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Later that morning, Laura and the others gathered to plan on how to stop the Insight Launch.

The Doctor was patching up and applying pressure's to Nat's gunshot wound in his makeshift hospital room.

"Lacerated spinal column, cracked sternum, shattered collarbone, perforated liver, one hell of a headache." Fury explained his injuries.

"Don't forget your collapsed lung." the doctor added dryly.

"Oh, let's not forget that. Otherwise, I'm good." Fury said sarcastically.

Laura frowned.

"They cut you open, your heart stopped." Nat stated.

"Tetrodotoxin B. Slows the pulse to one beat a minute. Banner developed it for stress. Didn't work so great for him, but we found a use for it." Fury explained.

"Why all the secrecy? Why not just tell us?" Steve asked.

"Any attempt on the director's life had to look successful." Hill explained.

"Can't kill you if you're already dead. Besides, I wasn't sure who to trust." he said while glancing over to Laura who raised an eyebrow.

"Even after everything you still trust me?" she asked surprised.

"I do Watson."


A few hours later after Nat recovered from her wound, Fury was holding a picture of Pierce as the team gathered around a table.

"This man declined the Nobel Peace Prize. He said, "Peace wasn't an achievement, it was a responsibility." See, it's stuff like this that gives me trust issues." he told the group.

"Can't argue with you there…" Laura muttered.

"We have to stop the launch." Laura said urgently.

"I don't think the Council's accepting my calls anymore." he said sarcastically while reaching over to grab a briefcase.

Opening it which revealed three chips inserted inside.

"What's that?" Sam asked.

"Once the Helicarriers reach three thousand feet, they'll triangulate with Insight satellites becoming fully weaponized." Hill explained, showing a screen which gave an image of the helicarriers aligning with the satellites.

"We need to breach those carriers and replace their targeting blades with our own." Fury added.

"One or two won't cut it. We need to link all three carriers for this to work, because if even one of those ships remains operational a whole lot of people are gonna die." Hill warned.

"We have to assume everyone aboard those carriers is HYDRA. We need to get pass them, insert the server blades, and maybe, just maybe, we can salvage what's left..." Fury began but Steve interrupted him.

"We're not salvaging anything. We're not just taking down the carriers, Nick, we're taking down SHIELD." he said firmly.

Laura nodded while crossing her arms in agreement.

"SHIELD had nothing to do with it." Fury argued.

"You gave me this mission, this is how it ends. SHIELD's been compromised, you said so yourself. HYDRA grew right under your nose and nobody noticed." Steve countered.

"Why do you think we're meeting in this cave? I noticed." he said sarcastically.

"And how many paid the price before you did?" Steve accused.

"Look, I didn't know about Barnes…" he began but was interrupted again.

"Even if you have, would you have told me? Or would you have compartmentalized that too? SHIELD, HYDRA, it all goes." Steve said firmly, ending the argument.

"He's right." Hill agreed. Fury looked over to Laura who nodded as well.

"You don't need to ask me twice to take down SHIELD." she said but looked over to Nat who was next to her.

"No offence…" she joked.

She smiled faintly.

"None taken." she said and Fury glanced over to Sam.

"Don't look at me. I do what he does, just slower." he shrugged his shoulders.

"Well... Looks like you're giving the orders now, Captain."


A short while, later. Laura and Sam walked out from the base of the dam to join Steve on the bridge.

Laura stepped up to his left and looked up at him, him looking like he was deep in thought.

"Steve…" she said gently. Snapping him out of it.

"Yeah…?" he asked, looking down at her.

"You okay…?" she asked kindly. He took a deep breath and nodded.

She frowned but chose not to push it at that time.

"He's gonna be there, you know?" Sam warned him.

"I know." he sighed.

"Look, whoever he used to be, the guy he is now, I don't think he's the kind you save. He's the kind you stop." Sam said.

"I don't know if I can do that." he said unsure.

"Steve, you saw him out there. He might not give you a choice." Laura warned him gravely.

"He will. Gear up, it's time." he ordered.

"Yes, Cap." Laura nodded with determination.

"You gonna wear that?" Sam asked about his normal civilian outfit.

"No. If you're gonna fight a war, you gotta wear a uniform."


