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Birds chirping woke the girl up the next morning. She felt the sofa beneath her as she opened her eyes, already missing the shining stars from the night before.
Her thoughts went to the memories she had recovered. Honestly, she felt stupid. How could she be so naive?
The woman stood up, listening to the giggles of the children in the kitchen. She walked to the bathroom, taking a bag with clothes with her to get ready for the day.
After she got ready, she went to the kitchen, where she drank some water. After all, she hadn't gotten accustomed to eating full meals. Years of solitude made her get used to getting meals every once in a while, and she preferred to wait for something fresher... and probably meatier.
Suddenly she heard a loud sound coming from the back of the house. Grabbing a knife, she spied to see who was there, trying to identify if there was a threat.
Going out, she walked straight ahead, looking around.
She heard a zoom through the sky, accompanied by a scream calling her name. Turning to see where it was coming from, she saw the shield going straight at her.
Ducking, she turned to see both Sam and Bucky looking worriedly at her. So flushed, she shrugged while turning around to grab the shield, throwing it their way swiftly.
The men were starstruck by how easy she made it look, knowing they had been working all morning trying to accomplish a throw like the one she had just made.
Pandora walked towards the pair, watching how Sam threw it towards a tree again. It bounced and went back his way, making him react quickly to grab it.
"Feels weird... Picking it up again." said Sam, throwing it once more, making it go back towards Bucky, who was beside him, "The legacy of that shield is complicated, to say the least."
"When Steve told me what he was planning, I don't think we understood what it felt like for a Black man to be handed the shield. How could we? I owe you an apology. I'm sorry." said Bucky, while handing the shield to Sam.
"Thank you."
"Whatever happened with Walker, it wasn't your fault. I get it. It's just, that shield's the closest thing I've got left to a family, so when you retired it, it made me feel like I had nothing left. Made me question everything. You, Steve, me. You know, I've got his, uh...I just figured if it worked for him, then it'd work for me."
"I understand, man. But Steve is gone. And this might be a surprise, but it doesn't matter what Steve thought. You gotta stop looking to other people to tell you who you are. Let me ask you. You still having those nightmares?"
