a
part of him still thought this was a horrible idea. while he could
easily make it real and leave the other with marks of a fight, he
didn’t think those he worked for would actually believe him. they
knew that very few if any of the targets he went after got away.
there had been some that had, of course, but most of them rarely did.
and somehow he was supposed to make this look good enough to force
the hand of those he worked with. steve knew it wouldn’t be easy but
at least they’d both get what they needed out of this encounter; him
attempting to bring him him, the other running free having won their
so called fight.
his
eyes looked both directions, knowing they didn’t have much time left.
if they were going to do this they would need to start sooner rather
than later. the agents that were on their way wouldn’t be swayed
easily as the ones currently swarming about. and once those new ones
arrived on scene there would be nothing more he could do. which meant
he needed to deck this kid and hope for the best.
“no,
it’s not the best option,” he told him, shaking his head. “but
i don’t see any other choice, do you?” they’d finally found
something that would work for both of them and it was time to get
things moving. when he’d arrived at the scene he never thought things
would end up like this. he’d honestly thought he would drag this kid
in and that would be the end of it. now, he was seeing things a
little differently and he’d end up looking at those he worked with
closer than he had previously. steve just wished that there was a
better way for them to handle this. violence wasn’t something he
normally condoned but given that neither of them were going to walk
away from this without some sort of victory this was the only option
they had left.
sighing,
he knew he’d have to do this and he’d have to make it look real.
fighting someone he could easily handle. making it look good he could
easily handle. fighting with no good reason behind it? that would be
a little easier said than done. but he would so this kid could get
away and not have to worry about whatever shield had planned for him.
“i’ve
made my choice,” he growled back, taking his right fist and
lashing out at the other. since it had to look good he couldn’t allow
the other to know when it was coming. technically, he could drag the
kid back with him but they’d come to a solution they both had agreed
on. to go back on that would be to go back on his word and he’d made
a habit of actually sticking to his word. and steve knew the other
would prefer to run away on his own instead of allowing shield to get
their hands on him.
there were always other choices and options. one’s that could possibly be a better solution than the decision that was agreed upon. the only problem was that ky didn’t believe any of them would work.
shield wanted him. as for what? he didn’t know. deep down, he didn’t really care either, but being handed over to them wasn’t an option. being dragged in was possible – even a choice he would have gone with years ago – just not now. nor did he believe he’d ‘allow’ himself to ever be in their custody – not with what vague rumors he’d heard.
therefore, this choice of staging a fight would have to suffice. it would have to work in two parts; making sure ky got away and making sure it looked real. though, real was an odd word – more so it had to look like it wasn’t staged and that both himself, and rogers got away with-out too much damage.
victory wasn’t assured in this little ‘staged’ game of theirs. rather, it was a hope that both sides wouldn’t break their agreement. if that happened, there would be far dire consequences for whoever lost. more so, if ky lost (something he knew was possible), and thus he wanted to prevent such an outcome.
being ready was something ky knew he’d never be; training (that he lacked) or otherwise. it was only a matter of time before one of them enacted the first blow – rogers just seemed to take the initiative.
a sharp blow right to the torso. something he figured he’d be able to detect before, it happened, but ky was more distracted with the ‘what if’s’ than their actual agreement.
a grunt escaped his lips. then a moment later he grinned.
the time for thinking about what could happen after the fact was over. now, was the time to send his own punch back – if only to continue on with the spectacle.
while ky didn’t know what rogers was fully capable of, the choice to go ‘softer’ than usual was something that was done out of necessity rather than want. this agreement was so ky wouldn’t fall into shield’s clutches.
all the same, he took a step back, and then slammed his right foot forward; to kick at rogers. that way, maybe he could gauge just how far rogers would go, and in turn it would work the same way in his mind. if anything… ky was holding back for the moment.
no
more games. this needed to stop one way or another. the longer they
stood there the more likely a crowd would show up and when it did?
he’d have no other choice. he’d been trying to give this kid a chance
to come in quietly, he’d given him the option to come willingly and
instead — the kid had decided to fight him time and time again. and
what was worse was the fact his orders were to take him in one way or
another. it was frustrating when this kid had put his foot down each
time he reminded him of what needed to be done.
steve
had always followed orders, had always done what he thought was
right. but shield — unfortunately, he knew what shield tended to do
with mutants and those like them. “there was no —” he
hadn’t offered up a third option but something told him this kid had
already figured something out. even though he knew that there would
be hell to pay it would be better than dragging this kid to his
death. or worse.
