Art of War

IV

Steve went to a PTSD meeting and dragged a less-than-enthusiastic Michaela with him.

Sam was counseling other veterans.

A female war veteran said, "The thing is I think it's getting worse. A cop pulled me over last week, he thought I was drunk. I swerved to miss a plastic bag. I thought it was an IED."

"Some stuff you leave there, other stuff you bring back," Sam told the group. "It's our job to figure out how to carry it. Is it gonna be in a big suitcase or in a little man-purse? It's up to you."

After the meeting, Steve and Michaela waited for Sam as he finished saying goodbye to the veterans.

"I'll see you next week," the female veteran said.

"Yeah," Sam answered.

"Yeah."

Sam walked over to Steve and Michaela and said, "Look who it is. The running man and the running woman."

"Caught the last few minutes," Steve replied. "It's pretty intense."

"Yeah, brother, we all got the same problems. Guilt, regret."

"You lose someone?" Michaela asked, biting back her own emotion.

"My wingman, Riley. Flying a night mission. Standard PJ rescue op, nothing we hadn't done a thousand times before, till RPG knock Riley's dumb ass out of the sky. Nothing I could do. It's like I was up there just to watch."

"I'm sorry," Steve and Michaela apologized.

"After that, I had a really hard time finding a reason for being over there, you know?"

"But you're happy now, back in the real world?" Steve asked.

"Hey, the number of people giving me orders is down to about zero. So, hell, yeah. You two thinking about getting out?"

"No. I don't know. To be be honest, I don't know what I would do with myself if I did."

Michaela shrugged. "I was never in. Even though I'm friends with him." She pointed to Steve.

Sam smiled before saying, "Ultimate fighting?" Steve laughed and Michaela chuckled. "It's just a great idea off the top of my head. But seriously, you could do whatever you want to do. What makes you happy? What about you, Mick? What makes you happy?"

Michaela shrugged as she and Steve said, "I don't know."

"Being a doctor doesn't make you happy?"

"No, it does, I-I just feel like something's missing," Michaela admitted softly. Or someone.

---

That night, Michaela made her way back into the apartment she and Steve shared. Living together saved money, and the two didn't have to worry about the risk of romance as they were more like brother and sister.

As Michaela put away dishes, she heard music start playing and quietly grabbed the bat she kept in the hallway.

Steve, meanwhile, cautiously entered through the window and grabbed his shield for protection.

The two found Fury sitting on the couch in the dark.

"Mick and I don't remember giving you a key," Steve said.

"You really think I'd need one?" Fury replied. "My wife kicked me out."

"Didn't know you were married," Steve and Michaela replied.

"A lot of things you two don't about me."

"Mick and I know, Nick," Steve answered. "That's the problem." As Steve turned on the light, he and Michaela noticed Fury's injuries for the first time, but Fury indicated for them to be silent. He turned off the light and wrote something on his phone and showed it to Steve and Michaela; 'ears everywhere'. "I'm sorry to have to do this, but I had no place else to crash." He wrote another text and showed it to Steve and Michaela; S.H.I.E.L.D. compromised'.