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Because it's Thursday, I'm working from home, and I'm bored.
The Odd Couple
Steve stays where he is until their foosteps have faded into the distant murmur of the facility. And Maria waits for whatever judgement is about to be passed.
"I'm sorry about the other night."
Her breath catches.
It takes two hands to steady the gun she's pointing at him – don't make me do this – but fear and grief have no place here: only resolve.
"This isn't what you were made to be."
"No," he agrees as he hefts the shield, prepared to block her shots before striking her down. "This is what I am."
Maria shakes off the lingering echoes of her nightmare – protection turned to dominion – and forces her voice to calm. "You already apologised."
"Yes. But...I didn't know why it mattered."
"Now you do."
Steve nods, and Maria expects him to leave. But he studies her face for a long moment in which she's brutally conscious of her skin stretched tight and tense across muscle and bone, of her heart slamming against her ribs in a drumming thunder.
"If I do it again – if I cross your lines – will you tell me?"
She exhales the shiver that threatens to wrack her. "Yes," she says, holding herself very still. "I'll tell you."
"Thank you." He seems to want to say something else, but just shakes his head and walks away.
And Maria stares blindly down at the mission briefing until she's sure he's gone. Then she opens her hands to regard the little white crescents her nails have dug into her palms.
--
Sokovia, Suburbia, and the Senate
Steve woke abruptly to the sound of someone moving around upstairs. A glance at his phone told him it was six-thirty am – an unheard of time for him to sleep in.
You're going to have to get used to doing a lot less than you're used to, Fine had said as he looked over the results of Steve's tests. Push yourself too hard during this stage and you'll be out for more than the six months I'm advising. Yes, you're a supersoldier, and that serum gives you phenomenal cosmic healing powers, but that explosion you stopped shot a lot of radiation into you and your body is maxed out dealing with that.
So am I safe to be around people?
Questionable, Fine said as he pushed his glasses up his nose, but that has nothing to do with whether or not you're still radioactive.
--
The Right Hand Knows Not (take 2)
"You know, this is like growing up and discovering that being an adult means stuff like responsibilities and not just a later bedtime." Skye made a pointing gesture towards the front of the plane. "And I'm going to go do some research now and leave you two to do emotionless faces at each other. Have fun."
"Emotionless faces?" Maria felt a vague sense of offence. "You know she reminds me of someone."
Rather than rising to the bait, Melinda gave her a hard stare. "And I know someone threatened you to get checked out."
"Your imagination is getting better with age."
"While your ability to lie is getting worse with age."
Maria's cellphone buzzed in her hip pocket, signalling a call, drawing both their gazes.
"And saved by the bell," said Melinda, rising. "I'll make us something to eat." She paused and looked down at Maria. "It was Rogers, wasn't it?"
Thankfully, she didn't wait for confirmation, just headed for the kitchenette, leaving Maria staring at the screen and reflecting that she'd known about the disadvantages of coming here for her medical check-up and she'd chosen it anyway.
Then she answered the phone.
"This is Hill."
"How was Vilnius?" Natasha asked.
"Cold. Icy. The facility wasn't what we were told it was."
"So I hear. You want me to find contacts?"
"And ask around about new programs. Research has thrown up several new waves of biogenetic modification; there's got to be some older ones mixed in there, just for good measure."
"They do like their supersoldiers," Natasha remarked. "Of course, there's a lot of a supersoldier to like."
"Personal experience?" Maria asked, a little more cattily than she'd intended, and grimaced to herself.
"Not yet," came the smooth reply. "Any particular aspects you want me to check?"
"Prosthetics and artificial limbs," Maria thought about being more specific and then decided that would limit Natasha's search too much. "And American weapons with old Soviet training."
"American weapons and Soviet training." Natasha paused. "You got all that from the way they shot at you?"
"It was a very distinctive shooting style." Maria waited a beat, imagining the smile that had touched the Black Widow's lips. They both enjoyed that show. "Can you get me the intel?"
"I can ask. Does this even us out for Reno?"
Maria rolled her eyes, safe in the knowledge that the other woman couldn't see here. She didn't have Romanoff's preoccupation with the ledger; but then, she didn't have Romanoff's history either. Maybe if she'd racked up that much death and destruction, she'd grab hold of anything that allowed her to make the amends count. "If it makes you feel better, you can clear the board."
--
killing him softly
Maria Hill is going to kill her boss.
If Tony Stark makes one more crack about disloyalty and state secrets, all his suits won't save him.
And, sure, his pride is stung not only by the fact that she's been working with Fury all this time but also by the Vision's ability to pick up the Hammer, but he knew what Maria was when Pepper put her on the payroll.
Her loyalty is not to him. Her loyalty is not to the Avengers, individual or collective. Her loyalty isn't even to Nick Fury.
Maria's loyalty is to Earth; to the people of the planet who don't have Erskine's serum or a billion dollars worth of technology. She will pledge allegiance to nobody but them – but when the wind changes and the storms approach, she'll trim her sails to catch whatever wind will get her to a point where she can protect them from whatever or whoever is threatening them.
