"Alright. Let's try that again, Summers." Steve sighed, positioning his vibranium shield in front of his chest.
Bethany frowned in concentration, gathering her earthly strength with increased effort. They had spent hours in the S.H.I.E.L.D HQ training to improve her abilities, as they had weakened immensely while she was in stasis. Fury had designed the perfect practice room for her specific requirements; a medium sized gym covered in Earth and other minerals, thick concrete walls and a high glass roof, reflecting the midday sunlight on the working pair. Nathasha politely had lent Bethany her workout attire, which consisted of a taut white tank top and stiff black pants. The "leggings", much to her awkward dismay, clung to her thighs a little too soundly. She had stiffly asked Steve if what she was wearing was appropriate. He had averted his shy blue eyes, and nodded.
Summoning small chunks of rock from the bare ground, she heaved her arm towards him, sending the debris flying at his prepared stance. The rubble slammed forcefully into the shield this time, slightly unbalancing Steve. He grinned behind the shield with optimism, placing it over his shoulder.
"That was much better. I think we deserve a little break, though." he joked, tapping her sweating shoulder with encouragement.
Sighing in tired relief, Bethany shared his sentiment, and proceeded to walk out of the training grounds.
The new world seemed incredibly unrealistic, with fast cars, modern technology, and the internet. There was so much to discover, and now she had all the time in the world. Aside from Fury's growing impatience. She had only been awake for a couple of days when he had decided she belonged on the field, running covert missions with Steve and Natasha. Rogers immensely disliked the suggestion, but Bethany willingly complied.
"It's better than sitting around doing nothing." she had said with uncertain confidence, agreeing to Fury's instruction.
Fighting kept her mind off of her previous life. Taking her anger out on someone who deserved it seemed a whole lot better than keeping it bottled up.
"So, what exotic food did you wanna try out? There are a lot of choices nowadays, not like the stuff they would force us to eat in the army-" Steve began, but was cut off by Natasha's sudden presence.
Once again, the other woman looked stunning, her crimson hair shining in the afternoon light, resembling blazing fire. Her eyes were slanted and suspicious, seemingly scanning Bethany's perspiring figure.
"Do my clothes fit you okay?" she asked, her judgmental voice ringing in Bethany's flushed ears.
"They're fine, thanks. It's just a change to what i'm used to." she replied with a appreciative nod.
"You'll get used to it."
"I hear that a lot."
"Well, nice to stop and chat but Beth and I were going out to eat. Care to join us, Nat?" Steve interrupted hesitantly, pushing the small of Bethany's back to move her along the hallway.
"That's okay. You guys need some catching up to do anyways." Natasha answered with a smirk, sauntering in the opposite direction.
Bethany blinked up at Steve with misinterpreted confusion.
"Is she angry at me?"
"To be completely honest, she's angry at everyone."
Washington D.C was bustling with energy, as Steve and Bethany went out to lunch. He had taken her to a small corner caf . She couldn't help but stare in awe at the scenery surrounding her, as the traffic and civilians seemed so much more colorful and oblivious.
"I asked a friend to meet us here." he said, checking his small, futuristic device as they sat at their table.
"Everyone we know is dead, Rogers."
"Hey, don't say that. Just because i'm 95 doesn't mean I don't know how to socialize."
"You were awkward and shy in 1944. You're still awkward and shy a century later."
"I see stasis hasn't changed anything, has it Summers?"
"Just my temper, little one."
"Little? I think he's the biggest man I have ever seen." another voice intervened, startling the giggling pair.
A young man roughly in his late 20's stood in front of them, with soft chocolate skin and a massive grin planted on his appealing face.
"Sam! Glad you could make it." Steve smiled with enthusiasm, standing to receive his friend.
"Me too. Anything for the Cap...and this must be Beth. The name's Sam Wilson. Eligible bachelor-"
"Don't push your luck." Steve teased, shaking Sam's hand.
"Nice to meet you too." she replied with a sheepish smile, unable to decide how to feel about this new stranger.
"Hey, i'm just trying to be friendly. But seriously, if you ever need anything, call me." Sam winked playfully, pulling up a chair to sit beside them.
Bethany grinned, simultaneously frowning at his confidence.
"Are all men like this these days?" she asked, causing Steve to stifle a laugh.
Sam's cocky attitude quickly diminished at her question.
"Nah, he's one of the special ones."
"Is that an insult, Rogers?"
"That's Captain to you, Wilson."
Bethany couldn't help but laugh at their constant banter, loosening the bubbling tension that resided in her tight chest. It felt surprisingly relaxing, and continued to quietly enjoy the playful taunting residing between the two men.
"So, how did you like today?" Steve asked with uncertainty, his hands buried in his jean pockets, as they slowly walked back to his apartment.
"It was...interesting, to say the least. Sam's definitely peculiar." Bethany stated with a cheesy grin.
He sighed in playful relief, causing her to gently punch his hard shoulder.
The day had gone by rapidly, as the trio had spent their time sightseeing, tutoring Bethany on historical events, and suggesting classical movies to examine. Steve would occasionally be approached by a "Captain America" fan, gushing and asking for his autograph. He would willingly comply, warming Bethany's chilled heart with admiration. Sam, at times, would discuss the recent years of Steve's endeavors, with the supposedly famous group of "Avengers". They consisted of several superhuman individuals who would purge the world from impending evil.
"Sounds patriotic...Yep. I can definitely picture Rogers in spandex." Bethany had laughed, causing the two men to quickly join her.
It was a pleasant distraction from the ridiculousness of her situation, taking her tormented mind off of the darker thoughts.
"He most certainly is. He's harmless though." Steve quipped, smiling down at Bethany with amusement.
