkins.”

“He’s a good man.” Ash still didn’t show any emotion.

Steve spoke up. “We thought, if you agree, Griffin could be moved to a veteran’s cemetery. I can make the arrangements for you. Or, maybe you need to talk to other family members before making a decision?”

“We have a dad. He’s...” Ash faltered. “I don’t know.”

“You don’t have to decide now,” Max said. “There’s time to think. Maybe you can go visit him?”

Ash’s eyebrows drew together and he looked away from all of them, even Eiji. He opened his mouth, but his phone rang and he took the opportunity to leave the table to answer it.

“Yeah? Hey. Yeah, I’ll be right down.” He stuck his phone back in his pocket and, without looking back at the table, said, “I need to meet someone downstairs. Eiji, walk with me.” It wasn’t a request, but it didn’t sound like an order, either. All the same, Eiji stood up as quickly as he was able to and left with Ash.

Steve, of course, followed.

Alone with just Max, again, Phil gave an apologetic shrug. “I didn’t mean to upset him.”

“I don’t think you upset him. I think he’s just...well... upset. Phil, thanks.” Max had tears in his eyes and he smiled at Phil. “For finding Griff. It’s good - real good - to know he wasn’t forgotten.”

Steve-

Steve didn’t stay right with Ash and Eiji. He kept a few yards behind and quietly told J.A.R.V.I.S., “Let them take the elevator down first and I’ll follow. Give them a few minutes alone, but don’t let them leave the building without me, please. I’ll take the next elevator.” To push his company on them in such a time seemed downright cruel and Steve couldn’t do it. From what he’d heard, Ash hadn’t even had a chance to say ‘good-bye’ to his brother.

Flashback-

Bucky fell.

The wind lashed at Steve’s face as he watched helplessly from the train as it roared over the deep gorge Bucky had fallen into.

Bucky screamed and that scream dragged on for a long time, so very long.

Steve watched. Bucky fell. He kept falling and, for all his magnificent strength, his near miraculous power, Steve could not nothing but watch until Bucky was gone.

End Flashback-

Steve blinked at the open elevator doors in front of him.

“Are you alright, Steve?” J.A.R.V.I.S. asked. “You have been staring at the elevator.”

“Ah. Yes, I’m fine. Sorry about that.” And he did his level best to push his mind away from his lost brother as he stepped into the elevator.

In the lobby of The Avengers’ Tower, Steve immediately spotted Ash and Eiji standing near a wall, watching the main doors. He moved close enough to keep an eye on his charge while still being tactful. Ash knew he was there. He looked at Steve and nodded, an acknowledgement.

Steve sat in one of the many chairs in the lobby put there for people waiting for appointments and picked up a newspaper to make it look as if he were simply minding his own business. He was close enough to hear Eiji say,

“It’s so kind they found Griffin for you.”

“Yeah. I guess.”

“Oh! Don’t be like that. They want to be nice to you. I think more people should be nice to you.”

Ash didn’t blush that Steve saw, but he did look momentarily flustered until his bravado surged forth and he half-turned away from Eiji. “Don’t get all soppy. I shouldn’t have dragged you down here. You go back upstairs and maybe Michael will let you read his ‘Little Engine That Could’ book so you can practice your reading.”

“Don’t be a jerk,” Eiji said without malice. He didn’t make any move to leave Ash.

Before long someone walked into the lobby who grabbed a lot of attention. Even Steve raised an eyebrow. The man was young, but clearly older than Ash. He wore denim vest and blue jeans and walked with a distinct, confidant swagger. He was huge with big, muscular arms and a neck as thick a tree trunk. nearly as big as Thor, and Steve couldn’t say that about many people. “Ash!”

Ash looked up and gave a casual wave. “Cain.”

“I come all the way down here and all I get is a wave?” Cain was bigger than Ash by far, nearly double his size. He easily outweighed Ash by a hundred pounds or more, but there wasn’t an ounce of fat on him. He looked over at Eiji and gave a friendly nod before he said to Ash, “You said you wanted to see me, so what’s happening?”

