Not An Avenger

Aftermath

"Looks like he turned from Capsicle to Capsalad." Said Tony, as we were sitting in Steve's hospital room. He was unconscious after the surgery.

"That doesn't even make any sense." I told him, suppressing a smile. It was a little funny.

He let that go. "So, it looks like you're out of job."

"Looks like I am." I had to get another one soon for my visa renewal. "Tony, did anybody see me there?"

"You mean when you showed off your badass powers? No, I don't think anyone did. You were too far away from the action. Everyone thinks it was a new Iron man trick. We could hold a press conference, though."

"No, definitely not. I don't want to broadcast. The less people know, the better."

"You're strange." He didn't argue, though. "I should get going. Hill might need my help fending off those leeches at the Capitol Hill."

"I thought he'd never leave." Came from voice from beside me, after he left.

"You were awake!" I accused Steve.

"What happened?" he asked me. I sensed a little bit of déjà vu.

"Project Insight failed. Pierce is buried beneath the rubble of the headquarters. SHIELD is exposed to the public and so is HYDRA. Everything went according to the plan, except you getting shot and almost dying."

"Was he caught? Bucky?" I had a feeling that he was the one who landed Steve in this condition.

"No. He got you out of the water, though." I told him, reluctantly. "Are you sure it was him? I pulled out his file. It said he died in 1945 from falling from 5000 ft."

"His unit was captured by HYDRA in 1940. Zola experimented on him, trying to replicate the super serum. That must've kept him alive." So, he'd actually put some thought into it.

"Did he recognize you?"

"I think so. He must've. There's no other reason he'd get me out of the bay." He speculated. "So, it seems you finally got a handle on your powers."

"Yes. And look what I used them to find." I said, holding up his shield. "It was at the bottom of the bay."

"Thanks. I should be more careful with this, I guess."

"You should, because SHIELD wouldn't be able to provide you another one, anymore." Said Nick Fury, entering the room. He was wearing black sunglasses indoors. But that wasn't what I found odd. He looked really strange to me without his eyepatch.

"What's with the new look?" I couldn't help, but ask.

"I'm supposed to be dead. Can't be seen wearing my signature style, can I?

"Why are you still pretending to be dead? HYDRA is no longer a threat, is it?" I asked.

"Have you even looked at the HYDRA files we leaked. It was more than just a parasite inside SHIELD. Most of its major bases are in Europe. That's what I've come to talk about. I'm leaving for Berlin tonight. I'll try to fish out as many HYDRA holdouts as I can. What do you think about getting back to your old job of busting out the HYDRA bases I find, Captain?"

"Nothing would suit me better." Steve answered, smiling.

"What about you, Ray?"

"Me?" I asked, surprised.

"Why not? You've got superpowers now. You're basically an Avenger."

"No, I'm definitely not an Avenger. It's not as simple as you think. These powers are complicated. I need to learn to control them, which is going to take a long time."

"That's a shame." He said. "You'd have liked the job."

"Speaking of jobs, I'm going to need a new one now. Care to give me a recommendation?"

"Uh uh? What should I write? 'Attracts trouble like a magnet' or 'Might get your hospital blown up in a matter of months'?" he teased.

I made a face. I didn't have a comeback. I suppose it was true, wasn't it? Trouble never seemed to leave me alone.