Chapter Text
Darcy woke up with the worst headache ever. Her head pounding like a marching band decides to have a show inside of it.
This is worse than the hangover circa October 2010 in Las Vegas featuring a fake Elvis and a magical bull (that should never be mentioned again).
She blinks her eyes open and… ugh… the light is too bright. Who the hell decide it is a good idea to have a lamp this bright?!
She squinted her eyes, gaze sweeping around the barren grey room with suspicious brown stain on the floor (Darcy tried not to think too much about it) to the chair she was in and to her cuffed hand. Fuck!
Oh, come on. Not this again! Why does this always happen to her? This is the third time this month. In case they didn’t know, Darcy is just a fucking intern. Did she have a sign stamped on her forehead that said ‘Free to kidnap’. She wants a raise! She didn't get paid enough for this. Wait, did she even get paid?
The last thing she remembered was stepping outside the tower to get a cup of coffee from the little quaint cafe around the corner. She needs fresh air and the coffee tastes heavenly (plus the barista is hot, so sue her).
She just wants a cup of coffee, dammit!
Back to her predicament, its clear her kidnappers (whoever they are) do not perceive her as a threat. They are leaving her alone in this room with no security camera in sight (well, she hoped that was the case).
Darcy had two options now. One, wait to be saved. Darcy was lucky if Jane realized she was missing at all. She loves Jane, really, but sometimes Jane is too engrossed in her own world to notice anything else except her research, the hazard of a brilliant mind, Darcy guesses. Or two, find her way out from here herself.
Darcy obviously chose option number two, duh. She needs to get her coffee after all.
A couple of minutes later, Darcy managed to break free from the cuff courtesy of secret agent Ipod thief lesson (my name is Clint) on picking lock 101, when the door to the room was thrown open.
Walking in were a beady eyed skinny man wearing a white lab coat (typical) and a hunk of a man with drool worthy biceps (holly shit) wearing black tactical gear, looking oh so Goddamn hot (not so typical).
The mask covering his lower face couldn’t hide the handsome face that man clearly had. His piercing blue eyes stared straight at her soul. Oh… Darcy could swoon like some Victorian lady.
…. Lewis. Miss Lewis!” a loud high pitched yell distracted her from staring (swooning) over the hot man.
“What?” she narrowed her eyes at the skinny guy. Can’t he see she was busy looking (respectfully of course) at the specimen in front of her.
Skinny cleared his throat and repeated his spiel “As I said before, Miss Lewis, I want –she didn’t give a flying fuck of what he wanted – you to sit tight and wait for your beau to save you – hold up, she had a couple fling, but no beau as far as she could remember – the captain must be beside himself knowing his lover get kidnapped – woah, what?
“Captain?” she interrupted him.
“Yes, Captain America. Steve Rogers,” he answer smugly, “You must think your love affair is so well hidden, isn't it, miss Lewis?"
What the-
She burst out laughing. Seriously! What kind of Intel did this guy have? Just because she kissed the guy cheek in thanks once, she became his lover? Wow, so old-fashioned.
"I'm - flattered - she tried to say in between her laughter
"I can see why a man like him could like a woman like you, must be because of your impressive rack," skinny remarks, his eyes sweeping over her chest.
Darcy is proud of her rack, that's true, but to be complimented by this guy is giving her the creeps. Ugh. Where is her taser when she needs it?
"Now, miss Lewis, be a good girl, wouldn't you?" skinny drawled (or attempted to, he didn't really succeed) and bent down so he was face to face with her. His breath smells like onions. Brush your teeth, dude. Ugh...
He smiled patronizingly at her, like she was just some poor girl caught up in a game she couldn't play. Poor him, didn't realize that Darcy Lewis was taught self-defense by the black widow herself.
She smiled widely at him and smack him with her head. Darcy think she heard a crack. Good.
"Wench- he couldn't finish his sentence because in the next second, she got up and kicked him in the balls, rendering him useless (not that he was so useful before).
"Soldat, get her- skinny groan, but she didn't let him finish, as she knocked him out cold with her boots. She needed to thank Boss lady for gifting her this. These boots are powerful. She wondered if she could get Tony -I could make anything happen- Stark to equip her boots with a taser-like ability. Lightning boots sound good.
Darcy felt eyes boring into her, and when she turned her head, the hunk looked at her like he was waiting for something.
