Avengers 1. Like Smooth Jazz

**Disclaimer: I do not own Captain America or Marvel.**

**A/N: I know I shouldn't be starting another story with my others still in progress but I couldn't resist! I hope you guys like this one. I love Captain America and I thought I'd just explore him a bit. This will have an OC in it so bear with me. She is my invention and I hope you guys like her. **

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_Left hook._

_Right jab._

_**Bucky**__._

_Left hook._

_Right jab._

_**The Howling Commandoes.**_

_Left hook._

_Right jab._

_**Peggy.**_

The punching bag flew from the chain, landing on the ground with a thud. Steve Rogers took a deep breath, reaching up to wipe the sweat from his brow. That was the –

"Third bag this week, huh?" Steve spun around to face the door and the person with the Brooklyn accent. A woman stood there, dressed in black shorts that stopped mid-thigh, tennis shoes, and grey hooded sweatshirt, her curly honey brown hair hanging down to brush against the creamy brown skin of her neck. Even from where she was standing by the door he could tell that she was tall and lean. She strode toward him, pulling her sweatshirt over her head to reveal a blue tank top and the straps of her sports bra. Her attire was enough to make Steve's ears turn red but she didn't seem to be bothered with so much skin showing. He supposed women weren't too shy in this decade. "They said you were strong."

He could only imagine what Bucky would say if he were standing here right now.

"_Check out that doll!"_

"_Look at the gams on that one."_

"_What's a dish like you doing in a place like this?"_

Steve didn't say any of that, though, as he glanced back at the punching bag. He wasn't that confident, no matter how pretty the girl was or how changed he was. Bucky could – could have. Bucky had been suave and cool and. . . . He looked back to the door, only the girl wasn't there. He spun around and found her in the boxing ring. How in the world did she – "I forget sometimes. I'm Steve."

"You're modest," she responded, bouncing up and down and the balls of her feet, rolling her neck. She pulled fingerless gloves out of her pocket, sliding them over long fingers. "_Captain_ Steve Rogers. _Captain America._"

"Yeah, well I like just Steve," Steve muttered, walking up to the boxing ring. "So . . . do you have a name?"

"Yep," she respond, popping the 'p' and continuing to stretch. "Fury calls me Glitch."

Glitch? "Fury sent you in here?"

Glitch glanced back down at the punching bag. "He figured you could use some company . . . and maybe a new sparring partner. He thought you'd be more inclined to go easier on me than on the punching bags."

Steve chuckled, shaking his head before he climbed into the ring. He stood up straight. "I'm sorry but I don't fight –"

She was gone, again!

A tap on his shoulder and he spun around. Glitch smiled slightly before she pushed him. Steve stumbled backwards, if only because of the surprise. "How did you –"

"Weren't you wondering about my codename?" Glitch asked before she vanished.

Steve blinked. She was gone. Just disappeared, right in front of his eyes. There was no smoke, she didn't flicker out of existence. She was gone in a blink. One second she was there, the next she –

"And again!" Her shoe connected with his side, knocking him into the rope. She grinned at him this time, hands on her hips. "Head in the game, Captain."

Steve stood up straight as she disappeared again. She was behind him, punching his back, on his right, kicking him in the shoulder, pushing him from the front.

"You have to be willing to fight everyone, Captain," Glitch said as she attacked, disappearing and reappearing, her voice echoing as she vanished. "Not all of your opponents will be tough strong men. Sometimes they'll be small. Sometimes they'll be woman. Sometimes –"

Steve had been timing her, trying to find a pattern. She reappeared five seconds after she vanished, always. If he could just time it he could. . . .

Glitch appeared to the left of him, just diagonally and he grabbed her wrist before she could hit him again. She stopped, her wide hazel eyes even wider in shock before she laughed. She had a nice laugh, a little raspy, a bit soft, like smooth jazz. "Sometimes they'll surprise you."

He let go of her wrist, stepping back. "Again," he muttered to which Glitch grinned.

"Again," she said and disappeared on the spot.

An hour or so later, Steve slid out of the ring, sweaty and a bit tired. It was hard to get a good workout since taking the Serum. He didn't get worn out easy. He looked behind him as Glitch disappeared from the ring, appearing by the towel rack, grabbing one to wrap around her neck.

"Can I ask you a question?" he asked.

"Sure you can," she responded.

He felt a little embarrassed asking and wasn't quite sure if he should. He thought maybe, if it was too personal, she would get upset. . . . "What – what is a 'glitch'?"

The girl smiled. "It's what people call a minor problem in computers and electronics. You've used a computer yet?"

"Not really," Steve admitted, rubbing the back of his head. "Fury gave me one but I haven't gotten around to figuring it out."

