#sheild

you and ivar had 3 children together now. Uhtred age 10 and the twins Finan and Iselut age 7, and another one on to be born very soon. (or so the healers say.)

You were beginning to think that ivar was going to get you with child as many times as possible, just to prove he could.

Ivar took up training the boys, they were natural fighters already, they were skilled in there own ways just like him, but they just needed some tutoring to rein in there stubbornness and there egos that caused them to think they were better than each other.

every time they would train, iseult would sit close by, aimlessly picking at the threads and the seams of her dress or trying to build the confidence to ask to join. She didn’t know why she was frightened. She was her father ‘little princess’ who could do wrong, any harm done to her ivar would chuck the culprits into the water and hold their heads down until the bubbles stoped and then offer there corpse to the gods.

But in truth she was scared her brothers were going to embarrass her or she was going to embarrass herself infront of them.

you were a shield maiden for most of your life before you married ivar and you were a darn good fighter as well, you only stoped fighting when you got pregnant and ivar wanted to keep you safe. And iseult looked up to you.

you watched the boys train occasionally when you were bored of being confined to your chambers and you tried not to snicker as the boys fell sometimes, then your eye caught iseult, she was always sitting on on top of a barrel in the yard anxiously picking at the seams of her dress as she kept looking over to ivar and her brothers.

it broke your heart at her being nervous to ask to join, she was a good girl, shy, sweet but she had a temper like ivar and the rest of her family. she was just nervous and you wished ivar would notice that.

One day you had enough and walked over to her. “You know. If you want to join just ask them” you told her, making her jump.

“I-I can’t ask them, uhtred said I’m to small and won’t even be able to hold anything.” she pouted softly and glanced over to the pile of weapons in the yard.

“Uhtred also thinks he will grow up to marry a Valkyrie” you said matter of factly and iseult giggled. “Besides who said anything about a heavy weapon?” You asked her and she looked at you confused

You looked around and found a small bow and arrow on the table, you picked it up and gestured her to jump down.

She hopped down and you handed her the bow and slotted in the arrow for her. “Ok keep your hand here…and draw back to your cheek” you instructed and she did as you said.

You helped her position and aimed it at the barrel that was in the direction off ivar and the boys. “Ok…when You’re ready ok” you told her and she nodded nervously before letting go.

The arrow file past the ivar and the boys. Almost catching finan on the cheek as it hit the barrel.

And all the 3 boys turned to look at her and ivar let out a suprised laugh

Natasha noticed and asked, "You like those?" Azaliya startled and scoffed, "No." The faintest smile curved Natasha's lips. "You don't have to lie."

Before Azaliya could respond, Steve called, "This way." They slipped into the Apple Store.

"The drive has a Level Six homing program. As soon as we boot up, SHIELD will know exactly where we are."

"How much time?" Steve asked.

Natasha popped the flash drive into a MacBook. "About nine minutes from—now."

On the screen, the tracer pulsed. Several SHIELD vehicles were already on the move.

"Fury was right about the ship," she muttered. "Someone's hiding something. This drive keeps rewriting itself—annoying little AI."

"Can you override it?" Steve asked.

"The person who built it is slightly smarter than me. Slightly." She typed rapidly. "I'm running a tracer. If we can't read the file, maybe we can track where it came from."

Just then, an employee walked up—bright smile, lanyard bouncing.

"Hey, can I help you guys with anything?"

"Oh, no. My husband was just helping me with some family vacation destinations," Natasha answered smoothly.

Steve slid in easily. "Right. Uh—planning a little trip. For her good grades."

He let out an awkward chuckle that wasn't fooling anyone.

"Aw, that's great!" the employee said. "Where are you guys thinking of going?"

Steve glanced at the screen—New Jersey was glowing like a beacon.

"New Jersey."

"Nice!" The employee nodded—then paused.

His eyes slid from Steve... to Natasha... to Azaliya.

Then he stared.

Hard.

"Huh. That's... wild." He leaned closer to Azaliya. "She looks exactly like both of you. Like—exactly. Your hair—your eyes—like someone made a custom mash-up."

He laughed.

"Did you guys make her in a lab or something?"

Azaliya froze.

She'd never noticed. Never thought to notice.

Her hair really was Natasha's shade of red but her blue eyes were a different shade than Steve's—not quite like her papa's.

Natasha placed a gentle but firm hand on Azaliya's shoulder.

"Thanks. She's our perfect girl," she said smoothly going back to the computer.

The employee grinned. "Well, if you need anything, I'm Aaron."

He walked away.

After they gathered the information they needed, they realized the mall was already hosting the tactical teams coming after them. As they stepped onto the escalator, they spotted Rumlow coming up right beside them.

"Kiss me," Natasha said quietly.

"What?" Steve and Azaliya said in unison—one shocked, one deeply disgusted.

"Public displays of affection make people uncomfortable," Natasha hissed.

Steve blinked. "Yes, they do—"

But he didn't finish—Natasha grabbed his collar and yanked him down into a kiss.

Azaliya immediately turned away, burying her face in the back of Steve's jacket—not because she feared being recognized, but because she absolutely did not want to see that.

"Okay, stop now," Azaliya said, voice muffled. "He's gone."

Natasha pulled back, breath steady.

"You still uncomfortable?" she teased.

"It's not exactly the word I'd use," Steve muttered.

"Well, it's the one I'd use," Azaliya snapped, still hiding.

Steve straightened quickly. "C'mon, let's move. Two more up front."

He swept Azaliya into his arms without warning as they exited the escalator, carrying her as they pushed toward the back exit.

