Captain Steve Rogers (slepttoolong) wrote in we_coexist, @ 2015-03-05 22:29:00 |
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Entry tags: | logan, steve rogers, zz:status complete |
haven't we suffered enough? [log]
It was noisy at the gym, and it wasn't the kind of noise Steve was used to. He was used to barracks, where the chatter was overly cheerful, enthusiastic. Men who were shoving aside the realities of being in a war, trying to enjoy themselves with others in the same boat. They joked, and they teased, but in general, they respected one another and held together. If one soldier went down, they all went down, so there had been camaraderie, fellowship, and a grim determination to stick through it all together.
Even SHIELD had kept a sense of that. Steve hadn't usually had much of a crowd in the training rooms there, but when others were around, it was the same sense of togetherness. People who shared a common goal, working together. Holding together.
The noise here was ugly. Men trying to one-up one another, take shots to drag others down. Steve had already had one fight after a man made a callous remark about a shapely young woman trying her hand at the speed bags. That guy was now nursing a black eye and broken nose, and the woman had been given plenty of space to work as she wanted. Steve was given a pretty wide berth as well, but there were looks and remarks being shot his way that were annoying him.
It was taking effort to reign himself in enough to make sure he wasn't about to knock the punching bag off the chain. It happened too often, and he didn't need it happening here. The equipment wasn't designed for someone with his strength. It rarely was. But after the infiltration of Arkham, and pulling Ariel out of that place... what they'd done to the man responsible... Steve needed a safe way to get the energy out. He wouldn't have hurt the other guy so badly if he hadn't been coming off of Ariel's treatment. It was wrong, just wrong to treat a woman like that.
Someone else was coming up behind him. He could hear their steps. Steve sighed, struck the bag a few more times, and then shifted his weight to look at the newcomer.
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Logan grunted. Humans made him sick sometimes. There were the good ones, Logan had fought for them time and again on behalf of Xavier and also for SHIELD. Logan was technically an Avenger, but humanity needed more than being saved from aliens and rough mutants. It needed to be saved from itself, and no hero was going to ever be able to pull off that feat.
The mutant found himself at a gym, a human gym, and he found himself wondering why he kept coming back when there was a place far more suitable to his needs and a lot more peaceful. He liked to brag as much as the next guy, but this wasn't bragging. This was straight owning since none of the men here could match him in any sense of the word.
Well, except the possibly the one at the punching bags. Logan had spotted Steve Rogers from across the building, and had set down the measly hand weight he had been pretending to struggle with lifting (for the sake of the men around him). The approach was easy enough, Rogers had been in the TARDIS and they had worked together in New York saving the world. The man was a team-mate, though he was much younger than Logan was.
"Didn't expect ta see ya in a place like this, Cap. Figured someone like you'd find a more suitable place for abilities like those. Reckon you'd outshow all o' the humans here, not that ya actually would. From what I remember, you ain't like that. But I am. What do ya say you let me take ya some place a little...quieter?"
Logan glared as he came to a halt near the bag. He was WAY shorter than Cap, but that didn't seem to phase the mutant.
And then some asshole bigshot decided to bump into Logan instead of walking around him, like Logan hadn't been there a second before. The mutant bared his fangs and lifted his fists.
"Watch where you're going, tiny! Real men are walking here," the human shouted in irritation.
"Tiny? Real men? Apparently you missed the day in Human Development when they talked about peak maturity in men, with a voice that high. You sure you're actually a man? Cause I dunno if I see it."
Hook and line.
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There was a flicker of recognition. He had seen this man on the TARDIS. The man moved like a predator, a warrior, all rippling muscle and power. It was amazing to Steve that anyone might not see that. So he especially didn't miss the flash of fangs when the other man deliberately bumped him.
Cap shifted his stance again, clearly siding with the smaller man at his side, an intense glare focused on the irritated (irritating) man. "You want a round in the ring?" he asked, voice oozing with confidence. "I'd like to see my friend here wipe the ground with you."
