Maya Stark

Chapter 56: We owe you nothing

It was quiet for a couple minutes. Sam sat in between Bucky and I. I stared at the trees passing by, not wanting to look at Walker.

'Okay, so we've got eight Super Soldiers on a bulk supply run,' Walker said. 'Why?'

'They say their mission is to get things back to the way it was during the blip,' Sam said. 'Maybe they're just trying to help.'

'They had a funny way of showing it,' Bucky said.

'That serum doesn't exactly have a great track record,' Walker said. 'No offense,' he said to Bucky.

'We need to figure out where they're going,' Sam said with a sigh. 'How'd you track 'em here? The Flag Smashers?'

'Uh, no, we didn't track them, we tracked you, uh, through Redwing,' Lemar said.

'You hacked my tech?' Sam asked quickly.

'It's not exactly hacking,' Walker said. 'It's government property.' Walker chuckled. 'Kind of the government.'

I stare at him, dumbstruck. He was so full of himself. Like he deserved everything in the world. I could see Bucky giving him the same look from the corner of my eye.

'Do they always just stare like that?'

'You get used to it,' Sam said.

'Okay, look,' Walker cleared his throat, 'you know things have gotten kind of, uh...'

'Chaotic,' Lemar said.

'Yeah,' Walker agreed. 'The GRC, they're doing the best they can to get things up and running smoothly, post Blip.'

'Reactivating citizenship, social security, healthcare,' Lemar said. 'Basically just managing resources for the refuges who were displaced by the return.'

'The Global Repatriation Council does all that,' Sam said. 'I get that. So why exactly are you two here?'

'Well, they provide the resources, and we keep things stable,' Lemar said.

'Yeah, violent revolutionaries aren't usually good for anyone's cause,' Walker said.

'Usually said by the people with resources,' I said.

'We got a lot of resources,' Walker said. 'If you guys, if you joined up with us, we could—'

'No,' Bucky and I said at the same time. We have got to stop doing that. He sends me a quick glare.

'I got mad respect for the three of y'all,' Lemar said. 'But you were getting your asses kicked till we showed up.'

I leaned forward. 'You two didn't do much better though, did you? Who even are you?'

'Lemar Hoskins.'

'Look, I see a guy hanging out of a helicopter in tactical gear, I need a lot more than Lemar Hoskins,' Sam said.

'I'm Battlestar. John's partner,' Lemar said.

'Battlestar?' Bucky said. He scoffed. 'Stop the car!' The car stops very quickly. Bucky opened the door and started getting out of the car.

'Look, I get it, okay?' Walker called after him. 'I get the attitude, I do. You didn't think the shield was gonna end up here. I get it, Bucky!' Bucky was already walking away. Walker turned to Sam. 'I'm not trying to be Steve. I'm not trying to replace Steve. I'm just trying to be the best Captain America I can be. That's it. It'd be a whole lot easier if I had Cap's wingmen on my side.'

Sam scoffs and stands up. 'It's always that last line.'

I stand up to go follow Sam, when Walker grabs my arm. I tense immediately and I feel a little energy shock him, causing him to pull away and look at me.

'Look, Maya, I understand. You lost a lot in a short period of time. People have left you. It isn't fair, I get it. I'm not trying to replace anyone, okay? You didn't think the shield would come to me; I know. You're grieving. But it would be great to have Steve's favorite and a Stark, to help me.'

I felt like my blood was on fire as I stared at him. From the look on his face, I could tell my eyes were purple.

'You don't understand a single thing.' My voice was even and dangerously low. 'I was only seventeen. Seventeen. I was just a kid. And you had no right to say any of that. At all. I wasn't Steve's favorite. Steve just took me under his wing because I was the youngest in the compound. And I am more than my name. That shield? It isn't yours and it never will be. It's Sam's. No one else. You think a new suit and a name makes you Captain America? Well, it doesn't. You never will be. The shield, the name, all of it, belongs to Sam. Because that's what Steve wanted. And Sam deserves it. And you can bet your ass I'll be getting it back one way or another. I'm never going to help you. Ever. We owe you nothing.'

I calmly get out of the car and walk past Sam who had waited for me, going in the direction Bucky went. My breathing was shallow the second I was out of the car, and I was angry. I heard Sam jogging to catch up with my fast pace, but I didn't look at him. He didn't say anything, and we caught up with Bucky quietly. I was grateful for that. I tap my ring, my suit changing back to my regular clothes, and it felt easier to breath. So, I kept walking, trying to breathe.