You Must Remember This (WIP)

Chapter 23 - Playing this game

Wakanda, 2016

For about the seventh time in the last hour, Steve's hand was on the handle to open the door. But every time, he froze. Why was it that he much rather face Tony Stark and the betrayal of their friendship all over again than go out to face the evergrowing possibility that he had an assassin for a daughter, who may or may not have been his best friend's lover? This was way more than a simple Brooklyn boy could handle. 

I haven't been a simple Brooklyn boy for decades, though, he thought despondently. I don't even remember being that kid. 

Steve sighed and fell back to the middle of the room to resume his pacing. What was he supposed to do? What was he even supposed to think? Nothing made sense anymore. 

I can't just ignore what we've learned and what the evidence is pointing to. But I refuse to believe that the SSR would've gone this far into creating another me. Peggy wouldn't have allowed it. And she would've told me about Nemesis in those times we spoke if she were really my daughter. 

Despite Peggy suffering from dementia in those last years of her life, Steve was certain that wouldn't have stopped her from telling him. She had lucid moments, enough to recognize him and reminisce about their past with him. Surely she would've... He stopped pacing. A terrible thought just occurred to him. One he rather not believe possible, but it offered an explanation as to why Peggy Carter never told him about any of this. What if... she was Nemesis' biological mother? 

If she knew they were planning on using my sperm to... No, what am I thinking? She would never volunteer to do that. Certainly not for the sake of creating another super-soldier. I can't imagine Peggy ever agreeing to allow a child to be used as an experiment, especially not her own. 

Steve bit his lip as his mind continued his train of thought on another track. 

I was in love with her, and I'm pretty sure she liked me - a lot, even. Always worried for me, and she got so jealous when she saw me with that one girl. We only kissed once, but it was so amazing, and that kiss gave me the strength I needed to face Red Skull. And we were gonna meet up for dancing after... Maybe... she did it for me? So that... she would have a part of me. And to make sure they didn't take advantage of the kid. Giving her up to another family was probably just a failsafe. A way to protect herself, and the baby, so nobody could ever learn the truth and link them to me.  

His balled fist trembled at the side of his body. Certain puzzle pieces fell into place, making perfect sense now - why Peggy would go along with such a plan, why she would watch over and train Nemesis as she grew up even if she didn't raise her herself, and why she would pass on the title of Agent 13 to Sharon, her great-niece. 

"Shuri." Steve activated his earpiece to radio the princess of Wakanda. "Shuri, do you read me?"

"Captain?" she answered almost immediately, her voice sounding surprised. 

"Can you see if you can retrieve any DNA references on Margaret Elizabeth Carter, born April 9, 1921, in England?"

"Agent Carter? For what purpose?"

"I need you to run it against the sample we took from Nemesis if that's possible."

Silence. Steve wasn't sure if his comms were down or if Shuri was actually that shocked at his request. Either way, he needed an answer. 

"Shuri, are you still there?"

"Yes, I'm here. There should be something on file from the SSR and S.H.I.E.L.D. records. I will let you know once I have something."

"Thank you. Rogers, out."

He was glad Shuri didn't ask the reason for his request. She was smart enough to guess and professional enough not to voice those suspicions out loud in case someone else was with her in the room. Now that he had someone working on that, Steve decided there was only one other thing he could do to get to the bottom of this. High time to pay Nemesis another visit.