After stealing his old uniform back from the Smithsonian exhibit, Hill led them through the woods towards The Triskelion.

Into the building where the Control Room was.

Laura was in her black jumpsuit with her Glock in her hand.

A pack strapped to her back.

Sam in his Falcon suit along with Hill in her uniform. Hill walked ahead of them and knocked on the door.

Drawing her gun.

An agent opened it and immediately put his hands up in surrender.

Stumbling aside, Laura aimed her gun at the other agents.

There were two minutes left until the launch.

"Get up and move out of the way! If you try anything it'll be the last thing you do!" she warned with deadly intention.

The other agents scrambled out of the way quickly while Steve headed towards the intercom.

Turning it on, jamming the signal so the entire Triskelion and everyone on the helicarriers can hear them.

"Attention, all SHIELD agents. This is Steve Rogers. You've heard a lot about me… and Laura Watson over the last few days, some of you were even ordered to hunt me down. But I think it's time you know the truth. SHIELD is not what we thought it was, it's been taken over by HYDRA. Alexander Pierce is their leader. The STRIKE and Insight crew are HYDRA as well. I don't know how many more, but I know they're in the building. They could be standing right next to you. They almost have what they want: absolute control. They shot Nick Fury and it won't end there. If you launch those Helicarriers today, HYDRA will be able to kill anyone that stands in their way, unless we stop them. I know I'm asking a lot, but the price of freedom is high, it always has been, and it's a price I'm willing to pay. And if I'm the only one, then so be it. But I'm willing to bet I'm not." he finished and turned off the intercom.

Glancing over to Laura who smiled back at him.

"Nice speech." she joked.

"Did you write that down first, or was it off the top of your head?" Sam joked.


Meanwhile… in the Security Council room, the three members were glaring at Pierce angrily.

"You smug son of a bitch." Rockwell swore.

Suddenly HYDRA agents marched in and surrounded them.

"Arrest him." Singh ordered but an agent aimed his gun at him instead.

Shocking him.

"I guess I've got the floor." Down below in the control room, Rumlow and the STRIKE team surrounded the tech's at their setups along with Agent Thirteen.

Rumlow walked over to one of the younger techs.

"Preempt the launch sequence. Send those ships up now." he ordered but the tech hesitated.

"Is there a problem?" he asked angrily.

"I'm sorry, sir…" he said.

Pausing while taking a few nervous breaths.

"I'm not going to launch those ships. Captain's orders." he said bravely.

Rumlow aimed his gun at the back of his head, causing the tech to flinch.

"Move away from your station." he threatened but Thirteen rushed over and aimed her gun at him instantly.

"Like he said…" she threatened, causing all of the other agents to turn their guns on them and each other.

Causing a standoff.

"Captain's orders." she quoted.

"You picked the wrong side, Agent." Rumlow warned.

"Depends on were you're standing." She argued but Rumlow eventually lowered his gun.

He dropped it to the floor but he grabbed his knife and slashed Thirteen's arm.

He grabbed her gun, causing a shootout among all of the agents in the room.

The tech crawled for safety underneath the desk which gave Rumlow a chance to override the launch before fleeing the room.


Laura went wide eyed, seeing the Potomac beginning to open by the three bays of the ships.

Hearing the engines of the ships begin to roar.

The ships themselves begin to ascend. She was running out of the control room with Steve and Sam.

"Guys!" she alerted with a point.

"Hey, Cap, how do we know the good guys from the bad guys?" Sam asked him.

"If they're shooting at you, they're bad." he said before Sam looked over at Laura who gave him a nod of confirmation.

He grabbed her and opened up his wings and the two took off.

While they were in the air she brought out her spear.

Steve jumped all the way down to the nearest ship's runway far below.

Blocking gunfire with his shield and taking out HYDRA agents.

Sam "dropped" Laura off at the second helicarrier before the artillery shells began firing at him.

Laura watching him swerve and out maneuver them.

"Sam!" she said with worry.

"Don't worry I'm good!" he shouted back into her comm.

"Hey, Cap, I found those bad guys you were talking about." he said sarcastically.

"You okay?" Steve asked while taking cover.

