Title: The Set-Up
Author: SLynn
Summary: Three months after Clint Barton's death and what remains of the Avengers is still struggling to make sense of it all as the threat to SHIELD, and to them all, looms larger.
Notes: Well, this chapter is almost exactly twice as long as the last. Sorry about that! Or, if you like long chapters, you're welcome! Enjoy!
Steve had tried taking his frustration out on the heavy bag in the gym but it didn't work. It hadn't worked in a very long time. His mind was too full and he was left feeling more confused than when he started.
The problem was there were too many problems.
He'd give anything for a straightforward challenge. A direct confrontation or fight. Some person or place to just go after and be done with it. All this cloak and dagger business wasn't his specialty. That had been Natasha and Clint's area of expertise, which only frustrated him further, given the fact that it had made the attack on them all the more successful.
He had to admit that when Maria had first broached the subject of a severe fracture within SHIELD to him, he'd believed her, but he hadn't thought the problem was as serious as she seemed to think. To be fair, she later admitted she hadn't thought it was as big as it was either. All their minds had been changed after Clint had been murdered; this was about more than just replacing Director Fury or moving a few favorites into key positions.
But how much bigger could it be and what could they really do about it?
There were so many moving parts to keep track of and too many changing players. He hadn't meant to hurt Maria by agreeing with the Bruce, but they did need Morse. Bobbi Morse had been inside Counter Intelligence and knew things about the underbelly of SHIELD that none of them did. Steve still wasn't sure they could trust her, that this wasn't just another trap meant to ensnare them all, but they were out of options. Something had to be done.
He really hadn't wanted to hurt Maria.
Steve stopped swinging and stepped back taking a seat at the nearby bench and sinking into his own dejection.
Maria wasn't a problem, not in his eyes, only a complication.
They had only talked about it once, this thing that was becoming very clear between them, and they'd agreed without much debate that it wouldn't be a good idea. It had been a little simpler then, a few months ago; almost a casual dismissal of anything that might be. And while that was all well and good, it had only been words; neither of them had altered their behavior in the slightest and so it still felt like something about to begin not...
It was a complication.
Steve respected Maria and her decision, but the truth was she hadn't made one and really neither had he. Not then. They'd both agreed it wouldn't be a good idea, but that hadn't been 'no'. He wished he'd have pushed just a little harder and made it all clear. Asked one more question. He thought that maybe he still could find the time to ask if that was what she really wanted, but if the very idea of it wasn't good than the timing was worse.
But Steve really couldn't live with maybe.
He needed a definite answer to move on and the sooner the better. He'd wasted too much time with Peggy, lost more than he thought imaginable, and now he'd begun to do the same thing with Maria.
He wouldn't let that happen again.
"Captain Rogers," JARVIS called, interrupting his thoughts, "Mr. Stark has asked you to join him in the lounge."
"Everything all right?"
"I believe so, sir, but Mr. Stark did ask that you hurry."
Steve nodded and pulled the tape from his hands, stuffing it back into his gym bag and heading out of the room with a slow jog to the elevator. It was too late for Tony to just be messing around, he hoped, and besides, Tony would just show up at the gym if he was looking to talk. He felt that familiar sensation in his stomach that told him something was wrong; something had happened and once more it wouldn't be good.
"Hey," Tony said, meeting him at the elevator and confirming in Steve's mind his initial assessment.
"What's wrong?" Steve asked, looking around and surprised to see Bruce wasn't already there waiting.
"Don't..." Tony started and then stopped himself, already trying a different approach. "Okay, so, everything is fine now but -"
"What happened?" Steve asked growing impatient.
"Someone broke into Hill's apartment," Tony said quickly.
"What?" Steve asked and his entire body felt suddenly cold.
"Everything is fine now," Tony repeated. "Hill wasn't hurt but... Steve?"
Steve had already turned and walked back to the elevator, pressing the button with more force than strictly necessary.
"Maybe we think this over before we rush out the door?" Tony suggested, already knowing that's where Steve was headed and having already determined to accompany him.
"She didn't call?" Steve asked, stepping onto the elevator and looking restlessly from the door to the floor indicator, wondering why they weren't moving faster.
