Little Star // a Steve Rogers, Captain America, Avengers story

Grey

Just inside the main door, a young woman processed her driver's license, scanned her fingerprints and her retinas, and made a recording as she read a random selection of words from a tablet screen. Their next stop was at the far end of a hallway, in front of large double glass doors. An older man at a desk scanned her retinas and fingerprints again before presenting her with what looked like a flash drive on a lanyard. They passed through the doors and into a glass walkway that stretched across a road beneath them. Beyond the building in front of them, she could see the river running past the compound.

Passing yet again through a security checkpoint just inside the door from the walkway, they made their way to a bank of two elevators and entered one of them. Steve said, "Home," and it began to rise. "I have voice access, but you'll need to insert your key right here," he said, pointing to a port by the buttons.

"You'll have to be with one of us to get to home floor, though. Not even I could get you that clearance right off the bat. Home floor is our private space. It's bit like a glorified dormitory. Or fraternity house, depending on who's here."

The elevator door opened onto a hallway faced entirely in dark grey, with recessed lighting every few feet. Steve pointed to the right, saying, "that's the kitchen, dining area, and lounge. The theatre is down there as well. We're going left, to the bedrooms."

He spoke as they walked. "We won't be sharing a room, but there's a spare right next to mine so I'll only be one door down. You'll need to get plenty of rest and I'm not sure I'm ready for a sleepover at work."

Ellie nodded.

They turned left, then left again. They were at the beginning of another long hallway, parallel to the first, all grey with doors every few yards all the way down. There were no visible handles, locks, or hinges, only touch screens at chest level. When they reached the last door on the right, Steve showed her where to press her palm, and with a hushed 'whoosh' it slid open.

Roughly the size of her bedroom at home, with two doors on the far wall, this space was also all grey. Ellie wondered if they had gotten a deep bulk discount for the paneling. There was a full-size bed, side tables and lamps, a small desk, and a loveseat. It was a hotel room. Through one door was a bathroom; the other slid open to reveal a closet fitted out with shelves and a very narrow hanging space.

"I guess you guys don't bring many down parkas or evening dresses here, do you? This can't hold more than a few shirts at most!"

"It can't hold people, either. It's a security measure. So are the hallways that look exactly the same, in any lighting and at any angle. There's more complex security here than anywhere else on the planet. Even Tony and Pepper's home."

Ellie shook her head. "I keep wondering what on earth I've gotten myself into. Then I look at you and I feel like it's going to be alright. Well, I suppose I should unpack."

"I'll do the same. I'm right next door. Come knock when you're finished." He stepped close and kissed her quickly before walking out the door.

"I love you," she whispered as the door slid shut.

He heard her.

~

Steve's room was larger than Ellie's, and a little less sterile. There were a few trinkets on the dresser and a book on an end table. War and Peace. Of course, she thought. In one corner was a very serious looking hard case, and peeking out from behind it was the edge of a curved piece of metal. His shield. The suit must have been in the box. She felt a shiver of what was, surprisingly, excitement.

"Tony's here. We're going to meet him in the lounge in five minutes."

The excitement was gone just like that, replaced by an anxious gnawing sensation in her belly. "Ok. Well, no, not ok. I think I might be afraid of him."

"You don't need to be, I promise. We're here because he's interested in you and your skills. He wants you to be here. It's when he doesn't want you to be where he is that you need to worry. He's my friend and he's happy for me, for us. And I think the two of you are going to really appreciate one another. Now, shall we go?"

They walked back down the hallways and past the elevators, through a wide, open doorway and into a large living space. Foor-to-ceiling glass doors and windows, the first she'd seen since entering the building, made up one wall.

To her left was a commercial style kitchen and two long dining tables. Ahead and to their right was a comfortable living space with seating groups and individual chairs and end tables. There were a few colorful pillows and throw blankets around the room, breaking the monotonous grey.

In one of the chairs, drink in hand, was the most powerful man on Earth.