Clark Kent (
stands_for_hope) wrote2014-06-02 11:50 am
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Entry tags:
The Metropolis Dork Squad, Captain America, and the Falcon in... Angst, Death, and Taxes
[continued from here]
The day had arrived. The trap had been set.
They'd gone to Lois's apartment the day before and made their intentions clear, hoping that with a short period of time, the HYDRA forces wouldn't be able to pull together anything that was too hard to handle.
Jim's paycheck had come in, so he'd treated a rather delicious dinner for the three of them, which had been followed up with some surveillance work, a couple of flights over the various buildings to scout for good positions (both to look for snipers and to drop Lois), and a watching of The Incredibles since there weren't any good games on.
Lois hadn't quite gotten Jim into a french braid with flowers, but she had managed to twist up a few smaller braids and tuck the remainder into a pony tail to keep the worst of it out of his face. If Lois was happy about it as much for it's utility as to give Jim a firm, physical reminder of the people who cared about him... well, she wasn't about to say it out loud.
Clark was with them until roughly half an hour before and informed them just before he left that Captain America was on the ground, apparently sketching one of the ruined and as yet unrepaired buildings on a bench nearby with large 'easel case' while the Falcon was half a mile away on a rooftop. Thankfully, while a good portion of the surrounding area had been destroyed during the attack on Metropolis, this neighborhood was semi-functional (if largely empty during the weekend) so he wasn't entirely out of place.
That just left Lois, her HYDRA pin tucked in place at her collar, and Jim in the empty office room, doing their best to psych themselves into believing this would work.
...and Clark going to investigate the singular figure hiding out on one of the higher rooftops nearby.
The day had arrived. The trap had been set.
They'd gone to Lois's apartment the day before and made their intentions clear, hoping that with a short period of time, the HYDRA forces wouldn't be able to pull together anything that was too hard to handle.
Jim's paycheck had come in, so he'd treated a rather delicious dinner for the three of them, which had been followed up with some surveillance work, a couple of flights over the various buildings to scout for good positions (both to look for snipers and to drop Lois), and a watching of The Incredibles since there weren't any good games on.
Lois hadn't quite gotten Jim into a french braid with flowers, but she had managed to twist up a few smaller braids and tuck the remainder into a pony tail to keep the worst of it out of his face. If Lois was happy about it as much for it's utility as to give Jim a firm, physical reminder of the people who cared about him... well, she wasn't about to say it out loud.
Clark was with them until roughly half an hour before and informed them just before he left that Captain America was on the ground, apparently sketching one of the ruined and as yet unrepaired buildings on a bench nearby with large 'easel case' while the Falcon was half a mile away on a rooftop. Thankfully, while a good portion of the surrounding area had been destroyed during the attack on Metropolis, this neighborhood was semi-functional (if largely empty during the weekend) so he wasn't entirely out of place.
That just left Lois, her HYDRA pin tucked in place at her collar, and Jim in the empty office room, doing their best to psych themselves into believing this would work.
...and Clark going to investigate the singular figure hiding out on one of the higher rooftops nearby.
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"I've got digital copies of all of this, so I don't mind handing it over if you superhero types want to pass my research over to the authorities. But what it boils down to is that it looks like they're using a variety of methods to use the reconstruction efforts in England, New York, Gotham, Metropolis... the lot of it to help fund HYDRA."
Sam's eyes went wide and then he looked angry. "Shit, that's--"
"Brilliant," Clark agreed with a nod, his eyes somewhat hooded.
Steve was silent for a moment before glancing over at Clint.
"I think Nat would love to see that. She could use some more ammunition."
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"You mean the Clairvoyant? Or someone else?"
Steve visibly winced at the mention of the name, for a number of reasons he wasn't about to share right at this moment.
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"I just think you might want to get people in on the accounting, alert the government agencies."
Sam sighs.
"If those government agencies aren't riddled with HYDRA."
Lois sighs.
"Well, I'm going to be putting out my story in the morning paper, so hopefully, that'll have at least a few of them cut off from causing trouble."
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"Whatever you can provide, B-Jim. And if you'd rather not be involved" given what is almost certainly some of the worst of his memories "you can just pass the info to us. Sam and I have been traveling around anyway."
He gave a little crooked smile.
"My apartment's not really 'home' anymore and DC wasn't really my town anyway."
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Clint exhaled. "You're not wrong. There's not a person in this room who isn't a target now. We're all going to have to find a way to keep our asses safe."
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"I would think it's pretty obvious. We work together."
She looked around the room.
"If I'm doing my job correctly, I'm going to know about things as soon as or hopefully even before they happen. There's no reason I can't pass that on immediately. Clark too."
Clark nodded.
"Within Metropolis, at least, if I have certain phrases or voices that you need me to listen for, I can pinpoint them and listen in."
