Destination

"Right…" Steve trailed off. I couldn't help but notice there was something weird in his tone. "Well, I'll leave you to it. Don't get too comfortable, though- Coulson says we'll be landing in two days."

"And where are we landing?" I questioned as the Captain began to walk away.

He turned back and grinned. "Ireland."

Two days passed in episodes of getting lost, follow up appointments, and sorting through boxes of my belongings. Fifteen minutes before we landed, I was staring out the windows with plenty of people beside me. Through the clouds, I was could see the lush green fields of Ireland, and beyond it, our destination: Dunluce Castle.

"Tell me, Mr. Stark- is there anything you don't own?" I queried.

"The list is small, Lizzie," the billionaire droned. "And please, call me Tony. 'Mr.' makes me feel like I'm your grandpa or something."

I snorted, but let it drop. The remains of the castle loomed in the distance, but I could look at it later. I had packing to finish. I arrived at my room just in time to find James sitting on the floor with a marker and a single box.

"I could've finished it myself, you know," I commented with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm aware," he replied. He finished writing my name on the box before a crew member came in and took it. "But you wanted to look at the view, and I had nothing else to do."

I laughed softly, taking a moment to inspect the room one last time. As Steve had advised, I hadn't gotten comfortable. All my boxes were about to be moved to a new room at the temporary base, anyways. There wasn't much of a point.

James and I looked up when an announcement bell rang throughout the comm system.

"All passengers, prepare for landing. We will be disembarking after a preliminary security sweep of the grounds."

"That would be me," James sighed as he got up from the floor. "Better go get suited up- don't get lost while I'm gone."

I smiled at the teasing tone in his voice. "I'll try not to." James gave me a smile before we parted ways. I followed the crowd to the main deck exit. From there, I watched out the window as Iron Man and War Machine circled the compound from above. Below them, the rest of the team was spread out on the ground, checking the abandoned castle for any signs of danger.

"Area's clear," Steve's voice came over the comm. "I suggest using the boats to dispatch groups one at a time."

"Agreed. All passengers report to your assigned carrier," Mr. Coulson's voice echoed throughout the helicarrier.

Anxiety gripped me suddenly. As far as I knew, I didn't have an assigned carrier. I glanced around for a familiar face in the crowd, but couldn't see anyone.

"Miss Reynolds!" a shout came from my left.

I turned and saw a blonde woman in work clothes. She came over and smiled. "Hi, my name is Sharon Carter. You'll be with me." I nodded wordlessly, deciding that following her would be my best bet. She led me through the crowd to an elevator, pushed a few buttons, and motioned for me to follow her in. The doors shut behind us, and I felt the elevator descending.

"So…" she started lightly. "Steve's told me all about you."

I raised an eyebrow. "Oh, you know him too?"

She laughed. "I think everyone knows him. But yes, I guess you could say I know him better than some."

I ran the name through my head again. Sharon Carter…why did that sound familiar? When I couldn't place it, I decided to reply to her statement. "Yeah, I guess so. He's been a good student. He's always interested in the history lessons, even though sometimes it was harder for him to hear about the wars. I guess he thinks he can save everyone."

"I wouldn't say that," she disagreed. The doors opened onto a lower deck, and she cast me a glance. "He knows he can't save everyone, but he still feels like it's his duty to try."

I tried to cover up the confused look in my eyes. She seemed to know Steve incredibly well for a random crew member. I followed her onto the carrier, trying to pick up on her body language. She was confident, but not proud. Intelligent, but didn't feel the need to boast about it. She also was very good at holding in her emotions.

We sat down beside each other on the carrier, taking the time to snap our seat belts in place. I watched as other crew members boarded, attempting to look natural. "So, you and Steve are…" I trailed off, giving her the opportunity to fill in the blank. "…friends?"

Sharon sighed, but gave me a smile. "If you want an answer on that, ask him."

So it was complicated, then. Probably an on and off romance that never got enough traction. I couldn't imagine how difficult it must be to handle any sort of relationship in this kind of environment. An image of James flitted through my mind, but I pushed it aside. I was just there to help.

