Phantom | S. Rogers

-𝐒𝐈𝐗𝐓𝐘 𝐅𝐈𝐕𝐄-

august ninth, 2016
london, england;
and vienna, austria

"My mom tried to talk me out of enlisting, but not Aunt Peggy. She bought me my first thigh holster." Sharon reminisced with a small smile. "She bought Brooke one, too. Said she needed it because of all the creeps in the world. Guess she has you instead."

"I'm her boyfriend; not her bodyguard." Steve reminded with a small nod. "CIA has you stationed over here now?"

"Berlin. Joint Terrorism Task Force."

"Right. I've been meaning to ask you: when you were spying on me and Brooke from across the hall—?" Steve started to ask.

"You mean when I was doing my job." Sharon corrected with a chuckle.

"—did Peggy know?"

"She kept so many secrets." Sharon said with a shake of her head. "I didn't want her to have one from you or Brooke; or Tony."

"Steve." Sam called as he walked over, gaining Steve and Sharon's attention. "There's something you gotta see."

"A bomb hidden in a news van—"

"Who's coordinating?" Sharon asked with a sigh as Sam and Steve watched the news.

"—ripped through the UN building in Vienna. More than seventy people have been injured. At least twelve are dead, including Wakanda's King T'Chaka. Officials have released a video of a suspect who they have identified as James Buchanan Barnes: the Winter Soldier." The news explained, making Sam look at Steve. "—the infamous Hydra agent linked to numerous acts of terrorism and political assassinations."

"Was Brooke in there?" Steve asked as he glanced at Sam.

"Yeah. Nat and Lene, too."

"I have to go to work." Sharon said with a sigh after she got off the phone.

"Call MI6. See if we can get Micro Forensics to hurry this up." Sharon said as she walked through the scene. "We need the whole team here in two hours or it's not worth it."

After making a call to Tony and being checked on by the paramedics, Brooke found T'Challa, who was sitting by himself on one of the benches. "I'm very sorry." Brooke apologized as she sat on the bench next to his. "I understand how you feel."

"In my culture, death is not the end. It's more of a stepping off point." T'Challa explained as he fiddled with his father's ring. "You reach out with both hands and Bast and Sekhmet, they lead you into the green veldt where you can run forever."

Brooke wore a small, but sad smile as she nodded. "That sounds very peaceful."

"My father thought so." T'Challa agreed as he put the ring on. "I am not my father."

"T'Challa, Task Force will decide who brings in Barnes."

"Don't bother, Ms. Stark." T'Challa said after he stood up. "I'll kill him myself."

Brooke let out a sigh as she watched T'Challa walk away before her phone started ringing. "Yeah?"

"You alright, doll?" Steve asked after Brooke answered the phone. "You want me to meet you?"

"No, thanks. I'm good. I got lucky." Brooke said before she pushed a piece of hair behind her ear. "Stevie, baby, I know how much Bucky means to you. I really do." Brooke said as she stood up, glancing around for him. "Stay home, okay? You'll only make this worse. Please."

Steve let out a small sigh. "Are you saying you'll arrest me, doll?"

"No." Brooke said as she shook her head. "—but someone will if you interfere. That's how it works now."

"If he's this far gone, doll—" Steve started as he looked up, glancing at her from across the street. "—I should be the one to bring him in."

"Why?"

"Because I'm the one least likely to die trying." Steve reminded, making Brooke sigh. "I love you."

Brooke let out a small sigh after Steve hung up. "Shit."

Steve put his phone back in his pocket before he walked into the cafe, where Sam was eating at the bar. "She tell you to stay out of it? Might have a point."

"He'd do it for me." Steve said before he took a sip of his coffee.

"1945 maybe. I just wanna make sure we consider all our options." Sam said before he took a bite of his lunch. "The people that shoot at you usually wind up shooting at me."

"Tips have been pouring in since that footage went public. Everybody thinks the Winter Soldier goes to their gym." Sharon explained after she walked over to the bar, not making eye contact with either of them. "Most of it's noise; except for this." Sharon said before she slid a file over to Steve. "My boss expects a briefing pretty much now, so that's all the head start you're gonna get."

"Thank you."

"You're gonna have to hurry. We have orders to shoot on sight." Sharon informed before she walked away.

Brooke walked in as Sharon left the cafe, her spotting the two at the bar. "You have my cousin helping you now?"

"Sweetheart, listen—"

"Tony, Peter, and Hailie are in Germany. He's flying me and the girls there in an hour. We're gonna be working with the Task Force." Brooke explained as she looked at Steve. "If I hear anything, you'll be my first call. Be careful. I love you." Brooke said before she kissed Steve and walked away.

"Do I get one of those?" Sam asked as he watched Brooke leave the cafe. "No? Okay."

Brooke, as Natasha cooks dinner: did you just refer to the knife as a people opener?

Natasha, innocently: should i not have?