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open post (steve rogers)
steve rogers / captain america open post.
※ looking for a thread with an all-american super soldier?
※ respond with any character, canonmate or otherwise, and a prompt.
※ open to any format (prose, brackets, commentspam).
※ open to any canonpoint (within marvel cinematic universe).
※ if you don't have any prompt ideas, feel free to throw the ball into my court!
※ you can always refer to the random scenario meme for inspiration.
no subject
[ Very few memories remain from since she was captured. The ones from before only stay because Peggy clings desperately to them, fighting and resisting every drug, every treatment, every attempt to wipe her mind clean. And they've tried-- time and time again, she is tortured until her body is too tired to fight back, and she drifts from one day to the next, barely managing to struggle the people trying to turn her into a monster.
But not her mind; they won't take that. She gives in until she is tired, weak and defeated, nothing of the woman she used to be - or so she has them think. The first opportunity she gets, she runs.
And she runs and runs until she finds some way out, because the first opportunity will be her only opportunity, and she knows that. Those memories, the memories of running, those are the ones that don't linger. She's fighting her way out because her life depends on it, and she finds a plane. She can't even remember how to fly a plane - can she fly a plane? It doesn't matter. It's her only way out of there, and she barely manages to get it off the ground, but suddenly she's flying high above mountains and cities and water--
The water. There was water then too, she remembers, a promise of a dance and then her life ended. I got to put her in the water.
She doesn't know why she does it, or how. The nose of the plane aims down and dives right into the water. It's dark and it's cold, getting colder still. She made it. Maybe she made it nowhere at all but she made it out of there at least.
She closes her eyes, exhales one last time.
Cold light hits her face, and she opens them again. There's nothing but a white blur at first - must be the afterlife, she thinks. But the afterlife takes the form of white sheets and covers resting over her body dressed in a plain hospital gown, a small nightstand next to the bed, and white plain walls, no windows. She blinks her eyes again, and the place starts to look less like death, and more like a prison.
Stumbling onto her feet, she gets up, hands tracing the bed and the walls, panic settling heavily in her chest, nearly crushing her. Her heart's going up to her throat like bile when she finds the door - no handle, just a keyhole - but while her mind tells her there's no way out, her body's working of its own accord already. She shoves a fist through the wood and punches a hole, tearing the door out of the frame. Outside, two armed men stand guard. Easy to fight her way past them, the motions coming to her with no thought whatsoever.
She takes one of their guns, and runs.
Everything looks so strange to her. The agents all dress in odd attire, holding weapons with the weirdest design, and it's only when she glances down to her own hands that she realises she's never seen a gun like this one before. It doesn't matter, though. You point, you shoot, right? So long as she knows how to put her finger on the trigger, she knows how to use it.
But very few bullets are actually fired. Whether it's the fact she catches them by surprise, or that she is much stronger and faster than any of them are, she manages to fight her way through the people popping up. She is lost, confused, her mind a haze, she doesn't start to see agents organising themselves into a pursuit instead of her running towards them herself. Before she is aware of it, she's the one running down the hallways, a group of agents giving chase as she takes every turn with her heart clenched, hoping that the next one will lead her to a door, and not to a gun aimed between her eyes. ]
no subject
Furious as he had been at the time, he could actually understand why they'd kept it from his at first. He'd had so much to process already, so many swirling thoughts to sort through, that adding one more thing to it might have been the final straw that had broken even his back, a back that's supposed to handle any weight.
It seemed like a cruel joke at first. Steve had buried the Valkyrie in the ice for the express purpose of wiping Hydra off the map, and yet they'd gotten a hold of Peggy anyway. Peggy, who had in some way always seemed invincible to him, like the fires of war couldn't touch her, like she could brush it all off with a confident, red-lipped smile. How could she have fallen prey to the same fate?
On his darker days, he'd wonder if she had been trying to follow him into that icy abyss, or maybe that she'd even dreamed of getting him back.
