The Valentin Series, Book 1: The Valkyrie (Captain America fanfiction)

Chapter 17: Red Ink

“I need an apartment, Stark,” Val argued with Tony as they sat in his sitting room, Diana was lying down at her feet,“I need one near the park, what do you think am I going to do with my dog?”

“Sorry, precious,” Tony smirked at her, “Fury’s orders.”

“I can’t take her up and down seven hundred floors every time she needs a walk!” Val exclaimed.

“I’ll take her,” Steve said, chiming in, he had arrived 30 minutes after they had, reporting that Andy and Knight had left on the plane safely. Natasha and Clint had volunteered to get her stuff to the storage facility, while James had said he needed to speak with Fury.

“What?” Val asked, floored by his suggestion.

“My apartment is in a good neighborhood, it’s on the second floor, and the park’s not that far,” he shrugged.

“There you go, Angie,” Tony smiled at her, “Captain America has saved the day again!”

“Shut up, Stark,” Val snapped, “Cap, I appreciate it, I really do, but Diana and I need a place of our own.”

“Look at it this way, Angel,” Steve said, “You need to be safe, and safe is here, in Stark Tower. Diana needs a place where she can be a dog. I got that place. I’ll bring her here every time I come here, alright?”

Before Val could argue some more, Nick Fury stepped into the room, his good eye focusing on Val.

“Miss Valentin,” he began, “We have received information that HYDRA is, indeed, after your head; and when I mean head, I mean ONLY your head. They want you dead. So I suggest that unless you have a death wish, you stay with us until the threat has been taken care of.”

“Here’s the thing, Director Fury,” Val countered, holding on to Diana’s leather collar to stop her from lunging at Fury, “I can take care of myself, and of the threat.”

“I’m not then one who requested you stay here, Angel,” Fury responded, “In fact, if I had my way, I’d let you disappear. But this person has put up a good case that if you were removed from his presence at this point in time, he would not be able to cope.”

“Barnes,” Val hissed in realization, “Fine.” She acquiesced, “But I need my own room.”

“We have set up your living quarters already,” Fury answered, “Any other complains, I suggest you bring it up with him.”

“Oh, I will, Director, count on it,” Val said, absentmindedly stroking Diana’s fur, “Anything else I need to know about?”

“Yes,” Fury answered, “If you plan on going through with your plan, Miss Valentin, I suggest you start talking to him about it.”

“I’ll think about that, sir,” Val replied as Fury nodded and left the room.

Turning to Steve, she smiled, “I guess you get to keep my killer dog for me, then, Steve,” then she proceeded to enumerate to him all the things that Diana needed. In the end, she gave him a list.

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Val sat in her room, staring out at the darkening sky. She had said goodbye to Diana and had given her specific orders to obey the Captain and not to bite unless threatened. She was still torn up about it. In 24 hours she had lost her home, her babies, and the closest thing she had to a daughter. An ex-cold blooded killer could only take so much. She decided to start unpacking to keep her mind off her worries. The room was beautiful, all modern and sleek. The walls were a dulled silver color, while the floor was granite. There was a king-sized four-poster bed with deep plum beddings over a luxurious cream carpet, a wooden vanity that was painted the same silver as the walls, an armoire that looked like it had been shipped in from Greece—it was a weathered silver and blue color with aquamarine and aqua-colored tiles decorating the doors—and an adjoining white-tiled bathroom that came complete with a bathtub/shower that could fit 8 people quite nicely.