Peter

New York was waking up, the sun was rising and its light touched the tip of the buildings. The night had been quiet, except for the waterfront was reported to have gunfire during the night. A patrol of cops went to check it out, what they found was the dead bodies of the remaining Russians. There was a video that went into the warehouse, it was too graphic to show on TV. Peter woke up to the sound of the TV, and he looked over. Claire was watching it, the news reporter was talking about what was found at the scene.

"The report is that the Russians were brutally attacked last night, almost all of them were shot, but some were…broken"

Claire looked back at Peter, she stood up and walked over to him. Peter put his head back "How long has that been on?" he asked as Claire checked him out.

"Since six this morning"

Peter sighed "That's the warehouse that we hit earlier" Peter closed his eyes and he opened them quickly, "wait I was shot there and my blood is on the scene"

Claire put her hand on his shoulder and stopped him from getting up "They don't check things that are so easy to see"

"What?"

"Everyone who died was a member of a gang, people don't care who was killed. Just that someone was killed"

"People really don't care?"

Claire shook her head "No, people in this city are like that"

"Not all of them"

"Well you're one of the few"

Peter inhaled deeply "Well doc, how am I?"

Claire smirked "I'm a nurse, not a doctor"

"Ok Nurse Claire, how am I?" Peter said

Claire looked at the wound and chuckled. "You'll be fine actually, you heal fast"

"Thank you"

Claire chuckled and Peter frowned "So how long have you been patching up people like me?"

"Maybe a year"

Peter sighed "And you still go by Claire?"

Claire frowned "Yeah, why wouldn't I?"

"Well since you take care of vigilantes, you need a name"

Claire stood and walked into the kitchen "Really?" she asked amused

Peter shrugged "Why not?"

Claire stood still and looked at him "OK, give me a name then"

Peter nodded "Ok, well you're a nurse and you work nights?"

"Yes I work nights"

Peter nodded "Ok uh… Dark nurse, no that's racist"

Claire chuckled at him, Peter continued "Nurse Darkness, no still racist"

Claire walked forward "Well while you think about it, I'm going to go get cleaned up, and get your things"

Peter nodded and as she walked away he continued to think of names. Claire entered her room and she saw his suit on the bed. She walked over to it and she grabbed the torso part, she ran her hand over the fabric, she saw the bullet hole and she moved her finger over it. A knock came from the door, she turned around and walked back toward the door. Peter glanced up and he saw Claire come back and she looked through the peep hole and opened the door. In walked a man in a suit and he had glasses with red lenses, he had a white cane with a red tip. Peter knew it was him. "Well, come to check on me?"

"Well actually, more like to warn you"

Peter sat up and his chest still hurt slightly, he looked at him "What?"

Matt sighed "Well the warehouse was attacked last night by an unknown assailant"

"Yeah, I heard, how bad was it?"

"Bad, uh one of them had his head turned completely backwards"

Peter frowned "Who would do that?"

"Don't know, but that's not the worst part"

Peter looked at him and he shook his head slightly "What could be worse?"

"Only that they found Web at the scene, large amounts of it, and Spider Man has a warrant for his arrest"

Peter stood up and slightly grimaced from his wound "What? They think I did it?"

"Yeah" Matt said

Peter sighed "I got to get going"

"Well the cops are split in two, on the one side who want to find you, and the others that want you found, mostly likely dead"

Peter sighed "Well, they're going to have a hard time getting me"

Matt's face didn't move one bit "You act like you're able to survive by yourself"

"I can take care of myself"

"What about last night?"

"Well I usually don't go after large groups with guns"

"Then you better get used to it"

Peter stopped what he was doing and looked at him "What?"

"Taking out people like the Russians is how you make the city a better place, taking out the common mugger, doesn't"

"Yeah, but saving someone is worth it" Peter said walking up to him.

"You're just a kid"

Peter frowned "Don't talk to me like I'm a helpless child"

Matt shrugged "I never said you were helpless"

"Yeah, well it sure sounded like it, everyone always tells me to stay away and don't go, I am not ready for it, they say"

"Maybe you aren't"

Peter sighed "How do I get better, if I don't go after people like that?"

Matt shrugged slightly again "You don't"

"Yeah, my point exactly, can I have my suit back?" he asked Claire

Claire disappeared and came back with his torso and mask. Peter slipped it on and he held the mask in his hand "If you're looking for me, just contact Felicia"

Matt followed Peter to the window "The cops are still out"

"Well, then today just got harder" Peter said and he opened the window.

"You're going to go out there and do what you usually do, with half the police force and the city wants you dead"

Peter looked back at him and he put his mask on "Yeah"

He disappeared and Matt sighed and Claire stood next to him "He remind you of anyone?" she asked looking at him. Matt turned his head toward her "Yeah, he reminds me of me"

Claire chuckled "Well, I guess I should put him on the list of vigilantes that I patch up"

"There's a list?"

"Yeah, you're number one"

Matt sighed "Well I'll let you have your day off"

Claire turned around and he was already gone, she sighed and decided to get cleaned up.

Steve

"Sometimes, we have to live with it"

"It's worth it"

"Don't leave"

"Liar!"

"It's different"

"You're living a second lifetime"

"You're worth it to me"

"Liar!"