"We'll work on it. Anyway, when a glitch occurs, the screen might freeze. If you're playing a game or watching TV the characters might move from the spot they were in to a different spot. Hence my new name."

Steve didn't know if she had noticed that she said _they_ would work on his lack of computer knowledge. He didn't think he'd mind her hanging around for more than just sparring.

"How can you do that?" Steve asked as she pulled her sweatshirt back over her head. "How can you just . . . just –"

"Travel?" Glitch shrugged, pulling her hair up in a ponytail as she looked away from him. "It's just something I've been able to do, since I was young. S.H.E.I.L.D. picked me up, help me hone my 'talent'."

Steve could only just stare at her for a moment. He had seen some pretty interesting things since waking up in this time . . . internet, cell phones, faster cars – but this took the cake. Glitch . . . she was impossible. . . . Though he supposed he was a bit impossible as well.

Steve walked towards her, slipping on his coat. "How far can you . . . 'Travel'?"

Glitch glanced up at him, hesitating for a moment before holding out her hand. "Would you like to find out?"

He stared at her hand a moment, contemplating. It had been a while since he had left the compound. Going outside startled him, as brave as he was supposed to be; new sights, new sounds, nothing like when he had come from. Still. . . .

Slowly, he slipped his hand into hers. She gave him a slight smile. "You might want to keep your eyes closed. It'll feel a bit uncomfortable the first time."

She didn't count to three, didn't give him a warning. One moment his feet were on solid ground and the next it felt as if he were weightless, heavy, free falling and standing still all at the same time. There wasn't any air and there was too much. He kept his eyes closed, thinking that if he opened them he might get sick.

Before he knew it, the sensation ended. He was standing now and a soft breeze ruffled his hair. Glitch let go of his hand, nudging his arm with her shoulder. "You can open your eyes now."

Steve gradually opened his eyes, stepping forward to get a good look around. The New York skyline was one of the most gorgeous things that the Super Solider could recall from his time and that hadn't changed. From the Statue of Liberty, it looked even better. He wished he had his sketch pad. Beside him, Glitch smiled slightly. "Have you ever been up here?"

"No," Steve said, trying not to sound as awed as he felt. "I was always too sick. This is amazing."

"Pfft, this is nothing. One day I'll show you the Great Wall or the Eifel Tower."

"You can go farther than this?"

"'Course I can." Glitch pulled her hood over her head. "Farther trips take a longer time. I thought I'd take it easy on you for the first one."

Steve thought this was pretty great and he had traveled the world at one point, but seeing it from different points of view wouldn't be something he was against. He glanced out the corner of his eye at Glitch who was looking out over the night sky. "So . . . it's just Glitch then?"

Glitch let out a small laugh, the left side of her mouth lifting into a smirk. "Right now it is."

Steve turned to look at her. "Right now?"

"Yeah. . . . Maybe I'll tell you my real name some day." She turned to him, holding out her hand. "You ready to head back?"

He looked back out to the skyline and the water and then to the girl beside him. "Not yet, if that's okay."

Glitch smiled. "Suite yourself."

So they stood there in the night, staring out across the water. It was nice, not talking, the quiet calm. Every so often, Steve found himself glancing at Glitch, this strange, impossible, almost-like-jazz woman. He wondered what her name was and if she would ever tell him. He wondered how she came by these powers. He wondered if he would always be wondering about Glitch.

Eventually it started to get colder, the wind harsher. When Glitch held out her hand to him this time, he took it. She was right. The second time Traveling didn't seem nearly as uncomfortable. Before he knew it, he was back in the gym as if they hadn't just been miles away.

"Well, Just Steve," Glitch said, pulling her hood down so that her curls bounced free, "I suppose I'll see you again soon."

"Soon?" Steve asked, watching as she moved towards the door.

"Oh yeah," Glitch told him with a laugh, looking back to him. "I've got things to teach you about this decade and the decades you've missed. Take the Berlin Wall and disco for example or . . . _I Love Lucy_."

" '_I Love Lucy'_?"

"See? Tons to learn. We'll have to make a list." With a wink, Glitch disappeared on the spot. Steve stared at the spot she disappeared before he shook his head, chuckling. He thought he may look forward to more of her visits if it meant he wasn't the only impossible person in this world.

