Twenty-Five

Elbow Left

Washington, DC

The black car pulled to a stop in front of the residential building. A moment passed, then the back door opened and Steve Rogers stepped out. He moved up to the front window and spoke to the driver before passing him some money. Steve made sure to thank him again. He waited for the car to pull away and then headed towards the front door. Pulling out his keys, he opened the door and headed inside. None of his neighbors were in the lobby or on the stairs, which worked well as Steve was still in his own thoughts since the party.

Opening his front door, he stepped inside to find Natasha sitting on his couch, eating his food and watching his television.

"You're in my apartment again,' he said, standing in the doorway looking at her.

"I was hungry,' she replied, not looking at him and continuing to watch the television. He waited a moment, wondering if she would add anything else, but kind of knew she wouldn't. With a sigh, he closed the door and set his keys down on the table by the door. Undoing his bow tie, Steve walked over and with a nudge against her leg to move over, sat down on the couch next to her. He glanced at the TV watching the chaos on the screen for a moment. She had some rather unusual tastes that took some getting used to, but he'd been around her enough now to just go with it. Steve couldn't help glancing over to the main module wanting to ask Friday some questions, but knew she wouldn't appear as long as Natasha was here.

"How was the party?" Natasha absently asked, not taking her eyes off the television.

"Long,' he replied, sort of knowing she probably didn't really care.

"I'm sure Nick will give you a pat on the head," Natasha offered with a small smirk. "Him and Daddy Pierce are close. You meet the daughter? Katherine Pierce?"

"Yeah,' Steve replied and then after a moment added. "I danced with her once."

Now he had Natasha's attention. She paused the movie and turned to him with a big smile.

"Oh really?"

"Don't," Steve quickly said. ""It was just a dance, one dance."

"Uh huh,' Natasha replied, turning more towards him. "Who knew you had game? I try to set you up with all these nice women from work, but you go and make a play for a society debutante. Didn't think you had it in you, Rogers."

"I just danced with her, don't make it out to be more than that,' Steve objected.

"Are you going to see her again?" Natasha asked with a big smile.

"I don't know," he replied and then under her gaze he finally admitted. "She did suggest we have coffee some time this week. Apparently she likes to get it after running in the morning."

"She's perfect for you," Natasha said with a laugh. "I never met anyone that likes to run as much as you! Wait, and you like coffee, too!"

"Shut up," Steve said with a blush.

"Marrying the boss's daughter is like the American Dream, isn't it?" Natasha said with a big smile. "Way to stay on brand, Rogers."

Steve gave her a hard look, but Natasha was enjoying herself too much to care.

"Are you done?" He finally asked.

"Hardly."

"What do you know about Gideon Malick? He was at the party too," Steve asked, wanting to change the subject. Gideon's words and his own reaction to them had been troubling Steve since he left the party.

"He's a former member of the Security Council that oversees SHIELD," she replied. "Some kind of ultra rich industrialist and active in politics. Why? Does he have a daughter too?"

He gave her a look, but it didn't do any good.

"Not that I'm aware of,' he finally replied.

"Good," she replied. "He's kind of a douche from what I hear and that's the sort of thing that sticks in the DNA for generations. He gave the go ahead to launch that nuclear missile at Manhattan when we were fighting the aliens. Well him and a couple of others. You should stick with Miss Pierce as the next Mrs. Rogers. Her dad's rich too and gorgeous for a man his age."

"I've never met the man."

"Well, you're old school, I'm sure when you ask for his daughter's hand in marriage you'll get to know him," Natasha joked.

"I knew I should have called the cops on you the first time you broke in,' Steve grumbled. This only made Natasha laugh harder.

"I won't do it once you're married,' Natasha teased. "I'm sure the Missus wouldn't appreciate another woman in her house."

"So there's an upside to all of this,' Steve joked.

Natasha gave him a look.

"Sorry to tell you, Rogers, but I'm in your life now,' she said. "You're not getting rid of me."

"Yeah, kind of guessed that already,' he replied with a smile. "I can think of a lot worse things."

They sat there for a moment in silence. It was broken by Steve's phone buzzing. He was a bit surprised and quickly looked through his pockets to answer it. When he finally got it out, he saw it was a text from Katherine Pierce.

I'll be running on the Capital Mall Wednesday morning,

Why don't we meet up for coffee at

Dolcezza at the Hirshhorn afterwards?

It's on 7th and Independence

Katherine. –

Natasha, being nosey, leaned in and read the text too.

"Katherine, huh? Must have been some dance,' she said with a big smile. "Is the party even over yet? She's already texting you? She must have really liked your dancing. Wow, your wedding will be the social event of the Washington season. Hell, it will probably be national news Captain America marries Washington Socialite! Tony will have to marry Pepper just to compete for attention."

