Anomalies of Time

by Entwinedlove

Part of the Marvelously Magical Bingo collection 2018. / Sometimes the fates meddle. Sometimes what one vengeful god tears apart another pulls together. A collection of one-shots that tell a story that spans a century. Sirius Lives!, Bucky Lives!, Time Travel, Coworkers, Disabled Character, Huddling for Warmth, AU – Repealed Statute of Secrecy (Hermione/Bucky/Peggy/Steve endgame)

10. A Soldier of Winter

A Soldier of Winter

SHIELD is about to launch the newest in next-generation defense until Nick Fury finds a dangerous secret right under his nose. Steve and Hermione are pulled into the conspiracy and it's up to them and their friends to uncover the dire truth hidden below the surface.

Pairing: Bucky/Hermione/Peggy/Steve
Rating: mature
Warnings: Character Death, Graphic Violence, Prejudice Against Magic Users
Tropes: Coworkers (SHIELD), Time Travel, Bucky Barnes Lives!, Sirius Black Lives, AU – Repealed Statute of Secrecy, Hits Stations of Canon of CA:TWS
Words: 19,423
Original Release Date: 29 Jan 2019

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"I always wondered how Stark could act the way he did if he'd had you in his life."

Peggy gave a little shrug of her shoulders and answered Nick. "Well, Howard and I were friends when I saw him last. We must have had a falling out between then and when Tony was born." She was sitting on the edge of his desk and they'd been talking for at least half an hour. She was waiting for Steve to return from the mission he went on this morning. They were going out for lunch when he got back. "I wish I knew what changed."

Nick nodded in understanding but there wasn't much to add. The only people who could have told the truth of it were dead or erased. She didn't know how else to describe the old-her disappearing from the world. Her mind briefly thought of the daughter she wouldn't know but Nick changed the subject before she could dwell on those thoughts. "Speaking of change. I added you to my shortlist of replacements for Director should I die. Things have changed a lot since the 50s but I'm sure you'd still be the best choice."

"You didn't have to do that, Nick. You're right, so much has changed. I don't know if I'm the best qualified for it."

"You are. You had a vision then and now you can pick it up again. Well, if I die. I don't plan on doing that anytime soon." He gave her a little grin and she returned it.

Something on his desk issued a beep. He tapped a button which flashed up holographic text that displayed: STRIKE teams have returned. There was a second from STRIKE DELTA that said: SR is pissed abt diff op. He dismissed both notifications and continued with the conversation. "One of the difficult parts of the job is deciding which projects should receive the funding."

"That hasn't changed at least. Even when we were just starting up with Howard backing us, some projects were just too ambitious or financially risky."

"Secretary Pierce's opinion weighs a lot in the decision-making. We choose which to present to him and he chooses of those which to present to Congress, which is a good thing. He's about the only politician I can stand."

Peggy pressed her lips together to hide a frown. "When did SHIELD stop being privately funded?"

"The 70s, I think? I was just starting out."

The door opened and Steve stormed in. "You just can't stop yourself from lying, can you?"

Nick didn't raise his voice. "I didn't lie. Agent Romanoff had a different mission than yours."

"Which you didn't feel obliged to share." His entire body was tense and she had a feeling their meal was going to be spent venting his frustration with the way things were handled. "Hey Peggy," he added tersely.

She didn't answer.

"I'm not obliged to do anything," Nick answered, sounding bored.

Steve's voice went quiet, "Those hostages could have died."

"I sent the greatest soldier in history to make sure that didn't happen." He glanced at Peggy and she wasn't sure if her poker face was strong enough to cover what she thought of that comment. Steve may be a super soldier but he wasn't perfect. Every person he didn't save weighed on him and for Nick to play that card was low. She wondered if she was too close to the situation to see it clearly. In the 50s as a director of SHIELD, she'd operated as the lead agent rather than the more hands-off delegating that Nick did. SHIELD was too big an organization now to operate it as she'd done then. If she were Director now, would she be capable of seeing the big picture and not get bogged down in the details of one agent? Or three, considering how Bucky and Hermione also worked for SHIELD. She had a feeling she couldn't be impartial.

"Soldiers trust each other. That's what makes it an army not a bunch of guys running around shooting guns."

Nick stood and leaned forward onto his desk—the first sign that he had a problem with Steve's attitude. "The last time I trusted someone, I lost an eye."

Peggy stood from where she'd been sitting on the edge of the desk and Steve glanced at her. He exhaled and clenched his jaw, then returned his attention to Nick.

"Look," Nick said, "I didn't want you doing anything you weren't comfortable with. Agent Romanoff is comfortable with everything."

"I can't lead a mission if the people I'm leading have missions of their own."

"It's called compartmentalization; nobody spills the secrets because nobody knows them all." This Peggy understood. It was a tactic employed by every military and intelligence agency the world over. She'd had higher clearance than he and Bucky during the war, and after. She supposed that if Nick's recommendation for Director was considered, she would again.

"Except you," Steve said. He was doing his best to glare a hole in Nick's forehead.

"I have a higher security clearance than you do. Or did you not get that memo?" he snarked. Then he leaned back and glanced at Peggy. He seemed to think for a moment before saying, "You're wrong about me; I do share. I'm nice like that." He tilted his head toward the door. "Take a walk with me." Steve nodded and they headed towards the door. "You too, Carter," Nick called. She followed.

* . * . *

Peggy held her tongue until she and Steve were in the car. "Those—what did Nick call them? Helicarriers?—were terrifying. Eliminating a thousand hostiles a minute? What on earth would..." she shook her head and exhaled heavily. She signaled as she pulled up to the end of the bridge leading from the SHIELD garages. She looked over at Steve.

"You weren't just dressing him down, were you? You don't think anything good can come from them, either."

"The way he framed it? Hell, no. Killing people before they commit a crime? Sounds a bit like tyranny," he shook his head. They were quiet for a moment as Peggy maneuvered the car into the late-morning traffic. "You were quiet in there. I thought you agreed with him." She reached over and patted his hand. He flipped it over to hold hers.

"I agreed with him about the clearance levels. We're all Level Sixes—"

"Hermione's a Level Seven M."

"I'd forgotten about that. She's a department leader, isn't she?" Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him nod. "So she already has access to classified information you don't. You should be used to that. That's how it worked in the army too. SSR and Project Rebirth were classified. The tactical team wasn't supposed to know about Rebirth and your transformation."

"Didn't stop me from telling Bucky," he said, sounding petulant.

She grinned. "Yes, well, you weren't supposed to."

"When have I ever followed orders when they didn't make sense?" He squeezed her hand and she glanced at him.

"When, indeed?" She signaled and merged into another lane. They were quiet for the rest of the short ride to the restaurant. Once there, their conversation centered on what they wanted to order and their feelings about the books they were currently reading.

As they were finishing up, Steve set his glass down and leaned back in his chair. "What's it like being married?" There was a wistfulness to his countenance, a longing in his blue eyes that he didn't hide from her.

She let an amused grin cross her lips before also relaxing a bit. "That's a strange question. You've been with Hermione almost as long as I've been with Bucky."

"But not married."

"We all live together," she said. He frowned and looked down at his hands in his lap. Peggy could only handle so much of that disappointed face before she felt her resolve crumbling. "It's... nice. To know he's there to take care of me if I need him to. Having someone hold you after a case or mission doesn't go to plan or something horrible happens that you couldn't control, he's there to reassure me that I did the best I could. He doesn't let me let the bad thoughts win."

Steve started to grin as she answered.

"The sex isn't so bad, either," she added in a softer voice.

He glanced up, his eyebrows raised as he nodded in agreement. His ears even turned pink. Unfortunately, he latched on to the darker part of her words. "I didn't know you had bad thoughts."

"Sometimes."

He swallowed and nodded again. When he met her gaze again, the wistfulness was gone and in its place was a genuine smile. "Happy anniversary, Peggy. I hope you and Bucky have a good week in Paris."

"Mmm, thank you. Maybe you can sweep Hermione away at the end of the week and meet us in Scotland. I hear Gretna Green is still operating."

He chuckled. "Maybe."

And that was the end of the conversation. The server chose that moment to bring the bill and Steve was already pulling his wallet out of his pocket to pay.

* . * . *

Peggy drove Steve back to the Triskelion to collect his bike. They parted with a hug—it wouldn't do to get caught kissing on the cameras monitoring the garage unless all four of them were on the same page regarding the exposure of their relationship. At lunch, she'd mentioned she would be heading to a spa for an hour before meeting Bucky to take a cab to the airport.

Hermione was probably still at work and who knew what Bucky was up to. Probably taking the time to read something from Hermione's library. He said he liked her books on magic because it was like the science fiction pulps he used to read, except he knew someone who could actually do the things in them which made them all the more interesting.

Steve's plan for the afternoon was a stop at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. They had a new exhibit that featured "Captain America and the Howling Commandos." He thought it was a ridiculous name for their tactical unit but it wasn't anything to call them out on; the history books had been calling them the Howlies for decades now. He was supposed to give the exhibit a thorough reading in case there was anything incorrect. He didn't mind but that wasn't his main draw. He was interested in all the other stuff that particular museum had to offer. After he checked over his part, he planned to lose himself in the other fascinating exhibits the museum had up.

The museum didn't stay open long enough.

Steve was still reading about the fascinating trip into space and to the moon by the time the guards were ushering everyone out. He wasn't ready to go home, though, so he spent time driving around the city. At one point he parked to watch the sunset beyond the skyline. Afterward, when the light of twilight had faded completely he decided on getting dinner out instead of heading home.

It was late when he finally parked his bike and headed up to their apartment. Hermione was probably already in bed and Peggy and Bucky were still in the air, somewhere over the Atlantic. Steve yawned on his way up the stairs. It'd been a decent day. He'd gone running with Sam, had lunch with Peggy, and spent the afternoon learning new things. Natasha had endangered the mission and Nick had shown them a terrifying future but Steve had done his job and the hostages had been saved and that was all he could control.

Sharon, Peggy's great-niece, waved at him as she was heading down to the basement with a laundry basket with a phone pressed between her shoulder and her ear. At the landing for their apartments, Steve stopped short of opening the door.

There was music playing.

That in itself wasn't particularly alarming, Hermione loved music and listened to it often, but it wasn't one of her favorite genres. It was something that he or Peggy or Bucky would have put on. Plus, for being almost midnight, it was loud. He thought about sneaking in through the window but decided against it. After all, Hermione was inside.

He opened the door cautiously and shut it without a sound. The lights were off. Not even a flickering shadow from a candle moved on the walls. He had a feeling this wasn't some oddly romantic evening Hermione had set up.

He'd left his shield in Peggy's car this morning and he could just see it leaning against the wall where he normally kept it. He couldn't reach it without stepping out into the main area of their living space. He took a deep breath and did take that step, looking to his left where the record player sat on its sideboard. In the chair next to it sat Nick. "I don't remember giving you a key to this apartment," Steve said.

"Do you really think I'd need one?"

Steve turned on the light to see Nick better. He was bloody and bruised like he'd been attacked. Nick held out his hand to quiet whatever Steve was going to say and then turned off the lamp next to him. It swathed him in shadow again. "My wife kicked me out," he said at the same time he turned his phone so Steve could see the message written on it. Ears everywhere.

Steve pursed his lips. Of course, there were. He shouldn't be surprised. To continue the ruse he said, "I didn't know you were married."

Nick turned his phone and typed on it again. He tilted his head and said, "I don't advertise it." He flipped his phone around. The next line read: SHIELD compromised.

