Accidents Happen

It didn't start with the whispers or the mentions of my name behind my back. It didn't start with the slowness of the agents or the way that they barely followed my orders anymore. No, it had nothing to do with my age or the fact that I was getting too old for this nonsense. The world was changing and so was I, that much was certain. After all, wasn't that what my company was all about? Beating the world to the punch in the aspect of change. Change was my middle name. But no, it didn't even start because I constantly thrived on change. It all started with the simple looks.

When I would walk into the office, I got a few glares and more than curious stares. It grew over time until I dreaded that moment when I opened the building doors and walked across the grounds until I reached my private office. I had to split my time, naturally, between my company and this foundation that I had created but it was worth it. At least, I thought it was worth it. I was contributing more than I ever thought I could to society.

To be honest, my life was going great for me so far. I had a beautiful wife, a handsome son that was almost as genius as myself, a government job, a company under my own name... Yeah, you could say that I was doing alright. Sure, we all had some things that we wished we could reverse or take away but those were the things that made us stronger. Those were the things that truly defined us.

Looking back, I think it all started with when I stupidly passed that act to allow German scientists to give us intel and insight on future weaponry and secrets. I didn't come up with it, neither did my partner. We simply were going along for the ride because we were new at this and we needed to get our program off its feet and running. Never had I been so happy that someone had died in my life than when Zola passed away. He had always been this little reminder of a time long past, a time that no one really wanted to dwell on. It had been a time of heartache and heightened emotions but then again, it had been a time of war.

It was a Tuesday morning when the looks started to get to me. Paranoia started too deep in my system to shake it off. I ignored the greetings and calls of "good morning Mr. Stark" and kept my head held high. I wasn't crazy. I wasn't making things up. I know what I was seeing and it scared me honestly. I had to talk to someone who understood this creeping sense, someone who was in the same boat as me... my partner until the end. Little did I know at the time how closely our statements would become.

I didn't even head into the side room where my private office was.

I walked into the side room adjacent to mine and opened the unlocked door easily, shutting it behind me with a loud click. I flipped the lock so no one else would barge in and disturb us and placed my briefcase on the ground. I wasn't prepared for this.

She barely even looked up from where she was busying typing away on the computer. Times had escalated since we had first met all of those years ago but she still looked the same, even though she was 40 years older. Many people thought that it was high time we retired but they were crazy. We built this foundation from the ground up and we were going to see it through until the end. Or at least, I would.

"What is it today?" she smirked, staring at her computer screen while her fingers flew across the keyboard. "A portable music player? A new computer language perhaps? How about another go at the flying car?" She finally glanced up, placing her hands clasped together on her desk and glancing up at me. I rolled my eyes as her British accent floated through my brain. True, the past couple of times I had been through here had been about new inventions that I had in mind. True, I probably wasn't working as hard as she was on our actual foundation. But this time, things were getting serious.

"Pegs, we need a successor."

There were very few times that I had witnessed Agent Carter speechless and this was one of those times. She sat there, not saying a word and just waiting for me to explain myself. It had come out of the blue, I had to admit, and she deserved every right to know exactly what was going on. So I cleared my throat to continue.

"If anything should ever happen to us-"

She cut me off before I could finish my statement. I hadn't really thought about this before but now that paranoia was taking a hold on my inner body, I couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen. "Isn't that why we have each other?" she questioned, leaning back in her chair. "So that if anything happened to one of us, the other accepts full responsibility?"

I shook my head. She wasn't wrapping her head around this like my brain had been ever since we accepted certain people into SHIELD that I wasn't ready for. Our organization wasn't ready for this and I was going to make damn well sure that it didn't crumble at our feet. "We are a top secret government organization and we're the heads," I tried to explain. "We could easily be the most targeted people on this planet right now."

"You are overreacting," Peggy rolled her eyes. "There are a ton of government agencies, which is what SHIELD is. We knew it was dangerous going into this."

"This is different," I continued. She wasn't going to change my mind. I knew it. There was going to be something out there, just waiting to take advantage on our weaknesses and I was going to have a backup plan whether she liked it or not.

She raised an eyebrow. I could feel her agitation rising the longer we spoke. She thought I was losing it, and perhaps I was, but for good reason. I was never the safe practical one and maybe that's why she was getting suspicious. And maybe that is just what I needed.

