The media did find out. The following morning, the news channels talked nothing except two things: the vibranium nuclear warhead in Austria and the death of the Austrian king. Tony was furious so he starts to verbally attack Steve. Heidi's public statement was playing on the television.
"On behalf of the Avengers I want to make it clear that, yes, they were in Austria to investigate the nuclear warhead but under no circumstances were they involved in the death of King Eric." "Do you know what happened to the King then? You worked closely with him?" One reporter asks. "King Eric suffered numerous hereditary illnesses including dementia. That was no secret. The autopsy concluded though that it was suicide. He strangled himself to death." "Do you think perhaps because the Avengers were investigating at the palace that he decided to take his own life?" Another reporter asks. "King Eric was not a coward in that sense but perhaps he was afraid for another reason. That's all I have to say."
Heidi was in the kitchen, cooking, and listening to the news while everyone else was watching from the entertainment room. Tony stops arguing with Steve to only get on the phone with Maria Hill. Some of the team members broke away to blow off steam. Steve, noticing Heidi, takes long determined strides at her. Roughly, he grabs her shoulder and pushes her against a wall. She cries out in surprise. "What did you do?" he roughly asks. Bucky joins them, wondering if he needs to mediate. Heidi just frowns at him. "I think you know exactly what I did." "Why? You just jeopardize the team. The public is going to start seeing us as dangerous now, especially now that it looks suspicious that we were just there and he died that same night." "I've got it covered ok!" "Heidi, that's not what we do. We take down the enemy and bring them to justice, the right way." Heidi pushes him off of her. "Is that how we are going to handle Hydra? Because that's not what I signed up for! You know damn well that Hydra will never stop unless we take them out completely. It's even in their motto: cut off one head, two shall take its place." "We don't kill people Heidi!" Steve tries to explain to her. "You have no idea who my cousin was like. He was a determined man. Once he has his sights on something he will stop at nothing to make sure it goes his way. People were going to die, one way or another. I am willing to make that sacrifice." "No Heidi, we lock them up." Bucky, unsure of what to do, becomes frantic. He grabs his head in frustration and starts yelling. Their yelling was stressing him out. It stops the pair from fighting and they try to calm him down. "This isn't over," Steve growls at her before taking his best friend away to take care of him. "Damn right it's not," she calls back at him.
She went to blow off steam at some punching bags in the training room for a few hours. After cooling off, she started to think about what she said and felt bad. Images of her cousin's face began to play in her head. Her hands started to tremor. Her body began to shake. She took long deep breathes until they went away. She searched for the guys and found them on the floor in Bucky's room, sitting there. She joins them on the floor. "How are you feeling?" she asks Bucky. "I'm alright." His voice sounded scratchy. She looks at Steve. "I'm sorry…for putting you guys in this position. I wasn't thinking things through." Steve nods in acknowledgement. "But I don't regret killing him…" Both of the guys frown at her. Tears start to fall down her face.
"That's what scares me. I didn't feel anything…breaking his windpipe…watching the life fade from his eyes…" The guys dropped their heads. They didn't know what to say or how to comfort her. "I don't know if this is Hydra's doing…or if it's just me…when did I become so cruel?" "You're not cruel, Heidi. We've all done things we don't like or wish we didn't," Steve says trying to be consoling. Bucky bravely reaches out for her and pulls her toward him. She allows herself to be comforted by burying her face in his chest. "I often wonder the same myself," he says in a low voice, "I wonder if it weren't for what they've done to me… if I were able to make the same choices I was forced to make…if I would do it again…It scares me, too, because I think I would…" Heidi pulls her head away to look up at him. Her big hazel eyes looked like golden pools to him. He had a sudden desire to drown himself in those eyes. "But I realized that I can't live in the past anymore. I can't drive forward if I keep looking back at the rearview mirror. Don't let your fears, your anger, and your hate consume you…because it will break you. Trust me, I would know." "We're going to be here for you Heidi, no matter what," Steve adds in, "I swear we will take Hydra down but we have to do it together."