Natasha rushes into the hospital and finds Steve, who's looking over Fury, who's in surgery. Natasha asks if Fury's going to make it.
Steve says he doesn't know.
"You better not die." Natasha said.
Natasha asks about the shooter.
Steve says that he was fast, strong and he had a metal arm.
Maria walks in. Natasha asks about the ballistics.
Maria says that there were 3 slugs ano no rifling. She says that they were untraceable.
Natasha notes that they were soviet made.
"Connecting the dots." Clint said.
"We're still missing dots." Natasha countered.
Surgeons start rushing around Fury's room. A doctor says that he's in V-tach.
A nurse says that there's a crash card coming in.
A doctor asks the nurse to help him with the drape.
A doctor says that Fury's BP is dropping.
A doctor asks for a defibrillator and says to charge Fury at 100.
Natasha asks Fury not to do this to her.
Clint put his arm around Natasha to comfort her.
A doctor tells everyone to stand back then he shocks Fury and asks for a pulse.
A doctor says that there's no pulse.
"You're dying." Maria whispered.
The doctor calls for 200 and shocks Fury again and says to give him epinephrine and asks for a pulse.
A doctor says that there's no pulse.
Natasha repeats the words don't do this to me.' Steve walks away from the window.
A doctor asks for the time.
The nurse gives it to him.
The doctor calls it and says the time of death was 1:03am.
All of the avengers and SHIELD agents had tears in their eyes. Their leader, their... friend was dead. What were they supposed to do? After a moment Bruce spoke.
"Should um *He cleared his throat* Should we continue?" He asked. They nodded mutely.
Natasha and Steve are looking at Fury's body. Maria walks in and says she needs to take him.
Steve walks up to Natasha. Natasha leaves. Steve calls her name and follows her out. Natasha asks Steve why Fury was in his apartment.
Steve says he doesn't know.
"Don't lie to me." Natasha said.
"He told me not to trust anyone." Steve defended.
"And somehow that includes me?" Of course she already knew why He was there, they all did, but it still hurt that Steve didn't trust her enough to tell her the truth.
"It includes everyone!" Steve said.
Rumlow walks up to them and tells Steve that they want him back at SHIELD.
Steve tells him to give him a second.
Rumlow says that they want him now.
He turns to Natasha. Natasha calls him a terrible liar and walks away.
"The worst liar." Off-screen Natasha added.
Sitwell, from an earpiece, tells the strike team to escort Steve to SHIELD for questioning.
"Questioning?" Steve asked.
Rumlow says that he told him. Steve walks up to Rumlow. The vending machine is shown. Steve has hidden the flash drive behind some gum.
"Smart." Natasha said. "Dangerous, though."
"Yeah, well I have a feeling I can't exactly walk back into SHIELD headquarters with that in my hand." Steve said.
Pierce is talking to Sharon. Steve walks up to them. Sharon greets him.
Steve greets her back and calls her neighbor.
"Don't trust her now either?" Peggy asked.
Pierce introduces himself.
Steve says that it's an honor.
Pierce says that the honor is his and says that his father served in the 101st. He tells Steve to come in. They walk into pierce's office. He shows Steve a photo of himself and Fury.
Tony gasped. "I never thought I'd see you with two eyes."
Pierce says that the picture was taken 5 years after he and Fury met. He says that he was at Sate Department in Bogota. he says that ELN rebels took the embassy and security got him out but the rebels got the hostages.
"Oh-no."
Pierce says that Fury was the deputy chief for the SHIELD station there and he came to Pierce with a plan to storm the building through the sewers.
"Little presumptuous don't you think?" Maria asked.
"It got the job done just fine." Fury said.
Pierce says that he said they can negotiate.
"They don't seem like the negotiation type to me." Clint said.
Pierce says that the ELD didn't negotiate and they put out a kill order. He says that they stormed the basement only to find it empty.
"You ignored Pierce and got the hostages out yourself." Peggy said.