Steve out and out stared.
"That's amazing."
"It's how we caught on enough to be able to set up the HYDRA agents here in town."
Sam just shook his head in amazement, but Lois continued.
"He can also do a quick sweep of an area if you need to check for an underground base or something. He's helpful that way."
"That's one way of putting it," Sam said quietly.
"I, on the other hand, have my contacts to offer. And someplace to get out information if you need it spread, false or not. The redactions section of the paper can take a few hits if it means saving lives."
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Clint stared. "Between the three of you guys, we might just be able to make some big inroads. Shit."
Jim shrugged. "We were going to look into the tablet but everything snowballed in a hurry. Do you have a way to transport the thing without being followed?"
"Cake."
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"Did you finish your food, Clark?" because Lois wasn't about to let him run out without eating, no matter how important it was. He rolled his eyes and showed his empty pasta dish.
"Thanks, Mom."
"Hey, I've met your mother. I take that as a compliment."
Steve couldn't help a small laugh at the two of them, and at... well, everything. Bucky, by whatever name he felt most comfortable, was alive and well and here. They'd taken out a HYDRA cell in a major city, he, Sam, and the others had gotten through the fight without any major injuries, and now they had some concrete ways of fighting HYDRA on the massive kind of scale he hadn't even realized might be possible anymore. It was enough to actually let him relax.
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"Does SHIELD have caches everywhere?"
He gave Jim a grin. "Yep. Just like you do. Not a bad spot you chose, by the way - not far from one of ours."
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Steve tipped his chin to Jim's shoulder.
"How about I get this done and then you can go pick up your toys, eh, Jim?"
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"...Yep," Clint half-laughed. "That's when you know you're used to the business. Traffic and evasion time. Let me finish eating and I'll go get one."
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"That's just... wild. Even Tony takes a certain amount of time to get from point A to point B in his suit."
Clark ducked his head a little and ran a hand through his hair.
"The only disadvantage is I don't get frequent flyer miles," he said with a tiny smile.
That actually made Steve laugh a little as he pulled out a white pencil to start tracing the design on Jim's shoulder.
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"And dabbing. I'll make sure to use a downward stroke."
Steve looked at the pin in between lines to make sure he was accurate.
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Clint, meanwhile, considered. "Y'know, you could probably get in touch with Stark if your arm ever needed repair. I think he builds stuff like some people bite their fingernails."
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Lois's eyes went a little hard.
"Our feelings about Luthor."
Clark swallowed and it was obvious that there was a discussion that Jim had missed, possibly during work hours, that had involved explaining Clark's bizarre issues with the multibillionaire. Steve, however, did not know their signals and tells as well as Jim might and decided to stick his nose in.
"Luthor?"
"Lex Luthor. He's--"
Lois took over from him, as much as a shield as because her Definite Opinions needed voicing.
"Think about Tony Stark, make him about a million times more insufferable, add a good dollop of powderkeg rage and staggering pettiness, and then mix it up with a little bit of pure unadulterated cruelty."
Her eyes went to Clark and Clark shook his head in a minute movement to try and tell her she didn't have to. His issues with Luthor were that: his. Lois, however, was on a tear.
"The only reason he's not HYDRA, more than likely, is because he's pissed they didn't let him lead the parade personally."
Steve had actually sat back during the little diatribe and he shook his head, scrubbing at part of his face with one hand in something like amazement.
"Yeah. Tony'd... definitely be better than that. He's just Howard with slightly less shame. Just as brilliant, though. Not that he's ever hearing me say that."
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Because Superman was one thing, but people tended to dislike having a sudden shadow in their window when they thought they were secure - and the Soldier had dodged every security system he'd been put up against. He could do it again.
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Sam hadn't said much for the last few minutes, mostly because he was eating, but he leaned back against the wall once he was done.
"So... Cap, you have any idea what we're doing next?"
Steve looked up from his work as he'd just started to lay down the first layer of black paint, the base of the work.
"Honestly? Not really. We've just kind of been traveling around looking for--"
And he didn't look at Jim.
"remnants of HYDRA."
Lois smirked.
"So that's what got you here."
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Smirking, Clint stood. "I'll go get that signal blocker while Steve tries to dig himself outta that. Be back in about fifteen minutes."
"If you guys want to hunt down Hydra," Jim went on, "I'll do what I can, but it might take a few days. Especially if you want details about the locations I remember. I've gotta get back to work on Monday."
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He got the black base down, then started the illumination on the design, starting with a dark grey.
"You want it bright or dark, like the pin?"
Tarnished or new?
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He'd tried. He'd gone to a few classes with Steve. He had all the talent of a rock - and not even a pretty rock.
"And just so you know, you're not the only person we gang up on."
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