The city was as beautiful as Scarlet remembered it. The noise, the smell and bustle of people were all familiar and inviting. It was almost therapeutic to listen to car horns and sound of people yelling to each other. If she didn't think too much about it, she could imagine herself walking home from a shift at the diner.

She floated down the streets, towards the address Colonel Phillips had given her, absorbing as much as she could. She was home. After being away for 3 years, she had made it back in her beloved city.

The city Steve had saved...

She found the building the SSR had taken as a cover, and entered somewhat confidently. She had a fair idea of where she was going and who she was supposed to talk to.

"Rose will let you in," Colonel Phillips had explained. "Just tell her your name."

Scarlet took the elevator to the floor, walked down the line of telephone operators until she reached the end where another elevator was located.

"How can I help you?" A kind looking woman asked, looking up at Scarlet.

"Are you Rose?"

"I sure am. You mind telling me who you are?"

"I'm Anastasia-"

"Silverthorne-Blake-Barnes," she took a moment to stare at Red, before nodding. "You're Scarlet. Colonel Phillips told me you would be coming. It is a pleasure to meet you."

Scarlet put on a smile. "Likewise."

"I'm going to warn you, there's a lot happening right now."

"I lived in an active war base. I'll be fine."

Rose nodded and pushed a lever, causing the doors to slide open.

Scarlet stepped into the elevator and rode it down until the doors opened into the office.

"What are you, the new secretary?" A man asked when she entered the bullpen.

"Why do you ask? Did the last one quit? I can hardly imagine why."

"What's your name, doll?" Another man asked with a chuckle.

Scarlet bristled at the pet name, and turned to look at the man who was leaning back in his chair with his feet on his desk. "Lieutenant Colonel Silverthorne-Blake-Barnes."

"Scarlet?"

Scarlet turned again to see Agent Thompson walking towards her. "Agent Thompson." She felt herself smile genuinely at him and relax slightly.

"Whoa, whoa. Scarlet Huntington-Montgomery-Blake-Barnes?" The man pulled his feet off the desk and sat up. "You're Scarlet Silverthorne-Blake-Barnes? As in Red Angel?"

"That would be me, yes."

"I didn't realize you'd be coming in today," Jack said, drawing Scarlet's focus back to him.

"I'm sorry. I just landed a few days ago and have been laying low at my hotel." She looked around the office, "is Peggy around?"

Thompson glanced at the conference room, and Scarlet followed his gaze. Peggy was in there with a man, looking agitated.

"Is everything okay?"

"Not exactly. But don't worry about that. Come on, I'll introduce you to the chief." He began to lead her through the line of desks, cutting through agents.

"Chief Dooley," Peggy came out of the room, and Jack stopped abruptly, a few feet from the man Peggy had gone to. "Chief Dooley, I'd like to make a confession."

"I already got the confession I need," the chief replied.

"It's a fake."

Thompson held his hand out to Scarlet, to keep her from moving or talking. "Why are you pulling this Carter?"

Peggy looked at him, and then at Scarlet. Her eyes widened slightly, but that was the only reaction she gave. "Howard Stark isn't coming." She looked back at the chief, "the confession is a phony, the signature a forgery."

"Agent Carter-" The Chief began impatiently.

"It's Miss Carter."

"I don't work here anymore, but if you want a confession, if you want the truth, I'm ready to give it to you."

"What's going on?" Scarlet asked, looking between Peggy and the men staring at her.

The Chief turned to look at Scarlet, "who are you?"

"Oh, sir, this is-" Jack began, but Scarlet stepped forward.

"Lieutenant Colonel Scarlet Silverthorne-Blake-Barnes, I believe Colonel Phillips informed you that I was coming."

"Oh, right, right. This is a horrible day for you to show up."

"I'm sorry...?"

"Just sit there," he pointed to a desk, "and I'll get to you after I hear this confession."

Scarlet looked at Peggy, noticing that her eyes were shining with tears. Something wasn't right, and Scarlet hated not knowing how to help her friend. "Okay," she lowered herself into the chair.