"No."
"Then who did?"
"No one did," Tony admitted.
"Then -"
"I designed a simple program that uses an algorithm to monitor police scanners in the city looking for keywords like our names, certain addresses and such," Tony shrugged, all of his words coming out in a near-jumbled rush. "JARVIS let me know that it got a hit and I reviewed the transmission. Her place was broken into but she was completely unharmed. I swear it. They caught the guy and are taking him to the hospital, so I guess all those kickboxing classes she takes are worth it."
"Not now, Tony," Steve said quietly as he briefly shut his eyes. "Does SHIELD know?"
"Probably, which is why we should consider our next move."
"Tony," Steve said, heading through the Avengers entrance to the main elevators that would take them outside, "I'm going. You don't have to, but I am."
"Of course I'm going with you," Tony sighed, trying to get Steve to see reason, "but remember LA? Remember us being careful about not appearing to know things we shouldn't know? Remember that was Hill's advice that you agreed with? She's not going to love us busting in -"
"You didn't hear this from SHIELD," Steve interrupted.
"No, but -"
"And," Steve continued, giving Tony a hard look as if he didn't want to be contradicted, no matter the truth, "you're not monitoring SHIELD. It was over an open channel. You're free to listen in to those."
"You're right," Tony agreed somewhat surprised. "And say, if we're asked, a friend tipped us off. JARVIS is technically a friend."
"Thank you, sir," the AI responded dryly.
"You know I love you," Tony returned, smiling back at Steve and waiting.
"They may not ask," Steve dismissed, having finally reached the lobby and not surprised to see the car service already waiting at the curb. "I don't want to lie."
"It's okay to lie to liars," Tony said as he slid into car and without hesitation they were on their way. "Totally balances out. I promise."
When they arrived at her apartment building, not only were there SHIELD agents and cars out front, but also the police, the fire department and several ambulances. Plus, the media which was kind of surprising, but nowadays even the whisper of SHIELD or the Avengers drew crowds. There were reporters with cameras doing live feeds, a small crowd and even a hotdog vendor; it was really just shy of being an actual three-ring circus. Morse was waiting at the foot of the steps and upon seeing the two of them took several quick strides and met them halfway.
"Why are you here?" she asked as she folded her arms across her chest.
"What's all this?" Tony asked at the same time, and he hated to admit it, he was a little amused. The radio chatter had said it was a simple breaking and entering. This looked like the Brinks job.
"Heard it over the police scanner," Steve said simply at the same time as Tony, looking anxiously around him.
"Sure," Morse said, before turning her attention back to Tony. "And this... this is a nightmare," she continued before she told the nearest officer that the two of them were cleared to enter. "Some burglar broke into Hill's apartment. A neighbor heard the commotion and called nine-one-one. By then Hill had already contacted HQ and when SHIELD showed up someone else must have tipped off the press. It's pretty much snowballed from there."
"How he get in?" Steve asked, only concerned with the major details.
And seeing Maria.
Steve wanted to see her and confirm for himself everything Tony had already told him. Part of him wouldn't believe it was true, that she was still safe, until then.
"Yeah, don't you provide top-notch security systems for your agents?" Tony asked. "Stolen from me, of course."
"Hell if I know how it happened," Morse said with resentment clear in her voice as they entered the building. "The local police are interviewing her now and I can't get in. They guy's already been dragged off to the hospital. SHIELD should have gotten here first but... This is a real mess," she sighed and looked down the hallway to where the apartment was swarming with local law enforcement.
As she looked away, Tony caught Steve's eye and gave him a grin but Steve wasn't in the mood for novelties.
Maria Hill lived, ate, slept, and breathed protocol. If she had to, she'd have beaten her neighbor into submission to keep the cops from being called. This had not happened on accident. The three of them all seemed completely aware of that fact, but no one was willing to say it.
Twenty minutes passed with all of them standing out in the hallway, trying not to be in the way and mostly failing at that task. During that time there had been a lot of staring, not just by the police and various emergency workers that had come and gone from the apartment, but by Maria's many neighbors. Many of whom had peeked out of their own doors from time to time, but went no further. One woman had asked if anyone had died and seemed disappointed when she learned it wasn't true. One brave kid had darted past his father and asked Tony for an autograph. Other than that, they were mostly left alone.
