therearenostringsattached

[Task Master has been through a lot.

He has achieved many successes and many failures. He's won against SHIELD and HYDRA and they are notable enemies but it's owed to his compatriots. The few people he is worked with, the few people that he trusts in the world.

He's not unmindful of that service which is why he'd broken into Madame Masque's apartment to cook her something nice.

This is something he doesn't remember. He doesn't remember she's a SHIELD agent. Not anymore, that he in essence had not told her (really he could have forgotten but he can't recall). What he does know is that she appears during the times when SHIELD needs him and manages his money and resources. Oh she hates him, he knows that much but now, even if she might be one of the right hand people of the new SHIELD, she's still Madame Masque to him. He does remember fighting her, her with a knife to his throat before stabbing him in the shoulder and running off.

(Her face was not his fault)

The last time he'd seen her though they'd fixed it. When was that? She'd had a face. It wasn't that vaguely familiar disquieting face.

He doesn't ask her any questions. Not anymore. She just appears and reappears and vanishes but he's still here and why?...

(Quake.)

His hand stops chopping.

(The woman.)

It keeps chopping. Muscle memory, what task master lives for. Really he doesn't know a thing about cooking but he saw something about Italian/Asian fusion on TV last night and he wanted to cook it for her because-

(The woman stands straight and stares at him. Her features torn between confused and angry, then just anger. He's knocked off his feet and off the building falling into the abyss while the woman runs and stares after him and he feels...

Loss.)

Terrifying loss.

His hand trembles, but he finishes the last bit of carrots and onions and slides it into the water to boil before he sets out the wine and pours himself a glass (she won't drink it if you hand it to her already poured.)

It's so domestic.

It's when he hears her come in behind him that he keeps is hand on the knife at the cutting board.]

...You know better then to come at me with a gun behind me.

[(You don't know what I've been watching on TV)]

You're not allergic to garlic or carrots are you?

[He pulls out a slab of meat that's been dipped in sauce and begins chopping it.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

facemyenemy

Is that what you remember, or is that what you assume?

[It was true, sadly, but she was curious about his memories on her.]

There was some problems, yes. You tried doing what you thought was right for her and she had other thoughts in mind.

From:

wolfintheherd

Just the emotions. [He swallows. When it says "right for her" he has a very vivid memory of pain sliding down his side.

He stares at her.]

....Just the emotions.

Don't- [Someone loved him. He tries to stand and falters] Don't.

From:

facemyenemy

It's rare to see you with emotions. Is that such a bad thing?

[She asked, sitting on the edge of her chair, just in case he snapped. Snapped at her. The Don'ts had her on edge as well.]

Is it really a bad thing to remember those emotions?

From:

wolfintheherd

[They're useless. He glances around and there's nothing. No one to watch, no way to use his ability. He could make a grab for the remote but...

No.

He stands]

There's no way I can fix an emotion. Or stop...whatever I did. Whatever I did to her.

I don't know what to do with them.
[Did he ever?]

From:

facemyenemy

[she stood too, with in reach, which she shouldn't be, but she stepped nearer, trying to get a good look at his face, her hair falling back, scar showing more now then it has all night.]

Emotions don't need fixing. I've learned that. You don't have to fix anything. It's in the past.

Just let them happen. If you try to fight through them I will fight back, just so you know.

From:

wolfintheherd

[Her face.

He stared at her face, aghast. It's her and it's not her, it's the woman he worked with, the monster. Who took him and nearly killed him after he'd forced her to become a criminal -

(So now you're free.

I don't know what to do.)

Lightning cracked across his brain and he staggered.]

I don't want this. I don't want them.

[He looks terrified.] It hurts so much.

From:

facemyenemy

[Her face, it's scarred badly to one side, and her dark hair is still... well, dark, like May Face, but her face is her own. For the most part. Less Asian more Caucasian then back then, but still her. She wore no mask right now, and hadn't donned the gold mask in some time.]

[She looked at him, concerned and not blank.]