“Stuff and things I’m not talking about in public. Look, we need a meeting, later. Stuff to talk about. Ya know? And I gotta give you this.” He pulled an envelope out of his back pocket and handed it to Cain. “It’s for your guys, everyone who fought against Golzine.”

Cain looked in the envelope and whistled. Then he wordlessly put the envelope in his pocket. “Say, I heard about Lao. How’s Sing takin’ it?”

Ash shrugged. “You know.”

“Yeah. I hear ya. It’s never easy. He’s good guy, though, and smart. He’ll be alright.”

Cain and Ash said their goodbyes, but before Ash and Eiji could get back to the elevator a new voice shouted out, “You! You stay right there!”

Everyone in the lobby turned to the newcomer and Ash narrowed his eyes.

The newcomer was younger and even smaller than Ash. He was Asian and had very long hair tied at the back of his neck. He walked towards Ash with fury in every footstep. The people in the lobby got out of his way, but everyone stared at the spectacle he made. “What do you think you’re doing?!” The boy hissed when he drew close enough to be heard without yelling. “I didn’t think you were so low, so vindictive you could do that!”

Steve discretely said, “J.A.R.V.I.S., maybe you can tell Phil we might need him down here?” Without waiting for an answer, Steve stepped between the two boys. “Alright, let’s just calm down...”

“I won’t stand for it, you animal!” The newcomer just moved around Steve, ignoring him entirely. “Sing is just a child!”

And that grabbed Ash’s attention. “What are you talking about? I didn’t do anything to Sing.”

“Oh, you didn’t? Then name one person who holds a grudge against him! Just one! You can’t!” He didn’t give Ash time to answer. “But you, oh, you must really hate the idea that Shorter Wong’s little pup is now trailing around at MY side. You think he betrayed Shorter by helping his killer!”

Ash snarled back, “What are you talking about?!”

Steve let out a loud whistle and everyone looked at him. “I think this isn’t a conversation for the public. Let’s go somewhere and talk.”

He led the three boys to one of the conference rooms. Tony used it for business, but Steve didn’t think Tony would mind them using it for a few minutes. The conference room was, like the rest of the tower, very modern looking, all glass and black metal. It didn’t seem to make any difference where they were; the new boy and Ash kept yelling at each other.

“This is Lee Yut-Lung,” Eiji told Steve when they arrived in the conference room. “He lives in Chinatown, like some of our other friends. He did some very bad things, but he’s important in Chinatown. He runs the big family.”

Ash and Yut-Lung looked like they might comes to blows and it was then, thankfully, that Phil walked in. He had experience and training in dealing with such volatile situations and took the yelling in stride. Unfortunately, Max followed Phil in and didn’t have the same restraint. He took one look at Yut-Lung and suddenly looked like he might explode.

“The Hell are you doing here?!”

“I’m here to tell that one,” Yut-Lung jabbed a finger at Ash. “To keep away from Sing! He was found in an alley beat half to death. He’s in the hospital now. ”

“I told you, I didn’t do anything to him! Why would I hurt Sing? He helped me fight Golzine. I almost died saving him from Foxx! Besides, I’m practically under arrest here. These people don’t let me out of their sights so I wouldn’t have been able to do something like that.”

Yut-Lung opened his mouth, then stopped. He seemed to think about it and finally crossed his arms. “Well, if it wasn’t you, then who did it? Everyone likes Sing. No one has any reason to hurt him.”

“Just like no one ever had any reason to want to hurt Jessica.” Max spoke with a low growl and put a heavy hand down on Ash’s shoulder. It made Ash look up at Max, but Max was watching Yut-Lung. There were tears in Max’s eyes along with anger. “Why did you do it? Why did you go after Jessica? For God’s sake, you could have got what you wanted just holding her hostage.”