As it turns out, he's the one who ends up searching for her. In between his duties as an Avenger, Steve had done everything he could to try and find the crash site. SHIELD tells him they'd already looked, but he doesn't believe them. Or rather, he doesn't believe that they'd looked hard enough.
When they do finally find the crashed plane, extract her body, and discover that she's (somehow) survived by the same process that Steve did, he's nothing but a bundle of nerves. It takes five SHIELD agents to keep him in the waiting area while they warm her up and bring her out of the cryo-induced coma, and Steve can't stay still, pacing around the room like a worried family member waiting for their loved one to come out of surgery.
In a way, that's kind of what it is. All he wants is to see her face again, hear her voice again, be a familiar face to explain what happened and assure her that everything will be okay.
And of course, they should have listened to him, because the next news that comes down the line is that Peggy's escaped her room and is raising hell. Of course she is. Steve can't help but feel an odd sense of pride, even as he pushes past the agents, unwilling to play nice any more, in order to find her. She's going to need someone to ground her, to calm her down, and he's pretty sure he's the right person for that job.
Steve races down the hall in the direction of the medical ward, dodging other agents who are mainly running the opposite way. He hears thundering footsteps, along with the slap of bare feet against the tile flooring, and as he rounds a corner, there she is.
Peggy makes quite a sight, running toward him in a hospital gown with a machine gun in her arms. Steve skids to a stop and raises both hands up, realizing that she might not register who he is or what's going on at first. None of this is going to make any sense to her, not when she's got no context. ]
Peggy. It's all right, you can stop. It's me.
[ He cracks a smile at her, hoping beyond hope that he gets through. ]
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She will end this. Here and now - if she doesn't make it out of there, then she will end it with a bullet. One way or another, they are not getting to her.
But it seems that things are even more complicated than she thought they could ever be. When she rounds a corner and there's someone standing right ahead, she lifts the machine gun, aimed dead centre at their head. She doesn't see it, not right away. Her sight is blurred with sheer panic, focus coming slowly, though the voice-- the voice filters through.
She lets out a sound that's all too close to a sob when she hears it, even before her eyes recognise the features of the man standing in front of her. Her aim falters, as does her grip on the gun, and it lowers just so as she stares wide-eyed at him. ]
Steve?!
[ It's a dream-- it has to be. She really is dead somehow, and she ended up in a Hell of sorts, but then why would the best man she has ever met would be here too? None of it makes sense, none of it connects in her mind, and her insides ache and clutch at the feelings washing over her - panic, relief, sadness, grief, fear and an unadulterated kind of joy -, swallowing her whole. ]
No, [ Her tone is weak, but she shakes her head, raises her weapon again, though her aim is feeble at best. ] No. He's dead. Dead. What have they done? Who are you?
[ The last words spoken in a louder tone, deaf to the footsteps coming up behind her, as the other agents catch up and get into position just a few feet behind her, their weapons trained on her. ]
no subject
Those explanations will have to come later, when she's come down from this outburst of raw emotion and everything has had some time to sink in. Steve, of all people, can relate to what she's feeling right now. His own awakening had been similarly dramatic, given that he'd torn a wall down and raced out into the middle of Times Square barefoot and bewildered.
That choked sob that comes out of Peggy is enough to shatter Steve's heart all on its own. After everything they've both been put through, here they are on the other side of the century. It's so impossible, in fact, that she doesn't even believe that he's really him.
Not that Steve can hold that against her. His chest may be tight, his stomach may be churning, but he doesn't have it in him to be upset that she doesn't recognize him as really being him immediately. If Hydra got their hands on her, who knows what they put her through? She may look to be in one piece, but Steve has seen what Hydra will do for the sake of "scientific advancement."
All he wants is for her to be okay.