“so
we get into a scuffle and you end up getting away.” he had to
give the kid credit. it was a good idea and one that would make both
of them look good. and it wasn’t like he hadn’t gotten in scrapes in
the past. if anything, fighting was something that came naturally to
him. the only problem would be whether or not they could pull it off
and have it look real. just because they threw a few punches didn’t
mean it would be believable to anyone else. and his bosses needed to
understand that he had tried his best to drag this kid in.
unfortunately, steve knew that his tenacity would be his downfall. he
wasn’t too keen on letting someone go but in this case? it was the
only way they’d be able to make this work.
taking
a few moments, he knew that it was either this or something far
worse. and with people milling about not too far from them it wasn’t
a risk he was willing to take. “no, it’s not a great
suggestion,” he told him, running a hand through his hair as he
rocked back onto his heels. if anything it really was one of the
worst. but what other choice did they have? “but you won’t come
with me and i can’t just let you go without a fight. it’s the only
thing that’ll work for both of us.”
when ky said he wanted to make a fight look real, he meant it. no pulling punches, no pulling anything, and everything would be accurate. it would be a fight with a pre-determined winner, but nothing would be off limits. nothing would be considered ‘out of bounds’ – even to the point of calling in backup ( should steve wish to do so ).
ky wanted to make this fight look authentic as possible – that way, he could get out of here free and clear. sure, he’d have shield after him down the line, but that was the usual. at least when a short head-start, it would make things easier, and he knew where to hide.
“more so think of me advancing in another direction; we fight, i manage to get away, and i won’t be dragged in by who you work for.” shield, hydra, and everyone else – they were all the same. he either would be lost in the cracks, sealed away, or weaponized. truth be told, it wouldn’t have mattered – when word reached his father, everyone involved would be in for a load of hurt, but that was a story for another time entirely.
“it might not be the best, but if you have another option? well, we have a little more time before you have to make a decision. either way? i’m not going to end up in a cell or in some lab who knows where.”
ky then sucked in a deep breath as he took a step forward. “so, i think it’s time you chose – either way… i’m going to walk away from this. with or with out your assistance.” he just hoped things would go a more easy way – he may have always been ready for a real fight, but not in this case. not when there was just too many unknown factors into play.
a
part of him had always known that this conversation wasn’t going to
end with them returning to the helicarrier for the conversation that
needed to happen. something told him shield knew that and was why
they’d sent him out in the first place; they needed someone stubborn
to get him to come in on his terms and not theirs. except they’d left
out the part that he wasn’t dealing with someone he was used to
dealing with. there had already been too much blood shed given the
body still sitting in the alley and he wasn’t going to let things get
out of hand. unfortunately, steve didn’t think containing this
disaster was in the realm of possibilities.
of
course, there was always dragging him in. it wouldn’t be the first
time that he’d done such a thing. usually their enemies gave up long
before he had to drag them in but this kid refused. he knew; he knew
and it wouldn’t matter how long he ignored the inevitable he knew
that things were only going to get worse. it didn’t matter how long
he tried to avoid it, steve knew that this kid was only going to come
in through violence. and he hated himself for it. this wasn’t how he
wanted things to go and yet the kid was right; things were going to
get ugly.
“they
don’t have to.” in all his years working for shield he knew just
what they would do if they got their hands on this kid. even though
his mission was to bring him in, he couldn’t. not when the world
would only see him turned against their enemies. and it was a life
that no one deserved. steve would pay for this but it was a price he
was willing to pay to make certain that shield couldn’t turn this
into another situation where they had the upper hand in a situation.
but what other choice did he have? what could he do that wouldn’t
make the situation worse?
nothing.
if he dragged the kid in shield would make certain he got lost in the
system. he may not have agreed to his methods but neither could he
agree with the way shield handled things. “of course it’s my
choice,” he muttered, sighing out of frustration. it had always
been his choice. he’d just been avoiding the inevitable. “the
right one? dragging you in would only end in more chaos. helping you
get away leads to questioning my integrity. you tell me what’s the
right one.”
it was always one choice or another. being dragged in would only lead to far more death than necessary. going in willingly would just cause much larger problems. he knew the rumors of what shield did to people like him and that was the prime reason he was going to stay out of their grasp.
“the third option.” true, only two options were given, but there was always another way. at least… when he wanted there to be one. it wouldn’t be easy, nor would be entirely clean, but it wouldn’t just be letting ky go. no, this would be a slightly different outcome – even if it was more than just slightly dangerous. for the both of them.
“we make it look real,” among other things, “and it would look like you were forced to let me go.” it wouldn’t be clean – not by a long shot on either part, but it wouldn’t be letting him go nor would it be causing a massive amount of chaos. in-fact, all ky would do would be put up a decent fight – not the best, but maybe it could work… or not. it wasn’t exactly a well thought out plan -more of something ky thought potentially succeed with minimal effort on both their parts.
