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Steph slumps back in the chair as much as the handcuff allows, looking the room over again, because there isn’t much else to do and she is bored out of her mind. A couple of hours must have passed at this point. She is trapped in a grey concrete box, all surfaces made of it. It was missing the classic one-way mirror, but cameras in every corner were probably more effective anyway. Steph can’t help but wonder if her metal chair is made uncomfortable on purpose, that’s an interrogation tactic, isn’t it?
Tim better hurry up, it isn’t nice to keep a lady waiting.
The door finally opens, letting two men into the room. One blond and one dark-haired. Steph gives them a little wave, leaning forward with her elbows on the table, chin on her hands.
Black hair and goatee good-naturally give her a wave back as they take their seats. She likes that one.
“So what do we call you?” He asks.
“I could ask you the same question.”
Goatee smirks at her. “Ladies first.”
Steph lets the silence stretch for a few minutes. But despite taking her booths, gloves, and utility belt, they did let her keep the hood and mask. So she decides to repay the courtesy.
“I go by Spoiler.”
“I’m Steve Rogers and this is Tony Stark,” Blondie says and she recognizes his voice from earlier. He was the meta-human dressed up as a walking propaganda poster. Probably means Tony was in the armor.
“Nice to meet you again.” They can’t see her smirk, but Steph knows it shows in her voice.
“We have a few questions for you.” Steve opens a folder, holding it so she can’t see the pages. Is there even anything in it?
“Only a few? It’s not like I’m going anywhere.” She makes the cuffs click against the table. “Even though I haven’t broken any laws.” They barely made it here before they were attacked, so it’s not like she had the time to stick her nose where it doesn’t belong.
“But you are wearing a mask and military great armor and so was your friend.” Tony is leaning forward in his chair. “You have some truly fascinating tech, where did you get it?”
“Birthday present.” One of her knives is actually part of a set Jason got her for that occasion, that and cookbooks if she remembers correctly. Sadly they did find that one when she was searched earlier. That lady in black is good, clearly well trained.
“From who?”
“A friend.”
“The one that got away?” Tony’s eyes have that same spark of intelligence she is so used to seeing when Tim and Babare get into it about some coding nobody else fully understands.
“He can be slippery when he wants to be.” Steph can’t help but smile at the memories that statements bring up. The prank they pulled on Dick not too long ago is one thing coming to mind.
“I’m impressed he didn’t leave a single trace behind, even avoiding getting caught on camera in a city full of them.” Tony is still staring at her like she is a science project. “But you do know where he is?”
“Sorry can’t help you there.”
They split up when it became clear they couldn’t take the group in a fight. Their first disappearing act got foiled, the armor having some impressive tracking tech. Seeing as their opponents clearly weren’t using lethal force, Steph let them capture her, putting up just enough of a fight for Timbo to slip away. He had the tracker after all. Also, he was a genius and could save her quicker than she could return the favor.
--II--
Tony stares intently at the young woman in front of him. Like he can solve the mystery that is her and her companion if he just observes her intently enough. She and her partner were like ghosts, he scoured every database on earth looking for clues and found exactly nothing. Even now Jawis has drawn a blank on the name Spoiler. No known hero or villain going by it that he could find.
Steve is silent beside him, content to let Tony take the lead for now. The problem is, that Tony himself isn’t exactly sure where this is going. But he can’t wait to find out.
“Let’s switch gears, where did you two come from.”
“Your worst nightmare.” She is definitely grinning behind the mask.
“I doubt you were born on a deserted island with no wi-fi.”
“Nope.” She pops the p. “Somewhere much worse than that.”
“Do tell”
“You wouldn’t believe me if I did.” She leans back in her chair, looking remarkably relaxed for someone in her situation.
“There was an alien invasion not too long ago, made all of us more open-minded than most,” Steve says.
“Sounds rough.”
Tony notices her frame continues to appear relaxed. She is nearly as hard to read as Natasja and just as forthcoming. But he’s still sure she is new to town and somehow connected to the energy spike that occurred just before they found her and her companion.
