Yang Ming turned into a streak of lightning and burst through the curtain of rain in a Hell's Kitchen back alley.
The next second, he stumbled out of the Blue Doorway, his right knee slamming into the wall.
" Hiss-"
The Rumble-Rumble Fruit handled speed, not braking.
And certainly not landing posture.
He braced himself against the wall, took off his half-shattered Gold-Rimmed Glasses, and looked down at his knee.
It was scraped.
Nothing serious.
But a patch of plaster had fallen off the Clinic wall.
"Put it on the bill."
Yang Ming pushed open the back door.
In the basement, Steve sat beside the hospital bed, his leg wrapped in fresh bandages.
Tony had changed into a black T-shirt. His right hand was still wrapped in gauze, and monitoring electrodes were stuck to his chest.
The two sat facing each other.
Neither looked at the other.
The air smelled of disinfectant, along with scorched wiring.
Tony spoke first.
"How are you going to deal with him?"
Steve stared at the floor.
"Bucky is a patient now, not a prisoner."
"He's killed people."
"I know."
"He killed my parents, too."
Steve pressed his fingers against his knee, his knuckles turning white.
He didn't evade it.
"I know that, too."
Tony gave a laugh.
A very short one.
"Good. At least this time I don't need to play the footage to remind you."
Steve raised his head.
Tony said no more.
A table with a missing leg stood between them. Neither had cleared away the screws, medicine bottles, and empty coffee cup on it.
Yang Ming walked between them and tossed a roll of gauze into Tony's lap.
"The electrodes are crooked."
Tony glanced down.
"You're just in time. The captain's arguing for the Winter Soldier to walk free."
"I didn't