Ghost story

Steve walks around the parking lot, stressing out of his mind. There's nothing you can say to calm him down. All you want to do is get back to the tower, wrap yourself in a blanket and pretend the last 14 hours never even happened.

"Y/n are you even listening to me?"

"I'm sorry what?"

You turn your head. Steve has been trying to get in contact with you while you were zoned out.

"We need to go, we can't stay here" Steve sighs. "You can tell me what happened later"

You nod you head, quickly getting up on his motorcycle again. Then you remember the USB drive, you had to go back and get it, perhaps there was some answers to your questions on there.

"We need to go to my apartment and then the hospital" you yell, trying to drown out the sound of traffic.

"What why?"

"I left something there, and I need to get it back"

Steve sighs deeply, as he takes a sharp turn, accelerating. You can feel his frustration, you want to tell him everything you really do. But out of all people in the world Nick trusted you. He knew that night he was going to die and he called you.. Not Maria, not Natasha. He called you. That must mean something.

Steve stops a few blocks from your apartment, near a small thrift store. He asks you to stay outside, and try not to get caught my any security cameras. He comes out with a pair of skinny jeans, a large hoodie, and some weirdly big blueish grey sunglasses. You eye him up and down confusedly. His changes his clothes as well. He looks like a senior member of the bingo group.

You roll your eyes, as you go behind a dumpster changing your clothes. Throwing out your old ones. Then you take the back door up to your apartment, unlocking the window with a small hair pen.

Steve waits out side patiently. Your entire apartment is on lockdown, there's a hundredth precent change there's some kind of cameras in here. So you'll have to do this fast. You crack open the panel in your closet, packing a bag with some extra clothes, your utility belt, and some weapons. Just in case. Then you go out the same way you got in. Quickly driving off to the hospital.

You both sneak into the hospital, hood over your head. As you make your way to the vending machine. You turn around looking at Steve with panic in your eyes.

It's gone. You reach your hand in, seeing if it could have fallen down. But nothing.

"Y/n" Steve scoffs quietly.

"What?" You hiss purely out of frustration.

As soon as you turn around you're starting right into Natashas eyes, as she blows a bubble of gum.. the exact gum you hid it behind. She raises an eyebrow, with a satisfied smirk on her face.

You grab her arm and Steve's, pulling them into the nearest room. Locking the door behind you.

"What's going on?" Steve asks.

"Where is it?!" You hiss at Natasha, completely ignoring Steve's question.

"Safe" she smiles.

"Now isn't time for games Nat, where is the drive" you ask, pushing her up against the wall. Steve tries to pull you away, but you stand your ground. You need answers.

"Where did you even get it from?" She asks you, still a subtle smile on her face.

"You know damn well where" you growl.

"What's going on?" Steve asks again.

"Shut up" you and Natasha yells. Not even looking at him.

"Fury gave it to you. Why?" She asks, slightly tilting her head.

"I don't know.. because he trusts me?" You scowl. "What's on it?" You ask firmly.

"Where should I know?"

"Wait is this the USB drive you risked our mission to get?" Steve asks confusedly.

"So you do know what's on it?" You growl, pushing her closer up against the wall.

"I don't know" she repeats.

"Stop lying" Steve growls.

"I only act like I know everything, Rogers. You should know that by now y/n." She says with a hint of sadness in her voice.

"Did Fury hire those pirates?" You ask coldly.

"It would make sense. The ship was dirty, Fury needed a way in." She explains.

"Fury hired the pirates?"

"Not now Steve" you say as politely as you can. You could play twenty one questions later.

"Natasha your my best friend, so if I'm yours. You better tell me the truth now" you hiss.

Natasha looks into you eyes, as she nods her head understandingly. "I know who killed Nick" she says softly.

You feel your heart sink, letting go of her arm. You gaze softens. "Who?" You ask hesitantly.

"Most of the intelligence community doesn't even believe he exists. The ones that do call him the winter soldier. He's credited with over twenty seven assassinations, in the last fifty years." She explains.

"So he's a ghost story" Steve scoffs. Crossing his arms.

"Five years ago I was on a mission in Iran. Somebody shot out my tires, we lost control of the vehicle, went straight over a cliff, I pulled us out. But the winter soldier was there. I was covering over my partner and her shot him.. straight through me" Natasha explains, she pulls up her shirt exposing a large scar on her lower abdomen. "Soviet slug, no rifling." She adds.

"Then we find him, rip that arm off him. Let's see what use he is then" you growl.

"Going after him is a dead end. I know, I've tried. Countless times" Natasha says, pulling out the drive from her bra. "Like you said Steve. He's a ghost story"

You take the drive from her hand, putting it into your bag.

"Let's go ghost haunting" you smirk.

Natasha, Steve and you, sneak out the back door of the hospital. You knew that you've already gotten two of your closest friends into a mess you didn't even want to be a part of. All you were focused on was revenge, you would stop at nothing to make sure the winter soldier was either shot through the heart, or locked up rotting away in prison.

You find an old car shop, getting Natasha to rent a car for you, since she's the only one of you, that's not wanted as a fugitive of the American government. Steve and you wait outside in a small ally.

