Captain's Hart

Chapter 3 Meet Captain Rogers

April 30, 2012

Arianna P.O.V.

Arianna stood on the steps at the SHIELD base, holding her phone impatiently as it rang. Finally, someone answered and a male voice asked: "Ya?" "Luchkov." Arianna said shortly, and the man paused in confusion.

She heard some whispers and then the phone was passed over and Luchkov demanded furiously in Russion: "Who the hell is..." Arianna didn't even wait for him to finish as she said flatly: "You're at 114 Solenski Plaza, 3rd floor. We have an F22 exactly 8 miles out. Put the woman on the phone or I will blow up the block before you can make the lobby."

There was another pause, and then the breathing pattern on the phone changed, indicating the phone had changed owner. "We need you to come in." Arianna ordered firmly, and Nat snapped, annoyed: "Are you kidding? I'm working!"

"This takes precedence." Arianna insisted, and Nat argued: "I'm in the middle of an interrogation, this moron is giving me everything." Arianna rolled her eyes despite the gravity of the situation- she could just imagine Luchkov's expression at that. Nat continued flatly: "Look, you can't pull me out of this right now."

"Nat." Arianna said quietly, taking a deep breath before she said the words she had never ever wanted to say: "Barton's been compromised." There was a moment's silence and then Nat said coldly: "Let me put you on hold."

Arianna waited patiently, listening as the phone was dropped. It was followed by the shouts of men grunting in pain as the Black Widow took care of them, and Arianna sighed. There couldn't be a better hold tune. She thought dryly.

Finally after one last cry from Luchkov, Arianna heard the phone being picked up again, and Nat asked quickly: "Where's Barton now?" "We don't know." Arianna admitted, but Nat caught the double message and she checked: "But he's alive." "We think so." Arianna confirmed.

She added, with a wry smile: "Coulson'll brief you on everything when you get back. But first, we need you to talk to the big guy." Nat snorted as she replied: "Ria, you know that Stark trusts me about as far as he can throw me."

Arianna wrinkled her nose as she said apologetically: "Sorry, Nat. Phil's got Stark. You get the big guy." She emphasized. There was a moment's pause, during which Arianna winced sympathetically, before Nat muttered: "Bozhe moi."

**********

Steve P.O.V.

Steve stood in the gym as he usually did, punching the heaviest punching bag in the place. It was a small, old place he'd discovered in Brooklyn that was dedicated to WWII veterans. The place was designed to look like a gym from the 1940s, and it helped Steve to feel a little closer to home than he had been for the past year.

SHIELD had found him an apartment back near his old home, and they'd kept their distance ever since besides offering him help in easing back into modern society. He'd refused most of it, besides the necessary financing, which he'd only accepted after Director Fury explained it was originally Steve's anyway.

SHIELD had carefully managed the money Steve originally had, and between his earnings from the war- which Howard Stark and Peggy Carter had carefully managed for him before SHIELD- and the money left to him in Howard's will, he had quite a healthy account to come back to. But all it did was make him remember the late friend, whose life he'd missed out on.

Just one more to add to the ever-growing pile. Steve had so far avoided finding out what had happened to all of his friends from the 40s, too afraid of what he might find. And when it really came down to it, it didn't matter did it? He'd missed their whole lives, their marriages, their happy times, their tough times... he'd missed it all. So what did it matter? Or, that's what he told himself.