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:

wolfintheherd

[It's right there in black and white. Her words. You were a hero to me for awhile. He'll hold onto that. Cherish it.

Then he takes those pills and watches her.]

...I hope you don't hide your face with everyone.

[He wants to say something, to empower her. He wants to try. Lying on her couch, bleeding on it.]

It's a sign of how strong you are.

From:

facemyenemy

[she moved to sit on the edge of the couch, beside his bleeding ass. They were both a mess. She'd need a new couch later.]

[His comment though made her blink, and her head tilted again so her hair fell forward, shadowing again. The way she was sitting, the scar side of her face was closest to him, so her entire face was blocked by hair no]

[Generally she wore her mask. Put on a face and called it good. Sometimes she hid behind her hair. The scar didn't bother her a lot, but she got tired of standing out at times.]

Not always. If I had been stronger, I wouldn't have been scarred in the first place.

From:

wolfintheherd

Don't blame yourself. [He closes his eyes, swooning a bit before focusing on her.] It's not...what happened to you. It's what you chose to do, with the time...that's allotted to you.

[his chest rose and fell and he sighed,.]

It's like stripes on a tiger. It shows you're a fighter and you came out of a hard scrap, "You want to say something, well take a look at this. If you think that's bad you should see the other guy."

[There's a thin trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth. He wipes his hand across it. The movement's clearly painful.

He's got a lot of scars himself. Ones he can feel.]

Please promise me that my being here won't hurt you in the long run. You fought hard for this.

I don't want to be...responsible for fucking up this for you.

From:

facemyenemy

[she lifted her head, turned back to peek at him. Watch him talk. Watch him swipe away the blood. She sighed, and perhaps she should work on fixing him up. She needed to clean up herself, but that could wait]

If you remember right, the other guy came out the winner.

[she shook her head though. reaching over to pat one of his hands.]

You came over to make me dinner. It's not my fault you had to stay over. Besides, if I'm to start negotiations to see about bringing you in as a new trainer, I'd have to meet with you anyhow.

Rest here tonight. Heal up. We can deal with what kind of trouble you're going to get me in tomorrow.

From:

wolfintheherd

[He reaches for her hand and raises it slowly, shakily, to his cheek. As gently as he can.]

....Those painkillers are great.

From:

facemyenemy

[She snorted at that, which was a mistake cus her face hurt. A hand coming up to rub at her face she shook her head]

SHIELD issued painkillers. Some of the best stuff. Sleep. We’ll talk more in the morning. If you’re healed up by then you’re taking care of me, because ow, fuck...

From:

wolfintheherd

[He was built to take care of others.

So even if she's joking he nods and meets her gaze with something like affection. Something like caring. Something like love.]

Of course.

From:

facemyenemy

[the look catches her off guard and she feels a little startled. moving to stand she reached out to ruffle his hair, and limp off.]

Sleep.

[She walked off to clean up a bit again, ignoring the mess in her house and cleaning blood. Sleeping didn’t happen. She kept thinking he’d leave if she fell asleep. So at some time in the night she came out, blanket wrapped around her, and sat on the floor beside the couch, back to it, propped up and nodded off.]

[When he wakes, he’d find her curled up there near by and sleeping.]

From:

wolfintheherd

[It's easier to move this morning.

Easier to pick himself off the couch and stagger to her kitchen where he starts cooking yet again. Eggs and left over stir fry. Not together. He knows that much.

Really it gives him something to do even if he's moving like an old man.]

From:

facemyenemy

[She felt him move. that was the point of sleeping out here. Not that she slept much. too sore. but as he moved she watched him, saw him go to the kitchen. She didn’t bother moving at first. Sounded like he was staying. Cooking? She moved to the corner of the couch, sleeping in a warm spot he had just vacated. Or at least nodding off for a bit longer.]

[Nodding off only enough to make sure he wasn’t going to leave. She’s a bit annoyed that she’s concerned that he might leave or not though. So she rests there with a bit of a scowl. damn him.]

[Let him cook. Or do whatever. So long as he doesn’t leave.]

From:

wolfintheherd

...Seems a stupid thing to be able to do, but cooking like the greats is useful. [He never used to be able to before.]

You need to have more in your fridge.

