Josh's friend in Brooklyn was, of course, none other than Peggy Carter, who supposedly lived in the apartnt that once belonged to Captain Arica.
"Huh? Keep driving, don't stop!" But as the car approached the street by the apartnt, Vito, in the passenger seat, noticed sothing was wrong and quickly ordered the driver to continue driving.
The driver imdiately obeyed, maintaining a steady speed and steering away from the apartnt area.
"What's going on?" Josh asked with a slight frown.
"Boss, it looks like soone is keeping an eye on this area," Vito replied with a serious expression.
Josh was taken aback. Was Peggy Carter being watched?
Although, considering her line of work, it wasn't entirely surprising.
"...Find a place to stop. Go check it out and see who's watching," Josh said thoughtfully.
"Yes, boss!" Vito nodded. When the car stopped, he got out and blended in with the crowd as a casual passerby, slowly making his way toward the apartnt.
Josh stayed in the car, closing his eyes and resting as he waited.
It wasn't long—just over ten minutes—before Vito returned, his expression was a little peculiar.
"Boss, I figured it out. It's the Council's people!" Vito reported before Josh could ask.
"Huh? The Council? Aren't they after Bucky? Why are they watching Carter?" Josh was confused. He had warned Vito about this after the eting. Although the Council mbers had assured him that there would be no trouble, there was always the possibility that a rogue agent could cause trouble.
It was better to be cautious than to be sorry.
"I asked around. It turns out that Mr. Barnes and Ms. Carter are now colleagues and partners. They live in the sa apartnt building, so while the Council is keeping tabs on Bucky, they're also keeping tabs on Ms. Carter," Vito explained.
"Bucky and Carter live together?" Josh blinked in surprise. Gosh, was this a case of 'sharing the care of a brother's wife'?
"Uh, no. Mr. Barnes moved out of his parents' house after returning to New York and beca Ms. Carter's neighbor," Vito clarified, correcting the misunderstanding.
Josh finally understood. Bucky and Carter had beco co-workers, partners, and neighbors.
Although nothing had probably happened between them yet, the potential was there if things continued.
And in a way, it was his fault.
In the original tiline, Peggy Carter was supposed to join the New York branch of the Strategic Scientific Reserve (SSR) alone around this ti.
Because of the social discrimination against won in this era, Peggy, despite her outstanding contributions during the war, would have been sidelined had Howard Stark not ascended to the leadership of the SSR and formally established S.H.I.E.L.D. She would have been stuck behind a desk or fetching coffee, with no chance of field work.
But in this tiline, Josh's actions in bringing Bucky back had changed things.
As Captain Arica's best friend and deputy commander of the Howling Commandos, Bucky naturally joined the SSR after the war, becoming a senior field agent in the New York division.
His position was leagues above the limping Agent Sousa of Carter's original series.
Under these circumstances, anyone in the SSR, including the director, would think twice before sidelining Peggy Carter, since they'd have to deal with Bucky first.
Josh should have seen this coming. But because he hadn't paid much attention to Peggy and Bucky's situation, he had missed it.
Now he couldn't tell if this change was good or bad.
"Boss, should we have them withdraw?" Vito asked as he noticed Josh deep in thought.
" Have Carter and Barnes returned to the apartnt?" Josh asked.
"No, according to the information we have, Ms. Carter and Mr. Barnes are currently having dinner at a drive-through restaurant two blocks away. They do this almost every day," Vito replied.
Drive-through restaurant were an early form of convenient fast-food restaurant that focused on affordability and ease.
Peggy Carter might be able to wield a gun and fight, but cook? Not so much.
As for Bucky, forget it—his wealthy background made him sothing of a spoiled young master. The only cooking he had learned was preparing field rations during his two years as a soldier.
So the two of them usually opted for quick and cheap als after work.
"Have they ntioned when they plan to make their move?" Josh continued.
"Yes... They plan to act after Mr. Barnes and Ms. Carter return from dinner. The apartnt building is in a secluded location where only the two of them and a few tenants live, so it's easy to avoid attracting too much attention," Vito nodded. "Plus, it's right after dinner, which puts so strain on the body—an ideal ti to strike."
"In that case, let's wait. You should go over and keep an eye on things. If anything unexpected happens, you can step in to help. Rember to use the spray so you won't be identified!" Josh instructed. (TL/N: Not enough context so the word spray may change)
"Understood, boss. I'll make sure nothing happens to Ms. Carter and Mr. Barnes!" Vito replied firmly.
"What nonsense! I'm telling you to assist the Council. Sure, Carter and I are friends, but just friends—definitely not close enough for to sabotage the Council's mission because of her. And Bucky's survival? That's none of our business!" Josh rolled his eyes and scolded lightly. "Besides, I'm really skeptical about the Council's chances against a duo like Carter and Bucky."
"Hehe, I get it!" Vito scratched his head awkwardly, realizing that he had misunderstood Josh's intentions.
"All right, get to it. But be careful. You can go hard on Bucky—he's tough and can take it. As for Carter, try to knock her out rather than hurt her badly. If you hurt or kill her and Steve ever cos back, that could be a problem!" Josh waved dismissively.
"Boss, are you saying that Captain Steve Rogers is still alive and could co back?" Vito asked in surprise.
"Who knows? This world is a lot more complex than it seems," Josh said mysteriously.
Vito was puzzled by Josh's remark, but decided to concentrate on his task. He got out of the car and found a hidden spot with a clear view to observe.
anwhile, Josh instructed the driver to park discreetly and wait for updates.
About ten minutes later, Carter and Bucky's car slowly pulled up to the apartnt building.
"Bucky, do you feel it?" Carter asked sharply as soon as the car stopped. Her hand reached into her open briefcase and grabbed the handgun inside.
"Yes, there are so unknown rats lurking around here," Bucky replied, his hand moving to his waist. Even with his missing left arm, Howard Stark had provided him with a custom prosthetic that was as effective as the Winter Soldier's tal arm in the original tiline. Driving was no problem for him.
From their exchange, it was clear that both had noticed the strange situation around the apartnt.
Josh's concern that the Council's mission could fail wasn't groundless.
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