"I'm not dead yet…" Laura watched him avoid gunfire while flying higher to the air.

"Right…" she said but gunfire was shot dangerously close by her.

"Shit…" she dove head first behind a crate as a squad of swat units were closing in on here.

Aiming her spear above her head she began blasting them away one by one.


In the Council Room, Pierce was watching the scene unfold with the held Council Members.

Pouring a glass of champagne.

"Let me ask you a question. What if Pakistan marched into Mumbai tomorrow, and you knew that they were gonna drag your daughters into a soccer stadium for execution? And you could just stop it with a flick of the switch. Wouldn't you? Wouldn't you all?" he asked while giving Singh the glass.

"Not if it was your switch…" he took it but tossed the glass aside.

Pierce sighed and a agent handed him his gun.

He aimed it at Singh but Hawley kicked him aside.

She tossed her shocks at one agent, taking him down and then took down another agent with ease before taking the gun and aiming it at Pierce.

Surprising him, She removed her holographic mask and blonde wig, revealing Nat.

"I'm sorry. Did I step on your moment?"


"Black Bird? Status?" Laura heard Hill ask in her ear.

She was pinned down, having the whole ship's worth of agents firing at her on the runway.

Herself making slow but steady progress towards the bridge.

Near what was left of the swat unit she took down single handle for cover.

Automatic gunfire being shot over her head.

"I'm working on it!" she shouted back over it.

Firing another blast while cowering the other way.

"Falcon? Status?" she heard Hill ask.

She looked up to still see him trying to outmaneuver a Quinjet right above the other ships runway.

Leaping above the barrier she was hiding from, she brought out her gun with her other hand, shooting three agents in the head before using her spear to fire at the jet.

Striking at the engine, causing it to nosedive towards her runway on her ship.

She jolted as the ship rocked slightly.

"You're welcome, Sam!" she quipped while running towards the door of the bridge.

"Yeah, thanks…" he said while looking back at the fiery wreckage.

Placing her gun back in her holster, she aimed her spear ahead and opened the door.

"I'm halfway there guys…"


Back in the Council room, Singh was aiming the gun at Pierce who had his hands up. Nat was at the setup.

"What are you doing?" Rockwell asked her.

"She's disabling security protocols and dumping all the secrets onto the Internet." Pierce answered for her.

"Including HYDRA's." she added.

"And SHIELD's. If you do this, none of your past is gonna remain hidden." Pierce said, trying to intimidate her.

She glanced up at him briefly but continued to type.

"Are you sure you're ready for the world to see you as you really are?"

"Are you?"


The ships were still rising high above D.C. as Laura was running towards the control center of her ship underneath the runway.

Panting and out of breath, she brought the chip out from her inside jacket pocket and typed into the panel.

Bringing out the drive, inserted the chip into it.

"Bravo locked." she confirmed.

"Copy, Black Bird. Cap, Status?" Hill asked while Laura slumped against the panel, exhausted.

Steve was running towards the control center on his ship.

Inserting the drive.

"Alpha locked." he confirmed.

"Falcon, status?" she heard Hill ask.

"Still, working on it!" Nat heard in her comm while Nat was still trying to decipher the encryption.

"Disabling the encryption is an executive order, it takes two Alpha Level members." Pierce explained.

"Don't worry, company's coming." she said as everyone heard helicopter blades.

They turned to see one land on the pad outside and the doors opened.

Revealing Fury who had an arm in a cast to Pierce's surprise while he walked in. Fury glaring at him coldly.

"Did you get my flowers?" he quipped to his glare.

"I'm glad you're here, Nick." he told him.

"Really? Cause I thought you had me killed." he said while walking up to him.

"You know how the game works." Pierce reminded him.

"So why make me head of SHIELD?" he asked.

"Cause you were the best and the most ruthless person I ever met." Pierce complimented.

"I did what I did to protect people." Fury said angrily.

"Our enemies are your enemies, Nick. Disorder, war. It's just a matter of time before a dirty bomb goes off in Moscow, or an EMP fries Chicago. Diplomacy? Holding action, a band-aid. And you know where I learned that, Bogota. You didn't ask, you just did what had to be done. I can bring order to the lives of seven billion people by sacrificing twenty million. It's the next step, Nick, if you have the courage to take it." Pierce explained.