Steve opened his eyes, he stared at the ceiling, he was lying in bed, and the covers were up to his mid-chest. He closed his eyes as he exhaled, his heart was beating fast and he opened them. He sat up, the blanket fell away he looked to his right. Natasha wasn't there. It took him a minute to remember where she was. He moved his legs out over the side of the bed. He rested his arms on his knees and sighed tiredly. He rubbed his eyes, he put his hand on the mattress and he listened to the silence of the room. He studied the walls, the floor, the dresser, everything was quiet. He stood up and walked to the bathroom. He turned on the light and looked at himself in the mirror. His eyes were awake, but he didn't feel it. He sudden felt a cold hand grab him and he gasped. A blue cold face with dark eyes was face to face with him, he felt his heart stop then a painful shooting pain as he was stabbed in the chest. He heard her whisper "You let me die"

He blinked and he was back in the bathroom and he stumbled back and hit the wall, he was breathing heavily and holding his chest. He sighed after a few heavy breaths "Haley" he whispered. He closed his eyes and he took a deep breath to calm himself. He opened them and he was long at himself in the mirror. Steve remembered his dream about Hailey, the girl who was mugged his first year being out of the ice, he watched her die and talked to her till she was gone. He clenched his jaw, the first person to die that he knew in the modern world. He couldn't save her either, he turned on the sink and he splashed the hot water onto his face. The warmth brought him back to the bathroom, he looked at himself and he saw that he was rested, but his eyes seemed dark. He swallowed as he shook his head "Do you know what you're doing?" he asked himself

He asked himself that, but no one answered. He grabbed a towel and dried his face. He hung the towel up and walked into the shower, he turned the nozzle and warm water flowed out of the showerhead. He stepped back and pulled his clothes off, he set them down and stepped into the shower. He closed the door with a loud click and he let the warm water pour over him. He kept his eyes closed and he exhaled and he felt better. The water ran down his body and off his feet, he grabbed the shampoo and poured some onto his hand and started to clean his head. He ran his hands through his hair and he cleaned it, when he was done he put his head under the path of the water. He felt the smooth foamy shampoo run down his body, he opened his eyes and he stared at the glass, he stared at his fuzzy body, he put his hand on the cold glass. He took it away and he looked at it as water dripped down it.

He reached over and grabbed the bar of soap and he began to wash his body. He rinsed himself off and he turned off the water, eh listened to the remaining water drip softy onto the floor of the shower. He pushed open the door and stepped out, he grabbed the towel and died his body off. He wrapped it around his waist and walked back toward the dresser. He got himself dressed and he was on the second sock when a knock came from the door. Steve finished the sock and walked toward the door, he opened it and Bucky stood outside. "Bucky"

"Hey, um I thought that maybe you would want to you know, talk"

Steve sighed "That would be nice"

Bucky sighed in relief "May I come in?"

"Yeah" Steve said moving out of his way. Bucky entered his quarters and he heard the door close behind him. Steve walked past him "So, how was the night?"

"Busy, spent most of it talking to Gerald"

"And?" he asked, hoping that Gerald had caught something on Niko.

Bucky sighed defeated "Nothing, mostly we brainstormed on what secret things that Gerald could do that would help find him"

"What kind of things?"

Bucky gave Steve a look "Illegal things"

"Illegal?"

"Yeah, Gerald tends to do it that way"

"Well not the worst thing"

"It still takes a while, we'll know more, later today, hopefully"

Steve took a deep breath and exhaled, Bucky looked at him "This is going to get crazier"

Natasha

The sun was high in the sky as the Quinjet flew through the heavy clouds. Snow was falling gently, nothing like a Russian winter to welcome you home. Natasha sat motionless at the controls, she had her hands on the controls and they were still. Her hands seemed heavy from the amount of time she had been sitting still. She kept her eyes on the clouds, and flakes of snow moved across the canopy glass like rain. She glanced at the coordinates, she wasn't far away now. She moved her hand and clicked the stealth drive on, the thrusters went silent and the wings shifted as propellers activated and the Quinjet went silent. No need to make a loud entrance. She couldn't believe she was going back to Moscow, she didn't see herself ever coming back after the Mansion was burned down. She hoped that with the Mansion gone, Red Room would stop haunting her, but it seems it will always be around. She saw that she was right on top of the place she wanted, it was an empty place, the snow covered ground, and the sleeping trees gave the place a feeling of loneliness and that was from the air. She landed the Quinjet in an opening in the trees. She clicked switches and pressed buttons and the Quinjet turned off, she sat quietly in the pilot seat, she didn't want to leave it. She had her hands tightly wrapped around the controls, her knuckles were turning white and she let go. Everything seemed to be falling away from her feet, she pushed herself up to her feet. Her legs were stiff from the prolonged sitting, she slowly moved and her legs began to wake up and loosen. She turned toward the ramp, and it was still closed. She had her pistols attached to her thighs, she took a deep breath and smacked the manual release. The ramp hissed and unsealed, it slowly moved down and placed itself into the snow.

She took her first step out into the frigid air, the cold wind blew across the ground and it hit her face. She instantly felt cold, her cheeks were constantly being caressed by the cold wind. She kept moving, her boots crunched against the frozen top layer of snow, she looked back and she was getting farther from the Quinjet with every step, how did she know if it wasn't a trap? because if it was, it was going to be one short trip. The path she walked up, it was covered in snow and trees lined down each side, the sleeping beings of wood swayed slightly in the wind. Their curled branches seemed to lurch outward over the path, she kept walking up the path and she saw the house it led to. It wasn't as big as the Mansion, but close to it, Alexie had come from a wealthy family, at least that's what they told her, but for all she knew it could have been provided for by Red Room, it wouldn't surprise her if it was true. She felt the path incline a bit and she was soon walking up a small hill and she came to large snow covered stone steps. Its walls sat high and they angled and straightened out as the steps changed, all of it slowly leading up to the dark brooding Manor. Natasha didn't know if she was ever more intrigued and afraid of a building before.

