Bad Ideas 2: Worse Ideas
Disclaimer: I don't own Marvel. Look at AoU for proof.
Worse Idea #11: Sticking Around?
The Avengers, Pepper, Hill and Sparky were all seated around the conference room. The dark sky of the night and the lights of the city below were all visible through the half-wall windows. Maria Hill hobbled in last, having been patched up the previous night, and took her place between Sam and Pepper. Steve was standing at the top of the room.
"Alright, we're here to discuss the best course of action to take with the detainee, David Hennessy. He's ex-HYDRA, or at least he says he is," Steve projected his voice around the room as he spoke, grasping his hands behind his back and standing straight. "Personally, I don't know why HYDRA would allow an operative to leave alive, much less let them wander around New York City."
Natasha appeared, almost from thin air, beside him with a light brown manila folder in her hand. She tossed it gently onto the long, polished table. It slid for a distance before stopping in front of Tony. He picked it up and flicked through the pages. He noted that it was unremarkable, apart from David's connection to Sparky. She was sitting on the left side at the very top of the table and stared at her hands. The file was thin, with little information on David's actual role and involvement with HYDRA. Tony guessed that this was because David's fascist inclinations were only revealed the very minute S.H.I.E.L.D. fell. Stark handed it to Pepper who read it and passed it on to Maria.
"I'd hate to be rude," Tony said, leaning back and raising his hand to his chin. Steve leaned on the table, palms flat. "But what do we know about him. What can he do? Is he like Sparky?"
Tony gestured at Hennessy as he spoke. Natasha saw that both she and Barton glanced back. Clint was leaning back slightly, one hand on Hennessy's chair. Jamie was hunched over the table, fidgeting with her hands. Her once light brown hair was now very dark and tied in a ponytail.
"Well, my mom would say yes," Sparky replied sarcastically, prompting a smirk from Clint. She looked down the table at Tony, who's shirt sleeves were rolled to his elbows. "No, David is not enhanced- if that's what you guys want to call it. As for what he can do… I have a lovely scar on my torso and a few on my back that demonstrate his abilities nicely."
Numerous looks and murmurs rippled along the table.
"Look, David once pulled a muscle putting on his socks in the morning. HYDRA must have trained him. I don't know when, or where, but they did," Hennessy stated seriously before resuming hed quiet demeanour and sitting deeper into her seat.
Natasha sat down in an empty chair opposite Clint. "David was a high-flying lawyer who worked with S.H.I.E.L.D. to put away their perps. He was privy to classified information, valuable information."
Clint shifted in his warm leather chair which squealed as he moved. He went red in the face as Hennessy smiled crookedly at him. Clint smiled breathlessly and Hennessy just winked before returning her attention to Natasha. Clint glanced down the table at Sam and Maria. Both were covering their faces with one hand and shaking their heads.
Natasha smirked before clearing her throat. She glanced at Steve, he met her gaze with a small smile.
"Anyway," Steve said, attempting to reign in the supposedly fully grown adults. "We need to figure out what route we should take for the interrogation."
He looked around the table, his blond hair shook as he moved his head and Steve chastised himself for not getting it cut. It was growing too long for his liking, though he was considering a beard.
"Romanoff…" Maria piped up. "I nominate Natasha." Hill shrugged as she spoke. Natasha was emotionless and her expression was the passive look that she had so perfected.
Steve looked around. "Those in favour of Natasha interrogating, raise your hand…"
Everyone in the room raised a hand, Rogers didn't even bother to count.
"That's settled then," he said. "Natasha, you'll interrogate."
Romanoff inclined her head. "Yes, sir."
Steve nodded slightly and seemed to squirm under Natasha's intense green gaze, much to Tony's amusement at the end of the table.
"Well, that's it…I guess…" Steve said, clearing his throat. He glanced at Sparky to his right. She nodded slightly.
"Alright, then. We can all, uhh, disperse," he said awkwardly. Everyone stood up and most left. Clint, Maria, Tony and Hennessy all went to join Steve and Natasha at the top of the room.
Clint and Maria sat on the table while the others stood, arms folded. A sombre mood descended upon them.
"What do we do with him? After all this, where does David go?" Hennessy asked. Steve clenched his jaw. That was the burning question. Maria sighed.
