"So Bucky and I have worked together," I rattle off to Vanessa. We're back in our room, both in our respective cots. "But not for S.H.I.E.L.D. I feel like you guys are screwing with me with all the secrets. I feel like I'm playing a game of riddles." I frown.
"You just have to be patient with us, Dani. What you want to know isn't something we can shout to the world. And yes, you and Bucky worked together, but not here," Vanessa confirms. "That's how you two know each other."
I think back to my interactions with Agent Barton. "Agent Barton got me thinking."
"About what?"
"You know what." I stare up at the ceiling—more like the underside of Vanessa's cot. Yes, we're on bunk beds. "My past, Vanessa. He thinks I'm acting this amnesia I'm suffering."
"Truth be told, it's natural for him to be a little suspicious."
"Why?"
I almost begin to think Vanessa is asleep. "Remember what I told you about our enemies not being your standard criminal?"
"Mhm."
"Well, our biggest enemy almost completely ruined us and all that we had built not too long ago." Her voice is strained. "It turned out that we had been infected with spies. We were surprised at how many S.H.I.E.L.D. agents weren't really working for us, but against us." She exhales shakily. "I lost so many friends. The worst part is that I had made friends with some of the spies. We all sort of disbanded afterwards, went into hiding. We very seldom contact each other in case of bugs nearby."
"Are you guys technically out of hiding?"
"Not really. No one knows this location, and we've taken every measure to make sure of that. We mainly keep secret so our enemy can't find us and finish us off. Those of us that are left here have been loyal to S.H.I.E.L.D. from the very beginning. All that's left of us are people who we can trust the most."
My heart thumps in fright listening to my sister. S.H.I.E.L.D. had been infiltrated? I try to imagine the number of agents doubled, or even tripled, before the traitors had made themselves known. It's scary to think about, to think that fellow agents you spoke with every day weren't who they looked to be.
I can't imagine what Vanessa had gone through, how much betrayal and pain she had endured that day.
"But what does the enemy have to do with me, and Agent Barton's trust issues?" I ask.
"Anybody new we get—which, we haven't had many since the infiltration—we make sure we do very thorough examinations to make sure they aren't tied to our enemy." She sighs. "I'm not a fan of how people have been looking at you either. I'll admit even I doubted you were really suffering from amnesia, the polygraph was the proof to tell me that I was wrong."
"Does everyone think I'm faking this?"
"Not everyone, there are some that are on the fence," Vanessa explains. "But Agent Hill will put the doubters to rest. She's really high up on our ranks, others below kind of have no choice but to accept what decisions she makes, even if they disagree. They've got to follow her orders."
I'm glad to know that I've got Agent Hill's trust, and my sister's, and Bucky's. I'm not exactly happy about Agent Barton's reaction to me, and I'm not sure where Agent Romanoff stands on me either.
"This door can be opened only by us, right?" I ask.
"Why?"
"I don't want anyone coming to kill me in my sleep."
"Danielle, I promise you we are the only two who can get in here. If anyone tries to break in, I'll defend you."
I smile in the dark, feeling a little safer to know that my sister will save me if I get into trouble. "So, I'm guessing I'm staying here permanently?"
"Unfortunately, yes. We can't send you with our parents. If our enemy knows who you are, they'll come looking for you. They'll do anything to try and rip us apart slowly, as if we can take much more."
I blink rapidly, trying not to picture people clad in black trying to abduct me to use me as leverage against Vanessa. I can't believe my sister is in something so important and dangerous. It's still hard to wrap my head around all of this: that such an organization still exists but is thinning; that my sister is a part of this; that I can't really go anywhere.
I think the silence became too long for Vanessa, I hear her light snoring above me. I decide to not provoke her and instead turn on my side and try to sleep.
***
I'm back in the same room as before, with the same monitors, the same static. This irritates me already. I know what's going to come: the brief, unrecognizable audio of a voice, then back to static. There will be no picture.
