UNKNOWN GUEST

#83 Agent Carter

The chaos outside had calmed down, but the tension lingered thick in the air, especially with everything happening behind the scenes. I heard whispers that Secretary Ross was in the building, likely having a heated conversation with Uncle Tony and Mom. I had no idea where Dad had taken Uncle Bucky or what happened to Sam, but given Sam's absence, I could bet he was with them too.

Mom had once told me about this moment in the future—that Dad's shield and Sam's wings had been confiscated. What she hadn't mentioned was how they got them back. I couldn't ask her now without giving away too much, so I decided to take matters into my own hands.

I figured if Dad was going to need his shield soon, it'd be better to be prepared. Ross was the kind of guy who'd send his goons after Dad at any second, and Dad without his shield? That's a bad idea. So, yeah, I knew it was illegal, knew I was meddling again, but I couldn't just sit around waiting. I made my way to the security storage area, hoping I could sneak in and grab the shield before anyone noticed.

The corridor leading to the storage was eerily quiet. Guess the Winter Soldier had drawn all the attention away. Lucky for me. I was about halfway down the hall when I heard footsteps. Not wanting to get caught, I ducked behind a corner, heart racing. Slowly, I peeked out.

There she was, emerging from the storage area, cool as ice. A woman. My eyes instantly zoomed in on what she was carrying. There, in her hand, was the unmistakable red, white, and blue shield. And in her other hand, a bag—probably Sam's wings.

What the—? Who the hell is she, and where is she taking them?

I didn't hesitate. As quietly as I could, I began to follow her. She moved through the building with a strange sense of purpose, like she knew every twist and turn of the hallways by heart. Every corner she took was confident, unbothered, like this was just another day for her. I kept my distance, careful not to make a sound.

Then, she turned towards a stairwell—basement stairs. Of course. Where else would she go if she was sneaking something out?

We reached the basement, dimly lit and colder than the rest of the place. She walked straight to a car parked in the shadows and opened the trunk. This was it. I wasn't going to let her get away with the shield.

I pulled out my gun and stepped forward, my voice steady as I raised it at her. "Freeze."

The woman paused for a second, placing the shield and the bag inside the trunk without even looking at me. Then, as if on cue, she turned around in one swift motion, pulling out her own gun and pointing it right at me.

I narrowed my eyes, finally getting a good look at her face. "Agent Carter?"

She frowned, confusion flashing across her face as she recognized me. "You?"

She was driving, and I sat quietly beside her, watching the road stretch ahead in the dim light. Agent Carter let out a deep sigh but kept her focus straight ahead. "You know the risk, right?" she finally said, her voice carrying a weight.

I shrugged casually. "I could ask you the same thing."

Turning slightly to face her, I studied her profile. "Why are you going to such lengths, Agent Carter? You know the Task Force will figure this out eventually."

She sighed again, this time more deeply, as if weighing her answer. "Same goes for you. I want to help Steve." Her hands tightened on the steering wheel. "His team—people he trusted—betrayed him. But I wouldn't."

I raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

She fell silent for a moment, a silence thick enough that I thought she wouldn't answer. Was she actually going to admit she had feelings for Dad? No way. That would make things way more complicated than they already were. But no, she wasn't going there. Instead, she glanced at me quickly before turning back to the road.