When Time Collides ★ [2] ✔

A Covert Mission

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ACT 1

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"On your left."

The lights of dawn kissed Washington D.C., bathing the regal city in blues, faint oranges and pinks.

"On your left."

Morning runs became a regular routine. And it seemed that I'd found a running partner.

"On your left."

"Uh-huh. On my left. Got it."

I'd been chasing him around the Washington Monument the whole morning. He couldn't keep up with me and I was enjoying paying him out for it.

"Don't say it," he warned. "Don't you say it!"

"On your left."

"Come on!"

And I was gone, taking off so fast that he couldn't catch me. I turned my head slightly to see him slow to a stop, hands on his knees in exhaustion.

I continued my run around my circuit where I ended at a park. And I found my running partner there, back against a tree and heaving.

"Need a medic?" I remarked, perching my hands on my hips.

"I need a new set of lungs," he wheezed. "Dude, you just ran, like, thirteen miles in thirty minutes."

"I guess I got a late start."

"Really? You should be ashamed of yourself. You should take another lap." He took a ragged breath. "Did you just take it? I assume you just took it."

I grinned. I was beginning to like the guy.

I could tell he was a military man. The way he moved and the way he held himself gave it away. And his sweatshirt. "What unit you with?"

"58th Pararescue," he replied. "But now I'm working down at the VA."

He held his hand out for a hand to get up. "Sam Wilson."

I obliged. "Steve Rogers."

"I kind of put that together," he groaned as I pulled him to his feet. "Must have freaked you out, coming home after the whole defrosting thing."

Well, he wasn't wrong about that. It took a lot of getting used to. Things were so different now: the people, the technology, the way of speaking. I was always so lost, like a child straying from his mother. But I was taking it in my stride. I couldn't go back to where I was. I was stuck in this time, and I was going to make the best of it.

And it was a good thing I had Andi. She helped me through a lot of my downs, and there were a few. I enjoyed spending time with her. That feeling got stronger as time went on.