“Who’s Jessica?”

“My wife!” Max thundered. “You think I don’t know what you ordered those men to do?!”

Yut-Lung crossed his arms over his chest. “What men? What are you talking about?”

“You ordered your men to rape my wife to get Ash and I out of the way so you could kidnap Shorter and Eiji. They forced my son to watch it. He still has nightmares!”

Steve looked at Max and then Yut-Lung, stunned. That... that couldn’t be right. Yut-Lung was just a child himself. Surely, he couldn’t have...

“Knock it off,” Ash told Max, though he didn’t look away from Yut-Lung. He was quiet for a moment, then said, “You didn’t do it, did you? You didn’t order those rats to rape Jessica.”

There was such a look of horror on Yut-Lung’s face that Phil honestly thought the boy might make himself sick. His hands twisted into fists and his lips curled away from his teeth in a savage grimace as he hissed, “I would never - NEVER! - order that done to a mother and her child! I am NOT my brothers!” He was shaking, he was so angry.

Max didn’t react at all to Yut-Lung’s denial, but asked Ash, “How do you know he’s not to blame?”

“Those men... they wouldn’t take orders from a kid.” Ash turned back to Yut-Lung with a thoughtful expression. “Eiji tells me just about everything. He told me your brothers had sent you to Golzine as a present. Eiji said you were all dressed up in jewels and silk and make-up and there’s only one reason a sixteen-year-old is going to be sent to Golzine looking like that.”

Yut-Lung scowled, but kept his chin up.

Ash continued, “Your own brothers treat you like that and I’m going to guess none of their people will take your orders. What did Wang-Lung tell you to do?”

“To get you back to New York.” Yut-Lung moved closer to Max and looked up at him. “I was to get Ash back to New York and I was planning to drug all of you just as I did Ibe-san, but I was told by Hua-Lung to use Shorter to kidnap Eiji to do it. Then you got that phone call from your wife and you took Ash away. I didn’t know what they did to your wife. Hua-Lung probably sent them.”

“Why? If you didn’t ask for help, why would your brother send his men to do THAT? Jessica never hurt anyone, she wasn’t involved in anything.” Max almost spit the words.

“He probably wanted to be able to tell Wang-Lung that he helped in the job to make himself look good. He also just liked hurting people.”

Every time Steve learned more about Ash’s life he was saddened and angered by what Ash had been made to live through. It wasn’t just Ash, though. His friends had suffered simply because they’d tried to help him and now, it seemed, even people who weren’t friends with Ash had also suffered and it looked like all that pain could be traced back to Dino Golzine. He felt such pity for Yut-Lung, to be treated like that by his own family... Steve couldn’t imagine treating family like that. He thought of his team and felt sick just imagining anyone treating them in such a way.

Steve glanced over at Phil and raised an eyebrow. Phil nodded and that told Steve clearly that Phil believed Yut-Lung’s explanation. Phil was an excellent judge of peoples honesty and Steve was confident in trusting Phil’s judgment. Ash had been watching Yut-Lung while he spoke to Max and when Yut-Lung stopped speaking, Ash announced, “Yeah. He’s telling the truth. He didn’t know what they did to Jessica. Go tell her what you know, pops. I’ll be back.”

“Where are we going?” Steve asked.

“To the hospital, of course. The kid’s hurt.”

And so Steve followed along as Ash, Eiji, and Yut-Lung went to the local hospital.

Steve drove everyone in one of Tony’s cars, a mini-van, and it was a silent, uncomfortable ride. When Steve finally parked in the hospital’s parking lot he barely stopped before all three of the boys were climbing out of the van. Ash couldn’t bring his weapons into the hospital and so he left them in the van when they all piled out, tucking both gun and knife out of sight under his seat. They stayed silent as they walked through the hospital’s hall and no one spoke until they arrived at a door with an Asian person standing outside.