"Is it?" she snapped. "We are protected for a reason." She paused, letting her expression become more solid. "I'm sure there are a load of people who want our heads, just like the president and the head of the bloody CIA. But that is what the government and the people working for them have to endure. Nobody is perfect Howard. There is always going to be someone out there who disagrees with us."

I didn't say a word, echoing her technique from earlier. She tapped her fingers on the desk as my expression didn't change. I had taken everything she had said into consideration but, of course, I wasn't planning on following any of it. I had already made up my mind. And I wasn't going to rest until it was certain.

Peggy's face softened as mine stood completely still. I knew I had gotten through to her, no matter how senile she thought I was. "Would you leave me alone to work if I agreed to this plan of yours?" she sighed in exasperation.

"Yes."

There was a pause and then she motioned for me to leave her office and walk out the door. "You're bloody crazy," she mumbled.

….

From the moment that Peggy stormed into my office and flung a large file onto my desk, I knew that we were in business. It seemed that she had taken me seriously for once after all. Honestly, I think she just felt bad for me and my paranoia but she played along perfectly if that were truly the case. Mostly, I had hoped that she was just helping out her partner and friend. Hopefully.

"Alexander Pierce."

I glanced up from where she had just plopped the file on top of the newest blueprints for a new Stark Industries weapon tech missile. Shaking my head, I lowered my glasses and gazed up at her. I only had to raise my eyebrow. She rolled her eyes as I added the obvious, "Excuse me?"

"You wanted a worthy successor," she sounded exasperated at the mention of her having to explain herself. I understood perfectly what she was implying but I was already doing enough research on my own for the two of us. I had just needed her to agree on the plan, not consume herself with it. And yet, here they were. "I actually took you seriously for once," she commented at the end, stepping back away from my desk for a moment.

I flipped open the file, already knowing what I was going to see. I knew the name well. He was quite the people person but honestly, that was the only reason why we still kept him around. He wasn't a good field agent and his combat skills were the lowest I had seen in years. Pinching the bridge of my nose, I closed the file almost as soon as I had opened it and shook my head. What was Peggy on anyway?

When there was no sudden burst of laughter to show that she was just kidding, I lifted my head up. "There's no way," I said simply. "You've got to be kidding me."

Unfortunately, I knew that determined look on her face before and I knew that she was dead serious. Lovely. Now, how to deal with this on top of everything else.

"He's the best agent for the task!" she protested before I could get a word in otherwise. "He's the best agent we have right now, even without his physical qualities." She paused, biting her lip and not meeting my eyes. I had a feeling that I knew what was going on. And she knew it too.

I had to point out the statistics here and they didn't look good. "He barely manages to pass his monthly physical exams," I said slowly. "I don't even think he passed last month's ten mile run."

"When has that ever stopped anyone before?" Peggy snapped back. Oh yeah, I definitely knew what was going on and I didn't want to bring it up... again... but if it would snap her out of this ridiculous mood, I could handle a little anger. It wouldn't be the first time we fought. "If you asked us to run ten miles right now, what do you think we would get?" I hated to admit it but she did have a point. But wasn't this entire thing to choose a fresh promising young face who wasn't like us? Suddenly, I wasn't so sure anymore.

I didn't say a word, just sitting there in silence. Apparently Peggy took that as her cue to keep going and defending this guy. "He meets a lot of the qualifications," she swept on. "His stealth techniques are unparalleled to anything that I have seen in decades." She shook her head. "Sure, he might not be the strongest... but he's the best suited for the job."

I still wasn't buying it. And she knew it.

"You asked for my opinion and now you're getting it," she added spitefully. I knew she felt strongly about something again and that was good... But something was a little off. This was an all too familiar situation and like it or not, I wasn't going to have the future of our organization rest on her emotional judgement.

I sighed, "Are you sure this doesn't have to do with anything else?"

She took a step backwards, her eyes flaring up with rage. She knew what was coming. Even she saw the parallels but refused to call it anything... I stood up from behind my desk and walked around until I was standing directly in front of her. "Howard," she hissed. "Don't you dare say it."

"I'm making a point Peggy," I said, holding my hands in the surrender position in the air. "I just want to be sure that you're doing this for the right reasons."

She threw me a look that clearly said she was going to kill me but she didn't speak up, as if daring me to continue. I knew I had to, whether either of us liked it or not.

"And not because he reminds you of Steve."