Yeah, I learned that the hard way too. [watching him fall that last time she saw him. Watching him fall and unable to stop it. Drawing away and feeling like he'd punched her in the chest. She used the excuse of being wounded to be left alone. To recover with out anyone asking. But an emotional break down was hard to hide.]

How d o we make you forget them, then?

From:

wolfintheherd

[he has to forget.

He has to forget. But he'd waited for months to plan this. Because...

His reasons fail him.

He tugs a hand through his hair.]

...Fight me.

From:

facemyenemy

[She came closer, eyes narrowing a little bit, watchful.]

We're both wounded, and if you destroy my apartment I will hunt you down later. But...

[she licked her lips and pressed them together, giving a nod, yes.] If it'll help.

From:

wolfintheherd

[It took him a year- once things got worse- to figure out how his brain worked. It took kidnapping (and torturing) a scientist to explain it, to find someone who he trusted (who's life he literally held in his hands) to scan him.

It's like accessing a memory databank. All he'd have to do would be to pull out a particular file. Captain America. Hawkeye. He has enough in there.

But he has memories too. Memories of the woman, memories of others, a sense of community and friendship.

Memories of betraying that.

The more concrete memories, the more solid ones are of her. As Madame Masque.

He had let it go, when she'd left him. He'd aimed a gun at her and she'd stabbed him before running away. Going back to where she belonged. The thought that he'd had it and lost it made him...

Anger. good he could use that.

He aimed a fist at her head.]

From:

facemyenemy

[It didn't take long, did it. He was swinging and she was moving.]

[If she learned anything from him, it was how to dodge attacks. How to fight. To make herself better. As Madame Masque she had learned a lot more then ever on fighting. She learned to tone her gymnastics, to the point that her nimble moves were hard to follow.]

[She trained. And trained a lot. Still did.]

[But winning against him would never be an easy task.]

[Taskmaster knew it all.]

[This? This would just be a fight. To help his memory. Let him learn and erase, maybe? Maybe he'd remember her longer. Maybe he would ca--no.]

[She dodged the first swing, her hands coming up to try and deflect the hit while using his arm to spin around, trying to get away in a strange grace that was signature of Madam Masque. He used to be able to hit her, knock her flat on her ass in seconds. She at least learned how to dodge it for a bit. Until he learned h er moves.]

From:

wolfintheherd

[Let him fight.

Let him be angry, his brain locks onto her ability, files it, catalogs it, and he drops to his knees to kick it out from under her. The way to beat her was -

Melinda May,

Demon in the sack, knife to the throat. You were never on top, she had worn her face for awhile but it wasn't her fault. She'd been hurt and broken. He had seen an opportunity and wanted...what. To help her?

There is a hero making a name for himself, a former villain trying to redeem himself named Quicksilver who can attack in a flurry of blows. His body can't take it, copying human moves but it won't let him stop once it starts.

There's a flurry of blows, punch right, punch left, even as his foot swings out from under him to try and kick her in the chin. It's too fast to be normal and once that's done he's trying to find his footing because...

Kara. Your name is Kara, not Melinda May, you're madame masque.

But that wasn't right either because it was a name and you never give yourself a name because it's just an ego booster...

The moves from Quicksilver have left him exhausted. He needs to draw from a reserve of strength. There are faces to the feelings now. Friendship, people he hurt, people he betrayed

He's panting heavily, trying to collect himself.]

From:

facemyenemy

[She's taken her hits. Taken a few falls, but she always get's back up. Swiftly if she can. the kick that contacted her chin had her fall back into her kitchen table, wine glasses knocked over and spilled. She returned fire with some kicks of her own. An attempt to flip over his head and get behind him.]

[Like she had done before when she got the knife to his neck.]

[There are several other things in this kitchen that has gone and been wrecked, either from falls or hits. She remembers she has to be fast, but he's always faster.]

[Has to get faster!]

[At some turn about, she just barely missed being punched again, diving feet first over the pass over and into the living room. It gave her a moment to catch her breath. Breath she was panting for. There was more space out there anyhow. A large couch, a single chair. She had a feeling that coffee table was going to end up busted.]

