Radioactive | Bucky Barnes

The First Avenger: Chapter Three (Burn)

"How's Stark?"

Everyone usually referred to Howard as Stark. So, there was never any confusion when someone asked 'How is Stark?' because Rhiley knew. She never went by her last name. Unless, of course, it was Howard yelling at her for being reckless. 'Rhiley Lucia Stark!' He would shout. She hated her middle name.

"He's good," Rhiley shrugged the question off playfully, "Still obnoxious, as always."

As the two women walked through the base they took that time to catch up on everything they'd missed. Peggy Carter is probably the only woman Rhiley's ever been able to connect with. They were close but they were still at that surface-level friendship. Even though Peggy has tried to uncover the truth of who Rhiley Stark was as a person.

Howard was a bit more forthcoming about who he was as a person.

"I bet." Peggy laughed, "How long are you here for?"

"I'm here until they tell me I'm not here," Rhiley answered. That was her job. She went where the paperwork told her to. She did what the higher-ups told her to do. Of course, she did it her way, and sometimes that got her in trouble.

"What's the assignment?" Peggy was prying, Rhiley could always tell when the Agent wanted to know something without asking directly. "They're starting you off with easy work, right?" Bingo.

"There's talk about assigning me to a new unit." Rhiley explained, "No solo missions, I do miss my undercover shenanigans. Honestly, I think they're punishing me. Grouping me up with a bunch of soldier boys. It's a revenge tactic."

"Or you're just being dramatic."

"Oh come on Peggy, you know me, you know my skill level." Rhiley bounced in front of the woman, and continued to walk backward, "I like the rush, I like the responsibility, the thrill, the smell of danger, all of it."

Peggy chuckled, "Well, I'm sorry you're disappointed." She continued, "I still think it's too soon for you anyways."

Rhiley rolled her eyes, "I got cleared for field duty, P." she fell in step with the woman, "I've already had this same discussion with Howard. I'm not really in the mood to argue about it."

Peggy glanced over at Rhiley, "Are you okay, though?"

"Hell, no matter how many times I say I am, nobody is gonna believe me. Will they?"

"We're concerned." Peggy explained, "We're just worried about you."

Rhiley stopped taking a look at the newbies, she changed the conversation. "They seem a bit stiff." Peggy knew well enough not to revert to a conversation Rhiley was trying to actively avoid.

Peggy smirked, "Well, let's just fix that." and made a mental note to try and get Rhiley to talk later.

Peggy made her way to the front, "Men!" and went from 'talking to a friend' to 'ordering soldiers' in the snap of a finger. When she yelled, the soldiers paid attention.

Rhiley let her gaze study the soldiers, they all looked new. They haven't seen what war truly looked like outside the papers and the posters. Their uniforms are brand new, clean, and freshly ironed. They had this aurora about them; innocence.

That's when one particular soldier caught her eye. 'My God' She thought with a smile. Blonde, blue eye shorty.

He made it.

"Gentlemen, I am Agent Carter." Peggy paced, "I supervise all operations of this division." she then pointed over at Rhiley, "And this-" Rhiley pried her eyes off of Steve Rogers, "Is Agent Rhiley. She's only gonna be with us for a short while, which means it's your lucky day. Though, it doesn't take much to get on her bad side. She has a temper.