The Barnes Brothers

16: Canary

A few months later...

"Sir!"
"Sir!"
A guard ran into the room where Baron Strucker was sat behind a desk.

"What have I told you about knocking?" Strucker snapped angrily. 

"Sorry sir. It's just, we lost the Maximoffs."

Strucker rose to his feet, "What do you mean 'you lost the Maximoffs'?"

The guard was nervously shaking as he spoke. "They escaped and haven't returned sir."

Strucker rolled his eyes in annoyance with the guards idiocy. "Track them then," he said.

"That's the problem sir. We can't. They must've destroyed them."

"Use your useless little brain and think of another way goddamn it!" Strucker shouted angrily.

The guard nodded and ran out of the room. Strucker sat back in his chair and put his head in his hands.

How on earth could two people escape unnoticed in a high security place like this without alerting a single person? He thought to himself.

------------------------------

With the Avengers...

Steve got tackled by Pietro and as he lay there on the floor, he felt a tingly sensation by his head.

He stood up only to find himself in a ballroom of some sorts. There were cameras flashing in his face and everyone was laughing and having a good time.

There was a group of soldiers by the bar and among them was two faces he recognised all too well.

Tommo and Bucky.

Just before he made his way over to them, he heard that all to recognisable British voice.

Peggy.

"Are you ready for our dance?"

He turned around to see her beautiful face and she smiled up at him.

"Of course Peggy but I think I should go over to Tommo and Bucky. I won't be long. "

"Don't do that Steve," she said. "Stay here and dance with me. You promised remember." She grabbed his arm and dragged him to the dance floor.

But he remembered that he also made a promise to Mrs Barnes before he left for war. To keep her sons safe.

He looked back to look for his friends but they were no where to be seen. None of the soldiers at the bar were. He tried to make his way over to where his friends previously were but Peggy pulled him back and laid her head on his chest.

He looked down at Peggy but suddenly she was no longer there. There was no head on his shoulder.

Was there ever?

He was alone. The room looked untouched. As if no one was ever even there.

But they were, right? Peggy, Bucky, Tommo. They were all there. Surely?

"Rogers?"

Steve turned toward the voice but saw no one.