The man balked for just a moment, taking in Cap's size, but his smirk returned when the offer was made. "Got nuthin' t' do with you, Blondie. You wanna see the shrimp take a beating, you're on."
Cap shrugged. "Fine. You have some kind of will, right? Paperwork or something, saying how you want your remains disposed of?"
The man blinked. "What?"
"I'm assuming you're not married," Cap continued, his tone unchanged. "He'd be doing the lady a favor, anyway. Might be messy, though..." Frowning, he glanced at the man beside him. "Think you can keep it to bones and skin? Any major organ damage might be tricky. Don't worry about head shots, though. Doesn't seem to be much of a brain as it is."
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Logan bristled, but he straightened and smirked as Steve stepped up to his side and began to take up for him. Not that he needed that, but he appreciated it all the same. Team work. Oh how he had missed that. Well, sometimes. Logan worked better on his own, but he wasn't above camaraderie when it was necessary to get a job done.
And Logan scoffed, "Ya thin' this ones married? Women're smarter than that. Just look at 'im. No way a woman would give 'er time to a punk like this 'n. Not a stable one, anyway."
That pissed the large body builder off more, and before the hand that shot out toward him could connect, Logan had lifted his own arm up. The limb shot out like a piston, and his fingers encircled the man's forearm easy, fingers digging into the skin. He could feel the bones rubbing unnaturally together.
The smile turned sweet and Logan looked up at the tall interloper, "You were sayin'?"
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Cap shrugged. "Hey, far be it for me to presume to know the mind of a woman." He happened to agree, though. Women usually had better sense than that. The big guy was trying to struggle without moving his trapped arm. Steve arched a brow at him. "Son, why don't you just turn around and go your way? Pick your battles better next time."
The man was glaring at them, but he looked back at Logan, tried to move his arm, and then nodded. "Yeah, whatever."
Steve rolled his eyes. He was tempted to give the man a lesson in manners, but it wasn't his call. He glanced to his new friend and shrugged. "Don't really know my way around here," he said, picking up from the original conversation. "This was the first place I found. If I'd known the kind of company it drew, I would have kept looking."
From his body language, he'd dismissed the body builder completely, though Steve was still peripherally aware, in case of a retaliation. He suspected the smaller man could take care of things himself, if it became a problem.
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"Yeah whatever? That's all ya got ta say fer yourself?" Logan chuckled. The hand on the man's arm let up, but before the guy could move too far Logan's fingers grabbed the guy's shirt. Face to face, Logan growled very softly where only the select of their small group could hear, including the now surprised body builder.
"Shame my friend here said I couldn't hurt ya, cause I would love ta rearrange a few of yer organs. Specifically puttin' yer brain where your rectum is presently, and puttin' yer rectum in yer skull. Your mouth is shittin' so I think it's a fair swap."
Logan's free hand lifted, curled into a fist and the three, three-foot adamanium blades shot out. He held them at an angle so the tips almost glanced the man's cheek, "I don't usually play well worth rules. But I'll let Ya slide this time on accounta there bein not enough people here ta pick up all yer body parts and put ya back together. But if I ever hear ya hasslin' anyone else, I won't hesitate ta track ya down. I got yer scent now. And you better believe I'd find ya wherever ya went ta hide. We clear?"
The body builder stammered, blinked and nodded. "Y-yes...let me go, please?" He whimpered.
Then both men looked down at the floor. A large puddle was forming around their shoes, and the front part of the body builders exercise shorts, legs and sneakers were now moist and dripping.
"Gross. Clean yerself up and keep yerself straight."
The claws shot back into his hand and Logan released the man with a shove backward.
Turning to Steve, Logan offered a patient look. The body builder had turned and fled out of the gym completely, leaving a trail of droplets behind him as he went.