“Has anything happened, Fan?” Yut-Lung asked.

“No. Everything’s been quiet.”

Yut-Lung nodded before he opened the door and everyone went in.

Sing was very young, just as Yut-Lung had said, and was in a truly pitiful state. Steve had seen people survive worse, but it still didn’t look good. Yut-Lung stood near the boy’s bed. There was a young woman Steve didn’t recognize, an Asian woman perhaps twenty-five-years-old or so. She could easily be judged to be attractive with short dark hair and a solemn expression on her face while she patted Sing’s hand. She thanked Yut-Lung for coming again and smiled at Ash when she lightly touched his arm.

“Are you sure you should be here?” The young woman asked. “Is it safe for you?”

“It’s fine. I got my babysitter.” Ash jerked a thumb at Steve. “Hey, this is Nadia Wong, a friend. Where’s his stuff, Nadia? His clothes?”

Nadia went to a small cabinet next to the bed and pulled out a handful of things. “Charlie took his clothes - for evidence. He said... maybe there would be a hair from the attacker or a fingernail or some blood... some kind of evidence. He left the things that were in Sing’s pockets.” She handed Ash a canvas wallet, a half-a-pack of bubble gum, a handful of coins, and a pocket knife.

Ash dug through the wallet, disregarding fifteen dollars and what appeared to be counterfeit identification, and frowned.

“Anything else? Did you find anything else with him?”

“That was everything that was in his pockets. Is something missing?”

“The money. I gave you that envelope? Well, I gave him one, too, and it’s not here.”

Yut-Lung added, “He always carries a cell phone. Always. It’s not here.”

Ash looked at Sing, then at window. He closed his eyes and went quite still. Steve didn’t miss that both Nadia Wong and Yut-Lung both stared at him, waiting. While Ash was thinking, Eiji sat next to Sing and lightly patted his hand. He spoke softly to Nadia and tried to comfort her. Yut-Lung promised guards would be placed in Sing’s room to make sure the attacker wouldn’t try to finish the job and kill Sing while he was in the hospital. Still, Ash was quiet. After several moments of thinking, Ash spat out a curse turned and walked out of the room.

Steve found him in the hall, standing with his back against a wall, glaring at his feet.

“Ash? Do you need to talk?”

“I get people wanting to hurt me, I’m used to it, but Sing’s a good kid. He doesn’t deserve to get hurt like that. I hope whoever did that to him didn’t... I hope they only beat him and didn’t do anything worse.” He finally looked up at Steve. “There’s worse stuff than getting a beating.”

Steve found it unspeakably sad that Ash was used to people wanting to hurt him and that Ash spoke about things ‘worse than a beating’ with such a voice of experience. “Do you really think it might have?”

Ash made a bitter sound that might have been a laugh. “There’s a lotta sickos out in the world. Finding a young kid like Sing all alone at night? Yeah, someone might have. He’s a good fighter, though, so I think there might have been more than one person.”

Steve went to stand next to Ash. “I wish I could understand what you went though because then I might know what to say.”

“Nothing like that ever happened to you?”

“No. Well... not when I was a kid. When I became,” Steve gestured to his ‘new and improved’ body. “Captain America, I started to get a lot of attention. The closest I can say I ever got to your situation was with enthusiastic women. I remember there was one woman in the army. I’d gone to talk with someone and I think she was their secretary or something. She took one look at me and just grabbed me. She yanked me into a dark corner and just started kissing me and she put her hands...” Steve broke off. His stomach churned. “Well, everyone had a good laugh about it when I told my friends.”

“A good laugh?” Ash was staring at him. “Your friends laughed?”

“They said I was lucky. She was real pretty. There was this girl I liked back then and she saw it. She was awful mad and didn’t want to listen when I tried to explain. I think she thought it was my fault.”

Ash closed his eyes and tipped his head back until it touched the wall. “Dude, you were assaulted.”

