Captain America, the first and last superhero seen on Earth, the legend that scientists everywhere could only dream of emulating. Perfection of the human genome, the perfect soldier, and an icon beloved by many and still revered to this day.
She couldn't see any of that in this man? If that's what you could call him. She couldn't miss him in the crowd even with his small stature. He just protruded weakness and his confidence was nearly nonexistent. He could see the look of pity given to him by the man he was talking to and the laughter of the two girls off in the distance that was presumably part of their group. These various observations left a single burning question in Natasha's mind, what was so special about Steve Rogers?
Well, they wouldn't have gone through all this trouble to send their best agent back to the past if the question was simple. With a sigh Natasha closed her eyes and let her new role wash over her.
"Hey, there soldier."
"Well what do you think?"
"Well Steve, I've traveled to many places around the globe but I have to say this is one of the best milkshakes I've ever had."
"I told you it couldn't be beat! It's been around since I was a kid of course the prices were cheaper back than but a couple cents isn't too bad and I guess that means the economy is improving."
"If only he knew." Mused Natasha as she listened to Steve's musing on currency.
"So, flight attendant? Nurse?"
"Writer actually."
"Interesting, are you in school?"
"I'm more of a freelance writer, I like to go wherever the wind takes me."
"Well, I'm sure you'll find a lot of inspiration in New York it is the city where dreams are made."
"So I've heard. But tell me about yourself Steve, what's life is like here?"
"There's not much to talk about really, I'm just a kid from Brooklyn. I'm not going to pretend that growing up in Brooklyn was easy but it's home. There's been good and a lot of terrible but life goes on and we just have to do what we can."
She could see that his humility was not forced or an act that most people would put on occasionally, what he said was also not due to a lack of self-confidence but simply the truth.
"I can relate, where I come from life isn't the easiest for anyone but there's always some light in the darkness."
"And where would this dark land be if I may ask?
"London, it's not all tea and crumpets throughout the city."
"Tell me about it, when we were kids me and Bucky would sit on the rooftops at night and look over at the lights in Manhattan. He'd always talk about getting out of here one day and getting a flat out there. That was before the war ad depression, now it seems like a pipe dream more than anything."
"I find dreams are subject to change, it can always be deferred to something new and maybe even better, or more in line with what we'd want at that time. What's your dream Steve?"
"Well, aside from wanting this damn war to end so people can stop dying I just want to help people. Like I said growing up in Brooklyn wasn't easy but there are worst places around the world with unimaginable terrors. I can't physically protect everyone but I'd like to think maybe I could inspire people through my art, raise money and all that stuff. I've never been good with words but I'd like to think my painting speak for themselves..." Steve paused at the end before a strange complexion came across his face and he began to chuckle.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bore you with art talk."
"You do that often don't you?"
"Pardon?"
"You're scared of talking about your passions."
"Well, most people think art to be a waste of time and unproductive to society." Mused Steve with a sarcastic chuckle
"Show me."
"Excuse me?"
"Show me you're art, I want to see if I fall under the most people category." Said Natasha enthusiastically.
Steve was hesitant, he never really let anyone see his art as to him seeing his paintings were akin to seeing a piece of his soul. One thing everybody that knew Steve Rogers was sure of was to never force or try to see Steve's art without permission. But it was strange, he felt a connection with this stranger that he only met an hour ago, but then again he was due to ship out soon so he didn't really have anything to lose.
"Well let's see then." Said Steve with a smile as he rummaged around his pocket to pull out a couple of coins to pay for the milkshakes.
"Oh, it's okay we can split it." Said Natasha as she watched Steve rummage his pockets and counting the coins.
"Well, I may not have much but I do have my word and I did say I was going to thank you properly back at the fair." Said Steve still rummaging and once again missing the surprised look that came across Natasha's face.
"Oh, okay." Said Natasha timidly as she was not used to situations like this.
"Ah there we go! Ten cents! Alright, well after you!" Said Steve with a big smile and gesturing for Natasha to go first out of the booth.
Natasha was a bit confused as she wasn't sure of this type of behavior was normal for men around this time period but decided it as better to just go with it. So with a small smile she thanked Steve and took the lead out of the Milkshake Parlor.
The walk to Steve's apartment was about 15 minutes but along the way Natasha decided to try and learn more about Steve Rogers.