She waited for close to 15 minutes, spending the time looking around the office and avoiding the gazes of the men gawking at her. One would think that they'd never seen the sister of a world famous hero before. Her right leg started to bounce, and she twisted the gold band around her finger, until Jack opened the door and came out to her.

"Peggy wants you in here for this."

That was curious. Scarlet didn't have a clue as to what was going on.

She followed him into the conference room, where the chief, Peggy, an unfamiliar man in a suit, and a man with a crutch were all waiting.

"This is something I should have told you about in Europe, and I'm sorry for keeping it from you," Peggy said to Scarlet. She offered a sad smile, and picked up a metal ball from the table, and held it out to the chief. He took it, holding it gingerly, and pushed a button on the side, which caused the lid to pop up with a hiss. Milliseconds later, a vial of red liquid popped up.

"You'll want to be careful with that," Peggy said, as Chief Dooley pulled the vial out, her voice thick with emotion.

"Does this stuff implode? Explode? Spice up an old fashioned."

Peggy stared at the vial, her expression open and full of sorrow. "That is the last remaining sample of Captain Steve Rogers' blood."

Scarlet snapped her gaze to Peggy, feeling as though lightning had run down her spine. "What?" She looked back at the vial, her heart beginning to pound. That was the last vial of Steve's blood. The last proof that Steve Rogers had been a living and breathing human being. Not a monument.

"Mister Stark was afraid that the SSR's scientists would squander the remaining samples attempting to recreate the serum."

"Which they did," the man in the suit said, speaking in a british accent. "So I'm afraid you'll have to forgive him for trying to protect the greatest scientific feat of the 20th century."

Scarlet wanted to protest that Steve was more than that. He was more than just a science experiment. He was a human being. A man who had given everything he had to serve his country.

"Howard didn't trust me with it, either," Peggy explained. "He lied about the contents of the device. He nearly convinced me that I was saving the city by stealing it."

"Is that why you kept it?" The man with a crutch asked. "Because he lied?"

"Maybe at first," Peggy admitted, "or perhaps I didn't trust our greatest capitalist with such a prize. But I couldn't bring it here, either. And for that, I don't have an answer. I suppose I just wanted a second chance at keeping him safe."

Scarlet slowly sat down, and covered her mouth. "May I?" She asked, holding her hand out. "Please?"

Chief Dooley nodded and slowly handed her the vial of blood.

She couldn't believe that she was holding a piece of Steve. She had been in the room when they had drawn this blood from him. She could remember the conversation and the feeling of needing to cheer her brother up after him witnessing the death of Doctor Erskine.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about it," Peggy said.

Scarlet looked up and realized that they were alone, except for the man in the suit. "Don't be," she wiped away a stray tear that was leaking from her eye. "I know how much he meant to you."

"What he meant to me wasn't nearly what he meant to you."

"It's not a competition," Scarlet replied softly. She placed the vial back into the ball, and closed the lid. "Who are you?" She asked, looking at the man in the suit.

"Oh, right. I haven't properly introduced myself to you. I'm Edwin Jarvis, Mister Stark's butler."

"His butler?" Scarlet asked skeptically. What was a butler doing in this type of situation?

"Yes."

"He's not your average butler," Peggy explained.

"Figured as such." Scarlet leaned back in her chair and began to twist the ring around her finger.

She was still working on getting a grip and letting the ghosts go, but seeing the blood was sending her down the path of overwhelming emotions.

"You're wearing the ring?"

Scarlet nodded without looking at Peggy. "I'm never taking it off."

"Oh, you're married?" Jarvis asked. "How lovely."

"It would be, if he was alive," Scarlet said, aware of how empty her voice sounded.

"Oh. Oh, I'm terribly sorry for your loss."

Scarlet smiled slightly, "thank you."

The door opened and Chief Dooley stuck his head, "You two with me now." He said quietly, pointing to Peggy and Jarvis.

"What's happened?" Peggy whispered.

He shook his head. "Can't talk here. There's ears everywhere." He looked at Scarlet. "You stay here."

Scarlet leaned forward, prepared to offer her assistance. "Are you sure you don't want my help?"

