Two years ago – In time with The Avengers. 2012
Chaos. That was the only word she could think of, as the world outside her window burned in blue fire. Asia Silver slumped against the over turned desk that had saved her from the explosion that had blown several of her colleagues into tiny pieces of flesh and bone and blood. Dressed in a tight pantsuit and heels, she knew better than to engage any of the invaders, ugly creatures that were not of her world or any that she knew of. She heard a solid thud, the sound of a person, she hoped, landing close to her, and peered over the desk.
The man was tall, with long black hair and a helmet that had her instantly flashing back to her least favourite Christmas song. Rudolph in human form was handsome but his antlers amused her the most, dominating any fear or wariness she probably should have been paying attention to. That was until the giant Frisbee slammed into his chest, sending him flying back and then Asia saw him.
Holy hell. He was tall and buff and damn son, was he fine. Her mouth practically watered at the sight of that attractive specimen. Asia couldn't keep her eyes off him as he picked up the Frisbee, which she realised was actually a shield with a star on it and tossed it in the direction of Rudolph who was trying to make his get away.
That was when it dawned on Asia who the hell the Adonis in front of her was. Captain America, in all his glory, glared down at Rudolph, who she then pieced together to be the Asgardian god, Loki. Asia's mouth pinched slightly at this information. The hunk of manly man in front of her was fucking 90 years old?
How the hell was his ass so fine when he should have been pushing up daisies, not doing actual pushups to keep those arms looking as good as they did. Asia rolled her eyes at herself. Typical Asia, going straight for the assets, she really should be thinking of an idea to either get out of here unnoticed or maybe help Captain America with whatever he was trying to do.
His shield bounced off Loki and skidded to a halt near her desk. She moved towards it with as much stealth as she could in heels and froze when a gun shot went off in the next room. It was just her luck that she knocked the canister of pencils, which rolled noisily into the middle of the room and both heads jerked towards the guilty looking girl, who stood nervously and gave them a cheeky wave.
They both looked perplexed by her sudden appearance and she bent down as if to stop the pencils from making noise when she kicked the fallen shield up into her hand and flung it at Loki's head. The look of surprise on his face made her day as the shield hit its mark and Captain America grabbed it before Loki took off, dashing away from him and out the nearest exit, a window.
Asia stood to her full height, stepping out of her heels as Captain America stared at her.
"Ma'am, are you okay?" Asia blinked. "Do I not look okay?" He blanched.
"Do I not look okay?" He blanched.
"No, that's not what I meant-" She smiled wickedly.
"Don't you have a war to win Captain? I believe you have a god to go beat up."
He eyed her dubiously and she realized she must look a mess.
"Do you want to come with me, there is a safe house just down the street and I can get you there if you would like that ma'am?" Asia picked up her briefcase, shoving her ruined laptop into it before looking up at him.
"Captain. I promise not to get in any trouble if you go back into battle and kick alien butt for me."
The smallest of smiles drifted over his face but Asia was more aware of the time they were wasting by hovering here.
"Go!" She pressed, picking up her shoes and slipping out after him as he went back out the window. He landed on the ground, a short drop from the window. She jumped and waited for the impact to rattle her teeth and give her sore feet but strong arms went around her and she was placed oh so carefully on the ground that looked like someone had brought a jackhammer to it. She muttered her thanks to the Captain who began to stride off. Suddenly, he swung, his eyes locking onto her.
"Wait. Ma'am, could I have your name?"
Asia gave him an exasperated look before she turned to walk the other way, shooting over her shoulder.
"You can call me Asia." Then she turned her back to him and heard an alien ship swooping low. She fired twice with the gun she had nicked from the Captain's arsenal and the ship spiralled out of control as she took out the alien Uber and she stepped back into cover as it slammed into a building and the explosion that followed forced her back several steps.
Come on, this was never gonna be an ordinary civilian meets superhero story. Her best friend was Wade Wilson, this was never going to be an ordinary situation. Only problem was, she was technically a bad guy. And that meant she was on S.H.I.E.L.D's naughty list. It was not everyday you expect to be shot in the throat by a 5 ft 6 girl who looks like she belongs more in a Disney movie than in a superhero movie. Well if you are reading because you think this is gonna be a fuzzy story where there's lots of fluff and sweetness, I suggest you take a deep breath of reality. The world isn't all fluffy bunnies, they will probably(hopefully) try to kill you.
