The Red Soldier: The Crimson Prophecy

ISSUE #19

The compound had been bustling with activity over the past days. Avengers had been arriving in droves since Tony had agreed to aid them in their attempt to put right Thanos's wrongs. They were going to need a team, a complete team, and so Natasha had returned a few days earlier with Clint Barton, and Bruce had returned from New Asgard with Thor only sixteen hours ago. (Y/N) remained in his bed though, his phone buzzing non-stop. After the ten-millionth call, Steve decided it best he answer it himself.

'Hello? (Y/N)? (Y/N) are you alright? I haven't heard from you in a week,' a man's voice answered worriedly.

'Hello?' Steve responded, 'it's Steve, I've got (Y/N)'s phone.'

'Steve?'

'Steve Rogers,' he clarified, '(Y/N)'s friend.'

The man on the other end of the line let out a gasp, 'fuck! You're Captain America!' he exclaimed, 'is (Y/N) okay? I haven't heard from him since last week.'

'I'm guessing you're the fiancé,' Steve smiled, it was nice to hear someone other than himself or Natasha so concerned for his friend.

'Julio Richter, Sir,' the man responded, 'my fiancé, how is he?' Steve sighed, he hated sharing bad news. Unfortunately for him, (Y/N) (L/N) always seemed to leave him with the task of delivering it.

'He's just unwell,' he downplayed, 'he's been sleeping a lot.'

'Can I come see him?'

Steve struggled for a moment, the Avenger's Compound wasn't exactly an appropriate place for a civilian in the best of times, least alone when there were a dozen Avengers roaming around its corridors and offices. 'I'm not sure that's such a good...' he'd begun to say, only for Rictor to interrupt him.

'With all due respect, Captain, that man is going to be my husband. I'm going to see him whether you extend an invitation or not,' he gruffed in a low, almost threatening, voice. Steve let out a small sigh, hoping he was doing the right thing as he gave Julio Richter the directions to the Avenger's Compound.

An hour and a half later and a police cruiser was pulling up outside the gates, its lights still flashing but the siren turned off. 'Great, I wonder why the pigs are here,' Scott complained as he struggled to eat his taco without the filling falling out of the other end. Steve pushed a button on his phone, allowing the gates to slide open.

'It's (Y/N)'s fiancé,' he explained to Scott, 'I couldn't exactly stop him coming to visit.'

'He still not up?' Scott questioned, sounding quite concerned. Steve shook his head. 'Shame, he could have had this whole time heist completed in an afternoon.' Scott was right. Nobody knew how it was exactly that (Y/N) (L/N) had been able to retrieve the mind stone, but he'd done it, and he'd undoubtedly do it again if Steve permitted it.

'Whatever he did to get the mind stone, he's not doing again,' Steve said, just as Rictor's car slid to a halt in front of them. 'I'm not having him almost kill himself when there's a safer option.'

'Understood, Cap,' Scott nodded, before leaving, just as Julio Richter climbed out of his car. (Y/N)'s fiancé looked worn out, as though he had just finished a long and gruelling shift. Bags drooped under his eyes, his tie hung loose about his neck, and his uniform looked as though it hadn't been ironed or washed in days.

'Mr Richter,' Steve greeted, extending a hand for his friend's fiancé to shake, which he did.

'Just Rictor,' the man replied, before taking back his hand, 'I'm sorry Captain, can you just take me to my fiancé?' Steve nodded his head before leading Rictor through the compound and into (Y/N)'s bedroom.