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**A/N: So what did you guys think? Let me know!**


	2. Wildfire

**Disclaimer: I do not own the world of Captain America or Marvel. **

**A/n: SO excited for the response to this story :) s/o to my new readers Jennybot19, cuttiepiepay, 13, lunasky99, CelticCrossings, paulsgirl, XionNight, jdho2 and thanks jdho2 and princessariellover876 for your review and following**

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Glitch and Steve continued like this for a few weeks, meeting at the gym and training for an hour or so. They never talked much, just trained but Steve thought the Traveler was beginning to get used to him. Sometimes she'd bring her "laptop" computer and tried to teach Steve what the "internet" was and how to use "word" document. Sometimes they'd Travel, which Steve found he really enjoyed. So far they had gone to the Hollywood sign, Big Ben in London and the Eifel Tower; Steve was glad he always brought his sketch pad to the gym. Even at all these magnificent places, the two of them sat in silence, looking out over the cities below them. Steve never learned anything new about Glitch, but he thought that the fact that she was trying to teach him about the world when Fury had only assigned her to train with him, meant that maybe they were become something sort of like friends.

Four days later, Steve found himself heading down to the gym. He had gone yesterday, of course and the day before. It was habit now seeing as how the gym was the closest thing to normal that he had in this strange new world. It had become his routine and he spent a good portion of the evening there before he retired to his room in the base. Now, however, he had added waiting for Glitch to his routine as she usually showed up a few minutes after he did except for these last four days in which she hadn't shown up at all. He couldn't help but be intrigued by the woman with the strange powers, that was it. He had convinced himself that her wide eyes and laugh had nothing to do with his curiosity.

He entered the gym, surprised to find it already occupied. He was used to seeing a few of the agents down here, training every so often. What he wasn't used to was seeing two people fencing on mats laid down towards the back of the gym. Steve hadn't ever really seen anyone fence before, but he had read something about it once. The swords these two agents were using weren't thin like the ones he had had seen in pictures and they looked liked they could do some serious damage. The swords flashed through the air as the agents dressed in white suits from head to toe battled against each other. Steve couldn't help but stand and stare, as both of the agents were incredibly skilled. The swords hit against each other, sending metal rings echoing throughout the gym but never once did they hit against the padded suits.

The smaller agent of the two suddenly switched from the defense to the offense, slashing at his opponent's calves. The second agent jumped to avoid the hit. Steve watched, amazed, as the smaller agent quickly flipped the sword so that he was holding the blade lightly in his gloved hands, hitting the other agent in the chest with the hilt of the sword. The already unstable man fell to the ground, his sword clattering across the gym floor. The smaller agent flipped his sword around again, the point resting against his opponent's neck.

"Fine, fine!" the man on the floor called out, pulling the mask off. He held up his hands in surrender, laughing. "I yield."

The winner pulled their mask off, honey-brown curls bouncing free. The smile on Glitch's face was bright and triumphant. "Best that you did."

She held out her hand, helping her friend off the floor. "You've been practicing, haven't you? You almost got me a few times."

The man grinned back. "As if that'll ever happen. Oh!" The agent had finally noticed Steve, coming to attention quickly. "Good evening, Captain Rogers!"

"Eh," Steve started awkwardly. He hated when people did that. He didn't think he'd ever get used to be being saluted or gawked at. "Good evening."

Glitch smiled at him. "Hey there, Captain. Feeling alright? Hey," she said to the other agent, shoving him. "Loosen up a bit, Spencer. You're making him uncomfortable. You ready to spar?" she asked Steve, as she pulled her glove from her hand.

"Oh, we don't have to, if you're just finishing up training," Steve reassured her.

"Don't be silly," she told him. "Just give me a moment."

With that, she disappeared, leaving behind Steve and Spencer alone. Spencer gathered up his things, shooting Steve a grin. "She talked you into training with her?"

She hadn't needed to do very much talking. "Yea I suppose so. We've been meeting here the past couple of weeks."

"She's powerful, that girl. I try to get through the pain by thinking about how much I learn from her. I guess I'm just lucky she doesn't use her super powers on me."

Steve set his things down. "What's she like?"

Spencer grinned; he had one of those faces that made it hard for him not to. "Glitch? Man, she's like wildfire."

"What do you mean?" Steve asked.

"Just, she has this way about her, you know," Spencer explained. "She just manages to pull you in, she's catching. You'll see after you known her for a while."

Steve could sort of already tell. This mysterious girl with all the curls . . . she definitely had a unique spark to her, despite the fact that she was incredibly closed off.

"Are you guys talking about me?" Both men turned to find the object of their conversation standing behind them, dressed now in leggings and a tank top.

"'Course not," Spencer said. He reached over and patted Steve on the back. "Catch you later, Captain."

Whistling, Spencer strode out of the gym. Steve turned to Glitch, only to find her standing in the ring. He shook his head, walking towards her. "So you like to sword fight?"

"It was Fury's idea," she explained. "He believed that if there a chance that one day my powers wouldn't work, I should be able to fight in another manner. We tried various weapons but I found I was much better with the sword than with anything else. Plus, it helps when the Black Widow is your trainer."

"Black Widow?"