Pierce says that Fury ignored his order and carried out an unauthorized military operation on foreign soil. Pierce says that Fury saved the lives of a dozen officers including his daughter.
Steve says that Pierce gave Fury a promotion.
"That's how you became director?" Maria asked.
Pierce says that he's never regretted it and asks Steve why Fury was in his apartment.
"I'm gonna get asked that a lot aren't I?" Steve asked.
Steve says he doesn't know.
Pierce asks if he knew it was bugged.
Steve says he did because Fury told him.
Pierce asks if Steve knew that Fury was the one who bugged it.
"No he did not." Steve said slowly. Silently questioning Fury... and Pierce.
Pierce says he wants Steve to see something. He pulls up footage of Batroc.
A SHIELD interrogator asks Batroc who hired him.
Steve asks if the footage is live.
Pierce says it is and that they picked him up last night in Algiers.
"He thinks that Batroc did it." Steve said.
Steve asks if Pierce is saying that Batroc is a suspect and says that assassination isn't Batroc's line of work.
"Its more than that." Natasha said.
Pierce says that it's more complicated than that. He says that Batroc was hired anonymously to attack the Lemurian Star. He says he was contacted by E-Mail and paid by wire transfer then the money was run through 17 fictitious accounts.
"A little overkill, don't you think?" Scott asked.
Pierce says that the last one was going to a holding company registered to a Jacob Veech. He hands Steve a file.
Steve asks if he's supposed to know who that is.
Pierce says that he isn't because he died 6 years ago. He says that his last address was 14-35 Elmhurst Drive. He tells Steve that when he met Fury his mother lived at 14-37.
Natasha's eyes widened. "You hired the pirates. That's his theory." She said to Fury.
Steve asks if Pierce is saying that Fury hired the pirates, then asks why.
Pierce says that the theory was that the hijacking was a cover for the acquisition and the sale of classified intelligence. He says that the sale went sour and led to Fury's death.
"That can't be true." Steve denied. "Can it?"
Steve says that if Pierce knew Fury he would know that that isn't true.
Pierce asks Steve why he thinks they're talking.
"So you can get me out of the way of whatever it is you're planning." Steve said, suspicious.
"Why are you so suspicious of Pierce?" Quill asked.
"I don't know... something about him just doesn't sit right with me."
Pierce says that he took a seat on the council because Fury asked him to. He says that they're both realists.
"You wanted him on the council?" Steve asked.
"I did." Fury answered.
Pierce says that despite all of the diplomacy and handshaking they knew that to build a better world sometimes means to tear the old one down. He says that that makes enemies.
"How does that make any sense?" Gamora asked.
Pierce says that people call them dirty because they have the guts to stick their hands in the mus to build something better. He says that it makes him angry that those people could be happy.
"People tend to be comfortable when they don't have to change anything." MJ said.
Pierce says that Steve was the last one to see Fury alive and he doesn't think that that was an accident. He asks Steve why Fury was at his apartment.
Steve says that Fury told him not to trust anyone.
Pierce says he wonders if that includes Fury himself.
"It included anyone who it needed to, not only who it implied." Fury said.
Steve says that those were Fury's last words then he grabs his shield and puts it on his back.
Pierce says that someone murdered his best friend and he's going to figure out why. He says that anyone who gets in his way will regret it.
Steve says he understands.
"He threatening you." Natasha said.
"Yeah, I think I got that." Steve said.
Steve gets into the elevator and says he needs to get to operations control.
The AI confirms.
Rumlow and some strike agents enter. Rumlow says he needs to get to Forensics.
The AI confirms.
Steve and Rumlow greet each other.
"Something's gonna happen." Clint said.
Rumlow says that Evidence Response found some fibers on the roof they want them to see. He asks if he should get the tac-team ready.
Steve says they should wait and see what it is.
"Best not to jump the gun." Sam said.
