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𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟑
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐄𝐋𝐃 𝐂𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐘

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Music filled every inch of the apartment as Annalise cooked pancakes in the kitchen. A large smile was plastered onto her face while she sang along. It had just been her living in the apartment after Pietro left to deal with an issue in New Jersey. He never went into detail about what the situation was, all the Jones girl knew was that it involved Wanda. But after knowing the Maximoff man for the last few years, Annalise knew better than to question him on certain things. And his sister was one of those things.

Annalise continued to hum along to the music as she plated her breakfast and headed into the living room. She plopped down onto the couch and turned on the news, knowing she wouldn't have much time for an actual show. The Jones girl was heading to a ceremony soon that Sam invited her to. He didn't say what it was for, just that it was very important to him and he wanted her to attend. The Wilson man even sent Annalise an outfit to wear for it, which told her just how significant it was.

It wasn't long before she was done eating and got dressed for the ceremony. Just as she finished doing her hair, her phone went off. Annalise didn't hesitate to pick up the phone to find a text from Sam, causing the smile on her face to grow.

SAM:
You have two minutes to get
downstairs or I'm leaving
without you.

Annalise couldn't help but laugh as she put her phone in her pocket and put on her necklace. Once it was secured, she headed downstairs to meet Sam. It didn't take her long to find his car before she slid into the passenger seat.

"And with a minute to spare," the Wilson man told her as he began to drive away from her apartment building.

"You do realize that I'm a cryokinetic and not a speedster, right? Two minutes isn't enough time," Annalise responded as they drove through the streets of the Nation's capital.

"Seems like it was enough time for you," Sam retaliated, earning a playful eye roll from the girl beside him.

The two of them continued to talk and laugh until finally arriving at their destination. Annalise was in awe as she stepped out of the car and stared at the large building in front of her. She had seen the Smithsonian a dozen times in passing but was always taken aback by how large it was. Unfortunately, the Jones girl never had the time to visit the stunning museum. That was until today.

Annalise stayed close to Sam as she ascended the stairs and walked inside the building. She couldn't help but look around at all the exhibits with a large smile on her face. But that smile soon faded when they walked into the room where the ceremony would take place. There were dozens of posters of Steve hanging throughout the room along with different exhibits depicting his life. The Jones girl didn't know how to feel as she followed Sam further into the room. She was happy that Steve was getting the recognition he deserved, but a small part of her no longer wanted to be there.

The Rogers man was one of the people to find her and give her a better life. He trained her day and night until she had full control over her abilities. He and Sam were the ones to show her just how great the world could be. Steve became family to Annalise. The Rogers man was the one who discovered she was Snapped. He left her TV on for five years because he couldn't bring himself to change anything about her apartment. Then he was gone, wanting to live the life he always wanted. Annalise couldn't blame him for his choice, but it still hurt seeing him grow old. And seeing his face displayed everywhere in the room just reminded Annalise of what she lost.

What felt like an eternity passed before the remaining guests at the ceremony were allowed into the room. Annalise stayed close to Sam the whole time, uncomfortable with the crowd size. That was until he had to leave her to give his speech. Fortunately, before he did, they bumped into Rhodey, leaving the Jones girl with a familiar face to keep her company. The Wilson man gazed at the crowd before greeting them, prompting them to quiet down for his speech.

"Steve represented the best in all of us. Courageous, righteous, hopeful. And he mastered posting stoically," Sam began while looking up at the poster nearest to him. The crowd couldn't help but laugh before quieting down to allow the Wilson man to continue. "The world has been forever changed. A few months ago, billions of people reappeared after five years away, sending the world into turmoil. We need new heroes. Ones suited for the times we're in. Symbols...are nothing without the women and men that give them meaning."

The raven-haired man paused as his eyes scanned the crowd until landing on Annalise. He just stared at her for a long moment before a small smile appeared on his lips. It wasn't long after that when he picked up the shield leaning against the podium. "And this thing. I don't know if there's ever been a greater symbol. But it's more about the man who propped it up, and he's gone. So, today we honor Steve's legacy. But also, we look to the future. So, thank you, Captain America. But this belongs to you."

Applause interrupted from the crowd as Sam handed the shield over to the man standing beside him. Shock coursed through Annalise's veins as she watched him place the shield in a large case, making it a permanent part of the Captain America exhibit.

"Did you know about this?" Rhodey quietly asked Annalise, not wanting anyone else to hear their conversation.

The Jones girl just stared at the shield until her attention fell on Sam, who was staring at the case with no emotion in his eyes. She stayed silent for a moment longer before responding to the man beside her. "I had no idea."

