Cap rode right into Harlem. He got all kinds of looks as he did so. Cap didn't care what they or anyone thought; especially where freedom was concerned. Just so long as they stayed out of his way they were good. What about his prestigious past as cap? He didn't care. They could take it all down and revoke it for all he cared. He was just Steve Rogers nomad now. But he'd also earned what he had too; and they couldn't take that away from him. And if he hadn't done it none of it would have happened. Frankly the world owed him a few.

He would always still be cap; as in us army captain retired. He'd earned that. It was history.

He stopped his bike near a Harlem nightclub (where flag smasher chatter had been shield tagged) and got off. The residents in the streets looked at him with a mixture of emotional responses. They didn't necessarily make him out as the former cap but once they saw the new shield on his back, they at least figured he was different somehow.

Still for now they avoided him. He walked up to the door where a big black bouncer watched him from the instant his outsider white face had showed up.

"You're not allowed in here Adolf." Cap stopped in front of him. "I need to go in there." "You deaf white? Hell no." "Last time." The bouncer just scoffed. Cap then started forward past him. The bouncer's hand went firm to cap's chest.

Cap took his wrist and speedily flipped him onto his back breaking his wrist in the process. The bouncer held his wounded hand to his chest in pain. Cap walked right in.

The instant he did everyone looked at him. The live music that had been going on just stopped. A worker walked up to him. "How the hell did you get in here." "I assaulted the bouncer and walked right in." The worker was stunned. "Who the hell are you you crazy nut."

"Steve Rogers." The worker looked at him for a moment then laughed. "Yeah. And I'm his royal ebony highness king T'Challa. Course if I was I wouldn't be here would I? I'd be surrounded by coin and those hot bald mamas."

"I know T'Challa and he'd find your tone disrespectful." "Casper you're in the wrong part of town. Word."

Cap nodded pulled off his shield and threw it at the nearby wall and bounced it back to his hand. The worker and everyone else was further stunned. There was also growing realization that this was indeed cap.

"I need information. Now, do we do this the easy or the hard way. Your call; brother." Cap gave the worker a warrior stare. The don't screw with me kind.

"Let me see what I can find out. Wait here."

Cap took a few steps deeper into the club. He kept his shield on his arm. He wanted them to know he meant business and would back it up with his Laconian object if need be.

A man returned with the worker. He had armed security with him. The man spotted cap, his shield on his arm, and approached him a little more slowly. Everyone else continued to wait and see how this would go.

"Captain Rogers, really?" Said the man. "Since July 4, 1918 yeah." The man laughed a little. "Right. I'm Cornell stokes. I own this fine establishment." Pause "you were Captain America until just recently weren't you; but not anymore." "That's correct. I'm nomad now." "I see. So what's your new gig." "Destroying evil by any means needed. As leftists like to say." "Left? This is an apolitical establishment—"

Cap jabbed him in the throat to put him to his knees. People tensed. The guards started for their guns but stokes held up a hand. They complied. Smart cap thought. Somebody actually did their homework.

If a fight had to be fought to do what was right cap wouldn't hesitate. And they wouldn't be able to hide behind race like they did with everything else. It'd just be a good old fashioned fight; and he'd lay their asses out.

As he always said: he could do this all day. And in more ways than one. He was an expert in kicking ass. Didn't matter what color the ass was. They all got kicked the same way.

Stokes finally caught his breath and then stood. "Can we speak alone Captain." "Fine." Any could be flag smashers but they were everywhere. Cap was going on a gut call permitting this but this stokes guy being in charge seemed to be the guy to go through for this.

"Tell everyone to leave now," stokes said to his men. They complied. "We're alone now Captain. It's just two men having a conversation." "Bullshit stokes. You're in bed with the flag smashers and the Mexican cartel." Stokes rubbed his throat while giving cap a small smile. He then walked over to the bar. "Would you like a drink Captain? Talk our business better this way."

Cap said nothing and kept his shield ready. "I have no intention of doing myself in here Captain." "Really. And how do you know I won't do you in anyway." Stokes smile dropped. Cap at the very least wanted to keep him guessing. And hopefully getting something honest out of him here.

"I'm doing work with them all." "What're their plans?" "To destabilize the city. Pave the way for a globalist agency to take over. It will be regional and expand out from there."

That matched up with things so far. But cap would need a helluva lot more. Especially if this guy wanted to live. But that too was up to him.

"Are you a flag smasher or just in business with them?" Stokes' smile returned a little. He poured himself a drink. "The latter; strictly. I can make a deal..."

Cap took a few steps closer to stokes; and his glare hardened. "I'm an unofficial asset now stokes..." stokes' smile fell away again. He couldn't smooth talk his way out of this now.

"What's going on here?" Demanded power man Luke Cage from the main doorway.

Stokes "company just arrived..." his smile again returned a little. He was a gambler too. Risk and reward...