"So you mentioned your friend Bucky, was he the man in the uniform that your were arguing with in the uniform earlier."
"Yep, that's Bucky." Said Steve with a fond smile, which confused Natasha as the argument they had seemed pretty heated.
"He's been with me since the beginning, especially after mom died. I thought I would be fine facing this world alone but he showed me that I didn't have to. He's been like a big brother and pretty much family. He always means well, and honestly I don't know how I'd have turned out if I decided to go off on my own."
"Natalie, Are you alright?"
"Yeah, it's just your story bought up some old memories." Said Natasha quickly while reprimanding herself for slipping up like that. She couldn't help it as his story hit a little too close to home.
"Well if you feel like sharing, I'm all ears." Said Steve with a reassuring smile.
"Thanks." Said Natasha with a small smile as the two continued on their way to Steve's apartment.
"Just a warning, I wasn't expecting any guests so my Studio is a little messy." Said Steve looking back at Natasha.
"Oh you should see my place." Joked Natasha
Steve gave a small smile before turning the lock on his door and leading the way into his apartment. It wasn't anything spectacular but it wasn't completely barren either. If Natasha had to describe it in one word it would be "quaint." There was simple desk that was laid out with papers, a small coffee table with two chairs, a sofa, and on the wall a couple paintings.
"It's not much, but it's home." Said Steve with a shrug
"Seems quite cozy actually." Mused Natasha
"That's one way to put it," chuckled Steve as he beckoned Natasha to follow.
"Well, Here's my studio."
Natasha jaw dropped a little as the whole room seemed to be filled with paintings except for the middle where a blank canvas and a single chair stood with some art supplies off to the side. It was messy but also in way organized at the same time.
"May I?" Asked Natasha cautiously as he seemed to have gone through an internal battle when she asked to see his art."
"Go ahead." Beckoned Steve as Natasha began to walk around the room and moving pieces occasionally tilting her head or making various expressions. Steve followed her silently giving brief explanations of the pieces she was examining.
Natasha didn't have to act as she was truly amazed by the paintings as Steve was not joking about the way the paintings spoke to her, coupled with Steve's explanation and Natasha felt herself at a loss for words after. She slowly took her time to look through all the paintings before turning around and looking at Steve.
"Whoever you've talked to before must have been blind or just very dim, these are amazing!" Said Natasha who seemed to be practically glowing.
"Well, I never really like to show people so you can't really blame them for not taking the musings of an artist but I'm glad you like them." Said Steve nervously as he scratched his head.
He seemed to hesitate for a moment as if contemplating a decision before letting his excitement take over as he unconsciously grabbed Natasha's hand and led her towards a corner of the room.
"Come on! I want to show you my favorite piece." Said Steve
It was a rather large piece that was covered by a piece of white cloth, which Steve quickly pulled to the side causing Natasha to gasp and pause for a moment.
The painting depicted in the middle a nurse kissing a soldier, as behind the nurse was a palace of gold and behind the soldier a battlefield with bloody red skies. What were interesting were the two angels that seemed to come out of the nurse and soldier who were trying to hold on each other a single tear in each eye.
"It depicts my mom and my dad in the middle where I'd like to think of as Earth. Dad lost his life fighting in the war and a mom died trying to save lives in the hospital before getting sick herself. I drew the angels as sign that they were able to find each other again even if one died taking lives while the other died trying to save them."
"Wow." Was all Natasha could say, as she seemed frozen in place staring at the painting.
Steve could see that she was enveloped in her thoughts so he quietly excused himself to get her something to drink.
Natasha was confused as she found herself being ever since meeting Steve. He clearly has the talent to be a great artist and live a good life if he stays in art school yet he's willing to give it all up to go fight in some war. Why? Was all she could wonder.
"Here, I got you some tea." Said Steve handing her a mug and leading her back towards his living room.
"Why leave?"
"Pardon?"
"You have talent, and I know you know that you do. So why give it up to go fight in some war?"
Steve paused to contemplate the question as Natasha stared onwardly before he simply shrugged. "It's the right thing to do."
"But you could be here, rich, you could live out your dream!"
"Like you said, a dream could be deferred and right now the biggest evil is Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany."
"What if you die?"