I should have expected it but I was still surprised when her hand connected with my cheek. I deserved it. I took a few steps back and we stood there in silence for a few minutes. A line had been crossed by us both and we each knew it... Biting my lip, I turned back to face her a few moments later and was surprised to see remorse fill her gaze. All previous traces of rage had faded away.

"You asked for my opinion and I'm giving it to you," she said quietly. "And you can be damn well sure it's the right one too."

I nodded slowly. "Pegs," I was stepping on eggshells here. "We all miss him..."

"This has nothing to do with that. I wish all of you would stop treating me like I'm some sort of fragile doll. It's been forty years, we're getting old..."

As she trailed off, I could see the sadness in her gaze. Whatever she said, whatever she tried to convince me - and herself, this had everything to do with the past. But for her, for her sanity, it was a risk I was willing to take. She had made some fair points, however biased they were, and I was going to bet my money that this guy was going to succeed. She always had the knack for picking the ambitious ones.

"I'll talk to him tomorrow."

…

I knew something was wrong from the moment that I got his phone call. Sitting alone in the office after hours was something that I was used to. I never really looked forward to returning to my home. Home was nothing but a figure of speech. It was a place for me to stay and to sleep, sometimes, but it never truly felt like home. Home wasn't a place but the people who you were with... And I hadn't felt that in years.

The brisk cool air of the evening cut through my jacket and chilled me to the bone. I never used to notice the cold before, especially during the war. It was just the weather and all weather soon passed... But now, perhaps it was because I was getting old or perhaps it was because I was still nervous about what was about to unfold.

Hearing Howard's panicked voice on the other end of my phone had shaken me. It took a lot for him to get shaken up, I knew that much, and I still wondered what spooked him. I knew about his sudden case of paranoia but I didn't attribute that to anything until it was too late. I should have paid more attention to the signs earlier on. And that was why I was now striding quickly through the dark streets of New York to Howard Stark's mansion.

I hadn't been to his house in over a year but now I wished that I had taken him up on his constant offers to have me over for dinner or watch movies with his family. I had always fit in there even if I was an outsider. It was the closest thing I had to a family or friends, quite frankly. Shaking my head, I bypassed the security quickly and found myself standing on his front doorstep. I only had to push the doorbell once before the front door swung open.

I instantly broke out into a wide grin when I saw who was standing there. "Hey kid," I couldn't help but smile. "How are things? My god, it's been a long time."

Tony Stark, Howard's pride and joy, was standing there, looking completely like his father. I hadn't seen Tony in many years, which only reaffirmed my thoughts about coming here more often, and he got bigger and more handsome every time I saw him. I knew Howard and Tony's relationship wasn't the best, of course. That was due to Howard's devotion to his work and his company but I could hear the way that he talked about his son when it was just the two of us. Tony was in every way a kid version of his father. And now, here he was. Seventeen years old and probably already a genius like his father. That simple thought alone made me smile wider and shake my head.

Tony shrugged like it was no big deal to see me after so many years. But I could see the tiny light in his eyes and that alone made me happier than I had been in a few years. "You know Aunt Peggy," he tried to play everything off. "So so."

I had to laugh, "Just so so?"

"School and work are kind of consuming my life," he explained and I felt a twange of pity for the young kid. At just seventeen, he was already a genius and living past the expectations that his father set. He was ambitious and would keep rising to the top no matter what. And that was what was going to drag him down.

I shook my head, understanding well. "Well, it's hard being the son of a genius who is more of a genius than his father," I chuckled softly. "I'd hate to be put in that burden... although you seem to be doing just fine."

A moment of relaxed silence passed between us, just like old times. We both felt the familiar banter in the air between them. I had always felt like his second mother and over the past few years, it seemed I hadn't been doing a very good job. Finally, he spoke up again, locking his dark brown gaze on mine.

"You're here for my dad?"

I nodded slowly. He had said it was some sort of emergency but that was it. His panicked phone call still freaked me out. And yet, I didn't want this moment to end. Tony was a truly great kid. "Is he around?"

He shrugged, "He could be up in his office or somewhere else, doing god knows what." I could tell the resentment in the underlying tones of his voice and I winced involuntarily. This was not how I had wanted things to go.

He opened the door wider, allowing me to step into the house past him. Nodding, a smile appeared on his face and he placed a hand on my shoulder gently. "It's good to see you Peggy," he said honestly and that made me beam. At least someone still cared about me.

"Yeah," I responded as Tony bounded up the spiral stairwell back to his room. "You too kid." I shook my head and walked into the main room of the house, hearing the familiar clack of heels approaching me.

