Fourth in the Timeline series |
Clara Lewis never expected to be back in the 1940s and Howard Stark never expected to have to help her get back...again. But with Howard branded a traitor Clara knows of only one person who can help her: Peggy Carter...
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Steve looked over his shoulder from where he was sat in the quinjet. He gazed out of the doors to where his oldest friend was standing in the snow, wistfully staring across the wasteland. Clara had been gone for twenty minutes now.
At his feet, the woman stirred. He and Heather had taken her into the quinjet and laid the unconscious body of 'Agent 14' on the floor of the quinjet. Heather had checked her over as best as she could and had assured Steve she would be fine. Whoever she was, she owed them answers.
Steve had stayed by her side while Heather tried to get the quinjet's communications system back up. The quinjet had taken a hit back at the airport. It seemed like everything that had happened between Steve and Tony was years ago.
Steve picked himself up and walked outside to stand by his friend. His footsteps made muffled crunches through the crisp snow, blowing up flurries of soft, white dust. It almost seemed peaceful out there in the perfect white. Almost.
"You can't stand out here forever, bud." Steve commented affectionately, placing a comforting hand on Bucky's shoulder. He turned his head to meet Steve's eye as he came to stand by him. Bucky smiled weakly and turned his head back to stare out at the base that had almost been masked completely with snow.
"Tell me we'll find her." He mumbled at last.
"We'll find her." Steve assured. "But standing out here won't fix anything. We'll find her, pal, but we've got more problems we need to sort out."
"You mean the 'your lives are in grave danger' gal?" Bucky asked skeptically. Steve nodded. "She's crazy if you ask me."
"I don't know. When have our lives not been in grave danger?" Steve jested making them both laugh softly. After every they'd been though, the least they could was try to laugh.
"You think we can trust her?" Bucky asked.
"I don't know." Steve admitted, "She just turns up out of nowhere and collapses. It's.."
"Messed up." Bucky finished. "Who knows what she's on."
"Buck, she's not a 1940's gangster. The world's moved on."
"How'd you know? You never went out then and I'd bet you don't now. Or we wouldn't be in Siberia."
Steve chuckled half-heartedly and shook his head.
"Do you trust her?" Steve asked, diverting the conversation back to something important, or at least non-insulting. But before Bucky could answer a defiant, feminine voice called out from behind them.
"I assure you, you can trust me." Agent 14 announced. She was leaning against the side of the quinjet, steadying herself on wobbling legs. She blinked to clear her vision before she stumbled toward the two men.
"And I can explain everything." She insisted, "But you have to trust me."
"Okay." Steve agreed somewhat skeptically.
"But I'll only tell you." She bargained, maintaining an icy stare with Steve. Bucky rolled his eyes.
"I'll meet you in the jet." Steve instructed as Bucky trudged away, grumbling about still not being trusted. Steve and the girl went to talk in the privacy of the quinjet.
"You'd better start explaining." Steve ordered sharply and Agent 14 drew a long breath, ready to spill everything.
"I know my...arrival-" The mysterious woman began faltering at her choice of words- "must have been a shock."
"Must have been." Steve concurred flatly, folding his arms tightly across his chest, staring her down as she flustered about her explanation.
"And I'll do my best to explain why I'm here. My name is Emma..." She trailed off, deep in thought, contemplating whether she should give her surname.
"Emma...who?" Steve prompted impatiently.
"Just Emma. I work for S.H.I.E.L.D."
"S.H.I.E.L.D doesn't exist anymore." Steve interrupted, correcting her bluntly. "That's not possible."
"S.H.I.E.L.D will always be there for those who need it. But where I come from S.H.I.E.L.D is everywhere. Undetectable but there." Emma explained somewhat vaguely. "But here, now," She stressed, "S.H.I.E.L.D won't be much help. So I'm all you've got."
"I'm still not exactly sure why we need you, Emma." Steve questioned in his perfected use of passive-aggression.
"I told you before-"
"I know, 'your lives are in grave danger.' That doesn't give us much of a clue."
"With all due respect, Captain. I can't give you any clues at all. It's too risky."
"I'm still not following, Miss..." Steve hissed, once again prompting her for a surname.
"Emma." She corrected sternly, "And I can't reveal too much of your future. From where I come from. When I come from." Emma explained, straining to think of things she could reveal.
"Wait- You come from..."
"The future? Yeah."
"When?"
"I can't say."
"Of course not." Steve mumbled. "Why are you here? 'Our lives are in grave danger.' What's that got to do with you? Are you going to save us?" Steve asked unconvinced. "You're just a kid."
"I'm 25. Older than you were, Captain." Emma retorted. "And I'm not here to save you. You have nothing to do with me. I'm here for him." Emma gestured. Steve followed her arm as she extended it, pointing to where Bucky was pacing in the snow outside the quinjet.
"Bucky? What's he got to do with you?"
"Everything, well half. Have you ever watched that really old film, 'Back to the Future'?" Emma asked suddenly changing the subject. Steve shook his head, frowning slightly. "Well this guy, Marty, travels back in time and accidently stops his parents from meeting and his very existence is threatened. He literally stops existing."
"You don't mean-"
"I'm ceasing to exist and I don't know why. I thought if I came back to when my parents were together, I could stop whatever it is that happened from happening. Not to mention what's going on to everyone else but that's a different story...I need to protect my parents. Not you, him."