“it might not be the right choice,” he said, sliding his hands into his back pockets, “could even be the worst one, but…” just saying it would work would get them no where, but at the same time… what choice did he have? well, besides the obvious ones. “it’s better than simply running or facing shield.”
it took him a moment to really
think about the best way to answer this. shield wouldn’t just let him
go after they were done interrogating him. they both knew that shield
would want more and to say anything different would be lying. “no,”
he finally answered, knowing that it was better to admit the truth
than try to lie.
unfortunately, it was his job
to bring this kid in and to let him go wouldn’t look good on him. not
that he honestly cared. his job was to do the right thing and
sometimes doing the right thing meant going against what shield
wanted from him. and in this instance it was starting to look like
the right thing to do was to let him go. steve knew it would mean a
lot of explaining but better than the alternative; this kid getting
lost in shield’s system.
“you could and things get
could really ugly if you do decide to fight.” people would get
hurt, innocent civilians could get killed and no one wanted that. but
shield would give him that if he decided to stand his ground, and it
would end up destroying parts of this city. sighing, steve knew he
couldn’t let that happen. as much as he hated the idea of letting
this kid go given his orders, he knew in the end it would be for the
best. “i’ve seen what shield can do and you’re better off on
your own than actually going in with me.” he was doing his job
and shield could deal with the fallout from this however they wanted.
the only thing left to do was
figure out how to get this kid away from all agents that would be
converging on the scene. if he could get him to come with him he
could drop the kid off away from all the action. “come with me.”
it was going to be a long shot but at least it would get them away
from the scene. “i’m not taking you in but i can drop you off
away from all of this.”
messy was a major understatement. if things got into a fight, there would be more dead than needed, and ky would be the cause of it all. in truth, it was what he was expecting; a battle of epic proportions. something that he would be known for and something that he wouldn’t walk away from unscathed. that way, he could prove himself as someone more than just a child – no, a boy who was grasping at straws to understand the limits of what he could do.
getting captured by shield wasn’t an option. to do so would mean that he proved himself weaker than he thought. not to mention whatever they would do to him. ky wasn’t a good person… if he could be called such a thing.”things always get ugly around me. you’re just delaying the inevitable.” it was a fair point in his mind; he would just go back below the radar and wait this out.
shield would look for him, but another situation would arise. next time… maybe he would be stronger. be able to take them all on with out a second thought. that day… it would come soon, but he didn’t want that. what he wanted… was control and to know what he could do. something… that would only come with time. “it’s your choice,” he said.
it was all about choices. ky made his already – to stay and fight. to destroy everything to prove a point. however, that could be changed — if the one before him was willing to help him out? it would delay things, but not forever. “just make sure it’s right one.”
“Which
doesn’t make a damn bit of sense.” Or maybe it did and he was
just too damn stubborn to see it. “You think
you know enough about me. But that’s not all that matters.”
“… what does matter then?” he asked, “i would rather do what i want and while sometimes it gets people killed? it doesn’t matter.” or so he thought at least, “i know enough that you’ll stop me from pulling something stupid, but the real question is simple: do you want to?”
“It does and it doesn’t.” He pointed out, “Honestly, I know enough, and that’s all that really matters, isn’t it?”
sighing, he knew that this
wouldn’t be easy. this kid had dug his heels in and nothing he said
would change his mind. he was here as more of a courtesy than
anything else and if necessary he could bring this kid in by force.
it wouldn’t be the first time that he’d done such a thing. but any
time shield sent him out he did try not to use force. it never ended
up well and it left a sour taste in his mouth. unfortunately, steve
knew he’d been sent for a reason and that reason was standing there
in front of him. letting him go would mean a long lecture from hill
but it wouldn’t be the first time.
“can’t run forever,”
he pointed out, wondering if the agents he’d been sent with were
coming in or not. they hadn’t talked about how things would play out
if their target decided to run. he couldn’t let this kid go. there
was something about him that felt off and letting him go meant
opening up the city to whatever dangers this kid brought with him.
“and if you give shield what they want they’ll leave you be.”
it wasn’t the best choices in the world but what else could he do?
steve didn’t like the idea of force but his gut told him it was the
only left for him to do.
“wish it were that
simple,” steve told him. “had hoped to avoid all this but
you’ve given me no choice.”
“do you really believe that?” honestly, there was a slim chance in his mind that shield would even let him go, and he wasn’t going to take that risk. going to them or even talking to them was a major complication.
more to the point, they could keep him in a cell indefinitely, and that would just make matters far worse. therefore, the only option he had was to stay as far away from them as possible, and with any luck, one step ahead of them ( even if that was doubtful ).
“you’re right, i can’t run forever. i could take a stand and fight.” of course, doing so wasn’t what he wanted, but at the same time, that didn’t mean he wouldn’t do so if he had to. he just didn’t want to deal with starting something he couldn’t finish, “i’m just not interested in having to deal with armed guards or torture.” or, in his case, getting captured, and possibly tortured.
“either way, you’ll do what you have to, and i’ll…. do the same.” the words were dry, he didn’t want a fight, but as per-usual, he rarely managed to take the course of action that would avoid such things.