Her boots crunched over the snow as she went up the stone steps, which she knew would've had moss growing on the sides if it was summer. She remembered the Manor during the summer, the green grass and the leaf covered trees, how the leaves hissed slightly in the morning air. She remembered it as being home, but that was a long time ago, a part of her wondered if the inside had changed at all. Her ascent of the stone steps made it just as more terrifying as the Manor slowly covered the sky as she got closer, how it seemed to grow in menace. Its dark roof and the cloudy sky and the snow that was falling made it seem ominous. She came to the door and she stared at the woodwork, she stared at the face that held a brass handle in its mouth. She felt a breath against her neck, but it was just the wind "Welcome home"

Natasha could hear his words in her ears as she put her hand forward and rested it against the door. She put her hand on the handle and tried to open it. The door was locked, she put her body against the door and pushed, but nothing. She sighed and she remembered something. "There's a spare key under the rock in the corner"

She looked in the corner and a rock lay patiently as it waited for her to move it. She knelt down and pushed it over and a key was laying under it, she sighed and picked it up and held it in her fingers. The cold metal seemed to get heavy, she put it into the lock and turned it. The door unlocked and she sighed slightly and she pushed the door open. The door swung open and the wood floors were covered in dirt, she walked in and grabbed the door and closed it. She stared at the main entrance, the place smelled wet, no one had been there in years, probably seventy. She walked forward and she felt the wood creak and bend under her boots. She walked to the right and entered the living room, a couch was in front of a fireplace, and she remembered the area well. She bit her lip slightly as she remembered something.

She was laying on the floor and she was wrapped in a blanket as the fire was raging and the warmth flowed over her, she felt hands on her back and lips touched her shoulder, she smiled and looked back at Alexie.

Natasha looked away from the fireplace and went to another room. The windows of the Manor were fogged up, or just stained so much with dirt that they were forever blurred. She entered the Kitchen, she saw the small table that was beyond the refrigerator, funny. She didn't remember a thing about the kitchen, probably because neither of them could cook. Steve solved that problem, it made her smirk slightly as she moved on to another room. The Manor was becoming more and more familiar as she walked through it.

She entered another area, she remembered it as the lounging area, now it was covered in sheets and paper. She remembered that Alexie also used it as a study, the bookshelf was still there, but most of the books were gone. She moved on, she really didn't know what she was looking for. She got to the stairway and it curved upward, she slowly climbed them and her hand ran along the smooth banister. She saw the large window that was on the wall as the stairs climbed upward, the place was huge, she couldn't see anything out of the window, the same as the others. She got to the top and she stared down the large hallway, there was a small sitting area at the top to the right. She walked past it and she entered the hallway. She knew which room was theirs and she went there first. She stopped and hesitated slightly as she put her hand on the cracked door. She took a breath and she pushed it open. The bed was the same and she noticed that it was still made. She did remember Alexie always had to make it perfect every morning. She walked over the small rug that lay before the bed, she glanced over at the fireplace that was in the room. She felt her heart slowly hurt the more she looked around, she sniffed slightly and she saw the dresser that had pictures on it. She made her way there and reached for one of the frames.

She held it in her hands and the glass that covered the picture within was covered in dirt. She moved her thumb over it and the dirt moved away and she saw herself, she was younger, about eighteen actually. She looked at herself, she was smiling, but she could read her own eyes, she wasn't happy. She placed the frame back onto the dresser, she grabbed the next one and brushed the dirt away. Alexie was standing next to her and they were both smiling, Alexie looked less worn and actually happy, no scars either. She swallowed as she felt her throat tighten. She put the frame onto the dresser and moved it so it was faced down. She moved onto another one. She cleaned it off like the others and she stared at the single picture of Alexie, he was smiling widely. She pursed her lips and she almost put the picture down when she noticed someone in the background. She looked at it closer, her brow furrowed with intrigue. She felt her heart almost stop by who she saw in the background. She saw the Winter Soldier in the far right corner. She stared at his face and how it was cold and emotionless, she remembered seeing that face in mirrors for years it was the same one he taught her. She dropped the frame and it hit the floor and the glass shattered. She stared down at the broken picture, the glass lay beneath her boots, she closed her eyes and she felt cold, not from the fact that the house had no heating, but that she remembered how it was down in the basement of the Mansion of Red Room, the annoying bumps in the floor as she lay on the gurney. She opened her eyes and she walked out of the room. Natasha left the Manor quickly, there was nothing but memories within, and not ones she wanted to think of. She walked down the long steps down toward the path. She didn't know why, but she felt like she was running away from the Manor.

She got to the Quinjet and she quickly took a seat and she turned the Quinjet on and it hummed to life. She hit a button and the ramp ascended and sealed, she slowly lifted off the ground and she hit the throttle and the Quinjet flew toward Moscow. She had her hands on the controls and she didn't know why she was doing what she going to do. She saw the dreaded lot and she landed the Quinjet, she quickly stood up. She stood frozen as the ramp opened and sunk to the ground, she stared out of it and the bright light from the sun and the clouds made it seem like another world. She pushed on and walked out of the Quinjet, she stood motionless outside of it, staring at the one place she swore she would never go back into. She stared at the Mansion, it was still standing, but it was scorched black and all the windows were blown out, she could still see ruble that was thrown out of the Mansion when it exploded. She walked toward it, she made her way closer to the infamous building that her, Steve, and Bucky had went into months before. She walked up the steps, she got to the doorway, everything was black, she walked in and the place didn't have the same feeling like before, she had seen all of this already, she walked down the first hallway that led to the entrance way. The doors were gone and she was amazed it was still in good condition, despite being charred and covered in ash. She walked through the next doorway and she was in the entrance way, she saw the remnants of the table that had been broken when the Adaptoid threw Steve onto it.