When Asia reached the underground parking lot she deemed was safe, seeing that there were other civilians scattered across the lot, she slumped down. Pulling her knees to her chest she began wondering how today had changed her life before grabbing her phone, snarling at the shitty phone service that had survived the attack and called Wade. He picked up after two rings.
"Death's housing for prostitutes, what would you like to purchase today?" The familiar drawl set her immediately at ease, despite the fact that November was now going to have to be alert for S.H.I.E.L.D agents.
"I helped someone out today." She began.
"Gooood work young padawan." The response was quick.
"Pray tell, what did you do sugar plum?" Asia shrugged her shoulders.
"I helped S.H.I.E.L.D." There was a pause.
"Are you gonna join them now and leave me all alone honey bee?" Asia coughed.
"Problem – S.H.I.E.L.D does not like me. I may have hijacked one or two, read eleven, of their agents in order to gain access to their intel and database, who can blame me, I want to know everyone's secrets. Also I needed to wipe whatever they had on me. I don't want any such corruptions of S.H.I.E.L.D leading to me not being able to get a job, no one needs to know about the other thing and hell no did I need any of their agents spying on my cute ass."
There was silence down the other end.
"For fucks sake Wade, help me. I need to know if I wanna go rogue again or wander into S.H.I.E.L.D's clutches and let them babysit me, I mean, free rent in that floating fortress." She heard Wade's laughter and then he spoke again.
"You know what honey bee, S.H.I.E.L.D was always gonna come for you. You're pretty badass and sometimes you work well with others and you might meet a cute person." Asia growled at him and hung up, stretching her feet out till they cracked.
One of the other people gave her a dirty look and she winked theatrically before spotting them. The Avengers, all bloodied and sweaty, but they look triumphant so she was going to assume they had won whatever they were doing. Loud cheers went up from the before quiet people around her and she found herself staring longingly at the Captain. Even looking like he needed 30 showers, he still looked delicious in that uniform. The Avengers looked grateful as the people around them burst into applause and she saw Captain America's eyes sweeping the crowd and didn't have enough time to shrink back before his eyes locked on her and his mouth curved upwards and he began to walk over.
She let the smile light her face as he padded over.
"So, I heard from Tony that you are one of the enhanced S.H.I.E.L.D is trying to latch onto." Her brows went up and her mouth turned down.
"That is not how you chat up a girl, old man, geez, you'd think men from the 40's had a little charm." Asia pouted but grinned up at the Captain.
"He wants to know if you need a place to stay." Captain America asked her, warmth lighting his eyes. Asia blinked, surveying the area, her building had most likely been flattened, and if she was staying with the Avengers, she was less likely to go on a murder hunt and Tony Stark would have food.
She gave him a big smile.
"What if I was to say yes, what then?" Captain America smiled fondly.
"You would come back with us to the recently renovated Stark Tower, we just had an entire floor cleared you see, and stay there. The others will come and go, but you are welcome to stay as long as you like, according to Tony." Asia grinned.
"I am so down for this! Lead the way, El Capitan." He strode away, making her growl in fury as she launched herself after him in quick, but smaller strides.
"Wait up, I have little legs!"
Two years later – In time with the beginning of Captain America – The Winter Soldier. 2014
"Why the fuck are we still running? Steve!" Asia screamed, earning confused glances from the tourists milling around.
"Steve, I'm dying. Why are we running? Nothing is chasing us!" She watched Steve, who was ignoring her, the tall bastard, round the curve of the lake and overlap the dark skinned guy they saw every morning. Well, Steve saw him every morning. Like hell was Asia going for a run every morning, she didn't mind getting up at sunrise but running was more of an enemy than anything else in this world.
"On your left." She teased Sam, as she and Steve did every single morning they were running together.
"Uh-huh, on my left. Got it." Sam kept his pace, jogging past trees and tourists and ducks as he watched the Super Soldier and the smallish blonde girl run at speeds that should defiantly not be normal. Sam became aware of Steve encroaching his peripheral and groaned internally before speaking.
"Don't say it! Don't you say it!" Steve huffed beside him.
"On your left!" And then he was in front of him again.
"Come on!" Sam was exasperated, noticing the smallish blonde girl had practically collapsed under a tree panting heavily. He jogged over to her.
"You okay?" He heard her laughter and grinned, before leaning on a tree himself and puffing softly, trying to get his breathing back under control.
"Need a medic?" The voice could only belong to the Super Soldier, Sam turned and gave a cheeky smile.
"I need a new set of lungs." There was a groan from the ground.
"I second that." A smile flitted across Captain America's face and Sam glared at him.
