The Rise of Hel {Loki Laufeyson} Book Two

Chapter Thirty-Four

I walk into the Smithsonian without being recognized. No one knows me here, nor do I have an official S.H.I.E.L.D licence, as far as I know. My theory is proven as I step through the metal detector without a second glance. The guard lets me through, unfazed by my face.

Steve and Tony, though, had to dress up for the drive in, just in case we needed to make a pit stop to buy chips, or if someone needed to use the bathroom. Steve, with a baseball cap on and a hoodie - Tony with Sharpie on his face to change his facial hair. He was afraid to shave off his signature goatee so he just grabbed a Sharpie from his dorm in the compound and drew all over his face, changing his beard and eyebrows. He really looks like a completely different person; sharp arched brows, a full on beard - it's as if Tony Stark doesn't exist.

Steve's identity, however, was almost compromised when we took a little trip to the Apple store in a small mall and a clerk named Aaron started looking at him like he knew him. All three of us froze.

"I have the exact same glasses!" He had exclaimed and you could almost hear the internal sighs of relief from the three of us.

"Wow, you're practically twins!" I had said and bumped Steve with my elbow. He made a face at me.

"I wish -" Aaron waved his hands around, gesturing Steve's build. "Specimen." After that visit, Steve imeediately made a beeline for the nearest Halloween store, coming out with realistic enough facial hair to glue to his face.

Once we arrived in Washington, Tony directed us to a house he owned for business trips, assigning us rooms in the mansion-like structure and instructing J.A.R.V.I.S to take our bags. I lid down on the bed, the familiar memory foam shaping itself around my form and carrying me into dreamland.

Now, today, the last day of our two day trip, we decide to visit the Smithsonian and take a look at the Captain America portion of the museum. The morning is spent with the boys rushing around, trying to reapply their disguises and Tony taping the most opaque fabric to his chest in order to hide the Arc Reactor's glow underneath his t-shirt.

The tour takes us all throughout Steve's past. I learn so much more about him than I already know - things from his childhood and his story in general that he never bothered to tell me. His transformation, I now realize, was definitely a scientific breakthrough and for it to be permanent was equally as interesting.

Finally, we decide to break away from each other. It's mostly because Steve saw a part of the tour that he wanted to experience alone, so I walk over to the Bucky portion of the exhibit and Tony wanders off on his own. Bucky's picture stands huge in front of me - huge and troubled. His expression reflects the pain of the era, the war and tragedy in his wide eyes, the stony look sending chills through me. It's almost the same look he had on the bridge. He knew true pain and loss back then, too.

The man next to me stands as still as a statue, like he's saluting Bucky in silence. His chest puffs out, his chin tilted high. I can tell by the cheap beard that it's Steve and I smile, glancing back at the exhibit.

"He was a real brooder." He muses, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and pulling me into his side. "That was Buck."

"Hey Steve," He looks at me. "Don't use past tense. He's still alive; he's just brainwashed - Bucky is still in there somewhere, he just doesn't know what he's doing."

Steve purses his lips, nodding and turning away. "I'm going to go visit Peggy for a little while. You and Tony head back - we'll meet up in an hour or so."

"Okay." I say quietly. I might've just hit a nerve by accident. He's so kind not to call me out on it...

I find Tony looking at the outfits of the various team members of Cap's team. He seems fascinated by the main one - the older version of Steve's costume.