She walked past it and she went to the side and the wall was still open, it never closed since Bucky made it open with his arm, she slipped through the opening and she entered the room that she and Yelena fought it. She could see the small remains of the beams that had trapped her to the floor and that Steve pulled her out of. She turned around and took a left and she went down the stairs. She took it slow, they may have gone down there, but they didn't see all of it. She stepped on a bone and she remembered it as Kudrin, they found her skeleton when they first arrived and nice round bullet hole in her head, probably done by Niko. She moved on from the skeleton and kept moving down the steps, she didn't really learn too much from the Manor, but Red Room should have files on Alexie, and she was hoping that she could find them. She came to the first long hallway that they walked down the first time, she stared down the dimly lit hallway, interesting, the top was burned and scorched, but underground was still fine. She came to another stairway and went down them. She came to another hallway and she saw the file room at the end, she sighed and walked forward.

Peter

Well what Matt and Claire told him was true, instead of saving people, he spent two hours of the morning getting chased by cops, and he could have sworn he saw an old lady with a cane too. He was hiding out on a roof, then his favorite person, but maybe most dangerous to his well-being showed up. Peter was sitting against the small ledge of the roof and he saw Felicia walk toward him. He looked at her and his eyes turned to slits and he sighed "Well hello" he said lightly

Felicia stood over him and she slowly moved and sat down next to him. She tilted her head and raised her eye brow. "Well I heard about what happened, getting shot then being accused of killing people, sounds villainy"

Peter chuckled "I guess you could put it that way, I'm fine by the way"

"Clearly" she said bluntly

He looked at her "So what, come to improve me mood?"

"Probably not"

"Well so far you're making my mood feel stalemated"

She chuckled slightly "Well welcome to the club of bad guys"

Peter stood up and she was caught off guard with his movement. "But I'm not a bad guy" he said frustrated and his hands went into fists "Why can't they see it?"

"Well you might save people, but the damage caused, tends to linger"

"So I have to be even more careful than I already am?!"

"Just try not to destroy anything"

Peter sighed frustrated "Yeah, what happens when a guy with a rocket launcher fired at a store?"

"A rocket launcher?" she asked

"It's going to happen eventually, New York is sick, it's like a strange sickness lingers over it" he turned away from her and his shoulders were hung low. "Ever since the Devil of Hell's Kitchen surfaced, things have changed, the criminals seem to be bigger and far worse than they used to be"

Felicia shrugged "I kind of like it"

"Well that's because it's your world, and your playground." He looked at her, his eyes were still thin slits "I just swing around and try to save people"

Felicia got to her feet and walked over to him "Well even if you just swing around and try to save people, you do save people"

Peter looked at her "Well, how long can I do that before everyone that I try to protect wants me dead?"

Felicia sighed "Well we could always find out who killed those Russians in the warehouse"

"We?" he asked

Felicia shrugged "I've got nothing else to do"

He smirked and laughed slightly "Well it'll have to be later tonight"

Felicia smirked "Wouldn't want it any other way"

Peter watched her run and jump over the ledge of the roof and she disappeared, he sighed and shook his head slightly, then his communicator beeped. He felt his heart sink and he looked at who it was. He stared at Fury's name and he took a deep breath and answered it. "Hey Nick"

"Leave hey Nick when I'm not angry" he said over the communicator

Peter sighed "Let me guess, you've seen the news?"

"You're damn right I saw the news and I have reports about you"

"Nick, you know I didn't kill those people"

"Well a lot of things seem to fall on you"

"You've got that right"

"Don't try and roll it off, things are changing and you are making it seem like you are a blood thirsty vigilante"

"Blood thirsty?"

"Hell yeah, people never see the real you, they always see the outside symbol and Spider Man is not a good symbol right now"

"I am trying to get established"

"By resorting to helping another vigilante, yeah good idea"

"You know about Daredevil?"

"Yes I know about Matthew Murdock"

Peter nodded "Of course you do"

"Now you need to law low"

Peter frowned and his heart almost jumped out of his chest "Lay low, Nick, really? I need to stay out there and keep saving people"

"The cops are after you"

"Yeah and they won't get me"

"Parker, do not act rashly"

"No, I'm doing the only thing I can do, save people" Peter disconnected and he sighed in frustration.

Natasha

The file room was untouched by the fire, but the damage from the fight were still visible. Bullet casings riddled the floor and bullet holes covered the walls. She walked forward and her boots landed on bullet casings, she could feel them with her feet. She got to the main console and she put her hand on it, luckily one of Yelena's bullets didn't hit the console. She knew it wouldn't have helped though, the power wasn't on, it wouldn't be on anytime soon either the generators exploded. She instead went to the cabinets and she found a drawer that had S on it. She opened the drawer and she moved her fingers through the flaps of papers with the names on them, she looked for Shostakov and she found it. She felt her heart jump as he pulled the file out of it. She walked over to the cleanest part of the floor and took a seat. It was freezing, but the file in her hands made her mind keep the feeling of cold away. She stared at the file and her hands were shaking slightly.