“What? No. It’s not like what happened to you.”

“Someone grabbed you when you didn’t want to be grabbed and kissed you when you didn’t want to be kissed. She put her hands all over you. That’s assault. And then your ‘friends’ laughed about it? Your girlfriend blamed you?”

“Look, it’s not like that. She was a woman and a heck of a lot smaller than me. My buddies said she must have thought I was really good-looking to do that.”

“What’s that matter? In Club Cod, there were loads of women customers. They were just as filthy as the men, just as perverted.”

Steve wished he hadn’t said anything. It wasn’t like Ash imagined. Women didn’t assault men. She hadn’t been a real threat to him, there was no way she could have physically hurt him, so... it was different. Ash had been a child when woman had hurt him, not a grown man who was supposed to be able to look after himself even if the situation had been embarrassing and made him feel small and dirty. And it wasn’t as if he could have fought her off, he was so strong by then that if he’d even just pushed her away, he might have really hurt her.

Ash continued, “She shouldn’t have touched you without permission. Jeeze, think about if it was the other way around. What if a man had grabbed a woman because he thought she was really good-looking and pulled her into a dark corner and started touching her? Would that be right?”

“Of course not!”

“Then it’s not alright for a girl to do it to a guy!” Ash said, sharply. “People who do that kinda stuff are garbage!”

Steve tried to hush Ash as they were in a hospital. “And it’s not as if it’s the only time that ever happened. Ever since I became Captain America it seems there are a lot of women out there who like to touch.” He’d lost track of the number of times when some woman had grabbed his backside or stolen a kiss when he made an appearance as Captain America. Waking up in a different time hadn’t changed that, though, when he thought about it, his friends did get irritable if they saw it happen. Natasha had once threatened to break a woman’s hand if she couldn’t keep it to herself.

Ash moved away from the wall, taking a few steps away from Steve. “Everyone keeps telling me I need to talk to a therapist. Well, you might want to think about that, too, ‘cause what those women did to you was wrong and you don’t have to just stand there and take it because you’re a man and you’re stronger than they are. It’s not right. No one should be treated like that.”

Elsewhere-
Blanca-

Blanca had rented a tiny, one-room apartment as a hide-out in a building that should have been condemned. He sat on the floor near an open window and watched the street with a handgun in one hand while he spoke with Yut-Lung on the phone. The entire rest of the building was empty, not a single other resident. There were electric cords hanging from the ceiling and an exposed gas line where there should have been a stove. The wallpaper was faded and peeling and the faint smell of mildew filled the air. When Blanca hung up the phone after speaking with Yut-Lung, he considered for a time. Someone who looked like him had been killed. It was probably a big coincidence. Probably. If there was someone trying to kill him, it would have been a surprise. He didn’t make a habit of leaving enemies alive, after all. He put his phone away and closed his eyes as he thought.

Hunting Gregory was turning out to be a bigger chore than Blanca had anticipated. Not that he was planning to give up - that just wouldn’t do - but he hadn’t expected Gregory to be such a challenge. It seemed there were distractions everywhere. Someone had shot at Ash, Yut-Lung was upset because Sing got drunk, and Sing was upset because it seemed the Banana Fish wasn’t quite as destroyed as they’d thought. Not to mention that Gregory was clearly smarter than Blanca had given him credit for, because he kept hiding in places where he was surrounded by people and if Blanca wanted to keep things quiet, he needed to keep the murder quiet.

He would have to think of a new strategy.

It was pure coincidence that Blanca turned his head to look out the open window of his hide-out and he saw Clint Barton. Hawkeye, The Avenger. He had an excellent reputation and, after Blanca’s current job was complete, he wouldn’t mind a little friendly marksmanship competition with Mister Barton. His eyes drifted from Mister Barton to the young lady walking with him and he felt as if his breath had been stolen from him.

Her.

It was HER!