[Suddenly she didn't care. She took up a slim profile stance, hand out and flat, ready to move if he followed.]

[Let him be angry.]

[Let him break things.]

[Let him work it out as best he can, and maybe, just maybe... she'd feel better about all this too.]

From:

wolfintheherd

[His body felt like it was going to break. For a second he had mimicked the other man's speed. An inhuman's speed. He's not inhuman he's enhanced.

In the pain he remembers it all briefly and he aims another punch at her, diving forward trying to knock her off her feet. Let it be done, let him forget and slip back into a world of alcohol and cheap sex and trying to pay for all of his crimes literally.

I'm grant ward and I can shoot the legs off a flee from 500 yards as long as it's not windy.

I'm Grant ward and I just jumped out of a plane without a parachute and saved your life.

I'm Grant Ward, I betrayed the only people who have ever loved me. I was abused and manipulated. I fell for it. I built my life on a shifting foundation and trusted the wrong people and I paid for it.

I'm Grant Ward and my revenge cost me everything-

I'm Grant Ward-

I'm Grant Ward-

I'm-

Moving his muscles makes him scream and he can't see if he's knocked her down, he can't see anything. This was not what he wanted, he wanted to forget, to live in the bliss of not knowing.

Rolling away from her he gave himself over to pain. Unaware that he was weeping.

Weeping openly.]

...No, no no...

From:

facemyenemy

[It was a hell of a fight, a blur of movements. She hurt, god did she hurt, and he had got her in the shoulder at one point, slowing her down, but she kept trying. Trying different things, mixing it up...]

[Still landing on her ass as he laid her out.]

[She was just about redy to call for a stop, breath raggid and body aching, when she realized he had stopped.]

[Stopped and rolled away and...]

[Was he crying?]

Grant...

[she called, moving nearer.]

Grant? ...Hey.... [she didn't use Ward, and she didn't remember to use Taskmaster. It was Grant, because it felt right that way.]

[She came up to his side and let a hand reach out to touch his arm.] Jesus, what is it? [she asked in a breath. Was he seeing things? Forgetting? How did it work? DID that work...]

From:

wolfintheherd

I remember.

[It hurts so much. How the hell didn't he see. It's like being Budapest, Paraguay...Puerto Rico. Puerto. Rico. Skye shot him. He can feel it all over again. And He deserved it. He deserved each bullet and faced, with the enormity of his crimes all he can do is look at her.]

I was supposed to forget.

But I can't. [His chest heaves] Melinda May, Phil Coulson, the birth of inhumans - [Skye. Skye. Fighting her had brought it all back because her moves were a copy of Melinda May's and the things he'd done to them...

The things he had done to her in retribution for what they had done to him. He sobs then.

A loud real human noise.

Moving everything hurts and he's lying there on the remains of her coffee table sobbing openly]

I'm sorry.

I'm so sorry. [For everything, May, Skye, Kara.] ...Kara.

From:

facemyenemy

[She's never seen him this way. So... human. Emotional. Broken. Broken in a different way then how she knew him at first. This was proof that he still had his humanity somewhere.]

[She came closer, crouching beside him as he said all that. said he was sorry. Called her by name.]

[Reaching down she let her fingers run over his forehead, pushing at strands of his hair, before letting the palm of her hand rest to his cheek, her thumb swiping away tears.]

Shh, It's okay. It's all in the past now. All in the past.

From:

wolfintheherd

[I fucked up so bad. He tries to say. I fucked up so bad. I ruined everything. I ruined you. I destroy everything you should just kill me, kill me now, let me die please oh please...

He moaned and reached for her but there's a crack from his fingers and he stifles a scream. He pushed his system to the breaking point.

Moving hurts.

But there is...a sense of self there that he normally doesn't have. There's so much he wants to say.]

...For all of it.

All of it. Every single piece and I - [Killing is all he knows how to do. Kill SHIELD's enemies, turn over his data to her, forget, forget...not now.

So this is weakness.

