Jake was a recluse. He didn't deny it. If anything, he embraced the title, embedded it into his very being, and actively searched for more and more ways to prove his lack of sanity to anyone who stuck around long enough to let him. That wasn't to say he basked in the blood of his enemies, no. But he didn't hold back. Didn't hesitate. Didn't stop. It wasn't a matter up for debate; Jake was a recluse, and he knew it.
Jake reared back with another punch to the creature's face, smashing the bones beneath the skin of its ugly mug over and over and over again until all that was left in his hold was a pile of mush. He spun on his heel, digging his foot into another beast's stomach and sending it tumbling backwards with an undignified squawk, groaning in frustration when one swung at his arm, ripping the cloth of his armor only for it to reform over the wound.
It was night. Roughly so, the sun having just passed the horizon, leaving sparkling entrails of light to dance across the empty street. It was just their luck the system had been stuck with night shift yet again, though this time in New York. Jake was tired, but he had begrudgingly accepted control over the body after weighing that Marc was even more so. And Steven… well, this was barely Steven's problem, and Jake had long since decided that that was for the best. He swung a punch absentmindedly, knocking one of the creatures square in the jaw.
They were disgusting little things, dripping with a nasty stench and rotting from the inside out. They reminded Jake of mummified zombies. Or zombified mummies, he could swing with either.
Jake reeled, his back hitting against a wall. He barely managed to dodge as one of the beasts sliced at his skull. He was starting to slur. A fair response to the situation, he thought, considering that he had been fighting for over an hour with no time to call for back-up. The large gaping portal that hovered aimlessly in the air taunted him as it spewed more and more monsters into his reality. He was momentarily glad that Marc and Steven were sound asleep, dually because it meant that the headspace was void of any distractions and that they didn't have to deal with whatever crap had forced its way into their world. Because Jake Lockley may have been a recluse, but he was a protector first and foremost, and he would have liked to think that what he did, he did for the system and for the better of the world. Sure, his methods of protecting may have been a bit crude and ugly. Again, that was something he didn't deny, so in those situations, when Jake was running on pure adrenaline, lost to the thumming of the heartbeat in his ears, it was best to keep out of his way.
Jake reared back, the heavy weight of a hand on his shoulder causing him to spin around only to find the face of none other than Captain what's-his-name plaid in his stars and spangles uniform. Jake groaned.
"Hey, watch it." The captain said, addressing Jake's raised fist with a tilted eyebrow. "If you haven't forgotten we're on the same team."
Jake lowered his hand, peering over the captain's shoulder to find a young looking sorcerer and the man with the metal arm. Bucky, or, something like that.
"Took you long enough." he heaved, instinctively wiping a hand across his chin.
"Yeah, well, I was ten miles South when Bucky called me in, so-"
"Let me guess, busy with some political-crap conference with them big faces and all that. Being the poster boy of America sure is a treat." Jake countered, shoving one of the creatures away with a swift kick to the chin. He rounded a fist at the next attacker, sending it tumbling into several others like a bowling ball. The captain clicked his tongue.
"What's your problem, man?" he asked, pulling Jake by the shoulder and forcing them face to face. Jake shoved his hand off, but leaned in closer nonetheless.
"Nothing." he said.
"Seriously."
"It's nothing."
"Hey, if you-"
"It's just that people like you, you never really get the job done now do ya? Too caught up in keeping a good face to finish what you started. But hey, that's just my humble opinion."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"No quieres saber." Jake finished, turning around and jumping back into the frey.
"You really aren't much of a team player, are you?" the captain said, the sound of his metal wings slicing through the air an echo in the night. "And would you stop with the Spanish?"
"Why? A bit rusty on the tongue there, mi amigo?"
Jake didn't give the other a moment to reply, tossing the weightless body of one of the beasts that had charged at him in his direction. The captain responded by slicing it in half with his shield, black sputters of blood marring the streets like paint on drywall. The bickering ended there, everyone too caught up in their own problems to snipe at one another, and by midnight, the portal was closed, and Jake and his so-called 'team' were standing in the middle of what could only have been described as a massacre.
Jake scoffed, turning away to leave.
"Appreciate it." was all he said, but before he could get any far, he was halted by the man with the metal arm. Jake glared at him, cocking his head to the side in a silent threat, but the man said nothing.
"Hold on. Strange wants us to report all incidents back to the closest sanctum." Captain America said.
"So? Why can't you do it?"
"Nah nah, you don't just get to beat up some aliens, spit out some insults and leave all the paperwork to us. Unless you want to be left on clean up duty. Now, come on."
Jake hesitated, momentarily weighing his chances at a runaway, before reluctantly following suit, his steps moving in beat with the other's until they were walking side by side. For a minute, nobody spoke.
"I feel like we got on the wrong foo-"
"We did."
Captain America groaned in frustration, and Jake side-eyed as he took off his helmet, holding it in one hand by his side.
"Sam Wilson." he said, pacing a few steps forward to hold out a hand in front of Jake. "Nice work back there."
Jake just managed not to scoff a laugh at the try-hard attitude, but he took the greeting anyway, earning a small smile on the other's part. When he didn't provide any more than that, Sam stepped back.
"So, I take it you're into this whole secret identity thing, then?"
"No. Not really. It's… It's a lot more complicated than that."
"Complicated how?"
"Just complicated."
"Man, and here I thought I got enough cryptic crap from Mr. Brooding over there." Sam said, jabbing a finger to his right. Jake looked over the man with the metal arm, gauging him up and down before deciding that he liked him.
"So. Moon Knight, huh?"
Jake hesitated, playing out the possibilities in his head, searching for a nondescript answer. He didn't like being called Moon Knight, that was a Marc thing.
"Jake." he said, then added. "Lockley."
"Jake Lockley…"
"Yeah, but don't get used to it."
To his surprise and slight embarrassment, Sam laughed.
"Que es tan gracioso?"
"It's nothing. It's just… It's nice to finally meet you, Jake."
And with that, the conversation was effectively ended. Jake knew the dangers of giving his name to other people, especially considering the system. But Jake was tired, annoyed and agitated. If his mistake came back to bite him later on, well, that was a problem for future Jake.
