Times Square

[marvel-citizens.livejournal.com]

In a tired part of the city
Hiding from the fast talk
Watch 'Don't walk' to 'Walk'
Easy when you're dreaming
Staring at the movies
Standing in a circle,
Laughing at the wrong time.

If alcohol could take me there.
I'd take a shot a minute
And be there by the hour.

Take a walk around Times Square
With a pistol in my suitcase
And my eyes on the TV.

By day, the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue dazzles all the senses. By night, the senses are electrified. Anything could happen between Sixth and Eighth Avenues, from West 40th to West 53rd.

Comments

[cassidykeeper.livejournal.com]

The humming stopped abruptly as Sean saw the man's face. He stopped walking, as well, and turned to follow the man after a few seconds.

It could be just a coincidence, it could just be a lookalike. But he couldn't risk assuming that much.

[wwii-hero.livejournal.com]

He's picked up a follower.

Odd.

He pretends not to notice as he continues walking, looking for a place to ambush his pursuer.

[cassidykeeper.livejournal.com]

He decided to risk it.

"Excuse me, Mister Barnes?" Sean called out, waiting to see if the man reacted or responded at all to the name.

[wwii-hero.livejournal.com]

Okay, crap. They know his name.

He turns around. "I'm sorry?"

[cassidykeeper.livejournal.com]

It was him. Holy fecking hell, it really was him.

"How-" he started, cutting himself off to rephrase the question. "Would ye kindly mind explaining how you're not dead?" the officer asks.

[wwii-hero.livejournal.com]

He looks around. "Dead? I don't know what you mean." He pauses, glancing at the people around them. "Maybe we should go discuss this someplace else?"

[cassidykeeper.livejournal.com]

"That might be a good idea, aye," Sean replies, crossing his arms momentarily over his chest. "There's a deli about a block down that way," he offers.
While he could bring him down to the station, he'd really rather not clue some of his less-than-pristine colleagues in to... whatever is going on here.

[wwii-hero.livejournal.com]

Bucky's instincts tell him this might be an honest cop -- and as he looks more, he suspects this man might have been one of the mutants killed during the Sentinel Revolt which took the life of Xavier, back in his homeworld. Men close to Xavier generally had their heart in the right place... even if some of the survivors eventually went to Maestro.

But still, he's a cop. He's not going to want to hear fantastic stories of extradimensional travelers going around Quantum-Leaping everything right.

As they settle in, Bucky asks, "Why don't we start with what you know?"

If he's going to come up with a convincing lie, he needs to know the story of what happened to him in this world.

Since this guy likely won't believe the truth.

[cassidykeeper.livejournal.com]

Sean looks the other man squarely in the eye. "I'm not stupid," he tells him flatly. "I'm not about to feed ye the information if ye don't already have it yourself." He takes a sip of strong, black coffee. "Just tell me what your story is. And for the record, I can tell if you're lyin'."

[wwii-hero.livejournal.com]

"I'm not sure you'd believe me if I told you the truth," Barnes sighs.

[cassidykeeper.livejournal.com]

"Try me."

[wwii-hero.livejournal.com]

Well, he asked for it. If he doesn't believe it, then he can always laugh it off as a joke and come up with something else.

"I'm from a parallel universe," he says simply.

[cassidykeeper.livejournal.com]

Sean takes a few moments to process this information. The man was displaying none of the usual signs that he was lying. He was either a very good liar, telling the truth, or absolutely insane.

"I don't suppose there's any way you can back up your claim?" he asks him calmly.

[wwii-hero.livejournal.com]

"Well, we could dig up this world's me, and compare DNA, but that wouldn't prove that I'm not just a secret long-lost twin." Barnes sighs. "I could introduce you to the others, but... again, not much to prove anything. All I can prove is that I don't have any knowledge of the world around me."

He shrugs. "I could tell you about my world, I suppose. The amount of detail I could go over isn't exactly something a crazy person would come up with, which, frankly, has to be one of the options you're going over."

[cassidykeeper.livejournal.com]

Cassidy pinches the bridge of his nose for a moment before speaking. "This is goin' to give me a headache regardless of what option I go with. Let's start with that last one. Tell me about where you came from and how ye got here."

[wwii-hero.livejournal.com]

It takes some time.

He tells the whole story: fighting in World War II; being frozen in ice for 50 years after watching his partner, Captain America, getting killed; waking up in the modern world; joining the Avengers; the rest of his new group showing up from another dimension; finding himself here with the others.

When he finishes, he sits back quietly, waiting for a reaction.

[cassidykeeper.livejournal.com]

Sean stares blankly for a few moments, trying to figure out how to react. The story sounds crazy, but the man does not. Crazy people do not usually realize that they sound crazy.

"That's... quite a lot of detail. I'll give ye the benefit o'the doubt, 'cause if you were that thoroughly insane, I don't imagine you'd be quite so coherent."

[wwii-hero.livejournal.com]

He shrugs. "Look, either I'm a harmless crazy kook who for some unknown reason looks exactly like someone who should be dead in this world... or I'm being truthful, and I need some help to save your world from getting screwed."

[cassidykeeper.livejournal.com]

"Ye have a point there. Better safe than sorry. What help is it you need?" he asks him. "Not promisin' I'll be able to provide it, but I'm willin' to give it a go."

[wwii-hero.livejournal.com]

"Frankly... I could use some information about this world. And the clue I've been given is pretty obscure... we apparently need to stop a couple people from having sex. Something about 'two fatal loins uniting' causing the end of the world." He rolls his eyes. "Yeah, I know, I know. It's pretty goofy." He shrugs. "Plus, I could use some help. If you've got any ideas for some support or backup, we could use it."

[cassidykeeper.livejournal.com]

"Well," Sean starts. "In this city, biggest thorn in my side are the Lensherrs. They keep up a good appearance, sure, but they're criminals none the less. Can't get any charges to stick to 'em though. They got money, power and friends in high and low places."

He lit a cigarette and took a long draw of smoke before continuing.

"The Summers though, they've been makin' a name for themselves too. Don't know much about 'em, 'cept they're dangerous. I figure the Lensherrs, they'll get taken down by the feds eventually... the Summers clan though? They got more up their sleeve, by the sounds o'things."

He shakes his head, sadly, flicking his cigarette clear of ashes, "now they've got the Lensherr girl, Lorna, set up to marry on o'the Summers boys. Nothin' good's gonna come out o'that business deal, lemme tell ye. I might as well retire after the vows are spoken; there'll be no place in this town for the law when those two families are one."

[wwii-hero.livejournal.com]

"Who's trustworthy in this town I can talk to about this?"

[cassidykeeper.livejournal.com]

"I hate to say it, but the Lensherrs have paid off most of my collegues. At least any of them with any real influence. The Avengers are the only force in this town enforcin' the law. I can try an' get you in touch with them," Cassidy offers.

[wwii-hero.livejournal.com]

Patriot nods. "I think I can work with a group calling themselves the Avengers."