Steve's Diary

June 15, 2016

Dear Diary,

So, we arrived in Vienna yesterday, Natasha and I.

She got us joined rooms, meaning we're separated by two sets of doors, but at least we don't have to go all the way out into the hallway to see one another.

I'm not entirely sure what she thought that was implying... but if it is what I think it is, that's probably not gonna happen.

Probably.

—————

I was out mostly with Sharon kind of all day, just talking about Peggy- about the life she led after I was presumed gone for good.

On the way back into the Hotel, she began to tell me a little more about herself.

"My mom tried to talk me out of enlisting," she revealed as we walked through the glass doors at the entrance. "But, um, not Aunt Peggy. She bought me my first thigh holster."

"Very practical," I replied with a smile.

"And stylish," she looked back at me.

We approached the elevator and she pressed the 'up' arrow. We waited. "CIA has you stationed over here now?" I asked.

"Berlin," she put in. "Joint Terrorism Task Force."

"Right," I answered. "Right. Sounds fun."

"I know, right?" she said, that smile creeping back up onto her face.

"I've been meaning to ask you, uh," I started hesitantly. "When you were spying on me from across the hall-"

"You mean when I was doing my job," she corrected me.

I waited a moment. "Did Peggy know?" I pondered, almost hinting at the fact that I didn't know they were related until her funeral, even after having visited her and having talked about Sharon a few months ago.

She took in a deep breath. "She kept so many secrets," Sharon answered. "I didn't want her to have one from you." The elevator dinged and we both looked back at it. "Thanks for walking me back."

"Sure," I said, meeting her eyes for a soft moment.

"Steve," I heard Sam say. We both looked at him. "There's something you gotta see."

We walked to his room as fast as we possibly could while still looking normal about it all. When we got there, the TV was still on and it read:

United Nations Complex Bombed

Vienna, Austria/Site of Sokovia Accords Summit

Sam and I listened as the man on the news talked about what happened. "A bomb hidden in a news van ripped through the UN building in Vienna."

"Who's coordinating?" I heard Sharon on the phone behind us. "Good. They're Solid. Forensics?"

"More than 70 people have been injured," the man went on to say. "At least 12 are dead, including Wakanda's King T'Chaka. Officials have released a video of a suspect who they have identified as James Buchanan Barnes, The Winter Soldier," a video of him walking appeared on the screen as they zoomed in on his face. I took in a deep breath. He's back. "The infamous HYDRA agent linked to numerous acts of terrorism and political assassinations."

"I have to go to work," Sharon revealed just before she left the room.

There was a set up and it was happening right now.

I changed into my discreet street clothes and headed to the scene of the crime. Once I got there, I called Natasha to get caught up to speed.

"Yeah?" she picked up.

"You all right?" I asked.

"Uh, yeah, thanks. I got lucky," she responded, waiting a moment. "I know how much Barnes means to you. I really do... Stay home. You'll only make this worse. For all of us. Please."

She has no idea how much he means to me, really, she doesn't. She only knows him as my friend- Hell, that's all anyone knows him as.

"Are you saying you'll arrest me?" I came back.

"No... Someone will- if you interfere. That's how it works now."

"If he's this far gone, Nat, I should be the one to bring him in," I told her.

"Why?" she questioned.

"Because I'm the one least likely to die trying."

Then I hung up on her and made my way towards the breakfast bar Sam was at waiting for me. I stood next to him as he sat.

"She tell you to stay out of it?" he wondered, waiting. When I didn't say anything, he continued. "Might have a point."

"He'd do it for me," I said.

"1945, maybe," he came back, starting to make me angry. "I just want us to consider all our options. The people that shoot at you usually wind up shooting at me."

"Tips have been pouring in since that footage went public," Sharon walked up on my right and started. "Everybody thinks The Winter Soldier goes to their gym. Most of it's noise, except for this-" she told me, sliding over a document across the bar counter. "My boss expects a briefing, pretty much now, so that's all the head start you're gonna get."

"Thank you," I replied.

"You're gonna have to hurry," she came back. "We have orders to shoot on sight."

—————

I looked through the file with Sam and it was a little difficult to decipher. We've been working our damn hardest since we got our hands on it in order to track The Winter Soldier down... I just hope it doesn't take too long.

So long that, by the time we get to him, he's already long gone.

~ Steve R.