But one of the monitors surprises me this time. It gives me an image—a very fuzzy one at that—but something that isn't static. I move closer to try and see if I can make anything definite out.
I see billowing smoke, a partially destroyed building. There's more audio, but it's subtle. Gunfire is what's coming from the monitor. What the hell is this?
I hear wild screeching, it makes me cringe away from the picture on the monitor. It sounds like a woman screaming, it sounds higher than a man's voice would.
My mouth drops open when the picture shows me more. First it shows me feet. If this is my brain trying to help me remember, I can assume I'm on the ground, barely conscious. That could explain why the picture isn't clear.
There's a body blocking the building now, like they're ducking over me, shielding me or something. I hear the heavy panting, like this person is right in my ear. I grip the nearest table in anticipation.
I'm starting to remember.
"You're still alive," the voice breathes. It sounds familiar, but I can't place it off the top of my head.
The gunfire persists in the audio, and now the picture is shifting. As though I'm being picked up by this stranger, my savior, I now realize. My heart races the more footage I'm being shown.
The scene begins to change. I see the static briefly before the picture comes back. I let out a loud gasp as the picture—my eyes supposedly—settle on my rescuer. I don't believe it. He was there. He was there the day of the accident!
It's almost like he's looking right at me through the other side of the screen. I take a startled step back. His blue eyes are full of worry, determination. His face is set in a rather pissed off expression. Is he mad at me? Mad that I'm injured? Mad at the people who did that to me?
He looks up, focusing on the chaos he's stuck in the middle of. The picture is jostled around, like he's running with me in his arms. His heavy breathing is enhanced.
I'm back to the noise on the monitor, but his breathing is still coming through. I realize I'm hyperventilating in tune with him.
***
"Oh my God!" I burst as I sit up in bed. Sweat is dribbling down my forehead.
I don't think I've woken Vanessa, she doesn't give a verbal reply. Maybe if I had shouted louder I would have gotten her up. Not that I'm worried about disturbing her right now, I don't want to piss her off even though I think I've discovered a new piece to the mystery.
I wipe the sweat away, feeling my heart flying in my ribs. There's no way I can dream something like that up.
Something told me that what I dreamt up was more to the mystery that was my accident.
Was the accident just the start of me remembering? Would my childhood come to me next? My teenage years? My past before the accident?
I don't know what time it is thanks to the windowless room, but I know I have to confront him. He was there, he got me out of whatever I had been in. He had carried me to safety.
He had saved my life.
* * *
Unfortunately, I don't sleep much due to my excitement of what I had found that night. I'm lucky to get a few hours in when I hear Vanessa stir above. Mentally, I'm about ready to burst with my news, but I can't get my body to cooperate. The news can wait once we're both fully awake.
I wait until Vanessa hops down from her bed to stretch so I can sit up and rub my eyes. My eyelids are bricks, very ready to fall back down. The only way I'm functioning is the hype inside of me. Now if only I can get my body to be as excited as my brain.
Vanessa turns around only to look at me strangely. "Rough night?" she asks.
"What makes you say that?" I'm surprised I can form a sentence this morning.
"You look like you're going to pass out. Seriously, if you need to, go back to sleep, Danielle. I'll make sure the door's locked on my way out."
"No, no. If I go back to sleep, I might never get out of bed again." I toss my unruly bedhead. "Are you heading down for breakfast?"
"Yeah. Join me?"
I can only nod at my sister.
Before we make it to the cafeteria, though, I'm given fresh clothes, and I follow Vanessa to the showers. I nearly fall asleep standing under the hot water. I make sure to soak up as much heat as I can. Vanessa waits patiently for me to finish up and dress.
There's a decent amount of people in the cafeteria when we arrive. We fill our plates up and eat. I'm so starved and tired to even begin to tell Vanessa what I dreamt up last night. Other chatter flies in the air around us. All I can do is look around as I eat.
