Part 4: Boss Man -
I am not running. Those four little words have become a looped sequence in Rory Williams' brain, churning away over and over until he doesn't even have to concentrate to know that they're still repeating on a seemingly endless cycle. He is not running away. He would place his hand on a bible and swear to that fact! Hell, he'd put his hand on the damn -Hippocratic Oath- and swear to it. And at least, to himself, it would in no way be a lie. Because he really doesn't look at it as running. He looks at it as .. making a swift exit from the med labs to save his own sanity. After putting up with the droll, slow pace of working on Dr. Banner, since the smallest injury could send the man into a total melt down that created a large, green superman, Rory is snappy, tired, and -really- not in the mood to deal with anyone. In fact, the though to dealing is soooo not possible at the moment, even if he were willing to -try- and deal with something.
He stuffs every last bit of emotion deep down inside, and continues his swift walk through HQ. If nothing else, he -definitely- has to thank Jack for that, at least. After watching the Captain swagger around Cardiff for a year with that high and mighty, I run everything always, you can't touch me attitude, Rory had picked up a thing or two. Like, move quick, with a determined look on your face, and walk as if you -own- the place, and most people will get out of your way real quick. Those who aren't smart enough to, are usually easy to breeze right on past, so it doesn't matter in the end. You are usually left to your own devices, so to speak. No one challenges you, bugs you, or in any way tries to get your attention.
As long as you're Captain Jack Harkness, apparently, and not just lowly Rory Williams! Because the moment Rory is within sight of the door that would lead him out for some fresh air, he can feel this sort of tingle down his back. It would've been Spidey Sense, if you know, he had anything like that. Instead, it's a soldier's intuition. He stops dead in his tracks and turns on a dime .. his back goes rigid and stiff, and he stands at attention. Fury stops in surprise, having expected to have to tap Rory on the shoulder or something. He draws up short, features unreadable even though he cracks a little bit of a smile for the younger man.
"Rory, there you are. I was looking for you down in the med labs, and they said you were headed up here. I'm glad I caught you before you headed out for a bit. You're gonna have to postpone your break. I need you to handle a rather .. delicate matter for me." Rory doesn't speak, just gives a curt nod of his head, awaiting orders. Fury finds it comical in a sense .. Captain America had become thought of as the quintessential Soldier in all of this, but Fury could see some of the same quality in their medic. More so, in some areas, actually. Not that he'd ever say anything like that.
Fury reaches out in front of him, indicating for Rory to start walking. The man about faces on a dime and takes off at a steady walk, Fury leading him toward his office. Once inside, with the door closed, Fury would motion for Rory to sit, which of course, he does. Fury takes his place behind the desk, picking up a folder that had been sitting square in the middle of the desk, all alone. Obviously important.
"Now. Is it correct that you were briefed on the big battle that brought the Avenger's Initiative together?" Rory gives another curt nod, sitting straight and tall in the chair, listening. If this was a favor from the man that is basically his Boss, it had to be big. But for the life of him, Rory can't understand why the man would come to -him-, one of the two new guys on the block, so to speak, and ask for his help. That intimidated him a little, though he'd never admit it.
"Good. Now, I won't waste time asking if your file is real, Mr. Williams. We have mutants, men in metal suits, and space alien gods on this time ... not to mention a man that I know, for a fact, cannot or will not, stay dead. So, the fact that your file says you've been back and forth through time ... I don't doubt it. It says that you were a Roman Legionnaire .. worked your way up to Centurion, and eventually, all the way to Tribune before you came back to this time. Correct?" Another curt, to the point nod from Rory.
"Then, I'm going to be a bit .. blunt. You had to do many unsavory things to survive in Caesar's service. You had to let the man use your mind and body as his weapon, and it couldn't have been easy. You also managed to come -back- from something that horrible, joined a team that saved the world just as surely as the Avengers have .. encountered a lot of horrible things, even had an alien entity invade you for a bit ... you know what it's like to be used and unable to help it." Rory doesn't flinch .. outwardly. But inside .. he flinches, winces, and is doing everything in his power to keep his cool and NOT think about that time in his life. A man can only be pushed so far, even when knowing that the killing of the one that is pushing you so bad would wipe out time as you know it ... he had come close to killing the son of a bitch for all the bad he had done. History was FAR too kind to that man.
And his time at Torchwood .. he doesn't want to get his thoughts started on any of THAT.