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When the claws sprang out of the man's fist, Steve's initial thought was how they might fare against his shield. They held the same matte finish, edged with a deadly glow, and the feel of vibranium was something he was never going to forget. The claws were different, but close. It was another half-second before Steve realized he was admiring the weapons rather than wondering how they had come out of a man's fist, but for someone who had met and fought beside the Hulk, such things didn't seem quite a shock.
He was holding in laughter at the expression on the man's face, nose wrinkled a bit against the scent of urine, when the smaller man turned back to him. "Well," said the captain, with a nod of approval. "I do think he might reconsider picking on anyone else. For a while, at least."
He offered his hand. "Steve Rogers. I know we were on the TARDIS together, but I'm sorry, I didn't get your name."
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Vibranium was one of the few metals that could withstand penetration from Logan's adamantium. Logan knew this already, he had been up against Rogers before. And it was what made Logan an ideal combat opponent for training against Rogers, initially.
And Logan had actually fought the Hulk. He wasn't too keen on the large green rage machine.
With Cap's approval, Logan nodded. "Let's hope so. I wasn't threatenin' 'im. I really can track 'im down if I want." But Logan shrugged it off and blinked, before shaking Steve's hand.
"I know who you are, solider. Before tha TARDIS, you an I were Avengers. Fought together a good many times ta save the world. An yer all over New York. Name's Logan. Don't reckon ya got any idea about me, which is good. Lots o' stuff ya don't need ta know."
When Logan pulled away, he side stepped out of the large puddle the guy had left, and sighed. "Lemme show ya a place I've been workin' on for guys like us that need trainin'. Promise it's quieter and ya ain't gotta worry 'bout holdin' back."
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"Guys like us don't threaten," Cap murmured in agreement. Threats were for people too worried about following through. There was no doubt in Cap's mind that Logan would do exactly what he said he would. Otherwise, why make the effort to say the words?
He arched a brow at the revelation this man was an Avenger. As far as Steve knew, that was a reserve group. This was going to bear some looking into. He didn't know Logan apart from these tidbits of information, but he seemed relieved by that. Steve could think of any number of reasons someone might want to keep their history to themselves, and didn't begrudge the man his privacy. Unlike plenty of others, Steve had never had a choice - the serum had made him a national hero, an instant celebrity. He fiercely protected what privacy he still had, but he'd long grown accustomed to people recognizing him, knowing things about him.
At the renewed invitation, Steve took a few steps to the side, picked up his gym bag from the corner where he'd stowed it, and slung it over his shoulder. "Sounds good to me. Lead the way."
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They could delve into specs later on, in greater detail. For as private as Logan was and wanted to be, he would share what knowledge he did possess if it was necessary. While he wasn't quick to trust, Logan's experience with Steve Rogers had been good enough to allow the mutant a different level of comfort when the soldier was around. Steve was a good man. No question about it.
"This way," He breathed, leading Steve out of the gym.
It wasn't too far of a walk, both men having more than enough stamina to manage, though it would have been a faster trip using transportation.
The structure itself had once been an abandoned warehouse. Logan had taken the time to fix it up and make it into a proper training facility that included not only equipment (punching bags and machines) but also an area for meditation and actual physical endurance similar to the X-Men Danger room. Of course Logan hadn't had to adjust the building to house everything, it was almost as if it simply expanded to accommodate his needs.
"Here we are. Don't have a name for it yet, an if ya think of anythin' ya want that it's missin', lemme know. I'll get it. You an I are the only ones that know this exists. If ya wanna tell other people, make sure they respect it an that they keep their mouths shut. We don't want no humanoid riff raff cloggin' up tha works."
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The building was like a breath of fresh air. Steve could feel the difference immediately, and he was grateful for it. The machines were in good shape, the punching bags more secure than the ones he was used to. Clearly, they had been hung with people like him in mind. Even the meditative area was appealing, a place for quiet contemplation and some of the softer forms of combat.