Finally a detective pulled Morse aside to give her a rundown and allowed Tony and Steve to enter the apartment.
Maria was sitting on the couch with a cup of coffee in her hands and looked nothing like her normal self. Her hair was down. She was barefoot and in yoga pants, a tank top, and had pulled a sweater on as well, as if she was cold. If Tony didn't know her better, he'd have thought she looked fragile. Steve just thought she looked wrong.
Maria was clearly playing it up.
Steve very much wanted to sit down beside her and say something, anything, but there were too many people around and he had no idea what might slip out if he even made the attempt. Tony, having long since outgrown restraint of any sort, did take a seat and gave Maria a smile.
"How are you holding up?" he asked, a little too kindly. His smile more gleeful than sincere as he reached out and patted her on the knee.
"Okay," she said with a timid smile of her own. "Rattled, but fine."
Before Tony could say anything else, Morse and the detective she'd been talking with, were headed their way.
"What this about?" Morse asked Hill almost accusingly. "You're being stalked?"
"What?" Steve echoed and Tony got back to his feet and discretely pulled him aside.
Steve hadn't meant to say anything, but it had caught him off guard. He wasn't naive. He knew she was acting a part, but for a split second it hadn't mattered. For half a second Steve was just as concerned, as worried as he had been when Tony had first given him the news.
"Well, I'm not sure," Maria answered Morse directly, steadfastly avoiding Steve and Tony. She sounded nothing like herself. Even her voice was fake. "This is all so strange. I've never had anything like this happen before. Detective Myers told you my alarm had been cut, didn't he? And with all those strange texts I've been getting on my work phone..."
"That guy definitely cased the apartment ahead of time," the detective said with a sage nod. "As soon as he's up, we'll get answers for you."
"Thank you," Maria said with another docile smile that looked unnatural for her, but the detective didn't seem to notice.
Morse did and she looked livid.
And Steve... Steve didn't know what he was. Irritated. Confused. Upset. Concerned.
He really wasn't cut out for this part of the job.
"In the mean time, you might not want to stay here," the detective continued. "I'm sure it's safe, but you're probably frightened. Do you have a friend you can stay with?"
"She does," Tony said, knowing this was his part even if Morse and Steve didn't yet.
Maria had quarters on the Helicarrier, but that was the last place she needed to be right now. SHIELD couldn't sweep her up and out of the room with so many witnesses. It was Tony's job to provide the escape vehicle. He'd imagined, if they hadn't shown up, Maria would have talked the detective into escorting her to the station and then called them herself.
"Thank you," Maria said, getting to her feet and shaking the detective's hand. "You will keep me informed of your progress? I'd hate to hear of this man out there again on the streets."
"Yes, miss. You can count on it. He'll be under close watch and I'll call you personally when he's arraigned."
"Can I pack a bag or something?" she asked as she got to her feet. "Am I allowed back inside my room?"
"Are you sure you want to go back in there?" he asked and Tony wanted to laugh. He almost did laugh. It wasn't funny, but it was. Maria had practically cracked this intruder's skull open, if what he was hearing was to be believed, and Detective Myers was treating her like a delicate little flower. Forget laughing, he should be applauding. "It's a mess," Myers finished with a grimace.
"Yeah, Hill," Morse said, arms crossed and looking extremely off-put. "Sure you can stomach it?"
"I'll go with you," Steve said, crossing the room and walking with her to the door and for the first time Maria looked legitimately apprehensive.
Steve had finally managed to stop looking baffled and angry by the situation and Maria's response to it, but he was still agitated. And he realized that being alone with her, when they weren't really alone, was probably a mistake just now, but he couldn't help it. Right now he felt like if he didn't keep her in sight, she'd disappear.
Tony waited in the living room with Morse and Myers, trying not to fidget or pry too much into Hill's space while he skimmed over the contents of her bookshelf. She needed better books. It was an uncomfortable silence. Morse was pissed. Myers looked as if he didn't know how to talk to either of them, and like he might want to start to play at white knight with Maria to which Tony would pay actual money to see Steve's reaction.
