The fact that the existence of the Winter Soldier is doubted even in high council circles doesn't exactly make our situation any better. Being on the run from S.H.I.E.L.D. is one thing, but hunting a ghost is something else entirely, and we have the honor of doing both at the same time. Thank you very much. Just like Nat said, we're at a dead end and don't have the faintest idea where to even begin searching. With no leads and thousands of questions left unanswered, we follow the only thing still in our possession: the USB stick with the secret data from the Lemurian Star. "Are you really sure we're going to find any clues on this?" I ask, probably voicing what we're all thinking. My question hangs in the air because neither Steve nor Nat can give me an answer. They don't know either.
None of us have access to computers anymore, so we made our way to the City Center DC. Where better to read secret data than on a publicly accessible laptop? "Number one rule when on the run: don't run, walk," Nat says softly to us. She says that so easily, even though the S.T.R.I.K.E. team could show up any second. My heart is racing like I'm running a marathon in full sprint, which makes simply walking even harder. But Nat is right. If we suddenly start running, it would draw way too much attention—the last thing we need right now. "If I run in these shoes, they'll burn up," Steve responds, and I roll my eyes. At least in my dreams, his ego isn't so inflated. But we love him just the way he is, right?
We step onto the escalator, and shortly afterward, I spot the electronics store. We head over to one of the laptops, and Nat starts typing something, while Steve and I keep an eye on all directions. Hopefully, we have some time before they figure out where we are. "As soon as we boot up the stick, S.H.I.E.L.D. will know exactly where we are," Nat says, as if reading my mind, and I curse silently. Great, so much for thinking we had a little time.
"How long until they get here?" I ask, hoping for a decent answer. "About 10 minutes." Okay, not what I wanted to hear. We plug in the stick, giving S.H.I.E.L.D. the green light to start the chase. The clock's ticking; every second counts. Nice weather today. "Fury was right about the ship. Someone's trying to hide something," Nat says without taking her eyes off the screen. She clicks her tongue, and that can't be good. "What's wrong?" My jaw already hurts from clenching my teeth in anticipation. As S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, we always had the upper hand, knew where our enemies were and what their objectives were. Now, we're completely outmatched, prey wandering blindly.
"The stick is protected by some kind of AI that keeps changing," I hear Nat say as she tries to access the data, which piques my interest even more. Someone went to great lengths to ensure that no one who shouldn't see these files can access them. There's something on here that mustn't fall into the wrong hands, which only makes it more important for us to get this information. "Can you crack it?" Steve asks her. Please say yes, please. "The person who designed it was a little smarter than me." That's not a clear no, but unfortunately, it's not a yes either.
"I'll try using a S.H.I.E.L.D. program." She installs one of our programs and tries to break through. Whatever she's doing, it needs to be fast because we're running out of time, and I'd gladly pass up a date with Rumlow any day of the week. "This program can detect hostile malware. It won't help us read the data, but we might find out where it's coming from," Nat explains quickly, and I feel a spark of hope. At least it's a start—better than nothing.
Suddenly, a salesman appears next to us, nearly scaring me to death. "Can I help you?" asks the man with long blond hair and a full beard. He seems nice enough, but his timing is terrible. "Oh no, my fiancé and I are just looking up honeymoon destinations, and my best friend here has kindly agreed to help us," Nat says, flashing the most forced smile I've ever seen, and I bite my lip to keep from grinning. Did I hear that right? I glance at Nat, who's trying to keep a neutral expression. Where's my wedding invitation? "Yeah, we're getting married soon," Steve adds, wrapping an arm around Nat's waist. Well, at least one of them seems comfortable with that idea. I can practically feel the heat rising up Nat's neck, and I'm proud of her for not turning as red as her hair. Their relationship is better than any comedy show.
I briefly hope the salesman will be satisfied with that and leave, but luck is definitely not on our side today. He's extremely nosy. "Oh, congratulations! So, where are you thinking of going?" he asks, looking all expectant. We're thinking you should leave now, please. Steve glances at the screen and says, "New Jersey." Well, at least now we know where we're headed first. Now if only this guy would leave, instead of staring at us like we're some sort of strange zoo animals. I turn my attention back to the laptop and zoom in on the map while he keeps chatting Steve up, saying they have the same glasses. When he calls Steve a model type, I nearly lose it. Not only because he's stressing me out, but also because he's inflating Steve's ego even more.
Finally, the man bids us goodbye and turns his back. I glance over my shoulder and, to my dismay, spot Rumlow and a few S.T.R.I.K.E. soldiers. "I really hate to interrupt your wedding plans, but we've got company," I quickly say to the others. Steve's jaw tightens as he glances toward the exit—a clear sign he's not happy with this situation either. "Stay calm, I've almost got it," Nat says. Sure, no stress. Everything's totally fine here.
"Wheaton, NJ," she says a moment later, and Steve's eyes widen for a second. Whatever that means. "You know it?" I ask, and he nods. "Yeah, from back in the day. Let's get out of here." You don't need to tell me twice. We leave the electronics store and head toward the escalator when I notice Rumlow's men closing in on us from all sides. If I didn't know better, I'd say they're trying to trap us.
"Standard team formation: two beside us, two behind, two ahead. If they recognize us, I'll engage. You two take the escalator to the metro," Steve whispers to us, and I already don't like this plan. We're not leaving anyone behind. We continue walking slowly, heads down. I'm surprised the salesman didn't recognize Steve, but I'll take that bit of luck. The S.T.R.I.K.E. team will recognize us immediately, so we need to get out of here fast.
We actually manage to reach the escalator unnoticed and ride down. Just as I'm about to breathe a sigh of relief, Rumlow comes up the adjacent escalator. Oh crap, I think, nudging Nat slightly. She assesses the situation quickly and turns to Steve. "Kiss me." Wait, what's happening now? "What?!" Steve asks, looking slightly confused. "People find intimacy in their immediate surroundings uncomfortable," she says quickly before pulling Steve down to her.
Suddenly, the wall beside me becomes incredibly interesting. I turn my head away from Rumlow and just hope he hasn't seen me yet. Lovely wallpaper they've got here. Really beautiful. My heart is pounding, and by the time we finally leave the shopping center, my hands are shaking. That was close.
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Catch me if you can. Or not, apparently. Rumlow and his men didn't manage to capture the trio, and now we're on our way to New Jersey. If you remember the movie, you'll know what's waiting for us there, and some even more confusing things will happen to Elora ;)
Do you guys want more world-building in these chapters, or is it enough as is? I usually don't go into detail about the surroundings since they're familiar from the movies, or I mention the names of the locations, but I can describe the environment more in future chapters if you'd like.
See you soon <3
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Who the hell am I (english version)
FanfictionUPDATES EVERY DAY AT 5 PM! She remembers nothing. Where did she come from? What happened? How did she get here? Where is her family? In short: she doesn't know. For two years, Elora has wandered, never staying in one place for long. Always searching...
