Adam and Steve stood inside a small store in the city, having already changed their clothes to blend into the crowd.
Steve was no longer wearing his S.H.I.E.L.D. outfit, and Adam had swapped his own clothes for something much simpler.
Thanks to Adam's powers, they had managed to take the new clothes without anyone noticing, pulling their caps low.
Adam had also added sunglasses, not just for style, but because he did not want people staring too closely at his face after turning into a giant in front of half of S.H.I.E.L.D.; he did not need a random person in a store becoming their next problem.
Steve stood near one of the shelves, keeping his eyes on the front window as people walked outside like the world was completely normal.
Many of them had phones in their hands, and a few were watching the news on screens inside nearby shops, where S.H.I.E.L.D. had already started spreading the warning that Captain America and Adam were wanted.
Steve's face remained calm, but Adam could tell he was angry—not with a loud anger, but the quiet, intense kind that meant Steve was thinking far too much.
After a few seconds, Steve turned back toward him, his voice low but carrying a clear pressure. "Adam, where is the drive?" Adam knew why he was asking again; Steve wanted a proper answer this time, wanting to ensure Adam had not handed it to someone else or made a joke at the worst possible moment.
Steve was already carrying too much with Fury dead and the very organization he had dedicated himself to turning on him overnight.
He was starting to feel angry at himself, wondering how things had gone so wrong inside S.H.I.E.L.D., and that small drive was the only clean thing he still had left from Fury.
Adam put one hand into his pocket. "Relax," he said, pulling out the flash drive and holding it between two fingers. "It was with me the whole time. I did not give it to anyone, so you are worrying too much."
He kept his voice casual, but he held the drive carefully, knowing even he could not afford to wave it around for long.
Steve took the drive from him at once and stared at it for a moment. To him, this was not just a small piece of plastic; Fury had given it to him for a reason, and this drive was probably the only real clue left behind.
Adam let him take that second, knowing Steve needed it. If he rushed him too hard, Steve would only start asking more questions in the middle of the street. Steve closed his hand around it, looking as if he was about to ask Adam something else, but before he could speak, Adam turned toward the door.
"We need to go somewhere else," Adam said, leaving Steve surprised by the sudden direction.
Steve looked up. "Where are we going?" Adam simply replied, "Come with me," though Steve did not move right away.
Adam could understand his hesitation; if someone kept giving half answers while S.H.I.E.L.D. was hunting them, Steve Rogers was not the kind of man who would enjoy it. Still, Adam opened the door and walked out, and Steve followed him.
They moved through the city on foot, keeping their heads low and their pace steady.
Adam did not run, knowing running would make people look, and Steve matched his speed without argument. Every few minutes, Steve looked at him as if demanding an explanation, but Adam did not give one yet.
He could not, since the truth was both simple and impossible at the same time; he knew that in the original timeline, Steve was supposed to hide the flash drive in a hospital vending machine where Natasha Romanoff would find it.
That was the entire point—Adam needed Natasha to get involved, but he could not explain that to Steve without changing the timeline too much.
He could tell Steve everything directly, but he did not want to twist the timeline too hard since he only had three aliens unlocked, and if the future moved faster than he was ready for, he did not have enough power to handle it.
So he chose the safer path, pushing things toward the place where Natasha was supposed to appear.
Steve finally spoke when they reached the hospital area, his voice low and tense with frustration.
"Why are we here, Adam?" Adam kept walking, ignoring the question, which only made Steve's annoyance grow stronger as he stepped closer.
"Adam, this is one of the worst places we could come back to," Steve hissed. "If they are watching anywhere, they are watching here. It's too easy for us to get caught." Adam did not look back, simply replying, "We have something important to do here." Steve followed, but his face showed that he did not like it at all.
They entered carefully and moved through the hospital without drawing attention. Adam kept his cap low, and Steve stayed a few steps behind him.
Neither of them moved like they were hiding, but both were watching everything around them, where every camera in the corner felt like a threat and every nurse who looked up for too long made Steve's shoulders tighten.
Adam led him toward the section where Fury had been treated. The hall looked different now, with fewer people than before, but the place still carried the same cold hospital smell.
The bright lights and clean floors made the hallway feel empty, and for Steve, it had to feel like walking back into the moment where everything had gone wrong.
Adam stopped near a vending machine and began looking around. Steve watched him, more confused than ever, before shifting his eyes back to Adam. "What are you doing?" Steve asked.
"Tell me what is going on." Adam opened his mouth, but before he could answer, a voice came from the side.
"He was probably looking for me." Adam and Steve both turned to see Natasha Romanoff step out from near the hallway, looking as calm as if she had been waiting there the whole time.
Adam smiled and nodded. "Exactly."