Steve felt those words like a blow to the head. Compromised. If Nick was this torn up, what did that mean for the rest of the agents? Where was Hermione? Were Peggy and Bucky safe? "Who all knows about your wife?"

"Just my friends." The third line of text consisted of just three words: You and me. He stood up, slow and stiff like he was decades older than he was. He took a deep breath like he was going to say something else when there was a sharp pop over the loud music. All at once a klaxon alarm started up, a shadowy figure pointed something at Nick, there were two flashes of light and another loud pop. Steve could see the whites of Nick's eyes as he put his hands around his middle and slipped to his knees. Hermione—dressed in pajamas but brandishing her wand—ran out of their bedroom. She took less than a second to look around and assess the situation before running directly to Nick and dropping to her knees beside him.

"Steve, call an ambulance!" she shouted between a mix of Latin and Greek words. The music turned off and the lights came back up, bright in the dead of night, even as he was pulling his phone from his pocket and calling the emergency line.

The shrill ring of sirens seemed to take forever before paramedics arrived. They pushed Hermione out of the way even as she tried to explain what she had been doing. "Move out of the way, magic user," one of them said. She backed off a little but watched with worried eyes as the paramedics strapped Nick to a gurney and took him out of their apartment.

She moved to stand beside Steve. When the apartment was silent she held up her hand, palm up. Her skin and the sleeves of her pajamas were red with blood but laying on her palm was a flash drive—the same one that Natasha had had on the Lemurian Star that morning. She held up Nick's phone in the other hand, waving it enough so he could see the text was still on the screen. "He said not to trust anyone," she murmured, probably too quietly for a bug to pick up. She looked up at him, eyes wide, before speaking louder. "Let's get to the hospital. We should probably call—Maria. Maybe Natasha?"

He nodded, agreeing. She flicked her wand to change her pajamas into daywear, grabbed her coat and the keys to the car, and headed out the door. He couldn't help but notice the bloodstains on her sleeves transferred to her new clothes. It wasn't the sort of mistake she'd normally make. He followed quickly. If she was that upset and distracted, he ought to be the one driving.

* . * . *

While Steve drove, he got Hermione to make the calls to Maria and Natasha. They'd thought Maria would be home in New York but she was in DC and was closer to the hospital than they were. They only beat Natasha by a few minutes.

Those few minutes seemed to last forever. They were allowed into a viewing room beside the operating theater. As soon as they were inside, Hermione started wringing her hands. "No, he was attacked with spells." She paced back and forth, anxiety practically seeping from her pores before she opened the door and flagged down a nurse. "Excuse me, please, Nick Fury, he's just there," she pointed back to the operating room. "He was attacked with two deadly spells and they're only treating him with Muggle, I mean, mundane medicine! I told the paramedics that he needed magical treatment. Please, it's urgent! Request one of the Muggle-born healers from Mt Rainer's Magical Hospital."

The nurse seemed understanding to the problem but she took a few steps into the room and shook her head. "Doctors McIntire and Paul," she said pointing at the two men working over Fury, "They're staunchly anti-magic. Suggesting they even ask consultation to a healer at Mt Rainer is a no-go. I'm sorry."

"But those spells—they don't react positively with mundane treatment. They're insidious!"

The nurse shook her head, "I'm sorry. Those two are the best at what they do, I'm sure your friend—"

"—boss."

"—boss is in good hands."

Maria was standing nearby, her usual stoic expression gone, replaced with intense worry.

Just as the nurse left the room Natasha rushed in. Her gaze was wide and if Steve had to put a name to her expression, he'd use the word fearful. "Is he going to make it?" she asked, glancing at Steve.

"I don't know."

"Tell me about the attacker."

"Apparated in, cast two spells, Apparated out. Wore dark clothes." Steve shook his head. He wished he had more to go on.

Hermione reached forward and gripped the window sill like she needed to brace herself. "What color were the spells?"

Natasha and Maria looked at her and then at Steve before turning their attention back to the macabre scene in the window. Fury was covered in a bloody sheet, the oxygen mask covered most of his face, wires and tubes seemed to wind to the half dozen of machines surrounding the table and the doctors. He could hear the heart monitor beeping steadily. "One was purple, looked like fire. The other was white."

"Dolohov," the name seemed to come out of Hermione on a sigh and she leaned back and balled her hands into fists. She turned around and shook her head.

"Tell me about this Dolohov," Natasha said, though she didn't look away from Fury.

"Born in '58 to a known associate of Tom Riddle. Participated in the first Wizarding War and imprisoned for it. Spent fourteen years in Azkaban with the Dementors. Participated in the second Wizarding War. Created his own spells, it's unknown if he shared them with anyone. Anyone hit with the full force of that purple fire typically dies within hours. I had to take ten potions daily for three weeks after I was struck with a dampened version of it."

Steve looked at her. Despite reading a few of the books about the Second Wizarding War, he knew some things weren't documented. Hearing that she'd been hit with a spell like that made his stomach knot up. "What's it do?"

"Pain," she said, glancing away. Her voice had grown thick with unshed tears. "The internal organs just..." she shook her head. "Nick's not going to make it."

"You don't know that," Natasha said. It was clear in her tone that she was reluctant to believe in her own words.

The silence that fell over them was thick with tension. He could see the reflection of Maria's and Hermione's faces, both of whom were standing there watching the doctors work with tears slipping down their cheeks. Natasha was whispering under her breath, a prayer, or maybe a mantra. Beseeching Fury not to die.

They could see when the doctors realized the insidiousness of the spells Hermione had tried to warn them about. There was bafflement in their eyes and an increased urgency to their movements.

Then the beeping Steve had been listening to turned erratic.

"No," Maria whispered. The doctors shuffled around, working faster. One grabbed the defibrillator and used it. The beeping continued its random pattern. They tried again but after the second shock, the beeping turned to a steady tone. They injected Fury with something and everyone seemed to hold their breath.

Steve turned away. He couldn't watch any longer. It didn't stop the sounds from coming through the window, however. He could still hear the doctors moving, could still hear them declare the time of death as 3:03 am. Had they really been here that long already? It felt like the attack had happened only moments ago.

Maria was the first to leave, wiping her face with quick movements. For as long as he'd known Fury, Maria had been right there. Second in command. She was probably slipping away to cry in privacy. He looked back to see Hermione had closed her eyes and lowered her face. He didn't think she was praying but he didn't want to interrupt the doleful act, either. Natasha hadn't lost her composure but she was still staring blankly into the operating room when they pulled the curtain closed to prepare the body for viewing.

A nurse came and retrieved them, directed them to a small waiting room for privacy. The plaque next to the door claimed it was a family room. Steve asked Hermione and Natasha if they wanted anything and after receiving their answers went in search of a coffee machine. When he returned, the room was just as quiet and still as when he'd left it. Maria had returned and the three women just sat still like statutes. He joined them, offering the coffees he'd gone in search of as comfort for their vigil. Maria and Hermione took them from him. Maria sipped hers but Hermione just kept her hands around the cup, like she needed the grounding effect the heat had on her hands. As he sat with them he did not just mourn Nick. He thought about what he'd been told.

SHIELD was compromised.

Only he and Hermione knew about it.

Don't trust anyone.

And it all came down to the flash drive of data in Hermione's pocket. Steve didn't know enough about the sort of data that might be on it to look at it and understand. He didn't even know if Hermione knew that sort of thing. Natasha and Maria might. But could they be trusted? Were Peggy and Bucky compromised? Were they safe? Could they be trusted? He was vaguely aware of hours passing as his thoughts spiraled around themselves.

Finally, the door opened and a nurse stepped in. All four of them stood at once and it seemed to fluster her for a moment but then she said softly, "You can see him now. Say your goodbyes and all. You'll only have about twenty minutes."

Maria and Natasha led the way behind the nurse. Steve stood at the wall and let them have their time and privacy. Hermione slipped out first, touching Steve's arm as she went. The part of Steve's brain that was always aware of the time noticed that Maria left around the eighteenth minute. Natasha stayed the longest. The nurse stepped into the room and glanced at Steve. He nodded and approached her. "Natasha," he said softly. She touched Nick on the forehead, a silent benediction, before she turned and left the room at a fast walk. He followed.

He didn't know if she wanted his company but he felt the need to offer it. "Natasha?" he said again, trying not to draw attention to them.

Instead of letting him catch up to her, she turned on her toes and asked, "What was Fury doing in your apartment?"

He raised his shoulders in a heavy shrug, raised his eyebrows in what he hoped was an innocent look and breathed out, "I don't know."

"Cap." Steve turned around to see Agent Brock Rumlow. "They want you back at SHIELD."

"Yeah, give me a second."

"They want you now," Rumlow insisted.

"Okay." The other man's insistence felt odd but maybe that was just his blunt personality. Maybe there was another mission. Maybe someone wanted to debrief him. Rumlow nodded and turned back to walk towards the other agents. Steve counted at least five of the STRIKE team standing in the hallway. He looked back at Natasha and she gave him a disappointed look.

"You're a terrible liar." As she turned and walked away he heard the command, "STRIKE team escort Captain Rogers back to SHIELD immediately," come over the radio of one of the men behind him. Something felt wrong.

Or was he just being paranoid from Fury's last words?

Rumlow was considerate enough to let Steve stop at the car and pick up his shield. He didn't know if that meant there was a mission or not. He rode in the back of the van with the rest of the STRIKE team and when they got to the Triskelion, Rumlow told him he was wanted in the Director's office. He took the time to put on his uniform, which would have been protocol if there was a mission and then he took the elevator up.

When he got there, Sharon Carter was just leaving. She nodded at him and he returned the gesture, then focused his attention on the older man standing in the doorway of Fury's office.

"Ah, Captain. I'm Alexander Pierce."

Steve recognized the name of the Secretary of Defense. "Sir, it's an honor," he said, completing the handshake that Pierce had offered.

"It's mine. My father served in the 101st. Come on," he welcomed Steve into Fury's office, the Director's office. He handed Steve a stack of photographs and went on to talk about an experience with Fury saving hostages in Colombia. Steve noted the details in the photograph—how Fury didn't have the eyepatch he'd worn when he'd known him nor the black trenchcoat.

After shuffling through several things on the conference table opposite Fury's desk, Pierce joined Steve on the couches. He finished his story and Steve asked, "So you gave him a promotion?"

"I've never had any cause to regret it." Steve could understand that. While Fury's compartmentalization and misdirection had frustrated him, he'd been a good leader. Steve let his gaze slip from Pierce as he processed what he had told him and contemplated what he wasn't saying. He drew his attention back with the same question Natasha had asked him. "Captain, why was Nick at your apartment last night?"

This time, Steve didn't try to put on a look. He met Pierce's imploring gaze and then let his slip down again. He only knew three things and they still weren't coming together for him. SHIELD compromised. No one knows. Don't trust anyone. He didn't know what he was supposed to do with that information and said as much. "I don't know."

"Did you know it was bugged?" Pierce asked.

Steve looked back up and told the truth. "I did... because Nick told me."

"He tell you that he was the one who bugged it?"

Steve met Pierce's gaze. He could almost feel the other man's scrutinizing look on his skin, digging into his pores like he could dig what he wanted to hear out of him. Determining if he believed him or not. Steve did believe him. Fury had seemed like the kind of guy who would bug people's apartments without remorse. After another moment, Pierce shifted to press one of the buttons on the table. The screen on the wall changed to an image of the hostile team leader of yesterday's mission. Pierce dumped more intel on him regarding the team leader and painted a picture of Fury as hiring the pirates as a cover to sell classified data.