I make sure to keep myself as hidden as possible, because I can see Agent Barton is in the cafeteria as well. I'm not sure how poor a sport he is, so I try to avoid all eye contact with him. I'm just waiting for him to single me out and then confront me again. I shudder.
Vanessa and I settle our stomachs a little before heading for the exit. We're just about to touch the doors when I hear a voice shout, "Agent Finley!"
For some reason, I turn instead of letting just Vanessa turn around. She and I exchange a look and sort of erupt into laughter. I lose the happy moment when I realize it's Agent Barton who called my sister.
"Agent Barton," Vanessa says in a rather clipped tone. "What's going on?"
"Nothing important or life-threatening. I was hoping to catch your sister before you got out the door," he says. His eyes focus on me, blue meet blue. "Let me just apologize first for not doing this sooner. I'm really sorry about before, Danielle, really. I'm sure Agent Finley has explained to you what's happened recently."
"She has," I agree. "It's okay, really. I'm sure if I was you I would have done the same thing. No worries." I attempt to smile at him.
"You've been okay since you've been here?"
"More or less." I shrug.
"You wouldn't happen to know where Agent Romanoff is, would you?" Vanessa asks him.
"She's around here somewhere. My guess is she's training, maybe target practice. You might want to start there. If not, she might be with Agent Hill."
"Right. Thanks."
"So, you're sure there's no hard feelings?" Agent Barton persists.
I giggle. "Yes, I'm sure."
Agent Barton actually waves at me once Vanessa pulls me out of the cafeteria.
"All right, who gave him the good talking to that changed his mind in a day?" I ask suspiciously.
"Agent Romanoff must've done a number on him," Vanessa guesses. "She must've known that he hadn't apologized for his behavior right after that happened."
"Does she believe me?"
"She's still on the fence, but she's leaning more in your favor. She barely trusts anyone too, but she's got it worse than Agent Barton does. I think he's one of the few people she genuinely trusts here."
"She won't even trust fellow agents?"
"Would you after what I told you last night?"
I blush. "I guess not."
Vanessa doesn't look for Agent Romanoff right away, she instead leads us to the bridge. It's another clear blue day according to the window we're staring out of. Agent Hill is watching over the crew as though she's the captain.
My breath hitches once I catch sight of him, the man who saved me. He's standing beside Agent Hill, talking with her in hushed tones.
"You okay, Danielle?" Vanessa touches my arm, pulling me back to the present.
"F-fine," I stammer. I look into her concerned green eyes. "Really."
Vanessa still doesn't look convinced. "I'm going to find Agent Romanoff, but I don't think that matters to you. I've got a feeling you've got your eyes on somebody."
I merely nod. Vanessa ducks out to find Agent Romanoff as I walk onto the bridge. My steps are acknowledged as Bucky and Agent Hill turn to me.
"I need to talk with you," I address Bucky.
"He's all yours, Ms. Finley," Agent Hill tells me.
"Please, just call me Danielle. Formalities kind of freak me out." I shudder.
"If you insist."
"Come on." I beckon Bucky to follow me off the bridge, through the doors, and into the hall.
He ghosts beside me, which is sort of eerie. I can see the question in his eyes: why do I want to speak with him?
"When were you going to tell me?" I ask nonchalantly.
"Tell you what?"
"That you were there."
"You're not making sense."
I jump in front of Bucky to stop him. "You were there, Bucky. You got me out of whatever the hell I had been caught in the middle of."
"Did Vanessa finally tell you?" He crosses his arms over his chest.
"No, it came to me. In a dream. I know it sounds weird, but it's true. It's fuzzy, but I saw it was you, Bucky." I swallow. "Care to explain it?"
Bucky looks at me for a long minute while I wait for him to answer. He sighs through his nostrils, a sign of defeat. "Come with me." He gently moves me out of his way and begins walking away from me.
"Where?" I fast-walk after him.
"It's time you knew."
"Knew what?"
"Everything."