Peggy lifts her gun again and Steve holds his breath, but as the other agents catch up with her, he's quick to take a step forward, shoulders squared and standing tall; suddenly, a captain. ] Stand down. I've got the situation under control. [ They would only make it worse. Their presence would escalate Peggy's hysteria, and while Steve may not actually have things under control at the moment, he plans to achieve that soon.
Thankfully, he outranks all of them, and slowly but surely the agents retreat.
Once they've left, he tries again. ] I know this all seems like some cruel dream, but it's real, Peggy. [ Steve takes yet another step toward her, acting as if the gun's muzzle doesn't even exist. ] I crashed into the Arctic, just like you remember, but I survived. The ice kept my body in suspended animation... which is exactly what happened to you.
[ Steve tilts his head down, trying to search out Peggy's eyes. ] How about we move somewhere more comfortable? And... [ He does a quick, evaluative scan of her. ] Maybe we can get you a change of clothes too.
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That's not what she's paying attention to here. Her mind is solely focused on one objective: escape. And when her mind does that, it narrows down on that single objective and attacks it with a perseverance that vastly outweighs her fear, confusion, or even real physical strength. Of course, the two former end up only fuelling her resolve, and as for the latter... well, she is yet to completely understand what HYDRA had done to her, what they had really injected her with.
But right now, she feels that resolve of hers crumble. She would have liked to think that she was always the kind of person that would not let herself get swayed or affected by others, would not let them crawl into her in a way that could break her apart from the inside out - but after Steve died, even perhaps a little before he was yet in danger, she had known that he was that person for her. He was the only one that could have done that to her, and she would have been alright with it.
She would have let him, because Steve Rogers would have never broken her apart.
But he does, now. Even if it's not really him - isn't it, though? The manner in which he addresses the agents sounds all too real to her, and the way he then speaks more softly to her has bile rising up her throat, strings of her memory and her heart being tugged with a visceral intensity.
She only barely registers what he tells her. Her eyes water, her sight blurs, and when she blinks rapidly to focus on him again, tears roll thickly down her face. She feels her insides tense and shake with the effort she makes not to cry, her trembling hands barely managing to keep the gun lifted. Steadily, its weight defeats her, though she doesn't quite let go.
One hand moves up to cover her own mouth, and she can't fight back a soft sob, one that turns into a quiet little cry as she blinks her eyes again, and more tears fall. ] Steve... [ One more second, and she will fall to her knees, all of her strength leaving her. She's been living a nightmare, and she doesn't care now - she doesn't care if this is just a trick, if it's just an illusion, if HYDRA's playing with her head. She just wants it to be real. She wants him to be real. Even if only in her head. ]
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None of those questions can be asked right now, not when she breaks apart right in front of him. This may as well be torture; it feels like there are claws scraping down his heart, like he can't breathe, as he watches her face crumple and tears streak her cheeks.
She's still holding that gun, but her grip is hardly firm, and even if it did somehow go off and hit him somewhere, he'd endure that for the chance to comfort her. He doesn't care what it takes, he needs to prove to her that he's Steve Rogers and that she hasn't been abandoned. The moment that he spots her losing her balance, he surges forward with a superhuman level of speed to catch her, his hands fixing to either of her forearms to hold her up.
Then he wraps his arms around her, hugging her tighter than he's ever hugged someone in his life (though not tight enough to actually hurt her, he would never). Still, it is a crushing embrace, the sort of hug that could only come from someone who's solid and real. She's falling apart on him, and god, does he know how it feels. How many times had he wanted to break down this same way after he woke up?
It's strangely cathartic to let her cry against him like this. As she gets all of it out, it's almost like Steve does too, even though his eyes remain bone-dry. Eventually he removes one arm from where it was wrapped around her back to gently tug the gun from her hand and toss it aside. Once that's done, he reaches up to smooth back her hair. ]
You got away. I've got you, all right? I've got you.
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And what better way to die, what better place to end it all than the same place as he?
