Chapter Eight

Steve woke to his annoying cell phone ringing, he remembered a time when he hated land lines but the cell was even worse. He rolled over on his side and flipped it open before he could even open his eyes. He spent most of the night going over events with Fury, and then a few more hours filling out paper work by that time he was wide awake and had to work out an hour or two to get enough energy burnt off to sleep. He grunted quietly, only one person called him on his phone, "yeah..."

"Yo, Capsicle! Hey hey, sleeping beauty!"

"Hey, Tony," he groaned as he sat up and opened his eyes. The room he crashed in at the base over night didn't have a window. He decided it was best if he didn't go home for an hours sleep.

"Hey, I hear you're into wild life rescue now."

"Just a small incident in my neighborhood," he said as a half truth but knew Tony knew the reality of everything going on at the base.

"Yeah, well, I have a friend of mine from college coming into town so we're having a party tonight," the man hooted. Steve could almost see the smiling man grinning from ear to ear like the excited man child he was. "Care to join me, you ol hound dog you."

It was technically his day off, he was going to go for a run and work out, but there was little more for him to do after doing his routine. He opened his door and saw the man standing right next to it, and he frowned, "I'm hanging up now."

Tony was a shorter than him by a great deal with dark hair, dark eyes, and perfectly trimmed goatee. He wore clothes more expensive than Steve's whole year of pay and had smile from ear to ear. He clapped in on his shoulder as he pushed his way in, "what's up boss."

Steve snorted, "you could have just knocked."

"I could have, but that would have been less restful," he grinned as he sat on the terribly uncomfortable bunk.

"Pepper and you got in a fight, huh?"

"Fight? No," he said with a shake of his head. "More like she was peeved that I'm meeting up with Ro."

"Ro," he asked. He had heard about this man a few times from Pepper, but sounded like she disliked his wife more than him. "Who is he again?"

"We went to college together and he's the only genius I know who hasn't tried to kill me yet."

That's right, the man owned one of the biggest tech firms in Japan. He never met him but Tony didn't have many friends outside of their group, and that was one Banner thought was an odd duck.

"No, I think you should leave that up to Pepper."

"Funny first thing in the morning," he laughed, "anyways, he's in town to sign a contract with someone so I wanted to throw a party."

"And I'm invited?"

"Actually everyone is but you're the only available along with Nat?"

Steve nodded, "yeah, Rhodes and Sam are working today. You don't want Vision and Wanda?"

"She seems preoccupied by something, who blew up the hanger last night?"

"More than a bear," Steve answered.

"Oh, well, exterminator looks good on you."

"What's wrong, Tony."

"Fury says Maria went off the grid last night," he paused holding up a thumb drive. Steve recognized it as the one from last night. "Something spooked her good whatever happened, I hope you have longer explanation than earthly Odin but he can't get whatever she put on here. It's encrypted terribly well."

Steve leaned on his knees and folded his hands, was it the 'bear' or the woman named Kayura that spooked his boss. It bothered him that the woman who fearlessly faced down Chitauri, Hydra, and Ulton minions was spooked by a girl who couldn't even defeat her own monster. He asked, "so why do you want me there?"

"Just thinking that the woman who fearlessly helped us out so many times shouldn't be spooked so easily?"

Steve had to agree with simple nod, "what did Fury tell you."

"Said she had a past like the rest of us but hers might still have teeth."

Steve didn't like the sound of that. She was a formidable woman on her own, but he never thought any of the mild mannered lady having a 'past'. He nodded, "sure, you think that might cause some trouble?"

"I'm guessing so," he said holding it up. "Something on here could let us know what she freaked out about and if she's in trouble."

"Sounds like you're fond of her."

"What can I say, she's kept my ass out of trouble numerous times."

Steve stood up, she had kept them all out of trouble more than once, "just let me get dressed."

There was something biting at him, it all seemed to coincidental. The monster targeting him, his boss vanishing, and Maria taking information. He really hoped this would be a party, but the last one sort of affirmed it wouldn't be. He would bring his shield just in case.