"You'll meet her soon enough. Come on, let's get started."

So they trained. Steve understood why Spencer felt he was lucky not having to deal with Glitch's sword skills and her 'super power'. Her ability to Travel made her quick and dangerous; he could only imagine seeing her in action with a sword in her hand. He didn't want to be on that side of the fight.

They finished an hour and a half later, when Steve could tell Glitch was getting tired. They sat on a bench in the gym, drinking water and relaxing. Steve glanced over at Glitch as she pulled her curls into a messy ponytail. "You were gone for a couple of days."

"I had a mission to handle for Fury," Glitch said, looking to Steve with a smirk. "Why? Did you miss me? Calm down, Solider Boy," she added when it was obvious that Steve didn't know what to say. "I'm just teasing. Oh. I got you something."

She disappeared from beside him and returned a moment later, holding a small black book and a pen. "Here you go," she said, handing it to him.

"What is this?" Steve asked, turning the book over in his hands.

"I told you we needed to make a list," Glitch explained. "This way we can keep track of all the things you need to catch up on."

It was a small thing, that book, but it did mean quite a lot to him. He opened it up, clicking the pen and writing 'I love Lucy' at the top. He glanced out the corner of his eye to see a slight smile come to Glitch's face.

Yeah, they were definitely something like friends.

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**A/N: Hope you liked it!**


	3. Star Dust

**Disclaimer: I do not own the world of Marvel or the Avengers though I wish I owned Captain America but sadly it's just a dream.**

**A/n: Hey there Readers! I hope you are well! Sorry for the long wait, hope this chapter makes up for it. S/O to new readers: 112025yram, jinkiestrap, Calliope's Scribe, Judware98, IJustWannaBeAHero, spiritofawatergoddess, charinjon, Shy-Girl-Writer, minnatarek, the blondebookworm, and Megblueyes! Thank you so much :)**

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It became a tradition every time the two of them met for Steve to add things to the list. Glitch always had something new for him to write down and whenever he questioned it, she would get this excited gleam in her eyes and grin, saying, "Oh I'm not giving you any spoilers."

They had a strange relationship; at least Steve thought they did. She knew a lot about him, whether from reading his file or him talking about his past but he had yet to find out anything about her. As fetching as she was, with a brilliant smile and personality to match, she was locked up as a journal. He knew she could swordfight, knew she had had her amazing powers since she was young and probably grew up in Brooklyn but her _real _name, her age, her favorite place to Travel to, he knew none of that. He supposed he could ask around but he didn't think that would be polite. He didn't really like the fact that people knew about him from reading a file and he'd rather Glitch tell him herself. Besides, he didn't think anyone knew much about Glitch even if he were to ask around.

For a while, he'd walk into the gym and think, "Maybe today" but so far "today" hadn't come. He wondered what it was that kept her so secretive, what had happened to make her not trust anyone with that information.

Steve sighed, slinging a towel over his shoulders as he walked down the hallway towards the gym. He paused for a moment, frowning when he thought he heard something not normal, a sound floating gently through the doors.

Was that music?

As he got closer he realized it was and his heart jumped to his throat. He _knew _this song. He heard music nowadays and hadn't a clue if the singers were actually singing or had accidently dropped a hammer on their foot. This song, _Star Dust _by Louis Armstrong, he could clearly remember his mom singing along in the kitchen when she was cooking. Hesitantly, Steve pushed open the door.

The dulcet tones of Armstrong drifted around him, soft enough to still be heard but loud enough to make Steve feel as if the Trumpet player was standing right in front of him. The lights were dimmed and Steve couldn't help but think that if he had ever gotten to take Peggy to a dance hall, minus the boxing ring and the punching bags, this is what it would have been like.

"Hey there, Captain." Steve turned slightly, finding Glitch standing in front of him. She was gorgeous, her normally tight curls pulled out into bigger spirals that reached her shoulders, one large curl falling gently across her forehead. The dark blue dress she wore came straight from his past it seemed, fit like a glove down to her knees, and she had traded out her fingerless gloves for lacy white ones that showed just how long and delicate her fingers were. She grinned, her laced up brown high heels clicking across the floor as she moved towards him. "I thought we'd do something fun today. Care to dance?"

If this had been then, back when he would have done anything for a pretty girl like Glitch to dance with him, he would have jumped at the chance. . . . But this wasn't "then". He was stuck in a time that wasn't his own, most if not all of his friends from "then" were dead and right now all he could think of was everything that he had missed out on and how Glitch reminded him a little too strongly of a girl he had once promised a dance….

"I have to go," Steve muttered. He spun on his heel and hurried out the door, hearing it slam shut behind him. It was all too much to handle, even after all these weeks and just when he thought he could try to get used to be in this time period.

