Remnants of Time

Chapter 3

Song Choice: Nice To Meet Me by Zack Hemsey

Previously:

"We lost them, Sir."
"Don't you dare get your asses out of here before you have them; I expect their exact locations by tomorrow morning!" The team was dismissed for a quick power-break, albeit not without a distinctive grumble of deep annoyance. Only one agent was held back under the strict gaze of his superior. The first quickly closed the door and turned the room's communication systems off.
"Any updates on Project Limestone? Tell me you have good news, Adam."
"Yes, I do. The asset has reached the assigned destination. Plus, our associate requests a meeting, Colin."
Both men stayed quiet for a moment. Failure meant exposition. And that would be the end of them all. This had been planned for too long to fail now. Meeting here was impossible.
"Well, invite him to the upcoming security event in Amsterdam. It shouldn't be too hard to pull up a cover for him. No one will suspect anything, not after Wakanda opened up with the Accords."
"On it, Sir."

A man in a neat suit crossed a hallway, his busy phone right where it belonged, on his ear. He rolled his eyes before hanging up. The agents from the border were exhausting him with their usual whiny exception issues and special requests. He didn't have time for that today, but would have to deal with their shit for just a little longer, the break of dawn already on the horizon.
This would be it, he thought as his assistant passed him a coffee mug that he accepted, more or less grateful; he was so done with all this damn bureaucracy.
The screen of his computer glowed with a dim light, demanding his attention. After typing in his password, a direct response showed up.
"Amsterdam", he mumbled, eying the event's times and dates. A good cover, but problematic with his schedule. Too many meetings to attend. He shook his head. He'd come directly, to the CIA's subquarters in London. The reply was simple and introduced a short conversation that went back and forth.
"Meeting in London is impossible. Once the CIA notices, this could get very dicey very fast." The man snorted. Colin was overly cautious, but he was right.
"Then we stuff it under a cover. How often do you get visitors like me?"
"Still unsafe."
"Not if your investigations require superior intelligence."
"That could work. I'll send you the schedule."

His phone notified him of an incoming message with a loud pling. And another. The second message came from Remnant. This was more than confidential. Via one button, his windows tinted itself, providing his office with the highest level of concealment possible. He pulled his phone out, reading the secret texts.
The first message, the one from his guard at the hangar, read Phase Two of Project Limestone initiated. Project Limestone. Retrieve the Winter Soldier.
The second, sender Remnant, said Request: Parameters for meeting.
The man smiled. This was amazing. Everything was going as planned. He quickly typed in the directives and prepared for the plan to be set into action. Thankfully, everything else had worked out perfect so far, even the pieces he had not expected to happen so smoothly. Now, confidence filled his mind, confidence for tonight's success.
The Remnant never failed.

Natasha sighed. Steve's ear was a complicated case, looking more shredded than any ear should. He'd almost fainted in the car and only then they had realized how much blood Steve must've lost on his way through the train station.
Now, she sat on his lap to get a good position to stitch him up and tried to be as gentle as possible - which didn't really work that well, not while Sam was driving through the crazy Parisian traffic. Not that they hadn't offered to bring the soldier into a hospital - he insisted he was fine and didn't need to raise more attention than they already had, which, yes, made a lot of sense, but also limited Natasha in her options.

Sam stopped a little later, to buy some food and get a new shirt for Steve. Plus some alcohol to disinfect all their wounds. The super soldier felt better after his nap and mustered the shirt in his hands, eyebrows raised.
"Seriously, Nat, France? Out of all the possible places on earth you choose the one with zero clothes that would fit me?"
"Well, do you plan on taking them off, Cap?" Sam almost choked on his coffee, but managed to drive straight.
"No", Steve sounded a little offended, but Nat just grinned.
"Good. Now, quit moping and eat your croissant, I need to catch you up on the mission. I hope you remember your French, we'll need it."