Because even before HYDRA, even before she had lost her freedom entirely, had turned into their new experiment, their test subject for whatever monster they were trying to create, Peggy had already lost a lot. She had lost Steve, and she would like to say that she is a wholly independent woman, who would go through life standing by herself on her own two feet, but given the chance, she would have gladly left it all behind just to see him alive again.
And now, she has. In the midst of the panic, the grief, the exhaustion, the overwhelming feeling that washes over her like a great tidal wave is sheer, unadulterated happiness.
She doesn't just cry, she wails openly, as if all tension unfurls from her in loud bursts, and choked sobs as she tries to inhale in-between. His arms are wrapping around her and she only feels herself shattering even more, face buried into his chest, her hands moving up and clinging weakly to the front of his shirt.
His hold is tight but it's just perfect. He's solid and real and this is how she knows it's happening. This is how she knows it's him. ]
I'm sorry. I tried to-- to fight, but... [ She sobs again, blinking her wet eyes, and more tears rolling down her cheeks. ] I couldn't. I was so... so tired. I just had to get away, I had to.
[ She's not even aware of what she's apologising for. She just needs him to know that she tried to resist, to the very last of her strength. ]
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Peggy. Peggy is all that matters right now, and damn all the rest.
His grip on her remains tight as a vice as she sobs against him, as if holding her closely enough will somehow make her safe, or undo all of the horrible things that she went through. As if his touch could heal. Maybe, over time, a combination of his touch and his words could mend some of those wounds.
Her tears are warm as they dampen his shirt, and she is alive, and she is real, and if Steve has anything to say about it then they will never be separated again. Bucky had been the first one to go into the ice. Then, Steve. Then, Peggy. Somehow two of them have surfaced again, and that must mean something; it must mean that this was meant to be in its own, broken sort of way. ]
Why are you apologizing? [ His words come out soft, barely audible. He doesn't want anyone else to hear. He moves his hand from stroking her hair to grip her chin, turning her tear-filled eyes up toward his. ] You did get away. You fought your way out. You did... you did better than any of us would have done.
[ Steve wants to move them somewhere else, maybe even back to his apartment, but he also doesn't want to overwhelm her -- and everything outside this building is going to be overwhelming. They'll do it at her pace.
He smiles at her, the lines around his mouth pulled tight. ] I wouldn't let them stop looking for you. [ It's not like the simple act of being reunited somehow makes everything better, but it does make the world seem a little brighter. Hopefully Peggy will come to feel that way too. ]
wow that icon, you're so rude
Not that she would have cared. All she cares about right now is that Steve is there with her, holding her in his arms, and though in her thoughts and haunting dreams she had never been this broken, it's alright.
Steve wouldn't mind, after all. He doesn't mind, now, and she doesn't bother to care much herself, either. ]
But I... [ She exhales shakily, her eyes closing. His touch is soft and it burns her skin, one of her hands reaching for his weakly, keeping it close to her as she tips her head and brushes her cheek against his knuckles. ] I did it. I went into the water. I could have gone elsewhere, but I just... I just wanted it to end.
[ The torture, the imprisonment, her life such as it was-- she's not even entirely sure of what she means by 'it'. Only that she wanted an end, a way out.
Her eyes open, tears drying for the moment, and she fixes her gaze on his. There's guilt in the admission that comes next, fear and grief and surprise too, as if the overwhelming realisation only now truly hits her. ]
I just wanted to be with you.
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Steve clasps their palms together and then draws their hands down from Peggy's chest to rest solidly against her heart. The two of them had found a place in each other's hearts a long time ago -- reuniting like this is like being home again. Peggy must have felt that too, if the only thing she'd wanted to do after escaping HYDRA was to plunge into the icy ocean.
Steve gets it, though. He'd gone through something similar when he'd crashed back in 1945. It had been necessary for the sake of saving his country from the Red Skull's plans, but there had also been an ugly part of him that had figured he was going wherever Bucky had gone, and maybe that wasn't so bad.
