Joe Rogers Test Scene

[the_next_avenger]

4 a.m. -

Joe stumbled into his apartment, clutching his rib cage. He was certain that at least three were broken and one was bruised really badly. It hurt to breathe and he felt like crap. It took a lot to wind him but the St. Louis syndicate was working overtime to cover themselves after the beating Joe was putting on their operation. Every night, they lost another warehouse or another one of their lieutenants mysteriously got picked up on charges that stuck. It was all Joe could do to keep things going but it was lonely work.

Mom was probably worried sick about him. He was sure that he'd seen SHIELD agents at the store four blocks away this morning. Usually, when they got that close, he would pack up and move to a new hiding spot, but he'd been too exhausted to keep moving the last few nights.

Now, he unlocked the front door of his dingy little apartment and half-walked, half-fell through the door, slamming it behind him without meaning to. He leaned against the wall for a moment, trying to catch his breath and staggered into the living room.

"Where is the rum? Where did I put that rum...?" he asked aloud, looking for the bottle. He couldn't get drunk but it would dull the pain long enough for him to sleep. Then he'd drag himself out of bed off to work at UPS before another night of crime-busting.

"Nope, nothing like Dad. Not at all." he chuckled to himself before groaning in pain. He was so out of it that an elephant could have snuck up on him and he might not have noticed it.

 

Comments

[agent_timeout]

Not an elephant, but sneaking was her specialty. Sammy's assignment, transmitted from one mother to another, then to her, was to check up on Joe.

While she waited for him to show, she made a search of his tiny little garbage dump of an apartment, and found his liquor stash. Which she relocated just because she could. Why he lived here was a mystery. He had money available to him, he just had to let someone know.

When she heard him at the door, she seated herself at the foot of his unmade bed, with her legs crossed and her elbows planted on her knees.

"That's pretty obvious," she said in response to his spoken words. "He'd have shaved."

[the_next_avenger]

The pain suddenly took a backseat to the shock of someone being in his apartment. His long-knife appeared in his hand as he stared down the newcomer.

Something about her was familiar but he couldn't place it. That voice...

"Normally I don't have a problem with cute girls showing up in my house but there are a lot of people out there trying to kill me. I really hope you're not one of them..." he said, trying to place where he knew her from.

He hadn't seen a lot of his other friends since before he left military school three years ago. Even then, the last person he'd seen was Sammy "the Shrimp" Fury. Probably the best friend he'd ever had and he hadn't called in quite some time.

"So, you got a name or do we have to do this the old-fashioned way?" he asked, flipping his knife in his palm to use it quicker, even as his ribs screamed at the motion.

[agent_timeout]

She shook her head in mock disappointment. "You don't want to do that, goofball. I kicked your ass before, I can do it again. Even if it would be a pity ass whipping in your condition. What the heck did you do to yourself?"

[the_next_avenger]

The only person who ever called him "goofball" was Sammy the Shrimp.

He lowered the knife.

"I've been working at UPS." Joe said. "Sometimes I get into fights. And you got lucky that one time, Shrimp." he said.

Pause.

"How did you find me?"

[agent_timeout]

"Hey, first I get a hug. Then I get an explanation of why I haven't heard from you in /years/ and how wearing brown shorts and delivering packages can be so dangerous, and then I tell you how I found you." She unfolded herself to stand up. "And don't call me Shrimp. I've learned some new tricks since you've been away."

[the_next_avenger]

Joe gave her a small, sad smile and drove his knife into a nearby coffee table so the blade stood on end. Then walked over and gave Sammy an awkward, one-armed hug that didn't involve him lifting his right arm, the one over his busted-up ribs.

He missed his friend but he didn't think she'd understand what he was doing here. Few people did.

"I was...invited to leave Westpoint three years ago, Sammy. Some stuff went down and I took a stand against it. They tossed me out. I didn't tell the Captain; you should have seen the look on his face. You'd think I told him I was joining HYDRA." Joe said quietly.

"I work at UPS during the day and then I beat up crooks at night. I move around a lot. I would have called but I know parents are friends. Your dad could track a needle in a haystack during a hurricane and I'm pretty sure that Mom got close to me a few times. Anytime she or the Captain get close, I pick up and leave. I don't own much. I keep it light so I can move when I need to." he told her.

He let her go and stepped back to look at her.

"Little Sammy Fury grew up. How are your parents doing?" he asked. "Still madly in love?"

