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[b]Triskelion
Washington D.C.
March 19, 2005
23:30[/b]

The punching bag buckled under the strength of her strikes backed by righteous anger. Stephanie didn't like to train angry, but this wasn't training. No, this was an attempt to work out frustration. Most would agree that hitting something when you're mad is the best way to relieve stress and frustration. It had always worked for Steph in the past, though she was also usually hitting someone from AIM or KOBRA. That was a lot more satisfying than hitting the bag. She was also usually a lot less angry than she was now. This was a hot, nuclear fire kind of anger. The kind of anger that could consume you given the chance.

Hours ago, HYDRA and the Red Skull had announced their return to the world in a spectacular fashion, hijacking internet feeds to deliver a manifesto that Steph had read about many times before. They wanted to purify the world of everyone and everything they thought was impure, disgusting, and base. It was the speech of all cowards and would-be tyrants. The Red Skull was trying to rile up the idiots that would rush to his cause. He was trying to get someone to do something stupid without doing it himself. Classic psychological manipulation of the dumb people of the world. HYDRA were cowards during WWII when her father took care of them, and they were cowards now.

The thought of her father, Steve Rogers, made her hit the bag a little harder. She had never met the man who was Captain America, obviously, but there were enough newsreels, stories, and information out there for her to appreciate the man he was. She strove every day of her life to live up to the legacy of Steve Rogers.

After all, it's why she was born. She was conceived through SHIELD science after her mother was impregnated with Rogers's genetic material. When she was merely a girl, she was informed that she would be the first to truly carry on the legacy of Captain America. There had been others, of course, but she would be the first to be presented as carrying on the spirit of Rogers. It scared her slightly, but more often than not it just made her proud. She was Captain America's daughter, and she'd be the one to carry his shield one day.

At least she thought she would carry the shield. That is until new Director of SHIELD Nick Fury told her today that they had found Steve's old partner, Bucky Barnes. He was strong, and still young. More importantly, according to Fury, was he was a soldier with direct experience with HYDRA. Due to those reasons, he would be leading the fight against the re-emergent threat.

Everything she was meant for, everything she was promised, and everything she had dreamed of had been ripped away from her. With another mighty blow the punching bag snapped off its moorings and slid along the wall before crashing into a rack of weights. They crashed down in front of Bobbie Morse who entered the room and looked at Steph sympathetically, "So I was going to ask how you were doing...but I think I get the point."

Bobbi was Steph's surrogate big sister, her partner in the field, and all around rock. She was about the only person Steph would tolerate seeing at this point.

"Listen, I debated whether to tell you this," she sighed, "but they're waking him up right now. If you want to meet him. I mean, he did know your dad."

Steph shot her a sideways glance. It was probably more venomous than she intended from the look she got in return. She said nothing, but nodded. She might as well go see who was taking her place.

It took her a few minutes to walk to the medbay. The Triskelion was a huge military installation, and the most advanced one in the world. SHIELD had all the technical know-how in the world, though it hasn't done much good in tracking down the whereabouts of enemy leaders. Still, their island fortress in the Potomac was impenetrable.

When she reached the medbay, she found a large group assembled around the window of Barnes's room. She pushed through them, and as she did they dispersed, not wanting to be around the fuming agent. Inside the room, Fury sat with the man who had spent more time with Captain America in battle than any other. Barnes was built strong, with long, dark hair covering much of his face. One of his arms had been lost, replaced by a mechanical one. Steph could tell it was advanced. Maybe a piece of Stark's tech.

Deep down, she wished this moment was happening at a different moment. Bucky was a hero in his own right, and the person who probably knew her father the best. She would have loved to sit down with him and hear the stories from the war. But everything that happened today was keeping her from being in that mindset.

Then, their eyes locked. Her stare burned into him, and his confusion hit her like a ton of bricks. She looked like her father, she knew that. That's what had to be going through his mind as he looked at her. She broke her gaze and walked off, her hands shaking.

For the next hour, she wandered the grounds of the Triskelion, her thoughts racing. Every single scenario ran through her mind. Emotions raged as well. It had been one hell of a day. She should have gone to bed. Instead, she decided to take a path she had considered since Fury told her she would not be taking her father's mantle. If she wasn't going to be SHIELD's choice, then why should she bother staying?

"Bobbi," she opened her private comm chat with her friend. "You up?"

Morse answered groggily, "Yea, what's up? Need to have an ice cream night?"

"No," Steph sighed. "Listen. I just want to say I'm sorry."

"Sorry? For what?"

"Just...sorry," Steph responded as she took her earpiece out and stamped it under her heel. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she shook them off. There was no time for emotion now. She needed her wits about her.

She made her way to the equipment room and put on her battle gear. The star on her chest shone brightly in the florescent light. While the lightweight stealth armor she wore into battle was fashioned after her father's, it only included dark blue and white accents.  It was meant to blend it with dark environments for infiltration and stealth. 

From her locker, she also pulled her father's shield. No longer red, white, and blue, it now matched her suit. She ran her hands over the smooth metal surface. It had seen more battle than any soldier in history, if she had to guess, but it still looked like it was brand new. That was thanks to its special composition. She treasured every moment she had with it. She slung it onto her back, and stood, placing the small domino mask she always wore over her eyes.

Turning around, she found herself nearly face to face with Fury, who had two security officers behind him.

"Move, Fury," Steph said through gritted teeth.

"Put the shield back," he responded coolly.

"Over my dead body," she sneered back. She had sat patiently for her time. It had come, and she was passed over. She had taken enough. Duggan pushed it off for long enough, and now Fury was outright skipping her. The emotion poured off her, "You can take my father's name. You can take his mantle. You can't take this shield. I was born for this, Nick. It's the reason I'm here. It might not have been your call to make me, but I was. SHIELD made me, Nick. Made me to be Captain America. You took that away from me. You're not going to take away the one piece of my father I can still have. Now, step aside. Unless you and your goons want a demonstration."

The two of them stared at each other, the tension thick enough to eat with a spoon. While she didn't break her gaze, she could tell the two guards behind the Director were tense. Suddenly, one drew their weapon. Steph pushed Fury to the ground and raised her shield. The tranquilizer darts bounced harmlessly off it. She spun, grabbing the aggressor's wrist. She disarmed him, and fired a dart into his and his partner's neck. Steph spun back to Fury, "Sorry, Nick."

"We're gonna get that shield back, Carter," he shook his head.

"You'll try," Steph responded, firing a dart into Fury, knocking him out. She gathered more ammo for the tranq gun, and holstered it. She quickly made her way to the garage, where her specialized motorcycle was. She dismantled its tracking system, making sure SHIELD wouldn't be able to follow.

Firing up the engines, she sped out of the Triskelion. She was no longer Stephanie Carter. She would never be Captain America. She was Nomad, and she was going to take down HYDRA, no matter what the cost.