Steve drew in a deep breath, letting it out slowly as he let the atmosphere sink in. "It's perfect," he said. He was already considering some others who might find the place as appealing - Bucky being first on that list, then Peter Parker and likely Petrelli as well. The list of names made him remember the conversation he'd had a few days ago with Parker, and he glanced at Logan.
"You meet a kid named Parker yet? Peter Parker? He also goes by Spiderman."
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The ease at which Steve was washed over Logan. He was glad the soldier approved though Logan had a feeling that Steve would enjoy the appeal before even bringing him to the facility. The punching bags could withstand blows from fists like Steve's, the free weights and those on any of the machines were almost double and triple the density of a regular place to accommodate the heavy lifters like Logan. Above them was a running track that Logan had fashioned and hung securely.
It only lacked a pool and that was because Logan wasn't a fan of deep water, despite being unable to sink due to Maleficent's modifications to his skeleton. Old habits died hard.
"Make yerself at home."
When Steve mentioned the Spider, Logan nodded, "Yep. Seein' Megan, one of my old students. He was on the list for recruitment by the Avengers back where I come from. Ain't a bad kid ta have around, though he talks way too much for my likin'."
Logan then shrugged, "Anythin' else ya need before I turn ya loose?"
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Ah. So they knew one another. Excellent. Steve nodded. "We're thinking of putting a team together. Can I put you on the list?" He gave the man a grin. If Logan was an Avenger, he might understand the same appeal of working with other like-minded individuals. And having a place like this for a team to use would be an absolute benefit.
He hoped Logan would be agreeable, but he wouldn't push the issue. Choice was important, after all.
He was eager to get back to work on the bags, but he waited first, to see what Logan thought of the idea.
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He mulled the question around, considering the pros and cons. The question was heavy, full of weight burdened by the nature of the beast. And yet he found that joining a team, committing to something, while very much out of his character at present seemed almost necessary. And Giselle might find the idea to be good. He wanted her to be happy with him.
"Sure. You can call on me. Might not come, but at least I'll know that ya need tha extra help." Steve didnt seem to know what Logan was actually capable of. Or that he was nomadic and temperamental.
A sniff of the air and Logan tilted his head at Steve, "Ya smell like the ocean. Reminds me of tha beach an a certain mermaid. You don't look like the beach type." He pointed it out but didn't dwell on it, the statement being merely observation.
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At the casual mention of Ariel, Steve's expression slid away from merriment, going hard and cold for a moment. "Yeah. Someone thought it might be fun to make her a target. Didn't work out so well for him." One hand clenched, and Steve tossed the gym bag aside, starting to stride towards the hanging bags. "She's safe now."
He paused for a moment, and glanced at Logan over his shoulder. "Logan... do you know my friend James Barnes?" If the man knew him, was an Avenger himself, was he from some time in the future? Had he met Bucky as well? It was a faint hope, but once the idea was in his head, Steve had to know the answer.
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The moment took a turn and it caused Logan's eyes to narrow some in question. And then the words stated gave credit to the change of mood. He frowned, "Hope ya hurt him as bad as he hurt her. Deserved it fer layin' a finger on a mermaid like that. Girl ain't able to fend any one off. Maybe someone should teach her a few things. Might help."
And at the name, Logan nodded.
"Know 'im from a good many places. Mostly in name but familiar with the style. Ol' HYDRA rogue. Shame what they did to 'im, but he ain't tha first one to ever be experimented on." Logan chuckled, "At least he got an actual name. Weapon X was mine. Liked Logan better." Then Logan tilted his head. That was the other scent he was picking up.
Logan shifted closer, sniffing Steve. "Smells like metal. He's here too, ain't he?"
Though that wasn't so bad. The Bucky from his time had managed to get over the struggle and was able to function as normal as he could. And he had one hell of a punch. Steve was never without his pal, it was rare to see the two apart. Always picking on each other like brothers would.
