Chapter 6- Surrounded
"You didn't have to do this."
The person sat down. He had taken off the hood on his head when they had entered to show his hair hung low, and was disheveled. He didn't meet the gazes of Cap and Sam, but rather seemed more interested in the table.
"Don't worry about it." Sam replied, "It's the least we can do for scaring you."
"I-I can pay…I promise…" The man began digging in his pocket, pulling out a crumpled dollar bill and some coins when Cap stopped him.
"No need to." He pushed the dollar bill back into the man's hand. "Keep it."
The man slowly put the money back in his pocket, his gaze never leaving Cap. He seemed to have forgotten they could see his face, because his wariness was becoming clearer and clearer with each second.
Cap sighed quietly, and glanced down to the menus that were placed in front of the three of them.
"Go on." He said, having glanced back up to see the man hadn't moved.
The man stole a glance at the plastic menu. There were the symbols again. They were waiting for him, waiting for him to make a fool of himself. He didn't want to touch, to look past to see what was next.
"Is…is something wrong?" Sam asked, watching the man flush bright red. The lights flickered above head once.
"I…" He lowered his voice, but his words were unable to be heard.
Cap's eyebrows furrowed, "What?"
The man took another sigh, not meeting their gazes, "I can't read it. I can't."
He was met with silence, and he didn't dare look up to see their reaction.
He jumped, though, when someone scooted in next to him. He looked up as one of the men (Sam) picked up the menu.
"That's okay. Let's see if we can find something. I'll read them out, and you tell me what you want, alright?"
The man seemed to realize he was staring, almost gaping, because he closed his mouth and quickly nodded.
Cap nodded and sat back, looking through his own. Or at least it seemed like it, with the way he had it propped up on the table.
The man looked up, no longer listening to Sam.
"Do you hear that?"
Sam stopped explaining the menu at his sudden question, "Hear what?"
Was he the only one hearing this? That couldn't be right…
But now that he thought about it, this…buzz had always been there. Since that first night, it had been at the back of his mind. Was it really now just loud enough for him to notice?
"…Nothing. Must have just been me."
Sam held gaze with him for a moment, before nodding and returning to the menu.
"Heard anything you like?"
"Um…" he chose randomly from what he remembered being said, "The eggs."
"Sunny side up?"
"Sure."
The man sitting across didn't look up at that. He seemed to be staring at his stood-up menu intently. He tilted his head and the buzz seemed to be coming from there the loudest. Whatever the man was actually looking at…
"Steve."
Both Steve and the unnamed man looked to Sam and the waiting waitress.
"What do you want?"
Steve straightened, "Just coffee, please."
The waitress nodded, started off, and Steve returned to whatever he was engrossed in. His eyebrows furrowed slightly.
"Steve."
The man jumped, and so did Steve, though no one noticed the former. The female voice called again and Steve stood, phone in hand.
"Sorry. I've got to take this."
The man tilted his head. He hadn't heard a ring or a vibration, but he didn't argue as Steve went outside, the door closing loudly behind him.
"So…" Sam said after a long moment, "What's your name?"
The man blinked, looking away from Steve (who was visible through the window), "My name?"
That was a question he hadn't been asked before.
"Yeah. What is it?"
"I…"
What is my name?
"I don't know." He shook his head, "I don't remember."
"You don't remember?" Sam looked to him, "You mean all those people you worked for never asked your name?"
He shook his head.
"Is there anything you would want to be called?"
The man shrugged, "I can't think of anything."
"Hm." Sam frowned, then shook his head, "W-We'll figure it out. My name's Sam."
He held out his hand and the man took it.
Sam…the named sounded familiar…but still…
He stopped and turned as he heard the woman's voice again.
"Steve have you been looking at the tracker?"
Steve's voice came across as well.
"That's all I've been looking at. It doesn't make sense…"
"Wherever you are, one of the programs is there, too."
"I know. What doesn't make sense is that there's no one here except the workers, Sam, me, and…"
"Who else, Steve? Who else is there?"
"There's a man we found…we're pretty sure he's homeless…"
"Could he be a program?"
"I doubt it. He didn't glow…"
"Still, we're heading to your location. We'll need to trace the signal and get as close as we can. We don't know what we're going against."
"Got it."
The man looked up to see Sam was on his phone, not paying him any mind. He felt sick all of a sudden, like a weight rested at the bottom of his stomach. They were looking for someone, this…program, and they think it's him.
Could it be him? He had no knowledge of being this program, but then again, he didn't recollection of anything…
What would they do if they thought he was?
He wasn't certain; all he knew was that more were coming. They were…tracing…
Out.
That was the sudden thought.
I need out.
And he didn't question it.
"Excuse me."
Sam heard him and stood, letting him pass.
"I'll be back."
"Restroom's that way." Sam pointed.
The man glanced to it, and then nodded, "Thanks."
He went to the hallway and stopped as he heard the door open. He glanced back to see Steve return, followed by two women. Sam glanced up, then scooted over to let Steve sit next to him, as the women sat on the other side.
"Where is he?" Steve asked.
"He went to the restroom. He'll be back in a moment."
"Good." One of the women sighed, but the man had stopped listening fully. He looked up, and at the end of the corridor, a door with a big, red sign above the way stood propped open, light spilling in. He didn't need to read to know it was a way out.
"The program is somewhere in here."
"What?"
"Where are they?" Steve asked after Sam's hiss.