[agent_timeout]

"They're still madly in love and running SHIELD." She squeezed him mercilessly. She had adored Joe when they were kids. He was the big brother she'd never had and always wanted.

"Well, let me tell you now that you can't run or hide any better than I could. One phone call gets them your exact location day or night. Your saving grace is that Dad thinks you'll come home when you're ready and they need to let you do it."

[the_next_avenger]

Joe bristled at Uncle Nick's assessment of his sabbatical, knowing that wouldn't really stop the Captain if he wanted to find him. Still, he knew she was right. They'd found guys like Hitler and the Red Skull who were masters at staying under the radar. Joe wasn't anything near that sort so they were probably just letting him do his thing until he got tired and wanted to quit.

"I can't go home, Sammy. If I do, they'll want me to come home and start preparing to be my dad. My dad will want me to start preparing to be him. And I can't do that. I'm not perfect like him and I never will be." Joe said.

"How are my parents anyway? I know Dad can keep himself busy with work or punching crooks. But I almost broke down and called my mom three weeks ago. The phone rang twice before I hung up."

[agent_timeout]

Sammy dropped back down on the end of his bed. "I think Aunt Sharon knew it was you because here I am. Mom gave me your current address and told me to come check on you in person."

Her own suspicions about the situation included Dad not letting Uncle Steve make the same mistakes Nick had with Mikel. But she didn't say them aloud. She didn't come all this way to argue about it.

"Your parents are doing all right. They're keeping busy because the bad guys don't take time off. I know they'd love to see you, but I'm not here to drag you back so don't worry about that. Although I could if I wanted to. I really have learned a few new tricks since we practiced in the training rooms at SHIELD."

[the_next_avenger]

That made sense. Mom wouldn't have let a call from him go without following up somehow. He sits on the beanbag chair across from Sammy and winces again as his ribs protest.

"Oh, what kind of tricks are you talking about? I've learned a few, too. Like how to bandage myself up and stitch my own wounds." he grinned. He was only half-joking.

"Thank you for not dragging me back, Sammy. Like I said, I can't go back." he said. "You want a drink? I've got some good rum around here somewhere. Scotch, too." he said, starting to get up.

[agent_timeout]

She slipped between the seconds to push him back down. Her favorite party trick, pausing time to move quickly.

"You wince every time you move," she said, "and I felt you tense when I hugged you. Do you need a doctor?"

[the_next_avenger]

He hit the beanbag and winced again. Of course, everything about their meeting would get back to his mom. If she thought he wasn't in good shape, she'd make it her business to show up or send someone else who wouldn't take no for an answer.

"No, I'm good. Just a long day with lots of heavy boxes. I load trucks for the guys in brown." he said, trying to breathe a bit less heavily to dull the pain.

[agent_timeout]

"Bullshit," she said bluntly. "Tell that to somebody who doesn't know you or anything about cracked ribs. Where are your bandages? At least I can get you wrapped up tight and dosed with something. Guess I shouldn't have hidden your liquor for a joke."

[the_next_avenger]

"Bandages are in the bathroom under the sink. I'd be pissed that you hid my booze, but I hurt to much to be really angry." he said.

"I'm almost done here, though, if it makes you feel better. One or two more baddies get taken off the streets and I can move on." he said.

"How is SHIELD going these days? Are your parents close to retirement?"

[agent_timeout]

She went for the bandages and brought back the scotch bottle as well.

"Can you imagine Dad retiring? He's afraid they'll get a political appointee in the head office and all the work he's done will be wrecked. I want the job but I need a lot more seasoning first and a good team to work with."

She smirked at him. "This is going to be creepy, but it has to be said. Take your shirt off, Rogers."

[the_next_avenger]

"I can't imagine your dad or mine playing golf for the rest of their lives. Those two guys never met a fight they didn't like." Joe said with a chuckle.

He sighs and takes off his shirt. Sammy will see several vicious-looking knife scars that have healed over,including one that goes from the top his chest, over his collarbone and down to the center of his back. There are also two gunshot wounds wounds and several bruises in a marvelous shade of purple that can only come from blunt force trauma.

She easily recognizes the signs of an individual who is constantly facing more than a single opponent and not wearing much in the way of armor.

"Not one word to my parents." he demanded, taking the bottle of scotch and taking a swig.

[agent_timeout]

Pity would only make it harder on her friend, and if she was going to have any luck in convincing him to come home, she couldn't show it.

Instead she tsked lightly and instructed him to force all the air out of his lungs so she could get a tight wrap around his chest.