--
Enjoy!
The Odd Couple
Steve stays where he is until their foosteps have faded into the distant murmur of the facility. And Maria waits for whatever judgement is about to be passed.
"I'm sorry about the other night."
Her breath catches.
It takes two hands to steady the gun she's pointing at him – don't make me do this – but fear and grief have no place here: only resolve.
"This isn't what you were made to be."
"No," he agrees as he hefts the shield, prepared to block her shots before striking her down. "This is what I am."
Maria shakes off the lingering echoes of her nightmare – protection turned to dominion – and forces her voice to calm. "You already apologised."
"Yes. But...I didn't know why it mattered."
"Now you do."
Steve nods, and Maria expects him to leave. But he studies her face for a long moment in which she's brutally conscious of her skin stretched tight and tense across muscle and bone, of her heart slamming against her ribs in a drumming thunder.
"If I do it again – if I cross your lines – will you tell me?"
She exhales the shiver that threatens to wrack her. "Yes," she says, holding herself very still. "I'll tell you."
"Thank you." He seems to want to say something else, but just shakes his head and walks away.
And Maria stares blindly down at the mission briefing until she's sure he's gone. Then she opens her hands to regard the little white crescents her nails have dug into her palms.
--
Sokovia, Suburbia, and the Senate
Steve woke abruptly to the sound of someone moving around upstairs. A glance at his phone told him it was six-thirty am – an unheard of time for him to sleep in.
You're going to have to get used to doing a lot less than you're used to, Fine had said as he looked over the results of Steve's tests. Push yourself too hard during this stage and you'll be out for more than the six months I'm advising. Yes, you're a supersoldier, and that serum gives you phenomenal cosmic healing powers, but that explosion you stopped shot a lot of radiation into you and your body is maxed out dealing with that.
So am I safe to be around people?
Questionable, Fine said as he pushed his glasses up his nose, but that has nothing to do with whether or not you're still radioactive.
--
The Right Hand Knows Not (take 2)
"You know, this is like growing up and discovering that being an adult means stuff like responsibilities and not just a later bedtime." Skye made a pointing gesture towards the front of the plane. "And I'm going to go do some research now and leave you two to do emotionless faces at each other. Have fun."
"Emotionless faces?" Maria felt a vague sense of offence. "You know she reminds me of someone."
Rather than rising to the bait, Melinda gave her a hard stare. "And I know someone threatened you to get checked out."
"Your imagination is getting better with age."
"While your ability to lie is getting worse with age."
Maria's cellphone buzzed in her hip pocket, signalling a call, drawing both their gazes.
"And saved by the bell," said Melinda, rising. "I'll make us something to eat." She paused and looked down at Maria. "It was Rogers, wasn't it?"
Thankfully, she didn't wait for confirmation, just headed for the kitchenette, leaving Maria staring at the screen and reflecting that she'd known about the disadvantages of coming here for her medical check-up and she'd chosen it anyway.
Then she answered the phone.
"This is Hill."
"How was Vilnius?" Natasha asked.
"Cold. Icy. The facility wasn't what we were told it was."
"So I hear. You want me to find contacts?"
"And ask around about new programs. Research has thrown up several new waves of biogenetic modification; there's got to be some older ones mixed in there, just for good measure."
"They do like their supersoldiers," Natasha remarked. "Of course, there's a lot of a supersoldier to like."
"Personal experience?" Maria asked, a little more cattily than she'd intended, and grimaced to herself.
"Not yet," came the smooth reply. "Any particular aspects you want me to check?"
"Prosthetics and artificial limbs," Maria thought about being more specific and then decided that would limit Natasha's search too much. "And American weapons with old Soviet training."
"American weapons and Soviet training." Natasha paused. "You got all that from the way they shot at you?"
"It was a very distinctive shooting style." Maria waited a beat, imagining the smile that had touched the Black Widow's lips. They both enjoyed that show. "Can you get me the intel?"
"I can ask. Does this even us out for Reno?"
Maria rolled her eyes, safe in the knowledge that the other woman couldn't see here. She didn't have Romanoff's preoccupation with the ledger; but then, she didn't have Romanoff's history either. Maybe if she'd racked up that much death and destruction, she'd grab hold of anything that allowed her to make the amends count. "If it makes you feel better, you can clear the board."
--
killing him softly
Maria Hill is going to kill her boss.
If Tony Stark makes one more crack about disloyalty and state secrets, all his suits won't save him.
And, sure, his pride is stung not only by the fact that she's been working with Fury all this time but also by the Vision's ability to pick up the Hammer, but he knew what Maria was when Pepper put her on the payroll.
Her loyalty is not to him. Her loyalty is not to the Avengers, individual or collective. Her loyalty isn't even to Nick Fury.
Maria's loyalty is to Earth; to the people of the planet who don't have Erskine's serum or a billion dollars worth of technology. She will pledge allegiance to nobody but them – but when the wind changes and the storms approach, she'll trim her sails to catch whatever wind will get her to a point where she can protect them from whatever or whoever is threatening them.
--
Enjoy!