The Ancient Warrior [Hiatus]

Still Around

Hey, so guys, I kinda have an idea for the direction that I want to take The Ancient Warrior in.

One little problem: I don't think you'll be able to understand my train of thought on it and I want you guys to actually like the book and this might just ruin it.

By the way, yes, Percy will end up with Natasha. That's where this problem comes from because I know that Nat has always wanted a family and kids but she can't have them. So then comes my idea, which I don't want to share, but which I want to know you guys won't judge the book heavily on it.

So would you be OK with my surprise idea or no?

"When we think of the past it's the beautiful things we pick out. We want to believe it was all like that." -Margaret Atwood

Tony's POV

"Are you sure you want to do this Percy, 'cause we can go someplace else if you change your mind." I asked Percy worriedly as we approached the doors. The sign on the doors said exactly what this place was.

"Tony, you don't need to keep asking. It's for Steve and my brother, I want to know, I need to know." Percy said, giving me a pointed look. It had a bigger effect since her eyes were so broken. She sighed and turned, opening up the door, but I took hold of the door to let her in first.

I had never been here, so going inside this place, it was strange to see all of the things here as there was a banner above the area proclaiming 'Captain America Museum: California Branch' and smaller words underneath that saying 'More Information Can Be Found In The Smithsonian In Washington DC'. Walking through this museum, there were no mannequins or replicas of what had been worn, but there were numerous pictures of them and even a movie real of some of the missions that had been recorded.

I was wandering slightly away from Percy, who was at a panel that held a picture of James and Steve before the serum and after. It was telling her about their lives together, but I went over to a different panel. A panel that had a picture of Percy on it. The picture was old, vintage just like the rest of them, but it was still her.

Next to the picture, it read this:

Corporal Perseus 'Percy' Amphitrite Barnes was the best friend to Steven 'Steve' Grant Rogers, Margaret 'Peggy' Alexandra Carter and the twin sister of James Buchanan 'Bucky' Barnes.

Raised along-side James and Steve, Perseus was the one to keep them in check. But don't let her elegant looks and soft features fool you, she loved helping others and didn't mind getting her hands dirty to do it, she was more of a rough and tumble kid who went against social norms and wasn't afraid of a fight. She was always there to lend a helping hand to those in need and didn't care much for bullies.

A woman determined to get into the US army, Corporal Perseus Barnes was placed into the 107th infantry with her brother. However, tragedy pulled at the strings of the Barnes family. During the fight against the Germans in Azono, Perseus and James were both taken captive by H.Y.D.R.A, the Nazi deep science division. Through the heroic acts of Steve Rogers, James and 162 soldiers were rescued. In a twist of fate, Perseus Barnes was not one of them and is presumed to have died due to experiments done by H.Y.D.R.A.

There was more, and it was actually really interesting to know that a woman standing not 10 feet away was viewed so highly by others. There were even numerous first hand accounts of different soldiers on what kind of person she was. There was an interview from Aunt Peggy about her too just to the right of the picture and words. Almost hesitantly, I pressed the play button. I saw Aunt Peggy's face in the center of the screen and then a small voice asked her something.

"Can you tell us exactly what kind of person Perseus was?"

"Well, Percy, she was a 'give more than you get' kind of woman. She didn't care what she got in return, most often she didn't want anything or expect anything. She was a strong willed woman, always standing up for what she believed, and that was something that I always admired about her. She would give you the courage to do what you believed was right, and... Well, she never judged you if the thing you believed to be right went against what she believed." She told the interviewer. A few more words were spoken by the small voice and Aunt Peggy spoke again in reply to the question that had been asked.

"It's been said that you had actually wanted to give up on getting into the army, what was it that kept you there?"

"I think, it was Percy who inspired me to not quit. I remember all those days, the grueling hard work that we had to do, and I remember saying to myself, 'This is it. This is the day I'm going to stop, this is the day that I've had enough.' but she would always come back every day, a smile on her face and she would tell me, 'Life is to short not to live. You've got to do what you can, when you can or you'll never be able to get to the good things.'"

Another pause and another question. "Do you have any clue as to why Perseus herself wanted to fight, what her reasons were?"

"I never understood why Percy wanted to fight so badly until I met Steve, his attitude was the most like hers, it may have even been strongly influenced by her. Percy didn't want to run, she wanted to protect those closest to her, that the reason why she fought. Percy fought for the safety of her friends and family. She didn't care for what it would do to her, what would happen to her, just as long as it meant her friends and family were safe. Percy was loyal to a fault. And she inspired loyalty in others, gave them the will to move forward. Gave me the will to move forward."

And then the screen went dark.

"I didn't know I meant so much to Peggy." I heard from right beside me, and it made me jump about three feet into the air. If you ask me later, I will deny it having scared me so much, but the laugh that Percy gave was worth it to hear. Her eyes didn't seem so broken in that moment, so it was all worth it. I laughed to and ran my hand down my face.

I stopped when I felt a few stares, but the cheer was still there. Luckily, people don't recognize me when I don't have sunglasses on and am in causal clothes: ie. A hoodie, science pun t-shirt, jeans, and a baseball cap for the Yankees. Percy had looked sad when she saw it, but the sad look hadn't stayed there long.

"When did you get there?" I asked Percy, who had a very happy look on her face now. She shrugged.

"I got here around the time you clicked play for that video thing." She told me and then looked over at the picture of her on the panel. Her happy look took on a sad tone as she looked at it.

"I wasn't ready for that picture. Peggy started talking to me off to the side and I didn't pay attention when the photographer shot the picture. I didn't understand why they had said I had posed perfectly, usually you're supposed to look at the camera." Percy said, a sad smile on her face.

I shot her a surprised look. "Aunt Peggy was there?"

Percy nodded and looked at me. "Yeah, she was, though I didn't know you call her 'Aunt Peggy'. It was for a picture of us on our free time during training. We had been allowed out into the city, that's why I wasn't in uniform, and we ran into one of the photographers for the soldiers in Camp McCoy."

We walked out of the museum with Percy telling me stories of the days she and Peggy spent in training. I had never know that Aunt Peggy knew Percy, she never really talked of her, but she did have a few pictures of her now that I think about it. The stories really were great. I knew about Peggy's war days, she would tell them to me along with Edwin and his wife Anna, but it was better to hear them from a first person perspective rather than from someone who had only heard it as a story.

Suddenly, Percy stopped talking and a panicked look came on her face. We were almost to the mansion again by this point. "Wait a minute, is Peggy still alive! She's alive, right?!"

"Calm down, yes, Aunt Peggy is still alive. She's still alive and kicking." I reassured her and she calmed instantly. "She's in Washington DC living in an elderly home near her niece. She's fine."

Percy nodded. "When I get the chance, I'm going to visit her." Percy said as we pulled up to the workshop through the drive. I smiled. Aunt Peggy would definitely like that, seeing someone she knows well. She'll be happy to know that someone from her younger days is still around.