"I don't report to your parents," she reminded him. "No matter how much Uncle Steve orders me around when I'm with the Avengers. You heard me, the Avengers. Would you believe I'm a card carrying member? I had to go somewhere for training after I manifested."

[the_next_avenger]

He forced the air out of his lungs so she could get the wrap going, but he looked at her with a raised eyebrow when she mentioned she'd joined The Team.

When they were kids, Sammy and Joe would always talk about how she was going to lead SHIELD, he was going to be the President and they were both going to be Avengers. They always tried to figure out who would be the boss at the end of the day, but it didn't matter because they were friends.

"You joined up with the Avengers, huh?" Joe asked once she was done. "I remember when I wanted to be Captain America. When did you manifest? And how is the team?" he asked before he realized the words were out of his mouth.

[agent_timeout]

"Not long after you left. Call me a late bloomer." She offered him the bottle again when she finished. It didn't occur to her to frown on early morning drinking.

"I needed the kind of training I couldn't get from SHIELD, and Dad wouldn't hear of me going to the Xavier school. Uncle Steve was the one who convinced him to let me join the Avengers. Once I got it under control, I became a sleeper agent for SHIELD. The team is turning over slowly to the next generation. Old folks are going to the reserve list and leaving it up to us to save the world."

[the_next_avenger]

Joe silently listened as Sammy informed him of what was going on.

"Look, I'm sorry about leaving you to deal with that alone." he said, taking a another sip from the bottle. He couldn't get drunk; he'd learned that through hard experience.

"I figured some of the older folk would go eventually but /eventually/ is always in the future." he said.

"What are your teammates like? Are you leading the team?"

[agent_timeout]

"Joe, this /is/ the future. It's happening across the board. X-Men have their junior teams taking on more of the work. The Avengers, even the Fantastic Four. All of us, we're old enough to take an active role in our own worlds and the adults can't stop us. They don't want to. They're not all like Dad and Uncle Steve. They can't carry on as long or as well as they do."

She sat back to watch him carefully. "I don't lead the Avengers team. Bruce Jones is doing a credible job of it, and he's likely to stay with them. We have an interesting mix. She-Hulk's son, Jay. Mary is a Skrull. Marcus is the Black Knight's and Sersi's son. Even an Atlantean from another dimension."

[the_next_avenger]

"Well, I know its the future and all. I just...you don't really think about it being the future as you go through life. I know that makes NO sense." he said.

If the team had a leader, then they didn't need the son of Captain America in the mix. If nothing else, the whole thing seemed set up to allow him to continue being Nomad.

"That's good. That team sounds like it's in good hands, then. But then again, the Avengers don't exactly get involved in the mud like others do. They only handle the Big League Events, like alien invasions.

I never thought I'd say that the super-heroes had their one-percenteres and ninety-nine percenters, but you can see it if you look, Sammy. The so-called 'little people' need visible heroes, too." he said. "That's why I'm in this crappy apartment in a bad neighborhood thousands of miles from my family and friends.

These people don't live in New York, which is probably the safest most dangerous city on earth. These people need help /here and now/ and when they don't, then I go somewhere else."

[agent_timeout]

That sounded like a rehearsed speech to her.

"Who are you trying to convince, goofball? I'm not here to talk you back home, just checking up on you. You hurt my feelings, you know. Left without a word. No calls or letters, not even a postcard. The team is fine, such as it is. They don't need me much either, so that gives me freedom to start cherry picking my own based out of SHIELD. Remember how we used to talk about having our own team? We were so bat crazy as kids."

[the_next_avenger]

Joe looked down at the floor. He did leave her behind without saying a word and he hadn't called at all. Just like with his parents, he didn't want her to tell him how different he was from his father...or how much the same he was being.

"We were crazy as kids but we had some good times. Remember that year I went as James Bond for Halloween?" he asked, grinning.

"Why haven't you started your own SHIELD team yet?" he asked.

"The world could use a few more James Bonds."

[agent_timeout]

"I remember how your mom wouldn't let you carry a real Walther PPK and you complained that you wouldn't have an authentic costume without it."

His question let her amusement fade a little. "I haven't started my own team yet because I had to get me under control. It was hard, Joey. It still is. Every time I use it, some part of me is afraid I won't be able to stop. I really could have used your support."

Duh dawned on her. "You don't even know what it is. I don't blame you for not being around, you know. I know how hard it is living with a legend and trying to measure up. Our dads just went about things a different way. And it /is/ easier for me. No one expects me to be Col. Fury."

