Two Ghosts

Chapter 5

Seeing Steve's faces in the big screen at the quarters for being a runaway is something that I never thought I would witness. In a matter of seconds, he became S.H.I.E.LD.'s biggest enemy, and now everybody is after him. Nat hasn't responded either, so there is a chance they're together. At least he's not alone. When a signal is caught from a computer store at a mall, everybody starts moving. Pierce asigns me with the STRIKER team to find Steve, so I might be able to mislead them to keep him safe.

-Secure any back doors he could find.-Rumlow orders me. I roll my eyes and obey.

The team tries to find them on the inside and I suround the building to the parking lot, where I run into them.

-C'mon, you guys.-I complain. Nat looks at me with caution, she probably doesn't know I'm on their side.-If Rumlow didn't sent me here, they would've caught you.
-Yeah, whatever.-Steve runs to open a random car's door.-Get in.-he says to Nat.
-Are you with us?-she asks, walking to the car.
-Yeah, but they don't have to know that.-I smirk before running away from them.

I make sure they leave from the distance, and after a few seconds I speak through the ear piece.

-All clear in the back.

On our way back, I have to listen to Rumlow talk about how useless we all were and that we let him get away again and that now he was with Natasha, which makes him even more dangerous. I'm just glad they are okay. Night falls, after hours of searching, I decide to go get a coffee and rest my eyes: I've been in front of the screen for an eternity. When I walk back in the room where everybody is looking for my friends, I see that Pierce is ordering to send a bomb somewhere. In the big screen there's the first camp S.H.I.E.LD. ever used to hide, with Nat and Steve in it.

-Sir!-I rush to his side, right before he could give the final order.-Don't you think is a little extreme to send a missile?
-We need to eliminate them, agent Williams.-he says with authority.-I believe you said your loyalty was with us.-he is testing me. Is he really testing me with a bomb on my friend's butts? He's sick.-Is it still with us?-he questions as he lifts a finger. I stay quiet, looking at my friends about to blow up. Pierce puts his finger down, and they send the missile.-Trust me, dear: this is for the best.-he concludes and walks away.

I have all eyes on me. Some are judging, I can tell they are thinking how could I betray Steve this way. Others are proud, I'm not really sure why. I leave the room, and as I wander around the halls of the place where I felt safe once, I hear Rumlows voice through a communication device saying that they didn't find bodies. They're alive. A huge weight is lifted off my shoulders and I feel like I can breathe again. What should I do now? They don't know I know Steve and Nat are okay, for them I'm mourning those two, so if I give in they won't be surprised. If I stay, they'll finally believe my whole speech about loyalty. I could gain everyone's trust.

-I thought you'd be home by now.-Pierce says, sitting in his desk.
-I'm here to ask if there's another mission I could go in.-I walk up to him, and he opens his eyes widely.
-You haven't heard?-he is going to tell me they're alive, he is convinced I'm loyal to him so he'll send me to catch them. My plan worked.-Captain Rogers and Agent Romanoff are still on the run.-I pretend to be shocked and shake my head.
-Wow, those guys won't die with anything.-I say, making him laugh.
-Maybe they will.-he stands up and stands next to me.-They can't take you.-he assures me. This is probably the only correct thing he has ever said to me.-They are your mission.

That sentence sends shivers down my back, even though I know I won't hurt them. I leave the quarters and ride my motorcycle to the coordinates they gave me, but I wanted to be there before the STRIKE team to talk to Steve, so I jump off the motorcycle, leave it behind and start running. It impresses me how even after seventy years, there are still somethings I don't know about me. Like my super speed: it just keeps getting better, for some reason. Howard told me so little about the serum, now I regret that. A loud noise catches my senses, I don't know if that's Nat and Steve, I just run towards the sound. There's this guy with his hair almost touching his shoulders and whole face covered shooting at Natasha and another guy I don't know. I hurry up when I see him jump from the bridge, and before he could hit Steve, I kick him on what now I see as a metal arm. I don't even see where he lands, I focus on check on Steve.