Hogg considered himself a man of good taste, hardly the sort to be short-sighted. But being called "Uncle" by a greasy middle-aged man gave him the feeling of Ximen Qing forcing himself on Wu Erlang.
Seeing the hostile look in Captain America's eyes, Tony didn't dare say a word. After the torment he'd just endured, he'd realized his bargain-bin uncle wasn't a good man. He was even crazier than the terrorists who'd taken him hostage.
"Captain! We're here."
A sudden voice saved Tony. When he saw that the newcomer was a gorgeous woman, the young hostage grew even more excited. But before he could flirt for more than a couple of words, a sharp pain made him cry out:
"Ah! What are you doing?"
As blood sprayed, the dagger that had been stuck in Stark's thigh ended up in Hogg's hand. The blade tip whipped around like a madman's, forcing the curse on Tony's lips back down his throat.
"You little brats showed up right on time. Patch this weakling up, and remember to clean up the battlefield. There's a box of dollars in that corner. Split it among yourselves!"
"Natasha, go back and write my report. Make sure it captures how brilliant and mighty I was. At least thirty thousand words. I'll check it tonight. And make the accounts look good, too."
"Awesome!"
The two youngsters beamed with joy. Only Black Widow looked slightly pained amid her excitement. Sure, their captain was foul-mouthed, obnoxious, and loved showing off. He also liked stealing their food whenever he got the chance. But none of that mattered. The captain really did share the good stuff with them!
Besides, following Hogg meant there was always meat to eat, and the missions were incredibly easy. Their only real headache was writing reports. It wasn't