She swallowed and her throat was tight and she opened the file, there was a picture, Alexie was staring right up at her, his red hair cut very short. She looked at the right of the picture and the papers were displayed, there was a long paragraph of Alexie. It was about his early life, she already knew that, she moved on. She turned the page and she saw another picture, Alexie was in a weird red uniform, it was labeled: Red Guardian. She read about it, after his supposed death he became the Russian equivalent of Captain America, not ironic enough that she fell in love with the real one. She continued to read, a few years passed and he was very effective, but then he was killed, or at least that's what they thought. The last report of him was when he came back to Red Room and killed the organization, it said that he had help with an unknown assailant. She knew it was Niko, she stared at the file and how it was over, she sighed, it only told her that in the end he was betrayed and he turned against them. Natasha looked up from the file, she swallowed and exhaled, it seems everything that was ever said to her was a lie, and she only knew that Alexie's death was the only truth, but not anymore. He was alive and he had changed. He had changed so much that she didn't even recognize him. She closed the file and she threw it across the room and she smacked her hand against her leg. She felt her throat tighten and she felt tears begin to burn in her eyes. She put her face into her knees and she sobbed into them.

She cried hard and she was alone in the place that she hated, she sniffed and more tears poured out her eyes. She gritted her teeth and she tried to calm herself down. She thought about Steve, the only thing that made her feel sure in herself and made her feel better. She pictured him in her mind and she remembered his kind smile back at Sam's and she felt her emotions coming back under her control, she thought about the evening on the bench, and the sunset, his heart beat and his warm and loving arms, she took a deep breath and she took her face out of her knees and she sniffed and she wiped tears away from her eyes. Natasha put her hands on the floor and she looked around at all the papers on the floor, she pushed herself to her feet. She stood still and the room surrounded her, the feeling of being confined resonated within her and she gritted her teeth slightly and walked toward the exit, this place couldn't tell her anything else, the place was nothing but a hollow shell. She walked back toward the stairs and to the exit. She came to the top of the stairs and she paused again at the skeleton of Miss Kudrin, she looked at the large bullet hole in the skull, she felt a sense of happiness that the evil bitch was gone, but also sad, she didn't know why, but she did. She walked on and slipped back through the unjammed door. She walked into the main entryway, she stood still and she looked up, the roof had holes through out from the fire damage. She clenched her jaw and looked at the main hallway toward the entrance, she walked toward it and she walked back through the hallway where she had the memory of her and Ivan when she was young. She walked out of the door and stood at the top of the steps, she stared at the cloudy sky and the snow was picking up. She felt like she found all she could, but she felt like she hadn't. There was something missing, but what was it? She walked down the steps toward the Quinjet, she came to the ramp and walked up it. She got to the pilot seat, she sat down and flipped switches and pressed the button for the ramp and it ascended and sealed shut. She put her hands on the controls and she lifted the Quinjet into the air slowly, the engines burned bright and slightly rumbled and the Quinjet flew forward. The engines turned off and the wings shifted and the propellers turned on and took over, the Quinjet became silent again. She flew back toward the Manor, there was something she was missing. She just had to find it.

Steve

Steve put the file down and closed his eyes, his hand went to them and he rubbed them softly, he was tired of reading reports. He heard a chuckle come from the side of his desk, he looked at Bucky and raised an eyebrow "You want a go?"

Bucky was smirking "No, I'm good. It's just funny seeing you reading reports" Bucky sighed in amusement "You actually remind me of Colonel Phillips"

Steve smirked "I just try to channel my inner Phillips when I do paper work"

Bucky snickered "Well, do you want to go get a drink and get away from the paper work"

Steve looked at him "I would love to, but I have to finish this last one"

Bucky huffed a long breath and groaned "Man, being the boss must suck"

Steve sighed "Well Buck, maybe you'll experience it one day"

"Yeah, I don't see that happening in my future"

Steve ignored his laughter and continued reading the last report, he had read this kind of report a thousand times, just Personnel voicing concerns, and about something that really doesn't matter. He was on the last paragraph and he glanced up, Bucky was sitting in a chair with his feet up on his desk. Steve finished the paragraph and eh stood up and knocked Bucky's feet off the desk. Bucky's legs hit the floor loudly and he shot upward, Steve smirked at him "Sleeping on the job?"

"If a man slept on the job, then we'd all be dead" They both said in a Colonel Phillips impression.

They laughed and Bucky rubbed his eyes as he held his stomach "Well, nothing like Phillips to make us laugh"

Steve leaned against his desk and nodded with a smile as he came down from the laughing. Bucky sighed and stayed seated "Well, Hick's is open"

Steve nodded "I know the way"

Bucky sat up quickly "Well so do I" he said following Steve toward the door. Steve smiled "I keep forgetting you have been talking to Clint for months"

Bucky sighed "He's a good friend to have"

Steve put his hand on the handle and he nodded "He is" he pulled the door open and walked out of his office. Bucky followed him, they both walked down the hallway toward the garage. They were both in the same stride and pace, Bucky glanced at Hill's office as they passed it. Steve noticed "How are you and Hill doing?"

Bucky took his eyes off the office "Uh…good. I'm completely in love with her, I am happy, I'm in a good place"

Steve smiled "Well that's all we can ask for"

"Yeah, and besides the fact that Niko wants to kill me, I'm good"

They came to the garage "So how did this happen?"

Bucky raised his brow "Right, you really don't know"

Steve shook his head "Not really"

They came to a car and as they both opened the doors, Bucky spoke: "Well back when she was my partner, when I signed on with S.H.I.E.L.D. after we took down Red Skull"

"Yeah"

"Well at first she hated me"

Steve chuckled and Bucky frowned at him "No, she really did"

"Nat was the same way with me when we were paired as partners"

Bucky ti8lted his head "Really?"

"Yeah, wouldn't you be? A guy who has no training in black ops and the undercover world and suddenly he is higher in rank than you"

Bucky nodded "But you were both the same level of agent"

"Yeah, but that never stopped me from giving orders"

Bucky smirked "And even without really thinking about it, she followed them?"