Steve sees that one of the agents is ready to draw a weapon.
"They're making it so obvious." Natasha said.
The elevator stops, more agents enter. One of them says they need to get to administrations level.
The AI confirms.
Rumlow says he's sorry about Fury and says that what happened to him is messed up.
Steve thanks him.
"Something's off, with every other person in that elevator." Steve noticed.
The elevator stops again. More agents enter. One of them says that they need to get to records.
The AI confirms.
"There's too many people in that elevator." Peter said.
Steve asks if anyone wants to get out before they get started.
"Here we go." Clint said.
One of the agents pulls a weapon. A group pin Steve to the wall. One hits the emergency stop button on the elevator. Steve tries to break from the magnetic cuff. It gets thrown to the wall. He starts kicking the agents away. Another magnetic cuff gets thrown at him. Rumlow attacks.
"Okay, so we know that they're essentially traitors, but who are they working for?" Natasha asked.
Rumlow electrocutes him. Another agent punches him. Sitwell is shown watching he says to mobilize strike units to the 25th floor.
Steve kicks the agents away from him and uses his feet as leverage to get the cuff off. He knocks out another agent, leaving Rumlow left.
"Let's to this." Steve said.
Rumlow tells Steve that it isn't personal. He electrocutes Steve again. Steve picks him up and throws him up to the ceiling, Rumlow falls to the floor.
"Haha nice."
Steve says it feels personal and picks up his shield and disables the emergency stop.
"I think it is personal." Maria said.
The elevator doors open and the strike agents all have guns pointed at him. One of the tells him to drop the shield and put his hands up.
"Not today." Steve said.
Steve uses his shield to send the elevator down. He opens the doors and sees a group running toward him, he closes the doors. An agent tells Steve to give up because he has nowhere to go.
"You are so reckless, you know that." Clint said.
Steve stands up and starts running. Sitwell says that Steve's headed for the garage he says ro lock down the bridge. The doors start closing, Steve, on his motorcycle, makes it through just before they do.
"Haha nice." Tony said.
A plane flies over him. The pilot tells Steve to stand down. The plane draws a gun.
"Telling me to stand down isn't going to make me stand down." Steve said. "No matter how many times you repeat it."
Steve doesn't stop, they start shooting. Steve throws his shield, disabling one of the wings. He jumps up to get it back, then uses it to disable the engine. The plane crashes.
"Well then." Steve breathed.
Sitwell is talking to a group of agents. He says that whatever their op is bury it. He says that this is level one contact DOT. He says that all traffic lights in the district go red and tells them to shut down all runways at BWI, IAD and Reagan and says that all security camera footage is going through their monitor.
The SHIELD agents glared at Sitwell.
He tells them to scan all open sources including phones, computers and PDAs. He says if someone tweets about Steve he wants to know about it.
"Who are you working for?" Natasha asked, quietly.
Sharon says that they deserve to know why SHIELD is conducting a manhunt for captain America.
"Because SHIELD is infiltrated and they don't want me trying to ruin their plans." Steve said.
Pierce says that it's because he lied to them. He says that Steve has information regarding Fury's death and he's refused to share it. He says that Steve is a fugitive of SHIELD.
"Because you lied to them." Fury snorted.
Steve, dressed in sweats, walks up to the vending machine that he put the hard drive in, only to notice that its not there.
"Shit."
Natasha appears behind him. She blows a bubble in his ear.
"You have it." Steve said.
"Probably yeah." Natasha said.
Steve pushes her into a wall and asks where it is.
Natasha says that it's safe.
Steve tells her to do better.
Natasha asks him where he got it.
"Fury gave it to you." Natasha says with faux happiness.
Steve asks why he would tell her.
Natasha realizes that Fury gave it to him and asks why.
Steve asks what's on it.
Natasha says she doesn't know.
"Yes you do." Steve protested.
Steve tells her to stop lying.
Natasha says that she only acts like she knows everything.
