Choices || CAPTAIN AMERICA (Book 2)

Chapter 4

The moonlight cast an eerie glow over the place, highlighting the ghosts of what once was. Later that night, we still wandered around the base, trying to pinpoint where the signal had come from. I could tell Steve was lost in his memories, each step taking him further back to a time that had shaped him into the man he was now.

"This camp is where I was trained," he said quietly, his eyes tracing the outlines of old barracks and training grounds.

I glanced around, the memories flooding back, though for entirely different reasons. "Changed much?" I asked, trying to break the silence, even though I already knew the answer.

Steve gave a small, bitter chuckle. "A little."

Our footsteps echoed in the stillness as we continued our search. I kept the device up, my frustration mounting. "This is a dead end. Zero heat signature, zero waves, not even radio. Whoever wrote the file must have used a router to throw people off."

Steve's gaze landed on a building ahead of us. "What is it?" I asked as we walked over.

"Army regulations forbid storing ammunition within five hundred yards of the barracks," Steve said, his voice firm with certainty. "This building is in the wrong place."

He used his shield to break the lock, and we entered the building. When we flipped on the lights, it revealed an old SHIELD office. Dust-covered desks and cobweb-laden files told tales of years gone by.

"This is SHIELD," I said, my voice filled with surprise.

Steve nodded. "Maybe where it started."

We moved deeper into the room, and I found myself standing before framed portraits of Howard Stark, Peggy Carter, and Colonel Chester Phillips. I pointed to a portrait of my father, a wave of nostalgia washing over me. "There's my dad."

Steve's eyes softened. "Howard."

"And Agent Carter," I added.

Steve glanced at me, surprised. "You know her?"

I replied, looking at the picture with a distant gaze. "My father was good friends with her. Our paths crossed a time or two."

Steve didn't respond immediately, instead moving to a massive bookshelf. He pushed it aside, revealing an elevator behind it.

"If you're already working in a secret office," Steve said, a hint of curiosity in his tone, "why do you need to hide the elevator?"

We descended in the elevator, which brought us to a room filled with ancient-looking computers. The technology seemed outdated, and I couldn't help but frown.

"This can't be the data-point," I said, shaking my head. "This technology is ancient."

But as I explored the room, I noticed a small flash drive port on one of the old computers. I inserted the flash drive, and the machine began to whirr to life.

The computer screen flickered, displaying the prompt: "Initiate system?"

I typed quickly, adding the requisite "Y-E-S." A smile spread across my face as the computer started up. "Shall we play a game?" I said, referencing the old film line. "It's from a movie-"

Steve gave a quick nod. "Yeah, I saw it."

Suddenly, a voice with a thick accent spoke through the speakers. "Rogers, Steven. Born, 1918. Stark, Alice. Born, 1982."

We looked up to see an old camera moving above us, analyzing our presence.

"It's some kind of recording," I said, glancing at Steve.