The ride went as expected. The takeoff from the helicarrier was gentle, as was the descent down to an empty field on the west side of the castle. When we touched the ground, Clint Barton was there to open the door and escort us to the ruins of the castle. We were about twenty feet from the exterior walls when he turned around.

"Alright, listen up!" he called. "I'm not repeating myself. Most of you are not gonna like how we get in the base, but suck it up. You're either in there or out here. And I'd hate to be the poor soul staring down a gun in the middle of nowhere," he chuckled.

Clint Barton motioned to the wall. "This stone wall has been retrofitted with the scan tech you all are used to- the ones we use to get in doors and crap. Thanks to Dr. Foster, however, there's been a bit of an upgrade. Agent Carter, if you will."

Sharon cast me an unsurprised look before she walked through the crowd and past Clint Barton. She stood before the old stone wall and waited. I heard a distinct pinging noise before she walked forward. Then, she was gone.

Murmurs of apprehension ran throughout the crowd, but I was fascinated. I'd heard about Dr. Foster's latest research, but I'd never imagined she would've completed it so soon.

Clint Barton turned to the crowd with an amused smile. "Alright, get moving. I've got another carrier coming in five minutes and I'm not waiting."

A single file line formed, and I was soon in front of the wall. A few dreadful seconds of silence passed before I heard the pinging noise. What followed, I can only describe as a wind tunnel filled with static electricity before my feet met solid ground. When my eyes looked up, I was shocked.

I'd been moved underneath the castle. The old pillars, catacombs and dungeons gave it away, but what I really noticed was the amount of technology spread around the giant facility. Units of people were hauling large crates, screens were being drilled into the walls, and sparks of electricity flew into the air every few seconds.

I managed to get myself off the pad before someone else came through, but my musings were interrupted by a man in jeans and a sweater.

"Miss Reynolds, pleasure to meet you. I'm Ian, the, ah, assistant to Dr. Foster's assistant," he explained with an embarrassed laugh. "They told me to show you around? We've been working here for a little over a year, so I'm familiar with it, don't worry," he rambled.

I held out my hand to shake his. "I'm sure you can't get more lost than I usually do."

Ian laughed again. "Yeah, let's hope not. So…ah, where do you wanna start?"

"Wherever you think is best," I conceded.

"Right," he swallowed. "Probably the dining hall is a good place to start. Do you need to look at the labs? They didn't really tell me what you do."

A small smile came onto my face. "How about you just give me the general locations of everything? That way, if I need to hunt someone down, I know where to find them."

My comment made Ian look concerned, but he just shrugged and continued onward. The tour took about two hours, and it was only fifteen minutes in when I started wondering where I could get a map. My mind felt like it was burning from information overload, but I didn't want to make Ian feel bad. He was just doing his job.

"…and here we have your place! They transferred the scan data from your room on the helicarrier, so again, only you and the people on your list can come in…" he trailed off as he pulled up a diagram on the tablet. His eyes widened, and he turned the screen for me to see. "So…you, ah, are you an Avenger, too?" he asked curiously.

I looked at the diagram and saw what prompted his question. My room was surrounded by every other superhero's room, particularly set between Steve and James. Upon closer inspection, the list of persons allowed in my room mirrored James'. The list read "James Barnes, Steve Rogers, Elizabeth Reynolds."

I smiled and handed the tablet back to Ian. "No, I'm not. I just work with them."

Ian nodded, but his eyes still showed a trace of fear. "Oh, ah, okay. Well, I'll be around, you know, in the area, so let me know if you need anything," he stuttered before he made his exit.

With an amused smile on my face, I entered my room. It was equipped with what I found to be the typical furniture they supplied— a queen bed, a nightstand, a dresser with a tv above it, and a chair. All my boxes were stacked neatly in one corner, and upon further inspection, I found a standard bathroom and closet. It weirdly felt like I was back in a dorm at college.

I noticed the grey walls and put a hand to them. "FRIDAY? Are you there?"

I was met with silence. A frown settled on my face. I hadn't realized how much I'd come to rely on the trusty AI. Suddenly, the lack of natural sunlight hit me, and claustrophobia set in. I took in a steadying breath before I walked over to the boxes. After some searching, I found an empty notebook and pen. A destination in mind, I walked out of my room.