"If you really knew Nick Fury, you know that's not true," Steve said. He said it with an air of confidence he wasn't sure he felt but again, this entire thing didn't feel right. He just couldn't see the picture from the pieces of the puzzle he held. He needed to talk to someone that he trusted.

Pierce nodded and said, "Why do you think we're talking?" He got up and walked towards the floor-to-ceiling windows behind Fury's desk. Steve stood as well but planted his feet and kept his hands relaxed at his waist. He had a feeling Pierce was going to lay some of his cards on the table now that Steve had passed some test. "Tensions have been high for a long time between the people and the...beasts." He glanced back at Steve to judge his reception to the slur. Steve had clenched his jaw but otherwise tried to keep an impassive expression. "I think Nick received intelligence about an upcoming war between the International Federation of Wizards and the governments of our world. The wizards see themselves as superior to us, more sophisticated, more advanced. And they're maneuvering to seize control. They've already started infiltration in places like England and France. SHIELD stands opposed to them and I believe that's what got Nick killed." He turned around and tucked both of his hands into his pockets. "I don't think they're working alone. Captain, you were the last one to see him alive and I don't think that was an accident. I don't think you do, either. So I'm going to ask again. Why was he there?"

Steve did not like Pierce's implications. Hermione was not a mole for some extremist organization. He held his tongue on all the things he wanted to say in the face of Pierce's suggestion and told as much of the truth as he could. "He told me not to trust anyone."

Pierce tilted his head minutely like that information worked in his favor and said, "I wonder if that included him. Or Agent Granger."

"I'm sorry. Those were his last words. Excuse me." He turned to pick up his shield. He put it on his back and started to walk out of the office when Pierce called his attention back. Steve only half turned where he stood, unwilling to return to the room and continue conversing with Pierce while he was insinuating that Hermione had had a hand in murdering Fury.

"Captain," he said, having sat down on the corner of the desk, "Someone magical murdered my friend. I'm going to find out who and why. Anyone who gets in my way is going to regret it." He paused to give his words weight and repeated, "Anyone."

Steve did not shift his jaw in recognition of the threat but he did answer. "Understood." He walked away.

He headed directly to the elevator, ready to leave the building, to get out, go home, take a moment to breathe and think and maybe talk to Hermione. He looked out over the Potomac and the island SHIELD had claimed as headquarters. "Operations Control," he told the elevator. It confirmed his identity and started to close the door when a few more people stopped it and boarded. He recognized Rumlow's voice but didn't turn around.

"Forensics," Rumlow told the elevator. "Cap." he greeted.

Steve couldn't just ignore him so he took one more second to look out at the early morning sunlight shining over the river and wish for a quiet moment to sketch the scene and then turned around. "Rumlow."

As the elevator started to descend, Rumlow and the two men who got on the elevator with him seemed to shuffle anxiously where they stood. Steve thought that was strange. He'd seen men about to go into battle shift nervously like that but he'd never seen Rumlow do it. If they were only going to Forensics, they shouldn't be so tense. He looked them over briefly before looking the other way and up at the mirror in the top corner hiding the camera. One of the men—Jackson?—had his hand over his taser rod.

The elevator slowed and dinged, opening the doors for four more men, all four in suits and two carrying briefcases. "Administrations level," one of them said. Eight men in an elevator was a tight fit. One of the suits did offer apologies as he shuffled in behind Steve, causing him to move away from the rail to stand more in the middle.

The doors closed and they restarted their descent. "I'm sorry what happened with Fury," Rumlow said, turning his head to glance at Steve before turning back forward. "It's messed up, what happened to him."

"Thank you," Steve said. He hoped the words came across as sincere even as he watched Rumlow shift nervously again.

Two of the suits were whispering though the sound of it was too quiet even for Steve to hear any words clearly; there was no way they were talking to one another. He glanced in their direction to confirm what he was hearing and was faced with more nervous anxiety from them. He watched a drop of sweat slip down one of the men's temple and briefly wondered if it wasn't a conversation he was whispering so much as a checklist of things to do. Or a pep talk. The elevator dinged again and Rollins and two more men stepped on, heading to Records.

Rollins and the other two were not low-level clerks. They were STIKE team members. Very rarely did anyone, especially STRIKE, venture to the dusty basement where they kept the Records office. The door closed, the shuffling started up again, and Steve sighed softly.

He'd thought some of these guys were his friends.

He had a brief pang of loss as he thought about the camaraderie he'd had with Dum Dum and Jim and Gabe and how that sort of thing could have happened with STRIKE. He put it behind him and, now that he could see clearly what was about to happen, quipped, "Before we get started, does anyone want to get out?"

There was a pause, a moment of quiet as the shuffling stopped, as someone realized they'd just been made, and then Rollins employed his taser rod and turned around.

Everything seemed to happen at once. All ten men attacked him, one grabbing his shoulders, another removing the shield, another two detached the handles of their briefcases to expose magnetic handcuffs. Steve punched, blocked, kicked. Solar plexus on that one, shin bone on this one, throat of a third. He didn't stop to think about which body part belonged to which man, which friend was swinging, aiming to land a hit. At that moment they were all enemies.

And he knew how to take down enemies.

When Rumlow held up his hands, taser rods in both, and claimed the entire thing wasn't personal, Steve couldn't help the angry twist of his mouth as he grappled with the man. When they were all down, he shoved down the worry about if he'd landed any deadly blows and restarted the elevator.

As the doors started to open, he saw a dozen men with rifles aimed at him. One might have shouted, "Drop the shield," but he wasn't listening. He twisted, half spinning on his feet in the small bit of floor space that he had to work with, shield out and aiming for the glass wall. The edge cut right through the glass and the cable he'd aimed for.

The elevator dropped and he felt his stomach in his throat for half a second. He crouched, bracing for the car to drop all the way down. It didn't. Emergency breaks slowed the car quickly but efficiently. He was between floors. He forced his hand between the doors of the top floor, saw more STRIKE members jogging his way, and forced the doors closed again.

"Give it up, Rogers, you have nowhere to go!" the team leader shouted through the door.

Steve looked around, looked down, made sure the strap on his shield was secure and flung himself through the glass towards the ground.

He spread his limbs to try and slow the descent, Bucky's going to kill me, flitting through his head. Before he hit the glass roof of the foyer, he folded his body as tightly behind his shield as he could. The impact with the ground stunned him for a moment and it took him a few seconds to force himself to get up. As soon as he'd retaken his feet he ran towards the garage. He needed to get his bike...

Shit.

His bike was at home.

Bucky's bike was there, though. Bucky is so going to kill me.

He'd never been more grateful for the biometric start Stark had insisted on than the moment a flick of his thumb had the bike roaring to life. He spun the bike around and gunned it.

Steve and the bike made it through the doors before they closed shut with a loud thud. He sighed as a jet swooped over the bridge. "Stand down, Captain Rogers, stand down," came over the intercom. He saw the machine gun underneath shift and take aim at him as the message was repeated. He leaned forward, increased his speed, and as they started strafing the bridge he put the maneuverability of the bike to the test.

He flung his shield off his back at an arc and it stuck into the propulsion engine, damaging it. He knew that wouldn't be enough to bring it down. He took a deep breath, stood up, then pulled back on the breaks. As he flipped, somersaulting onto the top of the jet, he could just make out the sound of the bike flipping end over end. I am in so much trouble when Bucky hears about this.

It was obvious the pilot did not know what to do with Steve disabling and damaging the jet engines by being on top of it. It tilted, turned, spun, and when all was said and done Steve was on solid ground on the other side of the bridge and the jet was disabled and slowly sliding off the bridge towards the water. He bolted before Pierce could send another jet or more people after him, slipping into one of the public bathrooms at the Lincoln Memorial.

He took a moment to catch his breath, unzipped one of the pockets on his suit and stuck his arm elbow deep into it. He pulled out sweatpants and a hoodie. He didn't have any other shoes but he could at least disguise himself a little. In another pocket, he pulled the little compact mirror Sirius Black had given him.

His mind went down the list of who owned one and who he could trust before finally saying, clearly but quietly, "Harry Potter."

The image shifted from his reflection to the black-haired, bespectacled man. "Potter," he answered. When he registered who it was, he said, "Steve! What's going on?"

Maybe Steve's morning was more visible on his face than he'd thought. "The director of SHIELD was assassinated. By a magic user. The Secretary of Defense is going to pin it on Hermione. There's probably a manhunt in progress as we speak. I know they've already attempted to... detain me."

Interestingly, Harry did not freak out. Instead, he nodded and took led on the situation. His gaze moved a little like he was checking Steve's location. "You're not with her?" He didn't give Steve time to answer before shaking his head. "Hermione will have a go-bag, probably at your apartment. Where are you? Sirius and I can be there shortly as backup."

"Lincoln Memorial men's restroom. It's pretty empty at the moment. Need me to go somewhere else?"

He shook his head. "Nope. Be there in less than two minutes." The image of Harry disappeared, leaving Steve's reflection staring back at him. He reached up and ruffled his hair, knocking some more glass from it.

There wasn't much noise but suddenly, Steve knew he wasn't alone. "Steve?" Harry said. Steve opened the stall door and looked at them. Sirius was standing next to his friend, wand out and alert.

Harry tucked a pencil into his pocket. "All right. Do you know where she is now?"

"She might still be at the hospital."

There were the sounds of military boots on concrete, fast approaching. Harry nodded to himself, pulled a thin cloak out of his pocket and threw it at Steve. "Quick. Your suit's probably got a tracker in it." Steve stripped his suit as quickly as he could and redressed in the sweats. He pulled the cloak over him. "Leave the suit, shoes too." Steve shucked his shoes. "Pull the hood up, walk behind us. Padfoot?"

Sirius was already nodding, his form shifting until there was a large black dog in his place. "Quiet now," Harry said. He tapped his clothes, changing them into workout wear similar to Steve's, and then walked towards the restroom exit. Steve could feel the cold concrete under his feet as he followed behind them.

Harry opened and held the door, ostensibly for the dog, but also for Steve. They were a dozen STRIKE members, guns held ready when they came around the corner. Harry held up his hands when they aimed their guns at him for a moment. "Whoa, man."

The team leader looked him over, frowned at the dog, and then gestured with a tilt of his head. "Be on your way. Don't bring a dog in here again." They didn't even look in Steve's direction.

"Service dog, but sure." Harry and the black dog started walking away from the river, back to the main footpath for the National Mall and Steve followed, wrapped up in the obviously magical cloak.

* . * . *

Natasha opened the door wide. Potter, with his messy black hair and bright green eyes, stood on her stoop with a giant black dog. She glanced around, not seeing anyone else, and let them in. She didn't see Steve but she knew Potter had that Invisibility Cloak so she assumed he was using it. She was right.

As soon as she closed the door and engaged the three locks, Steve—wearing sweats and a hoodie—appeared in the middle of her small living room.

"Are you okay?" Granger asked as she moved to hug him. He nodded and wrapped his arm around her. After the quick hug, she turned. "This is Padfoot," she said, pointing at the dog. Before their eyes, the dog stood up on his hind legs and shimmered, turning into a man with dark hair. Age was written into the lines of his face but the smile he aimed Natasha's way seemed almost to blind her to it. She wondered if he'd ever used his charisma as a weapon like she had. He was wearing simple jeans and a sweater but held himself like he knew the weight of combat gear. "Or Sirius Black, if you prefer the human version," Granger added. Black aimed his genial smile in her direction. "And Harry Potter."