"Well then. You're a convincing actress." Steve said.
Steve says he bets she knew that Fury hired the pirates.
Natasha says that it makes sense. She says that the ship was dirty and Fury needed a way in.
Steve says that he won't ask again.
Natasha says she knows why killed Fury.
"You do?" Clint asked.
"Apparently. But as of right now I only have an idea... it might not even be true." Natasha said.
Natasha says that most of the intelligence community doesn't believe he exists but the ones that do call him the Winter Soldier. She says that he's credited with over 2 dozen assassinations in the last 50 years.
'Those are just the ones SHIELD knows about.' Bucky thought.
"That cant be possible, can it?" Steve asked.
Steve says he's a ghost story.
"He is very much real, Steve." Natasha said. "I have the scar to prove it." She added, remembering her encounter with him.
Natasha says she was escorting a nuclear engineer out of Iran 5 ears ago and says that someone shot out her tires near Odessa. She says that the went straight over a cliff and she pulled them out. She tells him that the Winter Soldier was there and she was covering the engineer so he shot him through her.
"Wow."
She lifts her shirt to show a scar a few inches above her waist. She says that it was a soviet slug with no rifling. And makes a comment about how she can't wear bikinis anymore.
Steve says he bets she would look terrible in them now.
"Thanks." Natasha said in mock offence.
She tells Steve that going after the WInter Soldier is a dead end and she knows because she's tried. She gives him the flash drive and says that he's a ghost story.
Steve says that they should find out what the ghost wants.
"Nothing good, I'm sure." Clint said.
Bucky cringed faintly.
Pierce is talking to the world security council. He says that Fury was murdered in cold blood and to any reasonable that would make him a martyr not a traitor.
Rockwell says that hiring a mercenary to hijack his own ship makes him a traitor.
"If you understood the logic behind that decision, I'm sure you wouldn't be saying that." Natasha said.
"Didn't anyone ever teach them not to speak ill of the deceased?" Thor questioned.
Singh says that Fury used his friendship to coerce the council into delaying Project Insight. He says that Fury knew the projcect would expose his own illegal operations. He says that at best Fury lied.
Pierce asks if he's calling for his resignation and says that he has a pen and paper with him.
"I for one, would like you to resign." Steve said.
Hawley says that that discussion can be saved for another time.
Pierce says that she does want to have a discussion.
Hawley says that they've already had it. She says that the council moves to reactivate Project Insight immediately and if he wants to say something snappy he can say it now.
"That is a terrible idea." Fury said. Then mumbled something barely intelligible about the council being a bunch of idiots.
Steve and Natasha are at a mall. Natasha says that the first rule of going on the run is to walk not run.
Steve says that his shoes will fall off if he tries to run in them.
"Good, you wont run." Natasha said.
They use a mac stores computers to look at what's on the flash drive. Natasha says that the drive has a level 6 homing program and SHIELD will know where they are as soon as the boot it up.
Steve asks how much time they have.
"Is doing that in public really the best idea?" Ned asked. We are running very low on options." Natasha said.
She inserts the drive and says that they have 7 minutes. SHIELD vehicles are heading their way.
"Might want to hurry up." Clint said.
Natasha says that Fury was right about the ship and someone was trying to hide something. She says that the drive is protected by and AI that keeps rewriting her commands.
Steve asks if she can override it.
Natasha says that the person who developed it slightly smarter than her, putting emphasis on the 'slightly.'
"So humble." Clint joked.
Rumlow and the strike team get out of their cars. Natasha says that she's going to run a tracer. She says that SHIELD developed the program to track hostile malware and of they can't read the file they might be able to figure out where it came from.
"Good idea." Shuri said.
An employee asks if he can help them with anything.
Natasha says that they're just looking at honeymoon destinations.
"Nice save." Coulson whispered.
Steve says that they're getting married.
"You should stop talking, you're terrible at this." Natasha said.
