Chapter Thirteen: Steve Rogers

Steve let Natasha brace against him as they walked into a facility in the mouth of a cave.
"GSW," Hill told a doctor. "She's lost at least a pint."
"Maybe two," Sam said. "Zoë hit a car pretty hard. She needs to be checked out too."
"Let me take them," the doctor ordered.
Hill shook her head, "They'll want to see him first?"
"Him?" Zoë questioned from behind Steve.

Part of him wished he could see her expression as they walked into room to see Fury lying in bed.
"About damn time," Fury said.
"God, can't you just stay dead for once?" Zoë grumbled. Steve nearly chuckled at her words.
Fury glared at her, "I came close if that's any consolation."
"Oh, it is."

Natasha rolled her eyes, sitting down as the doctor began working on her wound.
"What happened to you, Nick?" she asked.
"Lacerated spinal column, cracked sternum, shattered collarbone, perforated liver, one hell of a headache."
"Don't forget your collapsed lung," said the doctor.
"Oh, let's not forget that. Otherwise, I'm good."
"They cut you open," Natasha said. "Your heart stopped."
"Tetrodotoxin B," Zoë murmured.

Frowning, Steve looked to her. She shrugged in response.
"It slows the pulse to one beat per minute. Banner developed it for stress… it didn't work so great for him, but we have it."
"Why all the secrecy?" Steve questioned. "Why not just tell us."
"Any attempt on the director's life had to look successful," Hill said.
"Can't kill you if you're already dead," Fury said. "Besides, I wasn't sure who to trust. Come on."

Fury got out of bed, leading them to a small conference room where screens had pictures of Alexander Pierce and the Insight Helicarriers.
"This man declined the Nobel Peace Prize," Fury said, gesturing to Pierce. "He said, "Peace wasn't an achievement, it was a responsibility." See, it's stuff like this that gives me trust issues."
"We have to stop the launch," Natasha said.
"I don't think the Council's accepting my calls anymore." Fury opened a case and Steve peered down at three small computer chips. Sam asked the question they were all thinking.
"What are those?"
"Once the Helicarriers reach three thousand feet, they'll triangulate with Insight satellites, becoming fully weaponized," said Hill.
"We need to breach those carriers and replace their targeting blades with our own," Fury said.
"Sounds easy enough," Sam said.
"One or two won't cut it," Hill told them. "We need to link all three carriers for this to work, because if even one of those ships remains operation a whole lot of people are gonna die."
"We have to assume everyone aboard those carriers is HYDRA. We need to pass them, insert the server blades, and maybe, just maybe, we can salvage what's left…"

Scoffing, Steve shook his head.
"We're not salvaging anything. We're not just taking down the carriers, Nick, we're taking down S.H.I.E.L.D." "S.H.I.E.L.D. had nothing to do with it," Fury said.
"You gave me this mission," Steve snapped. "This is how it ends. S.H.I.E.L.D.'s been compromised, you said so yourself. HYDRA grew right under your nose, and nobody noticed."
"Why do you think we're meeting in this cave? I noticed."
"And how many paid the price before you did."
"Look, I didn't know about Barnes."
"Even if you had, would you have told me? Or would you have compartmentalized that too? S.H.I.E.L.D., HYDRA, it all goes."
"He's right," Zoë said. Steve glanced at her, seeing her rubbing at her forehead. Fury looked between all his agents, then to Sam.
"Don't look at me," Sam said, raising his hands. "I do what he does, just slower."
"Well, looks like you're giving orders now, Captain," said Fury.

A few hours later, Steve stood on a bridge, thinking back to his past with Bucky.
"We looked for you after," said Bucky. "My folks wanted to give you a ride to the cemetery."
Steve sighed, "I know, I'm sorry. I just.. kind of wanted to be alone."
"How was it"
"It's okay. She's next to Dad."
"I was gonna ask…"
"I know what you're gonna say, Buck, I just—"
"We can put the couch cushions on the floor like when we were kids. It'll be fun. All you gotta do is shine my shoes, maybe take out the trash." They walked up to Steve's apartment, Steve patting his pockets for his keys. Bucky kicked a brick aside, picking up the apartment keys from underneath.
"Come on," he said.
"Thank you, Buck, but I can get by on my own."
"The thing is, you don't have too," Bucky said. He pat Steve's shoulder. "I'm with you to the end of the line, pal."

The clearing of a throat pulled Steve from his memories. He looked over to see Sam standing beside him.
"He's gonna be there, you know."
"I know."
"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."
"I don't know if I can do that."
"Well, he might not give you a choice. He doesn't know you."
"He will. Gear up, it's time." Sam raised an eyebrow, looking at Steve's civilian clothes.
"You gonna wear that?"
"No. If you're gonna fight war, you gotta wear a uniform."

A smile tugged at Steve's mouth as Zoë rolled up to them on a bike. She tossed him a duffel and he unzipped it, seeing his old uniform.
"You owe me," she said. "I'm not a thief."
"What are you then?" Sam questioned.
"Retired," she replied. Steve yanked his head over to look at her. She gave him a faint smile.
"I, uh… With S.H.I.E.L.D. gone, there is nothing keeping me here. I've got a life to live. I can't keep putting my life on the line."
"What? You got a family or something?" Sam asked.
"Nah," she said, shaking her head. "I'm just… I'm done with this life. Been doing it since I was eighteen."
"You leaving now?" Steve asked. She shook her head again.
"Nope. One final mission."
"It's never one last one," Sam answered. A sad glint flashed through Zoë's eyes.
"This will be." Steve pursed his lips.
"Everything okay, Zoë?"
Zoë nodded, "Yeah." She revved the bike. "Can I drive?" she asked.
"Absolutely not," Steve said. "Gear up."

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