"No, I have the courage not to." Fury grabbed him leading him to the main screen which had a retinal scanner.

Nat walked over and aimed her gun at Pierce's head.

"You don't you think we wiped your clearance from the system?" Pierce asked smugly.

"I know you erased my password, probably deleted my retinal scan, but if you want to stay ahead of me, Mr. Secretary..." Fury said while removing his eyepatch, revealing his dead, slashed eye.

"You need to keep both eyes open…." they both looked into the scanner which confirmed their status.

"Alpha Level confirmed. Encryption code accepted. Safeguards removed." was heard.

Nat was able to leak the files onto the Internet.

"Done…" she said while reaching for her phone.

"And its trending." she said but Pierce reached for his phone and tapped it.

Activating the pins on each Council Member.

Fatally shocking them as Fury and her aimed their guns at him.

"Unless you want two inch hole in your sternum, I'd put that gun down." he warned them who didn't back down.

"That was armed the moment you pinned it on." he added, causing the two to slowly lower their guns.

Pierce reactivated the launch sequence.

Nat and Fury seeing the whole North East of the United States under range.

"Lieutenant, how much longer?" Pierce asked him.

"Sixty-five seconds to satellite link. Targeting grid engaged. Lowering weapons array now."


Meanwhile, Sam finally managed to land on Charlie but a grappling hook was shot at his wings.

Flinging him back down, hard he looked up to see The Winter Soldier firing at him.

Ahead of a path of destruction and dead bodies on the runway.

One of his wings was ripped off but the Solider ran ahead while he got up to drop kick him off the ship.

He was free falling, trying to use one wing to steady himself but he detached it and managed to pull out his shoot just in time before landing ungracefully on the ground near The Triskelion.

"I'm grounded, the suit's down. " Laura and Steve heard in their ears. Sorry, Cap. Black Bird." he apologized.

She groaned while forcing herself upwards.

"Steve…" she began but her interrupted her.

"I heard, meet me on Charlie…" he said but Hill interrupted them.

"No, Black Bird, head for the Council Room. Rumlow is heading for it." Hill ordered.

"I'm on it!" she exclaimed.

Aiming her spear at the circular glass sphere, she fired, blasting a large hole to shatter the glass.

Strapping her spear back, she took a deep breath before running to leap off the gangplank.

Diving head and arms first, she aimed for it with her HUD on her glasses to highlight the way.

Diving through it, she swerved out of the way of even more gunfire.

"Shit…" she swore as the Triskelion approached her quickly.

Pulling out her "Flying Squirrel" suit, she brought out her arms and legs to maneuver herself towards the top floor where the Council Room was but her HUD zoomed in on Rumlow who was walking into an office on the 41st floor.

She fired at the wall of windows, blasting it open before flying in.

Retreating her chute into her pack and meeting Rumlow at the doorway who had his gun aimed at her.

"Surprised to meet you here…" she said dryly.

Aiming her spear at him.

The two in a standoff.

He smirked, putting his gun away.

"This is gonna hurt. There are no prisoners with HYDRA, just order. And order only comes through pain. You ready for yours?..." he warned while bringing out his fists.

She smirked sinisterly, meeting his match, strapping her spear away.

Bringing out hers while getting in a fighting stance.

"I don't need the spear to kill you…!" she ended with a war cry and charged for him.

He charged for her and their fists collided.

Avoiding his swings the best she could while dodging her head.

One landed at her jaw after she gave an uppercut to his chin, causing the two to stumble backwards.

She winced, seeing stars briefly but landed on her feet.

Breathing heavily she charged for him again and tackled him into one of the desks.

He screamed before lifting her by the arms, carrying her backwards before slamming her into the glass desk.

Shattering it underneath her back.

She coughed in pain but saw a punch incoming.

She swiped his legs while rolling away.

Kicking him in the nose, she leapt upwards but was meet with another punch to her eye.

Breaking her glasses and tossed them away.

"Okay, now you're beginning to piss me off…" she groaned.

"One minute." she heard Hill warn in her Comm.

Unaware of what was happening on Charlie.