"Melissa," Potter said, offering his hand to her in a greeting. Natasha pointedly did not roll her eyes at his continued use of her fake name and even offered him her real one instead as she shook his outstretched hand.

"Natasha."

He nodded like he had known it all along and then turned his attention back to Granger and Steve. He took a small bag from around his wrist and handed it to Granger, who tied it to her own with a small sigh of relief. They'd already had a short briefing via ghostly animals but he seemed to want more intel. Natasha didn't blame him.

Granger spoke first. "Director Fury was assassinated by a person wearing dark clothes. Apparated into our apartment, cast two spells—one of Dolohov's specials and something else unknown, white—then Apparated out."

"Secretary Pierce seemed to think Hermione was a mole; working for the International Federation of Wizards, which he claimed was a terrorist group," Steve added.

Potter pointed a finger at Steve, "It is, actually, we've been working for months to try and get at the heart of it. They've got similar views as Grindelwald and Voldemort. Subjugation. Hermione's not a mole because they'd sooner kill her than recruit her. They don't like Muggle-borns."

"How come I haven't heard of them?" Granger asked, crossing her arms over her chest. Natasha moved from the door to stand behind the dilapidated chair.

"Take your pick," Potter said, shifting on his feet for a moment before taking a seat on Natasha's couch. "They're from the Middle East, magical news coverage is spotty over here, you haven't visited home lately," he said, ticking off each with a finger.

Granger rolled her eyes. "But if we don't have SHIELD watching them, why Nick?"

"What if it wasn't the IFW?" Natasha asked. "I've heard rumors..."

Steve glanced over his shoulder at her and then also took a seat on the couch, Granger turned as well, sitting down on the edge of the seat with her knees together. Nervous. Black sat down on the floor facing them. Natasha thought he was braver than her. She hadn't vacuumed this safehouse floor since she'd acquired the place. "Rumors about?" Steve asked.

"Unexplained assassinations over the last fifty years, often hinted at to have magical roots. Witnesses only claimed to have heard a slight pop or crack before the target collapses. They call him the Winter Soldier."

Granger nodded. "What do you think, Harry? He used Dolohov's purple fire. Steve saw the spell, I saw the effects."

Potter shook his head. "Dolohov's been on a prisoner ward in St Mungo's for eighteen months. It's not him."

"Someone else then. Someone who he might have taught the spell?" Black asked.

Steve cleared his throat. "Nick said SHIELD was compromised. I want to know what he was talking about."

Natasha slipped her hand into her pocket. She'd filched the drive off Granger at the hospital when she'd received the message on her phone that Captain Rogers and Agent Granger were fugitives from SHIELD. Natasha had wanted to know more information than that before she did anything rash but Granger had been ready for the subtle interrogation she'd planned to orchestrate. Apparently, witches had the ability to read the thoughts of others. No wonder Granger was a good agent. She pulled the familiar drive onto which she'd downloaded all the intelligence from the Lemurian Star and held it up. "Then I guess we need to learn what's on here."

They all turned to her and nodded.

"Where's Peggy?" Black asked.

"In Paris with Bucky for their anniversary," Steve answered. Natasha noticed he didn't sound as dejected about his former love interest and best friend as she expected.

"If there's a magical assassin going around killing SHIELD directors, shouldn't a wizard be with her? Just in case?"

"Are you offering?" Granger asked. When Black nodded and stood up, Potter pulled a pencil out of his pocket and tapped it with his wand. Granger pulled out her phone and turned the screen to Black. "This is where they're staying. Should have landed six hours ago." He nodded and she turned off the phone.

"Portkey to Paris," Potter said, handing the pencil over. "I can only activate two in twenty-four hours without drawing attention."

Black took the pencil. "Anything you want to tell them?"

"Be safe," Steve said at the same time Granger implored, "Go off grid if you have to." Black took a deep breath, glanced around—gave Natasha a little wave—and said some spell. He disappeared.

Potter looked at the three of them. "Where can we go to check that drive?"

"There's an internet cafe in a shopping mall nearby," Natasha said, tucking the drive back into her pocket. "Doesn't open for another two hours. Busiest times to blend in would be early-to-mid afternoon."

Potter seemed to study her face before speaking softer. "Maybe you guys can take a nap. Rest some. You've been up most of the night, haven't you?"

Granger visibly slumped like the mere word rest cut her marionette strings. "That sounds like a good idea. You'll stay up? Keep watch?"

"Of course."

Steve shuffled back in his spot on the couch and closed his eyes, seemingly content to sleep right where he sat. Granger did something similar, moving back to rest against the couch. She pulled her feet up and curled into the dusty upholstery. Natasha looked at both of them for a moment before standing and going to the bedroom. It's not that she didn't trust Potter to "keep watch." She'd just rather take a nap on her bed.

Surprising to even Natasha, she slept deeply, and it was Granger knocking on the door that woke her up. She glanced at the clock on the wall. Three in the afternoon. Time to go to the mall.

The plan was worked out without her. She didn't like not being included but it wasn't a bad plan so she didn't argue. She and Potter—Harry, he insisted she call him—would go to the internet cafe. Granger would take some potion to conceal her appearance and Steve would be under Potter's Invisibility Cloak. The two of them would be in the parking lot, waiting.

Natasha had figured there was probably a tracker built into the data on the flash drive and estimated that SHIELD would be able to triangulate their location within minutes. Given the location of the shopping mall compared to the Triskelion and the way SHIELD could manipulate the traffic grid, they probably had less than ten minutes from the instant she plugged the drive in to the time SHIELD showed up, wanting to collect.

There wasn't much they could do about it if they wanted to find out what was on the drive.

Harry stood at her side, peering over her shoulder at the screen and surreptitiously checking for trouble around the room. When she furrowed her brow he asked, "What's wrong?"

"There's high-level encryption on the data. Like an AI that keeps rewriting itself to counteract my commands."

"Can you override it?" he asked.

She gave a little shrug. She didn't want to joke about her weaknesses in front of him. She just kept at it, deciding that if she couldn't break the encryption then she could at least pinpoint where it came from.

"You guys need any help with anything?" someone asked. Natasha glanced up, registered the man in glasses and name badge as not-a-threat and then went back to following the progress of the tracker. She was about to say something, to give the assistant a lie to make him go away when Harry shifted behind her a little, blocking the screen.

"No, thank you," he said, his accent shifting to the Queen's English, "My girlfriend is trying to prove some banal point of grammar that she believes is proper English when I know it isn't. Couldn't stop arguing about it over lunch and we just had to stop in here to prove my point."

"Right, cool. So, uh, I'm Aaron, if you guys need anything."

"Thanks. We'll be out soon once she realizes the point is mine." Aaron the assistant gave them another nod and then walked on to the next person using a terminal.

Natasha pulled the drive from the computer, closing all the SHIELD tabs automatically after a slight moment of lag.

"Did you figure it out?" Harry asked his accent back to his normal lower class one.

"I couldn't break it, no," she said as she walked out of the cafe with him keeping pace beside her. "But I did get a location. It's in New Jersey."

"All right. I guess that's where we're going next." He glanced up and around at the crowd they were walking through, his eyes narrowed. "Are you included in the manhunt?"

"I don't think so, but it's best to blend in." She let her gaze flick in the direction he had been looking at. "I see them. Don't speed up, we're just a couple strolling through the mall."

"You call this strolling?" he asked. There was a tease to his tone, even as he put his arm around her shoulders. He nudged her jaw with his knuckle and she turned her head towards him and he kissed her forehead just as they passed the two SHIELD agents looking through the crowd.

There were no other SHIELD teams between them and the exit. There were four non-descript black SUVs parked out front in the fire lane, however. She wondered when the art of subtlety was lost. They stopped at the crosswalk, glancing around for where they were supposed to meet Steve and Granger, but a navy blue sedan pulled up in front of them. Natasha recognized the black-haired woman as the body Granger had shifted into. "Get in," she said.

Natasha was quick to walk around the car, climbing in the backseat. "Wheaton, New Jersey."

The car sped forward and they were quiet for as long as it took to get out into traffic. Granger reached across her body and offered her wrist, and the small bag she had tied to it, to the empty passenger seat. "There's a US atlas in there. It's small; Harry or I can enlarge it."

Steve's arm became visible for a moment as he pulled it out from under the cloak and stuck it in the bag, digging deep. The disembodied hand pulled out several small pocket-sized books, flipped through them, and then handed one back to Harry. It tucked the others back in the bag. Granger pulled her arm back and signaled, changing lanes.

Natasha watched as Harry took the small book and tapped it with his wand. It enlarged to cover his lap. "Right, New Jersey," he muttered to himself as he opened it and flicked through pages. When it was open to the right page in his lap, she pointed to the small town in the northeast area of the state.

"What's in Wheaton?" Granger asked.

"The army base where I was trained is there," Steve said. Natasha was a bit uneasy with the disembodied voice.

"I couldn't break the encryption. That's where the file on the drive is from."

"Highway or no?" Harry asked.

"No highway," Steve's answer floated out to them. "At least for now."

After three-quarters of an hour, the car slowed and came to a stop at the side of the road. "Someone else needs to drive, or we need to wait a few minutes," Granger said.

Steve discarded the cloak, already moving to get out and switch places with her.

At first, Natasha wasn't sure why, it was only as Granger stepped out of the car, bent over and groaned low and long that she understood. Granger's skin bubbled and writhed overtop of her skeleton like some horrific FX in a horror B movie. It only lasted for a few seconds but it looked painful. Steve held his arms out like he wanted to help her but after a moment she stood, looking herself again. She shared a look with him that Natasha couldn't easily translate and then went around to sit in the passenger seat.

Steve slid the seat back and got in, adjusting it quickly. He put the car back into gear and spun the tires getting back on the road.

"Who's idea was it to steal the car?" Harry asked.

Granger pointed at Steve.

Natasha squinted and leaned forward, between the seats. "Where did Captain America learn to steal a car?"

"Nazi Germany. And we're borrowing it."

Granger snorted a little giggle. Natasha leaned back in her seat and frowned, looking down at the road map on Harry's lap. They had about two more hours, at least, and it was going to be close to dark when they got there. She debated ways to pass the time and finally decided on one that would maybe help her learn more about Granger and how she and Harry were as calm as they were about being fugitives.

"So... what's in the bag?"

* . * . *

Peggy felt Bucky kiss her forehead where she was resting it against the back of Sam's couch. They'd had a whirlwind of the last—twenty-four hours? thirty-six?—she'd lost count. All she knew was Steve and Hermione were wanted and MIA and she'd spent more time on an airplane than on solid ground in the last day or so.

"I think they're here, doll," Bucky said softly. Sure enough, Peggy could hear Steve's voice, soft but clear, coming from the kitchen. There were more voices than she'd expected actually. She opened her eyes and stretched, feeling her neck pop when she tilted her head just so. She stood and Bucky followed behind her, Sirius—as a dog—had also stood and proceeded them into the kitchen where the rest of their friends and allies were.

Hermione had been talking, explaining what had happened, and stopped mid-word when she looked up and saw them. She didn't take too long to regain her composure and asked, "I thought you were in Paris?"

Peggy grinned. "Sharon called shortly after we landed, with the news that Nick had been attacked. Bucky and I were included in the SHIELD-wide message alerting us to the manhunt for fugitives from SHIELD: Captain Rogers and Agent Granger. We were already in the airport trying to get a flight back when Sirius found us."

"I tried to keep them over there," Sirius said, having returned to human form. He pulled out the chair across from Harry and dropped into it. "But, well, they were insistent that we be here and help." He shrugged.