"Peggy?"

I spun around, the grin on my face only widening. Oh how I had missed this family... I wrapped my arms around the woman and squeezed her tightly. "Maria," I breathed out. Maria was Howard's better half for sure, and everyone knew it. She was what kept him grounded, even if just for a little bit. She was the reason that he kept going and I loved seeing that in his eyes. It was good to see your best friend doing something good with his life.

We pulled away and I got a good look at Howard's wife for the first time in about a year. "How are you?" I questioned.

"Trying to balance two super geniuses in the same house with one ordinary woman," she grinned back at me. "It's always interesting."

I followed back on her quip, shaking my head with a small bout of laughter. "It's good to talk to a normal person sometimes, I know," I replied.

There was the silence again as we both just stared at one another, hoping for the best in each other. With friends, silence was never uncomfortable. And then she spoke up, same as Tony. "I assume you're looking for Howard?"

"Yes, have you seen him?" I nodded in reply.

Maria shook her head sadly. "He's not at home right now," she said. "Is everything alright?"

"I don't know," I responded honestly. "He called me on some sort of emergency, probably SHIELD related. Well, at least that is what it sounded like." I paused. "He told me that I should come to him right away."

"Is everything okay, at work and everything?"

I shrugged again, that sick feeling bubbling up in the pit of my stomach again. "I don't know. I hope so, but I'm going to find out."

Before I could leave, Maria pulled me back into a tight hug and I smiled, hugging her back. "Keep in touch," she murmured in my ear. "It's good to see you again."

"Thanks..."

Honestly, I could have said so much more but I wasn't sure how to spit the words out. She saved me by speaking over whatever I was about to say. "You know, we're making lasagna on Sunday. If you'd like to come by, we'd be happy to have you. I know Tony loves to see you."

I laughed, shaking my head. "I'm sure he's not the only one." Maria chuckled right along with me, but I knew that things were going to be okay. I was back in their lives of this wonderful family and I was finally feeling okay for the first time in many years. "Thank you," I nodded, heading out the door. "I'll be here."

Walking home alone was probably the worst decision I had made in a long time. True, nothing happened to me but my mind had begun to wander and once it started, it didn't stop. What if something happened to Howard? What if - no I couldn't afford to think like that. The shadows on the streets seemed to stand out to me more than usual and that was giving me the creeps honestly. Perhaps it was just the paranoia from my friend getting to me. It had to be it.

I unlocked the front door to my apartment and headed upstairs, immediately becoming wary when not all of the lights were off. I always turned everything off, no matter what. Grabbing the gun that was hidden on the back of the door, I held it out in front of me and walked around until a light flicked on in the main living room.

I lowered my gun, swearing when I realized that it was Howard who was sitting in my chair.

"Bloody hell," I cursed, shaking my head. "What the hell were you thinking? I could have shot you down with one bullet."

"Someone is trying to kill me Pegs."

I shook my head in disbelief. This was not going the way I had planned. "What?"

"You heard me," he stated simply. "Someone is trying to kill me and they're going to be after you too."

Leaning against the nearby table, I placed my gun down and shook my head. "You're going insane," I pointed out.

He raised an eyebrow so calmly that we could have been talking about what time we were getting to work the next morning. He barely looked like this phased him at all except I knew differently. But the bigger question was why was he sitting in my apartment when he could be at home? "Am I?" he finally said in a dark tone. "Don't tell me you haven't noticed the looks that you've gotten in the office, even among our own staff."

"You're talking crazy," I pleaded. "You need to calm yourself down." I shook my head, walking a few steps closer to him. "What happened?"

There was a moment of silence and then I spoke up again before he could answer any of my questions. I glanced around, clearly remembering locking the door on my way out. "How did you get in my apartment?"

"That doesn't matter."

I raised an eyebrow as if to correct him but I didn't say a word. I didn't say a damn thing. I was going to let him finish, tire himself out and then take him home where these delusions would be at rest.

"Someone followed me from the SHIELD offices when I was walking home. I doubled back and headed here-"

"Thanks for that," I made a face.

Howard paused, wringing his hands together. "I lost him on the corner but I swear I heard two gunshots."

I sighed. "So they may not-" I broke off my train of thoughts, giving him an exasperated glance. "Howard." He glanced up at me and I knew that they both of us knew his story was being magnified. "They might not have even been directed at you. They couldn't have been following you!"

