SHIELD, TRISKELION

 

Alarms were ringing loudly as a state of emergency had been declared by Alexander Pierce, the temporary director of SHIELD, following Nick Fury's death. “Are you able to detain him?” asked Pierce to Rumlow

 

“No, sir. He escaped. We’re using all of our resources to find him now.”

 

“Hmm,” Pierce nodded. “Call me when you manage to catch him. I want an eye-to-eye talk with him.”

 

“Yes, sir,” Rumlow saluted before proceeding to leave the room. Not before Pierce added something, “You have my permission to use everything. Including the Winter Soldier.” Rumlow was surprised. “Yes, sir,” his lips curled into a wide, sinister smile.

 

“Prepare the meeting with the Council,” Pierce said to his attendant. “It’s time our plan starts to come to fruition.”

 

 

Mall, New York City

 

A man and a woman were seen walking beside the fountain. If people look at them briefly, they would assume that both of them are a couple. If people were to look properly, though, they would find that both were Captain America and Black Widow, respectively.

 

“First rule of going on the run is don’t run, walk,” Nat said casually

“If I run, these shoes will start to fall off,” Steve replied, complaining about his shoes. “Where are we going anyway?”

Nat’s lip curled up into a smile. “Someplace auspicious”

 

In front of the Apple Store, Steve rolled his eye. “Are you sure this is it?” he asked, doubting his partner in crime. “Don’t stand in the hallway” Nat drags Steve inside. Nat then inserted the flash drive, booted up one of the display MAC Books, and began typing fast.

 

“The drive has a level 6 homing program,” Nat said somberly.

“What’s that mean?” Steve asked.

“It means that as soon we boot up the drive, SHIELD will know exactly where we are.”

“How much time will we have?” Steve asked, still remaining vigilant

“About nine minutes from… Now” she said as she inserted the USB drive into the MAC Book.

 

Meanwhile, Camp Lehigh, New Jersey

 

“We’ve arrived” I shook Sharon, who’s now asleep, using the window as a pillow.

 

“Uh… We have?” Sharon asked groggily, still trying to open her eyes

 

“Yup,” I opened the car door and stepped outside. Stretching my body after driving for a while felt really good. Whew, thank God for GPS. If it weren’t for them, I would have been lost a couple of times. Hurray for modern tech.

 

I opened the convertible trunk and took out an inflatable tent and some necessities. I blew the tent until it was standing erect (A/N; Please, no dirty joke) and laid some foldable beds inside, two foldable chairs, and a foldable table down on the floor.

 

“What are we, camping?”

 

“Ah, the sleeping beauty finally awakes,” I sarcastically replied, smiling at her. “Apple Juice?”

“Sure, thanks” Sharon caught the can of apple juice that I threw at her. “Why here?” she asked after observing her surroundings. “It’s because this place was the place everything began. Well, for Steve anyway,” I said while chugging a can of apple juice.

 

“So….” Sharon sat on the chair.

“So….”

“Who are you?”

“What do you mean?”

“What do you mean, what do you mean? You’re roommate with Captain America. You have a hideout with all that weapon and not to mention your power,” Sharon replied. She opened the can of apple juice in her hand, “Any person would be curious about who you are.”

“I guess they will, huh….” I leaned back on the chair. “Well, for starters, I am Abin Aman Surr. I was born in Egypt hundreds of years ago, I believe. I accidentally came here by falling to the bottom of the pyramid when fighting against monsters. As you can see, I am not normal per se,” I let out a wry smile.

 

“I see. Wait…. You came from hundreds of years ago!? How the hell is that possible?” Sharon gawked. “How should I know?” I shrugged. Sharon looked at her can of apple juice with unfocused eyes, “And your power, how did you come to possess them?” she asked. “I don’t know. Someday they just manifested,” I chugged another drink of apple juice. “Do you have any family you left behind?” Sharon asked. Nur’s image came into my mind, and an indescribable feeling arose within me. “Is this turning into an interrogation now?” I rebuked as her question somehow irked me. “I’m just asking, jerk,” Sharon grumbled. I shook my head, “I’m sorry. Anyway, I’m kinda tired from all that driving. I’m going to go into the tent and lay down for a minute.”

 

Laying down inside the tent, I saw Sharon looking at the sky, seemingly pondering about something. “Hey, since you asked me a couple of questions, can I ask you one?”

Sharon turned her head toward the tent and nodded, “Shoot.”

“What makes you want to be a SHIELD agent? I read your dossier, you’re talented in other aspects as well, but you chose to be an agent. Why?”

 

I waited for a while, but there was no answer from Sharon. “I’m sorry. I should be more considerate. If you don’t want to answer, that’s fine by….”

“I want to be like my aunt,” Sharon replied. “My aunt is strong, cool, smart, and beautiful. I want to be like her”

 

“Peggy Carter, huh?” I paused, recalling that old and sickly woman who held Steve’s hand as if she won’t meet him again. “I met her before, with Steve, just before Nick Fury was shot to death. She seemed to be an incredible woman. Can you tell me about her, Sharon?”