"And Sam?" Steve asked, his eyebrows raised like he wasn't sure if he wanted to be surprised that they'd plotted his next move or worried. He was leaning back in one of Sam's kitchen chairs. His body stretched out in a long line like he was taking advantage of spreading out now that he had a moment.

"Bucky thought you might head here when we saw the state of the apartment," she said. She pulled out the last chair and sat, leaning forward over the table to engage with the others sitting there. "Where are you coming from? What have you learned?"

"SHIELD is compromised. Has been since its inception, I think," Steve said. "Arnim Zola regrew HYDRA within SHIELD, in plain sight, according to him."

"Zola?" Bucky asked. He clenched the fist of his left hand, his flesh and blood hand that magic had regrown him. "Zola was a part of SHIELD?" he asked. His tone was hard and angry and he looked at Peggy like she'd betrayed him.

She had no idea how Zola had been recruited for SHIELD.

"Operation Paperclip," Romanoff answered, looking between them with a bit of confusion on her face. She still had dirt smudged on her cheek and concrete dust in her hair. "Nazi scientists were recruited after the war. Several were assigned to SHIELD. Sometime in the 70s, he turned himself into a computer and was 'living' in an abandoned SHIELD bunker at Camp Lehigh."

"Howard," Peggy said, feeling realization wash over her like cold water. Even the hair on her arms rose at the horrifying thought. "I wouldn't have approved of that. Howard would have looked past allegiances in the name of scientific advancement." She looked down, unable to bear the accusing look she expected Bucky was still giving her. "Now it makes sense why the other me wasn't a part of his son's life. He probably started feeling guilty and froze me out. Better to bury the lie than come clean."

In her periphery, she saw Steve nodding. "That sounds like him." She looked up at him, happy to see that he wasn't looking at her like she had betrayed him. She chanced a glance at Bucky. He'd moved to stand near Sam and lean against the kitchen island. The harsh look in his eyes had softened and he no longer looked like she'd kicked him while he was down.

"What do we do now?" Maria asked. She was leaning back against the countertop next to Sam, her arms crossed over her chest. Peggy had reached out to her when they'd got back. A single line message on a burner phone. Maria had responded with, "Secure location, Director?" and Peggy knew that Maria was an ally. They met at Sam's house in the early dawn, confusing him for a moment before he recognized them and offered his couch.

"Well, what's left of Zola is rubble," Harry said. "We still don't know what HYDRA is going to do."

Peggy shared a look with Steve. "Well, isn't it obvious? PROJECT INSIGHT. Killing people before they commit crimes. Controlling the population with fear that if you step out of line, you die." The chilling declaration was met with a contemplative silence.

"I know the basics of how the helicarriers work. They have information stored on computer chips that tell them who to target. If we replace those with some of our own, we could salvage the helicarriers."

"I'd feel better if they were destroyed completely," Steve said.

Maria had a look of resigned horror on her face but she nodded. "If they know someone's on to them, whoever's in charge of HYDRA is likely to speed up the launch. If we don't act quickly, we'll need some way of getting onto the helicarriers if they're already in the air."

"Who's in charge, then?" Sirius asked. "Maybe we can get to them beforehand."

Romanoff answered his question with one of her own. "Who at SHIELD has the authority to launch a domestic missile-strike?"

Three voices—Hermione's, Steve's, and Peggy's answered in unison—"Pierce." Steve continued, "There's no chance at getting at him if he's at the Triskelion."

"Most secure building in the world," Romanoff agreed with a nod.

"He's not working alone. Zola's algorithm was on the Lumerian Star," Steve said.

Romanoff's eyes went wide. "So was Jasper Sitwell." She leaned back and tapped the table.

"How do we kidnap a SHIELD agent in broad daylight and get him to confess what he knows about INSIGHT?" Steve asked. Peggy, Romanoff, Maria, and Hermione looked up at him like he was an idiot. "Okay, I get it. You can interrogate him. Still doesn't solve the kidnapping part."

"He's scared of dogs," Maria said. She was looking at Sirius with a calculating glint to her eyes.

Sirius glanced over his shoulder at her and winked. "How fortunate for me."

After a short moment of silence, while they were all contemplating their particular parts of the mission ahead of them, Harry said, "We can get brooms. Fly up to the helicarriers." He looked at Sirius who was nodding.

Hermione was shaking her head. "I haven't ridden since school. I'm no good on a broom."

"We'll get someone else," Sirius said, flippantly.

"Who else can we trust but the people in this room?" Hermione asked.

"I guess this is the point where I offer my resume, then, huh?" Sam said from beside Maria. He had a smug look on his face, especially at the confused looks he was getting but he pulled open what Peggy had thought was a junk drawer in the kitchen island and pulled out a folder. He dropped it in the middle of the table.

Romanoff was the first to pick it up. "Is this Bakmala? Khalid Khandil mission. That was you? I heard they couldn't bring in the choppers because of the RPGs. What'd you use? A stealth suit?"

He tipped his head up, to get her to look at the next page. Her eyebrows raised like she was impressed before she passed the folder to Steve. He studied the contents of it and then looked up at Sam. "How do we get our hands on one of these?" He passed the folder to Hermione and after a quick look, she passed it to Peggy. Looking up at her from the photograph were several men, one of whom was Sam. All of them were wearing sets of mechanical propulsion wings.

Sam looked almost wistful when he answered. "The last one's at Fort Meade behind three guarded gates and a twelve-inch steel wall."

Romanoff shrugged. "Doesn't sound like a problem."

Now that they had the foundation of several plans, Peggy put her Director-hat on and assigned the missions. Romanoff, Harry, and Sam would drive up to Fort Meade to retrieve the Wings suit. While they were at it, she would contact Pierce through a proxy server with a magically created backdrop to make it look like she was still in Paris. When the connection was made, Maria would use a back channel to tap into SHIELD to get a launch countdown and schematics for the helicarrier targeting chips so she could have new ones made. Sirius was to head out and buy two flying broomsticks.

Peggy felt the interesting way her clothes changed their fit as Hermione tapped them with her wand. They'd discussed a thick warm sweater and a relaxed look for her hair and a generic hotelesque wallpaper for her background. When she was ready, she activated the call on the phone Steve was holding steady for her.

"Pierce," the older gentleman said, answering the video call.

Peggy exhaled and started the ruse. "Secretary Pierce. This is Agent Peggy Carter."

"I know who you are, Ms. Carter." She bit her tongue instead of correct him to her title of Agent.

"I just wanted to explain why Agent Barnes and I haven't checked in to participate in the search for Captain Rogers and Agent Granger."

His eyebrows raised minutely. "I'd assumed it was because you live with them and were accomplices. Is this not the case?"

"No, sir. You see, Agent Barnes and I are in Paris celebrating our first year anniversary," she gave an embarrassed sort of smile and lowered her eyes like she was fighting a blush. After a second she cleared her throat and looked back up at him; his expression hadn't changed but he was still watching her. "Our mobile phones were off since we're on vacation. We just turned them back on recently. Has the manhunt been called off or do you expect the fugitives to have fled to Europe? We might be able to work with the SHIELD teams over here if we're needed." Past the screen, she could see Maria made a motion that conveyed she needed more time. Peggy kept her hands in her lap out of sight but made a thumbs up to acknowledge the request.

"That won't be necessary. We're almost positive they're still in the city."

"Yes, sir. I'd also like to extend my sympathies to you as a friend of Nick Fury. He was a good man," she said.

"Ah," he said as if he could now see the true machination behind her call. "You were on Nick's short list when it came to succeeding Director, were you not?" She nodded but he didn't give her time to speak. "There's an investigation on-going regarding Nick's murder, hence the manhunt for Rogers and Granger. Although you weren't at the scene when it happened you do share an address with our number one suspect. Your recommendation to Director has been put on hold until the investigation is completed. I hope you understand, Ms. Carter." He closed the connection. His words had sent nausea through her. Disappointment sat like a stone in her stomach.

She looked to Maria who was nodding and standing up. "It's good. I got them. I'll be back in an hour."

Peggy blinked at the blank screen and relaxed her shoulders. She heard the front door close and she took a moment to sigh. Steve dropped the phone he was holding for her and reached across her lap to clasp her hands. She met his gaze and he smiled at her.

"We're together. Everything will work out. Now come on, I think Bucky's got the right idea." He tugged on her hand and pulled her up, leading her from the corner of the living room into a spare bedroom. He grabbed Hermione's hand along the way and towed her along too. Bucky had already removed his shoes and he was laying down in the middle of the bed. He opened his arms for them when they came into the room.

Peggy crawled on the bed first, to snuggle into his embrace. Steve and Hermione followed until they were laying bunched up like logs, four people wide on the full-sized bed.

* . * . *

Bucky sighed heavily, enjoying the smell of the fruity shampoo Hermione had talked Peggy into using. They were supposed to be in Paris, celebrating their first year anniversary. Not here, tearing down Peggy's brainchild.

Hermione broke the silence. "I'm sorry this is ruining your anniversary week."

Bucky squirmed a little to free his arm—his left arm. Oh god, he had a real left arm again. He'd only had it a few days now—and popped her on the butt as best he could from where he was laying. "Hush. You two will just have to come next time."

"This probably ruined your chance at Director, too, huh?" she added, ignoring him and addressing Peggy.

"Yes." Peggy's voice was reedy thin and Bucky pulled her closer. Only rarely did she let emotion color her voice. When she did, it was because she was overwhelmed with it. Pierce must have said something about it.

"Knowing you founded SHIELD was half the reason I stayed," Steve murmured.

His comment pulled Peggy from her thoughts enough that she teased, "Oh, don't be so melodramatic."

Hermione's laughter shook the bed.

"How deep do you think HYDRA is twisted up in SHIELD? Do you think it's salvageable?" Bucky asked.

He felt Steve shake his head on the pillow they were sharing. "No, it's—you'd never know who was who. If we tried to save it, they'd just slip right back in. We've got to rip the top off and expose the infestation under it all, otherwise, we'll be second-guessing every decision and every order and every mission. Is this for HYDRA? Is this actually SHIELD?"

After some time, Hermione said, "I guess this means we're all going to be unemployed soon."

Bucky snorted. "Yeah. Won't be able to afford living here. Plus the apartment's trashed."

"Trashed?" Steve asked. Bucky felt the bed wiggle a little as Steve started to sit up. Hermione reached across his chest to pull him back down. He relaxed between them again.

"We swung by there to investigate when we got back. Seems somebody, probably looking for clues as to where you'd go, ransacked it. I'm sure magic can fix it but—"

"It's also subsidized by SHIELD. We're going to be homeless too."

"The apartment in New York that we turned down last year?" Peggy asked.

"Nope. That was SHIELD subsidized too," Hermione said. Bucky let his eyes fall back shut as they talked over him.

"Hmm," Peggy hummed. "Maybe a change of scenery is in order. What do you say about moving home?"

"Home? You mean back to Britain?" Hermione asked.

"Yes. It's been a long time since I've been home. I wonder if my parents' house is still standing," Peggy mused.

"I don't know," Bucky finally said. "It's a thought, at least. Something to keep you warm at night."

"Something to keep in the back of your mind. Don't die on this mission so we can all move to England," Steve teased. His dry deadman's humor made both Peggy and Hermione snort in amusement. He supposed that was all they could hope for at the moment. He squeezed Peggy tighter with his right arm and tightened his hold on Steve's hand with his left. Maybe it would be enough.