"Dude, you just ran like thirteen miles in thirty minutes." Captain America grimaced.
"I guess I got a late start."
The girl on the ground muttered something that rhymed with 'Cupid Ducker', which brought a smirk to Sam's face.
"Oh, really? You should be ashamed of yourself. You should take another lap." He hesitated a moment before resuming his sarcastic tirade.
"Did you just take it? I assumed you just took it." The blonde girl stood, shaking her limbs out and laughing.
"Can we keep him Steve, please?" 'Steve' glanced at her briefly before resuming his attention on Sam.
"What unit are you with?"
"Fifty-eighth, Para-rescue. But now I'm working down at the VA. Sam Wilson." Captain America nodded, "Steve Rogers." The blonde girl grinned up at Sam.
"He's the sensible one. I'm Asia, Asia Silver. I'm the chill one but I will fight you." Sam decided he liked her immediately, Steve Rogers would take some getting used to but this girl looked like a bundle of fun.
"I kind of put that together. Must have freaked you out coming home after the whole defrosting thing." Steve almost winced. "It takes some getting used to. It's good to meet you, Sam."
"It's your bed, right?" Sam called, as the two began to move off, Asia already chattering in Steve's ear.
"What's that?" Steve turned around, but Asia, by some miracle, had heard what he had said over her babble and pulled a face so comical that Sam almost doubled over in laughter.
"Your bed, it's too soft. When I was over there I sleep on the ground and used rock for pillows, like a caveman. Now I'm home, lying in my bed, and It's like..." Same searched for the word.
"Lying on a marshmallow. I feel like I'm gonna sink right to the floor." Steve said, causing Asia to throw him a look. "And how is that a bad thing?" Steve ignored her,
"And how is that a bad thing?" Steve ignored her.
"How long?" Sam smiled thinly.
"Two tours. You must miss the good old days, huh?" Asia let out a loud groan and stomped over to a water fountain, not so far that she still could hear every word, but far enough away that she didn't look like she belonged with them.
"Well, things aren't so bad. Food's a lot better, we used to boil everything. No polio is good. Internet, so helpful. I've been reading that a lot trying to catch up." Steve told him, sending Asia a warm smile.
"Marvin Gaye, 1972, "Trouble Man" soundtrack. Everything you've missed jammed into one album." Sam recommended, as Asia made her return and glared at the small notebook Steve pulled out. "Oh my god, what did you tell him?" Steve noted out something.
"Oh my god, what did you tell him?" Steve noted out something.
"I've put it on the list. It's very helpful having this one as well though," Steve gave Asia an affectionate look that she missed, as she was trying to reach the notebook, with little success as Steve was a giant compared to the shorter girl. There was a synchronised beeping and both Steve and Asia grabbed for their phones.
"Alright, Sam, duty calls. Thanks for the run. If that's what you wanna call running." The boys shook hands whilst Asia nicked the notebook from an unprepared Steve and began to write in quick handwriting across a page.
"Oh, that's how it is?" Sam said, hiding a smile.
"Oh, that's how it is." Steve grinned and Sam laughed.
"Okay. Anytime you wanna stop by the VA, make me look awesome in front of the girl at the front desk, just let me know." He looked over at Asia.
"See ya short stuff." When she growled at him, he took a step backwards.
"I'll keep it in mind." Steve said dragging a now pouting Asia toward the curb as Natasha pulled up, rolling down the window. "Hey, fellas. Either one of you
"Hey, fellas. Either one of you know where the Smithsonian is? I'm here to pick up a fossil." Asia snorted and stalked around to the front seat and flung herself in, giving Sam a cheeky wave, which he returned albeit nervously.
"Hilarious." Steve grumbled as he slid in, Sam was checking out both Nat and the car.
"How you doing?" Nat smiled. "Hey." Steve grimaced.
"Hey." Steve grimaced.
"You can't run everywhere." Sam cracked a grin.
"No, you can't."
Asia was bored. Out of her mind. The others were allowed to go on top secret missions but no, poor little Asia was left behind, because she was grounded. It wasn't like she meant to hit the guy, he had pissed her off. Any self-respecting woman would have done that exact thing and she had been punished because he had made derogatory comments and he was a higher ranking 'agent'. She did regret something though, she should have broken his jaw rather than just his nose, jaw was much more painful. She was interrupted from her slightly murderous thoughts by the arrival of her best friend.