"I respect you, but I don't know you. So, stay here."

Scarlet nodded, "okay."

"Grab the blood," he ordered Peggy.

"I'll be back soon," Peggy promised. She picked up the ball containing the vial of blood, and left with Jarvis.

Scarlet leaned back in the chair again and stared at the ceiling. She didn't know what to do with herself. She was in an unfamiliar place, surrounded by mostly unfamiliar people, something crazy was going on, Peggy was no longer an agent of the SSR and Howard Stark was somehow at the center of everything. As usual.

Howard and his inventions.

"Where are Peggy and Mister Jarvis?"

Scarlet sat up to see Jack holding the door open and looking at her. "Chief Dooley took them somewhere. He said that it wasn't safe to talk because there were ears everywhere."

He frowned and looked back at the bullpen. "Okay...? Come with me."

Scarlet stood and followed him through the office. Many agents stopped what they were doing to stare at her, but she ignored them. She was certain that there would be plenty of time to introduce herself later.

"In here, come on," Jack opened a door and let her in first, before following.

"Oh." The room was an observation room that looked into an interrogation cell, where Peggy and Jarvis were handcuffed to a table.

Jack stared at the two of them, "what the hell is going on in here?"

"Where's Chief Dooley?" Peggy demanded.

"Give me the key," Scarlet said, holding her hand out to Jack. He gave her the key, and she entered the interrogation cell. "Is it always this exciting around here?" She asked, uncuffing Peggy and Jarvis.

"Darling, you have no idea. Come on."

The four of them ran through the office until they got to Dooley's office, where they could see him lying unconscious on his desk, wearing a vest with glowing hot coils visible through the fabric.

"Have none of you been paying attention?" Jack yelled at the agents in the pen. "What sort of federal agents are you?" He began to pound on the door and twist the knob, but the door was locked and he wasn't responding.

"Chief Dooley!" Peggy yelled. "Chief!"

The Chief slowly lifted his head, with a groan and looked at them through the windows.

"Are you okay?" Jack called.

He stood and staggered to the door.

"Oh my God," Jarvis said in horror, as Dooley came out to the pen.

"Very calmly now, everybody stand clear please. Miss Carter," he pushed his way through the gathered agents, and grabbed Peggy in order to move her away from Chief Dooley. "Stand clear. Mister Thompson, Miss Silverthorne-Blake-Barnes, stand back please."

Jack grabbed Scarlet's arm and pulled her behind him, watching as Dooley stumbled further out of his office.

What the hell was going on in this office?

"He's gone, isn't he?" Dooley asked, looking at Peggy.

"What is that?" Peggy asked.

"That is the prototype for a new system of armor," Jarvis explained nervously, still holding his arms out to stop agents from getting too close.

"How do we get it off him?" Jack asked, moving around Dooley to get a better look at the vest.

"I'm afraid it's not that simple - please don't touch," Jarvis held his hand out to Jack, who pulled his hand away. "It was intended to double as a heat source, for use in the winter months on the European front. Locking the armor ignites a self sustaining battery."

"But there's always a catch to this stuff, isn't there?" Jack asked bitterly.

"I'm afraid the energy source is experimental, powerful, and incredibly flawed. It invariably overheats with rather violent results."

Dooley stared at him. "How violent?"

Jarvis held Dooley's gaze. "Explosive."

"Get the scientists," Peggy ordered.

"Everybody back up, please." Jarvis ushered more ment away. "Let's get some room."

"Chief, come sit down," Jack led Dooley over to a desk and helped him lean against it. "You doing okay? How are you feeling?"

"I'm locked in an explosive vest, Thompson. How do you think I'm feeling?" He took a shaky breath. "He made me steal something from the lab. You can't let him talk to you. If he starts talking to you, he's got you."

A man in a white lab coat approached and began to do an examination of the vest. "These clasps?"

"They're locked," Jarvis said. "As I said before, it's what activates the system. Tampering with them trips a circuit to the battery and speeds up the reaction."

"What is this thing made of?" The scientist asked.