"What exactly happened?" He asks softly.

You take a deep breath. "Fury was right, SHIELD has been compromised.. it wasn't about finding out what happened to him, it was about setting me up along with him.." you explain. "I had a bad feeling as soon as I stepped into that room, once I tried to leave, seven agents made it their job to take me down." You continue. "Luckily enough I was prepared"

"You should have let me come" he sighs.

"Yeah I probably should have.. guess all those years of working alone, made it a bad habit" you scoff. "I'm sorry I dragged you into this mess" you smile softly looking up at him.

"Don't apologize.. I wanted you back in action, I'm not letting you do it alone" he assures you. Taking your hand.

"We're going to find him right? The winter soldier?"

"If it's the last thing we'll do"

"Come on lovebirds" Natasha calls out, waving the keys in the air.

You drive for about 15 minutes before stopping at small local mall. You needed access to a computer, and you couldn't go back to the tower. It would be to risky. Compromising the remaining group. So you'd have to do this in public.

You've never been so paranoid in your life. Living your life in the shadows became second nature to you. But you were never on the wrong side of the law. If this was what it took to prove Nicks innocence you'd do it without thinking twice. When you were at your lowest, wanting nothing more than to give up. He pulled you up, gave you a meaning. He gave you this.. a family. A second chance.

"Ill be right down here, put this in and I'll guide you through it if you need any help." Natasha says, handing you and Steve an earpiece each. I'll let you know if someone's coming you way" she smiles, positioning herself near the escalator.

You and Steve goes up into the Apple Store on the second floor, opening up a computer.

"The drive has a level six homing program, as soon as you open it up, SHIELD will know exactly where we are. That means be quick" Natasha says through the earpiece.

"How much time do we have?" Steve questions.

"About nine minutes from..." you say quietly, as you plug in the drive. "Now"

Steve looks around worried as you try to open up the file, trying every possible passcode you can think off.

"Nick was right, someone trying to hide something" you say tiredly. "It's protected by some sort of AI" you state. "What do I do?" You ask Natasha.

"Whats it doing?"

"I don't know exactly, seems like it keep rewriting itself to counter my commands.." you explain.

"Can you override it?" Steve asks nervously.

"The person who made this, is slightly smarter than I am" you admit.

"Seven minutes" Natasha reminds you.

"I get it.. any ideas Nat?"

"Try running a tracer" she proposes.

You log onto the net, trying to find out any information, that could somehow be useful to crack it.

"Alright.." you sigh.

"What is a tracer?" Steve questions.

"If we can't find out how to get into the drive, maybe we can find out where it came from" you explain.

"Can I help you guys with anything?"

You turn around, seeing an employee smiling at you.

"Oh no, my Boyfriend was just helping me out with some travel destinations" you smile, hugging Steve closely.

"Right. We're dating" Steve says awkwardly.

You can hear Natasha laughing slightly at the other end.

"Where are you guys thinking about going?" The employee asks looking at the computer.

The key point of the location is set to New Jersey. That's where it came from.

"New Jersey" Steve chuckles.

"Oh" The man says softly.

There's a moment of silence as you're trying desperately to find a more precise location.

"Wait?.. I have the same exact glasses" the man says excitedly.

"Wow I thought I saw a similarity" you say coldly.

"I wish" he chuckles, looking Steve up and down. "Specimen" he says in awe. "If you guys need any help.. I'm Aaron"

"Thank you" Steve smiles.

"One minute" Natasha states.

"Relax I've almost got it"

You quickly run through the last possible database, waiting for it to load. When you look at Steve, raising an eyebrow.

"I've got it" you say proudly. "Wheaton"

Steve gets a slightly worried expression on his face. Moving closer towards the computer screen.

"You know it?"

"Look again" he says firmly.

Your heart skips a beat, it's the first place you met Steve.. that place had been abandoned by SHIELD for decades.. why did it trace back to there.

"They're here" Natasha says. "I'll get the car ready."

Steve begins walking away, you quickly grab the drive, following behind him.

"What are we looking at Nat?" You ask.

"Standard Tac team. Two behind you, two across, and two coming straight at you" she explains.

"Alright I'f they get us, I'll engage, you hit the south escalator get to the car." Steve says already planning your escape.

"Just shut up Steve, put your arm around me, and laugh like I said something funny" you say quietly.

"What?"

"Just do it!" You smile broadly.

Steve wraps his arm around you, laughing as you bow your heads down. Looking down at the ground, as you pass them.

You reach the escalator, when you spot Rumlow going upwards towards you.

"Rumlow is right in front of us.. any Ideas?" You whisper to Natasha.

"Kiss"

"What?" Steve chuckles nervously.

"Kiss" Natasha repeats. "Public displays of affection makes people very uncomfortable"

"Yes they do.. We can't ju-"

You interrupt him, pulling him close to you. Crashing your lips together. As you pass him. Steve freezes for a second before wrapping his arms around you, leaning into the kiss.

You peek over his shoulder, pulling away. Steve looks down at you in shock.

"Are you still uncomfortable?" You chuckle. Walking quickly down the stairs.

"No.. definitely not uncomfortable" he sighs following right behind you.