Glitch appeared in front of him and for the first time since he had known her, the Traveler looked unsure, confused. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Steve responded, looking away because he couldn't look at her. "I just – it's nothing."

He went to move past him but she side stepped so that she was in front of him again. "Obviously it's not just nothing. Did I – did I do something wrong?"

Steve's fist clenched at his side. He wasn't try to get angry but there it was, just beneath the surface of his grief and, for some reason, it was easier to get too. He gestured back at the gym doors. "Why did you do this?"

"I told you, I thought it would be fun. I thought you'd enjoy doing something different."

"Did you really think I would?" Steve asked. "You really thought I would enjoy this? Seeing a piece of my past pushed into my face like that?"

Glitch crossed her arms, almost protectively. "I . . . I didn't think you would –"

"No, you weren't thinking!" Steve interrupted. His yell caused her to visibly flinch, and not just take a step back. Her whole body disappeared for the briefest of seconds before she reappeared in front of him.

She kept her eyes downcast. "I'm sorry," she whispered and then she was gone completely.

Steve stared at the spot she had disappeared from for a moment before he sighed, running a hand over his face. He might have had a good reason to be angry but that didn't mean he should have yelled at her.

Not feeling very much like the gym tonight, he dejectedly headed back to his room.

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A few days later there was still no sign of Glitch. He had gone down to the gym, every day since he had yelled at her and stayed for about an hour and a half, getting some much needed punches in on the bags (sending another one flying) but Glitch never showed up. Perhaps she thought he didn't want her around, which wasn't the case. He actually missed her quite a bit.

Sitting in his room later that evening he stared at his phone in his hands. He suppose he could … no, he shouldn't – but what if he . . . no, he wouldn't –

He looked over to his pillow where his drawing pad sat. Glitch's outline stared up at him. It was taking longer than usual to finish her portrait, mostly because he was distracted but he couldn't seem to get her face right, mostly her eyes. The mysterious girl with the curls. . . . Steve looked down at his phone again.

**Glitch**_, _he slowly typed out on the keypad of his phone. **Are you there?**

The message sent and Steve set his phone down. He wasn't even sure she would text back. Maybe it wasn't that she thought he did want her around . . . maybe she didn't want to be around him any more, not if he was going to snap at her like he had.

There was a knock on the door and Steve got up, walking the short distance to his door from where he had been sitting on his bed. Fury had told him they were working on perhaps getting him an apartment but they didn't just want to throw him out into the city; Steve thought they were scared that he might suffer from culture shock.

He opened the door, not really surprised to find Glitch there, her hands shoved into the pockets of her black skinny jeans. She gave him a small smile. "Hey there, Captain. . . . Here I am."

"There you are," Steve agreed. "Where have you been?"

"Thinking," she answered. "Are you busy?"

"No. Why, are we going somewhere?"

"You may want a coat."

Steve grabbed his brown leather jacket from his closet, shoving his arms through as he stepped out the door. Glitch turned to him and held out her hand. Without hesitating he took it and the door to his little room disappeared.

When he opened his eyes, they were standing in a middle of a park, though he realized it wasn't just any park. Central Park was a place he had come to often to draw and just relax. The area they were in was dark enough that he could see the stars up above. Glitch led the way to a park bench and had a seat. Steve followed her, taking a deep breath before he said, "Glitch I –"

"Don't apologize," she interrupted, clasping her hands in her lap.

Steve turned to face her. "Wait, what?"

"Don't apologize," she repeated, not looking up at him. "You have nothing to be sorry for."

Steve could only stare at her. Part of her face was hidden by her curls so he couldn't quite catch her expression. "Why –"

"Because you were right," she said. "Because you had every reason to be angry at me."

"I'm not angry with you," Steve explained, though he supposed it hadn't seemed that way when he shouted at her. "It's just that – you know more about me, _everyone_ knows more me than I know about them and I'm –"

Lost and confused in this new world and if there was one thing he was sure he didn't want to be confused about her anymore. He thought she understood that but –

"You're right, and that's not fair. Especially if we – if I – expect you to trust us." Glitch leaned back, staring up at the sky. "Olive."

"What?"

"Olive May Warren," she repeated, looking over at him. "That's my name, my _real_ name."

Steve watched her, waiting for some kind of trick. He was surprised, he supposed. "Your '_real name'_?"

"Yeah, well I had a lot of different names," she explained. "Practically a different name for every place I've been. I bet if you named a country or a city, I had a different name while I was there."

"Why would you need a different name?"

"It's a long story."

"We've got time."