“What’s your friend’s name.”
“I could tell you,” She tilts her head slightly to the side. “Or could watch you scramble around like headless chickens, which is much more entertaining.”
Tony thinks he likes her.
“How old are you?” Stave asks, concern clear in his voice and Tony sees his point. She can’t be older than her early twenties and showed too much skill to be new at this.
“It’s rude to ask a lady about her age. Is your next question going to be about my weight?”
“We could always remove the mask and take a guess. Would make it easier on my face recognition software too.”
Her eyes narrow. “Try it and get your wrist broken pretty boy.”
“Big threat coming from someone currently handcuffed to a table.”
“Then call my bluff.” Spoilers’ eyes have a dangerous gleam to them, one Tony doesn’t have the best associations with.
“How long have you been during this for?” Steve tries to get both of them back on track.
“Long enough.”
“Aren’t you wonderfully unhelpful?”
“It runs in the family.”
“Who trained you?” Steve asks.
“Loads of people.”
“A name would be nice.” Tony raises an eyebrow at her. Spoiler just shrugs in return.
“I’m not going for nice.”
“Might want to try it, sweetheart.” Her eyes narrow at Tony’s words.
“If you cooperate we can get you some help. You still have your whole life ahead of you, there can be so much more to it than a mask.” Her eyes soften at Steves’s sincere tone, looking so much older for it. Tony has met war-veterans with less weight to their gaze.
“Sorry soldier-boy, bit too late for that.”
“It doesn’t have to be.” Tony finds himself saying.
Spoiler lets out a soft laugh. “I’ve lived through too much, fought too hard and too long to stop now.”
“It’s your choice.”
“I know.” She straightens up. “And I chose to put this mask on, to fight for the innocent. I keep making that choice every single day.”
Tony lets his gaze slide over her again, wondering what brought her here, what turned a young woman into more of a worrier than he will ever be. Tony sincerely hopes there isn’t another red room out there. The few details Nat shared about her childhood, or lack thereof, are terrifying.
“How come searching Spoiler on any database yields nothing?” Tony asks, not really caring about whether or not he should keep that information to himself. Because it’s impossible. Tony’s tech is the best there is and everything, everyone leaves a trace.
“I’m from out of town.”
“I’m in every database on the planet, so try again.”
She lets out a wolf whistle. “Impressive, maybe I’m an alien?”
“Scans indicate a human,” Tony smirks.
“Maybe I’m a shapeshifter good enough to fool your tech?” Her blue eyes are sparkling with amusement.
“I doubt it.”
“But you can’t be sure, can you?” Tony will bet half his company on her grinning behind the mask. Deciding to play along he leans forward, elbows on the table, giving her his best shit-eating grin.
“Are you a shapeshifter?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” She winks at him and yes, Tony decides he does like her.
“Careful blondie, I might take a blood sample just to make sure.”
“I don’t let guys prick me with needles until the third date.” There is mischief shining in her eyes, not even the slightest attempt made at hiding it.
“Honey this doesn’t count as a date, despite my reputation in some circles, I’m better than that.” It’s Tony's turn to wink, before folding his face back into something approximating serious. “You’re too young for me anyway.”
“And rich playboy really isn’t my type.”
“Meet many of them?”
She lets out a hum “enough.”
“Would you mind telling us what you are during in New York?” Steve asks before the conversation can get derailed further.
Spoiler makes a few hand movements, gesturing to the room they are in. “I’m getting interrogated by two guys who don’t look much like the police. Trying to figure out if I’m actually under arrest, since no rights were read.”
“And before that?” Steve doesn’t take the bait. Tony on the other hand can feel a smile forming on his lips.
“Just stopping by, I will be out of your hair soon enough.”
“Betting on a rescue?”
She answers Tony’s question with a non-committal shrug. Eyes swiping almost lazily over the room, hanging on the cameras just a breath longer than the rest. Her shoulders still appear to be relaxed and Tony still can’t say whether or not it’s all an act.
