A Complicated Business

[Centurion]

Pain was nothing new to the First Avenger. He could push through, just like he had in the past. He jogged down the corridor towards the exit, wincing with each step. He felt all the more naked without his shield, but that was the least important thing on his mind. He trusted Vision and Marcus to get the citizens to safety, and he could only assume the same for the large red demon-like man that had been with them. Cap shook his head, clearing his mind of the pain. He had to focus on finding Frisk. He couldn't help but sigh inwardly at that. He would never have taken Vision as the kind of person, or android, to take a child on a mission this deadly. Sure, he knew Vision could be mildly naive at times as was his charm, but to accept a kid into a superhero team that faced death and danger for breakfast then drag her to an island filled with sugar-high zombies? That girl better be invincible, or Cap would have to have a long talk with the android as to his recruitment protocols.

The corridor came to an end and Cap pushed open the door, holding his side as he spat another globule of blood to the side. Outside, winds raged violently, rain spiked downwards in sheets, and lightning crackled overhead. A little girl wouldn't survive long in weather like this. Cap could feel the winds pulled at his muscular frame, sliding him a few inches to the side before he caught himself and planted his feet. He could only imagine how this relentless gusts would affect a frail child. He tromped through the wind and rain, eyes peeled for any youth that matched the description Vision had given him. He heard a small shout followed by manic laughter and moved towards the sounds quickly.

By the time he found the source of the noise, nothing but a broken chain and a tiny splatter of blood were left behind as clues. The Avenger scanned the skies and saw nothing. He needed a vantage point. His muscles screamed as he pulled himself up a service ladder to the roof of a nearby building, forcing him to take a pause once he reached the top. Thankfully, it seemed his body was coming to terms with being broken, so the pain had gone from sharp stabbing to a constant throbbing. Cap took another look at the city and say a tiny shadow peeking through the wall of water raining from the sky. Cap's heart seized to see that little girl being tossed about mercilessly by the winds. One gust in the wrong direction could toss her into the water or slam her tiny body against the walls of a building. However, the same winds that tossed his new ally back and forth were trying desperately to toss him off of his feet. He gripped onto a pipe bolted to the wall of a shack on the rooftop and struggled against the airy current. Suddenly, the tiny shadow grabbed onto an antennae of sorts on the building across from Cap, holding on for dear life.

Normally, Cap knew he'd be able to resist the wind, but his injured state prevented him from making a move. Another glance told him the girl was likely dangerously close to losing her grip. Captain Roger's couldn't let her drop, not on his watch. He slammed his fist into the shack, steeling himself for a desperate move. He pushed off of the wall, barely keeping his footing, and sprinted forward. His brain handled the fine movements as he stepped slightly to the side to counteract the winds and calculate the distance between the rooftops. He reached the edge and, without hesitation, launched himself forward. He sailed through the rain, the winds pushing hard against him. Cap slammed into the wall, the fingers of one hand barely grabbing onto the edge of the other building. He cried out in pain as his body renewed its painfully constant protests. After what felt like hours, Cap managed to pull himself over the edge and stand shakily on the other roof.

He looked up and saw the girl, eyes shut tight, hugging the antennae . A bear trap was attached to her ankle, something that sparked a rage in Captain America. Pushing aside his feelings, Cap called up to Frisk, doing his best to hide his pain and sound reassuring through the heavy winds.

"Afternoon Ma'am! You look like you could use some help!"

Frisk cracked open one eye to see the star-spangled hero standing unsteadily on the roof below her. She smiled with relief. Back on the roof, Cap ran multiple scenarios through his mind, settling on an admittedly risky, but possible solution. He shouted again.

"I'm going to need you to trust me! I'm going to catch you. Just let go on my signal and I promise I won't let you fall!"

The girl winced at the danger inherent in Captain America's plan. However, to be fair, there wasn't much else worth trying at the moment. Frisk nodded vigorously to show she understood. Cap took deep breath and planted his feet. He began to count out loud.

"On three! One... Two... THREE"