A/N: I know, I know, I have like three or four stories that I've started and dropped and I'm a horrible, horrible person, but Stevie boy has been running around my mind singing Blondie's 'Maria' and well. THIS HAPPENED.
The consistent thumping of fists against rough leather was not a new sound to the Avengers who used the gym, but it was to Maria Hill. The senior agent was stood off in the corner of the room, her eyes focused upon on her charge, the man Fury had tasked her with 'policing' since the Tesseract incident.
People had access to files, pictures and the internet. They had little hope of containing the information that Captain Steve Rogers; frozen in ice for 70 years, was now roaming the streets of New York after a new planet ending battle. It was odd, how fixated he was upon the leather. Three well beaten patches of leather, two at rib height and one at head height, seemed to be his focus. Mutterings under his breath. Her lip reading wasn't as good as Barton's, but she could make out names, Bucky, Peggy, Howard. All the names from the files, his fists moved in rhythm with each syllable, she doubted he was even aware of himself muterring, his hypnotic state was possibly a symptom of PTSD, a flashback of sorts that had him trapped in his rhythmic beatings of a abused punching bag.
Maria decided enough was enough. She'd spent the day signing of requisitions for the helicarrier repairs and making sure arrangements were made so that director Fury could concentrate his efforts on obliterating the council that tried to obliterate New York. She cleared her throat a few times; following up with his name immediately after doing so.
"Captain Rogers. I'm here to inform you of changes to your accomadation and report in as your new handler." She stepped forward as he straightened out of that tight fighting pose, and boy, was he bigger than she remembered. On the carrier bridge she had grinned slyly as she brazenly let her eyes wander over him. Mainly to irk her mentor and fanboy Coulson, but also because he was worth the gazing. She remained in stoic agent mode. The flicker of Coulsons lopsided smile and voice hurt from her memories but she refused to let it show.
"Thank you Lieutenant..." He accepted the file. The 'changes' to his accomadation was mainly SHIELD stripping him of his old flat and making his move to Stark Tower permanent. His road trip on his bike hadn't really lasted long, being mobbed wherever he went out of uniform. It seemed however that when he donned the red and blue; people backed off, they seemed aware that he had a job to complete in that uniform and stopping him from doing it would not be a wise decision.
"Aren't you a little too high ranking to be babysitting me Agent?" He didn't move his eyes from the file. Even if he had read it already. The frown on his face deepening as he spoke and his blue eyes skimmed over a few photo's of his fellow Avengers and new roomies.
"With all due respect Captain; I'm doing this job because Fury believes that your team are too unstable to be left uncontrolled and given the job of showing you the changes between your time and ours. You will be living with a alcoholic billionaire, an alien, a pair of killers and a man who can crush you under his heel if he wakes up on the wrong side of bed." She took the file back off him and gave him a raised eyebrow while motioning to door. "Any questions?"
Steve was genuinely a little shocked. He had expected a ruse; or maybe a little lie mixed with the truth. He doubted the spy had told him the whole story for her assignment but she had given him more than she needed too. He raised an eyebrow and couldn't help but smirk slightly at the senior agent. "No Ma'am. After you." He pressed the doors keypad and it whooshed open, a sight he tried to not let bother him.
Maria thanked the Captain as she stepped through the door. Falling in step next to him as they approached the elevator for this floor of the tower. Upon entering the communal living area of the tower; they came across Tony throwing holograms around, Steve's jaw slacking slightly and his eyes narrowing at the sight of lights and images being thrown around.
"El capitaine, nice to see you. Mini-lady Fury, not so much." He took a small swig of the potent dark alcohol in his hand and fiddled with a floating reprensentation of a room that hovered in front of him. He grimaced; grunted and threw the hologram towards the bin, Steve only able to watch in awe as the image faded out before a 'plonk' was emitted from the speakers of the room.
"Stark, Fury and the President have expressly wished for someone from SHIELD to stick close to you during what is bound to be a turbu-" Maria didn't get to finish her sentence.
"Yeah, yeah, babysitter. We get it." He finished off the alcohol, placing the glass down and mock saluting at the pair as the egotist made his way into the elevator they had just stepped from. "Behave yourself kids." The doors slid shut and Maria closed her eyes, Steve sliding down into a plush seat and letting out a long breath.
"This is going to be the longest assignment of my life."
"You and me both." His agreement made her raise an eyebrow in his direction.
"Well, I'd hardly count 70 years in ice as an assignment." His lip quirked and Maria decided she may not mind it being the longest assignment of her life.