Caffeine Rush (Avengers Fanfic)

Chapter 14: Making Headlines

Putting the charcoal down, I felt like I had captured his most distinct features quite well considering my actual skill, his iconic glasses, the mustache, the wide smile, and kind eyes. Nodding at my work with a touch of pride, I turned it to show the others but was not expecting Tony's immediate response to be, "that's the FedEx delivery guy!"

"Told you."

Clint called from the cockpit, "we're twenty minutes out, might want to radio ahead." Must not be too far from the Avengers HQ then. I reexamined my wound, poking and prodding the skin and muscle to make sure it healed properly, it was still pink and maybe a little weak but otherwise healed, ten more minutes and there wouldn't even be a scar.

Tony called, "got you covered, Legolas. FRIDAY, contact Jes and ask her to have some beverages ready for us." Not so sure that's what the bird meant but I certainly would object, I could use my own caffeine after such a taxing battle, never mind that it didn't work on me.

The notification popped up on my helmet overlay as I had rerouted messages from my phone through CASS so that I could still be in contact with it anywhere in the world. I sent back an order form, which Tony immediately groaned at but proceeded to go around to everyone present and fill out what they wanted, with Loki and Bruce picking their usual and everyone else trying something different. It would be an interesting order to fill once they landed, I had no intention of being present when they did though.

I gave CASS an order to refresh the nanomites in my suit to patch up the damage done from the battle and stood up without so much as a hitch in the leg. "Well, this has been fun. You got to learn something new and I got shot in the leg!" A few of them looked at me oddly. Maybe the excitement over being shot wasn't shared among such mortals. I glanced at an imaginary watch on my wrist and shrugged, "as much as I'd love to stick around and chat, I do have places to be and not a lot of time to get there in."

I walked over to the back hatch and paused just before I pressed the button to open door. "If you need someone fast, you know where to find me . . . or rather, you don't—but CASS will let me know if FRIDAY makes a request." I hit the button and waited a moment until we were over a city with high enough buildings that I could catch myself and called over the wind, "catch you next time, slowpokes," and jumped from the Quinjet, angling myself just right so I could run down the side of building and not go splat on the pavement.

Needing more calories before I dashed back, I stopped at a buffet and wolfed down as much as possible before paying for it with the food card Tony gave me as part of our deal. I received many a strange look, but not the ones I'd expected. To be fair, there were a fair number of 'wow, superhero!' looks but just as many seemed to be familiar with me and I didn't know why.

Putting it from my mind, I raced back, deactivated my suit and got to work on all the drinks the team had requested, properly boiling the tea water in the kettle and then leaving the herbs to soak for exactly the length of time it would take for the Quinjet to get back. Each Avenger had a specialized mug, or at least one that could be differentiated from the others that I was able to use for most of the drinks, Tony's smoothie being one of the only exceptions—couldn't exactly put that in a mug, now could I.

I had just finished the foam art and lined up all the drinks at the counter when I heard the wind stirring rumble of the Quinjet's approach. Right on time. I checked myself in the reflection of the fridge to make sure it didn't look like I had run at superspeed across the Atlantic to fight a battle with interdimensional creatures and smiled as they entered.

"So . . . how'd it go?" I dared question and then regretted it, but not for the reason you think. I thought they were going to tell me about myself as Rush, but nope.

"Weren't you watching?" They started questioning me instead.

"Pardon?"

"The news agencies broadcast these things." So that's what the helicopters were for. "What were you doing for the past couple hours if you weren't watching the fight?" Bruce inquired, not in a malicious manner but he didn't know the can of worms behind the answer to that question.

Somewhat panicking, I blurted, "space-time mathematics and dream sequencing."

Tony, being the person who knew me the longest, interpreted, "that's her way of saying daydreaming." Well, he was half right, 'dream sequencing' was the equivalent of daydreaming in my universe but space-time mathematics was an unintentional speedster reference that I hadn't meant to mention.

While everyone else swarmed the counter to collect their drinks, I had CASS access all the aired footage and show me the most important bits to the broadcasters. The two things that seemed to catch their attention were my speedster abilities with headlines such as 'New Superhero Replaces Quicksilver!' which would explain the looks I was getting at the buffet earlier—they had gotten a pretty nice close up of me in my suit that they likely recognized—and the part where I cussed the shit out of Captain America. I guess that was certainly one way of getting the world's attention.