“you’re
not listening
to me.” in all honesty, he felt like he was banging his head
against the wall with this kid. it didn’t matter if he couldn’t go
with him. he had no real choice in the matter. if he didn’t come
along with him now shield would send someone after him, and that
someone wouldn’t be as understanding as he was. steve was trying to
get that through to him but he couldn’t help but think that this kid
didn’t care one way or another. which meant it was time to just walk
away and let shield handle this. they had special teams for a reason.
a
part of him just hated the thought of this kid being hunted when he’d
offered him the chance to come peacefully. why would anyone throw
away his offer? he knew there was more to this kid than he was
telling and if it was that that kept him from coming with him then he
needed to find that out before their special squad was sent out. “i
get not trusting
shield. but me? i’m just doing a job, kid. they’ll come after you no
matter what. i’m willing to listen. they won’t be.”
“then they will come after me.” ky said bluntly. he already had the assumption that they would and this simply confirmed it. after-all, from what he knew of shield, they wouldn’t simply ask questions, and he didn’t like being watched. let alone tracked or restricted to where he could go.
a reason to why he knew that eventually, he would be cornered, and a choice would have to be made. a choice, that he wasn’t ready to even think about, “’course, all that i hear is that shield will come after me either way, an’ i have enough problems.” more to the point, he didn’t want to deal with them anytime soon. yet, if push came to shove, he would have to.
“so, you can keep on doing your job,” ky said.“you can do it with out taking me in.”
frustration
was the only thing he felt at that moment. they both knew
that shield would never give up, they both knew that eventually
they’d get their answers from him and he was certain the other knew
that it wouldn’t be pleasant. he knew how shield tended to get its
information and while he didn’t approve of how they did it, there was
nothing he could do to actually stop them. which meant having to
pretend like he didn’t know what was going on most of the time and
forcing himself not to go off on hill. she was only following orders
and as a soldier he understood that more than most. if only he could
get that through to this kid. life might be a bit easier if he
actually cooperated instead of digging in and being stubborn.
“you
know that’s not how they work.” he wouldn’t go after him again.
once was enough and should shield demand he bring this kid in he’d
flat out refuse. it wasn’t like he was hunting down doom, the red
skull or any other villain. if he honestly thought this kid was
someone shield needed to worry about he had no problem dragging him
in and allowing shield to do their thing. but steve didn’t think this
kid would cause them a problem and shield would have to find some
other way to get the intel they were looking for. “come with me willingly
and things will be better than if they send someone after you.”
“i can’t do that.” it wasn’t simply a statement, but it was a fact —- the moment ky’lar did that, would be the moment that he opened a can of worms that wouldn’t be able to be closed. staying off the radar was easier, they couldn’t track him, and he didn’t have to deal with the legality of what he’s done. not to mention that he enjoyed not being labeled as something.
well, most of the time — his own choice of friends were questionable at best. not to mention that they were usually dangerous, but that was besides the point. to be taken in by shield or anyone would more than likely be a disaster — one that couldn’t simply walk away from. “even if I wanted to, I don’t trust shield, or you.”
“your clothes, most
likely.” it seemed like a reasonable response for such an
asinine question. this kid should’ve expected that shield would want
answers. dead bodies tended to attract far too much attention for
their liking and answers were to be expected. “if you ‘got it’
you’d understand just where you came in. they aren’t just going to
let this go because you say so.” no, steve knew they’d demand
answers and wouldn’t let up until they got them. he’d seen how they
worked and knew eventually they’d get what they wanted.
a raised eyebrow had him
wondering just what this kid was thinking. it was an interesting
thing to say, one he might’ve used once upon a time himself. “smart
thing to say but if you now anything about shield it won’t matter
what you say. you’d be doing yourself a favour by helping us out.”
steve knew he couldn’t force this kid to say anything; just like he
wouldn’t stop shield from doing their job. “if it’s going to
keep happening then help us put a stop to it before more people die.
the more people die the more the public will demand answers and then
what? what will you do then?”
he decided to ignore his instinct to shoot back an idiotic comment at the initial response. it simply wasn’t worth it to start an argument in a situation that seemed to be escalating by the moment. dead bodies were one thing and shield was inevitably another —- a reason he wanted to prevent this, but the problem was the man before him was right.
no matter what he did, shield would keep asking questions; they needed answers as more people would die. of course, answers ended up being what everyone wanted; human, mutant, or otherwise. they were what would be needed to put everything behind them and for clarification. a reason to why ky’lar knew that eventually, he would have to say something —- just not now,
❝ i’ll do what i’ve always done…. take care of myself. ❞ his lips pursed into a fine line,
❝ whatever shield wants, they can get it some other way. just not from me. ❞ not anytime soon at least.
Hellfirebound 