Disclaimer: The Avengers characters are not mine, just borrowed for this story.
Reviews are always welcome and appreciated
Based from a prompt by Twisted-67
Lambs to the Slaughter
Steve sucked in a deep breath of fresh air as he climbed off of his bike. There was nothing for miles except the peaceful serine mountains and the quiet of the thick forest. He stood before the cabin and took in its simplicity. It wasn't the usual overly grand place Rogers had pictured when Natasha had offered him the keys to Stark's getaway cabin. It was actually exactly what Steve had had in mind; a simple place to center himself and hopefully, finally, accept what his life had become. He unstrapped his bag from the back of his bike and fished out the keys for the cabin.
The door swung open revealing a simple furnished dwelling free of the technology that Stark was famous for. It quickly became apparent that this property was the purchase of Pepper and not Stark; in fact Steve wouldn't be surprised if Tony's first time at the cabin wouldn't be his promised visit at the end of the week.
Rogers claimed one of the upstairs bedrooms as his own and returned to the main floor to start his work. He pulled all the dust protector sheets off of the furniture and shook them out on the small porch that wrapped itself along the cottage. The living room was small but beautiful; the furniture antique, and the focal point of the room was the large fireplace in the northern wall. Steve mentally added chopping fire wood to his to do list.
Steve unpacked the few provisions he brought and started compiling a list of items he would have to pick up at the local general store. The small mountain town was a few miles away and consisted of one store, a small dinner and a gas station. It definitely had that small town flavour that Steve was glad to experience after have been exposed to the hustle and bustle of New York for the last year.
It was going to be the quiet and relaxing week that Rogers needed to recharge his batteries and sort some things out. He really needed to get his head straightened out after his last adventure. He thought he had come to terms with everything that had happened to him but after the enemy plane crashed in the arctic with him and Hawkeye aboard, Steve had discovered that he was wrong.
A gentle breeze blew playfully across the porch as Steve settled with a glass of lemonade and his sketch pad. The familiar action and feel of a pencil gracing paper helped him relax, but even then he couldn't forget his troubles; sketch after sketch depicted members of the team, of his team. When Loki had brought an army to destroy the world, it had been so easy to slip into soldier mode, to keep the rest of the Avengers at a professional distance but as the battles continued and friendships threatened to form, that tactic was no longer an option.
War was bloody and it had taken absolutely everything from Steve, his best friend, his girl, his place in time; he didn't want to get attached to people that were just as likely to meet some horrible fate. He didn't think he could handle such a loss again, but keeping the team at a distance was causing them more harm than good. The painful fact that Stark was right had been lurking in the back of his mind; they weren't soldiers, they were family. The only real question left was could Rogers embrace them and the potential loss or protect himself but put them in danger by keeping them at a distance.
Cramps claimed his fingers as they tightened around the pencil; the lines growing darker and deeper on the paper. The simple portraits of team members engaging in everyday activities quickly turned to scenes of loved ones lost and gravely injured Avengers. The pencil snapped as Steve stared down at a drawing of Barton chained outside at the Hydra facility; anger flared through him before ripping the page from his sketch book, crumpling it into a ball and lobbing it across the yard.
His chest heaved as he gasped for air; the world feeling like it was closing in around him. He sank to his knees, unable to find the energy hold himself up on the porch railing any longer. A million thoughts raced through his head, most focusing on how woefully inadequate he was to lead this team of superheroes. In the war things had been simpler, he stood on the side of right and that was all he needed to get through the day; good was destined to triumphant over evil. This world… this world didn't have black and white, everything was muddled in a haze of indiscernible shades of grey. The good guys had just as many secrets as the bad guys and sometimes doing the wrong thing was the answer on how to win. Disputes weren't settled in battle they were negotiated and manipulated in dark corners and shadows. The cost of winning the war seemed extremely high considering the current state of the world; they won their freedom but lost their souls.
A lone painful howl echoed through the forest and pulled Steve from his reverie. Somehow without Rogers knowing, day had slipped into night and left him shivering in the dark. The howl sounded again and Steve felt sympathetic to the creature's plight; it might have been a cry from a different species, but suffering was suffering. Picking himself up off the ground, he made his way inside to crawl into bed. Perhaps things would be better for both lone creatures tomorrow.
Sleep never came. Eventually tossing and turning turned into too much of an effort for the simple pretence that it would capture elusive sleep. With the first rays of sunlight reaching over the mountains, Steve tied up his hiking boots and set out on a jog. It was nice to get out in the fresh air and listen to nothing but the birds as they slowly welcomed the new day. A sense of peace washed over Steve like he hadn't felt in he couldn't remember when; there was no evil lurking, no pending threat, just the wide open trail in the tranquil forest.
He ran until his muscles burned with a deep ache and then he ran some more; sweat dripping off of wayward strands of matted hair when he happened upon the shore line of a secluded lake. He knelt down and splashed a handful of refreshingly cool water over his face. It felt delightful and soon Steve found himself shrugging out of his shirt and diving in. The now hot afternoon sun was beating down, heating the water to manageable lukewarm temperature.
