Venus | James B. Barnes✔️

xxv. 𝚙𝚎𝚐𝚐𝚢

"What did he do?" Steve asked.

"He'd show 'em. Bunch of crumpled ones and loaded .22 Magnum." He smiled brighter. "Granddad loved people. But he didn't trust them very much." Evelyn turned as they finally made it inside of another underground room. Large Helicarriers were there, and her eyes widened at the weapons. "Yeah, I know. They're a little bit bigger than a .22."

The elevator opened, and Evelyn looked around at all of the work surrounding the three Helicarriers. How had no one mentioned it before? She could see the S.T.R.I.K.E. team around, so even they were allowed to know but not Evelyn? Something was not right.

"This is Project Insight. Three next generation Helicarriers synced to a network of targeting satellites."

Steve looked around, confusion clear on his face as well as he murmured, "Launched from the Lemurian Star."

"Once we get them in the air they never need to come down. Continuous suborbital flight courtesy of our new repulsor engines."

Steve glanced at Evelyn before saying, "Stark?"

Evelyn was appalled that even Tony knew about this but she was left in the dark. "Well, he had a few suggestions once he got an up close look at our old turbines. These new long-range precision guns can eliminate a thousand hostiles a minute. The satellites can read a terrorist's DNA before he steps outside his spider hole. We gonna neutralize a lot of threats before they even happen."

"I thought the punishment usually came after the crime," Evelyn said with malice clear in her tone.

"We can't afford to wait that long," Fury said with a shrug as if he did not care what she thought.

"Who's we?" Steve asked.

"After New York, I convinced the World Security Council we needed a quantum surge in threat analysis. For once we're way ahead of the curve."

Evelyn smiled mockingly. "By holding a gun at everyone on Earth and calling it protection."

Fury realized now that Steve and Evelyn would not be on board with this idea. He chuckled without humor. "You know, I read those SSR files. Greatest generation? You guys did some nasty stuff."

"Yeah, we compromised. Sometimes in ways that made us not sleep so well. But we did it so the people could be free. This isn't freedom, this is fear," Steve said with a glare as he watched Evelyn lean over the rail to get a good look. She scoffed.

"S.H.I.E.L.D. takes the world as it is, not as we'd like it to be," Fury said.

"That's not the motto I had in mind when I created this organization."

Fury shrugged at her. "Well, it's getting damn near past time for you both to get with that program."

"Don't hold your breath," Evelyn sneered, following Steve back to the elevator.

They were in the elevator, the silence killing them. Steve frowned, looking over to Evelyn. "She's alive," he said. "I doubt Fury ever told you that either."

"She?" Evelyn asked before her eyes widened. "Peg?" she said, turning to face Steve with her mouth slightly agape. How could she not know this? She was sick of it. She was sick of being in the dark.

"She'd want to see you."

That afternoon, Steve and Evelyn sat on either side of Peggy's bed. She was older, sicker. She looked on the verge of death, and a part of Evelyn wished she had never known Peggy was alive. It was hurting her to have to watch the woman so in pain and sick. Evelyn held one of Peggy's hands with a smile.

"You should be proud of yourself, Peggy," Steve said after a moment of listening to Peggy talk about anything and everything. They knew she had a disease—Alzheimers. They were lucky to be speaking to her at all.

"Mm. I have lived a life," Peggy's croaky voice spoke softly. "My only regret is that you both didn't get to live yours."

Peggy noticed the pair grow quiet. She tightened her hand as much as she could around Evelyn's. "What is it?"

"For as long as I can remember I just wanted to do what was right. I guess I'm not quite sure what that is anymore. And I thought I could throw myself back in and follow orders, serve. It's just not the same," Steve admitted, and both smiled when Peggy laughed softly at him.

"You're always so dramatic," Peggy said seriously with a teasing grin on her face. "Look, you saved the world. We rather... mucked it up."

"You didn't," Steve said to her. "Knowing that Evelyn created S.H.I.E.L.D. and you helped found it is half the reason I stay."

"The organization I'm looking at now is not even half the creation I thought of. It's all so different. We were supposed to help people, Peg," Evelyn whispered.

Peggy grabbed Steve's hand now. All three linked, and Evelyn could remember a better time where they all were young, healthy. Howard would be there. Bucky would be there. Everything would be okay. "Hey," she called to the pair when she noticed Evelyn's eye drop a tear. "The world has changed and none of us can go back. All we can do is our best, and sometimes the best that we can do is to start over."

Evelyn and Steve dropped her hand when she began to cough a bit violently. Evelyn frowned as Steve quickly grabbed her cup of water to hand it to her. "Peggy," Steve called with a smile.

Peggy looked at Steve before her gaze went to Evelyn. "Steve? Evelyn?" she grew excited as if it was the first time she had seen them.

"Yeah," Steve said.

"Hey, Peg," Evelyn whispered softly.

"You're alive! You... you came, you came back!" Peggy exclaimed.

"Yeah, Peggy," Steve said, grabbing her hand again as she began to sob.

"It's been so long. So long!"

"Well, I couldn't leave my best girl. Not when she owes me a dance."

Evelyn kissed Peggy's cheek when it was time to go. Steve did the same, both leaving the room with heavy hearts and brains plagued with 'what-if' situations. Steve grabbed Evelyn before she could walk away, holding her to his chest. Both supersoldiers broke down for the first time together—neither knowing what to do nor where to go. They only had each other.

It would have to be enough.