Red, White & Blue | Bucky x Reader

Chapter Twenty-One

We land in Wheaton, New Jersey, just outside the military base where SHIELD was founded. I teleport us into the compound, leaving Tony and Steve in the shadows of a building as I teleport into the laundry room. I quickly pull on a military uniform, pulling the cap low over my face, before stealing an extra one for Steve and a suit for Tony. Teleporting back to them, I toss the clothes to the men, turning my back as they pull them on.

"Clearly, you weren't actually born here, right?" Tony asks in a hushed tone as we lead him through the installation, passing a sign that reads: Birth place of Captain America.

"The idea of me was," Steve explains. "As well as SHIELD."

"Speaking of which, are you okay to be here?" Tony questions, glancing at me. "Isn't there another one of you running around here?"

"I went back into the freezer two days ago," I inform him. "Plus, the only people here who have met me in person, or know I exist, are the big bosses. So as long as we don't run into any of them, we'll be fine."

"Right," Tony ponders. "Well, imagine you're SHIELD, running a quasi-fascistic intelligence organization. Where do you hide it?"

"In plain sight," I answer, nodding toward the ammunitions building up ahead.

We step into the building, trying to avoid the attention of the lady inside as the elevator descends. She looks up from her file, and Tony subtly steps forward, blocking Steve from her view. I smile at her, hoping to ease the tension.

The elevator stops, and Tony steps out. "Good luck on your mission, Captain, Lieutenant."

"Good luck on your project, Doctor," Steve calls after him.

When the elevator starts to move again, the lady turns back to us. "You new here?"

"Not exactly," Steve replies.

The elevator stops again, and we step out, moving down the hallway toward Dr. Hank Pym's lab. I stop by the noticeboard, casually looking at the notices as Steve grabs the nearby payphone.

"Hello. Dr. Pym?" Steve says into the receiver. "This is Captain Stevens from shipping. We have a package for you... Well, that's the thing, sir. We can't... Well, it's just... sir, the box is glowing and, to be honest, some of our mail guys aren't feeling that great... Yeah, they did. You better get down here."

Hank Pym bursts through his lab door, pushing people out of the way as he sprints down the hall. "Excuse me! Out of the way!"

In the same moment, I slip into the lab, rushing to the cabinet in the back. I find the shelf of Pym Particles, pocketing three vials as Steve rushes into the room. "We gotta go."

I follow Steve back into the hallway, and I see the lady from the elevator walking in our direction, talking with two MPs. We head in the opposite direction, quickly ducking into a dark office a few feet away. As I poke my eyes through the blinds, Steve wanders over to the far side of the room, freezing in place as he stares through the window on the far side.

"Steve?" I whisper, approaching him. "What is it?"

He doesn't have to answer. As I glance around his shoulder, I see the picture of him on the desk, and I realize whose office this is.

When I look up, I find Peggy Carter on the other side of the glass, talking with a colleague. Steve gazes at her with the longing of a lost love, a feeling I know all too well.

"Steve," I say, placing a hand on his arm. "I'm sorry, but we have to go."

He doesn't say anything, but he nods, and I teleport us out of the building.

Outside, we lean against a nearby truck as we wait for Tony, keeping an eye out for anyone who might recognize me. He appears a few moments later, accompanied by Howard Stark, and I angle my body toward Steve, keeping my face hidden. Steve catches Tony's eye and taps on his wrist, signalling that we're running out of time.

"Yeah, Howard," I hear Tony say to his father. "Everything's gonna be all right. Thank you, for everything... you've done for this country."

Tony quickly makes his way over to us, and we walk out of sight before pushing a button on our GPS's and heading home.