Turns out he'd been wrong about that, but at least Peggy had been able to follow him. It's more than he ever thought he'd get from life. ]
Well, it looks like you made it against all odds. [ And he can't help smiling at that. Peggy Carter truly is an impossible woman.
His expression falls after that, though, as he's reminded of everything he'll need to tell her. ] Listen to me, Peggy... I know how this sounds, but we're in the year 2013. Both of us were stuck in that ice for decades. It was only last year that they thawed me out.
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All she wants to do now is to break apart, to dissolve into Steve's embrace. The very thought of being this weak goes against everything she has ever believed in, but she can't bring herself to care just now.
And Steve gives her just that. He gives her the support and the gentleness she has long dreamt of, and he doesn't even so much as look at her with judgment or disappointment in his eyes.
Of course, had she an ounce in her to care about her pitiful state at the moment, it would all but vanish with what Steve says next. Her eyebrows knit together, bewilderment and confusion written all across her face. ]
What? No, I... that can't be. [ However long HYDRA kept her - a year or two, perhaps three -, they couldn't have done so for decades. ] The ice-- how would I... how did I survive it?
[ Steve, that she can understand. He had the serum, he was no ordinary human, but she was...
The vague memory of getting subjected to all kinds of experiments flashes behind her eyes; she tenses, looking down at herself. What was she, what had they done to her? They must have done something that allowed her to survive the ice - something that has given her the ability to rip that door out of its very hinges right after she woke up, to fight her way through dozens, if not hundreds, of armed agents. ]
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Comments like that, he'd mainly been able to ignore. He'd told himself over and over again that they weren't true, and his mom had reminded him as often as she could that he was a gift. His bones might have been brittle, but his will had always been tougher than nails. So anything that makes Steve feel like he's weak or fragile hits hard; he can only imagine it's the same way for Peggy.
The news that he just dropped on her at least gives her something to focus on, but her thought process goes in the natural direction: what had HYDRA done, to make her capable of surviving something like that? She hadn't agreed to it, and so no matter what the benefit, that's another wound that she now bears -- and they don't even know the extent yet.
Steve looses his hold on her, drawing back just an inch to give her some space. ] I think that's what they were aiming to find out before you broke out of your room. [ He doesn't look admonishing in the slightest, though; he'd done the same thing in her position, more or less.
He frowns at her, the lines in his face all apologies. ] You might have to let them do some tests on you. Which is never fun, but might be necessary in this case. We have no way of knowing what HYDRA did. [ Which is all true, and very practical, but probably isn't what Peggy wants to hear at the moment. So after a pause, Steve adds: ] It... doesn't have to be right now, though. [ He might get some resistance from SHIELD on that, but he's ready to go to bat on this if that's what it takes. ]
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So much of her has always been a coiled spring, waiting to snap. At men who thought she couldn't do as well - or better - than them, at women who pinned her as some graceless creature simply because of the choices in her life. As if what she fought for wasn't truly worth it.
But it was - it is. She might be a mess and lost completely but she doesn't regret her choices one bit, even if all of them have brought her here. Especially when they've brought here, standing in front of Steve, the man she had thought to be long gone.
Peggy has never had any illusions, not since she received news of her fiancé's death while still wearing her beautiful pearl-coloured dress. There is no such thing as second chances, she's learned that the hard way— or she thought she had.
Right now, she's not sure of anything anymore. And perhaps that's not too bad a thing. ]
No, not-- not right now. [ She nods, parroting Steve's own words. The rational side of her knows that those tests are a necessity, but she has been tested on more times than she can remember, and the very thought of having someone in a lab coat coming anywhere near her has her stomach twisting almost painfully.
One hand still clings to Steve's clothes, as if she's afraid he might just vanish if she lets go, but the other drops, smoothing down the rumpled front of the hospital gown she's wearing. ] These really aren't very flattering.
