After Steve left Pierce's office he stepped into the elevator.
"Operations control," he said.
"Confirmed."
As the elevator doors are about to close Rumlow stepped in with two STRIKE agents.
"Keep all STRIKE personnel on site."
"Understood."
"Yes, sir."
"Forensics," Rumlow said.
"Confirmed."
"Cap," Rumlow said.
"Rumlow," Steve said.
The elevator doors closed and they started riding down.
"Evidence Response found some fibers on the roof they want us to see. You want me to get the tac-team ready?" Rumlow said.
"No, lets wait and see what it is first," Steve said.
"Right," Rumlow said.
Steve noticed one of the agents touching his weapon. The elevator stopped and more SHIELD and STRIKE agents entered.
"What's the status so far?"
"Administrations level."
"Confirmed."
"Excuse me."
"I'm sorry about what happened with Fury. Messed up, what happened to him," Rumlow said.
"Thank you," Steve said.
Steve glanced around the elevator, feeling something was off. One of the agents were sweating, then the elevator stopped and more agents entered.
"Records."
"Confirmed."
As the elevator doors close, Steve realized he's been surrounded by agents.
"Before we get started, does anyone want to get out?" Steve said.
There's a moment's pause before one of the agents turned and used an electric rod to give Steve a shock. The others grabbed him and tried to strap his wrists with magnetic cuffs. Steve managed to knock some of them down but one cuff remained.
Rumlow used his rod to give Steve a shock.
"Mobilize STRIKE units, 25th floor," Sitwell said.
Steve managed to free himself from the magnetic cuff and knocked all the agents down. Steve turned to Rumlow.
"Whoa, big guy. I just want you to know, Cap, this ain't personal," Rumlow said.
Rumlow went to attack Steve with his electric rod but Steve managed to defend himself and knock Rumlow out.
"It kind of feels personal," Steve said.
Steve picked up his shield then opened the elevator doors. Instead of freedom, Steve faced a team of STRIKE agents pointing their weapons at him.
"Drop the shield! Put your hands in the air!"
Steve used his shield to break off the elevator wires, sending the elevator down. As he forced the doors open he saw more STRIKE agents approaching him. He closed the door and looked for a way out.
"Give it up, Rogers! Get that door open! You have nowhere to go!" Sitwell said.
Steve broke through the glass in the elevator and plummeted down to the ground floor, from his monitor Sitwell watched in shock as Steve got up and started running off.
"Are you kidding me?" Sitwell asked. "He's headed for the garage. Lock down the bridge!"
Steve rode out of the SHIELD garage on his motorcycle, evading the obstacles laid out before a Quinjet emerges ahead of him.
"Stand down, Captain Rogers. Stand down," an agent said.
The Quinjet lowers its machine gun.
"Repeat, stand down."
As Steve continues, the jet begins to at him, Steve throws his shield into the propellers to jam it, giving him an opportunity to hop onto it and do more damage to the jet with his shield before jumping off as the jet goes crashing down.
OOOO
Disguised as a civilian dressed in a hoody, Steve headed back to the hospital to retrieve the flash drive from the vending machine. As he arrives, eyes glancing about the assorted snacks, the drive was missing. Natasha appeared behind him chewing some gum, in anger Steve pushed her into a room.
"Where is it?" Steve said.
"Safe." Natasha said.
"Do better!" Steve said.
"Where did you get it?" Natasha asked.
"Why would I tell you?"
"Fury gave it to you. Why?"
"What's on it?"
"I don't know."
"Stop lying! They took Helena!"
Natasha paused. She hadn't expected that. Helena must have been a way to target Fury. Too bad he's dead now. That meant the young Stark became dispensable. Steve didn't need to hear that though. Natasha shrugged.
"I only act like I know everything, Rogers."
"I bet you knew Fury hired the pirates, didn't you?"
"Well, it makes sense. The ship was dirty, Fury needed a way in, so do you."
"I'm not gonna ask you again," Steve said.
"I know who killed Fury. They're probably the same ones who took Helena. Most of the intelligence community doesn't believe he exists, the ones who do call him the Winter Soldier. He's credited with over two dozen assassinations in the last fifty years."
"So he's a ghost story."
"Five years ago I was escorting a nuclear engineer out of Iran, somebody shot out my tires near Odessa. We lost control, went straight over a cliff, I pulled us out, but the Winter Soldier was there. I was covering my engineer, so he shot him straight through me," she said.
She pulled up her shirt to show him the scar on the side of her stomach.
"Soviet slug, no rifling. Bye-bye bikinis. Going after him is a dead end. I know, I've tried," Natasha said.
Natasha held up the flash drive.
"Like you said, he's a ghost story," She said.
Steve took the flash drive from her.
"Well, let's find out what the ghost wants," Steve said
"What about Helena?"
Steve hesitated.
"Fury must've been delirious when he told me that. I spoke with her on the phone an hour before he came to my apartment."
"Easy to manipulate a phone call."
"We don't have the time to look into both, Nat."
Natasha pursed her lips. She thought the Soldier cared more about Helena. She would table the discussion for now.
OOOO
Nobody stood in the training room in front of Command. Winter stood next to Command offering her a supportive gaze. She still found herself cringing at the sight of his bruises. They healed faster then she expected, but the yellow remained.
"Show me what you've learned," Command said.
He tipped his head to someone behind her. Nobody spun around a shiver running over her as she watched a blade fall through her. She stared at the ground, at the blade that should have killed her.
She heard slow applause.
Nobody closed her eyes, inhaling, trying to focus on the source of her power. She tried to remember the day the stone touched her. The stabbing memories of water being poured over her face as she fought to get free filled her vision. The sting of cuts on her skin. The ache of bruises along her limbs.
She bit down on her lower lip. She had to push through the darkness. Remember what the trainer said. The power came from within. She held the reins.
Curled in the pit of her stomach, she felt an overwhelming force. Her eyes opened with her palms. She watched a black liquid encase her hands.
Nobody rotated her hands, watching the liquid float, expanding. There was an undeniable beauty to the energy. The form the power had taken felt odd, unsettling even, but she bathed in the strength.
A glance to Command showed he wanted her to continue, to play target practice. She looked at Winter. He was meant to be her victim. She had seen the faces of soldiers she trained with before. They had been left traumatized.
"He is strong, he will be fine," Command said.
Nobody saw the asset nod at her. Despite her hesitation, she pushed the power outwards. A pain jabbed at the back of her mind. Her body felt heavy, sluggish.
The group watched the liquid slither to the asset, enveloping the man. Command jolted backwards, as the asset's body began to turn to sand. When she began to comprehend the damage she was doing, her target changed. Nobody threw the liquid towards a wall nearby. They stood in silence as the asset reformed, and the wall became a pile of dead leaves.
The power had been intoxicating. She could feel the life force being sucked from her target's body. This was dangerous.
Nobody frowned, she walked to the pile of leaves. She was close to letting Winter die. The feeling had been so euphoric.
She felt a warm light on her face. Nobody stared up at a blue sky. Enjoying the feeling of the world outside the walls.
Hands grabbed her arms, pulling her back.
"You can't go out there, Nobody," Command said. "They're looking for you. They're dangerous."
She couldn't help thinking that Command was as well.
"How will I know who they are?" she asked.
"Anyone who tries to take you from me or the asset," he said. "You must run from them. Understand?"
Nobody nodded, her eye brows furrowed. She wouldn't let that happen. She would never leave Winter.