"They were," he snapped, getting to his feet angrily. I could tell that my disbelief was getting to him but I needed to snap some sense into him. "I know it."

I placed my hand on his shoulder gently. "You need some sleep. You need to relax." We both heaved a sigh together. "Did you talk to Alex?"

He nodded with a clenched jaw. "Yeah yeah I did. He seemed all too eager to take the job."

I threw my hands up in the air, opening the door to my apartment and sending a knowing glance his way. "You are having some trust issues right now," I said calmly, not wanting to be the cause of more aggravation. "I need you to go home. You have a wife and son who are waiting for you." I paused. "Put your focus into them and your work. Forget about anyone else. Things are going to be okay, I promise."

He shook his head at me as he walked out the door. "Don't make promises you can't keep." And as it turns out, he was right.

…

It was a late night when I returned to the office after a date of some sorts. Ironically, Howard had set it up for me. He had been trying to get me on all of these dates to get my mind off of... the past. But I was older now and it was just getting weird. I got those looks from the young teenagers that clearly said how cute it was for two older people to be out on a date just enjoying each other's company. No, that was the end of the line. If I hadn't moved on by now, I never would and Howard would just have to accept that.

I stepped back into my office, sighing and sitting down behind the desk. There was going to be way too much repercussions from our choosing of a successor even though I believed Alexander was doing his job rather well. Shaking my head, I stared at the windows and the door across from me and just let my thoughts consume me.

That is, until I noticed a small red beep coming from the telephone on the corner of my desk.

I pressed the button for the answering machine and let the recording play, filling up the room and making me flinch. It was short and to the point but it chilled me to the bone. Howard, of course, was in a panic and that was never a good sign. His anxiety had been creeping up with his paranoia signs and I was worried for him. I truly was. The last time I saw him this morning, he was a little too occupied with a secret project. I made a few jokes but he wasn't acting like his normal self. And that would be the last time that I ever saw Howard again.

"Pegs, it's me. I hope you're the only one listening to this. I need you to come over as soon as you get this message. I think I've figured out who's trying to kill us and you're not going to believe what's happened. Something has -" He was cut off by Maria calling his name out in the background of the message. "I have to go. Maria and I are going out to dinner but still, come over right away, wait for me. This simply cannot wait."

The urgency was what struck me to go and grab my coat before I ran out the door. If something was seriously wrong, I had to be there for Howard and his family. I wasn't sure how long ago he had left that message but I was hoping that I would catch him in time. I jumped in my car parked right in front of the SHIELD building and drove the long path to his mansion. When I was getting close, I had to keep pulling over several times as ambulances and police cars came zooming past me.

"Damn it," I swore, smacking my hand on the steering wheel. "Don't you know I have somewhere I need to be!"

Somehow, I ended up behind one of the police cars for the longest time and that alone made me edgy. I turned the corner and still he was in front of me. But when I pulled up to where the Stark driveway should have been, I understood why. Police cars were swarming across the driveway and sidewalks, flashing blue and red lights across the front of the house.

"Oh my god," I breathed out as my heart stopped beating. I wasn't even sure I had turned the car off before I was out of the door and sprinting towards the house. I didn't even care which policeman or official I pushed over as I burst through the front door.

"Howard!" I called out. "Maria!"

But there was no answer. I should have known. I shouldn't have gone on that date. If only I had been quicker, perhaps... I couldn't do this. I couldn't blame myself. This wasn't my fault in the slightest even though I still wasn't exactly sure what happened.

A police officer appeared from one of the side rooms with Tony at his side. "Oh thank god," I breathed out a sigh of relief as I let my eyes rest on the youngest Stark.

"Peggy," he breathed out, his cheeks stained with tearstreaks. And then something happened that I never thought would ever happened nor happen before. Tony pulled me into a hug and let his tears soak my shoulder. I didn't need to be told anything else. I could put the pieces together.

Long after I had explained who I was to the policemen and sent Tony away to spend the night with some friends, I sat on the middle of the Starks' white couch with a numb feeling around me. It hadn't quite sunken in yet. He was gone. My best friend and his beautiful wife were gone. I was never going to see them again.

A single tear slipped out of my eye and spilled down my cheeks and that was it for me. As soon as one teardrop started, another came and another and another until I was sobbing silently. This was so unfair. To them. To Tony. To me. To everyone that they had touched. They said it was a car crash but I knew better. Someone had killed my friends and I was going to make them pay. Someone had killed Howard because he knew too much. I only wished that I was able to put more pieces together and take him more seriously.