"This file is .. -very- confidential. While it's true that the team know what the individual has been through, I would rather it not be openly discussed. I know that this isn't your job ... that it's -nowhere- in the realm of what you're supposed to do .. but please. Take all the time you need." Fury carefully slides the folder over to him before standing up to leave the room .. leaving Rory to look through the file. Hunkering down with a deep breath, Rory dives into the thing, trying to understand why Fury thought he'd be the best man to handle the situation.
An hour and a half later, Rory had read the file through twice, and then just ... stared at it. The contents really weren't that surprising if Rory compared it to the day to day happenings he had experienced in Torchwood .. he had seen something very similar, in fact. One of the young women that had joined the team in their last few months before closing down, had been infected by a strange sort of alien plant spore that had taken her over .. that had controlled her and no matter how she fought, she couldn't get away. Rory had experienced it as well ... for the few short minutes before the creature was destroyed. Apparently, there was something about going through the Rift that had changed him. The plant creature got a hold, and then ... just withered and died. Jack had said Rory was too strong for it ... Rory had assumed that was just Jack trying to make him feel better, rather than feel like some kind of freak or something. Unfortunately, working for Torchwood could make one feel lower than dirt and way too different, far too often.
It had always left Rory wondering -why- Jack would subject himself to that kind of thing, of his own free will, for so damn long. Jack had practically lived and breathe Torchwood for so long now ... it also made Rory wonder how Jack had retained even a spark of his humanity. After another twenty minutes of trying to decide how to approach the situation, he's no closer to an answer than he had been when he first started reading the file. Clint Barton ... aka Hawkeye .. Rory's lips twitch in a slight smile. Hawkeye seemed like such a strange nickname, but then .. who was he to comment on weird? The Last Centurion ... the Immortal Captain ... even the Doctor .. such strange names that they all went by. And in a way, all fitting, also. He had clung to the ideals of a Centurion soldier, even after coming back through the Rift and ending up in Cardiff. Jack .. he had reached the rank of Captain many times over in so many different forms of military that it makes Rory's head spin ... and the Doctor .. well, he was the man trying to heal the entire Universe. A job that would drive anyone insane. And he's still not sure that it hadn't ..
He carefully closes the file and places it smack dab in the middle of Fury's desk, where it had begun, and pushes himself to his feet. Maybe the best way to deal with this wasn't by -planning-. No, he should approach this the same way he had approached trouble with his cohort back in Roman. Heartfelt seemed to work more often than not. He turns and exits the office, nearly colliding with a young woman that he had seen around the labs. She was nice, sweet, though she seemed to talk on and on, without saying much of anything. She also seemed really nervous. When they nearly collide, he reaches out to grab her by the shoulders, to stop their momentum so they don't run into each other. She immediately goes red in the cheeks, and starts to stammer something, unable to form true words, though.
"Sorry, ma'am. I didn't mean to burst out like that. Oh! You're just the person I was looking for, actually, Miss Andrews!" Rory's words cause the woman to practically light up, Rory not seeming to realize the fact. Nor does he see the way she edges slightly closer to him once his hands have fallen from her shoulders.
"Oh! Really? How can I help you, Rory?" Rory doesn't seem to blink when she uses his first name, his gaze having started to wander in search of something. He finds himself a little uncomfortable with the fact that so many seemed to work here, and he still hadn't learned his way around, yet. He sighs, feeling his own cheeks light in a little blush.
Yeah, picture that; adorable, cute Rory, blushing, smiling sheepishly, the kind of portrait he must paint to Miss Andrews, who is looking at him like he's a Nerd godling come to life or something! And imagine how -clueless- Rory would be about it all.
"I'm .. a bit lost around here, still, and I've no clue where to find someone. I'm looking for Mr. Barton .. erm, Hawkeye .. do you know where he might be?" For one moment, Miss Andrews looks utterly shattered, and Rory looks really confused. If Jack had seen this play out, he would've hurt something laughing so hard. The fact that Rory could be so clueless was downright adorable to the Captain.
"Oh , uhm ... M-Mr. Barton. Of course .. uhm .." She scrambles to compose herself, taking a step back to look around the office for a moment. Never had she been so embarrassed, and never had she been so wounded, though Rory didn't understand what was happening here. And maybe that's what wounds her the most, it felt as if she were being looked right through or something. "Mr. Barton is more than likely out in the practice bunker. There's an archery facility set up out there ... Excuse me, Mr. Williams." With that, she turns and heads out of the area, leaving Rory standing there, confused. However, he knows that he doesn't have the time to try and figure it out. He heads off in search of Hawkeye.