[the_next_avenger]

She didn't intend it, but her words cut deep. Who else had he let down in his quest to prove he wasn't his father? His mother suffered daily not knowing about her son. Even his father, whom despite their differences Joe still considered his hero, never received a call or hello.

Not to mention all of the friends he'd just left high and dry by vanishing without a trace. As good as his work made him feel, only now did Joe realize how selfish he'd been in trying to be his own man.

"Sammy, you're the most together person I know. You...you're amazing. No two ways about it. I should have manned-up and gone home again but I just didn't want to hear how much of a disappointment I was." he said.

"So what is that you can do, exactly? You never told me what it was." he said.

[agent_timeout]

Whoops, she'd nudged him too far in the wrong direction. She needed to bring him back, and with a few home truths he probably hadn't thought of yet.

"Your mom would be proud of you for helping people. Then she'd yell at you for not being properly equipped to help them and get you some body armor. But as a point of fact, Uncle Steve was the one voice of reason when we found out I could stop time. I think once he and Dad talked it over, somebody realized they better get me on the right path or I could make a career out of being an assassin or thief."

[the_next_avenger]

"Yeah, that's Dad. He can look at a situation and know the right thing to do in a few seconds." Joe said. That wasn't a talent Joe felt he possessed.

"I had body armor until last week. It sort of caught fire when the building blew up and I couldn't get it replaced without giving away my location. And it was pretty cumbersome anyway. I need a better outfitter." he said.

"Mom would freak if she saw this place. This building came close getting condemned a few months ago but the city official who called for it was corrupt. He ended up in jail." Joe smiled with a hint of pride.

"What its like to stop time? That isn't something you can really see in action, is it?" he asked.

[agent_timeout]

"You need a SHIELD outfitter," she said bluntly. "And that can be arranged if you're going to continue fighting out here on the edges by yourself. You know it can, and no one needs to know about it." By no one, she meant his parents.

"It's not, unless you're touching my bare skin when I do it. Then it's like playing a game of statue for ninety seconds. I followed you in tonight when you unlocked your door and checked your place out. When I needed to let it go, I got in your shower for that few seconds in between, then when out to hide your liquor and wonder how you could get any rest of this mattress." She patted the hard, lumpy object under her backside.

[the_next_avenger]

Joe let out a grunt of appreciation for Sammy's powers. He couldn't figure out how she'd managed to get through his locks to get in and it turned out she hadn't. Dad was right to put her on a team; her power would make her a very good at theft if she wanted to be.

"I could use the gear for sure, but there are some other resources I need as well." Joe said. "I've been doing the low-level detective work involved with taking down these crooks, but these guys have a lot of money and friends in high-places.

I've been tracking a particular syndicate across the country and they're everywhere, Sammy. Not sure if they're HYDRA or something else, but they're pervasive and there are a lot of important public figures involved.

I can't get near these guys without either giving myself away or starting an incident." he said.

"Has anything come up on the SHILED radar lately? Anything you can share?" he asked.

[agent_timeout]

"You have friends in high places and access to money if you need it," she pointed out. "And I'm not talking about your parents."

"Nothing on SHIELD radar in relation to this sort of thing, but I don't know exactly what you're looking for. Nothing about Hydra either. Dad gets that look when it's Hydra."

"If you were part of a team, you'd have resources to get information without giving yourself away. Doing it alone gives you a cool nickname like Nomad, but it doesn't do much to cover your ass when you need it."

[the_next_avenger]

"Hey, I didn't choose the name. That's just the one people keep using." Joe protested.

"But yeah, some extra help wouldn't hurt. But the whole team thing...where would I go? If I show up at Avengers' Mansion, they'll probably think I'm looking to take over or trade on my old man's name, which I'm not.

You think Nick would make an exception and let me operate freelance for awhile?" he asked.

"I'll even shave, come to parties and pretend to be social sometimes." he grinned.

[agent_timeout]

She tried to hide a triumphant smile. She was almost successful, but not in front of her best friend.

"I think Dad would love to get you on the payroll as a sleeper agent. You got skills and experience, Joey, and he won't be shy about using them when they're needed. But call Aunt Sharon so she knows you're all right, okay?"

[the_next_avenger]

Joe rolled his eyes at her as she tried to hide her smile. It made him feel better that she'd come to see him.

When she mentioned his mother, though, his face fell a bit.