 

“Aunt Peggy is…” Sharon began telling me the story of Peggy Carter. She told me the story of when she was at SHIELD, her adventures, and so on and so forth. I could tell from her voice and enthusiasm that she really admired her, but there’s something else in there, something I knew all too well.

 

“Bottom line, Aunt Peggy is really amazing,” Sharon finished with a smile forming on her face

“She is. But there’s something else, isn’t it?”

“Yeah…” she paused, pursing her lips, “But my achievement is always linked to her. Like, she’s so amazing, but…. People always said I am Peggy Carter's niece or as expected of Peggy Carter's niece. I’m sick of it. Why can’t I get recognized for my own effort? Are my blood and tears to get this far not matter? Can they see my own effort and not my family ties?” she frustratingly said. “That’s why, when you asked me to come with you when you said that you needed me not because I’m Peggy Carter’s niece, but because of myself, I am a little bit happy,” Sharon said softly.

 

I pondered for a while. Sharon’s words reminded me of my time in Egypt. Although I did a lot to better the lives of people in Golden Sands, like introducing an easier way to get water or introducing people to a new counting method, the one that always got the love was my brother. Whenever I did so, the people always said as expected of Nur’s brother, or that’s because I am Shaheen’s successor. Like I am great because of somebody else as if my efforts didn’t matter.

 

I did not mind much, as I am used to living by myself. But it did kinda sting a little when your efforts weren’t recognized. “I kind of understand. Of course, Sharon’s situation and mine were slightly different but….

 

“The desire of being recognized by your own abilities rather than your family ties. It’s a hard feeling to bear,” I said solemnly. The atmosphere was silent for a while before Sharon chuckled. “I guess we’ve had something in common, huh… So, what’s yours?” Sharon asked.

“My brother and foster father,”

“Are they…”

“Probably dead”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Sharon looks down

“Nah, don’t apologize. I mean, it had been a few hundred years, after all. They probably had a fulfilling life,” I let out a smile at the thought of Nur and Shaheen.

 

Hours passed by as me and Sharon chat and did various things. We set up a barbecue while we wait. During that, we talked about our past, and various conversation topics popped up. Unknowingly, I started to open up to the blonde-haired spy, and she likewise to me.

 

“So, Tripp was like ‘That’s what I said,’ and I just kind of ignore it,” said Sharon

“Hahaha. That’s funny.”

“I know, right?” Sharon smiled, drinking from another can of apple juice.

 

Suddenly, Sharon and I heard the hum of a jeep approaching us.

“Heads up, we’ve got company,” Sharon warned.

“It’s fine. They are the ones we’ve been waiting for,” I smirked.

“They?” Sharon raised her eyebrows.

 

We both stood outside our tent, next to the gate of Lehigh Camp.

 

A man and a woman came out from the jeep, dumbfounded seeing Sharon and me waiting for them.

“Took you a long time, old man,” I snickered, crossing my arm with a raised eyebrow and looking at Steve smugly.

 

A few hours ago

 

“I didn’t know Captain America could steal a car. Where did you learn that?” Nat asked with a bit of sarcasm in her voice.

“Germany. And it’s borrowed, feet off the dash.”

Nat smirked, “All right, I have a question for you, which you don’t have to answer.”

“Not sure I’m going to like this. Shoot”

“I don’t want to make fun of you or anything, but,” said Nat, stalling. Clearly messing with her partner

“What?” Steve said, annoyed

Succeeding in making Steve annoyed, Nat grinned, “Was that your first kiss since 1945?”

 

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Captain America and Black Widow kissed on the mall.

 

“That bad, huh?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“Well, it kind of sounds like that’s what you’re saying,” Steve replied, even more annoyed now

“No, I didn’t. I just wondered how much practice you’ve had”

“Well, I don’t need practice.”

“Everybody needs practice.”

“It was not my first kiss since 1945. I’m 95; I’m not dead” Steve rolled his eyes

“Nobody special, though?”

Steve sighed, “Believe it or not, it’s kind of hard to find someone with shared life experience.”

“What, like your roommate?” Nat teased

“What? No. First off, I like women. Second, I’m straight.”

“Hahaha,” Nat laughed, managing to get a reaction from Steve. She wiped the tears that formed from her own laughter before her eyes turned serious and said, “Well, that’s alright. You just make something up.”

“What? Like you?” Steve jabbed back at Nat

“I don’t know,” Nat replied seriously. “The truth is a matter of circumstances. It’s not all things to all people, all the time. Neither am I.”

Steve looked at his friend and said solemnly, “That’s a tough way to live.”

Nat just shrugged her shoulders, “It’s a good way not to die, though”

“You know it’s kind of hard to trust someone when you don’t know who that someone really is.”

“What do you want me to be?” asks Nat

“How about a friend?”

Nat smiled at that

 

Arriving at Lehigh Camp, Steve and Nat saw a familiar figure standing in front of the gate of Camp Lehigh.

 

“Took you a long time, old man.”