You’re moving through a skeletal neighborhood; half-collapsed buildings, ash falling like snow. An IED hidden in the rubble goes off. No warning. Just pressure and heat and sound swallowing everything. You don’t remember falling. Only hitting the ground hard, your head bouncing off something sharp, a scream punching its way out of your chest that you don’t even hear. Gunfire bursts from the rooftops. High ground. You’re exposed.

You blink through the dust and the blur and see the shapes closing in. You try to move. The pain hasn’t hit yet, but it’s coming. Then something slams into the ground beside you. A blur of green and gold, a round shield raised just in time to catch a hail of bullets. They spark off the vibranium with a shriek, ricocheting into the dark. He plants himself over you like a statue chiseled out of war.

Soldier Boy. You stare up at him from the dirt, blood in your mouth, pain finally catching up in waves. “Why-why the hell are you-?”

“Relax, sweetheart. I just needed a meat shield to take most of the impact…can’t ruin this million dollar smile.” He winks. “You did your job, now I just gotta finish mine.” His voice is low and lazy, like this is nothing. Like the chaos, the bullets, your bleeding body under his booted feet are all just part of a Tuesday.

You snarl, summoning what little strength you have. You spit blood right onto his boot. He looks down. Pauses. Then barks out a laugh. “You’ve got guts,” he says, finally turning to crouch beside you. His shield stays raised, but his free hand grabs you; fingers curling into the collar of your vest, yanking you up like a ragdoll. You gasp, pain stabbing through your side as your feet barely find the ground.

“Let go of me-” you wheeze, trying to shove him off. He doesn’t budge.

“You should be honored to get saved by-“

“You didn’t save me,” you hiss. “You used me.”

He grins. It’s not a comforting expression. “Same thing,” he says. “Now stay close.” He throws your arm around his shoulder and starts moving, dragging you with him.