Call to Action

Judgement Will Prevail, the Hangman is Here.

A quick tour and a warning about me going up in his studio later, I’m left alone to my own devices. Jase went somewhere, muttering about straightening up his bathroom. I look around the apartment; taking in Jase’s natural habitat. Art is everywhere; on the walls, leaning up against them. It’s just everywhere. Books are scattered on the coffee table and there is a bar nuzzled in the back. The apartment looks as if an interior decorator was left loose to do whatever they wanted. But some touches here and there do scream Jase.

Since curiosity is my besetting sin, I being to snoop through his belongings. Francis taught me how to properly snoop at a very young age. He taught me how to put things back in the spots, exactly. This came in handy around our Christmas and then the Russian one too.

During my snooping, I didn’t find as many scandalous things as I thought I would find. I did find class rings for MIT as well as Duke. Of course he went to MIT, he’s a Stark after all. I think to myself as I put them back.

As I do that, something else catches my eye; a set of dog tags. I carefully take them out, examining them as I do. A familiar name pops out from the metal. A name that was in so many stories I’ve heard as a child from Steve Rogers; James Barnes. Biting my lip in thought, I think back to the stories; trying to figure out why Jase would have them. But I come up blank. His grandfather, Howard, was rarely mentioned in many stories that featured Bucky. So that can’t be the connection.

“Find what you were looking for?” Jase asks from behind me. I turn around and see him behind me; arms crossed and he’s leaning up against one of the walls.

“Why do you have Bucky Barnes’ dog tags?” I ask, holding them up for Jase to see. He doesn’t say anything as he walks up to me, snatching them from my hand, before pushing me away from the desk. He looks at them one last time before putting them back in the desk drawer,

“It’s none of your business.” He mutters, harshly. “I ordered food, hope you like Chinese.” His tone is distant and defensive almost. But before I can say anything else, he walks away, disappearing to another part of his apartment.

Half an hour later, there is a knock on the door; most likely the takeout. Just as I’m getting up off the couch, Jase walks out with nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist. I quickly look away, clearly unprepared for what I just saw, earning a smirk to form on Jase’s lips. He surprisingly doesn’t say anything as he pays for dinner.

“Finally food!” I blissfully say as I grab an egg roll.

“You act like you haven’t eaten anything in days,” Jase laughs.

“I drank more than I ate.” I reply, “I haven’t had anything real in days. Before this I was studying for finals so I mainly take small portions of fast food and drank enough Rockstar to keep me up for a couple days.”

“So what year are you in?”

“I’m graduating in a couple weeks.” I reply. “Finally. It seems like it took me awhile to get here, you know? Lot of setbacks.”

“You really an engineer major?” He asks, “you weren’t just saying that to prove you aren’t a stupid blonde?”

“Yea, I’m a double engineer major,” I state, “chemical and computer/science.. My father and brother may not show an interest in science, but I do. I take after my mother, who was a PhD in biology.”

“She worked on trying to recreate the Super-Soldier serum, didn’t she?” I don’t verbally reply but give him a nod before silence washes over us.

“I have a question,” I say a couple minutes later. “Emma called Regan a baroness; what did she mean by that? Aren’t women who are usually called that married to a baron?”

“You’re not that brain dead,” Jase states, “you’ll figure it out…”

**

After getting something to eat, Jason heads upstairs to his studio with a Starkpad and cell phone wedged between his cheek and shoulder while I head to the bathroom to take a quick shower. Because not bathing in two days is probably the grosses thing I’ve done. Once the door is closed and locked, I head to the shower and turn it on. Instead of stripping and promptly getting in, I put the toilet seat down and sit. I pull out the phone Jase gave me and dialed up a quick familiar number.

“Hello,” my best friend’s voice comes from the other end after three rings.

“Do you have any idea how nice it is to hear your voice?” I ask, bypassing any other greeting.