He tries to move his leg and winces. The tears increase in frequency.]

...Please don't leave me.

I need help.

[Medical, mental, it's very unsure which.]

Edited Date: 2014-12-19 06:48 am (UTC)

From:

facemyenemy

[She hurt a well, but no doubt not as badly as he did. He pushed himself so hard. She was sure she would be black and blue by morning, but he'd be far worse if he had put that much strain on himself.]

[He was laid out on her coffee table. If she could get him to the couch he could rest there. Damn bastard.]

[Her hand touched his face again, trying to sooth a bit more.]

Shhh, it's alright. You don't have to be sorry to me. I won't leave you. Not like this.

[she leaned over him as she said it, staring at him. Then leaned down and kissed his forehead, giving a hushed Shhh sound after it.]

I always took care of your wounds before. I'll take care of you now. Just... don't forget me.

From:

wolfintheherd

[And that's the tragedy.]

I'll try.

[He can only manage to barely hold her fingers. Wavering in and out of consciousness.] ..I'll try I-

[His stomach rolls and when he tries to stand, tries to sit up he groans in pain.

He can play through that with her help. He can get to the couch and manage a little more strength.]

If-If I can't heal fast you need...you need to tell them I attacked you. [He can taste blood. Never copy Quicksilver again. Never, ever, ever...] You need to tell them I came after you. Just in case.

They have to trust you, you deserve a place. Please.

From:

facemyenemy

[She's helping him move, as best she can, helping him get just a few steps to the couch.]

[He'll try. Try to what? Remember her? Is it too much to ask tht he remember her? She felt it wasn't much.]

Idiot. [she hissed, sitting beside him where she got him to lay] Take... a moment to look at me. They wouldn't believe anything other then you attacking me.

[she was all banged up, hair a mess, partly hiding her face again. She still took slow painful breaths, and her scarred eye is partly closed partly open. nd yet she's still trying to HELP. She calls herself stupid.]

What the hell did you do back there anyhow? Never seen you more that fast.

From:

wolfintheherd

[His smile is weak. Fair enough.

But.]

I just don't want you to get in trouble. Or hurt. Not if I can help it. ...Not you.

[The other stuff is easier to talk about. He leans back.]

What I see, I copy. No matter who. Even if I can't. Even if it'll kill me.

Sometimes...it does it of it's own violation. It's been happening ever since I was hired...to teach people Steve Rogers's moves. I've gotten good with a shield.

[There are still dried streaks beneath his eyes. He reaches for her hand again.] ...Makes me feel almost like the hero I could have been.

From:

facemyenemy

I'm already hurt. [she had been for a while. She hurt when they split, no longer partners. No longer able to stand working with him. Hurt to fight him. Hurt to leave. No one to protect anymore. To take orders from.]

[She had grown independent though, but she still felt the loss of it.]

[Letting him take her hand she frowned softly, watching his face. Such an idiot, Grant Ward. God how she hated you.]

You could do something with that, instead of killing. Why not train metahumans? Go be that hero you used to be.

From:

wolfintheherd

[He looks away] I was never a hero.

...Never the hero I wanted to be. I had everything and I destroyed it. [He shifts back to look at her, sniffling - before he breathes deep.] I ruined it. I remember it all.

I could have told Coulson. I could have done something, I could have tried...

[I was made to be a monster.

That hurt more then the torn tendons and muscles.

Skye.

Kara. The only person who had ever really understood him.]

...I wanted to make you dinner because I missed you. I missed you so damn much.

From:

facemyenemy

You were a hero to me. For a while. [she said, in somewhat of a mumble, looking away as well. If it wasn't for her she might have killed herself. Having no purpose. Having no one to teach her to be independent. To train her. He saved her, even if he did it in a off color way.]

[she leaned there, frowning down at him though, as he went on about ruining things.]

Grant, it's the past. You can't fix it, but... maybe you can mend it a bit. Start fresh.

I mean... [she stumbled in words now at the last part.] You... you miss me? [she swallowed back her words and looked confused] You shouldn't want anything to do with me.