A smile came to Steve's lips "Nope, she never followed them till later, we got the job done though"

Bucky chuckled loudly "Sounds like Natasha"

Steve shrugged "Yeah, well toward the end of our first year together, it got better, I saved her life, well kind of"

"Kind of?"

"Well she had it handled, I just happened to take out the bad guy behind her to save her and she knew he was there, but she didn't know I was there"

Bucky clenched his jaw and grimaced "What happened?" he asked

Steve sighed softly "She shot me", he looked at Bucky like it was nothing.

Bucky looked at him stunned "She shot you?" he asked, he heard him the first time, but he just needed to know if he heard him correctly.

"Three times"

Bucky coughed slightly through a chuckle "Two to the chest and one to the head?"

"No, all three to the chest, luckily, I wasn't wearing my helmet"

"Wow, Natasha almost killed you"

"Yeah, it was the first time I actually saw real concern on her face, at least for me"

"Still didn't trust her did you?"

"Not till later"

"Well I guess three to the chest would do that" Bucky said with a smirk. Steve nodded "I've had worse"

Bucky nodded and stared out the window as the car moved along the road. Steve drove into the city, Bucky placed a hat on his head. Steve looked at him "Have to keep a low profile"

Steve sighed "Well if they knew, you wouldn't be here"

"Yeah, I would be in a shack in South America probably"

"If we truly explained the entire story…"

Bucky waved him down "Wouldn't work, I would still be tried for my crimes"

"Well you have to face it eventually"

"Yeah, but after we deal with Niko, and Yelena"

Steve nodded "I can understand that"

They were in the city and they were coming up on Grand Central station. Steve took a right and he parked and he took the keys out of the ignition. "At least Hicks is discreet" he said

"Well he knows us, so that helps" Bucky relied and he opened his door and got out of the car. He had a long wool coat on and gloves, no sign that he was the Winter Soldier, or even James Barnes. They walked toward the doors and Bucky opened the door for Steve. He gave him a nod and walked in, Bucky followed him, they entered and the place was empty, Hicks saw them "What do I have to do this time?"

"Just do not let us be disturbed" Bucky said with a smile

Hicks sighed as he walked past them and flipped the open sign to close. He turned around "Well drinks I bet"

"Yeah, keep them coming"

Hicks nodded and he walked behind the bar "Vodka and…?" he asked looking at Steve

"Whiskey" Steve said

Hicks nodded and got them glasses and placed them on the bar. Steve and Bucky took a seat and Hicks left a Vodka and Whiskey bottle next to the glasses. Hicks chuckled "Just pay for the bottle" Steve smirked and gave him money for both. Hicks took it and put it into his pocket.

"Let me know if you boys need anything"

Bucky nodded "Thanks Hicks"

Hicks nodded and walked away, Steve took a small sip of his whiskey and Bucky downed his glass of vodka and poured himself another. "Well Niko, tend to surface with a bang"

Steve sighed "Every time?"

"Just about"

Steve took another sip "Well, any places he would go?"

"Somewhere in Canada maybe, but I doubt it"

"Why?"

"Well there weren't any places in Canada that were held b Red Room, other than a rival of Red Room's: Department X"

"Department X?"

Bucky shrugged "They specialized in mutations, and unlocking mutant genes"

Steve nodded "Well I guess Hydra copied them"

"They all copy each other, it's how it worked"

"Ok, what about this Zemo character?"

"Well he is really an unknown at this point, his family tree has a connection to Hydra, but he himself, no. I really don't know what he does, none of us do, and we know he has a place in Germany, but otherwise, that's it."

"Niko was seen with this man"

"At his house in Germany, yes"

"Him and Zemo friends?"

"No, more like business partners"

"What kind of business would call for Niko to sell or buy anything?"

"Weapons probably, he does have an organization that does things"

"Well, what else about him?"

"Other than he's a complete psychopath? Not much else."

Steve finished his glass and nodded "Doesn't surprise me"

Bucky nodded "You seemed startled when I talked to you this morning"

"Just saw a face I hadn't seen for four years"

"Who?"

"A girl named Hailey, she was mugged my first year out of the ice, she died. I talked to her till she was gone"

"Hard"

"You got that right, I had a nightmare about her"

"What happened?"

"The usual, she stabbed me"

"Well we all have to live with something"

Steve nodded and poured himself another glass "Shadow Games wouldn't do anything without Niko right?"

"Who knows" Bucky said with a shrug.

Steve took a long gulp and swallowed the smooth but burning liquid. Bucky knew that Steve didn't really want to talk about it, which he understood completely, he knew that Steve just wanted to change the subject. Bucky complied "If they are, we can stop them, but Niko is the top priority. The organization will fall with him, take it away from him, he'll just start over."

"How do you suppose we truly look for him?"

"Having Gerald and everyone else, including ourselves look for him with intel and tracking"

Bucky nodded "Well that's what Gerald is good for"

Steve nodded and finished his glass and poured himself another one. Bucky looked at him and sighed "So, how's Natasha?"

"Good, besides the fact that her ex-husband is still alive"

Bucky nodded "Yeah that was a shocker. Would she still shoot me without hesitation?"

"Probably, I wouldn't test that theory"

"Yeah, probably safer to just try and reconcile with her"

Steve nodded "It would be, but she won't be back for a few days"

"Well we can put personal and work efforts in"

"I do have something personal that I need to do, I haven't done it for a while, make that three years"

"Well I guess I will continue to work with Gerald to find him"

They both sat there in silence and they slowly drank their glasses, Bucky was working up the courage to ask him a question. He looked at his glass of Vodka and he drank it all with one gulp, he put the glass down and looked at Steve. "Steve?"