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"Paid him back for what he did. He's still feeling it." The idea of teaching Ariel how to defend herself was a good one. He would take it up with Bucky.
The anger faded when Logan continued. What emerged was a carefully guarded hope. He nodded, acknowledging that Bucky was, in fact, here. It was interesting that Logan could smell them. Steve's brain tucked that information away for later examination. "He's here. He... he doesn't... remember. Not me, not anything. I... I don't know how to help him."
He looked back at Logan, struggling against the emotions he was keeping locked in his chest. Cap wasn't one to spill his vulnerabilities, and Bucky was the main one right now. But Logan had called himself a teammate, had shown him this place. He could spare a bit of trust. "Will he be okay?"
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"Takes time ta remember. Brain is an amazing organ, keeps runnin' when yer sleepin'. Tha mind locks away certain things it don't wanna remember, and it saves information it does want fer later, ya just gotta figure out where it's been stored. Trigger it back out. Fer some people it takes more than a familiar face ta remember somethin'. But he's sharp. He'll catch on, an ya got more friends here than ya think that wouldn't think twice about helpin'. Though I dunno many that could withstand a lick or two from that metal arm."
Logan then stepped up to Steve, lifted a hand and clapped the man gently on the shoulder. "He's gonna be fine. Y'all 'r inseparable from where I come from. Never see ya apart unless yer sleepin' or whatever. There's so much of tha world back home that ya missed, I reckon that's why you two are so close. He will find his way. Just give 'im time an don't give up."
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The hand on his shoulder helped more than Cap could have expressed. It spoke volumes, gave him strength, and he felt some of the knots of tension in his gut easing. They wouldn't unravel completely, no, there was still too much to get through before then. But there was hope that they could, would get to that point.
Inseparable. that was how they had always been. There was hope they would be like that again.
"I'll never give up on him," Steve said softly. "Never." He looked up at Logan, and gave the man a small smile. "Thanks. I needed to hear that."
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"Good, cause he needs yer help more than he knows or understands. It'll come back to 'im. You'll be pallin' around like ya used ta in no time. And if he needs ta blow off some steam, you bring 'im here. But ya gotta promise ta fix anythin' he breaks. That's the only condition."
Laura was a lot like Bucky, a weapon invented for destruction and assassination, and she was able to function in society. Bucky would get there too.
"You should take 'im ta see Laura. She might be able ta provide some insight on functioning in the real world. She's my kid, dunno if you remember her from the island, but she was manufactured to be a merciless killing machine. And yet she's doin' fine out in the world. Makin' friends and whatnot. Maybe she can help. Maybe not."
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Laura. The name wasn't ringing any bells, but Steve did remember a lithe, predatory figure with dark hair and the same feral grace as Logan. If what he was saying was true, then perhaps Laura could help. Her insight alone might be valuable.
"I promise," Cap said. There was no question he would keep that promise. He'd already done the work on Bucky's apartment. He would have the same respect for Logan's property. "This might be a good place for him. Thank you."
Time. Patience. Steve could manage that. It would be hard, but when they were kids, Bucky had put himself out there no matter what, to protect Steve. Even against colds. Steve couldn't do any less for Bucky in return, whether Bucky knew it or not. He would endure anything, put himself to whatever hazard, so long as it meant he could be there for James Buchanan Barnes.
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Logan nodded.
"Well, I'll let ya get to it then. Ain't nothin' else ta say tha's important enough ta keep yer attention any longer. If ya need my help, just shout. Got good hearin' an ill pick up yet voice for miles. But I figure you'll be able ta look after yerself."
Then Logan pulled a key out of his pocket and handed it to Steve, "To tha buildin'. Lock it up if ya ain't usin' tha facility. Not like anything in here is goin' anywhere but we are keepin' out those who don't belong and an unlocked door can be an invitation alone."
With that done, Logan turned and wandered away to leave Steve to his training and to work out whatever it was that he had gone to the gym for in the first place.