The American Dream: The Mega Serum

Chapter 3: The Tesseract

*68 Years Later*
     I looked around the small house. It was cozy, definitely a 21st century house. It was in a secluded area so I didn't have to worry about people much.
My eyes landed on a cardboard box stacked on a wooden shelf. I pushed myself to my feet, the cold, wood floor meeting my bare skin and sending a shiver up my spine.

     I walked over and reached up, pulling the box off the shelf. I walked back over to the brown, leather couch I was sitting on earlier and sat back down. I sat it next to me, sitting up on my knees to open it.

I used a little flame to melt the tape off. I opened it and looked inside. Old army files, mostly some old photos I took of places. I pulled out most of the files and set them on the glass coffee table next to me.
I pulled out the stack of pictures and started looking through them. I stopped and a sad smile crept across my face. 

     It was a picture I had Steve take for me, and I remember the moment like it was yesterday.

*Flashback*

     I sat down next to Bucky, he had his stupid smile across his face like he usually did when he did something nice for me. "What did you do?" I asked, giving him a sarcastic look.

     "Steve, get her camera ready." He ordered, and Steve did as he said, picking up my small camera.

     His blue eyes bored into my soul before he pulled out a small box. My eyes looked at his once more before gluing to the black box. He opened it, and my jaw dropped. "Happy 23rd Birthday your majesty." He joked.

     The necklace had a copper chain and led down to a small crown, small crystals lining the side of the crown, which was also made of copper. Inside it held a small diamond. "Bucky, did you spend your money on me?"

     "No, of course not, this just appeared out of nowhere." He joked.

     I rolled my eyes and let a small laugh escape my mouth. "Thank you Buck." I said.
He put his arm around me for a hug, but I leaned in, kissing him on the cheek as my eyes closed. "Wow." He mumbled, earning a chuckle from me.

*Flashback Over*

     I smiled looking at the picture, then looked back in the box. There it was, the small, black, leather box that the necklace came in. I picked it up and opened it, there was the necklace, after all these years, it was still here, not a speck of dust. 

     I pulled it out and put it on, the cold metal stinging my skin, but making me smile. I held it tightly as a tear ran down my face.

     My moment was ruined by a knock at the door. I wiped the year from my cheek then sighed, turning towards the door, reaching into the side of the couch cushions and grabbing the small hand gun I had hidden there. I turned off the safety and cautiously stood up. "Ms. Rivers, I'm Agent Phil Coulson of Shield." The person called.

     I let out the breath I didn't know I was holding. Shield, Strategic Homeland Intervention and Logistics Division. Nick Fury, the director of Shield was the one who explained to me that I had been asleep for almost 70 years. It had been almost a year since then and they had found me a house and protected me.

     I put down the gun and opened the door. The man there smiled at me kindly. "Good evening Ms. Rivers, I'm sorry to bother you, but Director Fury has requested me to come talk to you."

     "Please come in." I croaked, my voice weak and unused.

     I stepped aside and he sat down on the chair next to my couch. I sat back where I was sitting before and looked at him. "Ms. Rivers-" 

     "Please, call me Shayla."

     He nodded. "Shayla. I am aware you have had encounters with Director Fury, am I correct?"

     "Yes sir." I replied politely.

     "Sir? Ma'am if I remember correctly you are a Captain."

     I furrowed my eyebrows. "I don't think your remember correctly." 

     "Well then history tells wrong."

     "I'll have to look into that, anyway, what can I help you with?" I questioned.

     "As I've heard you are a Super Soldier-"

     "Mega Soldier." I corrected. 

     He nodded before continuing, "Yes a Mega Soldier, but I've also heard you have multiple degrees and we are looking for people to help us track something called the Tesseract. I heard you have a degree as a nuclear physicist, and it, the Tesseract, emits small amounts of gamma radiation, we need someone to track it. We have Dr. Banner on the job, but we were hoping to get you on the job too."

     "Where did it go, or how did it disappear?" 

     "Someone took it from us, he is called Loki, not from this world really. I should probably let you know that by joining this search, you are joining a war, and it's a war we will probably have to fight our way through." He said.

     "Well sir, I live to serve."