* . * . *

It was decided that since the manhunt was for Hermione and Steve, they should be the ones to "kidnap" Sitwell. And Sirius to help with the intimidation part. They tracked him down to a lunch meeting with a senator. In a hidden alleyway, Sirius dropped a Disillusionment spell on Hermione's head and she slipped into the crowd. Steve stayed in the alley. Sirius sat at one of the cafe tables outside Sitwell's meeting place and waited.

Shortly thereafter, Sitwell exited the building. Hermione was close enough to hear the smarmy inappropriate conversation between Sitwell and the senator as they headed down the steps towards the road but she kept her eyes on the two extra agents acting as bodyguards. As discussed, Sirius waited for the senator to leave before he approached Sitwell.

"Agent Sitwell, if I may have a word." Sirius was a tall man and he didn't apologize or make excuses for it. He stopped on the same step as Sitwell, which meant he towered over the Hydra agent.

"Who are you?" he asked.

Sirius offered his hand to shake and said, "Agent Sirius Black, I work out of London."

Sitwell did not shake his hand but he did ask, "What is it you needed?" He held his wrist up to play with his sleeve cuff as he shifted on the steps, taking a step back so he was one up from Sirius. They were shallow enough that it still didn't put him at eye level.

Sirius side-eyed the bodyguards. "It's Level Seven Clearance, I probably shouldn't say in front of—"

Sitwell sighed like he was put-upon and then glanced back at the other two agents. "Can you bring the car around? I need to talk to Agent Black alone." They nodded and Hermione watched them walk away. She followed on quiet feet.

When they were just getting in the car, seated but before they'd pulled the doors shut, she sent a spell at them to make them sleep. She was quick to jump forward and grab the driver so he didn't slump into the steering wheel horn. She leaned them both back in their seats and shut the doors. Then, with a moment's thought vanished one of the belts on the engine. And a few hoses for good measure. The interior workings of a car engine weren't her expertise but she figured it probably wouldn't get them very far when they woke up if it was missing parts.

She returned to the alley where Steve had been waiting to find that Sirius and Sitwell had just arrived. When Sitwell saw Steve he started looking around a bit nervously. When he didn't seem to find what he was looking for—was he looking for her?—his expression turned smug. "What is this about, Captain Rogers? Is this man even an Agent?" He turned back to gesture at Sirius but startled when instead of a tall man, there was an enormous black dog looking particularly vicious in his place. "What the—?"

"Tell me about Zola's algorithm," Steve demanded.

Hermione was quick to cast hiding spells, perfected during the horcrux hunt, and to block off the alley so Sitwell couldn't run, though Padfoot was doing an admirable job of keeping the exit covered.

Sitwell's attention was mostly on Padfoot but he glanced back up at Steve. "What? I don't know what you're talking about."

"What were you doing on the Lumerian Star?"

"Throwing up; I get seasick." Padfoot snarled and took a step closer. Sitwell took an uneasy step towards Steve. "Where's Granger, anyway? Shouldn't you be betraying your country by getting her out of it?"

Hermione chose that moment to reveal herself. "Did you call for me?" she asked, feeling the Disillusionment spell drip down and away. Sitwell startled like he'd just seen a ghost and took another step closer to Steve.

"Witches are abominable beasts, Rogers, you know that right?" He said the words quickly, his attention mostly on her as she took another step closer. "They're demonic creatures that don't have morals. How can you sleep with one? They can read your thoughts!" He took another step closer to Steve.

Padfoot chose that moment to lunge forward—he wasn't actually going to attack but it was enough to scare Sitwell into comically jumping into Steve's arms, hands curled around his lapels and his feet and legs pulled up tight to try and protect them from the dog.

Steve locked his grip on Sitwell. "That's what you're afraid of, isn't it?" He looked up at Hermione and she stepped closer, casting a silent Legilimency as she did so. Sitwell's thoughts were hurried and tumbling over themselves but she delved past his fear and disgust until she found exactly what she was looking for. Zola's algorithm.

She stepped back when she was done, swallowing past the horrifying feelings of Sitwell's righteousness. How he could think killing people on a mass scale for things they hadn't done yet was the right thing to do made her sick to her stomach. "Zola's algorithm is on the helicarriers, meant to read all the available data on the internet these days to determine who's a threat to HYDRA's world order and eliminate them. Just like Peggy thought."

Padfoot shifted back to human and gave a cheeky grin at Sitwell, whose eyes had grown wide at the sight. "See, that wasn't so hard, was it?" Sitwell only whimpered.

Steve dropped his hold and Sitwell fell to the ground. He scrambled up, his hands going to his suit to press out any wrinkles like he was trying to save his dignity. "Come on. Let's get him in the car and head back. We can probably use him to bypass the DNA scans and access the helicarriers directly."

"That's a terrible, terrible idea!" Sitwell spluttered.

Sirius waved his wand in his direction, casting a silencing spell. "Put a cork in it."

Hermione took down her protections and led the way to their second "borrowed" car in two days. Sirius walked along beside Sitwell, his wand low and hidden against his leg, and Steve followed behind. No one really spoke as they got in the car. Hermione took the driver's seat and Steve the passenger. Sirius manhandled Sitwell into the backseat.

Sirius must have canceled the silencing spell once they got on the road because he asked, "Does it go all the way to the top? HYDRA, I mean? How many of there are you?" His tone suggested he meant for Sitwell to answer.

"Cut off one head, two more shall take its place," Sitwell answered.

"Cut the bullshit," Steve said, glancing back at him. "I've heard that line before. Usually from people who are on death's doorstep."

"You'll never find all of us. We're very good at hiding in plain sight."

"Yeah, well, we'll just have to—"

In front of them, the concrete rose up like black liquid, creating a solid wall. "Shit!" Hermione slammed her foot on the breaks and flicked her wand, casting a Slowing Charm as quickly as she could. Combined with Sirius's fast casting of a Cushioning Charm, the car did stop but the front end was too damaged for even magic to repair. They clamored out of the car. Hermione's hands were still shaking from the sudden brush with death.

As soon as Sitwell had stood completely he collapsed in a flash of sick green light.

"Steve, watch out!" Hermione shouted, even as she ducked down and raised a Shield Charm. A hail of bullets thudded off it and dinged on Steve's shield as well. From the direction of the bullets, Hermione could see a masked figure wearing dark clothes like some mix of leather tactical gear and wizard's robes. His black hair was in tangles around his head. Sirius turned and rolled, coming up behind her. He dropped his own Shield Charm and cast through hers. The masked figure barely moved as he carelessly brushed the spell aside.

"This doesn't look good," Sirius muttered. He cast again and then whispered a plan to Hermione.

"We got to get those guns off us. I don't know how well Steve's shield'll hold up to magic if—"

The masked figure casually walked towards them and cast a spell at Steve. Steve had made himself very small behind his shield and the white flash of the spell ricocheted off and fizzled into the asphalt.

"Well, that's helpful," Sirius mumbled. He cast two more spells through her shield, twisting up the guns of two of the gunmen. They exploded in their hands. Hermione did not allow herself to think about the way their blood splattered or the way they screamed. His spells caused a lull in the gunfire and Steve stood up and threw his shield at the masked figure. The figure jerked his wand up to divert the deadly discus, but the properties of Vibranium held true. The spell ricocheted but did nothing to stop the shield from its course. At the last moment, the figure wrenched himself out of the way, dropping to the ground. The shield embedded itself in the vehicle behind him, beheading the guy who'd been standing there.

With him down for that moment, Hermione and Sirius were up, spells cast silently and in tandem, destroying the guns of the remaining team.

The figure—Nick's assassin—was fast, however, and before Steve could retrieve his shield, he was back on his feet and aiming his wand. Sirius shifted into Padfoot and lunged. Hermione dove at Steve, knocking them both over the barrier on the side of the highway. Hermione's second Slowing Charm wasn't as fast as her first, and they both slowed but didn't stop. The impact with the ground stunned her.

Steve was a bit more durable, jumping up and grabbing Hermione by the coat. There was a loud, obnoxious wailing sound to their right.

It wasn't until she was flying through the air away from the truck that she realize Steve had flung her out of traffic. She retook her feet in time to see Steve standing on top of the bonnet of the stopped truck. "Accio shield!" she shouted. She could feel how her magic had to yank hard at the embedded vibranium before it lurched free of the metal it was in. It came soaring over the side of the bridge just ahead of Padfoot's body. The doggy yelp he gave on the way down sounded more human than it should. She halted his descent with the ground, surprised to see Sirius standing up—had he transformed mid-air? He flashed her a thumbs up and a grin.

His expression telegraphed a warning before anything else and she spun around and raised another Shield Charm just in time to block a spell of purple fire. The assassin was much closer than dueling would require and she cast a spell to harden her fist before taking a swing at him. He blocked it and returned it, his non-wand hand catching her under the jaw. The punch stunned her a second time, if only for that fact that most magic users didn't do Muggle combat. She was already halfway to the ground when she regained her senses and swung a kick out to his feet. He jumped to avoid it, kicking her in the face to counter the attack.

Sirius cast a spell at the assassin just as Steve came upon him as well. Steve swung out wide with his shield strapped to his arm. The blow knocked the assassin backward and knocked the mask off his face. When he stood back up, Hermione heard Sirius gasp behind her. "Regulus?" he asked.

"Who the hell is Regulus?" the assassin answered. His voice, his accent, sounded so similar to Sirius's that even Steve stopped and glanced back to Sirius before making another attack.

Regulus—as it had to be him—looked confusedly at the three of them before casting a last spell and Disapparating. The spell was a weak Expellarmus but it had come after a mental shock and both Sirius and Hermione's wands were tugged out of their hands and thrown in the direction he had stood.

It was then that the sounds surrounding them seemed to filter back into Hermione's awareness. She could hear the STRIKE team operatives around them in their leather and kevlar, and the barely-there creaks of guns held tightly. "Get up, get up!" Agent Rollins was saying to her. Gun held aimed at her face. "On your knees!"

Other STRIKE agents were shouting similar things at Sirius and Steve.

She felt them clamp anti-magic cuffs around her wrists. Watched as one of the helmeted agents picked up the wands and the shield. It wasn't until they were shuffling her towards the van along the side of the road that she realized her vision was slightly swimming.

Sirius's brother Regulus was the Winter Soldier.

But Regulus had died, hadn't he?

* . * . *

Bucky kept his focus on the wobbly look in Hermione's eyes even as he watched Steve flex his biceps in the thick steel double-wristed cuffs. It'd been Peggy's idea to slip in as a STRIKE team member, of course. He's glad she thought of it. So now he was sitting here, watching Hermione and Steve and Sirius and waiting for the right moment to reveal himself.

Sirius still had a dumbstruck look on his face.

He opened his mouth and closed it, then met eyes with Hermione before saying. "Wasn't there proof he died?"

She hummed and tilted her head back. The move shifted her hair and Bucky spotted blood dripping down her collar. He glanced at the STRIKE operative beside him. The van rattled a little as it went over a bump, thudded twice as the asphalt changed to a grate. Bucky nudged Steve's foot with his own.

Steve tilted his head down and stopped breathing. He looked up at Bucky and then over at Hermione. "Hermione, open your eyes. You've probably got a concussion." Turning back to Bucky he gestured with his head. "She needs medical attention." The interaction gave Bucky a reason to react. He activated his taser rod and held it menacingly in Steve's direction, then flipped it and smashed it into the operative sitting beside him instead. The guy jerked and Bucky punched him. He fell to the floor and didn't move.

Bucky took off the helmet and grinned at them. "Miss me?"

"Barnes," Hermione said, her speech a little drawled.

"Ma'am?"

