DYER | STEVE ROGERS

𝐈𝐈𝐈.𝐗𝐈

〚 STRUCKER 〛

Darla hadn't left Steve's side since her small outburst. She felt the most comfort and safety with him, so she decided to stay with him.

Steve didn't mind in the slightest. He knew that the girl was vulnerable and he would do anything to protect her.

"He's all over the globe." Hill announced as the elevator doors opened. "Robotics labs, weapons facilities, jet propulsion labs. Reports of a metal man, or men, coming in and emptying the place."

Darla looked around at the room, there was smashed glass still all over the floor and everything was either broken or tipped upside down. Ultron really did a number on them.

"Fatalities?" Steve questioned as they walked up the stairs, his hand subconsciously made its way to the small of Darla's back. Darla allowed a small smile to appear on her face at the simple action.

"Only when engaged." Hill responded. "Mostly guys left in a fugue state going on old memories, worst fears, and 'something too fast to see.' and an immense pain so bad that they can barely stand after." 

"Maximoff and the other kid." Steve summed up. "That makes sense he'd go to them. They have someone in common."

"Not anymore." Hill said as she pulled up a photo on her tablet of Strucker.

Darla looked over Steve's shoulder at the photo. Strucker was laid dead on a bed with the word 'PEACE' written in blood beside him on the wall.

"Oh that's disgusting." Darla grimaced as they continued to walk up the stairs.

"Barton. Might have something." Steve said to Clint, who was currently on the phone.

"I gotta go." Clint said as he ended the call.

"Who was that?" Steve questioned curiously.

"Girlfriend." Barton shrugged. Darla let a playful smirk appear on her face.

"You have a girlfriend?" She questioned teasingly.

"Yeah, what about you, do you have a boyfriend yet?" Clint questioned, making the girls mouth fly open. Clint's eyes flickered up to Steve who tried to look anywhere but the pair. "Let's go, kiddo."

The three of them headed towards the lab where the others were waiting. Steve handed Thor the tablet.

"What's this?" Tony questioned curiously, his eyes flickered to Darla who had walked around to sit beside Natasha rather than stand by Steve. He thought the small action was odd and that he would definitely have to question her about it later.

"A message. Ultron killed Strucker." Steve said, his jaw clenching slightly as his eyes flickered to Darla.

Thor slammed the tablet into Tony's stomach, making Darla stifle a laugh.

"And he did a Bansky at the crime scene, just for us." Tony said as he looked at the photo.

"This is a smoke screen. Why send a message when you've just given a speech?" Natasha questioned with furrowed brows.

"Strucker knew something that Ultron wanted us to miss." Steve concluded.

"Yeah, I bet he-" Natasha was cut off by a a beeping from her computer. "Yeah. Everything we had on Strucker's been erased."

"Not everything." Steve shrugged.

The group all looked through different files and paperwork that they had collected over the years.

"Known associates. Baron Strucker had a lot of friends." Steve uttered.

Clint walked over to the blonde girl, who was currently looking through a box.

"I'm sorry." He whispered to her. "I didn't mean to make you distance from Cap." Darla let out a small chuckle.

"It's okay, Clint. Don't worry." Darla smiled assuringly. Her eyes flickered over to Steve, who was already looking at her.

"He likes you, you know that right?" Clint questioned looking between the pair. "I've never seen anyone look at someone the way he looks at you."

Darla blushed at the statement. She bit her lip to hide her smile.

"I just don't think now is the best time to get in a relationship." She whispered looking back at Clint.

"If not now, then when?" He cocked his head to the side slightly. "I know our line of work isn't the easiest for love lives, but we've got to allow ourselves a bit of happiness once in a while."

"Wait. I know that guy." Tony said pointing to a photo that Bruce was holding. "From back in the day. He operates off the African coast. Black market arms."

Steve sent Tony a stern and disappointed look.

"There are conventions alright? You meet people. I didn't sell him anything." Tony reassured the man. "He was talking about finding something new, a game changer. It was all very Ahab."

"This?" Thor questioned.

"Ah that's a tattoo, I don't think he had it." Tony shrugged.

"No, those are tattoos." Thor looked towards Darla. "Like Darla's." He motioned to the small tattoos on her hand. "This is a brand."

Bruce got to work on searching for the meaning of the branding on the computer.

"Oh yeah. Its a word in African dialect meaning 'thief'." Bruce explained once a match for the symbol came up. "In a much less friendly way."

"What dialect?" Steve questioned, slowly making his way towards the blonde girl.

"W-Wankanada?" Bruce stammered. "Wakanda." He smiled once he got it right.

"If this guy got out of Wakanda with some of their trading goods-" Tony was cut off by Steve.

"I thought your father said he got the last of it." Steve said as he placed his hand on Darla's waist. He half expect her to pull away from him, but instead she placed her hand over his and linked their hands together.

"I don't follow." Bruce announced.

"Yeah, me neither." Darla whispered looking up at the two men.

"What comes out of Wakanda?" Bruce questioned.

"The strongest metal on Earth." Steve announced as he looked back towards his shield.

"Oh yeah, Poppa Stark made your shield." Darla smiled softly. During the past year she had spent with Tony he told her many stories about his family, which she liked. She liked getting to know him on a personal level rather than just as a colleague.

Tony shook his head and let out a small chuckle at the innocent girl.

"Where is this guy now?" Steve asked curiously looking around the room for an answer.