"You didn't like Lord of the Rings?!" Mark exclaimed.
Rebecca smiled in amusement as she watched Mark start explaining what made the whole trilogy the greatest movies and books in the fantasy genre. It was a late Saturday night, Oliver and Deborah were fast asleep in their apartment, Bucky just left to went back to his before his curfew, and with their families already settled for the night, Rebecca and Mark sat down on her couch eating the food they had delivered and a couple of beers. It became some sort of a routine of theirs for the past few weeks, if Rebecca wasn't working, they would hang out in her apartment to just talk and eat a lot of junk food, and act their age (or physical age, rather for Rebecca). It has been fun for them both, to have this sort of bond since they didn't really have any friends outside their small circle.
"Fine, how about Star Wars?"
Rebecca shrugged. "It was okay."
"Star Trek?"
"Never watched it."
"Alright, how about Game of Thrones?"
"I only finished the first season last week," Rebecca admitted. "And I have to say, I'm kind of enjoying it."
"Kind of?"
Rebecca bit her lip to stop herself from grinning. "Why, am I required to love it?"
"Kind of?" Mark shrugged.
Rebecca laughed, she grabbed a slice of pizza from the box and took a huge bite. Mark chuckled when he saw that she got a bit of sauce on her chin, he grabbed a napkin and handed it to her.
"How is it that you no matter how many you eat, you still manage to keep your shape?" Mark asked. "One time I ate a whole box and I gained like five pounds."
"Because I go to the gym when I can... and I have a fast metabolism," Rebecca added the last part. She then glanced at him and took a quick look at his body. "And don't worry, you look fine."
Mark raised a brow. "What does that supposed to mean?"
"Exactly how it's supposed to mean."
Mark sighed. "Can you at least tell me that you watched The Shining?"
Rebecca avoided his look and continued to eat.
"You haven't?!"
"Look, I'm a really busy person."
"You just said that you liked to have my brother around because he fills up the vacant hours."
"Okay, recently, I've been having a lot of free time," Rebecca sighed.
The last job she had since the Hex Anomaly was just last week with the FBI. It was a week-long investigation, and since then, things have been quiet. She hasn't been receiving any calls from James Woo or any of her contact in the government, and for someone who relies on that kind of job, it was a bit alarming. Though, if it came to the point of her losing contract works with them, Rebecca decided to apply for a spot in the FBI for a more stable income, and if not the FBI, maybe the CIA.
"What about you? How's work?" Rebecca asked. "You never really told me what you do."
Mark sighed. "Well, I bet it's not as exciting as what you're doing."
"Try me."
"I'm kind of in-between jobs until I get my degree, which would take me a while to do so since things are still chaotic," Mark said.
Rebecca frowned. "What about your mom? Has she found a job?"
"Yeah, she has... before the Blip, she used to work as a Real Estate Agent, and she was the best, she now works in a real estate company, behind a desk."
"If there's any way I could help."
Mark waved her off. "It's fine, we could handle this – now, can I ask you a question?"
Rebecca slightly frowned as Mark changed the subject. "Go ahead.
"Why do you always wear a jacket and pants whenever I'm around – or Oliver?"
"It's cold."
Mark raised a brow. "We can turn on the heater."
Rebecca pursed her lips. "I have a lot of scars." She admitted.
"Did Oliver say something about it?"
"No, he didn't – I just don't want people to see because they would ask questions."
"And they're not allowed to ask?"
Rebecca turned to him. "It depends..." she then coughed and changed the subject. "I thought we were going to watch something?"
Mark shook his head to stop himself from staring at Rebecca. "Uh, yeah, I guess we forgot... what do you want to watch?"
"Anything but Lord of the Rings," she teased.
Mark turned to her with a deadpan look. "Fine, we're watching The Hobbit."
"And that is..."
"Kind of the prequel of Lord of the Rings."
Rebecca groaned but didn't do anything when Mark turned on the television and played the movie. The entire length of the movie, the two of them sat on her couch, eating more of their food and drinking more beer until none were left. When the movie ended, it was already around two in the morning and the two of them decided to pack up and get some sleep. After cleaning up their mess, Rebecca walked Mark to the door.
"You going to sleep?" Mark asked her.