"Get us out of here."

"Yes, ma'am." As he was unlocking all their handcuffs and returning their weapons to them, he asked Steve, "How'd you know it was me?"

"I recognized your heartbeat."

"Hmph," was Bucky's response. What could he say to something like that other than call Steve a sap? He'd have to do that later. Now though, he activated the Mouse Hole Maria had given him and started to cut through the bottom of the van. Before Steve jumped down into the sewer below Bucky shook his head. "This is just the diversion. Here," he tucked the Mouse Hole back into his pocket and pulled out a small piece of string.

"Harry must be back, huh?" Sirius asked. He pinched the string near the top, next to Bucky's hand and the other two followed suit. Sirius said the word, activating the Portkey.

Bucky was the only one to fall down when they appeared in their new location.

"This is not Sam's house," Hermione said. Bucky got up and Steve wrapped his arm around Hermione's back to steady her as he looked around too.

"We had about three minutes warning, but Sam's house got raided by SHIELD agents. Harry's already promised to go back to try and repair the damage," Bucky answered. He pointed to the door of the abandoned dam that led down to where Peggy and the rest had set up shop.

When they got inside the main room, Bucky glanced around at the sofas and chair Harry had conjured. Somebody must have found a fold-up table and Maria had set up a secure laptop to mark the countdown until the launch of PROJECT INSIGHT. Peggy and Natasha and Maria had their heads together talking while Sam and Harry seemed to have struck up a conversation.

Harry was the one to speak up when they got there. "Hermione? What's wrong?" He stood and Steve directed her increasingly unsteady steps in his direction.

"Car wreck, we fell off an overpass, I threw her out of traffic. She's a bit beat up. Might have a concussion," Steve listed.

"She's got blood in her hair," Bucky mentioned as he went towards Peggy, "check the back of her head." He squeezed her shoulder as he glanced at the laptop screen with the launch. She squeezed his side back.

Harry conjured a stool and sat Hermione down on it and then went through what amounted to a field check. Checked her eyes, her vitals. He then cast a few spells that didn't look like they did anything but after the third one, she hummed in relief. He rechecked her vitals.

"What happened?" Peggy finally asked.

"Apparently my dead brother is the Winter Soldier," Sirius said, flopping heavily into one of the sofa corners.

"Regulus is alive?" Harry asked, looking up from Hermione.

"Mmhmm. He attacked us on a bridge. Killed Sitwell first chance he got."

"With Hermione injured and Sirius stunned, STRIKE surrounded us. It was good thinking for Buck to slip in with them," Steve said. He tipped his head in Peggy's direction.

Natasha asked, "Did you get anything from Sitwell beforehand?"

Hermione, who looked much more alert now that Harry had done his med-check, was the one to answer. "It just confirmed what Peggy had deduced. HYDRA is a parasite of SHIELD, spread wide and deep. It goes all the way to the top, too. Zola's algorithm studies the world's past to predict it's future. Anyone it deems a threat is killed preemptively by INSIGHT."

"Then what now?" Sam asked. He crossed his arms over his chest. His gaze moved across the team leaders—Steve, Hermione, and Peggy—before settling on Peggy.

"Without announcing our presence or allegiances, none of us can get close enough to those helicarriers to change out the targeting chips." She gestured towards the briefcase sitting behind the laptop next to Maria. "We've got a little under four hours before those ships go up. We should probably sketch out who's on what team, what the plan is, and gather supplies. Head out in an hour." She paused to look at Hermione and Harry. "Do you need to stay out of the main action?"

"For the head wound?" Hermione asked, shaking her head. "No, I'm okay. Harry's got an adept hand at healing spells."

"I have a hiccup for our previously made plans," Sirius said. Peggy raised her eyebrows and gave him a slight nod. Eyes downcast, he continued, "I want to be on the ground team—or whichever team it is—that goes after Regulus." He looked up at her. "I let him down once, left him behind. Can't do it again."

"He might not be the kind you save, man," Sam said.

"Then I'll do it myself. For most of our lives, we've been on opposite sides. It'll be just like old times," he said, giving a pathetic little chuckle.

"He might be under an Imperius, Sirius," Hermione said softly.

He glanced at her. "I keep thinking that too but I don't want to get my hopes up. He didn't need an Imperius to be a Death Eater. He may have chosen to work with HYDRA. If that's the case, I'll accept it, but I... He's my baby brother... I don't want anyone else to take him down if I can help it."

"That leaves us down a flyer."

"If someone gets me up on one, I can do that," Steve said. "I expect the third team is infiltration and that's not my area of expertise."

Peggy nodded. "Sam, Harry, and Steve will handle replacing the chips. Sirius and Hermione will go after the Winter Soldier. Maria is communications central. Natasha, Bucky and I will do the undercover work."

Bucky coughed. "Do you really need me for that?" She turned her head to look at him, confusion in her eyes. "It's just... Sirius has had my back a lot. I feel like I ought to return the favor and follow him."

"If that's where you think you'll do the most good," she said. She looked up at Sirius and Hermione for their input. They both nodded. "Good. Suit up."

* . * . *

Steve checked over his suit one last time. Hermione had transformed a new one from the STRIKE team body armor that Bucky had been wearing since he'd had to leave his stealth suit in the bathroom at the Lincoln Memorial. He hooked his shield on his back and glanced over his teammates.

Bucky, Hermione, Maria, and Sirius were wearing modified versions of their typical SHIELD tac. Peggy and Natasha were in business suits, though Peggy's shoulders were invisible where she'd pulled Harry's fancy cloak over her. Harry and Sam were the only ones not in body armor. Harry conjured a long string and everyone grabbed hold of it.

After the first time with Portkey travel, Steve had become used to the sensation. It wasn't pleasant by any stretch of the imagination but he didn't fall down like Bucky and Maria did. He helped them both up, glanced over his shoulder at the Triskelion, and then gave them all a good-luck nod.

Peggy and Natasha set off to "borrow" another car to drive into headquarters where they could infiltrate Pierce's World Security Council meeting. The rest of them headed towards the Triskelion from the backside of the island.

Bucky, Hermione, and Sirius broke off from their group first, heading for where they expected the Winter Soldier to show up. Harry, with his broom over his shoulder and his wand in his other hand, stood outside the door while Sam, Steve, and Maria got access to the grounds command center. Maria would be able to hack into the helicarrier system from there, though she wouldn't have full access.

Steve had one chance to rally and alert the non-HYDRA agents within the building and he'd been thinking about what he wanted to say on the walk there. Finally, when Maria meet his gaze and nodded, it was time. "Attention all SHIELD agents, this is Steve Rogers. You've heard a lot about me over the last few days. Some of you were even ordered to hunt me down. Hunt your fellow agent, Granger, down as well. I think it's time you heard the truth." He explained how HYDRA was in the building, a part of SHIELD all the way to the top. "They almost have what they want: absolute control. A war on all magical people. They killed Nick Fury. It won't end there." He told them what those helicarriers would do, how they would kill everyone in their way. He could feel the eyes of everyone in the room watching him, could see even the personnel they had bound to their chairs against the wall watching him. Some of them looked shocked, others angry.

"The price of freedom is high; always has been," he went on, "but it's a price I'm willing to pay. If I'm the only one, then so be it, but I'm willing to bet I'm not." He closed the connection and made eye contact with the others.

Maria gave him a nod as she took a seat in front of the computer. "I've got this. Go."

Steve and Sam met Harry outside and they started towards the tarmac. Even as they jogged, Steve could hear the enormous engines engage and start moving the doors over the helicarriers. It seems his speech ignited a spark. In their comms, he heard Maria swear before addressing them. "They initiated launch early. There's no way for me to override it from here. It's up to you guys, Captain."

"Understood," Steve said. They stopped at the edge of the river just as the first helicarrier was just rising up out of the enormous opening. Water from the river was still pouring into the cavernous maw below.

"Merlin's saggy ballsack," Harry muttered as he looked out over it.

Sam was nodding, seemingly agreeing with Harry's creative invective. He activated his wings, letting them fold out behind him. Harry mounted his broom. Harry took off first, flying out towards his target before it had risen too far above the river. Sam looked over at Steve. "You just going to think about it for a minute or what?"

Steve looked back at the helicarrier in front of him, rising at a steady pace up towards him. "Well, I could jump but I figured I'd wait for it to get up a little higher is all. I'm an old man."

Sam snorted an aborted laugh and activated the propulsion system on his wings. He jumped off the ledge and swooped down and back up, heading towards his own rapidly rising target.

Steve nodded to himself, judging the height of his own target and then backed up and took a running leap off the edge and into the air. He landed and rolled, standing up just as the first wave of HYDRA resistance started shooting. He pulled his shield onto his arm and headed into the fray.

Maria had shown them all the basics of how to get to the computer terminal. Had given them the access codes too. For a brief moment, he wished he could have flown like the other two, but then he heard the boom and report of anti-aircraft fire and decided that no, doing it his way was the easier option.

After the first volley of gunfire, Steve was able to get close enough to punch and kick his way through the HYDRA agents. Many of them went down with one or two hits if he hit them in the head. Though sometimes he missed and hit them in a shoulder or the neck. A quick second hit was enough to bring them down.

He could feel the air getting thin and colder even as he worked his way through the armed teams sent to delay or kill him. How had the ships risen as fast as they had? In his ear, Harry confirmed that he'd succeeded in replacing the chip in his target. Maria asked for an update from him and Sam. Sam's answer was contradictory, "I'm in—oh, shit!" and then jet machine gun strafing added to the anti-aircraft missile explosions.

Steve punched the last HYDRA agent still standing. When there weren't any more to contend with, he headed towards the terminal underneath the ship.

Being inside the ship only muffled the sounds of battle outside a little bit. He heard one large explosion and the higher pitch of strafing stopped. Sam's voice, a little breathless but without pain said, "Thanks, man."

"No problem," Harry answered.

After another moment Sam spoke again. "I'm in, bravo locked."

* . * . *

Sirius and Hermione were both monitoring either side of the island for magical activity when Regulus Apparated nearby with a loud CRACK. Sirius and Bucky started running in the direction of the noise. They were running toward the sound of machine gun fire and explosions. Rising into the sky above them were three monstrously large airships.

There were shouts and an explosion much closer than the others. That's when Sirius saw him. Regulus was power-walking through a group of pilots trying to scramble. He blew up a second jet with a spell and then kicked another pilot so hard the man flew off his feet and was sucked into the engine of the jet behind him. Blood and flesh splattered the tarmac underneath the plane, followed by shards of metal from the destroyed jet skittering over the concrete after it. Sirius started throwing Shield Charms up between his brother and the pilots but it didn't stop him. He turned, spotted Sirius and Bucky, and aimed his wand at them. Hermione had just come into view behind him and when Sirius shielded them she sent a spell at Regulus.

Regulus was fast, shielding the spell from her and countering with something that pulled her off her feet to fly through the air, like a summoning spell—except summoning spells didn't typically work on living bodies—Sirius didn't have much chance to figure it out as she landed on him, knocking him to the ground. She'd missed Bucky and Sirius could hear his sharpshooter best friend firing at Regulus.

He knew his brother was probably wearing armor and would probably shield himself from the gunfire but it still made his heart pound. He knew too, that Bucky wouldn't be aiming for center mass, he'd be aiming to disable and disarm—arms and legs. It didn't make him feel any better. Before Sirius could disentangle himself from Hermione, Bucky swore and fell to the pavement.

Sirius was up first, sending a brief glance Bucky's way to see he was alert and alive before he focused his attention back on Regulus. Hermione shouted Bucky's name and rushed to him. Regulus was heading away from them, towards another jet.