The lone howl in the distance reminded Rogers that he wasn't completely alone. The call sounded lonely and painful, stirring a sense of empathy within the super soldier. The creature was probably the leader of his pack, burdened with the responsibility of protecting his family, keeping them safe from the big bad world. It was a lonely role filled with heart ache and anguish but as the blond listened to a second wolf join in, he knew he didn't want to face the world alone; he wanted the comfort of his pack, however mismatched and rag-tagged they might be. The things that he loved about the team were also the qualities that constantly put them in danger; he would just have to do a better job of protecting them, of making the right calls.
It all seemed so simple out there in the wilderness away from the trappings of the modern world. The answers that had been dancing just out of his reach were staring him in the face with crystal clarity and all that remained was the will power and determination to make them work; faith in himself to do right by those he cared about.
Calmer than when he left the cabin, Steve waded out of the lake and threw his clothes back on. The tranquil water had washed away his many of his doubts and he resolved to attack his issues with renewed determination and attitude. He could do it, he was Captain America after all. He needed to shake the self doubt that had taken root upon waking up in 2011 and be the person he knew he could be. The team just needed him to be him and let them be themselves; simple in theory, complicated on practice.
Steve's attention snapped back to the world half way back to the cabin when the forest became eerily silent. There was a distinctive lack of buzzing insects and singing birds; the hairs on the back of his neck immediately stood on end and he paused mid stride to survey his surroundings. The only thing he could see in any direction was the soft natural tones of the forest but that didn't allow his heart stop pounding. He strained his ears, listening for anything that might alert him to impending danger; frantic scratching and rattling pulled him further down the trail. Cautiously, Steve left the beaten path and made his way over the rough terrain towards the sound.
He reached up and pushed several branches out of his face, revealing the impressive form of a very large wolf. Rogers' breathe caught in his throat as the massive beast locked eyes with him, its lips curling around blood stained teeth. Steve stumbled back as the beast surged forward, all teeth and claws; the gruesome face snapping and snarling mere inches from his face. He raised his arm to try and fend off the attack but the wolf came up short; Steve peered around the massive bulk of blood matted fur to find the wolf's leg securely trapped between a set of giant metal jaws. Steve scrambled to his feet taking in the creature before him. The wolf was clearly having a bad day as it was mangled from something much worse than the steel trap around its leg.
Despite its injuries the wolf was determined to fend off any advance from his human adversary. Steve watched for a few moments, debating what course of action he should peruse. There was no denying the spirit and ferocity of the creature before him that would surely be visited upon Steve should he put himself within the animal's reach, but there was something in its eyes, a human quality that the super soldier couldn't ignore. Raising his hands in a nonthreatening gesture, Rogers began to inch forward cautiously.
The wolf locked eyes with him, coiling, ready to pounce at the man once again. "Easy there buddy," soothed Steve as he slowed his movements down even more. Again the wolf snapped when the blond moved within reach; fear and pain ever present in it's all too human eyes.
Rogers pulled back and looked around for anything that could help him free the wounded beast. Telegraphing his movements, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the granola bar he had grabbed with the intention of eating for breakfast and peeled the wrapper away. He let out a deep breath before breaking off a small piece, placing it in the palm of his hand. It wasn't the best idea in the world, but he was counting on his super reflexes to save his fingers should his instincts prove wrong. Keeping his hand steady as possible, Steve slowly stretched out his arm offering the tasty morsel up in a gesture of friendship and safety.
The wolf hunched down preparing to attack once again but paused as Rogers offered a warm smile, the scent of food tickling his snout, and curled himself into a small of threat as possible. They stared at each other; neither one quite trusting the other. Eventually the mass of black fur stuck its nose in the air and began to sniff, hesitantly moving closer to the out stretched hand. In a flash it grabbed the chunk of food and scrambled out of Steve's reach.
"See, it's alright. I'm not going to hurt you," murmured Rogers. He broke off another piece and held it out as he moved a few inches closer. The wolf looked hesitant but took the food, slower this time.
With the last bit in hand, Steve offered it to the frightened creature while bring his other hand up to stroke behind its shredded ears. The wolf let out a small growl but cut its protest off as it leaned into Rogers soothing touch. "Let's get you out of that trap, shall we?"
Very slowly, ever mindful that the wolf seemed to keep its eyes glued on his every movement, Steve reached over and grabbed the jaws of the metal trap. Drawing on his super strength he pried the vicious grip of the metal teeth open. The terrible gashes on the wolf's leg began to bleed freely as the pressure was released and a low whine vibrated through the animal. The second the metal contraption was pulled from the wolf's leg it leaped forward over Rogers' shoulder.
The beast was large to start with, enough muscle that Steve was knocked back by the force of it leaping away. The Captain caught a brief flash of black out of the corner of his eye as his feet fought to maintain purchase on the ground. Steve failed and topples over; a loud click and snap followed before a rush of excruciating pain ripped up his leg. His hand automatically reached out to grab his wounded limp and as the world came back into focus from the haze of pain, he realized he was now in the same situation he had found the wolf in.