[ Even a sliver of humour hurts, and her chuckle comes out more as a soft cry than anything else. There's still so much she wants to ask, so much she needs to know - so much she needs to tell. All of it is mucked up in her head, and he doesn't even know where to begin, but focusing on the simpler and more tangible things, taking one step at a time, it may just be the best course of action right now. ]
Where can I... find some clothes? Assuming they're not going to try and lock me up in that room again. [ She tries to say it lightly, but there's worry in her voice, panic, her hand clinging a little tighter to Steve's shirt. Steve would never let them do that again, would he? He would stop them if they tried. The Steve she remembers would, at least. ]
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He's getting ahead of himself, but it's hard to imagine that Peggy won't want to be involved once she's gotten her bearings. He has so much to tell her -- about the Avengers, about SHIELD, about their old friends and what happened to them over the years. For a moment Steve's stomach twists as he thinks of Howard, his life cut short -- but Peggy will be able to meet his son, at least.
That'll be something to see.
It's starting to sink in, that Peggy is here and will continue to be here, that they can have some kind of life together. Both of them are fighters and he doesn't think that will ever change, but maybe... maybe there's still a chance for them to act on those feelings forged seventy years ago.
Keep it together, Rogers. There's no way she's thinking about anything approaching that right now..
Peggy's attempt at humor draws a crooked smile out of Steve, but just as her laugh is broken, his smile is tinged with sadness too. It's difficult to settle somewhere between the grief and anger at what Peggy had been put through by HYDRA and the utter joy and relief that she's here with him. He's not sure if it's selfish -- that depends on her feelings on everything, which she probably hasn't figured out yet. ]
Over my dead body. [ Steve's expression shifts instantly to something firmer, directed at whoever might be watching. Peggy doesn't seem to want to let go of him, so he grabs for her hand and intertwines their fingers before turning to lead them back down the hall. ] This place is SHIELD headquarters. It was sort of born out of the ideas we had back during the war. There's a wing for orientation for new recruits, they can probably get us some clothes for you. And then we'll go from there.
[ He glances over at her, still stunned that she's actually here with him. ] I'm sure you have tons of questions, so fire away.
only a million years later. I'M SORRY
Everything is too much, it's overwhelming. And how she feels about Steve has always been overwhelming, especially when he died (except he didn't die, but she thought he did), but at least it's something more familiar, and more tangible. It's a kind of overwhelming she can handle, unlike everything else.
Her expectant look opens into relief, and she smiles again, exhaling shakily. She can handle herself, she's never not been able to protect herself when she has to, but this situation is bigger than her, and having Steve next to her, stating so firmly that he won't let them take her anywhere, is more reassuring than anything else could be right now.
It's not that she needs him to protect her, but God, she does. And she wants it, too, right now especially.
Her fingers twine with his and there's a flutter at the pit of her stomach, but the feeling is bittersweet almost. She can't help but think that in any other context, in a normal context, this would be rather romantic, but there's sadness mingled in there right now, and concern. She likes it nonetheless; she never got to hold Steve's hand like this. Or dance with him. Never. ]
I'm... I don't even know where to start, honestly. [ She huffs out a nervous chuckle, shaking her head and thinking for a moment. Her voice is still a little shaky, and she swallows dryly in an attempt to even it. ] Are you— you're still fighting? Is there a war going on right now? Or are you an agent for this SHIELD?
NO WORRIES life happens
He's seen all of the reports in history texts and biographies, speculating about their relationship and whether or not they had been involved. There's no account of the kiss they'd shared before Steve boarded the Valkyrie -- Colonel Phillips had kept his mouth shut, apparently -- and it's nice to have at least that one secret.
Except that it doesn't need to be a secret now, if they don't want it to be. Steve holds in everything he's feeling on that front, though, because springing it on Peggy right now would be wrong. Once she's had a chance to catch her breath, once they're in a quiet and fairly private place together -- maybe then. If he can work up the nerve.
