Pound of Flesh

Pepper and DJ sit on opposite ends of the couch, eyes fixed intently on the television screen. The woman on the news is talking about the damage inflicted on the city and the panic of the civilian bystanders. Pepper and DJ don’t really care how much the city is wrecked, and only marginally care about its citizens right now. They’re just hoping to get a glimpse of their heroes in the background.

The disturbance had ended three hours ago and there wasn’t even the smallest sign of any of the Avengers. They’d called all of them. At least twice. Tony was actually called eleven times. Steve twenty-four, because DJ wasn’t nearly as patient as Pepper. Though one would have to assume Pepper naturally exuded patience in order to handle Tony.

“A debriefing wouldn’t take this long.” Pepper glared angrily at the TV. “And if any of them were still loitering around the site surely someone would’ve at least attempted to interview them.”

DJ hummed in agreement, foot tapping frantically. “And it’s not like Tony is the most subtle person on the planet.”

“Yeah, he’d be signing songs of his victory to every reporter who’d listen.” She tried to smile but it didn’t stick. “And Steve’s not a jerk.”

“He would’ve called me back,” DJ agrees with a sigh. “So do you want to drive, or should I?”

Pepper stands very calmly and gathers her purse. “Me. I have access to all of Tony’s fastest cars.”
____________________________________________________

“How the hell did you get in here?” Fury bellowed louder than Thor on a bad day. Six pairs of eyes flick up in surprise and land on the two very unhappy women standing with arms crossed.

“I walked through the door,” DJ replies with a saccharine smile.

“Bull shit. The door to this lab is reinforced with steel and fitted with a retinal scan.”

Pepper steps around him, unimpressed. “Nobody said she opened it first.”

“I see you’ve bonded,” Tony observes with only the smallest hint of unease. “That’s… Potentially dangerous.”

Steve makes the mistake of being pleased by the sudden drop in. He all but bounces over in that adorable puppy way he has when he’s overly excited. Apparently kicking ass excites him, but that’s an avenue to be explored later. He puts his large hands on DJ’s hips and spins her while planting a wet kiss on her mouth. “What are you doing here?”

“Oh you know, thought you were all dead. No big deal you assholes!” The insult is directed at everyone, but Steve is the only one who gets shoved. Or, more accurately, who DJ tries to shove.

He (infuriatingly) gently grabs her hands and looks at her with (infuriatingly) wide, innocent eyes. “Why would you think we were dead?”

“Maybe because as people who purposely throw themselves into the line of fire for a living your girlfriends get a little worried when you don’t come back home or answer your phones.” Pepper’s voice was the exact opposite of DJ’s infuriated heat. It was cold and dripping with disappointment.

Tony was relatively certain that either A) he wouldn’t be getting laid tonight, or B) he’d be getting amazing angry sex, but in the morning he and Pepper would enter another ‘off’ period. Or were they not ‘on’ again? He couldn’t keep track. “That has a completely justifiable explanation.”

“Justifiable to you, or to a normal human being?”

“Why Pepper, I am truly wounded that you would-“

Natasha cut in generously, “We had to use a relatively powerful electromagnetic pulse to take out the target. A lot of tech got fried.”

Amazingly, Pepper seemed to accept that as justifiable. “We heard on the news that it was robots. Were they the same kind from before?”

“Very definitely not.” Tony gestures to bot on the table. “Much bigger, much stronger, much more human shaped.”

“Well fuck me!” Some eyebrows arched at DJ’s growl as she slipped through the gaps between people to peer down at the motionless robot. “This is a Servo-Guard.”

Thor peeked from over her head, a very serious look on his face. “I am not familiar with such a creature. Or why its presence should inspire you to make such a request. Surely Steven-“

“It’s just a saying Thor.” Steve’s expression looked pained. “But, um, I’ve never heard of them either.”