"Excuse me." Another woman interrupted, and she got to her feet.
Footsteps echoed across the tile and the man quickly reached the door.
He froze as the footsteps stopped and there was a gasp. Part of him wanted to look back to the frozen women behind him. However, his adrenaline returned and he pushed the door open and ran out.
He had barely turned onto the street when the door to the restaurant slammed open and a woman was hot on his heels. Her hood had fallen off and her red hair was catching wind as she took chase.
He slipped past someone who had been slow to move out of the way, past a vendor, and into a group of people. Someone yelled at him as he pushed his way through.
A buzz was loud in his right ear, but he shook his head as he pushed passed the person who had been staring at their phone. They yelled something after him when he hit their elbow, but he didn't stop to reply.
He turned left, and glanced back to see that the woman had disappeared, but that Steve was on his heels, Sam not far behind. He stumbled off the curb, and his ankle protested as his foot went to an awkward angle on him. Crying out, he stumbled and picked up his leg to continue running. With each step on his left ankle, a jolt of pain would make him take a shorter stride, only to compensate with his other leg.
"Back up requested. Target is injured."
He shook his head at the sound and forced himself to go faster, biting his lip.
The car horn made him snap around. As the car closed in at full speed, he covered his face with his arms.
The tires screeched and when the hit never came, the man lowered his arms. The car had stopped in place. The headlights were blinking and the radio's bass shook the car as the driver inside screamed at the engine, slamming his fist on the dash. His eyes followed the scene a moment longer as he ran into the alleyway off the street. He turned left when the ground was suddenly careening towards him. Or rather, he was growing closer to the ground. He grunted at the weight on his back, but froze at the click and the push against his head.
"Don't move." There was the women's voice again, the one from the conversation with Steve that he wasn't sure how he heard. She moved the weapon, a taser, down to the middle of his back, "I will shoot this."
"That won't be necessary." Steve said as the rest of the group caught up. Natasha looked up, met his gaze, and got off the man, still aiming her weapon at him. He didn't move, but his gaze followed her, and he tensed as Steve took her place. She stood in front of him, her aim never leaving him.
"We can do this the easy way." Steve proposed, the weight letting off slightly, "And you can come with us peacefully. We'll ask you a couple questions, and then you'll be on your way. Sound good?"
However, the man hadn't been listening. Consumed by the buzz, his gaze followed his to the edge of the woman's taser. If he planned this right….
"Sound good?" Steve repeated.
He started as the man's shaky hand reached out towards Natasha. Electricity arced from the taser towards him. Her eyes widened as it made contact with his arm. But he didn't scream. His eyes followed the arc down his arm and into his sleeve.
And Steve was too slow, as the man turned, his arm aimed at the hero now. The electricity blasted out and Steve was thrown off his feet, but was followed by the others to the ground. Panting, the man got to his feet, and past Natasha as she regained consciousness from her quick blackout when her head had hit the wall. Pain forgotten, he rounded the corner and entered a quiet district. He had glanced back and then grunted as he collided with a CLANG. He looked up to the shop and its metal bars he had run into. His hands gripped and shook them, but the blank TV screens only showed his reflection. He turned to run to find he was surrounded, surrounded at every turn. As they grew closer, his breath hitched and he backed up. The bars shook and he gasped at the touch.
Too close too close too close…!
Sam slowed, and his eyes widened as behind this nameless man, the TV screens turned on, one by one, and then began to flicker.
"Get back!" he called, and grabbed the other woman by her arm. He ignored her look and pulled her back.
But it was too late. The screens and glass shattered. Electricity traveled up the iron bars and through his hands. He let go of the bars as he noticed, looking to his hands as it continued through his form. The line at the base of his neck came to life. His sleeves flew up with the force to show his arms.
That's what they had meant by they glow.
Indeed, the glitch must have done more than transport this program to their world.
It sparked off the program, who in turn looked back up to those watching him. Instantly, he raised his arm, and the electricity struck outwards, causing the team to fall. He started forward. Sam pushed the girl back and ran towards the program on his left side. He noticed and with wide eyes, turned. Sam managed to grab the program by the arm. However, he screamed and let go as when the program had tried to push him off, the electricity had transferred into his body.
"Wanda!" The other woman turned to Steve at his call.
"Do you think you can_"
"I….I don't know!"
"Try it! You won't know until you try."
"We'll distract him for you." Natasha said from the other side of Steve. Wanda nodded, Steve and Natasha exchanged a look, and then started after the program. Natasha threw a rock she had picked up, and it hit the program's arm. He turned to her, and the electricity thrummed with higher intensity as his eyes narrowed. She and Steve sprinted towards him. He gave a cry, aiming his arm at them. They jumped different directions to avoid the electricity. Sighing, he closed his eyes, searching for more…
And his eyes snapped back open with a gasp. It was leaving…leaving him!
He slowly turned to see the final woman. A red aura flowed from her fingertips, and her eyes were narrowed in concentration. The electricity was gathering into a large ball into between her hands. He felt so…weak.
He grunted as he tried to hold on to whatever he could, to protect himself. Her nostrils flared and she readjusted her hold, pulling in more. He fell to his knees, then, as exhaustion crept up on him, she stopped. He lay on the ground. So weak…so so weak….
His head had rolled to the side as the group surrounded him. However in the alleyway, he could see a form watching. It was fuzzy at best, and as darkness edged into his vision, the form turned and disappeared before everything went dark.
"Forget the backup. We got him."