Steve was melancholy on the ride home from the nursing home, but he appreciated Brooklyn's attempts to raise his spirits as she drove them back to Steve's apartment. By the time they reached the third floor, Steve was smiling again when his neighbor Kate emerged from her doorway.
"That's so sweet… that's so nice…" She said on the phone as she caught a glimpse of Steve and Brooklyn. "Hey, I gotta go, though. Bye." She hung up and dropped her phone into her basket, turning to Steve, "My aunt. She's a bit of an insomniac."
Steve noticed how Kate's eyes darted nervously to Brooklyn, but his girlfriend just sighed loudly and shook her head, walking away to unlock the apartment door. Steve didn't want to dwell on Peggy forgetting him, so he asked Kate, "You know, if you want, you're welcome to use our machine. It's cheaper than the one in the basement…"
"Steve?" Brooklyn said nervously, causing Steve to look at her with a perplexed expression. He didn't understand why she was so jealous of their neighbor. Steve was crystal clear that she was the only woman he was interested in.
"Thanks for the offer, but I just finished orientation in the infectious disease unit, so I better keep my distance." Kate stared coldly at Brooklyn and Steve's girlfriend returned the sentiment. Kate turned to leave, then paused and looked back, "Oh, I think you left your stereo on."
Steve lifted his head to listen and realized that's what Brooklyn was worried about, "Oh? Thank you." He told Kate as she walked down the stairs.
Once she was out of sight, he turned to Brooklyn, "I'll take the window."
"I'll take the door." She finished, carefully turning the key, "Where's your shield?"
"Think I left it on the floor near the bookshelf."
"Near the kitchen window?"
"Yeah." Steve answered as he cracked open the window. "Open the door and stay low. I'll let you know if it's safe."
Brooklyn nodded before he crawled out, climbing onto the fire escape to break into his kitchen. He carefully slid open his window and crept through the dark hallway, ducking to grab his shield before entering the living room towards the soft sound of music.
When he peeked around the corner, he saw Nick Fury leaning back in his armchair next to his record player. Steve sighed, calling out to Brooklyn, "Hey babe, come on in."
Brooklyn appeared from the doorway, padlocking it behind her before slinking towards Steve with her dress scraping the hardwood floor as she stayed low to make sure it was safe. Steve motioned towards Fury with his right hand and she straightened up when she saw him.
"I don't remember giving you a key." Steve grumbled and Nick groaned in response, "Do you really think I'd need one?"
"I have a life outside of SHIELD, you know. We have a life outside of SHIELD that you aren't welcome in." Steve said coldly and Brooklyn sidled up next to him, wrapping her arm around his side as he stared down Fury, "What the hell are you doing in our home?"
"My wife kicked me out." Fury droned, leaning his head back.
Brooklyn looked up at Steve and the soldier took the lead, stepping forward, "I didn't know you were married."
"There's a lot you don't know about me."
"That's the problem, Nick." Steve answered and flipped on the light switch. In the lamp light, he could see that Fury was severely injured. Brooklyn gasped and surged forward but Fury lifted his fingers to tell Steve and Brooklyn to be quiet as he pulled the lamp switch. He typed on his cell for a moment, then turned his phone to show a message: Ears Everywhere.
Brooklyn stepped back, clearly appalled by what Fury had told her as Steve looked around in exasperation. Fury sighed, "I'm sorry to have to do this, but I had nowhere else to crash." He turned his phone again to show SHIELD Compromised.
Steve kept his breathing even, but he could feel Brooklyn quivering against him. He tightened his grip on her and asked, "Who else knows about your wife?"
"Just… my friends." Fury said as he looked to Brooklyn, turning his phone to show a message reading You and Me.
"Is that what we are?" Brooklyn's voice broke as Steve steeled his jaw, still frustrated about Fury's 'compartmentalization'. Someone had tried to kill the Director of SHIELD. SHIELD had been compromised, and Fury was asking Steve for help without giving any information. Typical for SHIELD. They only share when it's convenient for them.
Fury looked from Brooklyn to Steve as he stood, "That's up to you."
Suddenly three bullets pierced through the wall and hit Fury, causing him to collapse as Brooklyn tried to dart away. Steve grabbed her and pulled her back before she could even take a step, then shoved his shield into her hands so he could pull Fury further down the hallway away from the windows.
Brooklyn threw herself onto the ground beside the Director, checking his vitals as a loud pounding started against the front door.
"Don't trust anyone." Fury gasped, holding out the flash drive Natasha had backed up on the Lemurian Star the night prior. He fell unconscious in Brooklyn's lap. She looked up at Steve as the door broke from its hinges and Kate appeared with a gun drawn.
"Captain Rogers!" She called as Steve stared up at her in shock. "Captain Rogers, my name is Agent 13 of SHIELD Special Forces."