From:

facemyenemy

[She didn’t move from the couch, but her head tilted to the side and she looked past through the passover to watch him.]

Why? it’d just go to rot. I’m not home enough to fill the refrigerator. And it’ just me, so I don’t need much.

Smells good though. How are you feeling?

From:

wolfintheherd

I should be fine in another day. [He winces] I hope. Remind me, don't...copy superhuman abilities if possible.

Ever. [He laughs weakly]

From:

facemyenemy

[She moved, stretching with a small groan, and stood, moving to the kitchen and going to sit a chair up off the floor. She stared at the dry wine stains and snorted.]

And remind me not to fight you in my apartment again. Need more space.

[she rested her bruised chin on her hand, elbow on the table. She’s black and blue, she swears, but she’s watching him work.]

From:

wolfintheherd

[It's so domestic. No high class criminals, none of the people who he's made his society. There's a firm wall between himself and the deeds of his past. He is sorry.

But her firm approval matters a lot more then ...Skye's.]

How are your bruises?
,

From:

facemyenemy

[She isn't used to domestics. Work and play don’t mix much.]

[She rolled a shoulder and groaned, then ran her hand under her chin... frowning.]

Feel like a train wreck. Honestly, I’m surprised I’m up at all. If I were any slower I’d of been dead.

From:

wolfintheherd

...Don't tell anyone about this.

[Blunt. And to the point, but this is a man who remembers Grant Ward and Grant Ward's biggest mistake was never...speaking.]

...Please. Not until I've figured out if I can control it. I trust SHIELD only so far.

From:

facemyenemy

[She frowned at him, rubbing her neck and finding a bruise there.]

And what would I tell them, Grant? I’m Loyal to SHIELD, sure but... [deep inside she still was loyal to him. She shrugged instead of answering that though]

From:

wolfintheherd

[Grant Ward never spoke. Never admitted weakness, never admitted fear. Taskmaster was born of the worst of that but confronting the man he had been...

He swallows]

...I don't want to spend any time in a holding cell [again] if I can help it.

It...scares me.

[His hands still over the food.]

From:

facemyenemy

I’m not much for being caged either. And beyond all logical reason, I wouldn’t have dragged you in last night anyhow.

[she stood, limping a few steps over beside him, at hi shoulder, looking over at him.] I wont tell anyone you were here. On my honor. But you need to keep your head low for a bit, hmm? I want to see if we can try recruiting you and not locking you up.

From:

wolfintheherd

[Try recruiting. He tries to breathe deep at that.]

...Only if I work with you.

[He is afraid. Genuinelyafraid of the people that he worked with. Once upon a time]

From:

facemyenemy

I think that could be arranged. Maybe. We need people to train new agents. It could work.

[she leaned in closer, looking up at him. Pressing her lips together she was contemplating something, then... drew back again, back to the counter, looking at the mess on her kitchen floor.]

You really missed me? [because that means he remembered her well enough to miss her]

From:

wolfintheherd

If they pay me. [Probably hard to tell if joking or serious. She's got this, belief about her. Something she never had as 33. Or as Madame Masque. He misses Madame Masque but...Let's see where this would go.

He smiles broadly. Genuine.] Kidding.

...I did.

First small pieces. Madame Masque, emotions. Then I was fighting one of your...I don't know who she was, but one of the people who worked for you before you came back to SHIELD. It reminded me of you.

I held onto that. Refusing to take other assignments beyond what I was capable of.

From:

facemyenemy

[It’s because she’s Kara now. Not 33. Madame masque only came out in bad times. she wasn’t gone, but mostly when the mask came on she changed. Like having multiple personalities. she was still broken, bu nothing like before. now she was just fractured.]

You would get paid. Kidding or not.

So, you remembered by fighting May? A flash of a golden mask maybe? Perhaps you’d remember me better if I wore that again. [she used to wear it to hide her face, and the s cars. Paranoia about people knowing her or their thoughts.]

From:

wolfintheherd

I can't ask you to do that.

To sacrifice your sense of identity for someone else like that.

[It's immeadite and it feels so right all he wishes, suddenly, out of the blue, was that he'd said it before to Skye.

He swallows hard and drops the cooking utensils-before kneeling to pick them up and move to the sink to wash them]