#cxpt

[oncedeadliesmith]

‘ a thousand empty bottles & fist fights will never return to us what we lost that day. ’

the note lay neatly tucked on his counter, easily viewable from the door, only moreso from the dust that covered it. a wave of magic cleared it so as not to disturb the pancil scratch left there by a strangely familiar hand.

" Surprised and flattered that you would think of me, Captain. "

but he was right. grief was a terrible gnawing thing. over time it left you alone, only to stir at the strangest of moments. a smell, a song, a feeling... that was all it took.

[liesforaliving]

@cxpt moved from here

Why was it still so hot even after taking all her gear off? She felt like the whole world was sitting on her chest, and she couldn't move it. It made it harder to breathe, and she was struggling to focus on anything but Hunter's voice in her head. The fear in his voice, the fading in and out again, catching clips of what he said. She was too scared to move, and she was struggling to drown out Hunter's voice and listen to Steve's. Her breaths were shaky now, and her hands moved from her lap to pressing against her forehead, trying to stop the feeling like she was overheating. 

Everything felt so distant like she was underwater, and she was trying to pull herself together, but the weight on her chest was so heavy. What was happening? This was not something she'd experienced before. 

She did briefly wonder if this was what Clint heard things like when his aids were off, minus the intense anxiety she was feeling. "Fuck." She mumbled, pressing the heels of her hands against her eyes, a tsunami of nausea hitting her, drowning her from head to toe. Bobbi curled in on herself, leaning forward, hands still on her face. Not good, not good at all. She felt far from good, and she was trying to logic her way through it.

She was hot because of the extreme stress of being in the field again, and being distracted on a mission which caused lives to be put in danger. She felt the weight in her chest because she knew it was all her fault. The nausea was the body's response to the adrenaline spike, and the weight in her chest combined, making her feel uneasy and sort of out of body. 

"I had time," she managed to mumble, before sitting back up, pressing her head back against the wall, hoping that the coolness of the metal might do her some good. That was a whole new experience for her, and she didn't really know what just happened, but she sure didn't hear most of what Steve said to her. He could have been scolding her, and she wouldn't have known. She seemed to be through the thick of it, but she was still far from okay.

[amethystarrows]

@cxpt sent: When was the last time you actually got some rest? (here / a)

Oh. Oh. How is she supposed to come up with an answer that won't disappoint Captain America? Kate chews on her lip for a moment- she knows the circles under her eyes aren't doing her any favors. "Uh. A day? Two? It was an intense case and I needed to be awake for a while..." Yeah, no. Not a great excuse, even if it was true. She can only offer a sheepish smile. "I'm fine, though- totally fine!"

[positivelybeastly]

" before you say anything, it wasn't me. "

"Cap, you know I love and respect you more than almost anyone on this Earth, save perhaps my own father, but you're talking to a man who's taught children."

"No-one ever says it wasn't them, unless it was them."

[positivelybeastly]

Jesus, have you been awake the entire night?

". . ."

"No . . ?"

[katesgotabow]

@cxpt for steph from here, moving for beta.

Definitely a concussion, to start the list of her injuries, probably a wicked bruise on her face, if not the start of a real bad shiner. Limbs all seemed okay, perhaps just sore from impact. Kate was thankful that the lights weren't ridiculously bright because she knows that would kick the headache that could form from the concussion into high gear. She'd likely have to find something she could take to help avoid that. 

What Kate didn't quite understand was who this lady was, and how she was related to Stark. Maybe in time she'd figure it out. Maybe this was Pepper, but she was awfully blonde to be the fiesty red head, wasn't she? Whatever, Kate, drink your damn coffee, and be a normal human being for a while. "Haha, yeah, I guess not. I don't always need coffee to stay up late though." Sometimes it was adrenaline that kept her going. 

"That's a good question. He might, but yknow, the whole Iron Man thing keeps him pretty busy." She shrugged, setting aside the empty coffee mug. Following her over to the elevator, she internally cringed a little, her dislike of elevators didn't need to be something the other woman knew. "Okay, hold up…." 

Kate stopped following her, and stared, with confusion solidly on her face. "You're Captain America here?" She believed Steph, but why wasn't she Steve? Who else was different here? So many questions popped up and she had no idea of the other woman could even answer them. "Where I'm from, you're a dude…."

[ascendgravity-archived]

she stared with the intensity of a thousand suns, waiting for rogers response. natalia knew he would say yes. no matter the case or cause, the widow could always rely on captain america.

lips formed into a grim smile, head nodding slightly. "i have a crew on standby to bus the kids to a safe location." provided they children were well enough to be moved. the widow's sources said the agency in control of this facility had ramped up their experimentation. that caused natalia's stomach to twist in knots.

"i just have to give them a call and they'll be here in five minutes." less, she hoped. a lot could happen in five minutes.

spinning around, the widow eyed the facility, imagining it burned to the ground in her mind's eye. hell was coming. no one was prepared for the black widow and captain america.

without a word, natalia launched herself into action. she bypassed the security fence, tossed knives and shot bullets, felling anyone who stood in her path. none of them saw her coming. she'd been counting on that.

when they reached the door, she stole a keycard from one of the soldiers. swiping it through the lock, the widow heard the door key open. pushing inside, she prepared herself to launch another assault. @cxpt continued from here.

[ascendgravity-archived]

he didn't understand why steve put so much faith in him. especially when he'd been on a mission to kill stark, blaming the director of shield for getting steve killed. but yet, there was a flicker of warmth at the hero's words. it rekindled that little boy dream bucky had. what would it be like if i was captain america?

don't get him wrong, he enjoyed his role as bucky. had played it quite well if you asked him. even if namor gave him a hard time. but he had imagined what it would be like to stand in the spotlight, having the american people chant his name. but would they know it was HIM when he put on that uniform this time around?

"why me, steve? why not stark? or sharon? surely they would be better options than me." what do you see that i don't? he wanted to say.

james knew he was his own worst enemy. that he accepted who he was and was more than comfortable living in the shadows. but he would be lying if he ignored the small part of him that enjoyed the light. that enjoyed being a hero.

the soldier swung around, staring steve down. his eyes burned with a passion, wanting to know what rogers was hiding. "tell me why me and i'll consider it. what makes me the best choice?" @cxpt continued from here.