Cosmic [s.r.]

1:5

 "This is Project Insight." Fury told us as we exited the elevator and made our way to the bay where the jets were. "Three next-generation helicarriers synced to a network of targeting satellites."

"Launched from the Lemurian Star," Steve noted.

"Once we get them in the air, they never need to come down," Nick spoke with pride in the invention. "Continuous sub-orbital flight, courtesy of our new repulser engines."

"Stark?" I asked, poking fun at the idea that sounds like it came from the genius billionaire himself.

"He had a few suggestions once he got an up-close look at our old turbines," Nick explained. "These new long-range precision guns can eliminate 1,000 hostiles a minute. The satellites can read a terrorist DNA before he steps outside his spider hole. We're gonna neutralize a lot of threats before they even happen."

"Thought the punishment usually came after the crime," Steve said, his voice stern and wary.

He definitely had a point, though. Falsely accusing people was never okay, especially when they didn't do something. So if they were to falsely accuse someone of being a terrorist, this whole project could go up in flames.

"We can't afford to wait that long." Fury shook his head.

"Who's "we"?" I asked.

"After New York, I convinced the World Security Council we needed a quantum surge in threat analysis. For once, we're way ahead of the curve."

"By holding a gun to everyone on Earth and calling it protection." Steve sighed, shaking his head a little.

"You know, I read those SSR files. "Greatest Generation"? You guys did some nasty stuff." Nick targeted.

"Yeah, we compromised." Steve shot back. "Sometimes in ways that made us not sleep so well. But we did it so that people could be free. This isn't freedom. This is fear."

"S.H.I.E.L.D. takes the world as it is, not as we'd like it to be." Nick took a step closer to the Captain. "And it's getting damn near past time for you to get with that program, Cap."

"Don't hold your breath."
"Steve, let's take a walk. Director, I'm going out for the night." I placed a hand on his bicep and he looked down at me and nodded, the two of us leaving the room.

After packing a bag of my belongings that included a spare pair of clothing and my electronics and chargers, we headed out. Instead of wearing my catsuit from before I was in a pair of black skinny jeans that had rips in the knees. I also decided to sport a hoodie that read Manhattan across the front. As I met Steve in the parking lot, I hopped on the back of his bike. This happened every now and then, I would stay at one of the Avengers' homes to get used to the world around me. Tonight I was staying at Steve's.

Whenever I would stay at Steve's we would make a stop first. My favorite was always something historical so stopping at the Smithsonian was a regular.

"Welcome to the Smithsonian." The recording rang through the building."Visitor information booths are available on the second level." And that was when I zoned out. My eyes were as wide as a child's in a toy store as I looked around at the different artifacts. As we made our way through the Holocaust exhibit to see the Captain America one.

"Come on Steve." I nudged him only for him to let out a laugh.

"A symbol to the nation." The film's narrator spoke. "A hero to the world. The story of Captain America is one of honor, bravery, and sacrifice." Steve leaned back in his chair as he seemed a little uncomfortable. I leaned into his side.

"I guess they really did love you." I teased which made him relax a bit.

"Denied enlistment due to poor health Steven Rogers was chosen for a program unique in the annals of American warfare. One that would transform him into the world's first Super-Soldier." All the kids around us were having a blast and it was amazing to see how they admired Steve.

This atmosphere almost made me wonder what they thought of me... Was I a freak or a hero? I mean I never really done anything with they Avengers publicly, I've just kind of been hidden in the shadows.

"Battle-tested, Captain America and his Howling Commandos quickly earned their stripes. Their mission, taking down HYDRA, the Nazi rogue science division." The screen quickly shifted to a picture of a young man in his twenties. Bright blue eyes and dark brown hair that contrasted his peachy skin tone. "Best friends since childhood, Bucky Barnes and Steven Rogers were inseparable on both schoolyard and battlefield." I watched as the man who is known as Bucky and former Steve laughed in a video recorded back in the forties. I haven't seen Steve ever laugh like that before. "Barnes is the only Howling Commando to give his life in service of his country." I looked up to Steve who had a sad look in his eyes, but he tried his best to hide it.

My eyes shifted back to the screen momentarily as a beautiful young woman appeared on the screen.

"That was a difficult winter." Her name, Agent Peggy Carter, SSR popped up along with New York, 1953 below it. She had beautiful shoulder length hair that fell in curls and bright red lipstick. I felt a part of me want to hide away. My hair was not normal in the human eye. My blue hair is not natural looking which makes it hard to fit in. Regular color hair is just so beautiful, and here I am, out of place. "A blizzard had trapped half our battalion behind the German line." I watched as Steve leaned forward in his chair, his gaze shifting ever so slightly. "Steve, Captain Rogers, he fought his war through a HYDRA blockade that had pinned our allies down for months. He saved over 1,000 men. Including the man who would...Who would become my husband, as it turned out." I looked down as Steve pulled a compass out of his pocket with her picture in it. I then shifted my weight, leaning off of him and back into my chair, sinking as far back as I could. But I didn't notice the sad look Steve gave me while my eyes were drawn and pinned back on the screen. "Even after he died, Steve was still changing my life."

As the two of us walked out of the museum I finally looked back up at Steve. Ever since the film we had stood in silence together. He was hurting. He needed some time.

"Is she still around?" I asked finally.

"Who?"

"The girl," I said softly. "Peggy Carter."

"Yeah, I just haven't brought myself to visit her." He sighed, frustrated with himself.

"Let's go." I stopped in my tracks on the sidewalk, which made him follow suit.

"Where?"

"Let's visit Peggy."