Snapshot (фотография)

I

He stared up at the skyscraper, the strange beak at the top almost reminding him of a bird and the glowing A that stood of the avengers bring back memories. He shied away from his reflection, the tall stranger in the brown jacket with the black hat and sunglasses. He looked normal for once. The bluetooth in his ear crackled, and he discreetly brushed his hair back, nudging it with his thumb.

"Noir, you have eyes on the location. Do you wish me to take photos?" The mechanical voice of his artificial assistant echoed in his ear. He frowned, taking a few photos with the glasses on his face.

"Yes, Karine." He answered back briskly, walking away before he could attract suspicion. Looking around, he almost smiled. New York was still the same, still as loud and dirty as before. A rat ran out of a trash bag on the side of the road next to a bus stop, victoriously squeaking over the noise.

But when was before? He didn't remember. Flashes of a long lost waltz, a flicker of a woman's laughter, and the smell of old books haunted his mind. All he could recall was a flicker of light and waking up in a nightmare full of blood and sharp teeth.

"Peyta, you must not be distracted." The AI chided him in Russian. Peyta rolled his eyes and grinned at a few girls walking by. He grabbed the fake cell phone that was in his pocket, pulling it up to his ear to disguise the fact that he was talking to himself.

"Of course. I am not an amateur" He replied, ducking into an alley where he stripped off the jacket. Pulling off the hat, he tucked it under his arm, resting the sunglasses on the neckline of his t-shirt. He then unbuttoned the cuffs to his long sleeved blue button-down and rolled them up, flinching at the scars that it exposed. Popping the collar, he then moved on, deftly plucking the pins out of his hair. Pulling off the blond wig, Peyta exposed his brown hair, messing it up to appear more natural. He picked up the jacket, pushing the hat into a secret pocket and taking out the discrete revolver and placing it into his waistband.

Peyta exited the damp space, ducking into the sidewalk, and melding into pedestrian traffic. He was invisible, a different person, a regular seventeen year old instead of the assassin and killer that he had been turned into.

"Peyta," The comms sparked. He winced at the feedback, pressing his ear. "The mission file suggests that you return to your location." He gave a non-commital grunt, turning sideways to brush past an old man. Turning off the communication, Peyta cursed to himself. He had felt a tingling on his spine that had always warned him about danger. Glancing over his shoulder, the assassin saw the old man he had walked past look up and make eye contact. The man's eyes were a bright blue and his face easily was recognizable to Peyta.

"Captain America." He breathed out, almost frozen in place. He gave the veteran a mimed tip of an invisible hat and a devilish grin before breaking into a light jog. Not daring to glance over his shoulder, he entered a small convenience store, hoping to alleviate any suspicion that had been thrown on him.

"Hello!" He greeted the owner with a smile, gathering up a few pieces of fruit and an energy bar before dumping them all on the counter. The darker man with a salt and pepper beard gave him a smile after giving him a scrutinising look, greeting him and asking questions.

"What's a nice kid like you doing here and not in school?" Peter grinned at him, his fingers nervously tapping on his jeans below the counter. Carefully avoiding any trace of an accent that could identify him, he responded, terse.

"Work." The store owner nodded absentmindedly, scanning the items. Finally, he was handed the light plastic bag with a smile. Checking to make sure all of his items were there, Peyta gave the man a disarming smile, calling for him to have a nice day. The bell over the door rang and then stopped, the small store quiet.