"Kate?" He croaked out, feeling his world crash around him. More lies. More spies. They'd bugged his apartment. They'd sent an agent to watch him in his home. Had Brooklyn known? Of course, she'd known, she'd hated Kate since the moment they met. It wasn't because Brooklyn was jealous, it was because they knew each other.
Steve turned to Brooklyn in shock as Kate continued, "I was assigned to protect you."
"On whose order?" Steve snapped as Brooklyn glared up at the woman.
Kate looked down, realizing it was Director Fury bleeding out on Steve's kitchen floor, "His." Agent 13 pulled out a radio from her scrubs and called, "Foxtrot is down, he's unresponsive. I need EMTs." She glared up at Brooklyn as she cradled Fury, "Did you call for help?"
"This just happened." Brooklyn snapped shakily, "I didn't get a chance."
"Think faster. We need to get him to the hospital." Agent 13 snarled back and Brooklyn carefully laid Fury's head down and backed away, looking out the window.
"Do you have a twenty on the shooter?" The agent on the other end of Kate's radio asked.
Brooklyn pointed out the window and Steve followed her directions, "Tell them I'm in pursuit."
"Steve!" Brooklyn yelled as Steve took off running towards his window, crashing through it and flying across the street through the opposite window. He had to catch Fury's shooter. He had to know why Fury said SHIELD was compromised. Steve needed answers and Fury was the only one who knew all the secrets.
Steve barreled through the office building across the street from his apartment, eventually jumping out the window and chasing the assassin across the neighboring roof. Steve hurled his shield at the man, but he turned and caught it with his metal arm, staring Steve down before throwing the shield back with deadly accuracy and inhuman strength, leaving Steve confused and frustrated. He disappeared into the night.
"Shit." Steve said under his breath as he looked over the edge of the building. He turned around and barged through the door to the stairwell, taking the steps four at a time to reach the bottom and get back to his own building.
When he arrived, they were hauling Fury out on a stretcher. "Where's he being sent?"
"Bethesda." Kate called as two EMTs loaded him into the ambulance. Her blonde curls whipped around her face as she turned to Steve, "I'm being called in to locate the shooter."
"He disappeared." Steve told her as Brooklyn appeared with another agent from the building's main doors, explaining what had happened. "Brooke!"
She looked up hopefully, but when she realized Steve was alone her expression fell. She shook hands with the agent and crossed the sidewalk to Steve, "Got away?"
"Yeah. Are you okay?" Steve asked as he grabbed her shoulders. He watched the ambulance take Fury away, barely hearing Brooklyn's answer before interrupting, "I need to go to the hospital."
"We can take my car-"
"Bike will be faster. Steve said as he hopped on his motorcycle and held out his hand for Brooklyn to take. She climbed on behind him seconds before he took off down the street at top speed, weaving between the traffic to keep up with the ambulance. The city lights were bright as he skidded to a stop in front of the hospital, leaving his bike and tugging Brooklyn along behind him through the front doors.
Maria Hill met him at the entrance and guided him to a viewing window as Fury was rolled into the operating room. From the corner of his eye, Steve saw Brooklyn run her palm down her face before rubbing her eyes. "You okay?"
"My boss was assassinated in our apartment." She grumbled as she looked up at Steve, her hazel eyes dull from exhaustion and her body stiff from nerves, "That could have been you or me. We could have both died."
Steve grabbed her upper arm to pull her close, kissing her messy blonde hair as Fury was transferred to the hospital bed. "We're okay. We're gonna be okay, I promise."
"I'm freaking out Steve! Somebody shot Nick Fury! We don't know who fucked him up to begin with, he's the Director of SHIELD, if anybody can take care of themselves, it's him." Brooklyn's voice grew into a shout before Hill shot her a warning look and she quickly lowered her volume, "Why would somebody want to kill him?"
Steve didn't get a chance to give Brooklyn any theories, because Natasha Romanoff came sprinting into the viewing area to stand next to Steve. It was clear that she was fighting off tears as she panted, "Is he gonna make it?"
"I don't know." Steve answered shortly as the doctor's began to work on Fury.
Brooklyn tightened her grip on Steve's hand, and he heard her breath hitch, but it was Nat who spoke up, "Tell me about the shooter."
"He's fast and strong. Had a metal arm." Steve answered without looking away from Fury as the doctors continued to work, looking more and more stress.
"Ballistics?"
"Three slugs. No rifling. Completely untraceable." Maria Hill answered simply.
"Soviet made."
Brooklyn leaned around Steve to look at Natasha, but Steve didn't so much as move when Maria Hill told Nat she was correct.
Suddenly the medical machinery began to beep wildly, and the doctors began yelling at each other frantically. "Oh my God." Brooklyn murmured as she pressed her hand to the glass.
"Pulse?"
"No pulse."