Steve's patient as Peggy gathers her wits and tries to sort through all the questions that must be running through her head. He doesn't stop walking, though, wanting to get her sorted out and away from this facility as soon as he can. He tries not to walk too fast, aware that his legs are a lot longer than hers. ]
I work under SHIELD, yeah. And also with a group of people called the Avengers. [ He realizes it probably sounds ridiculous, but hopefully not more ridiculous than the "Howling Commandos." ] They're other people who are like me, but in different ways. You'll probably get to meet all of them eventually.
[ He draws in a breath, trying to force himself to remain calm instead of rambling at her at a mile a minute. ] There's still a war, but it's not the same kind. There's no single front, no one place it's being fought. There's just... conflict. Invasions. [ Alien attacks, but he isn't going to drop that on her right now. ]
<3
Life doesn't often give people second chances, and when it does... it's never like this. Peggy was thoroughly convinced that that part of her life was over, that it was a wish or a dream or a possible future dead and buried, but apparently miracles do happen. Much to her shock— but she's not going to fight it. She'll accept this miracle with open arms, and truly she couldn't care any less who sees them holding hands, hugging, kissing... God, she really wishes she could kiss him and not look absolutely random and possibly a little desperate right now.
But he's talking. There are other important things that don't involve her jumping into his arms, and she tries to focus on that for now, though her hand still clings to his, tight as if he's her lifeline. She nods at his words, paying attention to it all nonetheless. ]
I see. So more of a... widespread situation. And SHIELD takes part in conflict resolution, by having teams such as the Avengers. [ He's right, it does remind her of the Howling Commandos. She wonders if the principle is more or less the same, but she figures she'll learn the details soon enough.
And indeed, it's probably for the best to leave the mention of aliens for later. ]
When you say 'like you', you don't mean... they didn't— [ Her eyes widen a little. ] God, Steve. They didn't replicate your experiment, did they?
[ Erskine died, that's true, but from what she's seen of the world so far, she wouldn't be surprised if someone else had been able to recreate the serum. ]
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All the same, Peggy's picking up on the situation she's found herself in with an impressive swiftness. Not that Steve would expect anything else from her. She'd been captured, possibly tortured, traumatized, only to wake up decades later -- and yet she's keeping up just fine.
Steve still can't help but be in awe of her.
Her assumption about the serum is understandable, given how obsessed people had been with the idea even back during the war. He'd been almost one of a kind, and given what he'd accomplished, of course people would want to try it all over again. ]
People tried. A lot of people, from what I've heard. It never ended well.
[ In fact, one of his team members is a result of that, but Steve doesn't think he should be airing Bruce's dirty laundry right now.
A few more turns in the hall, and they reach Orientation. There's a woman seated at the check-in desk who does her best not to look completely overwhelmed as the two of them walk up to her. ]
Hello... [ Steve glances down at the woman's badge. ] Marcia. Could you help us get Miss Carter a change of clothes? [ He looks over to Peggy. ] Are you hungry?
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So, taking all this in like she's just being briefed on a mission or instructed in a new place's culture and history helps a lot, and while she feels her insides turn and twist whenever she realises she's completely out of place and time —which happens about every few seconds—, she ignores it in favour of being in control. Feeble as that control might be right now.
She nods as Steve explains everything, or as much as he can in such a short period of time. She'll want to know more about those attempts at replicating the Super Soldier program, but that's something that can wait, and as they reach the woman sitting at the desk, her attention shifts momentarily.
There's a brief moment where Peggy wonders if she ought to let go of Steve's hand before the woman sees them, but he doesn't draw away, so neither does she. She smiles instead, mustering just enough energy to keep some balance and confidence that almost makes it look like she's perfectly fine. ]
I'm... [ Said attempt at keeping a stiff upper lip is undermined by her grumbling stomach. She presses her lips and lowers her eyes, but keeps her head tipped up anyway, a somehow perfect picture of composure. ] Actually... yes, I am. A bit. Now that you mention.
