FIFTY SHADES OF STONY

CHAPTER NUMBER 1

"You know, " Steve says,  over his comm line,  "if the Goblin spends any more time trying to break into Stark Resilient,  I think Mr. Stark will have to start charging him rent. "

"Pretty sure he's got a soild claim to adverse possessions by now, " Hill's voice tells him over the comm. "My sweep indicates he's in the twelfth basement level.  The heat levels indicate he's burning his way up.  Apart from the fall - out,  it's smart plan.  Totally bypasses Stark's perimeter sensors. "

"Copy that.  Should I intervene? "

"Our program suggestes the elevator shaft two corridors over should ---- Hold a a second.  Wait for new orders.  Remain covert.  The system's going crazy. "

Steve resist the urge to snort.  He always has to when SHIELD gives him 'stay covert' order. If they wanted him to blend into the shadows so much,  perhaps dressing him in a bright blue,  red and white wasn't the best direction to go.

Steve only minds the uniform when he's trying to hide.  In the troubled atmosphere of post -Battle-of-New-York America,  and the vigilante superhero culture that had risen after Dr.  Selvig's tragically heroic death,  the country needs all the reassuring symbols it can get its hands on.

Of course,  most of the American public seem to think "Captain America" is a string of regular soldiers,  taking up the mantel of America's first superhero.  They have no idea it's the same Steve Rogers who survived seven decades frozen in ice.

The country needs a heores but doesn't believe in miracles.  Steve doesn't blame them one bit.

He leans against the wall,  hopping someone might temporary mistake him for a flag ( it's happened!)  while he waits for agent Hill to get back to him.

"Four floors up, " Hill says,  a few moments later.  "I did a heat sweep and there's only one heat source with a distinctive pattern.  And he's hovering outside Stark's Weapon Development Lab. "

"Iron man, " Steve says,  realising.  "On it. "

"Do you need directions?"

"This is the seventh time in five years someone's made hit on Stark's Weapon Lab that I've been called in on.  I think I can remember the way. "

"Copy that.  Two patrols are scheduled,  regular pattern.  If Globin has mercs on scene,  the temp's too cool to register on the scan,  so there shouldn't be any group bigger than four as an obstacle. "

"Thanks,  Agent Hill.  Comm silence for now.  I'll bounce you a signal if I need any extra support. "

"Be careful, Captain, " Hill tells him,  and the buzz sounds in Steve's ear to inform her she's disconnected.

"Always am, " Steve responds,  telling empty air.

The super serum that gave Steve his powers,  as well as apparently the capacity to survive decade under deep freeze,  also gave him eidetic memory.  While there are downsides to that (remembering the face and name of every soldier dead from his command in WWII is always  going to haunt him)  there are upsides too.  And that includes the fact that is Steve's been somewhere once,  coming back a second time is nice and familiar.

Seven times,  and the place practically feels like home.

It's much easier to be stealthy when feeling this comfortable with an environment, even though he's curious as to what must be so interesting that it means taking on the paranoid levels of surveillance and security that Stark Tower's owner --the reclusive billionaire,  Tony Stark-- lathers the place in.

Despite Steve's confidence and familiarity with the place,  the bland military grey corridors do start to look similar after a couple of minutes,  and Steve has a moment of doubting himself until he sees  first a scorch mark,  and the a couple of unconscious security guards.

The first is definitely Iron Man's handiwork.  Steve's caught the edge of one of those hand blasts, and even though it didn't hit him straight on,  he could definitely fell the heat of it.  Iron man's a lethal weapon --- it's easy to see why he's considered a national threat.