Brooklyn sniffled and turned away, clamping her hand over her mouth as she closed her eyes and leaned her back against the window. Steve turned away, needing to get away from Brooklyn and Natasha's tears over the Director. He needed to understand what Fury had left him.
He pulled out the flash drive Fury had given him, looking over his shoulder to find Natasha staring through the window as they took Fury away, while Brooklyn sobbed quietly into her palm.
"If you want to say your goodbyes, they're moving him." Maria Hill said quietly to Steve and the soldier shifted a little but didn't respond. Brooklyn sucked in a sharp breath and looked to Natasha. It was the redhead who nodded and followed Hill out of the viewing room.
"You okay?" Steve asked when Brooklyn finally walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his middle beneath his jacket, pressing her cheek to his chest. He felt her tears through the thin fabric and stroked her hair, "Sweetheart, talk to me."
"I'm fine. I promise. I just have to get out all the tears, it's part of the process." She mumbled into Steve's shirt. He knew she used her 'process' as an excuse to downplay her emotions, because she wasn't supposed to have them as an agent of SHIELD. Steve knew better though.
He nodded slowly and loosened his arms around her, "You wanna see him?"
"No." She answered quietly with another sniffle, "No, I'm okay. You should go check on Nat though. I'll be okay. I promise. I'll wait outside."
Steve kissed her quickly and followed Nat into the room to view Fury's body until Hill arrived to take it away. Natasha stormed out and Steve followed her, trying to get her attention.
"Natasha!"
"Why was Fury in your apartment?" She whipped around to face Steve as Brooklyn pushed away from the wall to catch up to them. Steve looked between the women, then opened and closed his mouth like a fish before mumbling that he didn't know.
"Cap, they want you and Hayes back at SHIELD." Rumlow interrupted but Steve didn't turn away from Natasha.
"Give me a minute."
"They want you now." Rumlow bit back and Brooklyn watched him walk away with narrowed eyes
Natasha snorted and shook her head, "You're a terrible liar," before storming off in the opposite direction. Steve turned to the vending machine that was being loaded beside them and quickly deposited the flash drive behind a stack of bubblegum before tapping Brooklyn's lower back to urge her towards the others.
"STRIKE team, escort Captain Rogers and Agent Hayes back to SHIELD immediately for questioning."
Steve heard Sitwell's voice through Rumlow's comm as they approached, and Brooklyn seemed to realize something was wrong because she looked up at him and grabbed his wrist, "What is it?"
"I don't know." He grumbled when they reached Rumlow. Steve leaned down and nudged at Brooklyn's ear, whispering quietly, "Stay by my side and keep your mouth shut. I'll take care of it." She swallowed hard and nodded, looking at the STRIKE team nervously as they were led out of the hospital to go back to the Triskellion as the early morning sun began to illuminate their new world.
After changing into their uniforms, Steve and Brooklyn walked side by side down the hallway of the top floor of the Triskellion. Steve had never visited the Secretary of the World Security Council, but he was asking to see him and Brooklyn.
As they approached, Steve realized Kate- Agent 13- was standing in the hallway speaking with the man. She said her goodbyes and turned to leave as Steve and Brooklyn approached.
"Captain Rogers." She said under her breath, but Steve couldn't meet her in the eyes. "Agent Hayes."
"Neighbor." Steve bit back before Brooklyn could say anything to the blonde, taking care of the situation. Before they reached the Secretary, Steve leaned down and muttered, "Proud of you."
"You told me to keep my mouth shut, I'm just following directions, Captain." She breathed out as she smiled at the man who greeted them at the door.
"Ah, Captain. I'm Alexander Pierce."
"Sir, it's an honor." Steve said as he shook the man's hand. "This is my girlfriend, Agent Hayes."
"It's nice to meet you Miss Hayes. Fury told me a lot about you." Pierce said as he shook her hand.
Brooklyn balked a little at that, but her face brightened, "Really? He did?"
"You wanted to speak with us, Sir?" Steve interrupted, steering the conversation away from Fury's relationship with Brooklyn.
Pierce nodded and gestured for them to take a seat on the couch, "Why was Nick Fury in your apartment last night?"
"I don't know." Steve mumbled as he sat, placing his hand on Brooklyn's knee. She tightened her jaw and placed her hand on top of his.
"You know it was bugged?"
"I did, because Nick told me." Steve answered and Brooklyn side eyed Pierce defiantly.
Pierce kept Steve's gaze, not shying away from the soldier's steely blue eyes. "Did he tell you he was the one who bugged it?"
Steve stayed silent, looking over to see Brooklyn's cheeks turning red from embarrassment. Pierce seemed to notice because he poured a glass of water and pushed it towards the woman. "You want something else?"
"No." She said quietly, looking to Steve from the corner of her eye. "Thank you."