"No, I think I'll just sit on the balcony until I get sleepy," Rebecca smiled.
"Want me to stick around?"
"The bags under your eyes would like to argue."
"I guess... goodnight, then?"
"Good morning," Rebecca told him.
Mark chuckled. "Yeah, good morning."
Just as he went to his door, Rebecca called him. "Mark... thank you, for tonight. I had fun."
"Anytime." He waved goodbye and then entered his apartment.
Rebecca went inside her as well, and just as she said, she went to the balcony and just sat down on the chair and watched the scene of Brooklyn. The high earlier was slowly going down, she liked that feeling and if she could, she would always feel it. It made her feel that she wasn't just an agent of some sort – that she wasn't just a spy or an assassin, that she had a life. So, this is freedom, she thought, as she remembered Dr. Raynor's words to her then.
The sound of her phone ringing disturbed Rebecca from her peace. A part of her hoped that it was Mark but when she answered it and heard someone else's voice, she frowned.
"Sam?" She said after identifying the voice.
"Hey, Becky. How are ya?"
Rebecca rolled her eyes at the nickname. "I'm fine," she got up and went inside her apartment, she locked her balcony door and sat down on her couch.
"Bucky?"
"He's working on it."
"Are you free tomorrow?"
"Yeah, I am. Why?"
Sam sighed. "I want to talk to you about something, and I don't think doing on the phone would be right."
"Where do you want to meet?"
"How about outside the Smithsonian, you okay with that?"
"Yeah, I'm okay."
"I'll send you the time. Thanks, kid."
After that call, Rebecca got the text from Sam and saw the time he set and where they should meet. With a bit of sleep, Rebecca texted Bucky that she had plans for the day, when she passed by Mark's apartment, she decided to send him a message as well before leaving her apartment to meet up with Sam. It was a three-hour drive to Washington DC, so she had to leave early. Riding her motorcycle, she arrived at the Smithsonian thirty minutes earlier than intended, but just as she parked her motorcycle, she saw Sam walking towards her, wearing his usual brown leather jacket.
Sam smiled as he approached and greeted her with a friendly embrace. "Long time no see, kid. Heard you've been busy."
Rebecca chuckled. "The past couple of weeks have been just me babysitting my one-hundred-year-old father. You?"
"Doing some contract works with the Air Force," Sam answered. He turned to the building behind them, the Smithsonian had a poster of Captain America's face. "Why don't we go inside?"
Following Sam, Rebecca entered the Smithsonian, she could remember clearly the first time she went there. It was with Bucky, and they were trying to hide in the crowd since he was being chased by the authorities. She couldn't believe that she was walking in the same building no longer hiding from the crowd, she didn't have to wear a lowered baseball hat to hide her face or pull up the collars of her jacket. Though Sam was recognized by a couple of people, maybe he needed a hat. When they came to the part of the Howling Commandos, Rebecca saw the large portrait of Captain America and his men, but it was the painting of Bucky who stood at Steve's right side that caught her attention.
Rebecca chuckled.
"What's so funny?" Sam asked.
"I just remembered the first time I came here – it was nine years ago, just after Bucky broke me out of the HYDRA facility in Alaska. We came here to learn more about his past, even when it was a huge risk... I stole a hat here."
Sam snorted. "Still go it?"
"It got blown up in the Compound when Thanos sent an airstrike... I loved that hat."
"Well, I'm sure we could get you a new one."
"Then Bucky bought me a stuffed Captain America doll. His reason was that he saw parents buying their kids one, so he thought I might like it."
"Did you?"
"Yeah, I did... it was the first doll I had. And it was a good pillow."
"Pillow, huh," Sam then got out his phone and showed her a photo. It was of her asleep on a hospital bed in Wakanda hugging the doll. "I don't think that's a pillow."
Rebecca tried to grab Sam's phone. "Delete that!"
"Hell, no!" He hid his phone away.
They came to the more recent events that were related to Captain America. To the Sokovia Accords to be specific, it documented the two sides of the Avengers and listed down those who fought with Steve and Tony, but they missed one person. She read on and noticed that all of the events had one person missing in the commentary.
Rebecca chuckled cynically. "Well, I guess they didn't mention me in the reports."
