I hope this was good.
Disclaimer: I do not own The Avengers or Pacific Rim.
The word that Steve was looking for a co-pilot spread fast. There were quite a few of the students who would have loved to copilot with Captain America but most of the students had seen him spar before and luckily a lot realized that they weren't going to be able to manage it. Some of the more dutiful ones showed up however and those who honestly thought they might be able to drift well enough with him to copilot.
The first day was a sad failure since Steve took his 'fan' students first. The next day was better and although none was well enough Steve managed to identify a few possible prospects.
The third and last day Steve took the final few who had decided to try just because they might as well. He was on his third trial for the day when he became aware that he had some new spectators. One was Hill, the other was Tony Stark, Howard's son.
Howard's death, like those of the Commandos had hit him hard. Still he would have liked to have met Howard's son but Tony Stark apparently had had an aversion to meeting him and so Steve hadn't pushed. Seeing him here was a surprise. However, unlike Hill who watched each spar intently, Stark spent most of his time buried in his tablet and only on occasion lifted his head to inspect the trials.
Steve ignored them both as best he could and focused on the trials. The students he sparred with were surprisingly better than the two days. It was, Steve concluded, that they weren't quite so serious about it and thus were able to be themselves more than the others, giving Steve a better view of how they really were.
Still, none of them really stood out to him and he finished sparring with the last student, shaking their hands and thanking them for coming, even while he was feeling rather disappointed. At the same time though he was rather relieved, not because he didn't want anyone else in his head but because he didn't want any one of them to die.
His relief was cut short by a degrading snort from Stark. It was apparently in response to Steve's thanks to the student and was so depreciating that it instantly raised Steve's hackles.
"Problem?" he asked coolly.
"Oh, no," he said, "I'm sure they're doing their best."
Steve raised an eyebrow. "You think you can do better?"
"I know I can do better," Stark said dismissively which made Steve even angrier because at least the students were trying. Stark, a graduated pilot, apparently couldn't even be bothered to try.
"Prove it," said Steve his anger and the frustration of the last three days pushing him to speak recklessly.
"You do know that I graduated from the academy right, which none of these have done? And I graduated top of my class. That's proof enough!" Stark said.
"That's a piece of paper," said Steve. "Prove it. Spar with me."
"I don't have to prove anything to you!" snapped Stark annoyance changing to anger. His acid tone snapped Steve out of his dangerously swirling emotions and he took a deep breath and visibly calmed himself.
"You're right," he said, "You don't. I'm sorry. But I'm asking, spar with me?"
Stark glared at him through narrowed eyes clearly unsure how to take is apology or his offer but after a moment, he snatched the staff Steve was holding out to him and toed off his shoes.
Steve picked up another staff and they stepped towards the middle of the mat. Stark was still annoyed if the tilt of his brows was anything to go by but he was here on the mats and took his stance. A moment later Hill called the start.
Stark moved instantly. He was fast, faster than any of the recruits, but to Steve, he was still slow enough for him to counter comfortably. It was only a few blows later that he managed to 'land' a blow in an opening.
"One, zero," he said staff hovering above Stark's skin. Stark said nothing but after a brief pause, he whirled. Steve whirled to counter him and had to stop short when Stark changed tactics midway through, the movement arcing down instead of up. Steve twisted to counter, his enhanced speed giving him the edge he needed to meet the blow in time but Stark abandoned the movement, stepping away, twisting and stepping back in, staff swooping in precise motions.
Steve whirled in response, attacking, but Stark managed to slip cleverly away each time, clearly somehow managing to predict Steve's motions in time to avoid them. He was smart, Steve realized far too late. Incredibly, ridiculously smart because as far as Steve could tell, the only way to avoid someone so much stronger and faster than yo,u would be to somehow map all the possible moves they could do and be prepared for each one.
He was also an incredible fighter. His form was perfect, speaking of long, hard practice and he swung the staff like it was an extension of him. Something the recruits hadn't quite ever managed. Stark, Steve realized, understood why rangers were taught staff fighting, understood the purpose of it, something the recruits did not.
He was still angry at Steve's words but confident with in his skills. He channeled his anger efficiently, and moved quick and light. The crash of his staff against Steve's was surprisingly strong. When you first saw him, he didn't give the appearance of strength. But he had it. Strength and determination, stubbornness, and pride, humor, Steve noted next, a love for the fight, elegance, style, in the swirling flowing motion that he used to sweep Steve of his feet.
Steve jumped to avoid being swept of his feet and when he landed he was greeted by a staff hovering by his face.
"One: one," said Stark.
Steve twisted his staff, engaging the end that threatening his face, whirled to place his back to Stark shoving his staff behind him.
Stark's stiffness, told him his staff had come close to landing a blow. "2:1" Steve offered back over his shoulder with a smirk. Stark grabbed Steve's staff and stepped closer to Steve, twisting as he did so to trap Steve's staff against his side and lashed out with his own.
Steve rolled forward still holding onto his staff and tossed Stark over him and laid him out flat on his back but stark rolled, came up to his feet, jabbing forward with his staff as he did so. Steve stepped back to avoid the first jab and opened himself up for the second one.
"2:2" said Stark, a wicked gleam lighting up his eyes for a moment. Steve moved, engaging him in a flurry of blows, gauging just how he moved and felt Stark do the same for him. Stark won the next point and Steve won another a scant second after him.
"3:3" he breathed.
They were in motion a second after that, Steve in strategic plays, and Tony in graceful, clinical motions. It was more of a dance that last encounter. Tony was warmed up enough by now that he was moving at his best which was a far faster than he had started at. He also now had a good gage on how Steve moved and exactly how fast and strong he was. He turned Steve's strength against him, worked around his speed, threw in convoluted but brilliant plans in motion to get another point on him.
Steve, fighting the best that he'd had at since he woke up, was working on being as unpredictable as possible, putting all his knowledge into play about tactics to find the gap in Tony's knowledge. He used his strength and speed to advantage, worked out how Tony was responding to them and responded to Tony's response.
The fourth point was simultaneously won, and both Steve and Tony was left breathing harshly with the staffs at each other's throats.
They stared at each other for a long moment and then stepped back, giving the customary bow and then Stark tossed his staff to Steve saying.
"Well that's my exercise for the day!" With that he, snatched up his shoes and walked out the training room.
Steve blinked after him and Maria clapped startling everyone. "Alright! Thank you for coming everyone," she said. "You'll be notified of you make it any further in the trials. Dismissed."
The recruits nodded to her and busily went away, taking great care not to look at Steve. Steve looked at Maria grateful that she had taken charge for that moment.
"You're welcome. Now don't look at me," she said, "You'll have to ask him yourself."
Steve huffed out a laugh. "Was it so obvious?"
"Well that was the first conversation you've had all day," she said blandly, "Everything else was just small talk!"
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