"Disabling the encryption is a top executive order; it takes two high level agents."
Natasha smiled. "Don't worry, company's coming." A whoosh to her right made Connor turn to see a helicopter landing just outside the room. Connor knew who it was before its door opened. She stood taller, and knew her ears hadn't been betraying her when she heard a heartbeat and Maria's question made sense now.
Fury walked out, a frown on his face and he walked into the room. Alexander studied him for a moment.
"Did you get my flowers?" Connor snarled. "I'm glad you're here Nick."
Fury walked closer to him. "Are you really? Because I thought you had me killed?"
Connor decided the conversation was turning personal so she tuned out for a few minutes, watching Natasha type away at the laptop.
Fury and Alexander moved over to the control screen and Connor advanced with them. Natasha moved away from the computer and held a gun beside Alexander's head. The man scoffed.
"You don't think we wiped your clearance?" He stated and Fury rolled his eye.
"No, I know you erased my password and probably deleted my retina scan, but if you want to stay ahead of me," Fury reached up and lifted his eye patch to reveal one eye that was almost completely covered in white. "You need to keep both eyes open."
The two men scanned their eyes and the encryption was accepted, making Connor snort in surprise. She hadn't expected it to be that simple.
Natasha waited for a moment before picking up her phone. "Done. Oh look, it's trending." Connor let out a short huff, but no one paid too much attention to the wolf. She smelled burning flesh and spun around, watching the council members get burned by the small electronic tags on their jackets. Connor snarled and crouched, ready to pounce on Alexander when Natasha lifted her gun.
"Unless you want to end up like that, I'd put that gun down." He stated and Connor snarled again. "It was armed the moment you pinned it on." Fury and Natasha shared glances before lowering their guns.
Alexander looked down at Connor. "Change back." She snarled but after realising it was Natasha's life on the line, she shifted back. She felt a small tug at where the man had stabbed her in her back before but she ignored it and kept her eyes on the man.
He moved over to the computer. "How much longer?"
"65 seconds until satellite targets engaged. Lowering weapons right now."
Connor, Natasha and Fury watched helplessly as the Helicarriers seemed to lock on to their targets and the countdown reached zero. However, just as the countdown reached zero, nothing happened. Connor laughed and Natasha lightly squeezed her arm.
The Helicarriers all turned and started to shoot each other and Connor realised that Steve was still on there, he hadn't jumped. She opened her mouth slightly in shock.
"What a waste." Alexander Pierce said, causing Connor to turn to stare at him in hatred. He turned to look at Natasha.
"Time to go Councilwoman, this way." He turned and Natasha followed him. "You're going to fly me out of here."
Fury narrowed his eyes and turned around to face the retreating Alexander. "You know, there was a time I would have taken a bullet for you."
"You already did."
Connor watched as Natasha pressed down on a small circular disc, causing her badge to electrocute her. She hit the ground, not moving. Alexander panicked and tried to reboot the system but Fury picked up his gun, shooting it at the man. He fell through the glass and hit the floor.
Connor and Fury rushed over to Natasha.
"Romanoff." Fury said firmly. He leaned closer. "Natasha!" He whispered, waiting.
Connor snarled and her eyes glowed blue, lightly hitting Natasha's arm. "Come on!" She growled and Natasha's face scrunched up slightly before her eyes opened. Connor leaned back and let out a deep breath.
"Ow, those really do sting."
Connor, Fury and Natasha climbed into the helicopter and Connor watched as Natasha spoke to Sam over the coms. He suddenly jumped out of a window a few stories above them and Fury tilted the plane so that he slid in safely.
Connor helped keep him in by grabbing on to him.
"FOURTY-FIRST FLOOR!" Fury rolled his eyes.
"They don't put the floor numbers on the outside of the buildings."
Connor wasn't sure who exactly had pulled Steve to safety and out of the lake, but she would bet money on it have being Bucky Barnes, who she learned actually was the Winter Soldier. She spent all of her time in his hospital room, not as a girl but as a wolf.
She would curl up at the bottom of his medical bed, snarling at anyone who walked in the door that wasn't Natasha, Maria or Sam.
Sam liked to play one album on repeat – and Connor soon understood it was his favourite album. She would sometimes purposely knock his book out of the man's hands just so she could watch him smile. She understood he was worried about his new friend, but Connor could sense that Steve was almost recovered.
When Steve woke up, Connor was curled at the bottom of his bed sleeping, her tail swinging back and forth over the edge of the bed. He smiled at the small wolf before looking over and seeing Sam absorbed in his book.
"On your left." The man looked up and smiled at Steve, nudging the wolf with his foot. Connor swiped at his foot before realising Steve was awake. She turned around and nuzzled his hand, before promptly falling back asleep.
Connor sat beside Natasha at the court meeting, her hair pulled down her right shoulder in a braid. She stared distastefully at the men asking the two Avengers questions.
"Why haven't we heard from Captain Rogers?" Connor flinched as another flash went off and a loud click echoed in her ears. Natasha looked quickly at the girl before answering the question.
"I don't know what there's left for him to say..." Connor took a deep breath as another flash blinded her vision.
"Can you explain how this country is expected to keep secure now that he, you and Whittmore have laid waste to this country's security network."
"HYRDA was selling you lies not the truth."
"Many of which you seem to have had a personal width of telling."
"Agent, you know that there are some on this committee that given your circumstances and record, both for this country and against it, that you belong in jail. Whittmore, you're a danger to everyone and everything you're around – you killed your own brother."
"You're not going to put me in prison. You're not going to put any of us in a prison. You know why?"
"Do enlighten us."
Connor looked up, her eyes glowing due to the flashes. "Because you need us. Yes, the world is a huge place and yes it's hard to not keep it that way. But we're also the ones best qualified to defend it. So I turn into a wolf, and yes my brother died by my hand but I didn't chose that, and I would never chose to abandon these people."
Natasha shrugged. "So if you wanna arrest me, then arrest me. You'll know where to find me."
Natasha and Connor both stood up, Connor smirking as she followed Natasha out of the building.
She had somewhere she needed to be.