The Chronicles of Captain Carter - The First Avenger

18.

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Chapter Eighteen - On your Left.

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It was the start of a new day.

New opportunities, new beginnings.

A chance to start over.

After the events of New York, Peggy found herself looking for employment, something to occupy herself with. She'd taken a short break with Stark and Banner, who kindly taught her more about the 21st century, before Tony announced he'd be moving back to Malibu, and Banner to somewhere...remote. And although Tony had said she was welcome to stay as long as she liked, the tower was lonely, and empty, with only JARVIS for company. She started to mourn the time she had left behind.

Her friends and loved ones.

The life she should have had.

Gone.

About a week after the two genius' departure, she phoned Fury, and soon found herself moving to D.C. A few weeks later, she became leader of the STRIKE team, SHIELD's covert op. It had been busy work, and the paperwork was certainly more than it had been in the '40s. But she enjoyed the work, and it kept her mind from wandering. One of the habits she could never break from her time in the army was waking up at ungodly hours. 

And that is why, at 6 in the morning, on a Saturday, she was running laps around the Reflecting Pool.

After around her 6th lap, she saw another jogger up ahead. Deciding to warn him of her presence, as she passed him, she said, "On your left."

Another lap. "On your left."

"Uh-huh. On my left, got it." He replied.

And another. 

By now the sun had started to rise, and the city was beginning to awaken. The jogger looked over his shoulder and, seeing her approaching, started to yell over his shoulder. "Don't you say it, don't you-"

"On your left."

"COME ONN!"

Hearing the shout of frustration behind her as she ran the rest of the final lap, she smirked in amusement. She found him leaning against a tree, panting heavily. "Need a medic?" She joked.

"I need a new set of lungs. You just ran, like, 13 miles in 30 minutes."

"Well, I guess I got a late start this morning."

"Oh yeah, you should feel real ashamed of yourself. You should go take another lap. Did you take it? I assume you just took it." He quipped, still breathing quite heavily. 

"What unit are you with?" Peggy asked, noticing the emblem on his jumper. 

"58th Pararescue. But now I'm working down at the V.A. Sam Wilson." He introduced himself, holding out a hand. 

"Peggy Carter." She replied, pulling him up. "I kinda put that together. Must have freaked you out after coming home with the whole portal thing."

"It'san experience, and not one I would recommend. It was good to meet you, Sam." She said, turning to walk away. 

"It's your bed, right?" He called after her. She stopped and turned around to face him in confusion. 

"Pardon?

"Your bed, it's too soft. When I was over there, I'd sleep on the ground, using rocks for pillows like some sort of caveman. Now I'm home, lying on my bed and it feels like..." Sam trailed off.

 "Lying on a marshmallow. I feel like I might sink to the floor." She finished for him, looking at him with a new understanding. "How long?"

"Two tours. You must miss the good ol' days, huh?"

"Well, things aren't so bad. The food's a lot better, we used to boil everything. No polio's good, and the Internet, so helpful. It's become my new best friend whilst trying to catch up."

"Marvin Gaye, 1972. Troubleman Soundtrack. Everything you've missed jammed into one album."

"I'll put it on the list." She pulled out a little notebook, which had names and cultural things to look at, watch, listen to. Thankfully, the list had gotten shorter, due to the short recess she'd been permitted to have in order to adjust after New York. Tony had been particularly helpful, recommending her things left, right, and centre.

A sudden alarm from her phone rang, and she looked at it to see a text from Natasha.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

-M-I-S-S-I-O-N -A-L-E-R-T.

-E-X-T-R-A-C-T-I-O-N- -I-M-M-I-N-E-N-T.

-M-E-E-T- -A-T- -T-H-E- -C-U-R-B.

:)

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

"Well Sam, duty calls. Thanks for the run. If you want to call that running." She teased as they shook hands. He chuckled in surprise.

"Oh that's how it is?"

"Anytime you want to stop by the V.A, make me look awesome in front of the girl at the front desk, just let me know."

"I'll keep it in mind."

A black Corvette Stingray pulled up at the curb, the window rolling down to reveal a smirking Natasha Romanoff. "Hey guys. Anyone know where the Smithsonian is? I'm here to pick up a fossil." Peggy rolled her eyes. 

"You're hilarious, Widow. I think you've been spending too much time around Stark."She said as she walked into the sleek supercar. She looked over at Sam, who smirked at Nat.

"How you doin'?"

"Hey."

"Can't run everywhere." Peggy remarked, nodding in farewell.

"No, you can't."

And with a purr of the engine, the black car roared off, the duo on their way to the mission that would change everything.