Finding Death

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Nomad

I wake up on the floor again. The bed really wasn't doing it for me, so I gave up trying. I sit up, searching for the clock I know is on the table behind my head: 6.15. There's no point trying to get back to sleep again so I shower, then sit on the bathroom floor in black cargo trousers from the closet and a dark red long-sleeve. It's tight, but not too tight to be uncomfortable. I think it's cute. I add a jacket that matches the trousers just for decency's sake.

Resting the back of my head on the wall, I think back to last night's dream. I don't know why I call them dreams still- they have to be memories. I'm certain of it.

As Steve has told me, I spent a lot of time with Bucky in Italy before he 'died'. But it seems that before then, before the war and Project: Rebirth, there was someone else.

I find Steve in a hallway two floors down- I don't know who this one belongs to- and manage to surprise him. Apparently these combat boots make me sneaky. "Hey. I want to talk to you," I say.

"Okay. Did you maybe want to go out somewhere? Then later we can go shopping for the rest of your things," Steve answers. "I'll grab my shoes. Meet me in the parking garage. Without using the vents this time."

A smirk crosses my lips. "Lift all the way to the bottom floor, I presume?"

"Just get in the elevator and say out loud where you want to go. Sounds weird, but it works."

"Okay." I bid Steve a temporary goodbye and find the lift, stepping into it. "Uhm... the car park, please?" Is Steve taking the mick? This is ridiculous.

'Certainly, Miss Carter,' a disembodied British voice responds. The lift begins to move downwards.

"Who's there?"

'J.A.R.V.I.S., Miss Carter. I'm a sophisticated computer system and A.I. that controls the tower.'

Cool. I have no idea what it- he?- just said. "Nice to meet you."

'And you. This is your floor.'

"Thank you." I step out of the elevator feeling a little light-headed. Why is there a voice in the bloody elevator? What is the need? I sort of like it, though. "Hey, Steve," he beat me down here. "Why is there a voice in the elevator?"

"I thought it was weird when I first got here too," Steve chuckles, opening the car door for me. "Don't worry, you'll get used to the twenty-first century soon enough."

I get in, waiting for Steve to follow suit before I keep talking. "I've missed all of the centuries. This whole existing in modern society thing is ridiculously different to what I'm used to."

"Anyway- you said you wanted to talk to me?"

"Oh, yeah," I'd forgotten about my dream. "Have I ever mentioned anything about a boyfriend?"

"Except Bucky Barnes?"

"Yes."

"Not that I can remember. Why?"

I tell him about last night's dream, leaving out the awkward details about how gorgeous I think Bucky is. "I'm assuming that whomever this ex-boyfriend of mine was had something to do with Project: Rebirth."

Steve apologises. "I really don't know. The only person I can think might be a possibility is Howard Stark."

"Stark?" Shit.

"Tony's Father."

I sigh. "I doubt there's any chance that Tony's willing to talk to me about his father."