Steve shrugged "People die all the time, It's what they did in the time they they're alive that matter. I rather die knowing I helped some child grow into the next great doctor or a little girl realize she wants to be a dancer than die filled surrounded by greed while people continue to die around me.
"So you think you can make a difference?"
"I'm sure as hell going to try."
Natasha couldn't help but smile as she gave him a strange look of pride mixed with confusion.
"You are one interesting man, Steve Rogers." Said Natasha shaking her head.
The two ended up talking long into the night and in the end Steve insisted that Natasha stay the night. Natasha was even more amused when he locked himself in his studio and wished her a goodnight. She still wasn't sure if such behavior was normal in this time or if it was just Steve.
The next morning Natasha awoke around 12 in the afternoon and proceeded to wander into the bathroom to clean her up. She usually slept with her guard up or would hardly sleep at all but for some reason she felt relaxed and well rested as she slept through the night. Steve was nowhere to be found and she noticed that the door to his studio was still locked.
"Steve?" Asked Natasha as she gently knocked on the door.
"Just a moment." Said Steve from inside the room.
After about five minutes the door flew open and out came a disheveled Steve who had a grin that made him seem like some sort of mad scientist.
"Sorry, I had a bit of a late night inspiration." Said Steve
"You definitely looked inspired." Mused Natasha as she messed up Steve's hair some more to his protest laughing as he made his way to his bathroom.
"So, where are you headed now Natalie?" Asked Steve coming out the bathroom with his hair perfectly combed and looking much more proper.
"Well I was wondering if you could show me around Brooklyn some more, you seem to be able to find a lot inspiration."
"Well if the lady insists." Said Steve with an exaggerated bow as he opened the door and beckoned for her to go through.
The two spent the afternoon walking around the borough as Steve showed her various alleyways with beautiful murals and paintings. They walked along the Brooklyn Bridge watching the boats pass below them and Steve trying to show Natasha the skyline from his perspective before getting frustrated and sitting down on a bench and sketching it while Natasha leaned in to watch.
"How do you see that?" Asked Natasha confused at how Steve could draw another amazing piece by just looking at the New York skyline.
"It just comes to me, I don't really think about it but I just go by feel." Shrugged Steve.
"Must be a gift." Muttered Natasha " well, esteemed tour guide, where to next?"
"How about a movie?"
"Yes!" Exclaimed Natasha as role or not she always did love films.
The movie they watched was black and white of course and about espionage. There was an American writer who ended up falling in love with a French girl only to find out later on that it was all a setup and that the French women was actually a German spy who planned to use him to get to the governor's ball and assassinate the President. In the end the American writer caught on and shot her in the middle of the ball before she could assassinate the president. The final scene shook Natasha as the American held the dying women.
"No matter what through the good and evil, I still love you." Whispered the American
"Mon Cher, I did not mean to fall in love but in the end you stole my heart. My only wish was that we could have met under different circumstances." Gasped the dying woman.
"Je t'aime."
"Wow, what and ending," mused Steve who was leaning forward with his hands over his mouth. After a moment of no response Steve looked over realizing that Natasha was missing. "Natalie?"
Natasha had to leave the theatre as the movie made her feel something that she had learned to kill and never let resurface ever again. Guilt. She always completed her missions without question and without remorse but she always had a clear reason and it showed as the targets revealed their character, but what was Steve's? Was he truly this genuine all the time or was it just an attempt to impress her?
"Hey young lady, you seem a little lost." Said a snide voice as a bald headed man who looked to be hin his forties and dressed in construction gear along with a couple men of similar stature could be heard laughing behind him.
Natasha was really not in the mood for this, guess those type men do exist in this time after all.
"I'm looking for any trouble." Said Natasha coldly
"Well, how about some fun." Said the man as he got up behind her and began to pull her towards an alley.
These men were going to die, and she knew she couldn't do it in public so she went along with the ploy and pretended to be helpless as the men shoved her into the alley.
"That's what I'm talking about." Said the man with a disgusting grin.
"You know, it's bad form trying to force yourself onto a lady. Quite desperate actually." Came a confident voice causing the men to turn around.
"Shit." Thought Natasha
The men looked over at Steve and Busted out laughing "Beat it kid, go back to mommy before you get hurt."