"I suppose we do," Glitch – Olive said, smiling at him. She looked off into the distance "I grew up not far from here. I had a nanny who'd bring me to the park some days after school and on the weekends because my parents were too busy. They were scientist and they dedicated most of their time to their work, trying to figure how to duplicate the mutant gene. I'll tell you more about that later," she told him with a small smile when she saw him move to ask a question. Olive looked down at her hands, twisting her fingers together. "I knew my parents loved me, you know, but when you're seven years old all you really want is for your parents to spend time with you and mine didn't. So one evening, when they were gone and nanny was busy in the kitchen, I snuck down to their lab. I didn't understand anything I saw but I understood one thing: if I wanted my parents to spend time with me, I needed to be a science experiment too. . . . So I picked up a test tube and I drank it. . . ."

Olive fell silent. Steve cautiously reached over to grab her hand. She looked up at him briefly and Steve thought he might have seen tears in her eyes. It was hard to imagine the tough girl he had grown used to crying but there was the proof. "You don't – you don't have to tell me any of this if you don't want too."

"I _want _too, Steve, I do because you have to know I trust you." Her fingers curled around his. "I got really sick to the point that I couldn't move. Doctors couldn't figure out what was wrong, my parents couldn't figure out what was wrong with me. I stayed in the hospital for months and I thought I was going to die but I remember being happy to see my parents at my side at all times. One day, while my mom was downstairs in the cafeteria getting lunch for the three of us and my dad was asleep on the couch, I was just staring out the window. I remember wishing that I could just go outside, spend time in the park like normal. I blinked and when I opened my eyes, I was standing right here on this very spot."

"So you're –" Steve started not quite really sure what word he was looking for.

"I'm a science experiment," Olive interrupted with a wry smile. "Nothing magical or amazing. Just a science experiment."

"No, you're more than that," Steve muttered, glancing out the corner of his eye at her.

There was a slight lift to the corner of her mouth and he thought he felt her fingers tighten slightly around his hand. "After that I started getting better and my parents help me train my new "gift". I was homeschooled from then on because my parents didn't want me to accidently Travel in class. We kept everything hidden and to ourselves for three years. . . . And then people, other scientist, my parents coworkers and competitors, started to find out what I could do. We moved, we ran because people wanted to catch me and experiment on me. Soon we started attracting negative attention, people who could use my parents' experiments for the wrong reasons. Eventually those types of people did catch us.

"I have this . . . I guess it's a defense mechanism. Whenever my body comes under intense circumstances, stress or pain or fright, I Flinch. I can't control where I end up or how it happens . . . sometimes I just float in darkness for a while. When they came for us, I Flinched and ended up in a completely different state, alone and lost. By the time I managed to make it back to where we had been staying, my parents were gone. . . .

"I spent the next 6 years by myself, making as best of a living as I could. I – I did things I'm not necessarily proud of. I stole for myself, I stole for other people. It's an easy thing to do when you can get into and out of places, other people can't. I was 16 when S.H.E.I.L.D. finally caught up to me. Fury gave me a choice to work for them or go to prison for in incredibly long time. You can guess which one I picked. I've been with them ever since. Eight years now," she added as an afterthought. She glanced out the corner of her eye at him. "So there's my story. Now you know more about me. You're one of the few who do."

"Who else knows your story?" Steve asked, curious.

"Hmm. Fury, Coulson, and you. That's it." Olive sat back in her seat. She wouldn't meet his eye. "You'll understand why I don't tell that to many people."

Steve sat in silence for a while. He gently took his hand away from her and stood up. When he turned, Olive was watching him, confused and maybe a little bit hurt. He gave her a slight smile. He found he didn't think any less of her. He thought this explained why she was so closed off; who wouldn't be after what she had gone through. Steve thought she was the bravest person he knew. "So are we going to dance or not?"

"What?"

"I owe you a dance. I kind of walked out on the last one."

The Traveler bit her lip. "There isn't any music."

"Don't you have a phone?"

Olive stuck her tongue out at him before she pulled her phone out of her pocket, typing on it for a second. She set it down when _Star Dust_ played softly and Steve held out his hand. She slipped her hand into his and he pulled her up, moving her free hand to his shoulder and then placing his hand lightly on her waist as they began to sway to the music.

"London?"

"Hmm?" Olive asked.

"You said you had a different name for each place you've visited. I bet you I can name a place you've been and that you have a name there that you've used before. What was your name in England?"

Olive grinned. "Elisabeth."

"Texas?"

"Mary-ann."

"Rome?"

"Stella. You're enjoying this aren't you? You won't win."

"Bet you I will."

Olive laughed, the sound blending beautifully with Louis Armstrong's music and they stayed there in Central Park, dancing under the stars.

