Title: Farewell, someone I love
Fandom: Marvel comics
Rating: G
Length: 797 words
Content notes: none
Author notes:  For the genre challenge
Summary: Steve takes a job to find the client's missing wife. There're no fairytale endings here. D&D noir AU.



Dragon headed tavern was named after the dragon head inside the tavern that could talk with the guests and told them amusing anecdotes in its long life. The tavern was known to be a place good for gossip, having cheap but nice wine, and just had a nice day, mostly due to the owner Luke's no-nonsense manner and his wife Jessica's might hiding behind her gentle smile.

Steve was a regular here. He liked to sip a cup of wine once in a time, but mostly he talked with the others. It also served as a good place to meet his potential clients.

Today the client was an one-eyes half-ogre who wanted to look for his missing wife. Steve patiently listened to his sobbing story of false imprisonment, indentured slavery and his love of his missing wife. Then Steve asked, "How much can you pay?"

The half-ogre put a hand inside his pant pocket and finally scrapped together several gold coins. Then he pushed the coins toward Steve with determination. "It's all I have. I promise I'll get more..."

"This's all right. I'll take the job."

The half-ogre pounced on him for a hug and Steve endured the sensation that his every bone was about to be broken. Then when the hug finally ended, Steve pocketed the money and started his job.

He went to the theatre that the wife Pruonna was last working and asked about her whereabouts. No one talked to him at first, and finally one of the actress told him, "Don't look for her any more. You'd be frustrated."

"It'd be my decision to make," Steve said with a smile.

After leaving the theatre, Steve found that he was being tailed. He pretended not to notice, but he turned into the complex alleys to try to get rid of the tail. Finally he went to a shop that he knew have a secret back door.

"Hi, Steve! What brings you here?" his friend Tony asked. Tony was running a shop selling magic charms and books explaining dream on the front, but a few people knew that he hid the good stuff behind that.

"I need your help. Someone is tailing me."

"Do you need me casting spell to see the identity of them?"

"It'll be great."

Tony made a gesture and chanted a spell, then he closed his eyes for a while. When he opened them again, he said, "Your pursuer 's a lackey of the mob boss Kevaver"

"Then I should visit him. Thanks for your help. See you again," Steve then left from the back door of Tony's shop.

"Don't be a stranger," Tony said.

Steve knew about the mob boss Kevaver, also known as Kevaver the Outrunner. It was unwise to go straight to his turf, so he went to his contact, Natasha to get more information.

"A half-elf called Pruonna, right? I think I know about her. The mob boss Kevaver's mistress meets your description."

Steve wasn't quite disappointed by the result. There were not many devoted wives any more. To be sure, he asked Natasha to get a portrait of the mistress and her current location.

After getting the portrait, Steve returned to his client and told him about it. The client stuttered, "It's impossible. My Pruonna..."

"It's your wife's face, right?"

"Yes, but... She must have been forced. I need to rescue her."

"Wait," Steve said. He left with his client.

Natasha told Steve that Pruonna was kept at a very large mansion over the river. They went to the mansion and a dwarf with huge blades stopped their way.

Then a female voice said, "Let them in. Don't use violence."

Steve and his client came in. There was a beautiful half-elf with big charming eyes. The portrait didn't do justice to her. Steve could understand why his client was so infatuated with her.

Pruonna said, “ I am not the woman you remembers. Now I have been seduced by comfort and luxury. I have nothing more to offer you. I am no longer yours. The Pruonna you knew is gone, perhaps dead to this world. I thank you for your troubles, and I bid you good day."

Steve's client said, "But, Pruonna!"

"Mollo, I have said what need to say."

Steve's client sobbed. Then he left with Steve pliantly as a child. When they left, the dwarf said, "You are useful. Kevaver is impressed. He ain’t happy with you working for Mollo, but he’s impressed. You need work, you might want to look him up. Whatever happens, you can find me here, you need to talk to him."

Steve nodded. Who knew when he'd need this?

Steve's client said farewell to Steve and Steve returned home, feeling tired. It was all a day's work.