Take Me back to the Start | B. Barnes

48. Hail Hydra

"The answer to your question is fascinating. Unfortunately, you shall be too dead to hear it." Zola shows us how missiles are on their way to the military base we're currently in, less than a minute away but I'm too angry to even think. I roughly remove the flash drive and then shoot a blast of electricity at the computer screens, destroying them all.

Steve notices a small opening on the ground, our only way to survive the missiles. He pushes the metal door aside and just as the place explodes, he throws himself and me into the hole and protects us with his shield. The explosion deafens my hearing and I squint my eyes, feeling the rain of components on my and Steve's arm on my back, pulling me close to him. Something hard suddenly hits my head and drags me into the darkness, my last thought contains the murder of Howard Stark.

***

A terrible pounding in my head wakes me up, taking me back to the awful reality. Slowly opening my eyes, I find myself back in a stranger's house, feeling the soft bed beneath me and the bandage around my hand and stomach. I squint my eyes, adjusting to the light and I wonder where I am. When I'm fully used to the bright sun, I suddenly notice a black man in the corner grinning at me and I flinch at his presence.

"Voltricity is in my room. Holy shit, that's so cool." His smirk widens and he appears harmless, which is why I don't attack him. "Oh, I'm Sam Wilson, by the way. Steve came here with your unconscious body in his arms, telling me about your situation and damn, you guys are in some deep shit."

"Since the forties," I add and clench my teeth, forcing myself to sit up and leaning against the wall. "I'm Eve, but you probably already know that. How do you know Steve?"

"From jogging," Sam explains simply and I tilt my head, processing that Steve has trusted the stranger easily like that. "You were sleeping for a few hours and your wounds seem to be okay, they're not all too bad. Steve's taking a shower right now."

"Well... uh, thanks for your help, Sam." I mumble half shyly and he laughs lightly.

"America's national heroes need my help? I'm in, duh. It's my honor. Breakfast's almost ready... if you guys eat that sort of thing." He adds jokingly and is about to leave the room. "You can use the bathroom after Steve. I can sadly only offer you men clothes though."

"No problem." I force a smile and he walks into the kitchen. Letting out a sigh, I glance at the ground, still processing what's happened in the last few days and grabbing the dog tag. Peggy's state deteriorated, Fury died, SHIELD fell, Hydra is back and Howard... Howard got killed because of me. I still have to tell Tony about it but I can't reach him yet since we're still wanted.

"So you met Sam." Steve's voice makes me look up and he enters the room. Water drops coat his blonde hair and he's wearing a pure white tank top that highlights his muscles. He sits down, looking, as always, concerned for me. "How are you?"

"Fine," I answer half-abstractedly. "Nothing really hurts, I can still fight. I only could really use a shower after breakfast. Thank you for saving and carrying me when I was unconscious, by the way."

"You always have my back. And how are you really?" He repeats his question, knowing that I avoid the truth.

"Honestly?" I swallow and take a deep breath. "Not my day. Or year. Or time. I can put another name on my death list now and Hydra is back. Worse, it's never been gone. Everything we worked for, everything Peggy and Howard worked for... vanished into thin air. And I don't know how to tell Tony."