“They’re one of Doctor Doom’s.” Fury pursed his lips looking like the last thing he wanted to do was behave civilly towards DJ. “Care to explain how you know that?”

She rolled her eyes and hopped up to sit on the table. “Always with the suspicious questions. Get over yourself. I told you I went to Reed Richards- you know, Mr. Fantastic? Of the Fantastic Four? Those guys kind of have a rocky relationship with Doom. Most superheroes do, really, since he’s inherently evil.”

“You probably shouldn’t sit by that,” Bruce suggested, waving his hands at her until she got annoyed enough to move. “It could be playing possum.”

“Between all of us, I wouldn’t be too worried about just one.” Tony’s hand came up to his chin, fingers tapping an erratic rhythm. “Doom is one of the very few people I could credit to being able to hack the system. So, bright side: we know who’s responsible. Not so bright side: an army of Servo-Guards is probably the least of our worries.”

Pepper’s eyes widened, probably remembering how terrifying her own experience was. “What do you mean?”

“Compared to some of his other creations, these are relatively harmless.” Natasha’s eyes flick back and forth over the robot, calculating. “But he’s not just some genius who can tinker around in a lab. He gets around, so he’s pretty proficient in magic and mind-transference. Not to mention he’s a manipulative bastard, so he’s got plenty of people under his thumb.”

“So, overall… Better or worse than giant space whales?”

“Be serious for once, Bruce,” Tony playfully scolds, making Pepper cluck in irritation. “We can assume it’s much worse.”

Steve stands ramrod straight, already easing back into battle mode. “Well I don’t want to wait around to find out. Where can we find him?”

“As a rule, geniuses don’t really advertise their base of operations.”

“Says the man who plasters his name on every piece of real estate he owns.”

“The tower is hardly our base of operations. Besides, it’s called pride in ownership. But I guess you wouldn’t know anything about that since you’re currently mooching off my generosity, Rogers.”

“I don’t think you know a thing about-“

DJ slides between them before they can start shoving each other around. ”Wow, you’re both men. It’s very impressive. The testosterone in the room is overwhelming, really. But maybe we can try focusing on the matter at hand, hmm?”

“Excellent idea,” Fury agrees dryly. “Romanoff, get yourself cleaned up and pay Richards a visit. Any information he has could prove to be helpful. The rest of you… Stay out of my way and try not to kill each other.”
____________________________________________________

Steve sighs softly in exasperation and rubs small circles into DJ’s lower back. The second they’d gotten back to the tower she had latched on to him and refused to let go, which was problematic considering he hadn’t changed out of his uniform. “I’m fine. I promise.”

“You scared the hell out of me.” Her voice is muffled against his chest, and she’s still showing no sign of letting go. “And I don’t feel any better, because I see these rips in your uniform, and I see these little cuts on your skin, and I know that because of your super healy factor they were a lot deeper a couple hours ago. There’s only so deep you can cut before even a superhero dies.”

“If I can survive being frozen for seventy years, it’s going to take a whole hell of a lot to finish me off.”

She raises her face then, eyes filled with more terror than he’d ever seen from her. “And Doom is going to put you through a whole hell of a lot. I don’t want to lose you.”

“It’s not like I can quit.” He’s giving her a very stern, unsettling look. A look that screams don’t push this, because you’ll lose. “And even if I could, I wouldn’t. That’s not who I am. This is who I am. I fight, and sometimes I get hurt, and sometimes people I care about get hurt, but there’s nothing I can do except what’s right. And what’s right is never going to be easy.”

“I know that.” And her voice is taking on the exact same tone, which is probably very bad news, because when stubborn meets stubborn someone gets hurt in one way or another. “But there’s something I can do.”

Steve’s lost the trail of the conversation if his confused blinking is anything to go by. “What?”

“I’m going to take Fury up on his offer. The employment offer, not the whole maximum security containment thing. This way I can make sure you don’t do any stupid self-sacrificing heroics. And I won’t think you’re dead when you’re busy being SHIELD’s butt monkey.”