I didn't even notice the strange bald man approaching me to my right and sitting on the other end of the couch. "Carter right?" he drawled and I glanced up through wet eyes. He didn't look familiar and yet I had seen his picture before. I nodded slowly, not really in the mood to talk.

"Obidiah Stane," he held a hand for me to shake but I didn't move. I couldn't. "I'm Howard's... friend. We'll stick with that for now."

"Funny," I snapped. "He never mentioned you."

Obidiah didn't say a word for a moment, just shook his head. Pity shone in his eyes at me but I didn't want it. I didn't want any of this. "Oh but he mentioned you," he clapped his hands together. "I just want you to know that you're not alone. I'm Tony's caretaker now and I'm going to do the best damn job I can."

"With all due respect," I commented coldly, getting to my feet. I didn't even bother to wipe the tears from my face. I was stronger than this. "I have no idea why you're here or why you're talking to me."

He shrugged again, "Because I know that you're basically a part of this family."

"Not anymore," I said at last. I never liked Obidiah and I never would. Perhaps I should have seen those instincts in others as well, but then again, nobody was perfect. I stormed out of the house, slamming the door behind me and getting back in my car, parked around the corner. I broke down into loud sobs and just sat there for several moments, simply crying my emotions out where I was finally alone.

"Why did you leave me?" I cried out before I turned the ignition to the car and drove back to my apartment. That was the last time I ever saw a Stark in person again.

It was a few days before I had the strength to return to work at the SHIELD office. I could feel the looks of sympathy and remorse from my associates and co-workers but I didn't meet any of them in the eyes. I couldn't break down in front of them. I had to stay strong for his sake.

I sat in my office for several hours, just staring at the wall and wishing that I was anywhere but here. Heaving a sigh, I had to shake my head after a few hours. I needed to get out of here.

Heading downstairs, trying my hardest not to notice the silence of the agents' eyes watching me, I pushed open the front door and breathed in a gulp of fresh air. I just needed to clear my head. I walked around the grounds and let my mind wander for a little while before I heard a snap of the twigs behind me. I instinctively reached for my gun, cursing when I realized I had left it on my desk. Approaching the noise, my heart pounded out of my chest but I didn't shy away. Unfortunately, whoever had been there before had escaped but I knew that someone was watching me. And in that moment, I knew that Howard had always been right.

As soon as I reentered the SHIELD building, my first instinct was to pretend that nothing was wrong but it couldn't be avoided any longer. I caught Alexander's eye and immediately pulled him into my office. Howard always was the smarter one, even when he seemed insane.

"Agent Carter," he nodded politely as I shut the door behind us.

I stepped in front of him, glancing around the room for any sign of bugs or anything. I couldn't even begin to fathom where this all began. I placed my eyesight directly on him as I bit my lip softly. "I need to leave," I said in a whisper. The shocked look on his face told me everything I needed to know. "You've been ready for a long time. I just need you to keep this on its feet." I shook my head. It hurt but I knew that I was making the right decision. "Please."

"Why now? The company needs you after..."

He didn't even have to finish. I knew what he was going to say and I tore my gaze hastily away from his to blink back the tears. "I need you because there are people out there who are trying to kill me-"

His eyes widened as he interrupted me, "Do you mean to say that you think someone murdered Howard?"

"I know it," I hissed. "And I won't be responsible for the death of my company because I'm the targeted one." I shook my head again. "I won't do it."

Alexander didn't look happy but an understanding look passed over his face. "You've always been the one to take things for the team Carter," he smiled. "That will never change." I gave a small smile back. "Where will you go?"

I shrugged honestly, "Somewhere where no one can find me. Somewhere where I can finally retire and be safe." I stepped closer to him, kissing his cheek and whispering in his ear. "Don't trust anyone."

And then I gathered up my things and left my office for the last time. It wouldn't be until many years later that I discovered I had placed my faith in the wrong man.

In conclusion, I suppose you could say that I was responsible for the birth of HYDRA within SHIELD or that I was the start of everything that went wrong. But I don't regret a thing that I've done. Howard and I built something marvelous out of nothing and we created something that changed the world. We did something good for everyone. Corruption will always occur within anything, and I suppose you could say that Captain America saved my ass again, but I don't let any of that get to me anymore. I don't let anything get to me anymore.