Captain America Story Ch 10

Ch 10:

I stayed with Steve a while before going to talk to Clint. I knock on the door to his room and he opens up.

"Hey, Vic. Need something?"

"Yeah. I need you to come with me to Howard Stark's house. I need you to come along because I'll need help with today's modern equipment and such."

"Alright. Did you pack? We're gonna have to stay at a hotel."

"I'll pack now and meet you in the front."

He nods and I walk back to my room. After packing, I walk quickly to Steve's room. I slip a note under his door and rush to the front. Clint's already there. We walk out and he presents me with a motorcycle.

"Wow. For me?"

"Yeah. I have one too. You know the way?"

"From here, no."

"Okay. Follow me."  

We ride off and The wind feels amazing against my face. Clint seems enjoy the ride. We pull into a hotel and I unload my bags. Clint leads the way to the desk and tries to get a room.

"Hello, sir. You and the Lovely lady need a room?"The receptionist asks.

"Yes me and My girlfriend need a room with one bed for a couple nights."

"Ah. Here you are sir. Room 231. Have a nice night."

We get into the elevator and as soon as the doors close, I slap Clint in the back of the head.

"Hey! I guess I do deserve that, but still."

"Girlfriend? Really?"

"Well you obviously aren't my sister. And besides, he couldn't take his eyes off of your chest! When I said girlfriend he stopped staring and looked scared."

"Okay. First off, ew. Second, He was scared because you looked ready to murder him if he came anywhere near me!"

the elevator doors opened and we went to the room.

"Well, anyway, about the bed."

"One bed. Really appropriate. The solution is that I will sleep on the floor."

"What come on. The gentlemanly thing for me to do is I get the floor."

"Well, if you insist."

"Damn it. I'll never fall asleep." He groans.

"Fine then. You want to share?"

"I guess."

"You touch me and I will break your arms."

"Understood." He chuckles.

I Changed in the bathroom as he changed outside. I walked out to see him laying on the bed only wearing a pair of pants.

"Clint, put on a shirt!"

"No. This is how I sleep."

"You're such a mule."

"Just go to sleep."

" Fine. Turn on your side."

He did and I climbed into the bed and fell asleep with my back against his.


***

"Wake up, sleeping beauty. Get up and get ready."

"Just go and change in the bathroom, Victoria. I'll change out here."

I poke him in the stomach and he chuckles as he sat up.

"And besides, Clint, I really don't want the receptionist to be staring at me."

"Okay, okay. Just get ready."

I change in the bathroom and we go downstairs. as the elevator doors open, Clint wraps his arm around my waist.

"We have to keep up the look. Now laugh to make it seem true." He whispers in my ear.

I laugh and the receptionist looks. Clint looks at him and he gulps. Once we get outside, I giggle and poke his stomach again. He just grins and gets on his bike. I get on mine and this time, I lead the way. Finally, we pull up to Howard's house. I knew he was dead, I had a feeling. we walked into the house that was now a museum dedicated to Howard. There was a tour being held currently and we joined the group. With my hair in a baseball hat, sunglasses covering my eyes, and a loose jacket on, I could hardly be recognized. Clint was wearing his biker jacket, some shades, dark jeans, and cowboy boots. He looked quite threatening. Still, I felt someone watching me, but whenever I look around, I see no one. I conveniently stop to tie my shoe as the group continues around a corner. Clint stands next to me. When the group disappear from sight and sound, I lead him into the room that used to be mine. I was greeted by the same room that I had thought I would never come back to. Tears welled up in my eyes as I am bombarded with memories; meeting Howard, moving here, and everything that happened after that. My own sob and Clint pulling me into a hug breaks me out of my thoughts.

"Softy."

"You looked like you needed it." He says as he moves over to stand in a corner.

I cover my mouth and clear my my mind.

'Now where is it...' I think.

I walk around knocking softly on the walls. I hear a difference in sound, from a thick, full sound to a dull, hollow sound.

'Ah. There you are.'

I push on a spot and a little door opens up. I reach in and pull out a bunch of papers, a small key, and a few photos. I put them in a pocket concealed in my jacket. I close the door and step away. We walk towards the door of the room and, with a last look around, I walk out. We walk to the front of the house/museum and get on the motorcycle and drive back to our hotel room. I walk up to the room, sit on the bed, and pull out the things I got from my old room. A photo of me and Howard at a school dance, another of me and Howard in front of the house just when we just bought it, one of me, him and Dr. Erskine, and one more of all three of us and Steve right after the experiment. The documents are my mother's death certificate, and my award winning essay on Norse Mythology (Ironic, right?). The key was to a safety deposit box my mother had put in a bank in Manhattan. She had said to me that when I was ready, to go and open it.I think about it and I know what I have to do.

"Tomorrow, I need to go alone to Manhattan. Why don't you go back to Sheild?"

"Alright. Just watch out for the creepy people."

"I will. Thanks."

"No problem."

He packs and leaves after patting me on the head. I climb into the bed and fall asleep.


***


I packed up my stuff and check out of the hotel. I load my one suitcase onto my bike and head off to Manhattan. It takes three days before I finally make it to the bank.


At the bank...


I managed to get to my mother's safety deposit box. I go into a room to open it. I take a deep breath and open the lid. I look in amazement at the sight in the box. There are two things. The first is a sword that has the goddess Hlin, the protectress, on the blade, and the sword can shrink to be hidden. The second thing is a necklace with a pendant that looks like Mjolnir, Thor's hammer, and when I flipped it over, it said, in Latin, fortitudo, meaning strength. I feel the tears start to appear and I blink them away. I put the sword in my pocket and the necklace around my neck. The minute I put it on, I remember something.

"Remember Victoria, when you are ready and you get what's in the box, just remember; You will be given Strength if you deserve it.'

My mother had said that when shen first put the box in the bank.

I smile as I give the box back to the teller and leave the bank. Right away, I feel like I'm being watched again. I pretend I don't notice and drive away on my motorcycle. I look in the mirror and see a bunch of black cars following me. I smile and continue driving. I stop at Central Park and I get off the bike. I walk in through the gate and hide in a tree. I see guy's in suits walk into the park. I was about to jump over the fence to my bike when I see a person I know and can trust. I jump out of the tree and land in front of him. The other agents raise their guns to point to me until they receive a signal from him.

"Hello, Phil. Got a mission for me?"

"Yes, Victoria. I bring you some bad news. An enemy has taken Barton's mind over and he has left with the Tesseract."

My smile falters and I blink.

"Poor Clint. Alright. Lead the way."