Azaliya didn't fight it. Not because she couldn't. But because, for the first time all day, she felt safe enough not to.

-ˋˏ ༻𖤓༺ ˎˊ-

After a couple of hours driving, they finally pulled up outside an abandoned military base indicated by the signal they were following.

Climbing out of the car, Natasha said, "This is it; the file came from these coordinates."

"So did I. This camp is where I was trained."

"Has it changed much?"

"A little," Steve replied, looking off into the distance as he recalled his time there.

"This is a dead end. Zero heat signatures, zero waves, not even radio signals. Whoever wrote the file must have used a router to throw people off." Natasha noticed that Steve was staring at a building ahead of them. "What is it?" she asked as they walked toward the structure.

"Army regulations forbid storing ammunition within five hundred yards of the barracks. This building is in the wrong place," Steve explained as he unlocked the door with his shield and they entered. When they turned on the lights, they realized they were in a SHIELD office.

"This is SHIELD," Natasha stated. Azaliya walked quietly behind them. The office was still filled with desks and older phones, making it seem like the place had been frozen in time.

"Maybe where is started," Steve said as they entered a room where they found old framed portraits of three people.

"There's Stark's father," Natasha noted. "Howard," Steve replied.

Azaliya decided to speak for the first time since they arrived. "Did you know them?"

"Yeah, I did," Steve replies almost sadly, turning away to walk further into the room. He stops by a massive bookshelf.

"If you're already working in a secret office," he says, pushing the bookshelf to slide it open, revealing an elevator behind it, "why do you need to hide the elevator?"

They enter the elevator, which took them to a room filled with older looking computers. Azaliya looks around, confused by the ancient technology surrounding her. She doesn't trust this place, it offered no quick exit.

"This can't be the data point; this technology is ancient." Suddenly, Natasha notices a small flash drive port. She inserts the flash drive, which activates the old computer in the room.

"Y-E-S spells yes," Natasha smiles as the old computer begins to crank up. "Shall we play a game?" she says in a different tone, then turns to Steve, who is looking at her with a blank expression. "It's from a movie that—"

"I know," Steve interrupts. "Eli made me watch it with him."

Eli? Who the heck is Eli?

Suddenly, the screen turns on, displaying a strange green pixelated interface. The technology around them comes to life, and a face appears on screen, complete with round glasses, starting to speak.

"Rogers, Steven. Born, 1918. Romanoff, Natasha. Born, 1984." An old camera moves above them, analyzing their features. "Project WSBW-3, born 2002."

Natasha's face pales. 2002. WSBW. There's no way. It isn't possible. No. No.

"It's some kind of recording," Natasha wispers trying to calm herself.

Almost offended, the computer begins talking again. "I may not be the man I was when the Captain took me prisoner in 1945, but I am." The screen shows an old photo of him.

"Do you know this thing?" Natasha asks. "Arnim Zola was a German scientist who worked for the Red Skull. He's been dead for years," Steve replies.

"First correction: I am Swiss." The lights flickered. "Second: look around you. I have never been more alive." He continued, explaining Operation Paperclip, HYDRA's infiltration of SHIELD, the decades of manipulation, the assassinations — including the Starks. Azaliya stood rigid, her pulse climbing. She really didn't like this.

By the end, Steve slammed the monitor with his shield.

Zola only chuckled. "As I was saying—"

"What's on this drive?" Steve barked.

"Project Insight requires insight. I wrote an algorithm—"

The air changed. Then Zola added "Unfortunately, you shall be too dead to hear it."

The mental doors began closing. Natasha grabbed Azaliya's arm. "Steve!"

"Bogey incoming!" Natasha shouted. "Short-range ballistic! Thirty seconds!"

"From who?"

"SHEILD!"

"I am afraid I have been stalling, Captain. Admit it; it's better this way. We are both out of time." Noticing a small opening in the ground, Steve throws the metal door aside. "Jump!"

He threw Natasha and Azaliya down first, then dove after them, covering them with his shield as the entire facility detonated.

The world became fire and roaring metal.

Azaliya stayed conscious, although barely, the serum still maturing in her veins. Her ears rang. Her ribs throbbed. But she was alive. Awake.

Natasha wasn't as lucky. She was only beginning to stir when Steve hauled debris off them.They stumbled into daylight just as STRIKE teams arrived. "Truck," Azaliya gasped.

They sprinted silently through the trees and made it back to the Silverado.

Steve laid Natasha gently across the backseat, then turned to Azaliya, panic creeping into his voice.

"Are you hurt? What hurts? Are you bleeding anywhere? Do you need—"

Azaliya eased into the front seat. "I'm fine. Really. But we need to go."

That was enough. Steve gunned the engine. They vanished into the woods.

-ˋˏ ༻𖤓༺ ˎˊ-

Back in D.C., Pierce poured himself a glass of milk, only to find the Winter Soldier already seated at his table, silent and unreadable.

Renata's voice drifted from the hallway. "I'm heading out, Mr. Pierce — need anything before I go?"

"No, Renata. You can go home," Pierce called, forcing his voice even.

"Okay, night-night." She walked off.

Pierce turned back to the Soldier. "The timetable has moved. Two targets, Level Six. They already cost me Zola." He leaned closer, voice cold.

"They also have the girl. Do this well, and she'll be back where she belongs."

The Soldier didn't react.

Renata reappeared suddenly. "Sorry, I forgot my phone—" She froze when she saw the Soldier. Pierce sighed, almost regretful.