"Harmless? What, is he gonna hurt me-"
"No, not like that. He's just flirting, that's all."
Suddenly a familiar, grinning face flashed before Bethany's eyes, quickly letting out a slight gasp of shock. Her chest began to tighten, as the memory of the glowing, snowy eyes quickly engulfed her senses with remorse. Steve stopped walking, bewildered by her sudden attitude. He qucikly held her shoulders, leaning down to look into her eyes with worry.
"Beth what's wrong? Talk to me-"
"Bucky." she faintly whispered, clutching her forehead in guilt.
Steve slightly loosened his grasp, taken aback by her quiet words.
"With all that's going on I forgot about him. I can't believe I forgot about him." she mumbled with remorse.
"I didn't even mourn him properly, Steve. I just...buried myself in the ground. How pathetic can I be?"
After a moment of stillness, he released her shoulders, and began to stride in the opposite direction of his apartment. Without any explanation, Bethany quickly followed, miserable and confused thoughts plaguing her mind.
Eventually, the pair stopped their hurried pace outside of a massive building with large steps leading up to the doorway. She frowned in suspicion, gazing up at Steve with apprehension.
"Where are we?" she asked quietly, as it felt unnecessary to speak aloud in the dark of the night.
"The Smithsonian Museum. I wanted to avoid it, but, I think it's best for you to see." he answered in monotone, gently grabbing her dangling hand with hurriedness.
The museum seemed to be closed for the day, but lightly tapping on the front glass doors caught the attention of a small, old man, staring wide eyed at the infamous pair.
"Steve Rogers, what bring's you here-"
"I need to see the exhibit. Just for 10 minutes." he intervened, concentration blazing from his stern eyes.
The elderly civilian nodded, immediately complying to his requirement. Fumbling with a large assortment of keys, the man hastily let them isnide, looking around for any prying eyes behind them. But there was no one, as the streets of Washington were empty. Steve quickly guided Bethany's hand as they twisted unfamiliar corners, each displaying different moments in history Bethany didn't recognize. Finally, the couple came to a stop outside a red, blue and white picture, revealing the Captain himself, standing proudly with his iconic shield.
"What is this..." she trailed off, staring wide eyed at the exhibit in front of them.
A whole section of the Hydra War decorated the walls, each depicting scenarios that had happened when she was previously awake. Pictures, memorials and statues were positioned in each interloping section of the large room, causing Bethany's rapidly beating heart to quicken in shock.
"All of these things, they just happened...I remember them like they were yesterday..." she breathed, gently touching a black and white photo of her military squad, The Howling Commandos.
She stared into the picture with melancholy, clearly visualizing the day they had posed for the image. Each man was impatient and weary, itching for another battle instead of an inconvenient photograph. They were all smiling with pride, but Bethany knew, with silent amusement, their true intentions. Her eyes paused on Bucky and herself, standing side by side, behind the group. Her heart dropped as the feeling of grief instantaneously consumed her energy. She didn't want to remember the way he made her feel.
She didn't want to remember her conflicting feelings towards him, taking it for granted.
She didn't want to remember anything.
Quickly moving on to the next presentation, she found herself in a large room with mannequins, each depicting the Howling Commandos in all their glory. They all wore exactly the same uniforms each of the members donned, positioning themselves behind Steve obvious mannequin. Bucky's was to his left, and Bethany's was to his right.
"I-I don't know what to say." she stuttered, stunned by the presentations around her.
Steve had been awfully quiet as she looked around, supposedly watching her every move with consideration. As her breath became short, she could feel him move up behind her, embracing her shaking figure with sadness.
"I had to show you. As soon as you brought up Bucky, I knew it was a mistake to keep this from you." he whispered into her hair, resting his chiseled jaw atop her head.
Unable to reply, Bethany quickly escaped his arms with heavy heartedness, turning to face him with a look of misery. Without another word, she continued on, as disbelief carried her stiff legs to explore the rest of the exhibition. After a time of staring in complete shock at her documented life, she finally came upon a large wall with two faces portrayed next to each other. A male voice was narration the scribbles on the surface, as Bethany couldn't bring herself to concentrate on the words depicted next to the black and white faces.
"James Buchanan Barnes, born in 1917-" the announcer introduced with clarity, reading aloud Bucky's life in the war.
"Bethany Ava Summers, born in 1919-" another voice narrated next to his memorial wall.
A single tear streamed down her face, as she tried to cope with the sudden shock staring her in the face.
"What is this...?" she choked, scrunching her face in an effort to conceal her torment.
Steve was already in front of her quivering body, solemnly guiding her out of the exhibition room. She trembled in confusion, unable to process what she had just witnessed.
"That was my life, Steve. Everyone could see it. Everyone HAS seen it. Do I feel bad or should I feel appreciative-"
"Bethany, listen to me. You don't have to do anything. I wanted you to see this. You needed to see this." he said calmly, embracing her once again with comfort.
"I visit nearly every day to keep myself on my toes. At first it was a pretty big shock. But after a while, it reminded me of what I left behind. Of who I left behind..." his voice grew softer as he squeezed Bethany tighter, causing her to realize his guilt begin to show.
"When Bucky died I felt like I had lost a limb. When I woke up from the ice and found myself here, I felt like I died again. But this life has given me a chance to make it up to him." he continued, his tone increasing with sadness.
She could feel herself weeping in his arms, overcome with heartbreak and fear.
"We will, Steve. We will." she whispered into his chest, hugging him in desperation.
As they stood in the silent museum hallway, Bethany couldn't help but think of the man she adored, playfully grinning with his memorable glowing eyes.
Everything's gonna be fine.