Steve just looked at her again, he did not look happy. Natasha didn't seem to care and just continued to laugh.

"Again, are you done?"

"I'm just trying to be happy for my partner,' she offered. "Isn't that what I'm supposed to do, be supportive?"

"Doesn't feel like you're being supportive,' he replied. "You're enjoying this a little too much."

Natasha poured herself another drink as she continued to laugh.

"So Malick,' Steve again tried to change the subject. "What kind of industrialist is he? Where did he make his money?"

"In a lot of things, I imagine,' Natasha replied. "I think I read he's in shipping, manufacturing, weapons and investing mostly. Why? Did something else happen at the party besides you meeting the future Mrs. Rogers?"

Steve ignored her teasing this time.

"I don't know, it's just something about him I didn't like,' he said. "He gave a speech just before I was leaving and I found myself having a reaction to what he was saying. It was like an echo of something I heard before. It's probably nothing and as people keep telling me, it was a long time ago."

"What did it remind you of?" she asked, all business now.

"I'm sure its nothing, Natasha,' he replied, trying to dismiss it. "Just an echo, like I said. If it was anything you'd be the first one I'd ask about it."

"He's off the Security Council now,' she informed him. "I don't think him and Pierce see eye to eye on SHIELD's future."

"That's good to know,' Steve commented.

""Yeah, you want to believe your future father-in-law is a good guy, after all,' Natasha couldn't help teasing.

"There's a better chance you'll marry Clint before I marry Katherine Pierce,' Steve fired back.

"Not going to happen," Natasha said with a knowing smile.

"Does Clint know?' Steve joked.

"For a long time we've both known."

"Then I guess I'd put my money on Tony and Pepper,' Steve replied.

"I wouldn't hold your breath on that one,' Natasha offered with a smirk. "Though maybe one day he'll wise up and figure it out."

"Figure what out?"

"She's the best thing for him."

"There you and I agree,' Steve replied with a smile of his own.

"Maybe you marrying Katherine Pierce will be just the motivation he needs to ask her,' Natasha ventured. Steve just sighed and shook his head, to which Natasha laughed. Another thought crossed him mind and he turned to her.

"So since you've got me married off, does that mean you're done with the match matching?"

"We'll see how your coffee date goes," She replied with a smug grin and took another drink from her glass.

Washington DC – 16th St.

Tony and Pepper made their way through the paparazzi and into the waiting car. Happy had them moving, the party and hotel disappearing into the distance. They both seemed in a good mood, having enjoyed the evening for the most part.

"Thank you for behaving tonight," Pepper said, giving Tony a kiss on the cheek.

"Don't sound so surprised, Miss Potts,' he replied. "I have manners after all."

"Yes, but you don't use them that often."

He gave her a look that tried to convey he was outraged by her statement, but couldn't hold it too long before he was smiling again. They rode for a while just taking in the scenes passing their windows.

"You didn't donate to her charity tonight, did you?" Tony asked out of left field.

"No," Pepper replied, by now used to his scatter short mode of conversation. "Katherine didn't even ask. She just seemed glad we came."

"I know Rogers didn't donate, he doesn't have any money,' Tony continued. "It's odd, I don't think I heard anyone mention donating during the whole party."

"I'm sure quite a few people at the party donated,' Pepper offered. "Although, now that you mentioned it, I didn't hear anything about fundraising or financial goals you'd associate with a charity ball like that."

"If it wasn't to raise money, what was the party for?" Tony asked.

"Publicity?"

"She got that just by getting old man Rogers to dance with her in front of a room full of people,' Tony said.

"I don't think he's ever danced before,' Pepper observed. "He looked really uncomfortable out there on the dance floor. They did make a handsome couple. I heard quite a few people talking about it."

An odd sad smile came to Tony's lips.

"What?" Pepper asked, noticing it immediately.

"It's nothing, really,' Tony replied. He saw she was interested and decided to continue. "It's just I have this feeling Katherine wasn't who Rogers wished he was dancing with."

""Oh really?' Pepper asked. "Who then? Someone else at the party?"

"No, Margaret Carter,' Tony softly said.

"Who?"

"Margaret Carter,' he repeated. "Her and Howard helped found SHIELD and before that she was in the Strategic Scientific Reserve. Howard worked with her there too. That's where they made Steve Rogers into Captain American. I just found out about a lot of this recently. I meet her a couple of times when I was a kid. I think she's still alive somewhere."

"Why would Steve want to dance with her?" Pepper asked urging him to continue.

"I remember her coming over to the house when I was a kid and having a big argument with Howard," Tony said. "She was amazing, didn't pull any punches and just told him off. She was my hero that day."