Sam turned to her, he did a double-take on what was written on the walls and saw that they didn't put in Rebecca's name in it. He thought that it was a mistake and read it again but she was completely erased from it... hell, they didn't even put her beside Bucky where she should be since she was also a Super-Soldier that HYDRA used for their exploits. She was supposed to be there, she was part of this history – their history but they just erased her.
"Becc," he began.
"It's fine, besides, it helps since I'm working covertly," Rebecca shrugged.
"But it's not right," Sam pressed on. "You fought with us – you almost died in the battle in Wakanda against Thanos."
"Sam, let it go," she said in a whisper. "I'm not looking for credit or anything."
As Rebecca continued to walk around, Sam followed her a couple of paces behind. He couldn't believe that they removed her from Steve's history when he left the responsibility of leading the Avengers when it was her time. After they finished walking around the place, the two of them settled in a café near the Smithsonian and sat in a far booth. They both ordered coffee.
"I doubt that the reason you asked me to meet up is not to see the new exhibit," Rebecca chuckled.
Sam smiled but it disappeared as soon as he showed it. "Do you ever think about what Steve told you?"
"Every minute."
"And?"
"Well, I haven't really reformed the Avengers, haven't I?" Rebecca muttered. "It gets to me – the pressure, I'd rather bury myself in work than think about it."
"Why?"
"You know why... five years ago, just after the Snap, we thought we had a chance to bring everyone back... I wanted to go with them to where Thanos was but Steve wouldn't let me, and his reason was if they don't come back, it falls on to me – the Avengers, protecting the world... at that time I thought it was just an excuse so I would stay. Then five years later, he told me that he meant it, and the longer I think about it the more I realize how idealistic it is." Rebecca turned to Sam. "I can't lead the Avengers, Sam – how can I? Bucky said that people needed someone to look up to – to believe in during these times, I can't be that, not with my history – and especially that they don't even know who I am."
Sam frowned. "But you do know that he meant well, right? That he sincerely believed that you can do it."
"And I will forever be honored by it, but I can't."
"Have you told Bucky?"
Rebecca smiled bitterly and shook her head.
"Come on, Becc, he's your father – he'll understand."
"How can he? He's one of the people who desperately need that symbol... the shield especially... what about you? How come you haven't taken the mantle?"
Sam turned to her. "A black man wearing the stars and stripes?" He didn't explain more. "I love Steve but... but it's something that he or Bucky will never understand..."
"Why call me about this?"
"Because I know that you're also thinking about the same thing and since we're the ones that Steve left something... I wanted to know how you thought about it."
"He always that my history is what would make me a good leader," Rebecca chuckled cynically. "Because I know what is right from wrong... I know how people feel... but it's that history that complicates things."
"Can I be honest with you? When Steve left you the duty to lead the Avengers, I thought it was too much for a kid, like yourself, to have that kind of responsibility."
"One look in my background and I bet the people would rather have me thrown in a psych ward," Rebecca shrugged.
"And Bucky?"
Rebecca turned to Sam. "They didn't even mention me in his history in HYDRA, they won't touch him."
Sam nodded, his eyes fell on his coffee. "The world already has a Captain America... and no matter what happens, that shield will always be Steve's."
After finishing their drinks, Sam and Rebecca walked around in the area, they continued their talk but after reaching a conclusion they circled back to Rebecca's motorcycle.
"Want a lift to the airport?" Rebecca asked.
"Nah, I'm good. Hey, if you need any help with jobs, the Airforce has some jobs that you might be up your alley," said Sam. "I'll send you the location later, if you want the job, that is."
"I'll take it."
"You don't even know what it is."
"Don't have." Before she got on her motorcycle, she and Sam shook hands. "Thanks for the talk, Sam."
"Thank you, too," Sam sighed. "Am I doing the right thing?"
Rebecca looked up to him. "I don't know... listen, sleep on it – think about it for as long as you want... but whatever you decide, I won't take it against you."
"Even if it's wrong?"
"The world's a whole lot complicated now, there's no straight answer to that... even I'm not sure if I'm doing the right thing."
Sam messed with her hair. "Don't be too hard on yourself. I heard you've been helping out in refugee camps."
"Yeah, but is that even right? When I look at these people, I don't know what should be done – the people that came back, they lost their homes, their livelihood... but you can't just ask these people living in their homes to leave... I've been thinking about that a lot recently."
