Metallum ➼ Bucky Barnes

01

April 4th, 2024 - Washington, D.C.

The sweet smell of spring greeted Teegan as she pushed the large glass doors of the academy open while making her exit. She felt overly confident today, probably because this was the first time in months that she had wore something other than sweats and oversized shirts. Today she wore a maroon pantsuit that hugged each curve tightly, but still left enough room for her to move swiftly across the courtyard of the academy. Her hair was tied up in a slick ponytail, her dark brown curls falling perfectly on her back.

Teegan hadn't seen any action since she "retired" from S.H.I.E.L.D, which wasn't a bad thing for her. She still kept in touch with the members of her team, but things weren't the same. For once she felt content with her life. For the most part.

Melinda invited her as a guest of one of her lectures today,  and since Daisy was currently in space, Teegan was the best person to discuss the specifics of the Inhuman Task Force. Although she was retired, she enjoyed working behind the scenes on missions. Mack asked her to be the public head of the force, but Teegan never cared much for politics. She'd rather go in and get things done without any recognition. Plus she was never good at making quick decisions.

Approaching her Tornado Gray Metallic Audi (a generous gift from Mack), Teegan clicked the button on her keys to unlock the driver's seat door. She let out a deep sigh thinking about the errands she had to run today. She had a little less than an hour to reach the Reagan airport, which would seem like a reasonable goal if it wasn't for the awful city traffic.

Aside from running a red light or two, Teegan made it to the airport without any trouble. She pushed past wandering people and instinctively made her way to her terminal. She'd made this trip plenty of times another trip to Brooklyn wasn't a big deal.

The flight was a quick one, it's duration lasting a little over an hour. She exited the plane with a small bag, a bag that was not large enough to house any clothes.

It was slightly colder in Brooklyn than it was in D.C. Teegan somehow found a certain warmth in the coolness of New York. She effortlessly flagged down a taxi with a charming elderly man behind the wheel. Though his face was decorated with adorable wrinkles, it lit up with youth once he began talking about his wife. They partook in small talk on their way to Teegan's requested destination.

The taxi stopped in front of an aged building with impressive pillars shaping the corners of the exterior. The outward walls seemed to be made from a light-colored material, possibly concrete or marble. The style of the establishment reminded Teegan of the Taj Mahal.

She thanked the driver by giving him a generous tip before leaving the taxi to enter the decorated building. Although she's been here plenty of times, the glossy marble floors and high ceilings never failed to put Teegan in a state of awe. She politely nodded at a couple of people that stood behind a desk and exited through the rear of the building.

A concrete path meandered throughout the extensive graveyard. The cemetery wasn't eerie like most, instead, it was shrouded in a more positive light. She followed this familiar path until she reached the gravestone labeled:

Claire Grant
Adoring sister, daughter, and friend.
April 4th, 1990 - September 2nd, 2015

Teegan knelt in front of the grave, opening her bag as she fell to her knees. She pulled out a bouquet of artificial roses (Claire could never take care of live flowers) and a small pumpkin before carefully placing them on top of the grave, next to the ones she put there over the last few years. She scanned the surrounding memorial site, spotting a man at a grave a few yards away from her. She didn't want to look crazy while talking to her sister.

She eyed the man waiting for him to leave but instead, he knelt as well. Well, it was more of a squat. He began gesticulating, signaling that he was talking, so Teegan figured that she could continue without fear of being judged.

The sky became a medley of pink, orange, yellow, and red, and the New York chill turned formidable. Teegan finished up the recap of her year before standing up and buttoning the remaining buttons on her suit. She quickly trekked the path, in an attempt to escape the frigid weather.

"Excuse me!" The tone of a ragged voice made Teegan stop in her tracks. It was assumed that his voice was raw due to the cold.

"Yes?" She questioned while turning around to face the man. Teegan examined the man, concluding that it was the man who was by the other gravestone based on his attire. He held up a polaroid picture that was frayed on one edge. The picture was of Teegan and Claire simply smiling at the camera.

"This fell out of your bag," he admitted. Teegan glanced down at her bag, noting the open zipper. "I'm assuming this is yours since you look like the girl in the picture." He smiled sheepishly.

"Yeah, thanks." She took the picture from the man. "Sorry for your loss by the way."

"Oh, the old man did it to himself." He huffed, earning a concerned look from the woman. "Sorry for your loss as well." he nodded.

"Thanks. Goodnight," she said plainly before turning around and putting the photo into her bag. This time she made sure to close it. She continued her hike to the facility so that she could call another taxi.

The man waited to put some distance between the two before walking again. He wanted to avoid any additional awkward exchanges.

Teegan's ride took her to a nearby hotel. As always, her flight left the following morning so she didn't care to get cleaned up before then. She plunged onto the soft bed, allowing herself to drift off into a comfortable sleep.