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After the disaster, Kai stayed til the end to help out, anything asked of him that he could do. The poor guy was exhausted from all the healing, but that didn't stop him. He's rested since, and he waits near the spot he met Steve, figuring he might spot him again. He has a dog with him, a little terrier mix of some kind. Kai holds the leash while the little dog barks fiercely at a squirrel. "That's right, Kevin," Kai says, "you get that squirrel." The squirrel is nonplussed.
*
Since Kai met Steve not far from his house, it's a good bet that he doesn't have to wait long. Rogers pulls up on his motorcycle with a bag of groceries and notices Kai, straight away. If one didn't know better, it would sound like some spy meeting. Steve is wearing dark sunglasses and has a prop. Kai has a prop. Steve approaches. "Hey."
*
Kai's prop lays off the squirrel to bark at the motorcycle, but as soon as Steve walks up, bravado fails, and the little dog hides behind Kai's legs, quivering. "Careful," Kai tells Steve, "he's a stone-cold killer." The dog sniffs at the ground, then looks up at Steve with soulful brown eyes. Kai just shakes his head at the mutt, and he tells Steve, "I wanted to talk to you about what happened. I don't trust the police, but I think you're all right."
*
"He looks terrifying," Steve says with a smile. He nods to Kai as things get more serious, "Some good ones and some bad ones, I suppose. Like anything in life." Pause. "Appreciate being the exception," he adds with a bit of dryness.
*
The dog slowly creeps out from behind Kai and sniffs his way over to Steve's shoes, half-cowering. His tail starts to wag, though. Apparently, Steve passes muster. Kai meanwhile says with a wry twists of his lips, "Even the good ones don't care much for the beat kids, daddy-o." He shrugs, it's nothing new. "You probably figured this out already, but Bucky didn't plant those bombs. He's not the terrorist everyone's looking for."
*
Steve folds his arms over his chest. "I agree. It doesn't make any sense. Why set off bombs before you attack someone. The chances were that he would not get to me. It seems backwards. Wouldn't you shoot /before/ and use the explosions as a way to cover things up?"
*
Kai admits, "I wouldn't shoot anyone or use explosives, but I know that bombing took time and organization to plan, dig me? And, uh, Bucky was kind of indisposed til just a few days ago. He was himself, you know? He wasn't planning anything except getting back to where he was busted out from."
*
"Unless it's been a long term plan," Steve reasons. "But I agree with you." He looks at Kai for a long moment. "You want to help?"
*
"Of course," Kai says without a lick of hesitation. "He needs help, and those terrorists need stopped before they kill again." He takes a deep breath, lets it out, and adds, "Besides, this is kind of my fault, and I want to make it right." Kevin sniffs around, minding his own doggy business now that he's decided Cap isn't a threat.
*
"I agree," Steve responds to the part about the terrorists needing to be stopped. The other part, surprises him. "What do you mean, your fault?" Blue eyes trail down to the dog, but then right back up to the young man.
*
Kai exhales sharply, shoulders slumping. "You're bound to hear about it anyway. I was mentioning to a friend how I missed Bucky and was worried about him. My friend sort of broke into SHIELD and pulled Bucky out and brought him home. If I'd just kept my mouth shut, he'd still be locked up getting the help he needs and you wouldn't have gotten shot." He looks up at Steve with a pair of baby blues that put Kevin's puppy-eyes to shame. "I'm really sorry."
*
Steve shrugs his shoulders, "Hey, I feel a lot better." He chuckles a bit and even elbows Kai in the side of the arm. "It happens. We need to worry about finding Bucky before someone who wants to kill him does. I don't think he'll make it to trial if he gets caught. And we also need to find out who actually did this."
*
Kai nods firmly. "Right. No use focusing on what was when what is needs tending to." He glances down at Kevin, who looks up and promptly flops on his back. Weird little animal. "If we can find him, I've got an agent's card; she wants to take him to a safe place. As for the terrorists…" He shakes his head. "I don't know where to start, but I'll do everything I can. Just tell me what you need. I'm your man, Cap."
*
Steve nods and reaches into his pocket. "Meet me at this address. Tomorrow night." The address is 890 Fifth Avenue. "Bring a pair of sweats, just in case."
*
Kai takes the card, gives it a once-over, and says, "You got it. Far out." Does the beatnik even own sweats? Time will tell. He smiles, much more relaxed for having confessed. "I won't let you down, man." The dog rolls around on his back, getting leaf-litter and dirt worked well into his fur.
*
"Of course not," Steve says as he looks up and out onto the street. "Because if we mess up it could be the destruction of the planet."
*
Kai says, "Oh! Er…" He swallows and nods quickly. "Right, then let's not make a mess of it." He lets out a nervous laugh and says, "I never wanted to have this much responsibility and now I can't imagine doing anything else. You've inspired me, Captain. Or corrupted me, depending on your view."
*
"Perspective answers that question I imagine," Steve says with a chuckle as he looks to the young man. "We need to get to work right away. Pack a lunch."
*
"I will," Kai says. "I'll leave Kevin at home. He's…" He looks down at the beast. "Useless, utterly." He leans down to pick up the dog, who wags so hard he wiggles, and he tries to lick Kai's face. "But you'll see me there." He bristles with delight, tempered by his best effort to come off cool. Like, whatever, sure he can make it.
*
Steve gives a solemn nod with his off hand and then readjusts his groceries. "I'd better start dinner pretty quick here. My lady gets pretty crabby if I don't get the beef just right," he jokes. "Good to see you. See you tomorrow."
*
Kai whistles lowly. "You've got a lady. Say no more. I should get going, too." He waves the dog's paw. "Good-bye Captain," he says in a small, high-pitched voice. The dog wags his tail, clueless to what's going on but just so gosh darn happy to be included. Kai puts him down and gives Steve a wave. "See you tomorrow night," he says. "You're the swingingest, Cap."
*