Cosmic [s.r.]

1:11

Welcome to New Jersey, a sign read. The Garden State. I leaned the seat back in the Chevrolet truck we hot-wired a state back.

"And how did you learn to steal a car, again?" I asked, looking away from the dashboard to meet Steve's gaze.

"Nazi Germany." He answered looking back out to the road.

"Okay, I have another question. I mean you don't have to answer, it's up to you, I don't want to make you uncomfortable," I rambled.

"What's the question, Cali?" He asked, cutting off my rambling.

"Was that your first kiss since you resurfaced?" I finally asked.

"Was it that bad?" He said teasingly.

"No, I'm just asking." I defended myself in the same tone.

"That's what it sounds like you're saying."

"No, I'm just wondering how much practice you've had." I settled on my answer, but cringing at my own words. "God I'm so annoying."

"You don't need practice." He laughed.

"Nat told me that everyone needs practice," I added on making him laugh.

"Well, you can tell her that I'm 95, not dead." He shook his head.

"Anybody special catch your eye?" I asked after a brief silence. "Anyone special?"

"Maybe one girl." He said as he turned to meet my eyes again.

"Is she pretty?"

"Very." He nodded before looking back to the road.

"Have you told her?"

"Not yet." He shook his head.

"Will you tell her?"

"When I'm ready." I nodded at his answer, tearing my eyes away from him. But I couldn't tell if the thought of him liking another girl hurt me, or if it was the excitement of the possibility that Steve Rogers may like me.

The truck came to a stop when we pulled up to a chain gate. I checked the coordinates one last time to make sure they matched.

"This is the place?" Steve asked.

"Well the file came from the coordinates, and they all match." I nodded, pocketing the device.

"So did I." He muttered as he read a sign that said, Camp Lehigh.

We walked through the retired military camp as I searched for a signal but came to find nothing.

"This came is where I was trained," Steve told me as he also looked around.

"Has it changed at all?" I asked.

"A little."

After walking around for a couple of minutes I found Steve in the same place that he was before. He looked a little zoned out as if he was watching his old like on rewind. I walked over and placed a hand on his arm.

"Sorry, Steve. But I think this place is a dead end." I sighed, showing him the screen of the device that picked up nothing. "I can't find any heat signatures, waves, or even radio. I guess the person who wrote the file must have used a router to throw people off." I shrugged. Steve turned around, eyes landing on a building that was across the yard. "What is it?"

We walked across the field at a brisk pace, making our way to a building that looked just as old as the rest of them.

"Army regulations forbid storing munitions within 500 yards of the barracks." He explained to me. "The building is in the wrong place." He raised his shield and smacked it into the lock, causing it to break right off.

We made our way down a flight of stairs, quietly just in case there was someone here. The place was eerily quiet and it felt like everything stood still. There was a layer of dust over every surface in the room, showing no one had been here in years. I walked over to a switch and turned on the lights, the room flickering before being fully lit. Across the room from us was a S.H.I.E.L.D. logo from back in the day, painted on the wall.

"So this is S.H.I.E.L.D," I commented.

"Maybe where it started," Steve muttered.

We walked into another room that resembled a mail room. On the wall were photos framed and hung.

"Is that Stark's father?" I asked as I could see the resemblance.

"Howard Stark." He nodded.

"I'm guessing that's Peggy, then?" I gestured to the girl on the wall. "You're right, she is really pretty." Steve didn't respond, just turned and walked over to a set of shelves.

"If you're already working in a secret office..." He started as he pushed the shelving unit aside. "When do you need to hide the elevator?"