"S.H.I.E.L.D. doesn't have any holding site, yet. Technically, we don't even exist. You know I have no great love for 'em but, I recommend handing him over to the C.I.A.," Hill remarked. Natasha nodded.
"I agree. Doesn't make sense to keep him here, at least the Agency can prosecute him," she said. Hennessy pulled out a chair and sat down, letting her gaze fall to the floor.
"When does the questioning start? Are we sure this guy will talk?" Tony asked, shifting from foot to foot. Hennessy laughed somewhat harshly.
"Oh, he'll talk, alright," she said, looking up at the others. "He's never faced Romanoff before, plus, he had obvious tells when he lies. Eye twitches, bounces his leg and stuff. He cracks under pressure."
"You know him well," Steve stated. Hennessy looked at him from under her brow.
"He is my brother after all. I did live with him for twenty years," she said, smiling slightly.
"Twenty years?!" Clint asked incredulously. Sparky shrugged.
"No rent and my mom makes good food. We were tall enough to dust the ceiling corners and reach high shelves. It was a win-win for everyone…" she replied with a smirk. The others chuckled before Natasha spoke.
"We can start questioning today. No use in waiting," she said. Everyone agreed quietly but also looked to Hennessy, as if for permission. She clenched her jaw and swallowed, her expression passive. She nodded stiffly and the group shared a single, solemn look before leaving.
Clint heard something patter on the windows and looked over to see droplets of rain falling over the city that never slept. The drops of water distorted the view of the multi-coloured lights outside.
Maria yawned as she hobbled into the kitchen downstairs. She saw Sam sitting on the white marble-topped island, laptop open before him and a mug in hand. Maria went to make herself coffee.
"Hey," she greeted tiredly. Sam looked over his shoulder, where the coffee machine was situated.
"Hey," he replied, slightly brighter. "You alright?"
Maria retrieved her mug from the cupboard. "I'm okay. I could do without the headache and bullet wound, to be honest."
Sam laughed as he raised his own mug to his lips. Hill leaned against the counter and rubbed her face as she waited for her coffee to be made. Eventually she could retrieve her steaming mug and sat opposite Sam and his HP laptop.
"So, what you doing?" Maria asked, sipping her black coffee. "Fantasy football league again?" Sam chuckled deeply.
"I do love my fantasy team. But no, I actually happen to be working," he said, rubbing his eyes with the heels of his hands.
"That missing persons' case of yours again?" Hill asked. Sam looked up and nodded as he closed the lid of his computer. He sighed heavily through his nose and went for a refill.
"Are you any closer?" Maria inquired. She had a lot of sympathy for her friend. He had a tough job in locating the Winter Soldier-otherwise known as James 'Bucky' Barnes. In actual fact, tough was most likely an understatement.
"No, not really," Sam replied dejectedly. He got his coffee and sat back down opposite Maria. They sat in a companionable silence, drinking their warm coffee.
"What about you?" he asked. It was Maria's turn to sigh.
"Ugh. Stressed. Tired. Contemplating an early retirement," she replied, only half-joking. Sam chortled anyway.
"So, nothing new then?" he asked. Maria laughed. It was a sound seldom heard and Sam felt a rush at being able to coax it out of her.
"No, everything's more or less the same. Meeting, then a mission. Then getting shot. Then another meeting," she said dryly. Sam raised a dark eyebrow.
"Sounds fun."
"You've no idea."
Sam set down his mug again and looked at Hill. Her black hair was tied up but wispy strands of hair had fallen free of the up-do. It made her look uncharacteristically tired and casual. Sam gave a small smile.
"You-uhh- sticking around for a while?" he asked, picking at the mug. Maria shifted in her seat, not wanting to let him down.
"Honestly, I don't know. Cho doesn't want me back in the field for a week and now with the David Hennessy situation… I'm just not sure," she replied, glancing at Sam's soulful brown eyes. "If it's any consolation, I hope I am."
Sam gave a lopsided smile. He gazed at her face, Maria's blue eyes standing out instantly.
"I hope so too."
I hope you enjoyed this. Please, please let me know if you did. Also, let me know if you want to see more Sam and Maria, Romanogers and the like.
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