"Captain," Pierce said to Steve, "it is believed that Fury hired the pirates to cover up the acquisition and sale of classified intelligence, and that his death was a direct result of the deal going bad. I don't believe that, and I need your help to prove it." Pierce smiled as he asked, "So, I'm gonna ask you again, why was he there?"
Steve turned his hand to hold Brooklyn's running his thumb over her knuckles as he addressed Secretary Pierce, "He told me not to trust anybody."
"I wonder if that included him." Pierce suggested, looking from Steve to Brooklyn and the woman shook her head a little.
"I don't believe that."
Steve raised his hand to tell Brooklyn to stay quiet and she clamped her mouth shut and stood, giving Steve's arm a pull to get him to leave. He obliged and looked down at Pierce sitting on the arm of the couch before he turned to leave, "I'm sorry, those were his last words. Excuse us."
Brooklyn grabbed his shield and latched it to his back, pulling him away until Pierce stopped them, "Agent Hayes. I'd like to speak with you alone."
"I'd rather Steve stay-"
"Somebody murdered my friend, and I'm gonna find out why. If he can't tell me, maybe you can. Anyone who gets in my way is gonna regret it. Anyone."
Steve looked to Brooklyn, seeing her strained expression as she clung to his arm, "It's okay." He leaned forward and pecked her lips, "I'll see you at home. I'll get it all cleaned up."
"Okay." She acquiesced, letting go of his arm. "Love you."
"I love you, too." Steve looked back at Pierce, giving a firm nod before leaving the office.
He waited for the elevator, looking over his shoulder occasionally to see if Brooklyn was coming behind him, but she wasn't. The doors finally slid open and he entered the glass elevator, turning his back to the wall and leaning against the railing as he latched his hands together. He'd go home and get the wall cleaned up. Maybe even make something for dinner as a surprise.
The doors began to close, but a hand waved between them to keep them open. Steve raised his head when Rumlow and two other STRIKE members got into the elevator.
"Cap."
"Rumlow."
Steve looked up at the ceiling as the elevator dropped before stopping again and more agents with briefcases filing in. "I'm sorry about Fury. It's really messed up what happened to him." Rumlow said quietly, and Steve thanked him. He spared the man a casual glance as Rumlow asked, "How's Hayes holding up? She's known Fury a really long time, since she was a teenager."
"She's startled, but she'll be fine." Steve grumbled, not wanting to talk about Brooklyn. The elevator opened and more agents filed in. One man tapped his gun anxiously. One man was sweating and whispering to himself. Steve realized this was an ambush.
Rumlow hummed as the doors began to close, "I'm sure with you around she has nothing to worry about."
As the elevator began to drop again, Steve knew he'd have to fight his way out, double back for Brooklyn, and get out of here. When Fury said not to trust anyone, he meant Steve's teammates.
"So, before we get started, does anyone wanna get out?"
After a long pause, Rollins brandished his electric rod and spun around to try and lodge it into Steve's ribcage, but the super soldier turned and whacked the rod right out of his hand before being choked by a massive bald man from behind.
Somebody stopped the elevator. An agent stripped Steve of his shield. Someone hit him in the stomach with an electric rod, while another STIRKE member latched on a metal cuff to his wrist. They worked together as a team to try and pull Steve's arm up to attach the magnetic cuff to the top of the elevator to restrain him. If they held the electric rod to him long enough, he might pass out. He couldn't let them get the upper hand.
Steve managed to pull all his weight down and kick one of the men holding him, giving him a chance to knock out a few of his attackers until Rumlow kicked his arm and sent it flying backward, attaching him to the metal rim of the elevator. Steve looked to him in terror as Rumlow came at him with the rod, pinning him down and holding the weapon against Steve to force the current through his body.
He grimaced in pain as the shock wore him down, but Steve managed to get his wits about him enough to elbow Rumlow in the face and get a moment of relief before grabbing Rollins and hurling him at the corner of the elevator.
Knocking down his opponents long enough to pry the magnet off the side of the wall, Steve was able to backflip to the ground and take out his adversaries before facing off against Rumlow. "Whoa! Whoa, there big guy. I just want you know, Cap, this isn't personal!" Despite Rumlow's best attempts to take out Steve, he just wasn't strong enough to hold his own against Captain America, and Steve threw the smaller man towards the ceiling, knocking him out before letting his body fall to the floor.
Standing amongst the unconscious agents, Steve looked around quickly before kicking his shield onto his left arm and smashing the metal cuff. "It kind of feels personal." He panted and turned around slowly, leaning over to hit the button and open the elevator doors to escape.
When they slid open, a dozen STRIKE team members stood with their guns pointed at Steve telling for him to put the shield down. But standing in front of them with a rocket launcher was Brooklyn.
She smiled wickedly at Steve, her hip cocking slightly as she aimed the weapon at Steve's chest, "Hey there, Soldier."