After waiting for Sam to finish talking to a man Annalise had never seen before, she walked beside him and Rhodey down an empty section of the Captain America exhibit. None of them said a word at first, unsure of how to start the conversation. The Jones girl was on edge ever since Sam's speech, and it didn't help that there were a ton of pictures of Bucky watching her as she walked. Despite Sam and Steve telling her a dozen times that the Barnes man had changed, Annalise would never forget who he used to be. She refused to see him no matter how many times they tried to convince her to. After all, Bucky's eyes were all she saw before she was put through pain, and she would never forget that.

Just as the silence was starting to become too much for Annalise, the Rhodes man finally broke it. "So, what have you been up to these last few months?"

"I've been at home. My sister and my nephews, man. When I left, they were babies. I come back and they're little men," Sam explained while they walked further down the quiet hall, "it's crazy, you know?"

"Well, you should bring them out to D.C. sometime. I'll teach them how to fly. You know, I mean, the right way," Rhodey responded, earning a small chuckle from the man beside him.

Annalise couldn't help but look up at the Colonel with a hint of shock in her eyes. "You never offered to teach me how to fly."

"Yeah. Well, you trip over your own feet sometimes. That doesn't give me the motivation to teach you how to fly." Sam couldn't help but laugh at the Rhodes man's words while Annalise rolled her eyes at him. It wasn't long after that when Rhodey continued speaking. "Crazy that nobody's gonna be carrying the shield."

"Hey, we went for seventy years without anybody carrying it when Steve was on ice. So, I think we'll be alright," the Wilson man retaliated, earning an eye roll from Annalise that he chose to ignore.

"That was a different time, Sam," Rhodey said as they walked past Steve's old motorcycle. It wasn't long before they found themselves standing in front of a picture of the Rogers man. The three of them just stared at it in silence until the Rhodes man broke it. "I see you're gonna make me ask. Why didn't you take up the mantle?"

Annalise's eyes instantly snapped to Sam. She was thinking about the question so she wanted to make sure heard every word that came out of his mouth next. What felt like an eternity passed before the Wilson man finally answered. "When Steve first told me about the shield, the first words I said were, 'it feels like it belongs to someone else.' That someone else is Steve.

Rhodey simply nodded in response before opening his mouth to speak. "World's a crazy place right now. People are...well, nobody's stable. Allies are now enemies. Alliances are all torn apart. The world's broken. Everybody's just looking for somebody to fix it."

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A few days passed since Annalise attended the ceremony at the Smithsonian. She still didn't agree with what Sam chose to do with the shield, but she didn't argue with him about it. The Jones girl knew how much pressure he felt when Steve gave him the shield. He always told her how much he didn't think he was ready for that kind of responsibility. So Annalise couldn't blame Sam for not wanting to become Captain America. She just thought that the shield should be with someone Steve trusted instead of in some museum.

The Jones girl let out a long sigh before taking a bite of her ice cream. Some show she'd never heard of played on the TV as she scrolled mindlessly through her phone. Despite hating the silence of the apartment, Annalise had grown used to it. She had to with Pietro being gone the last few months. She was worried about the speedster, but she also knew he could take care of himself. Annalise just wished he would return her texts once in a while so she knew he was safe.

Annalise had been sitting on the couch for several hours when she felt herself starting to drift off. She was nearly fast asleep when her phone rang. The Jones girl jumped and almost fell off the couch. After rubbing the sleepiness from her eyes, she grabbed her phone to find a text from Sam.

SAM:
Turn on the news. Now.

A wave of confusion washed over Annalise and grabbed her remote to do what Sam asked. She was instantly greeted by the man talking to the Wilson man at the Smithsonian. Her uncertainty did nothing but grow as she turned up the volume and leaned back on her couch.

"Unrest, in the wake of recent events, has left us vulnerable. Every day Americans feel it. While we love heroes who put their lives on the line to defend Earth, we also need a hero to defend this country. We need a real person who embodies America's greatest values. We need someone to inspire us again, someone who can be a symbol for all of us. So, on behalf of the Department of Defense and our Commander-in-Chief, it is with great honor that we announce here today that the United States of America has a new hero. Join me in welcoming your new Captain America."

Annalise's entire body froze while the crowd on the screen cheered. The Senator stepped as the doors behind him opened, revealing a man in a patriotic suit. A bright smile was plastered onto his face as he walked out to greet the crowd. But what caught the Jones girl's attention the most was what he held in his hand. Anger replaced the confusion she once felt as she tightly clutched the remote in her hand. Frost slowly covered it until it was completely frozen. Not even a second after that when it shattered in Annalise's hand. But she didn't move a muscle as she continued to stare at the TV screen. Annalise couldn't believe what she was seeing.

In the man's hand was Steve's shield.

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