Steve turned his gaze away from his bottle of Whiskey "What's up?"

"What do you think about Natasha's ex-husband?"

"It doesn't matter how I feel about it, I can't change anything about it"

Bucky nodded and frowned slightly as Steve didn't get what he was meaning "I mean, how are you, feeling about it?"

Steve nodded, he took a deep breath "Truly, things have been great between Nat and me, but lately…" he stopped and sighed. Bucky looked at him "What, is it Natasha?"

"No, she's fantastic, I think it's me"

"What gives you that idea?"

Steve shrugged, truly not knowing why "I don't know" he spoke softly, almost as if he was hurt.

Bucky put his hand on his shoulder "Come on pal, what. Not sure about the relationship?"

Steve looked at him "I feel…I don't know how I feel"

Bucky really hoped that Steve wasn't going to do what he thought he was. "Does it have something to do with Niko?"

"No, actually it's just me"

"Well that narrows it down"

Steve smirked "yeah, but I'm not sure. I love Natasha, she's the one for me, but something just feels wrong"

"Like what?"

"Don't know, like there's something coming, and I don't know if I'll be able to stop it this time"

Bucky frowned "what's coming?"

"I have no idea, just something feels off, like there just a hidden plot that is coming or something. I'm just rambling, it's probably nothing"

Bucky sighed "Well whatever you feel it is, you're not alone"

Steve looked at Bucky and smiled "Thanks"

Bucky smiled "You got it punk"

Steve smiled "Jerk"

They both laughed softly and Bucky raised his glass to him "Almost like the old days, Hogan would be yelling in a drunken triumph about now"

Steve inclined his head with a smile "That guy never got drunk, at least I think so"

They both chuckled and Steve held up his glass and they both moved slightly and drank their glasses.

Natasha

The sun had disappeared and the dark sky hovered over the Manor. The edges of the Manor seemed spread out from the darkness, the trees swayed in the lonely wind. Snow started to fall more than before, soon the visibility was limited by the snow fall. The Manor was dark, but there was a small shimmer of light coming from the second floor window. The small orange light shifted past the window. Then disappeared, the window was dark again.

Natasha stood in their old room and she placed the candle onto the dresser. She had lit numerous candles so the room was lit, barely. She had bunkered down for the night, she was standing in the middle of the room she was staring a picture that was hung on the wall. It was dirty and actually barely visible. She still had her coat on, and she planned to keep it on, the Manor was freezing, but she was warm. She turned toward the bed and she stared at the head of it, the wooden back and the design. She frowned and she took a deep breath, she made some progress today, but she was still missing something, she knew she was. The answer was not back in Red Room, it was in the Manor that Alexie told her to remember, he must have something hidden here. She walked along the side of the bed and she ran her hand over the comforter, she gripped it tightly, she didn't remember it, she wasn't surprised either, she barely remembered the Manor all together, she only spent a limited time here, after Alexie died, she never came back.

She was back now and the place was just confusing, a part was happy that she came on her own, but another wished that Steve was with her. Natasha climbed onto the bed and laid on the mattress. She slowed her breathing and stared at the ceiling, a chandelier was hanging from it, cob webs hung around it. She slowly quieted her mind and closed her eyes, she took deep long breaths and she tried to think about nothing. She was tired, she wanted to sleep, but a small part of her feared what would happen if she did fall asleep. The fear of nightmares still hovered over her, she never knew if she would ever be rid of them, she had learned to accept them though, just like her past, they happened and she needed to live with them. She had for the most part, but she locked herself away and became distant from things, things that could make her happy. It worked for a while too, but as time went on, it became more difficult to do. Then she met Steve Rogers, what an annoying, pleasant, frustrating, wonderful thing. She admitted she didn't like him at first, he was her opposite. They both had different ways of doing things and different rules, he had them, and she didn't. How did she let him get through her defenses? That was a question that she was never going to fully understand, all she knew was that she did, and she was happy she did. She felt like her own person the more she got to know Steve, and the more she got to know him, the more she tended to think about him and stare at him. She almost smiled as she drifted off into sleep, another day gone by, and another about to begin. At least she knew, that even if she didn't find anything, she was going to be fine, she had Steve.

Peter

It was a cold night, the waterfront had been taped off and funny enough there was no one guarding it, not entirely sure why they weren't. Peter was in a crouched position and he was on a crane, he hung by the man cabin, there was more cover, and he was watching and waiting for someone. Peter heard small little clicks and he looked behind him and Felicia was there, she walked forward and crouched next to him. She looked at him and then stared at the warehouses. Peter took in a shaky breath, he felt a little cold, but mostly he was anxious about seeing the person responsible for such brutality. Peter had scouted out the warehouse, before he got up on the crane and the warehouse was still messy from the blood, and there was a lot of it.

He looked at Felicia "Well hello"

She smirked "Well this could take a while"

Peter nodded "yeah, but I'm ready to stay out all night"

"What about Aunt May?"

"I told her I was staying with someone"

"You know, sooner or later she's going to find out" she looked at him

He met her gaze "yeah, but right now she doesn't know, so let's keep an eye out for the murderer"

Felicia cocked her head "Murderer may be true, but I'm not going to say he's a bad guy"

Peter looked at her and his eyes widened a little "he brutally killed people"

"Gangs do the same thing"

"Yeah, and they are usually against the law"

"Well if you look at it from their perspective, it's family"

Peter sighed "I don't want to get into an argument about people"

"Point taken, now where is this smart murderer" she said teasingly

"Smart might be pushing it"

"I bet he's smart"

"It could be a girl"

Felicia sighed "We are brutal, not like a brute"

Peter nodded "true, wow" he said as he saw a warehouse to the far right open up. Felicia slightly moved in interest "I see it"

They both watched the door opening and a man walked out and they both tilted their heads. He was in a long coat, but he looked rather calm, Peter moved his hand slightly and he suddenly froze as he saw the man scan around and it seemed like he looked right at them.