"We've reached three thousand feet. Sat link coming online now." she heard in her Comm while engaging Rumlow.

The two getting more bruised and bloodied with each thrown punch.

"Deploy algorithm."

"Algorithm deployed."

"We are go to targets." unknown to her, all of the targets of the North East which included, the Capitol, Stark Tower and 700,000 people, including her, Hill, Steve, and Sam were highlighted.

"Target saturation reached. All targets assigned."

"Firing in, three, two, one…." she heard while managing to land another punch at the side of Rumlow's head but nothing else happened.

The pair momentarily stopped their fight. Herself struggling to catch her breath in surprise.

"Where are the targets? Where are the targets?" she heard and smiled.

"Okay, Cap, get out of there." Hill said while overriding the ships to aim their guns and artillery pieces at each other.

"Fire now!" he shouted back.

She frowned, eyeing Rumlow who was eyeing her.

"But, Steve... "Do it! Do it now!" he shouted back.

She released a shuddered breath and the two looked out the windows to see the weapons aim at each other and fire.

Rumlow saw the horror in her eyes and smirked.

"I guess Cap didn't make it." he taunted. Snapping her anger.

"You'll regret saying that…" she seethed before charging for him again.


Back in the Council Room, Pierce was watching the ships fire at each other.

Them begin to descend onto The Triskelion.

"What a waste." he simply said.

"Are you still on the fence about Rogers' chances?" Nat quipped.

"Time to go, Councilwoman. This way, come on. You're gonna fly me out of here." he gestured his phone at her towards the helicopter outside.

"You know, there was a time I would have taken a bullet for you." Fury said with regret.

"You already did. You will again when it's useful…" Pierce began but Nat activated her pin.

Emitting the EMP throughout her body.

She collapsed which Fury used to the chance to shoot Pierce in the chest.

He stumbled backwards through the glass as he rushed to Nat's aid.

"Romanoff! Natasha! Natasha, come on!..." he begged but she slowly opened her eyes.

"Ow. Those really do sting…" she groaned in pain.

Pierce managed to turn his head to the falling the carriers before giving his last breath

"HAIL HYDRA!" he said before the first ship crashed into the Potomac.


Down below them, Laura and Rumlow were still engaged in their duel.

Laura's knuckles were bruised and bloodied.

Her cheeks and eyes were swelling with nasty looking black and purple bruises.

She managed to land another punch into Rumlow's cheek.

He smirked, seeing how exhausted she was.

"You're out of your depth, kid…" he began to taunt but she saw the second Helicarrier about to crash into them.

She bolted away just in time as it crashed into The Triskelion, taking out Rumlow with it.

She was running for her life, barely avoiding the cloud of debris, and collapsing floor that was catching up to her heels.

"Guys, I'm gonna need a lift!" she shouted.

"Laura, where are you?" she heard Nat ask.

"Forty first floor!" she shouted back.

She glanced back to see the runway crashing into the side of the building and gulped.

Turning her head, she leapt and jumped over a girder.

"We're on it, stay where you are!" Nat replied.

"Not possible!" she exclaimed before leaping out of the wrecked window dramatically.

She saw the approaching chopper a few floors below her and aimed for the opened door arms first.

Nat reached for her hand and just barely grabbed it.

It slipping to her hand who used all of her strength to grab her.

She was pulled back to the edge but Fury leapt and grabbed her with his free hand.

Laura was holding onto her until her knuckles turned white as they pulled her upwards.

She collapsed on the floor, leaning her head against the wall.

Turning around, see saw Sam flying the chopper.

"Thanks for the save." she said with a smile.

He smirked back in the mirror.

"Now we're even." he joked but she glanced over to Nat.

"And thanks to you two as well I suppose.." she said dryly.

Nat who was sitting on the floor next to her and smiled.

"You're welcome. Agent." she joked to a pouting Laura but she suddenly went wide eyed in horror.

"Do you guys know if Steve is okay?" she asked with worry.

Seeing Nat and Fury look at each other with deep concern.

"Hill, where's Steve? You got a location on Rogers?" Nat asked her but the team looked down to see the Charlie crash into the river…


Author's Notes: So I did cut Steve and Bucky's fight out of the story mainly because we all know it but it will be included later on...