She half-expects him to go on an excited rant about what a wonderful idea this is, because she has powers and she should use them for the greater good. The other half of her doesn’t know what to expect at all, but it certainly isn’t what she gets.

As she turns to leave, Steve’s fingers roughly curl around her wrist- and it’s nearly enough to hurt, which is worrying considering Steve is the king of self-control. “No. That’s- I just won’t let you.”

“I don’t think I was exactly asking for your permission, dear.” She places her free hand against his cheek, following the curve of his lower lip with her thumb. “If adding one more person to the Avengers means making everyone is a little bit safer, then isn’t that the right thing to do? Because it’s not just you I care about, you know. Whether they like it or not, those guys are my family now.”

“I have lost too many people-“

“And so have I. But you got the chance to fight for them, while I ran away from them like a coward. I won’t do that anymore, not to you. I can take anything anyone throws at me. It’ll go right through me.”

Steve tugs her forward so she’s flat against his chest, arms curling around her waist in an iron grip. “Only if you see it coming. What happens if they catch you off guard? What if someone sneaks up behind you and stabs you in the back?”

“Then I’m an idiot for letting my guard down. It happens to the best of us.”

“And what about when you’re in a situation where your powers can’t help? We’ve all had to take part in hand-to-hand combat, what’ve you got to offer?”

DJ scowls and struggles against Steve’s hold. “Let’s go to the gym and spar right now. I’ll show you exactly-“

Steve’s lips press hotly against hers and his grip lifts her toes of the ground. She feels a little dizzy in a way only Steve can achieve. “I don’t want to talk about this anymore. I-“

“Okay.” Her mouth finds his again, hungry, wild, and a little desperate. It’s not just his kisses that make her dizzy- it’s his smile, and the way his arms feel around her, and the look he sometimes gets in his eyes when she walks into the room. It’s a dizziness that makes her want to surrender everything she has.

She takes advantage of Steve’s firm grasp to bring her legs up to wrap around his waist. He gives a startled but pleased grunt, moving one hand up to tangle in her hair. His lips tear away from hers to trail a path down her neck to where it meets her shoulder. She gives a full-body shiver as his teeth brush her skin, marking.

“Steve,” she’s more than a little breathless, scrabbling with her hands to find any piece of bared flesh. But of course his uniform- guh. It’s usually so hot, but now it’s just obnoxious and in the way. She slides a hand down to his hips, trying to find where the two pieces meet. “Steve,” her fingers dip inside and slide against the burning skin across his hipbone. “I want-“

Her feet are back on the ground before her brain processes the movement. She sways and stares dumbly at Steve who is suddenly all the way across the room. “I should change. And, um, rest. It’s been a long day.”

DJ’s left feeling cold and confused and more than a little frustrated.
____________________________________________________

“I don’t understand,” she groans resting her cheek against the cool surface of the kitchen island. “I mean, I understand that he’s Steve, and Steve is all… Steve. But we’ve been together a fair amount of time, and he’s sending all these mixed signals.”

Tony stares blankly at her over a cup of coffee. “I’m a genius and I still only understood about half of that. Start over?”

“Ugh, okay, so Steve is definitely a sweetheart, but he’s also incredibly sexy, even if he doesn’t know it. And kissing him is fantastic, really, but I’d like to get a little farther then second base, but every time we start to get somewhere Steve suddenly remembers that he’s very busy. And it’s not like I’m the only one doing the fondling. He’s very enthusiastic about that! And the other day he gave me a backrub! Everyone knows that a backrub means you want sex!”

A mischievous grin splits Tony’s lips. “Do you want me to talk to him?”

“No. I swear to God, Tony, if you say a word I’ll murder you.” DJ sighs and looks at him imploringly. “But am I doing something wrong? Because I honestly don’t understand.”