“We are in an off the books facility, I doubt your friend could even find this place, much less get you out of it.” Tony watches her closely for a reaction, only managing to catch a slight curl of her hands before she relaxes them again. Spoiler gives them another shrug, but her gaze has a new calculating edge to them.
Tony knows any tracker on her would have been disabled before they got through the door. He built the tech making sure of that himself. Knows the only mention of this place is in a classified Shield file. That the team went to great pains to make sure they weren't followed here.
Tony knows all of that, but can’t help but wonder what she knows. What knowledge that makes her that confident, her companion will get her out of here.
“You’re sure your companion will come for you.” It’s not a question, despite being worded at such. She crocks her head to the side, blue eyes looking him up and down.
“Wouldn’t you come for your teammates?”
--II--
“I would.” Tony agrees easily enough. Tapping something on his phone. It’s probably a warning to his allies, trying to set up a trap for Timmers. She would have done something similar, especially now that Steph has all but confirmed herself to be excellent bait.
She gives the room another swipe. She has already been stalling for some time, the boy wonder is good, but maybe trying to get herself out of here wouldn’t be such a bad idea. Seems to be easier said than done though.
“Have you two been working together long?”
“Why? Do you need some pointers? I noticed your little group’s coordination could use some more work.” It had been clear from the start they were skilled, but she noticed them getting in each other’s way more than once. Clearly a newly formed team. The archer and redhead being the exception.
“What would your advice be?” Tony asks, sounding generally curious.
“Training.” Steph snorts “loads and loads of training, you can never really get enough of that.” There is a reason bat’s still force all members of the league to partake in regular fighting exercises and a few other forms of team building. Steph was particularly fond of the paintball match and not only because the Gotham vigilantes won it. Babara with an army of drones was a truly terrifying sight.
“How much have you had?” Steve has completely abandoned the file at this point, just looking at her instead.
“Enough to hold my own.”
“Against who?”
“Anyone that gets in my way.” There were a lot of people she couldn’t beat, but that’s what backup is for. Now hers just needed to get a fucking move on.
--II--
There is an almost predatory edge to her voice at those words and Tony is finding himself believing her. Spoiler managed to stall their entire team long enough for her companion to slip away unnoticed after all.
He can’t wait to get answers from some of the multitudes of programs he is currently running.
“Who supplied your equipment?” Tony asks.
Spoiler looks down herself, before meeting his eyes again. “These old threads? Made a good deal of it myself. I’m not too bad with a needle.”
“And the kevlar undersuit and various gadgets in your belt?” Tony almost can't wait to get a closer look at some of it. The time before the interrogation was not nearly enough with how booby-trapped all her stuff had been. What Tony did manage to get a look at was the work of pure genius.
“Can’t take credit for that.”
“Then who can?”
Spoiler just shrugs “Different people.”
“So your part of a larger organization?” Steve asks. For some reason that makes her snicker.
“You could say that.”
“How many?”
She shrugs. “Depends on how you look at it.”
“If you were to give an estimate of all the people involved?” Steve asks.
“I wouldn't know where to start.” And her eyes are back to shining with mischief and barely hidden amusement. Steve drops the folder on the desk, opening it in one swift movement. He points at a picture of her companion clipped to the side of it, along with other stills taken from Tony’s suit.
“Who is he to you?”
“My ex.” Spoiler says, then promptly laughs at their no doubt shocked facial expressions. Tony hurries to pick his jaw up from the floor, trading a side-eye with Steve.
“Let’s see what you have so far.” She drags the file to her side of the table, eyes roaming over the pictures from the earlier fight. Tony got a good look at it when they put it together. The single document in it is all but blank, only a few words filed in on the page; Armed and extremely dangerous, hostile. And of course the word unknown is dotted around quite a lot.
“How did the two of you meet?” Tony asks, generally curious.
She lets out another laugh. “I hit him in the face with a brick.”