A few minutes, a few very silent minutes, was all it took for Maria to pull together a bag and after a few more questions and very little delay she was in the car with Tony and Steve and the three of them were on their way back to the Tower.
"That was brilliant," Tony said as soon as the car pulled away from the curb, the driver having no way of listening in on their conversation. "Honestly, Hill, I didn't know you had it in you."
"This isn't a game," Steve snapped at Tony. "She could have been killed. You could have been killed," he said to her directly, finally glad to have a place to vent his emotions.
"Please," Maria said, back to her regular tone and demeanor. "That guy was the flunkey of someone's flunkey. I told you I can handle myself."
"And I told you that this was serious and that you needed to be careful."
"Agent Hill is a model of seriousness," Tony said with a grin. "And carefulness. That's a word, isn't it? It is. I'm sure it is."
"And what was all that about?" Steve continued, really angrier than either of them had seen him in some time. "What was with that... that... show? I don't understand why you did this."
"It had to be done," Maria said with a shake of her head, but she no longer looked at ease. "I made certain the police were called because I couldn't call them myself; my phone lines are monitored. After I had the guy taken care of I made enough noise to ensure someone else would do it for me. Simple. And I did it because it's the only way I may get answers. If someone in SHIELD sent him after me there was no way he'd talk once they had him in custody. With the police, he might. And if SHIELD didn't send him, he's still a criminal, and he's in the right hands."
"That does not explain why you were acting so... strange," Steve said.
"Sometimes you catch more flies with honey," she shrugged.
"I didn't think you knew that," Tony said, unable to keep the laugh out of his voice this time. And he knew it shouldn't be so damn funny, but it was. Tony couldn't decide which was the funniest part, Maria's timid flower routine or Steve's outright disgust with it.
No, Tony knew; Steve was funnier.
"Just because I don't do it, doesn't mean I don't know about it," Maria responded.
"Well, don't do it again," Tony smirked. "I think Steve prefers you brutally honest."
"I do," Steve said before he could stop himself. "I mean," he backtracked, "you don't have to do that."
"I did if I wanted that detective to call me as soon as he's gotten anything out of the guy who broke into my apartment," Maria answered, ignoring the first part of his statement.
"You could have just showed him some skin," Tony said and they both glared at him. He'd gone too far and wisely chose to look out the window.
"You're provoking whoever this is, Maria," Steve said after a moment. "Needlessly. They're going to see through this and right to what you really wanted done tonight. By calling attention to what happened, to them, they'll see you as a bigger threat," he continued. "The next time they come they'll be better prepared and they'll know who they're up against."
"Good."
"This isn't about proving yourself."
"That is exactly what this is about," she argued back at him. "I have no power, no control, so I'll make my own. Same as I've always done. I'll show them that I'm not going to go down quietly. I will not be a pawn, tossed off the board when they're tired of playing me. I won't do it."
"And I won't lose anyone else," he said with real feeling. "Not you. Not anyone. I can't. I won't let it happen."
"It's not going to happen again," Tony said, having to say something to cut the tension. A sudden sense of dread flooding through him as well. "Hill can stay at the Tower. We'll drag Fury back if we have to and make him tell us everything he knows. We'll pull the truth out of Morse, too. We've been hung up saving the world from the villain of the week for too long... but this has to be resolved. It has to be resolved now."
The driver stopped at the curb and the three of them got out. Maria snatched up her bag before Steve had the chance and led the way inside. Tony slapped Steve on the back in a show support but the other man was too angry over the situation to even look at either of them.
Agent Morse was waiting for them by the elevators.
"Do you know what you've done?" she asked Maria pointblank.
"Problem?" Maria returned with feigned surprise.
"Don't do that," Morse said with a brutal shake of her head. "Don't keep playing... whatever it is you're playing at. How did you let that happen? Why? I've been putting out fires all night because of you."
"Comes with the job," Maria without inflection.
"So is this some kind of attempt to get back at me?" Morse asked.