"You just can't stop yourself from lying, can you?" She heard Steve say angrily as she walked in, beamed at a bemused looking fury and then threw her arms around Steve. "Stevie! You're alive!" Fury gave her a smile, she had learned he had a soft spot for her, hidden in the deep locked away heart that lay somewhere in his chest.
"Stevie! You're alive!" Fury gave her a smile, she had learned he had a soft spot for her, hidden in the deep locked away heart that lay somewhere in his chest.
"I didn't lie. Agent Romanoff had a different mission than yours." Steve rolled his eyes.
"Which you didn't feel obliged to share." Nick sent him a quelling look.
"I'm not obliged to do anything." Asia muttered something under her breath but Steve shook his head at her and she remained silent.
"Those hostages could've died, Nick." Steve snapped.
"I sent the greatest soldier in history to make sure that didn't happen." Asia elbowed him.
"Soldiers trust each other, that's what makes it an army. Not a bunch of guys running around and shooting guns. Nick shook his head.
"The last time I trusted someone, I lost an eye. Look, I didn't want you doing anything you weren't comfortable with. Agent Romanoff is comfortable with everything." Steve made an angry noise.
"I can't lead a mission when the people I'm leading have missions of their owns. Even Asia's more enjoyable to work with than Romanoff, and she complains about everything and everyone and tries to bite people if they are rude to her." Asia glared sullenly out the window and Fury sighed.
"It's called compartmentalization. Nobody spills the secrets because nobody knows them all." Asia scoffed.
"Except you." Nick gave her a look.
"You're wrong about me. I do share. I'm nice like that." He beckoned them into an elevator.
"Insight bay." The computer spoke up.
"Captain Rogers and Asia Silver do not have clearance for Project Insight." Nick eyed it.
"Director override, Fury, Nicholas J." The computer beeped.
"Confirmed." The elevator began to drop." Steve hummed quietly.
"You know, they used to play music."
"Yeah. My grandfather operated one of these things for forty years. My granddad worked in a nice building, he got good tips. He'd walk home every night, roll of ones stuffed in his lunch bag. He'd say "hi", people would say hi back. Time went on, neighbourhood got rougher. He'd say "Hi", they'd say, "Keep on steppin'." Granddad got to grippin' that lunch bag a little tighter." Steve looked at him, surprised by how open the Director was being. "Did he ever get mugged?" Fury smirked.
"Did he ever get mugged?" Fury smirked.
"Every week some punk would say, "What's in the bag?"" Asia spoke.
"Well, what did he do?" Nick glanced up.
"He'd show 'em. A bunch of crumpled ones and loaded 0.22 Magnum. Granddad loved people. But he didn't trust them very much." They stared out of the elevator into the large space, which was filled with large fighter jets and people.
"Yeah, I know. They're a little bit bigger than a 0.22. This is Project Insight. Three next generation Helicarriers synced to a network of targeting satellites."
"Launched from the Lemurian Star." Steve muttered.
"Once we get them in the air they never need to come down. Continuous suborbital flight courtesy of our new repulser engines." Steve's brows raised.
"Stark?" Nick nodded.
"Well, he had a few suggestions once he got an up close look at our old turbines. These new long range precision guns can eliminate a thousand hostiles a minute. The satellites can read a terrorist's DNA before he steps outside his spider hole. We gonna neutralise a lot of threats before they even happen."
"I thought the punishment usually came after the crime." Asia snapped. She had been silent long enough that both men had forgotten about her. "We can't afford to wait that long." Nick murmured. "Who's "we"?" Steve challenged. "After New York, I convinced the World Security Council we needed a quantum surgeon threat analysis. For once we're way ahead of the curve." Steve folded his arms.
"We can't afford to wait that long." Nick murmured.
"Who's "we"?" Steve challenged.
"After New York, I convinced the World Security Council we needed a quantum surgeon threat analysis. For once we're way ahead of the curve." Steve folded his arms.
"By holding a gun at everyone on Earth and calling it protection."
Asia snorted and Fury glanced at her briefly, "You know, I read those SSR files. Greatest generation? You guys did some nasty stuff." Steve's eyes flashed.
"Yeah, we compromised. Sometimes in ways that made us not sleep so well. But we did it so the people could be free. This isn't freedom, this is fear." Fury had a cool expression on his face.
"SHIELD takes the world as it is, not as we'd like it to be. It's getting damn near past time for you to get with that program, Cap." Steve glared.
"Don't hold your breath." And then he and Asia, who was waving cheerfully at some agents she recognised, headed off to the Smithsonian.