Lexi cursed under her breath, watching the helicarrier explode in a ball of fire, then tumble down around the Triskillion. SHIELD was gone. She hated knowing she’d had a hand in it. When Fury had tasked her with following a lead almost a year ago, she hadn’t imagined it would lead to discovering Hydra’s resurgence, let alone its scale.
She remembered unraveling that thread, finding more and more evidence confirming Hydra’s existence. Then discovering they’d burrowed into SHIELD, compromising missions to ensure infiltration. It made her furious.
She’d worked too hard to get where she was, to have it all tainted by traitors. She wanted to hunt them all down, kill them one by one.
Standing at the tree line, she watched a body fall from the wreckage. Raising her mini-scope, she saw it was Captain America. As he hit the water, another body followed. The Winter Soldier.
Lexi waited, hidden. Fury had ordered her to shadow the Soldier, to observe, not interfere unless absolutely necessary. She watched as he surfaced, hauling the Captain out of the water, dragging him onto the bank.
She frowned, watching him hesitate, then walk away. She was the best at trailing, the best at disappearing. She followed the Soldier, keeping her distance as he left the chaos behind.
----------------------------------------------------------
It was almost midnight, and Lexi hadn’t stopped following him. Right now, he was holed up in an abandoned house on the outskirts of Washington. She was watching from a rooftop across the street, hidden in the shadows. Her scope showed a heat signature inside.
Pulling out her phone – heavily encrypted with anti-tracking software – she called Fury, giving him an update.
‘Adams. How’s your trip?’ Her voice sounded tired even to her own ears.
‘After today, I’m just… tired,’ she scoffed into the phone. ‘We’re resting up for the night. Probably explore the area tomorrow. How are *you* feeling, boss?’
Lexi always measured her words on the phone. Even with the best encryption, she couldn’t be too careful.
‘Feel like I’m dead on my feet. Sounds like you had a good day. Do you need anything?’ He sounded as weary as she felt.
‘No. We’re all set. I thought I’d take some time and just enjoy myself. How’s the old man?’ She checked her scope again, confirming he was still inside.
‘Took a fall, but he’s in hospital. Nothing major, but he’ll be up and about in a few days. I’ll make sure he gets home to his family, they’ll need him, and he’ll need them. Send me a postcard when you get settled.’ She heard him yawn.
‘I will. Get some sleep, boss. You’ve earned it.’ She hung up, sighed. SHIELD was gone, and Fury was sending Rogers back to the Avengers. She didn’t like the Captain. Too righteous, too… *Captain America*. Honestly, she only tolerated a few people, and only because Fury made her.
She had immense respect for Fury. Barely tolerated a few others, but that was only because Fury asked her to.
Checking her scope one last time, seeing he was still inside, she settled back, using her bag as a pillow, and pulled her jacket tighter around her. She set an alarm on her phone to vibrate, tucking it into her bra. It would go off every half hour, so she could check on him again.
Not much sleep, but she was used to it. Closing her eyes, exhaustion overwhelmed her.
----------------------------------------------------------
He’d spent the last three hours battling the clashing memories of two different lives. He couldn’t shake the feeling he was being followed. He wanted to disappear, but he was too tired to think straight. He found some old blankets in a box, gave them a quick shake, and grabbed a cushion off the couch.
He settled on the floor, trying to rest. He doubted he’d ever sleep again, but he needed to try. Closing his eyes, more flashes ran through his mind. He squeezed them tight, willing the images away.
He’d spent hours tossing and turning, getting maybe two hours of fitful sleep. He sat up, the sky still dark, shook his head to clear the fog, and started rummaging through the house for anything useful.
He found some clothes that fit, slightly outdated, but better than the Soldier uniform. He went upstairs, hoping the water still ran in the old bathroom. Turning the taps on, he started stripping.
Washing his face, his body as best he could, he wiped the dust off the mirror with his wet hand. Seeing his reflection, more memories flooded his mind. He got lost in them.
---------------------------------------------------------
She watched him through her scope, tracking his movements. She could tell what he was doing by his actions. She sighed, tired and hungry. He probably was too, after everything today.
Quietly slipping from the roof, she headed down to the street. Hiding behind a hedge, she pulled a few items from her backpack: food, water, a wad of cash. She moved to the house, checking her scope to make sure he was still upstairs. Tucking the bag on the back steps, visible but not obvious.
Making her way back to the hedge, she gathered her things, stuffed them in her pockets. She didn’t care about him. Honestly, if he died, it would make things easier. But she had to watch him. That was her mission.
Fury wanted her close, to protect him without being seen. She was supposed to wait until he settled, then integrate herself into his life. Gain his trust, extract information about Hydra.
If anything compromised her or the mission, she was authorized to do whatever was necessary to bring him to the Avengers. Even put a bullet in his kneecaps and drag him back.
Sighing, she settled behind the hedge, glancing at her scope every few minutes. She knew she wouldn’t sleep again tonight. She pulled out her phone, opened her Kindle app. Might as well lose herself in a fictional man.