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**A/N: There you go! A little flirting, a little romance and a backstory for Glitch! I hope you guys enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing. If you look up the lyrics to Louis Armstrong's **_**Star Dust**_**, it's actually kind of fitting! Thanks everyone. **


	4. Trust

**Disclaimer: I do not own the world of Marvel or any characters that you see in this story.**

**A/N: I am so very pleased with the response to this story! S/o to Rainbor123, EirLoki, Emerald Monkey, sailorraven34, jrocha374282, and NicoNepenthe. You guys are amazing! BTW this chapter will be in Olive's POV (as it will happen more often, why not start now?) and I will explain why I did this at the bottom. Thanks guys!**

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"Australia."

"Gwen."

"Florida."

"Marcie."

"France?"

"Renee'. Will you focus now?"

Olive could tell that Steve was smiling but he stopped naming off different countries and states and kept working the punching bag. She shook her head and focused on her sword strikes, though she couldn't help but glance over at the super solider. It was late, many of the other agents had left the compound to go home and rest or were sleep in her quarters. Steve hardly ever slept, Olive found out and more often than not her phone would ring, asking her if she were awake. More often than not, she was.

Two days ago, she had spilled her whole life story to him and he hadn't treated her any differently. She had expected him, like she expected anyone else would be if the ever found out, to be disappointed; she had left her family to die, had survived by becoming a thief, but he hadn't. They had danced under the stars and that had been . . . well, wonderfully unexpected. She supposed one thing had changed though; he said her name often, her real name. Not while in public, which she appreciated, but when it was just the two of them, he'd say it a lot.

Olive, Liv. . .

It didn't matter at all how he said it, he had a way of making her name sound so very important.

What was it that made her trust him so easy? There were people in S.H.E.I.L.D who had known her for the eight years she had been there and still didn't know her name but Steve . . . there was just something about him. She had done her research on him when Fury had told her to keep her company, but nothing could have prepared her for how amazing he truly was. It had been hard coming into the organization and not really knowing how to deal with people or talk to anyone. Coulson and Barton had helped a lot to break the shell she had built but it still wasn't easy to trust people. With Steve, it hadn't been hard, never felt fake, not even that first day when she had held out her hand and took him to the statue of liberty.

Why was that?

Olive looked up when Steve's punches started landing harder and faster. "Captain," she said, lowering her sword warily.

He didn't seem to hear her though, his strikes becoming more ferocious. She let the practice sword clatter to the ground as she ran to him. "Hey, hey, hey, it's okay, Captain! Calm down!"

He was still out of it, his gaze intense on the bag but she could tell he wasn't really seeing it. His next strike knocked the bag clear off the chain, the sand spilling on the floor.

"Hey!" Olive leapt forward, her hands reaching up to cup his face. She forced him to meet her eyes. "Steve. Steve, can you hear me? It's 2012. S.H.E.I.L.D Base. . . . You're here with me, Olive May Warren."

Steve took a deep breath and his eyes regained their focus, meeting hers. "Liv?"

Olive smiled, letting her hands drop to his shoulders. "There you are."

Steve glanced at the bag and then back to her. "Sorry," he muttered.

"No, no, it's fine. It happens." It most certainly wasn't the first time. Olive thought it was probably related to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, which she would be surprised if he didn't have it; God knows she had suffered enough flashbacks to tell the symptoms.

At the door, someone cleared their throats and Olive looked over. Fury stood there, his good eye focused on them, his mouth set in a thin straight line. "Am I interrupting?"

Olive quickly dropped her hands, coming to attention, her face blank to hide her embarrassment. "No, sir."

"As you were, Agent," Fury said, with a wave of his hand and Olive let her hands drop, bending down to pick up her forgotten sword. She and Steve cast a glance at each other as he walked over to grab a new punching bag to hang on the chain.

"Trouble sleeping?" Fury asked, walking fully into the gym.

"I've slept for seventy years, sir, I think I've had my fill," Steve told him, as he lined up with the bag once more.

"Then you should be out celebrating, seeing the world."

The two friends glanced at each other again, the left side of Olive's mouth lifting in a slight smirk as she swung her sword around. Steve walked over to a bench, removing the tape from his hands. "I've seen quite a bit of it, sir. I went under, the world was at war. I wake up, they say we've won. They didn't say what we lost."

"We've made some mistakes recently," Fury replied stopping just in front of them. He cast his eye downward. "Some very recently."

"You here with a mission, sir?" Steve asked standing.

"I am."

"Trying to get me back in the world?"

"Trying to save it."

Olive let the tip of the sword touch the ground. "Should I leave, sir?"

"No, Agent. You're going to be on this mission as well."

That shook Olive a bit. Since she had been joined S.H.E.I.L.D, she had been sent on a lot of sent on mostly solo missions, some espionage. This would be the first time she had been sent on a group mission. She walked forward as Fury withdrew a folder from behind his back, handing it to Steve and stood next to him, glancing over the contents of the assignment. "The Tesseract. . . ."