His heart skipped a beat. Red. Her hair was red, not the blonde he remembered, but everything else was just as he remembered - her fair skin, her easy stride, the delicate lines of her face, and her eyes... oh, her eyes were the same as ever. She was alive. Alive and strong, as if the past many years hadn’t happened. She was so close. He could have called out to her. He kept watching until she and Mister Barton walked around a corner and were gone.

Natasha. His wife... his love. The one great love of his life. She was alive.

A strange numbness spread across Blanca’s body. He didn’t understand. She had been dead. He’d left sunflowers at her grave along with his heart. He stared down at her and all the pain - the crushing pain! - came flooding back as if it had never left him. He felt as hurt as he had the day he’d learned that she’d died, the pain was as raw as any open wound.

And then there was a gun barrel pressed against the side of his head. Blanca was more embarrassed than anything. To be caught distracted... how unprofessional. He looked up and didn’t recognize any of the men surrounding him. There were five of them. Four standing a distance away, and one holding the gun against his head. He noted that as he didn’t recognize them, they were either very new to the profession of assassination or they weren’t professionals at all. All the more embarrassing if he’d been caught by amateurs.

“Put it down.”

Blanca slowly lowered his handgun to the floor.

“So, this is the legendary Blanca?” The man holding the gun to Blanca’s head laughed when he said it. “I was half-expecting some kind of monster, but here you are - just another paid killer. And, honestly, you weren’t all that hard to find. Isn’t an assassin supposed to be able to blend in? All we had to do was ask around for a good-looking man well over seven-feet-tall and built like a brick wall. You’d be surprised to know how many people remember seeing you walk down the street. Who are you looking for?”

“Can the talk!” One of the other gunmen said, sharply. “We don’t need to waste time. Has he got it?”

The man closest to Blanca tapped the side of Blanca’s head with the gun. “Don’t be stupid. Just sit there and be quiet.” He reached down the collar of Blanca’s shirt.

Blanca wasn’t afraid of the men. It had been a very long time since he’d been afraid of other people pointing guns at him as that sort of unhelpful emotion had been largely trained out of him during his youth. He was cautious. He didn’t have time to die at the moment, so he would have to avoid getting shot. If the man’s intent was to molest Blanca... well, that would be unusual. It hadn’t happened in years, in fact, but he could deal with it as well as he always had.

But molestation wasn’t the plan.

The very moment his attacker put his fingers on the chain around Blanca’s neck, Blanca felt his whole body go stiff. “You can’t have that.”

“Shut up.” He pulled the chain up and the two rings on the chain - Blanca and his wife’s wedding rings - came into view. He said to his companions, “He’s got them. This is him.”

“Then shoot him, already. All we need is the rings.”

The anger that surged through Blanca was dark and cold. He stared at the rings dangling in front of his face and thought of her smile, her laugh, her eyes. He thought of Ash and how he needed to have a life of something other than pain and fear. He thought of Yut-Lung, so angry and lost. He thought of Sing, who wanted to be strong, but was so very young. “I will not die.”

“You don’t have a choice.” Again, the man mockingly tapped his gun against Blanca’s head. “Sorry, but that’s the mission.”

Blanca tore his eyes away from the rings and looked directly into the gunman’s eyes. He smiled. “I am ready and willing to die for my mission. Are you?”

“What?”

Blanca gave a hard, sharp jab to the man’s wrist, causing the man’s gun to fly out of his hand right across the room. Blanca rose up to one knee and struck a blow on the man’s chest. He wasn’t even remotely surprised when the man fell at once. He was dead. Blanca didn’t need to check. The shooting started, then. He took one bullet in the leg, but was fast enough to dodge the others as he got to his feet and snatched up his gun. He spun around but didn’t aim for any of the men, as he knew that even when he killed one the others would kill him before he could get to them. Instead, he threw himself out the open window and turned in midair just in time to shoot at and hit his target - the gas line- perfectly.

The explosion was magnificent.

To be continued...