“Any particular reason for that?” Tony can’t help but smirk. This one is a real firecracker, like his old nanny would put it.
“I had plenty of reasons.” The grin is audible in her voice again, but Spoiler doesn’t elaborate. Instead closing the file and sliding it back over. Folding her hands on the table. Tony hopes they can get more information when he runs through the tapes later, because so far, getting straight answers out of Spoiler is proving more difficult than herding cats. And Tony saw the Mythbusters episode on that on.
“I don’t suppose you feel inclined to fill in some of the blanks?” Steve taps a finger on the closed folder.
“Not particularly”
“Why?” The question seems to throw her for loop, before she seemingly recovers a split second later.
“Why not?”
“Why won’t you answer any questions?” Steve's gaze is fixated on her eyes.
She shrugs “why should I?”
“Why should you not?”
Spoiler lets out a snort “we are kinda going in circles here if you didn't notice.”
“Who are you trying to protect?” And the thing is, Steve doesn't sound threatening or angry, he sounds sincere, like he only wants to help her. Tony is impressed, even knowing is probably far from an act.
“Who says I’m trying to protect someone?”
“Most people are, if only themselves.” Steve has yet to break eye contact, but he still has that soft look on his face. “So who are you protecting?”
Tony knows Steve hit a soft spot when Spoiler doesn't answer. She isn't looking away either, but her otherwise animated features are now a blank slate. Muscles tense and coiled up like a loaded spring.
The room is bathed in tense silence for one antagonizing long minute after the other, until Tony can’t take it anymore.
“Are you protecting him?” He inclines his head towards the folder. Spoiler seams to shake the tension off her, finally breaking eye contact with Steve, blue eyes meeting Tony’s.
“The boy blunder is going to get himself killed if left to his own devices for too long.” Despite the hints of amusement, her eyes are mostly slumber. Like she means the words quite literally.
“Who would like to see him dead?” Steve asks.
Spoiler snorts, a sound with very little humor to it. “It’s a rather extensive list.”
“Any particular reason for that?”
“He has a talent for getting in the way of assholes carefully crafted plans.” Spoiler’s voice is unmistakably proud.
--II--
Steph notices the camera in the corner blinking at her twice, before the light goes back to a steady red. About damn time.
--II--
“What kind of plans?”
“Usually,” Spoiler tilts her head slightly to the side, voice grave. “The kind that leaves a lot of innocent people dead.”
“It’s the second time you mention protecting people.” Steve catches her gaze again. “If you really see yourselves as heroes, why fight the avengers? Why not cooperate?”
“We’re not heroes, we are vigilantes.”
Tony raises an eyebrow. “And that makes a difference?”
“It means we like to keep our secrets.” Spoiler shrugs. Emanating an air of; what can you do?
“If you cooperate you can be out of here quicker, we might even be able to work together.”
Spoiler eyes are back to all but sparkling with amusement. “I don’t plan to stick around long enough for a collaboration to be a thing.” she winks at them. “In fact, once I leave this room I don’t plan to ever see you guys again, and looking for me would be such a waste of resources.”
Her words hang in the air for a few seconds, before Steve finds his voice again. “We can’t let you go before establishing whether or not you're a threat.”
“I’m dangerous,” Spoiler says it without a hint of bragging, like it’s just a fact. “But only to the bad guys. So unless you have plans of world domination your-”
Tony hears the door open behind them. Whipping his head around he immediately spots the boy from earlier holding it open. Shit-eating grin on his face.
“Time to go.”
The table groans as Spoiler jumps unto it, before somersaulting over their heads. Steve manages to get up, but Tony can only stare as she runs past her companion. “It was nice meeting you.” Is shouted just as the reinforced door closes behind the duo. Steve gripping the door handle not a split second later.
Tony looks back to the handcuffs, abandoned on the table with a paperclip still in the lock.
--II--
Spoiler turns out to be right. After they leave the facility, it’s like she and her partner vanish into thin air.