"Hydra's secret weapon," Steve muttered and Olive couldn't help but notice how tense he had gotten. She couldn't blame him; it wasn't every day you came face to face with the weapon that you nearly died for.

"Howard Stark fished that out of the ocean when he was looking for you," Fury explained. "He thought what we think; the Tesseract could be the key to unlimited sustainable energy. That's something the world sorely needs."

"Who took it from you?" Steve asked.

"He's called Loki. He's . . . not from around here. There's a lot we'll have to bring you up to speed on if you're in. The world has gotten even stranger than you already know."

Steve almost laughed. "At this point I doubt anything would surprise me."

"Ten bucks says your wrong. There's a debriefing package waiting for the both at you at your apartments." Steve nodded, closing the folder and reaching down to grab his gym bag. He started out of the gym, Fury turning to watch him leave. "Is there anything you can tell us about the Tesseract that we ought to know now."

"You should have left it in the ocean," Steve replied as he pushed open the door. He glanced back at her. "Glitch. . . ."

"Yeah, I'll see you," she replied, knowing Steve needed some time to himself. Steve nodded and left, leaving Olive and the Director standing alone. She turned to the older man. "Sir?"

"You're wondering why I'm including you on a team mission," Fury answered. He looked over at her. "We're going to need all the help we can get, Agent. I understand it's not what you're used to but I think this will do you some good. You've been here too long to keep yourself out casted. Besides," he added when he saw Olive open her mouth to protest, "I believe having you there will the transition easier for him as well."

Olive's mouth snapped shut and she frowned. She wasn't quite sure what the Director was implying but she didn't think she liked it, even if he may have been right. There was no use trying to change his mind. "Yes sir. Who else will be coming in?"

"We've got an assorted team. Agent Coulson will be there to meet you and Steve at the Quinjet in the morning. Tony Stark or, as you may better know him as, Iron Man will meet us at the base. Agent Romanoff will be there as well with Bruce Banner."

"Natasha?" A slight smile came to Olive's face. "It will be good to see her. What about Clint?"

Fury turned to face her again, his face grim. "Agent Barton's been compromised."

Olive stared at him, waiting for him to explain more but he didn't. She would have to read about it in the debriefing package but it must be serious if Natasha was coming back for it. Fury noted the look on her face. "You'll understand that this mission is now of the topmost importance. No more solo missions, no more easy runs. This is the real deal. I'll be relying on to help out on this team for the time being and whenever you are called. Is that understood?"

The Traveler nodded. "Yes sir."

"Good. . . . You leave in the morning. Try to get some rest, Olive."

Olive nodded. She blinked and when she opened her eyes, she was standing in her room. Sighing she snatched up the debriefing folder, knowing she probably wouldn't be getting much, if any, sleep that evening. She stared at the grainy images of Tony Stark, Bruce Banner in all his formidable green glory, and read through their files on the iPad. The last image was a larger one and she could recognize the tunnels of what had been the Base in New Mexico. Barton was at the wheel, face stoic, eyes intense and burning bright unnatural blue. Next to him was an older man, his eyes the same color. It was the last man in the vehicle that really caught her eye, especially seeing as how he stared right at the camera as if he were provoking the viewer, daring them to take action. He wore strange clothes, almost regal but nothing she had ever seen before, a scepter in his hand, black hair streaming behind him as they sped past and out of sight, the hallway crumbling behind them.

She shivered, setting the iPad down. She was glad Fury thought she was ready for this, because she wasn't quite sure she agreed. Chewing the inside of her cheek, a habit she had picked up when she was younger, she laid back on her bed.

Her 'runs' as Fury had called them had never been easy but she had only needed to look out for herself, keep herself safe. . . . She hoped she could handle a team depending on her or, more honestly, she hoped she could make herself depend on them.

_Steve will be there_, she told herself as she closed her eyes. She could depend on him. That would have to work for now.

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**A/N: Whoo! Two in two days. I hope you guys liked this chapter. I really wanted to get an Olive P.O.V. just to give insight on her opinions, fears, and worries so that she wouldn't seem so invincible. We got a glimpse of that vulnerability last chapter while she told her story but I also want you to know that she isn't becoming dependent on Steve. He is one of the few people who she has ever felt comfortable enough with to trust with her background. Going on this mission by herself with the others wouldn't have been easy for her, as Fury sort of alluded too as she isn't very good with other people, despite her 'wildfire' personality. Mostly she's worried about failing the team but knows she'd do her best not to let Steve down. Hope that explains some things! Thanks again for reading.**


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Avengers, Adventure, Romance