He gave a small laugh, but his features still had a look of sadness over them. Pepper sat silently waiting for him to continue.

"Later that night Howard had more than a few drinks and he was in the study with my mother,' Tony explained. "I was supposed to be in bed, but I snuck down to see what was happening. They were just quietly talking. Mom asked him why he was so upset about the argument with Peggy as I guess they had them all the time. I'll never forget the look on Howard's face as he said because he'd failed her again."

Pepper was listening, fascinated by the story. Tony wasn't one to talk about his early life, even with her.

"How did Howard fail her?" She gently asked.

"That time, I don't know,' Tony replied with a shake of his head. "Howard said the first time was not finding Rogers after his plane when down, the love of her life."

They were silent for a moment as the car continued in the Washington DC night.

"And she was Steve's," Pepper finally added.

"Yeah."

Steve's Apartment – Later

Natasha had finally disappeared after introducing Steve to something called Spaghetti Westerns. They just seemed like westerns to him, maybe a little more violent but still westerns. He was tossing out the empty contains of food and cleaning up when Friday appeared.

"You're late,' Steve joked.

"For what?" Friday asked, not understanding what he meant.

"You usually appear as soon as someone leaves,' he explained.

"I have no ability to assist in the clean up, so I thought it prudent to wait until you were finished,' she replied.

"Very thoughtful of you,' Steve said as he finished cleaning and dropped down on the couch again. Friday was sitting next to him.

"I heard your conversation with Agent Romanoff and something about the party seemed to be troubling you,' Friday began. "May I help you with anything?"

"I'm not sure, Steve admitted. "What can you tell me about the organization Miss Pierce works for?"

"The Echidna Foundation works in over forty five countries around the world,' Friday relayed. "They are a non-profit organization that runs outreach programs in most of those countries. 37 to be exact. Do you wish me to list all their assets and programs?"

"No, that's okay,' Steve replied.

"Echidna is the name of a type of spiny anteater, as well as a character from Greek mythology."

"She was the mother of monsters, wasn't she?" Steve asked.

"Yes, most of the ancient monsters were related to her in some way,' Friday replied. "In the texts she was known as the mother of Cerberus, a multi-headed dog that guards the gates to the underworld. Also the Chimera, usually depicted as a lion, with the head of a goat protruding from its back, and a tail that might end with a snake's head. Also Scylla was a legendary monster that lived on one side of a narrow channel of water, opposite her counterpart Charybdis. There is also The Colchian dragon, which reportedly guarded the Golden Fleece. And of course, she is the mother of the Lernaean Hydra killed by Heracles as one of his twelve labors."

"Cut off one head, two more shall take it's place,' Steve whispered. "It can't be a coincidences."

"Are you speaking of the organization you fought in World War II, Steve?' Friday asked. "Records show it was destroyed at the end of the war, you playing a large part in that."

"I know,' he admitted. "But why would you name your organization after the mother of Hydra?"

"Perhaps they liked spiny anteaters,' Friday suggested.

"Gideon Malick is on the board,' Steve stated. "The way he talked tonight was so reminiscent of Hydra I couldn't shake that feeling."

"He's a respected businessman, Steve with many influential friends,' Friday warned. "Making allegations based on how he spoke at a party is not an advisable position to take."

"I know, but it was so familiar,' he replied.

"Nothing in the organization's records even hints at anything nefarious,' Friday added. "The same can be said for Mr. Malick. There is also one other matter you need to consider before you voice your concerns to anyone."

"What's that?" Steve asked.

"Miss Pierce is the daughter of the Secretary of the World Security Council and your ultimate boss, Alexander Pierce. By voicing your concerns you are directing suspicion on her, as well. Do you believe she is part of this too, Steve?"

"I don't know,' he admitted. "I don't think so, it's just a feeling I have."

"Until you have more than a 'feeling' I would advise you keep this to yourself, Steve,' Friday consoled. "I would add your direct boss, Director Fury is also quite fond of Miss Pierce."

"You're probably right, Friday," Steve finally said. "Thank you for the advice. It was probably just a turn of phrase Malick heard and decided to use."

"I believe you are taking the wisest course of action, Steve,' Friday replied with a smile of satisfaction that she had actually helped him.

"I guess I'll head to bed then."

Steve got up from the couch and started towards the bedroom.

"Good night, Steve,' Friday said.

He was about to wish her good night as well, but then stopped and turned around.

"Humor me on something Friday." Steve said. "Could you dig up everything you can on Malick and The Echidna Foundation? I just have this feeling."

"Of course, Steve, I'll have it for you in the morning when you get up,' Friday replied.

"Thank you again and Good Night, Friday."