Thor is suddenly looming over them, a handful of bacon clutched in one fist. “In Asgard, when one’s advances are not returned we seek the company of others to inspire a change of heart.”

“Yeah, thanks Thor, but in Midgard when your girlfriend sleeps with someone else you usually break up with them, not take them to bed in a fit of jealous passion.“ She eyes him as he takes a hearty bite out of the bundle of meat. “But you’ve offered more than the self-proclaimed expert over here. Any more ideas?”

Thor looks contemplative as he chews. “Asgardian men are notoriously red-blooded and fickle, and their wives often worry of losing their interest. Perhaps that is the problem with you and the Captain.”

“Oh God,” mortification fills every crevice in her chest. “A man from the forties thinks I’m boring. How do these Asgardian wives fix this?”

“It is common for them to indulge their husbands most elaborate fantasies.”

Tony snorts, earning a glare from both of them. “I’m pretty sure Rogers’ wildest fantasy is carefully removing your modest wedding gown and gently making love to you on your wedding night.”

“Don’t be an asshole. Seventy years ago or not, he’s still a soldier. And soldiers are very good at constructing fantasies. It’s basically a necessity so they don’t go insane from the lack of vaginas hanging around.” She gives Thor a pat on the back. “Thanks pal, I’ll think of something.”

“iAs much as I’d hate to disturb such an important conversation,” JARVIS’ vaguely judgmental tone cut through the kitchen. “There appears to be a rather aggressive male demanding entry to the tower.”

The three of them exchange uneasy looks and start towards the living room. “Did he say what he wanted?”

“He seems to be requesting the presence of Ms. Ryder, Sir. Between bouts of colorful language he also claims that he was directed this way by Director Fury.”

Steve and Bruce are already standing at attention by the elevator, having caught the tail end of JARVIS’ warning. “Fury wouldn’t change his mind, would he? He wouldn’t send someone to take Daisy back to headquarters.”

“I don’t think so,” but something in Bruce’s voice isn’t entirely certain. “Not unless… Well only if his digging into her past uncovered something undesirable.”

Thor moves so that DJ is shielded behind him. “Grant him entry. Surely if he is a threat the four of us can defeat one man.”

Tension builds in the silence that surrounds the hum of the elevators steady ascent. Everyone’s muscles are clenched and Bruce is backing away in case Hulk decides to drop in. DJ can only think that her whole ‘joining the Avengers’ thing isn’t going to work out so well if everyone thinks they have to protect her all the time.

The doors slide open and DJ’s face lights up like Christmas morning. Steve gives her a disapproving look as she darts around Thor and bounds forward. “Logan!”

The stranger gives her a toothy grin that looks like more trouble than one of Tony’s. When she reaches him his hands come to rest unsettlingly low on her back as he jerks her against his body and dips her back. His lips crash against hers and Steve’s cautious expression melts away to pure devastation.

DJ’s speechless, mouth hanging open and flapping for words as Logan pulls away. He narrows his eyes and clamps a hand on the back of her neck, dragging his nose up her collarbone to her jaw with a deep sniff. “You have a boyfriend.”

“I… Yes. I do.”

Logan sniffs again and his eyes cut to Steve. “He treat you good?”

“I don’t think he knows how not to.” She stumbles away from him a little dazed. He was always a mind-blowing kisser. She has only a brief moment of guilt at the thought, but it’s crushed by her remembering that Steve very obviously doesn’t want to sleep with her, and Logan never had that problem. “He’s the perfect gentleman.”

So that came out a smidge more bitter than she had intended.

Logan strolls over to stand next to Steve, amusement hiding behind his impassivity. DJ can pretty much guess what’s going on in his head: Ha ha, I have been in some very scandalous positions with your girlfriend. I got there first. Tralalalala. Or something along those lines. But instead he just says, “How’d you like her tattoo?”

“What?” Steve not only looks affronted, but terribly confused.

