A Dash of Heroism

kidnapper: we have one of your children

Bruce: I have so many of those you need to be more specific

kidnapper: the loud and annoying one

Bruce, flipping down Cass and Duke: that does not help as much as you think it does

kidnapper: well he has black hair?

Bruce, flips down Steph: keep going

kidnapper: uhhhh? He’s short?

Bruce, flips down Dick and Jason leaving Tim and Damian: more specific

kidnapper: he’s been condescending and judgmental since we got him

Bruce: yeah they both tend to do that

kidnapper: he keeps throwing around words I don’t understand

Bruce, realizing that Damian and Tim are significantly more similar than he thought: uhh more specific?

kidnapper: more?? look just wore us the mon— WHERE’D HE HIDE A KATANA???

"Nah, we haven't chipped people in years." Sterling joked, a little smirk forming on his lips. He watched the conflicting feelings pass through the young man's eyes. After a brief sigh, Sterling leaned in a bit and lowered his voice.

"If you need somewhere to stay, you can come home with me. Stay close to Clint so if you want to get to know him more when he's not on a mission you're nearby. My wife went to culinary school so the food is always amazing. We have a spare bedroom all set up. Honestly, you should have been sold at the food though."

He wasn't sure Francis would take the offer but he has discussed it with Chen all the same. He couldn't let Clint's son continue to live on the street without a fight, even if he had to foster him for a few years until he was old enough to support himself or Clint was able to take him in.

"It's no pressure. Just offering. You're very important to us, Francis. I know you can take care of yourself, but just because you can doesn't mean you have to. Maybe you can just focus on being a kid instead of how you're going to get by."

The teen listened to the offer. Thinking it over while he finished his sandwich, well, his third sandwich to be exact. Francis has a black hole where a stomach should be. The offer was tempting. He does like Sterling. Not once has the man made him feel like less of a person or stupid, which wasn't common. Most people looked down on him or treated him like a stupid brat. Sure, Francis wasn't a genius, barely able to read even, but when it came to survival and work, he was smart. Even if he also had the weirdest of lucky bad luck.

Anyway, offer was tempting, but can he truly trust Sterling? What if this was all a trap? But why would SHIELD want to trap him? Maybe because he seemed to have inherited his father's genes for accuracy and agility? But what if there was no catch? What if Sterling truly just wanted to help him? What if he doesn't lie when he said that he's important to them? Francis studied the man's face and he can't see any signs of deception, but the man is also a SHIELD agents and probably good at acting.

Swallowing the last bite of sandwich with some of the energy drink that they seemingly had around, Francis made a decision.

"You'd be surprised." Sterling grinned. He'd certainly find a way to screw it up, he was sure.

What now? Ah, that was the complicated part.

"Well, that's up to you." He said, entirely honest and up front with him. "Even if we tried I'm sure we couldn't force you to stay anywhere you weren't comfortable. You're too smart and too capable. If you want to go back to the street then that's probably where you'll end up. But, if you don't... There are options. Understand, however, that you will not struggle ever again, not matter where you end up. Even if you prefer being on your own we will be looking in on you and making sure you're fed and comfortable."

"That sounds a lot like you're going to chip me like a stray no matter what I choose," he replied honestly. Agent Sterling didn't seem to mind his straightforwardness, not even when it was accusing SHIELD of being a bit too big brother-y. Trust doesn't come easy for someone like Francis. Someone who has been neglected and mistreated, not that he'd ever admit to that having happened.

He'd been told that Clint had looked for him, but once they met, he wasn't sure his father particularly liked him. Or maybe he's just as nervous as you, a little voice told him, but that was absurd, Clint Barton is a SHIELD agent and hero, why would he get nervous meeting a teen? made no sense.

"Yes, General! Everyone is accounted for. But the ship on the other hand..."

"We'll find a way to fix it," Feixiao assured as the last of her soldiers filed out of the hull and the engineers were assessing the damage. She needed to keep everyone calm as a leader after all.

But before they could properly attempt any repairs company approached them. Feixiao didn't summon her gunblades just yet, stepping in front of her fellow foxians, waiting to see what the strangers would do.

Before she can even utter a 'we come in peace' shit hits the fan.

"Shields! Everyone else get behind them!" the Merlin's Claw shouts.

As much as he wants to fight the hunks of metal, he leads them all to the relative safety of the underground of the giant Machine City. At first he just leads them a bit further in, through hidden doors and traps, everyone staying silent. Though, he's not about to lead strangers straight back to his people. Instead he leads them to a nearby room. Well, room is a generous description, but that's how everything is down here. This is, after all, what was once the sewage system of a human city, far below the city of metal now on the surface of the planet.

Francis turns towards the dog-lady, who seems to be the leader, and smiles his usually charming smile. The one who makes the few girls his age melt. Though, to Feixiao, he is probably more of a boy than a young man. Leader or not, he's only a pale, skinny 16 year old, even if his features hint to him one day becoming a very handsome man.

"Well, well, we don't get guests often. Actually, never. Judging by the state of your craft, I'm guessing it wasn't on purpose." In other words, they're not here to help them, but at least he now knows there are other people out there, that the machines didn't wipe out humanity. Can he call these dog-people humans?

Sterling chuckled at his reaction. No one ever seemed to know what to think of SHIELD. Everyone had their guesses, of course. More often than not it was a negative one. He'd encountered many a civilian who reacted with hostility when they found out who he worked for. Hell, even people who had been rescued or helped by SHIELD berated him after Hydra's secret involvement had been revealed.

Hydra really had destroyed everything good they'd ever done in this world.

"Well, I'll certainly tell Agent Brompton you're a fan of her food."

Though, he guessed Agent Sterling also wondered about his meeting with Clint, his dad. It was... well... it was honestly overwhelming and Francis wasn't sure what to feel and it had been very awkward. So, for now, he just pushed it aside.

"Can't really go wrong with ham and cheese," he replied, glad that the sandwiches didn't have lettuce or something on them. He might be a street kid, well was, he guess, but he was still a teen and didn't particularly like most vegetables. But then, most veggies he had eaten were either bad, canned or overcooked.

With his luck, something this stupid shouldn't work, but somehow it does and the guards walks away, not even checking the trashcan. Surprised, yet relieved, Francis is pulled out of the trashcan and once he stands up, he looks down on it, baffled how they both managed to fit. Especially since the stranger is taller than him.

"I took a shortcut through a garden and stepped on a plant that's apparently holy or something." Francis hadn't seen any signs. How should he have known the plant was special? It wasn't like it was just one of it there, there had been many of that same plant.

@adashofheroism liked for a one liner

"It wasn't what you expected, was it?"

Not that he felt comfortable either, but he didn't get the sense that he needed to flee.

Plus, there was free food.

3am dinner