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He's not surprised that Peggy is hungry; he'd been famished after he woke up too. These days, though, he's pretty much always hungry. It's a less fortunate side effect of the serum. ] Me too. [ Steve squeezes Peggy's hand as he looks back to Marcia. ]
So, a change of clothing and some meals to go, if that's doable?
[ The woman presses up from her desk and nods twice in quick succession. ] Of course, Captain Rogers. Feel free to have a seat out here and I'll be right back with those things.
[ She's gone in a flash, so Steve does as she suggested and heads over to a row of seats in the waiting area to sit down, pulling Peggy along with him. Once they're both seated, he finally releases her hand. ] Once you've changed and we have some food, we can head back to my apartment. I don't think anyone is gonna stop us from leaving. [ And if they do try, they're bound to regret it. ] We can decide what to do from there.
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She is, however, surprised by the degree of reverence. She doesn't startle but there's a definite moment where she's taken aback when the woman stands up quickly and takes the request he makes as an order given by a superior officer.
The woman leaves quickly, and Peggy says nothing to it all, choosing to observe rather than comment for now. Following Steve, she takes a seat next to him, letting go of his hand too and letting both of hers rest on her lap, over her hospital gown. Thank God she'll be out of these soon. ]
Right. Of course. [ She can't even begin to think about going to Steve's apartment and being there alone with him, because she's mainly focused on the fact that she's actually going to step outside. What sort of world will she find, how much will have people and streets and everything changed? It's been seventy years, after all. She would be lying if she said that the thought of going outside and seeing the world as it is for the first time doesn't scare her a little —or terrify her a lot. Even if she knows Steve will be with her, and for that reason alone she will be safe. ]
Where do you live? [ A simpler and easier question, then she adds. ] Are we still in New York?
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It's not as if Steve isn't aware of the onslaught that will hit Peggy when they step outside, but it's something that she'll need to get used to sooner rather than later. Better to get it out of the way quick, like ripping off a bandage. And he'll be with her all the way, a luxury he hadn't had when he first woke up.
At her question, Steve shakes his head. ] Washington, D.C. [ Not so far from New York, though, so a visit could be arranged if Peggy was interested in that. ] The building we're in is called the Triskelion. It's SHIELD's main headquarters.
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She nods, not particularly affected by where she is. She was far more used to New York, granted, but she is nothing if not adaptable, and besides, it's not as if either city will seem any less strange (and possibly scary) to her. The worst part is she has little to no frame of reference, she doesn't know what to expect.
But she tries not to think about that too much. Steve will be with her, so it's not as if she'll be left to roam the streets alone. ]
So you live here now. [ There's a soft smile, something fond in the way she adds. ] I always imagined you'd have settled down in Brooklyn.
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He lives here now. Peggy is careful in how she phrases it. She says nothing about home, maybe because she realizes that this doesn't count as that. Steve's still in the process of trying to find a place he considers home, but...
In reality, he's always known it's been more about people than place. ]
I thought about it, but you wouldn't believe what an apartment costs there these days. [ That's the canned response, the excuse that he gives, but it's actually a much more practical reason. He shrugs one shoulder. ] That, and this is where the work is, so here I am.
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She'd figured Steve wouldn't see this as home— or maybe she was hoping, because 'home' could mean a myriad of things, among them a wife, or a girlfriend, any sort of attachment, and she knows it's only been a year for him but she would dread to realise that he would have moved on so quickly. Which is very much the wrong thing to be focusing on right now, but there you have it. Peggy Carter, fresh out of the ice and one of her main concerns is that Steve hasn't found anyone because she's still so desperately in love with him. ]
Understandable. [ She nods, lips pressed. ] Do you think they'll... is this where I'll stay, too? God, Steve. [ There's a soft chuckle as she realizes that she's focusing on the wrong thing. Again. ] I think I'm out of a job.
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