Blaze - A Marvel One-Shot

Blaze - A Marvel One-Shot (4)

All of his efforts had been fruitless. He had been searching the town for hours now and everything remained the same. Normal. Too much normal, but normal anyway.

Stark's information had been on point every time though. He had been right about SHIELD developing energy weapons back on Loki's invasion and the location sites he had provided had also been correct. True, he and Sam had arrived always late, The HYDRA operatives had wasted no time dislodging their premises, leaving nothing behind, no files, weapons or any other artifact. But also were the ones that had been destroyed. Those were the ones worried him. They had been attacked with extreme violence, corpses everywhere, no one left alive.

There were only two possibilities to whom was the perpetrator of such attacks. Fury no doubt was working on dismantling the rest of the HYDRA infrastructure, but such a violence was not his style, no matter how shady the rest of his methods were. That only left... "Bucky, where are you?" he whispered to himself standing on a lonely corner near the town's police station. There were only a couple officers inside, they could be seen through the windows talking and playing cards, the crime rates of a small town like this could be add to some family altercations and some detentions for drunkenness.

Stark could be a jerk, but his info was good. There had to be something.

Steve made his way to a lonely motel near the gas station near the town entrance. The place has seen better days, no doubt about that. Yet, it was not falling apart nor anything to that effect, it just felt old and a little unkempt. Which it was not a surprise for the hotel business must not be a bumming one around these places.

He walked inside and the coldness of the outside was substituted by the warm feeling of comfort and hospitality. He approached to the counter were a middle age woman was reading a paperback novel, a long macho of a man with long blond hair was depicted on the the cover, He had heard of the character but he couldn't remember his name. The woman wore thick glasses and her long black hair almost covered her vision, but it seemed like she couldn't be bother by it.

Steve rang the bell on the counter. The woman remained with her eyes on the novel.

Steve rang the bell again.

The woman didn't heard it.

Steve rang it again.

The woman kept reading.

He rang the bell again.

And again.

And again.

"Ma'am?" he said little ashamed, he really didn't want to distract the woman from such a engrossing lecture.

The woman kept reading.

"Ma'am." He said. This time a little louder.

Nothing.

"Ma'am!" he almost screamed.

The woman lifted up her head and seemed surprise to see someone on the other side of the counter.

"Oh my!" she said. "Oh my boy! I'm sorry! Had you been there long? My hearing you see, it's not very good! I'm sorry!"

"It's OK Ma'am. And the one who's sorry. You seemed to be really into the book, I didn't want to disturb you."

"Such a gentleman. But no, it's my fault. Can I help you with something, dear?

"Yes, Ma'am I was just wondering if you had a room available for the night?"

The woman laughed at the question, putting her novel down. "Oh my! Of course dear, of course there are rooms available. You see, there are not many visitors around theses parts, we're kind of isolated in here."

"Yes, I can see that." Steve said, taking out his wallet. "I'll take one, please."

"Oh dear, put your wallet down, you seem like an honest fellow, you can pay in the morning. Here, here, let me take to your room."

The woman took a key from the wall and got out from the other side and took off outside.

Steve followed. She led him through a outside wall of the hotel and stopped in front of the door that led to room number five. A couple of old cars kept the parking lot from looking lifeless. She opened the door and went inside, turning on the lights. Steve entered just after her.

"Here are the keys, dear. There are fresh towels in the bathroom, we don't have cable but there's some videotapes on the shelves for the Beta-max and there's magic fingers on the wall." She smiled at him giving him the keys. "If you are hungry call me to reception, I make the best grill cheese you have ever taste."

"Thanks ma'am." Steve said.

"Well, have a good night dear."

"You too ma'am." She closed the door, leaving Steve alone in the room, he could heard her steps going down the path back to the reception."