“Yes, what?” Tony looks absolutely gleeful. “Tattoo? What tattoo? Where? Tell me everything.”

And Thor is trying to be helpful, really. “It does not appear that the Captain is familiar with his lady’s tattoo. Perhaps it is because it is in a more intimate place, and they have not yet ravished one another.”

“Astute,” Natasha praises with amusement, and everyone jerks in surprise, because seriously when did she get here? She smirks over at DJ. “Johnny Storm says hi.”

“How nice of him,” Tony says through a laugh, and DJ would like to fall over dead, like, now.

Steve’s cheeks are flushed pink, and his shoulders are sagging in a way that is very not Captain America. He’s acting as if she’s gone out and had sex with these guys just today, when really it’s not her fault that she’s had a few flings in the past. She went to an all-girls school- she was bound to respond to such sexual repression negatively.

And really, why does he look surprised? It’s not like there’s anything about her that screams ‘Hey! I’m a precious little virgin!’ Maybe that was the ideal way back when, but it’s kind of unrealistic nowadays. It’s too bad if he was hoping otherwise, but it’s not like he- Oh. Ohhh.

“You think I’m a whore!” This really isn’t the best time to have this conversation, but the realization hits her hard. “That’s why you don’t want to sleep with me!”

Steve looks like a deer in headlights. “I-“

“I’ve only been with like four people!” All the furniture shifts an inch to the left. “There was that guy when I was sixteen… Greg something. Then Max, and we were dating for a good three months before I let him come anywhere near my pants. And there was Logan, and okay, that was a little bit of a fast paced affair, but my life was very stressful at that point. And there was that one night with Johnny- okay, two nights with Johnny, but come on, who wouldn’t? So I can count on one hand how many- Wait, what qualifies as sex?”

“Maybe you should calm down,” Bruce offers as he narrowly dodges the couch that rotates ninety degrees.

“Good plan,” Logan agrees catching DJ by the elbow. Steve looks like he wants to protest, but the arm chair looks like it’s suspiciously close to flying out the window. “Let’s go for a walk.”

She lets him haul her off outside without argument, which is worrying in itself. Everything she does is with argument. “Why are you even here in the first place?” She huffs in frustration. “Besides to fuck up my relationship.”

Logan grunts and lets her go once they reach the sidewalk. “Xavier got a call about you. Answered all these questions. We didn’t know you were planning on popping back up on the grid. We woulda picked you up ourselves if we knew.”

“I wasn’t exactly planning on it,” she replied drolly. “It’s one of those things that just happened.”

“That uptight guy didn’t drag you into it, did he?”

She gives a humorless laugh, leaning up against the side of the building. “Not really. I sort of dragged him into my shit. I should probably do the whole selfless thing and cut him loose, but I’m far too in love with him to- Oh fuck.”

“Hmm?”

“I just said I was in love with him. I am in love with him.” DJ helplessly palms at her face. “This is awful.”

A chuckle rumbles in Logan’s chest. “It usually is.”

“Really comforting, asshole.”

“I don’t recall you hanging around me for my sensitive side,” he reminds her bluntly, pulling a cigar out of his jacket.

She rolls her eyes and resists delivering a punch that will hurt her more than him. “Yeah, see, you can’t really say that sort of thing around the man I love. Because I love him and shit.”

“You be careful with that,” he warns her and it’s oddly serious. “And remember you can always come back to us.”

DJ shakes her head, already tuning out because she’s had this conversation with him a million times in the past and it never ceases to sting. “No.”

“You’re not like them.”

“Close enough.”

His expression doesn’t change as he barrels on. “No such thing as close enough. They either are or they aren’t. They’ll never understand. You’ll always be the odd one out. The freak. Don’t think it won’t ever come down to you against them.”

“It won’t,” she tells him so vehemently that his eyebrows twitch in surprise. “Because they’re… They’re my family now, and I would pick them over me any day.”