"I didn't know you guys had spells that instantly broke legs. Damn. I'm useless. I might have tagged his wand arm but he did this weird disappearing thing."

"He Apparated?"

"Multiple times in quick succession while I was shooting at him, yeah," Bucky said. He bit the words out through his teeth and Sirius knew he had to be in a great deal of pain.

Through the comms in their ear, Sirius heard Harry say he'd fulfilled his mission.

Sirius watched the jet Regulus was apparently piloting and pointed to the highest helicarrier when it was obvious that's where he was headed. "We need to get up there. Do you think we can Apparate?" he asked Hermione. She'd done a quick med-check and cast a spell to help with the pain but there wasn't much she could do for Bucky otherwise; he'd need more Skele-Gro to fix a broken leg.

She looked up at Sirius and then at the ship. "No, it's moving too fast. You'll land yourself in the middle of a steel beam or something."

Bucky spoke into the comms device on his cuff. "Harry, where are you? These guys need a lift."

"On my way," Harry responded. A few seconds later, they saw Harry swing wide underneath one of the ships. A jet followed him with machine gun fire on full blast. He'd had a Shield Charm up—Sirius could see it flickering with deflected bullets—but then when the jet's fire lulled for a second, he dropped the charm, turned around and blasted it with something that blew up one of the engines, it listed to the side. It restarted to fire even as it was careening towards the ground but Harry already had his Shield Charm back in place and was heading down to where Bucky, Sirius, and Hermione were on the ground.

"Thanks, man," Sam's voice crackled over the comms.

"No problem." Harry was close enough that Sirius and the others could hear him without the echo in their earpieces. "Come on," he shouted in Sirius's direction. "I can only carry one of you."

Sirius looked back at Hermione but she was already shaking her head and speaking, "Go on, I'll stay here with Bucky."

Sirius nodded, mounted the broom behind Harry, and headed towards the last helicarrier. Regulus's jet was out of sight. On their way, they heard Sam check in, "Bravo locked."

Maria's voice sounded clear in their ears. "Captain Rogers? Where are you?"

"I'm almost to the terminal. It's a maze in here. Who designed these things?" he sounded a little winded even as he joked. "If you were just going to Apparate, Sirius, why'd you send—oh, wait, you're not Siri—"

The link cut off just as the crack of a spell ricocheted off the vibranium shield. Sirius refrained from telling Harry to hurry up. He could feel the racing broom under them straining as it was, it wasn't meant for two grown men and Harry was already pushing it to its limits. They came up underneath the ship and Sirius could see Steve and Regulus fighting through the clear upside-down dome. He cast a spell to break the glass to get in and jumped off the broom onto a solid panel without bothering to say anything to Harry.

Regulus broke from his onslaught of spells he was throwing Steve's way to aim one at Harry. It caught the tail of his broom, broke it under him, and sent him spinning out of the hole in the dome.

"Harry!"

Sirius's shout was followed quickly by Hermione's over the comms as she saw him free falling too. "Sam!" she called, appealing to the other flyer in the group who might be able to catch him or slow his descent.

"I see him!" came the reply and Sirius could only hope that the other man would make it in time.

Regulus had either ignored Sirius standing below him or not seen him as he'd returned to flinging spells ineffectively at Steve to stall him from changing out the computer chip. Sirius took the advantage and sent a spell up through the metal walkway, tripping Regulus up.

He fell face first like his shoes had been tied together. There were return spells but Sirius jumped out of the way and aimed another spell at his brother. The Incarcerous bound Regulus to the walkway. Then Sirius disarmed him. He Apparated aiming high over the walkway and only landed with six inches to spare—Hermione hadn't been lying when she'd warned about Apparating on a moving object. He thought about giving Regulus a punch to the head to stop his struggling but decided a simple sleep spell would do the trick.

"Charlie locked," Steve gurgled through the comms. Sirius looked up and saw the man turn and slide down the wall, blood blossoming through the front of his uniform like he'd been sliced across the belly.

"Shit," Sirius said, running towards him. Entrail-Expelling Curse, most likely. He used his wand like a pair of scissors, slicing up Steve's uniform to expose his stomach. As he did, he was very careful of the internal yet currently external organs that were exposed. He worked on applying first aid, stabilizing the wound as well as he could.

Maria's voice felt loud in his ear, "Steve? Are you off the ship?"

"Fire now," Steve murmured.

"We're not off the ship, dammit," Sirius replied back into his.

Maria didn't seem to hear him. "Are you sure?"

"Do it now," Steve said again. His eyes were closed and sweat was dripping down his forehead. He was already going into shock and delirium.

Sirius looked at his comms device on his cuff and saw that it was black and fried. One of Regulus's spells must have hit it. "Shit, shit, shit," Sirius mumbled. He looked back at Regulus as the first missile rocked the helicarrier they were in. The sky filled with the sound of explosions. It was an unthinkable decision—save Steve "Captain America" Rogers or save his brother? He was sure he'd regret whatever he chose in the end.

He conjured a stretcher for Steve and bound him to it, careful to layer as many Sticking spells as he could to the man's belly. He leaned over him and Apparated them out.

* . * . *

Bucky hobbled himself into the patient room at the end of the hall. He was getting strange looks from many of the staff and patients nearby but he wasn't too worried. He'd experienced their Skele-Gro and knew first hand how horrendously painful it was whereas he'd never really had to go through the inconvenience that came with having a broken bone. So the cast was annoying and heavy and awkward and he couldn't get it wet and...

Yeah, they'd already put him in it before he'd come around and asked about treatment at the Magical hospital instead.

Almost their entire team had needed some sort of medical help. Natasha had needed a short stay in the hospital to check for damage done by a taser disk she'd activated on herself. Bucky had the broken ankle. Sam had pulled muscles in his shoulders and chest when he'd caught Harry spinning out of control. Harry's broom had broken and he'd had a nine-inch wooden splinter in his thigh.

After getting Steve back on solid ground, Sirius had attempted to Apparate back onto the helicarrier just as it broke apart. He'd ended up taking a long fall with the rubble into the water below. He'd been lucky enough to have been upright and stayed that way as he fell, hitting the water feet first. He broke bones in both of his feet and cracked his ribs. There might have been more but his magic seemed to protect him from the worst of it.

Steve and Hermione had the most life-threatening injuries.

Hermione had been protecting Bucky, standing nearby and watching the skies. She'd been distracted by watching Harry fall out of the helicarrier. Agent Rumlow had seen her standing there and decided to continue his previous mission. He hadn't seen Bucky, conscious and alert lying on the ground nearby. The bullets that ripped through her body and the blood that exploded away from her with their impact would haunt Bucky for a long time. He hadn't even processed if she was dead or not, just grabbed his pistol and took the shot.

Rumlow's funeral was going to have to be closed-casket.

Bucky took a deep breath and slipped past the door of the room. Hermione and Steve were on beds side by side in the mundane-magical grievous injury section of the magical hospital. Sam was already there, reading at Steve's bedside.

He looked up at Bucky and gave him a little smile. Bucky nodded back at him and settled himself down in the cushy armchair next to Hermione's side of the bed. Sam went back to reading.

Unlike mundane hospitals, there were no machines that beeped or measured the patients' vitals, just a soothing sound of rushing water, like one of the sound machines Peggy had indulged in recently. Coming from the mundane hospital, it felt almost too quiet. He closed his eyes and listened to the soft, easy breathing of his friend and lovers. After a half hour or so—Bucky might have dozed where he sat—the door opened and Harry, Peggy, and Natasha entered.

"How are they?" Peggy asked. She came and sat on the arm of his chair, leaning into his space. Bucky figured they weren't in front of anyone as superiors anymore and took the opportunity to press his face into her side in affection. He needed her calming presence.

Harry tapped something on the foot of their beds and golden numbers appeared above their chests. Heart rate, blood pressure, amount of oxygen being pulled into their lungs as they breathed. They all looked over the numbers, nodding, and Harry tapped it again. "They look all right. I'm glad the response team was so fast."

Bucky glanced at their clothes, all formal and pressed, even Harry in his scarlet red Auror uniform. "How did the hearing go?"

Peggy nodded. "Harry shouldered most of it, somehow. Natasha and I were held responsible for the information dump but the budget Pierce negotiated for SHIELD's upcoming fiscal year will go towards property damage and cleaning up the Potomac."

"What did you do?" Hermione asked. Her voice was quiet and soft like she was still partially asleep and sore from her wounds.

Harry looked over at her and grinned. "Claimed that SHIELD was already under investigation from the International Aurors. I even got Regulus's guilt sorted out."

"How?" Sam asked, setting his book on the table next to him.

"For demonstrative purposes, I put one of them under an Imperius."

"And that worked?" Hermione asked.

"Oh yeah, once I made one of them jump on a table and thump his chest like an ape, they were much more willing to concede that Regulus had no control over his actions."

"That's hilarious," she murmured, pulling herself up into a sitting position. Harry helped her by conjuring a few more pillows behind her back.

"It's not exactly the word I would use," Natasha said, "but it was effective. It did start a fifteen minute tangent about how to protect oneself from things like that." Behind her, Steve cracked his eyes open and blinked, looking around. Once he saw Hermione and then looked past her to Bucky and Peggy, he smiled softly.

There was a knock on the door and Sirius popped his head in and looked around. He grinned as he saw that Hermione and Steve were awake and stepped fully into the room. As he was magical, he'd automatically been taken to the magical hospital. All his broken bones had been healed overnight.

A spot at the back of Bucky's calf started itching and it sparked a moment of envy. He should put that on his file somewhere. If injured, take to a magical hospital.

"How are you feeling?" Sirius asked the two still in hospital beds. Steve nodded and gave him a thumbs up. Bucky wondered if he still felt too out of it to talk.

Hermione, on the other hand, was fully awake now. "I got shot." She frowned, pouting almost, and Bucky was hard-pressed not to laugh at her adorable expression.

Sirius didn't hold back and gave a short bark of laughter before saying, "The goal is to not get shot, Kitten, do better."

Her frown grew exaggerated and she rolled her eyes. After a moment her look turned serious. "How's Regulus?"

Sirius nodded and inhaled deeply like he was stalling. He'd saved his brother, though it'd been a near thing. When the helicarriers had fallen out of the sky, Regulus had still been unconscious and tied to a metal walkway. He'd sunk and nearly drowned before Sirius, injured himself, had pulled him out of the river. He was staying in another part of the hospital. He licked his lips and looked away before answering. "Being under the Imperius, under several, over the decades HYDRA had him has done a lot of damage to his mind. The healers say it's something like Alzheimer's? Sometimes he's lucid, other times he's back in the past, scared out of his mind about the Dark Lord finding out about what he'd done."

"Did he know or say what happened to him?" Harry asked, concern written in his eyes.

"From what we can gather," Sirius said, "Voldemort did find out about Regulus stealing the Horcrux but was assured by dear old mum that she'd keep it safe when she found it. He sent Reggie along with Dolohov and maybe Rookwood to a Veil of Death in Russia somewhere. Shoved him through it." He gave a little unhappy smirk and a shrug. "Seems it sent him to the past just like it did me. Except he wasn't found by SSR or SHIELD. He was found by Soviets and later given to HYDRA." He glanced up at Bucky and Peggy for a moment and gave them a real smile, albeit a sad one. "Makes me really grateful that I was found by the good guys, you know?"

Bucky returned the smile, hoping his sincerity shown through it. "I'm glad we found you too, Sirius."