"Yes? Do you need something?" Darcy knew her ability enough to know she wouldn't win against him. But the hunk only stared blankly at her. Okay... What was skinny call him again? Oh right, Soldat.
"Soldat," she starts, seeing him straightened up means its working. "Get me to safety,"
The hunk keeps staring blankly at her, before nodding and turning to walk.
What could Darcy do but follow him? (she could hear voice, sounded annoyingly like Jane reprimand her for following this guy so easily, yeah, whatever, it's not like she had a choice anyway).
She followed him until they arrived at the door that could be opened by keypad.
"Let me try it- she was just trying to be helpful when the guy forced the door (heavy and made of strong steel mind you) open with his bare hands (oh hello sexy biceps), one arm looked completely made from metal (Wow) - oh that could work too," she ended up saying, as long as she could get out from here, whatever method is welcomed)
The place is like a maze, but the hunk clearly know where they are going. The obstacle on their way was cleared easily by them - him - whether it was door (he bent and crushed it like it was made of paper) or humans (he fought them without breaking a sweat).
Soon, they get out of the building, only to realize they are in the middle of bumfuck nowhere. There is only sand as far as eyes could see. Where the fuck is this? This is worse than she thinks.
Welp, no matter. The important thing is to get the hell away from here.
Her eyes swept around them – Aha! – she found a black SUV (how typical) across the lane, as she jogged there, a fight broke out between the hunk and the lackeys that were clearly over their heads (they were dropping like flies).
She hurriedly hotwired the car and drove it straight to the two of them (Oh God, she turned into Jane).
"Hey!" she yelled to the hunk and opened the passenger door. "Get in!"
The hunk looked at her blankly (Did he doubt her driving ability or what?)
"It's safe!"
He was still looking at her blankly. Geez, he was lucky he was handsome (allegedly). Please, be handsome... (Not that she would leave him if he was not handsome, but that is besides the point).
"Look, I don't know what your story is and how you end up with them. But, I don't think you are a bad person," she says earnestly, this guy helps her after all. "It's not too late, let's go," she cocked her head toward the seat.
The hunk finally got in to the car and she drove out of there like a mad woman.
"So, what is your name?" Darcy asked after the long silence (she could totally call him hunk forever, but she couldn't live with this silence).
The hunk doesn't say anything.
"Is it Michael? Daniel?" she tries to guess, earning nothing but silence.
She felt like he was judging her with every name she came up with.
... How about Eugene? But nah, you don't look like Eugene...
She didn't even know what he looked like.
"By the way," she started. "Could you open your mask? It must be uncomfortable in this heat,"
By some miracle, the hunk agrees with her request and, holy smokes, he is so handsome and hot and handsome.. Oh wow. That face is a masterpiece. Luckily, they were the only ones on the road. If not, she didn't know how many traffic accidents she caused by looking at his perfectly sculpted face.
"James," she exclaims, a light bulb lighting up brightly in her head. "You look like James. So I would call you that, okay?"
He nodded and Darcy took that small gesture as a win (better than getting a blank look).
"So James, is there somewhere around here that a lady could get a cup of coffee?"
A long drive, still no coffee later, Darcy finally manages to drive them back to the tower. She wondered if Jane had already realized she was missing.
As soon as she drove inside, a full assemble of avengers (except Hulk) stood in front of the car, with their weapons at the ready.
Well, this isn't the welcome she expected.
She rolled down her windows and shouted, "Don't shoot, this is Darcy!"
"Darcy!"
"Lightning sister!"
"Darce!"
A cacophony of voices calling her name, before the good captain signaling them to quiet down.
"Are you alright, miss Lewis?"
"Yes, I'm totally fine. Can I get out of the car now?"
"Sure, miss Lewis,"
"Thanks cap, and I told you to call me Darcy," she smiles and jumped out of the car (finally. She hoped this would end faster. She really needs to get her caffeine fix).
"Hey shortstack, I see you brought a friend" the ever curious Tony Stark says. Oh right, James is probably the reason they are on alert.
She walked to James' side of the car, opened the door and pulled him out. "This is James," she introduced him.
She could hear a pin drop, before a couple of exclamations broke the silence.
"Bucky?" Steve called out with disbelief but hopeful tone, while at the same time, Natasha calling James as Winter soldier (what is that?).
"Who is Bucky?" the hunk – James – or whatever his name is asking. Just when she thought he couldn't get any hotter.
"So," she says, eyeing the hunk up and down, "His name is Bucky?"