"Take me to 44th Street, Eighth Avenue."
"Sure thing, sir."
The cab driver responded quickly. A little too quickly. Rory eyed him suspiciously before turning back to the two black SUVs still following behind.
The cab rolled south from the Upper East Side, following Fifth Avenue into Midtown. Just as they neared the border, the driver suddenly jerked the wheel and slammed the brakes at an intersection.
Before Rory could react, the driver pulled out a pistol and pressed it against his temple.
"Hands on your head, pal, don't even, "
CRACK.
A lightning-fast punch landed squarely on the driver's jaw, knocking him out cold.
Rory had already sensed something was off. No cabbie in their right mind would so eagerly offer to drive a stranger into Hell's Kitchen, unless he had nothing to fear.
He stepped out of the cab and scanned the street.
Empty.
No cars. No pedestrians.
Classic S.H.I.E.L.D. setup.
Squad cars blocked intersections. Agents formed a perimeter. The two black SUVs from earlier had parked nearby.
Click.
A woman stepped out of one of them, long chestnut waves, tailored suit, and that unmistakable poised charm.
Peggy Carter.
She smiled as she approached.
"Rory. Long time no see."
Rory shrugged.
"C'mon, we saw each other like a month ago."
"A month for you. For me? Thirty-eight years. I'd say that counts as 'long.'"
That gave Rory pause. He blinked.
"You're messing with me. Thirty-eight years and you still look like that? What are you, a witch?"
Peggy laughed.
"Hardly. But if you really want answers… how about we talk somewhere more private?"
Rory stepped closer, his expression turning cold.
"You're not afraid I might snap your neck right here?"
Just a few more steps. That was all he needed. If he could grab Peggy, he'd have a hostage, his way out.
But Peggy raised a hand and calmly said:
"Rory, please. Let's not turn this into a fight. That's not the smart move here."
"You think these agents can stop me?"
Rory didn't slow down.
Then, another voice cut in.
"Sir. You'd better listen to her."
Out stepped a man in a garish blue, red, and white spandex suit, topped with a half-mask helmet and absurdly long red gloves. One hand held a round shield.
Captain America.
Rory stopped dead.
"Steve?"
His eyes scanned the area, checking for more Avengers.
Steve, freshly thawed and barely finished with his recovery training, frowned.
"If you know who I am, then you know this is your chance to cooperate."
For a moment, Rory actually relaxed. The corner of his mouth curved into a smirk.
"You self-righteous old popsicle. Didn't Peggy tell you who I am?"
Steve shook his head slightly.
"Doesn't matter. What matters is you're coming with us."
"No, no, no." Rory wagged a finger.
"You're a relic, Steve. A dusty artifact from seventy years ago. The world's left you behind."
Steve turned to Peggy.
"Negotiations failed. We'll do it the hard way."
"Wait, no, " Peggy started, but it was too late.
Steve hurled his vibranium shield like a missile.
Whooom, !
Rory sidestepped just in time. The shield ricocheted off the cab behind him, bouncing into the air.
Steve closed the gap instantly.
WHAM.
KRAK.
A knee to Rory's chest. A solid hit, but Rory only staggered back two steps, unfazed.
Steve's eyes narrowed. He caught the returning shield and charged again.
Rory's smile vanished. Left hand holding the case of serums, he clenched his right into a fist and met Steve's attack head-on.
CLANG, !
Fist met shield in an explosive clash. A gust of force radiated outward, fluttering Peggy's skirt.
That shield was what Rory hated most, it turned Steve into a goddamn turtle in a shell. All defense, no openings.
Peggy had told Steve that Rory wasn't just "some guy." But still clinging to his 70-year-old worldview, Steve had brushed it off.
Now, face-to-face, he was learning the truth the hard way.
Steve ducked Rory's punch and countered with a body-check, slamming the shield into Rory's torso.
Rory took the hit, reached out, and ripped the cab door clean off its hinges.
CLANG.
CLANG.
Rory swung the door like a club, slamming it repeatedly against Steve's raised shield.
Steve braced for another strike, but it never came.
Instead, Rory's boot connected with Steve's chest.
BOOM.
Steve flew across the intersection, crashing into the side of one of the black SUVs, caving the metal inward.
Cough.
Steve wheezed, nearly passing out. Only his battle-hardened will kept him on his feet.
"I could go at this all day…" he rasped.
"Oh, come on! Do you always say that line?!"
Just then, on a nearby rooftop, a sniper pulled the trigger.
Pfft.
A long, white tranquilizer dart embedded in Rory's arm.
"Ah, dammit, slipped up."
Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!
More darts flew at him.
Rory bolted, cab door still in hand.
Steve chased, clutching his ribs.
The two enhanced men moved like lightning, faster than cars on the road.
"Get in the cars! After them!" Peggy shouted.
Agents piled into vehicles, tires screeching as they gave chase.
Rory, zigzagging through a shopping mall, was already feeling the effects, head spinning, limbs heavy.
Behind him, Steve was closing the distance.
"Goddamn clingy old fossil…"
Rory cursed under his breath and dove into the subway.
Just as he hit the platform, a train was preparing to depart.
With a roar, Rory smashed through the glass and landed inside the last car.
By the time Steve reached the platform, the train was gone, vanishing into the tunnel.
"Peggy! He's on a Brooklyn-bound train!"
"Copy that!"
Inside the train, Rory stumbled down the aisle like a drunk, swaying and barely able to walk.
A petty thug spotted the case in Rory's hand, moved in to snatch it, and tried to run.
Rory wasn't out of it yet.
He grabbed the guy's wrist and crushed it with a single squeeze.
The thug let out a scream, cut short as Rory flung him across the car. He slammed into the wall and dropped like a ragdoll.
The rest of the passengers scattered in panic.
Knowing S.H.I.E.L.D. would be waiting at the next stop, Rory stumbled to the rear of the train.
He popped open the emergency hatch, then jumped.
"OH MY GOD!"
"Jesus Christ!"
The passengers were left stunned, some fumbling to call 911, only to find there was no signal underground.
At the next station, S.H.I.E.L.D. agents swarmed the train.
Upon learning Rory had bailed mid-route, they immediately reversed course.
But by the time they reached the drop point,
Rory was already gone.
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