"Ladies," Tony interrupted as he pushed the call button to the elevator, because it looked like it was about to get very ugly. "It's late. Maybe we can postpone this discussion until the morning? Say... ten o'clock? You can take it to the boxing ring if you'd like."
"Director Fury is on his way," Morse returned. "Right now."
"Okay," Tony shrugged, ushering everyone inside. "We'll just do this now."
"I need to change first," Maria said, dropping her head and suddenly tired.
Steve reached down and took the bag from her hand as the doors opened on the Avenger's main lobby. Tony quickly passed them through the initial security and towards the secondary elevators inside the secure enclave.
"Why don't you show Hill to her room," Tony advised Steve, "and Morse and I will wait in the conference room for Fury to make his grand entrance."
"You take the elevator," Steve said. "It's only a flight up. We'll walk."
Tony nodded and neither Maria nor Morse disagreed, so the group split up.
Steve held open the door for Maria and let her move into the stairwell first, but as soon as he shut the door he stopped.
"We need to talk. We have to clear this up," he said, putting down the bag and taking a few steps towards her. "Right now. Before everything else."
"Can't we walk and talk?" Maria asked, already two steps up the stairs.
"No," he said, moving forward to stand directly before her. "Not about this. This..." he said, his eyes darting momentarily away from hers but coming back stronger and more determined. "What happened tonight -"
"Don't," she said sharply, taking one step down the staircase and glaring at him intensely.
"Don't what?"
"I know what I've gotten myself into. I knew when I signed up with SHIELD what the risks were. Don't start lecturing me about how dangerous this all is. I already know."
"I wasn't going to," he countered, but she only continued to glare at him until he was forced to amend his response. "I was only... Maria, I know you can handle this. You're probably better equipped to handle this than I am. You certainly are keeping it together better than I am..."
"I wouldn't say that," she disagreed, softening her tone and starting to think she'd had this all wrong.
"I would," he argued. "I just... I worry. When Tony told me what had happened I thought the absolute worst and it wasn't because I doubted your ability. It's... It's just that I closed my eyes once and lost everything. Everyone in my life was... they're gone, and I realize that it's not the same and that it's not very likely to happen again but... but I worry."
"Why are you telling me this?" she asked quietly, almost hopefully. Maria knew she shouldn't feel this way, but she did. It sounded so much like a confession, like a profession of things to come that...
"Because I don't want you to get the wrong idea," he answered as he let his gaze drift away from hers.
When he looked up again, Maria was somehow different. Her posture was more rigid and her eyes had gone cold.
"What idea do you think I have?"
Steve didn't have a lot of experience with women, but he had plenty of experience dealing with Maria. And at the moment, he knew she was angry. Her stance. The crease in her brow. All signs pointed to angry, it was easy to see if you knew her well enough, but he couldn't figure out where he'd gone wrong. He'd thought it had been going well, but apparently...
"That this was... that my attitude, tonight, was about you."
"No, I get it," she said crisply, wondering why he chose tonight, why he chose now of all times to do this. Maria had been feeling guilty about upsetting him earlier. She didn't like the act any more than he had, but... but what did it matter what he thought? She didn't really matter to him, it seemed. Not in any significant way. Not in any way more than a colleague. And even if she should be feeling relived, Maria knew nothing more would happen, it still burned.
"You do?"
"Yes," she said, correcting her tone just a bit. Relaxing her posture as much as she could. "Of course I do. Naturally, given... given what's happened to you and what's... It's fine."
"You don't seem fine."
"I am," she said briskly. "I'm fine and we're fine. Just like before."
"Okay," he said uncertainly, because she still didn't look fine.
"Is that it?" she asked, turning to continue back up the stairs. "Director Fury is on his way, I can't keep him waiting."
"It's..." he began, wanting to admit that it wasn't.
Steve had plenty more to say. He'd only wanted to first make sure Maria had understood that he wasn't really mad at her earlier; he'd been angry with himself. And he still was, because he was doing it again. He was delaying what shouldn't be delayed. He knew he should just tell her how he felt and see if she felt the same, but now... Steve had thought he'd known before what her answer might be, he'd hoped at least, but now...
"What?" she asked, calm and professional once more.
"Nothing."