"I'm afraid I can't do that for many reasons, so I'm going to ask you guys again to just let the lady go."
"And what if I say no?"
Steve sighed, "Well guess you're going to have to go through me." As he charged forward kicking one of them in the shin before tipping some trash cans over on the other men and clearing a way to Natasha.
"RUN!" shouted Steve as he crouched in front of her with a metal garbage can lid
"I'm not leaving you!"
"GO! I can't hold them off for long, and they'll do far worse to you than me.
"I'm not leaving!"
Steve couldn't argue anymore as he charged forward at the men who were prepared this time and quickly took the lid from him and throwing him on the ground they began to surround him and kick him. Through the legs of the men kicking and hitting him he locked eyes with green and all he could feel was concern.
"Run! Run! Run.." He shouted as his voice got weaker and his eyes slowly began to shut.
"Were her eyes watering?"
Natasha could only see red as the men turned their attention back to her.
"Now where were we?" said the disgusting bald headed man.
"The part where I kill all of you." Muttered Natasha as she pulled out her gun and put two bullets one each to two of the man's friends leaving three.
"Oh my god! Lady Stop! We were just, AH!" Shouted the man shaking in fear as she put three bullets one in each of their legs.
Fear, mind numbing fear was all that could be felt coursing through the man's friends as he watched this women walk up to the man next to him with a wicked smile gently kissing his forehead before a knife slipped out of nowhere and slit his throat leaving blood pouring onto the sidewalk. He watched his friend's cold dead eyes lying in his own pool of blood before closing his own eyes slowly accepting his fate as he heard the click of heels. He heard another scream to his right as he heard eight different snaps and thump onto the floor.
"Come on sweety, I thought you wanted to have some fun." Said a sickly sweet voice that sent ice running through the man's veins.
"Please." Gasped the man breaking into sobs "I have kids."
"Everyone has kids." Muttered the voice turning cold as he felt a metal tip on his forehead.
He waited for it to end, the bang, the rush, and it'll all be over. Barney would grow up without him but he'll grow up to be a fine man and take care of his mom and sister. Susan was always sick but he hoped the medication he worked overtime for three months would be enough to make her feel better. They would have to grow up fast, but he believed in them.
Red, red was all she saw as one fell, then another, and then three line up like sheep silently sobbing and begging for mercy. This was power; this was what it felt like to be strong. The rush consumed her as she took down another and finally there would one left. One click was all she had to do so simple, so elegant, beautiful blistering red all around.
"Natalie?"
A gun, a sobbing man, and Steve.
"Steve!" Natasha looked at the man sobbing and silently muttering before shaking her head and taking the hilt of the gun and slamming it against his head.
"Steve! Oh my god are you alright!" asked Natasha a she collapsed next to him checking his pulse.
"Natalie," groaned Steve who still seemed to be unconscious.
Sirens could be heard in the distance. Natasha knew that they couldn't stay here any longer but thankfully her hotel was only around the corner.
"Come on Steve, get up!" shouted Natasha as she lifted him up leaning him onto her and walking their way out the other side of the alley and around the corner slipping through the emergency stairs and into her room.
She laid him out onto the bed as she rushed to the bathroom to get a cool cloth to clean him off. She checked for any internal damages but luckily he seemed to fine except for some head trauma and a couple bruises.
"You idiot." Muttered Natasha looking at him
"Why did you do that? Why would you even risk your life like that? Do you want to die!" Shouted Natasha at the empty room.
"Well you're not going to, not that easily. Not on my watch." Said Natasha as she found herself gently running her hands through his hair.
"Idiot!" Muttered Natasha, as she got mad again and smacking Steve's arm causing him to stir and her to reprimand herself for injuring Steve more.
Natasha got up to take a look outside when she noticed a notebook lying next to the bed that wasn't there before. Confused she opened it up and on the first page there was a sketch of a women with red hair sitting along by a desk seemingly writing with a desk lamp overhead. The next page had one of a women standing alone in the crowd as fireworks went off in the background and a stark expo sign could be seen. There were many more sketches of this woman in various situations when the final one was a portrait of her smiling as she stared with big green eyes. That woman was her.
Authors Note: And that's chapter three! Three hours, three thousand words, and 3 days since the last chapter. Let me know what you guys think of the story so far, yeah?