LIGHTNING ✔P.M. ₁

chapter six

ROBIN FRESHENED UP IN THE washroom, carefully replacing his bandage. He winced as he saw the wound in the mirror. While it looked better than before, it still wasn't a pretty sight. Regardless, he pulled down the sleeve of his t-shirt and splashed some water on his face. He walked out into the kitchen, where coffee was already on the pot. At the dinning table, Sam was just finishing up a phone call. Robin poured himself a cup and sat down across from the other man.

Sam hung up the phone and faced the young boy, trying to keep his facial expression neutral. "Care to explain?" He asked, referring to the day before.

Robin sighed. "It's kind of complicated."

Sam raised an eyebrow. "You said we'd talk later. Now is later," He said, unimpressed by the excuse.

The demigod pouted and put his hands in the air, knowing he couldn't get out of it. "Alright, alright..." He paused, not sure if he should reveal anything about the gods. He looked at the older man in the eyes. "You can't tell anyone anything I tell you."

Sam nodded in agreement. "Okay."

He sucked in a breath. "So, I go to this camp every summer for... kids like me. With ADHD and dyslexia. One of the founders, who is long gone, by the way, was a mutant and enchanted a bunch of weapons during a war period." He decided to lie, only half of what he said being true. "I found one and decided to take it."

Sam seemed to accept that. "That clears things up. How did you learn to fight like that?" He asked.

Robin swore internally, struggling to improvise. "I took some classes. People surprisingly still teach sword fighting." He tried to shrug nonchalantly.

The veteran didn't notice that anything was off. "Well at least you can defend yourself." His phone buzzed. He glanced down at it, quickly reading the message. "I gotta go meet a friend." He glanced back up. "Think you can hold your own?"

Robin smiled sarcastically. "Obviously."

Sam nodded and grabbed his jacket and keys, leaving the house. Robin finished his cup of coffee and went to grab a book, settling down comfortably in a chair. His mind drifted away from the story minutes later. If Sam has been able to see his sword, he must be able to see through the mist. There was no way he was a demigod without knowing anything. And those creatures he had been fighting had definitely had some upgrades, which wouldn't end up well for anyone. He put the book back and grabbed some paper. He quickly got to work on some theories and charts that would surely impress Athena.

Sam locked the door behind him, stuffing his hands deep in his pockets as he walked to the cafe where they were going to meet. It had been some time since he had seen his friend, but it was understandable as their schedules were different. While Tony Stark was recruiting new Avengers trainees, Sam decided to hold back for a bit. After seeing those monsters, though, he made up his mind and would contact the billionaire later.

He entered the coffee shop, looking around for his friend who would undoubtedly be wearing a hat and glasses, careful not to be spotted by civilians or enemies. He soon spotted him and sat down in the seat parallel to his. They nodded at each other in greeting.

"Welcome back to DC, Steve," Sam said as the blonde took off his glasses.

Steve smiled. "Good to be back somewhere where there's not constant danger." Sam gave his friend a sheepish look. Steve sighed. "Oh god, what did you do?"

"I didn't do anything. Some weird dirt monsters attacked. They should be gone now though."

"Then what did you want to talk about?"

"Is it a crime to talk with my friend?" Steve gave him a look. "Okay, fine. There's this... kid I took in," Sam started unsurely. "I found him bloodied up in the park awhile back. Took him a while to warm up to me, actually," He explained, waving a waitress off when she asked for his order.

Steve cocked his head slightly to the side. "Can I meet him?" He questioned, genuinely curious.

Sam grimaced. "I would love you to, but... he doesn't react well to the Avengers, or heroes, in general. He won't tell me why. I never pushed."

The blonde's eyebrow raised. "So he doesn't know about the Falcon?"

Sam shook his head. "Of course not. I'd scare him off in an instant."

"So then what do you want me to do?"

He shrugged. "Like I said, I do want you to meet him. He might not like it, but you could come over. Besides, I'm sure you need somewhere to stay. The kid barely sleeps I don't think, you could take his bed," He offered.

Steve pondered over the offer for a moment before giving in. "Alright. Let's go." He stood up to leave.

"You might want to pay for your drink first," Sam called over his shoulder without moving from his chair as his friend was almost out the door. Steve smiled sheepishly and returned, leaving a bill on the table.