"You have a phone? Mine got blown up last week with my ballistic vest." he said. "I'll call her ASAP."

[agent_timeout]

Sammy would have kicked his ankle if he'd been any closer. Roll his eyes at her? The goofball didn't know who he was dealing with anymore.

She pulled out her phone, the latest in SHIELD satellite tech, and tossed it to him. "I can understand not wanting to talk to the Captain. All that service to fellow men and country is hard to take at five am during weekend practice."

[the_next_avenger]

"Wow, he's still doing the five am practices?" Joe asked. He knew how awesome the Super-Soldier Serum was; it was coursing through his veins as they spoke, but his father was a little over a century old by now, like Sammy's. He thought that maybe, just maybe, the old man would sleep in until six or seven am these days but it seemed that that wasn't the case.

"If I call Mom, she'll relay the message to the Captain as soon as possible." Joe said.

He caught the phone and dialed his mother's mobile phone since she usually had it on her. She picked it up on the second ring.

"Hey, Mom. It's me." Joe said.

Joe would be treated to a very loud, rapid-fire barrage of questions from Agent 13, many of them asking about his well-being, if he was all right and if he knew how much she and his father were worried about him.

Joe had to hold the phone away from his ear for several seconds with a "Are you serious?" expression on his face. Sammy, for her part, would easily hear Sharon's questions toward her son.

He answered the questions in order as best he could. When he could finally get a word in edgewise, he gave his mother some news he thought she'd enjoy.

"Mom after I finish up here, I was thinking about coming home for a bit. Is that okay?"

There was silence, followed by his mother's voice again. She sounded as though she was trying to speak through tears.

"Okay, Mom. I love you, too. Yes, I love you. She's right here. I'm sure she won't let that happen. Okay. I love you, Mom.

Bye." he said, and hung up the phone, handing it back to Sammy.

"I guess she was happy to hear from me."

[agent_timeout]

"I don't know, she sounded kind of on the fence to me," Sammy said with a smirk and put the phone away.

[the_next_avenger]

"Yeah, because 'on-the-fence' is a phrase that describes Sharon Rogers." Joe said, laughing.

"So how do we get this process started? Oh...have any hot girls joined SHIELD?" he teased.

[agent_timeout]

"Do I look like I check out the hot girls? I leave that to you, my friend. As for how we get this process started, all you have to do is come home. What do you need to do before that happens?"

[the_next_avenger]

"I've got to take down the head of the Syndicate operation here. Problem is, he's well-protected and he's got the Mayor of St. Louis in his pocket along with a congressman. They've been putting pressure on the cops to stay away from him.

David Madison is using his construction business to get lucrative city contracts steered to him. Then he bills the city triple the going rate and gives Congressman Atkins and Brennan a nice kickback. He's been trying to bulldoze this section of town for sometime and the mayor just forced his bid through the city council. If it goes through, lots of people are gonna end up on the streets.

If I could get copies of the bids and financial records to the cops and a few reporters, they could cause enough stink to embarrass Brennan and Atkins.

But Madison has great lawyers and other connections in this state. Not to mention the mob is on his side." Joe finished.

[agent_timeout]

"Do you know where the records are kept?" Stealing them wouldn't be a problem, but if they were on a computer, they'd need a hacker.

[the_next_avenger]

"Yeah, they're kept at City Hall. But I already tried to get them and I was asked to leave. And by asked, I mean I was thrown out and threatened with arrest." Joe told her.

"They might have online copies, though. Does SHIELD have a hacker department?" he asked.

[agent_timeout]

"I'm the spy-thief, Joey. Of course you got thrown out. You're the muscle, and not as cute as I am. SHIELD has a great hacker department, too. We could do both...?" She grinned at him.

[the_next_avenger]

"You know I'm up for it. We can break in tonight and hack the place. Maybe we'll even beat up some bad guys, too." Joe said.

"But I need some sleep first. My ribs hurt and I'm tired."

[agent_timeout]

"Right, right. You sleep and I'll make some phone calls and see what I can't scare up from the tech department. We have the best outside of Stark Inc. It'll be easier if I can give them a direction. Any specific name they need to search for?"

[the_next_avenger]

"David Madison would be a good start, or his company, Madison Construction, LLC. The mayor had to sign off on it.

You can also have someone check for Todd Atkins. He's the congressman that's working with them." Joe told her, going to his bed and falling down on it. He lets out a deep sigh and is snoring in seconds.