"For one thing, Steve was right about you."
"How?"
"You do understand these people, and that's what makes you a good hero, Becc."
Rebecca smiled, she got on her motorcycle and put on her helmet. "Bye, Sam."
"See ya around, Becky."
Rebecca sighed and then pulled down her helmet's windshield. She waved goodbye at him and then merged to the road leading back to New York.
Once back in Brooklyn, Rebecca went to visit Bucky, luckily, she called him before coming to his place. He said that he was in Izzy's, so she went straight there. When she came to the restaurant, she immediately saw Bucky sitting by the counter having dinner with an old man. It was the waitress that saw her and informed Bucky.
"Hey," Bucky smiled at her. "Come, join us."
Us? Rebecca thought. Bucky moved a seat and lets her sit between him and the old man. He was Japanese, around his late eighties.
"Rebecca, this is Yori Nakajima," Bucky introduced. "Yori, this is Rebecca... my daughter."
"Daughter!" Yori Nakajima smiled. "But you're so young and she's already..."
"Adopted," Bucky told him. "When I was blipped, she was left here, so..."
Nakajima smiled sadly. "You look like Japanese."
"I am," Rebecca answered in Japanese. "It's nice to meet you, Nakajima-san."
Nakajima turned to Bucky, glad to see that she knew how to speak the language. "You speak Japanese! Wonderful! How old are you?"
"Thiry-eight," Rebecca answered.
Nakajima laughed. "I see you got your father's humor."
Bucky and Rebecca laughed but it was brief and awkwardly. They both glanced at each other before returning to their food. While they ate, Nakajima and Rebecca talked, it was a bit challenging since the man asked about her background, such as which school she went to, if she went to college, and more. After they finished their meal, Nakajima purchased a box of red bean mochi to-go, Bucky offered to walk Nakajima home while Rebecca heads back to her motorcycle that was parked in front of the restaurant.
"It was nice meeting you, Nakajima-san," Rebecca bowed.
"And you, oh and here," Nakajima handed Rebecca the box of mochi.
Rebecca turned to Bucky and saw that even he was confused. "Nakajima-san, this is yours."
"No, no, it's yours," Nakajima insisted. "I saw that you liked them... my son loved red bean mochi, he would always ask for one. So, here."
Rebecca saw Bucky's eyes downcast; she turned back to Nakajima and accepted the gift. "Thank you."
Nakajima smiled and patted Rebecca's hand. "Drive safely."
"Will do," she turned to Bucky. "I'll see you later."
"Yeah."
Rebecca placed the box of mochi carefully in her bag, she wore her helmet, and then drove home. After parking her motorcycle in the garage, she used the elevator to get to her floor, when she came to her door, she saw a post-it note that had Mark's handwriting: "Woke up around late afternoon, and my phone was dead. Wasn't sure what time you'll be back. – Mark." Smiling, Rebecca took the note and pocketed it. Unlocking her door, Rebecca went inside and went straight to the kitchen and placed the box of mochi on the counter.
She took a quick shower and then changed to a more comfortable clothed, and just as she went out of her room, Bucky arrived and used his key to get in.
"I knew you were in the shower, so I let myself in," he told her. "So, what did you do in DC?"
Rebecca hesitated on telling him. She wasn't even sure if she should tell him about what she and Sam talked about. "Sam wanted to talk to me about some contract jobs with the Airforce. I just might take it."
Bucky frowned. "What about the shield? The Avengers?"
Rebecca sighed. "It's just been three months..." She sat down on the stood and opened the box of mochi. "Nakajima... his son..."
Bucky stiffly nodded. "Do you remember that mission? Inessa Hotel, Russia... 2004."
Rebecca closed her eyes as she remembered the massacre, she and the Winter Soldier did, and the witness that Bucky had to eliminate. "I remember..."
"I made a list of amends, just like what you did," Bucky got out a small notebook to show her where he put it. "I'm going to set things right."
"How exactly are you going to do that?"
"I've already started with one... I tipped off a former HYDRA pawn to the authorities."
"And?" He didn't reply. Rebecca took that as a response, she sat facing him and rested her head on his shoulder. "It's going to be okay, Bucky..."