The employee congratulates them and asks where they're thinking about going.
Steve looks at the screen, the signal was traced to New Jersey. He says that they're going to New Jersey.
"People don't even want to live there, why would you want to honeymoon there?" May asked.
"Natasha was right, you are terrible at this." Maria said.
The employee looks closer at Steve and says that he has the same glasses.
Natasha makes a comment about them being twins.
Steve laughed.
The employee says he wishes and says if they need anything he's been 'Aaron.' Aaron, leaves. The strike team is now in the mall.
"You're running out of time." Pepper said.
Steve tells her to come on. Steve says. Natasha tells him to relax. The s ignal is coming from Wheaton, NJ. Natasha asks him if he knows it.
Steve says he used to.
"Used to?"
Steve pulls the flash drive out and they leave. Steve says that its a standard tac team and there's 2 behind, 2 across and 2 coming straight at them. He says he'll engage and tells her to hit the south escalator to the metro.
Natasha tells him to put his arm around her and laugh at something she said. Steve questions her. Natasha tells him to do it. Steve does.
"The most awkward laugh ever." Peter said.
The agents are looking around the apple store. Rollins says that they're not there.
Rumlow tells them to give a floor rundown.
An agent says that they aren't on 2.
Another agent says that they aren't on 3.
Rumlow tells them to snake the upper levels and work down to him. He gets onto an escalator.
"Should he be talking that loud?" Scott asked.
"No. He should not." Coulson answered.
Steve and Natasha, on the other escalator, see him. Natasha tells him to kiss her. Steve questions her. Natasha says that public displays of affection make people uncomfortable. Steve agrees.
Natasha kisses him, Rumlow looks away. Natasha asks Steve if he's still uncomfortable.
Steve says that that isn't the word he would use.
"Gross.".
Steve and Natasha are in a car. Natasha asks him where he learned how to steal a car.
Steve says he learned in Nazi, Germany.
"Makes sense." Quill said.
He says that they're borrowing it and tells her to get her feet off the dash. Natasha complies.
Natasha says she as a question for him but he doesn't need to answer it. She says that she thinks if he doesn't answer it he is kind of answering it.
Steve asks what it is.
"Don't sound so annoyed." Natasha joked.
Natasha asks him if it was his first kiss since 1945.
Steve's face went blank.
Sam noticed and laughed. "It was wasn't it?" He asked.
Steve asks if it was that bad.
Natasha says that she didn't say that.
"No, but it was implied." Steve said.
Steve says that that's what it sounds like she's saying.
Natasha says she was wondering how much practice he's had.
Steve says that he doesn't need practice.
"Yes you do, considering you've only kissed two people since 45." Tony said.
Natasha says that everyone needs practice.
Steve says that it wasn't his first kiss since 1945. He says he's 95 not dead.
"You look good for 95, though." Maria said.
Natasha asks if it was nobody special
Steve says that its hard to find someone with shared life experience.
"Oh, we believe it." Tony said.
Natasha tells him to make something up.
Steve "Well, that's alright, you just make something up."
Steve asks if he's supposed to do what she does.
Natasha says that truth is a matter if circumstances. She says that its not all things to all people all the time and she isn;t either.
Steve says that that's a tough way to live.
"But it is a good way to not die." Natasha countered.
Natasha says that its a good way to die.
Steve says that its hard to trust someone when you don't know who that someone is.
"Well, he's not wrong." Gamora said.
Natasha asks him who he wants her to be.
Steve suggests that she be a friend.
Natasha says that there's a chance he's in the wrong business.
"I'm willing to take that risk." Steve said.
They pull up outside of an old, abandoned military base.
They get out of the truck. Natasha says that the file came from these coordinates.
Steve sees the sign and says that he did too.
"This is where I was... trained." Steve said.
It is now nighttime and they're still walking around. Steve says that he was trained here.
Natasha asks if it's changed much.
Steve says it has a little.
"A lot." Steve said.