"Shit, can he see us?" Felicia asked

Peter noticed that they were in complete darkness "I don't think so"

The man was tall, and his black hair was slightly sticking out of his hat. He reached into his coat and pulled out a pistol with a silencer on it. Peter and Felicia both looked at each other. "He can't see us" Peter said reassuringly

The man held the pistol and he scanned around and he put it away and he walked back into the warehouse. The door closed and Peter and Felicia both sighed in relief. "Ok, well I need to get closer" Peter said

Felicia frowned at him "What?"

"I have a video camera down there, well I have them on every warehouse. I need to get it to Nick"

Felicia sighed "Well if you want to get shot again, go ahead"

Peter stood up and he heard Felicia walk away and disappeared. He shrugged, she stayed longer than he thought she would. He jumped down and softly landed on a large container and he went to collect his handy evidence collecting cameras. He didn't know if the man was the one responsible, but a guy came out of a warehouse with a gun, it was most likely him. Peter got back to the crane and he had the cameras and he chuckled slightly and grabbed his bag and stuffed them into it. He slung the bag around his shoulders and jumped off the crane and swung back toward the city.

He came to the city limits and he made sure to stay high, mostly so no one saw him. He got to Stark Tower and he landed on the roof and he got into the building. He walked down the steps and he came to the main living area. He found no one there, he looked around, and he saw Tony in his lab. Peter walked up the stairs and opened the door. Tony looked at the door with a frown and he saw him "Parker, didn't know you were coming"

"I planned on it, but I have something you have to see" Peter said walking over to his station and put his bag onto it. He turned around and saw all the computers going, he looked at it all "What's this?"

Tony sighed "What you want to show me, is going to have to wait, I have somethings on my plate that need dealt with"

Peter walked forward "What is it?"

Tony looked at him and sighed as he looked down "Just a guy that seems not to be able to die"

Peter frowned "Who?"

"Niko"

Peter's eyes widened and pulled off the mask "The guy I wasn't allowed to help you guys get?"

"The one in the same"

Peter sighed "Well, I guess you still don't need me" he said with a hint of bitterness in his voice.

Tony looked at him "I could use some help"

Peter looked at him "What do you got?"

Tony smiled and waved him over, Peter walked toward the computer and he stared at it as Tony started to explain the situation to him. Peter nodded and pointed at the large hologram screen and Tony commented on what he spoke of. They both worked on what Tony had and they both frowned at the information.

Steve

The facility was still awake, but Steve hadn't returned. He was in his apartment. He told Bucky had something personal to do tomorrow, and he would be back later tomorrow. Bucky had driven him to the apartment and left him and they said their goodbyes and Steve walked into his apartment. He was now sitting on the bed and he stared at the floor. He took a deep breath and looked up at the ceiling. He was thinking about Natasha, and how she was doing and eh missed her. He was glad he was going to be busy tomorrow, Natasha was doing her things and he was able to do his, not too mention he needed to talk to two people that meant a lot to him.

He laid back into the mattress and closed his eyes, and drifted into sleep thinking about Natasha.

New York

Early Morning…

He stood at the table and he stared at his arsenal. He looked at the map and he found the best spot and he was going to hit it, he was finally going to do what he had to. He looked at his suit and he walked toward it. He looked past it and at the three pictures, he grabbed a knife and he looked at the three pictures, Steve was looking right at him and he stood before him. He was a short distance from it and he threw the knife at the picture of Steve and it hit him directly in the forehead.

He flared his nostrils and he knew it was time. He looked at the table that was standing up and it had his suit on it. He stared at it and he stared at the large Silver Star on the chest. He pulled his coat off and he longer shirt. He was in a tight tank top and eh pulled his pants off and he stood with socks and his underwear, and his black tank top. He walked over the cold floor and he reached for the suit and pulled off the pants. He pulled them on, the black tactical pants hung loosely so he had freedom of movement and he did it and they were tightly fitted. He grabbed his boots and put his feet into them and he press a small button on the side and they locked shut and he stood still and took a deep breath. He reached up and grabbed the chest piece and he lowered it and looked at it. He put it on and fastened it and clipped it shut. The light weight Kevlar fit nicely. He pulled on his belt and he clicked it shut and it tightened on its own.

He grabbed his gloves and put them on and he got them tightened and he put his hands into fists. He nodded and he looked at the last piece. He grabbed the helmet and he put it on and it tightened around his head and locked into the neck armor of his suit, he moved his neck and rolled his shoulders. He walked over and grabbed the harness and put it on and he clipped it tight and he hand grenades and ammo all over him. He grabbed the shield and put it onto his back and he grabbed a small shotgun and put it on his lower back. He clipped the pistols to his suit, and he grabbed an assault rifle and put the strap over his shoulder. He had everything set and ready, he picked up his large coat and put it on, he hid all his weapons under it and he put on a hat and it covered his helmet and his eyes looked like he had an extra piece of winter equipment. He wasn't using all of his weapons, those were backups. He turned toward the large door and walked forward. He pulled the door open and left the warehouse, the sun was coming up and he started to walk toward the city as the light hit New York City and they had no idea what was coming.

Author's Note: Hey guys, I would love some more feedback. Review.