"It's an alloy of Mister Stark's creation."

"Can't you cut him out of this thing?" Peggy asked.

"I-I don't think we have the time."

"Tampering with the circuit-"

"Speeds up the reaction," the scientist finished, annoyed and frustrated. "I got it."

Chief Dooley began to groan in discomfort.

"Let's pack him with ice," Scarlet suggested, thinking desperately for a solution to save the man's life. "Perhaps we can cool the core."

"The armor is designed to be impervious to all outside elements, whether it be artillery or temperature," Jarvis countered.

"Damn you, Howard," Peggy said, her voice breaking with emotion.

"My God, it's searing his skin," the scientist noted.

"It's in the final stages," Jarvis said nervously. "We're running out of time."

"I don't know what to do."

"What does that mean?" Jack demanded loudly.

"It means that..." the scientist gestured helplessly. "I don't know what to do."

"I know what to do," Dooley said, sounding surprisingly calm. "Here, give me a hand," he held his arm out to Jack, and shook it slightly. "Give me a hand."

Jack walked around and grasped the chief by the arm, pulling him up.

Dooley reached into Jack's suit and pulled out Jack's pistol, before backing away from them.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa," Jack held his hands out, following Dooley.

"Tell..." Dooley slowly looked at Jack. "Tell my wife..." He took a few seconds to breathe shakily and think. "Tell her I'm sorry I missed dinner." He looked at Peggy, "and you..." he chuckled weakly. "Promise me you'll get the son of a bitch who did this."

Peggy nodded silently, tears slipping down her cheeks.

"Say it!" He demanded firmly.

"We'll catch them," Peggy responded, quickly and shakily.

He nodded, looking proud. "Attagirl."

The coils in the vest began to flash, going faster and faster.

"Oh my God," Scarlet whispered, dreading what was about to happen.

Dooley turned and began to run towards the far window, shooting the glass twice, before diving through it.

"Chief!" Peggy yelled as they all ran after him.

The vest exploded seconds after he left the window, shaking the entire building and shattering all the windows.

Scarlet covered her mouth in shock, feeling her stomach drop. It was as though she hadn't even left Europe. Good people were still dying while she stood helpless to do anything.

She slowly turned to look at Jack, who was staring at the broken window in shock. His eyes were wide, and his mouth was open slightly.

He was frozen again. And Scarlet got the idea that he was feeling the addition of another ghost onto his conscience.

"Hey," she took him by the arm and led him to a desk to sit on, making sure that his back was to the window. "Jack, can you hear me?" She patted his cheek gently. "Jack?"

His eyes slowly focused on her, "I'm okay." His voice was empty and despondent.

"You just watched a man you respect, die horribly. I don't think 'okay' is the right word to use."

He chuckled half heartedly, "I'll be better once we take down those who did this."

Scarlet studied his face for a moment. He had a look in his eye that she had seen on countless other men, including Steve and Bucky. He was determined and she knew that he wasn't one to give up easily. He was going to do whatever it took to stop the bad guys. "And you will. You will catch them."

The man with the crutch walked into the office, looking around at the destruction, in shock. "What happened?"

Jack looked at him, "They got chief." He explained solemnly.

"Oh God," the man stumbled back.

She held her hand out to him, after he had a few seconds to deal with the news. "This is a horrible time for introduction, but I get the feeling we'll be seeing a lot of each other. I'm Lieutenant Colonel Scarlet Silverthorne-Blake-Barnes, or if you like, Scarlet."

He accepted her hand. "I'm Agent Sousa. Or, Daniel, I guess."

Scarlet offered him a smile. "Good to meet you, Agent Sousa."

She noticed that Jack was looking at Peggy and listening to her conversation with Jarvis.

"Leviathan tasked Leet Brannis to steal something. What was it?" She slowly looked over at them. "The blood."

They ran to the lab, but the ball containing the blood was safe on the table.

"If not this, then what?" Jack asked.

"I'm afraid there's too many inventions here that they could have taken," Jarvis said, looking around. "It would take hours to sort through everything."

"Hours we don't have," Peggy murmured.