“Austen!?” She squeals, “oh my God, I’m so glad you’re alright. I was almost afraid you were taken with the rest. I tried calling you but it kept going to voicemail; you remember last time that happened.”

“Kate, I’m fine. I was in class when it happened.” I assure my best friend. “I didn’t know about it until I saw Stark Towers up in flames on CNN.”

“Where are you now?” Kate asks, “still in L.A? Or did you back to Starling City to hide out?”

“I’m in Soho.” I reply, earning a gasp on the other side. “Relax, I’m fine. I’m not harmed and I think I’m safe. Not sure for how long, but I’m safe.”

“But why are you in Soho? Who do you know there?”

“Tony Stark’s son.”

“You’re kidding me right?” She laughs, “since when does the playboy have a kid?”

“Obviously for 20 some years.” I laugh. “According to Jase, that’s the kid’s name, they’ve only been in contact for the last two years. But I didn’t call you to gossip like school girls.”

“But that will happen right?”

I can’t help but to laugh, “yea but after the original Hawkeye and the rest of the Avengers are home safe. I need you to do two things for me.”

“You know I’ll do anything for you Birdie.”

“First I need you to come in contact with Agent 13, tell her that I’m fine and we’re getting closer to finding out where the Avengers are being kept.”

“Is any of that true?”

“No, but hopefully that’ll give them enough reason to give us space to actually work. We’re going to need it. Honestly the only thing we found out is that the asshole that kidnapped me four years ago is behind it.”

“Are you fucking serious?” Anger drips from her words like venom.

“That’s not even the worst thing I found out.” I sigh, “but that thing can wait for another time; like a face to face meeting.”

“Is that the second thing?”

“My dad’s apartment, it’s best for us to talk about a few things I found out about Cade without ears everywhere. Plus I’ve got old gear that I’m going to need.”

“Give me a time.”

“2 hours,” I tell her, “that’ll give me enough time to shower and ditch Stark’s spawn. He doesn’t have to know everything I do…”

**

I walk into my Dad’s apartment and instantly Kate runs over to me and pulls me into a back breaking hug. “I’m so sorry for everything Birdie.” She whispers in my ear as her grip around me tightens. “I wish I could have done something.”

I push her away, a smile forcing itself onto my lips, “you couldn’t. No one could have done much. The attack happened suddenly. None of them were ready.”

“You sure Cade is behind this?”

“Positive.” I reply, “someone else is involved, someone close to us.”

“Who would be stupid enough to work with the guy that kidnapped and raped you?” Her chuckle is uncomfortable, as if she already knows the answer.

“Francis has been working for Cade,” I tell her, “he knew about the kidnapping but didn’t know who exactly he was dealing with.”

“Come on, Frankie wouldn’t do something like this.”

“Stop acting like your on and off again boyfriend is a damn saint, Kate!” I exclaim, “I saw it with my own eyes. Francis admitted to working for Cade. He admitted it to me! You know Francis can’t lie to me.”

Her jaw drops and I instantly feel guilty telling her. “What are we going to do?”

“First get some of my dad’s extra trickarrows and quiver,” I begin, “then we’re going to think up a plan to get to Cade. We found him in Columbus, he’s off radar now.”

“So how are we going to find him?”

“We’re going to dig through his old contacts,” I state, “starting with the Bravta…”

“You don’t think he has anything to do with the kidnapping do you?”

“He probably won’t because of my connection with Oliver, but it doesn’t hurt to check it out right?”

“Does Oliver know?”

I roll my eyes before showing Kate a text that I got right before coming here.

I’m sorry about your dad, if you need me I’ll be in New York. Please call me. <3Oliver

“You going to call him?”

“It’s been 2 and a half years, Kate, I’m never going to speak to him again.” I sigh, “no matter if I need his help or not. Now let’s get planning. Cade needs to be stopped once and for all.”
♠ ♠ ♠
Happy Birthday Jess! You asked for the chapter and here you go!

sorry if this feels more like a filler than anything else.