Okay, I got the weirdest most hilarious review earlier, to clear this up, I am not a blond. The girl in this story is an OC. LOL. I'm a burnette. Oh dear. I needed that, thanks Super Shadow 2018.-

Also, thanks for the reviews and the idea on how to do Age Of Ultron with my obsession with Clint and Natasha. Also, of course I'll read your story! :)

-PaleWolfsHowl.

(PS: I unfortunately had to take down my original fic with the Avengers watching The Winter Soldier. Since it didn't have a plot, I was attacked by a feral Admin. Oof)

(PSS; I'm not even going to reply to that last part of your first review, Super shadow, -_-)

Steve tilted his head a little, anticipating The Assassins, or Winter's, story. Though, he was fairly tense, considering the looks his fellow Avengers were sending Winter.

Steve assumed that this odd connection he had with Winter had something to do with how similar the man was to Bucky.

Obviously, there were a lot of differences, like how Bucky wasn't an assassin, or mind washed. But Winter seemed to have a lot of the same gestures, and from the few things he'd said, Steve could tell the man used to have a dry sense of humor.

Steve shook his head, clearing it of thoughts of Bucky- which was hard, and nearly impossible- He turned his attention back to Winter.

Steve could tell that Winter was nervous, his pale blue eyes looking wary and tense. Steve also noticed that Winter's metal fist was clenched hard.

"I don't…" The Assassin trailed off for a moment, before meeting Natasha's expectant look. "I don't remember much about before Hydra got me. I do.. Know that I was American and serv.. Serving in a war." Winter paused, meeting Steve's astonished look. This Russian Assassin was originally American? Not to mention serving in a war.

"Then.. something happened to me. I lost my arm." Winter said, rolling his metal shoulder in enfaces while he spoke.

"Why can't you remember anything?" Bruce asked timidly, turning to look at Winter more closely.

Steve had been about to ask that, he knew that Winter wasn't in control of his actions, but why couldn't he remember anything.

He felt Winter shudder, his shoulders tensing.

"They- Hydra, used this.. This chair. On me. It.." Winter trailed off, as if looking for the right words. "It wiped my memory." He finally said.

"Permanently?" Steve asked, shooting a concerned look at Winter, who shook his head.

"No. The longer I'm in here, the more come back. Memories. Hydra… normally doesn't let them. Come back- that is. I'm either on a mission or- or… with the technicians." The soldier's words were choppy, it was obvious he didn't speak much.

"Why can't you remember. I mean on missions, why can't you get back memories during missions?" Bruce asked, seeming highly interested.

Steve felt Winter tremble again. "While I'm on missions.. Well Hydra messed up my head big time. I can't not listen to their orders. If they came in here right now, said some pretty words in Russian, I would kill you all. Without thought or feeling." He paused. For affect or to just let what he'd said sink in, Steve didn't know.

"The code words make my mind go blank- blanker, I guess. I'm brought back into the mindset of The Winter Soldier. And when I'm not on orders, I'm always with them. They don't give me any time to remember before it's back to The Chair." Winter said with a haunted look in his icy eyes.

Steve shuddered, whatever this Chair did..

"What does this Chair do, exactly?" He couldn't help but ask. Curiosity and dread pooling in his stomach.

"It.. shocks me, with electricity. Burns away memories. They chose what they want to be remembered, and what to wipe." Winter said, and Steve could see the horror of it reflected in The assassin's eyes.

"But you're unconscious, right?" Bruce said, and Steve could hear the doubtful hope in the scientist's voice. Knowing Hydra, they would make sure Winter suffered.

"No." Winter said blankly. "They might have. If I had complied sooner." At The Avenger's confused looks, Winter sighed.

"I.. didn't want to serve Hydra. I know that. They make sure I remember pain. They generally enjoy causing it. They like to keep me on a tight leash, I can see why. Whoever I was back before.. Hydra, well, I was apparently a very rebellious person. As you can see, without Hydra here to silence me, I'm generally prone to traitor like acts." Winter said tiredly, he then smirked a little. "Stark was pretty accurate with his nickname for me."

Tony huffed at that.

Steve couldn't imagine how awful Winter's life must have been. Living in Hydra's evil clutches for as long as he could remember. Never to be free, always chained down by the crimes he'd been forced to commit. The pain Hydra must just love to inflict. And from Winter's reaction to Rumlow and Pierce, Steve guessed that The Assassin's life was a lot worse than he was making it seem.

Steve watched as Winter, having said all he felt he needed to, turned back to the screen. You didn't need to be a genius to see that The Assassin was done talking.

Glancing over at his friends, Steve saw that they looked satisfied with what Winter had told them, though they also looked disturbed. Steve could guess why.

Steve felt Winter shift under his hand, and with great embarrassment, realized he hadn't yet removed his hand.

Though when he went to move his hand away, Winter immediately tensed. Steve's brow furrowed in confusion, did The Assassin want him to keep his hand where it was?

[Natasha goes to the hospital and meets up with Steve, they watch doctors operating on Fury]

Most of The Avengers sucked in their breath at how beat up Fury looked, bruised and beaten.

Steve rubbed Winter's shoulders as The Assassin tensed at the sight of his handiwork.

Natasha Romanoff: Is he gonna make it?

Steve Rogers: I don't know.

Natasha Romanoff: Tell me about the shooter.

That's when, to Steve's confusion, Winter spoke to Natasha, though not in english.

"No ty uzhe znal, ne tak li, Vdova?" (But you already knew, didn't you, Widow?) Winter said, though Steve had no clue what it meant. Was he speaking in... Russian?

Natasha, to Steve's surprise, smirked and replied. "Skoreye vsego, u menya bylo predchuvstviye, Soldat." (I most likely had a hunch, Soldier.)

Winter seemed satisfied by that, but Tony certainly wasn't.

"Okay, what are you saying?! Honestly, not all of us can't speak Assassin." Tony exclaimed, throwing his hands up into the air.

"Eto russkiy, a ne Assassin. Somnevayus', chto eto yazyk, konservnaya banka." (It's Russian, not Assassin. I doubt that's a language, Tin Can.) Winter said cheerfully. Even though it was frustrating that he couldn't understand a word they were saying, Steve was just glad that Winter was showing an emotion besides fear or distrust.

"Da, Toni, ya dolzhen soglasit'sya s Soldatom. Assassin - eto ne yazyk, eto stil' zhizni." (Ya, Tony, I have to agree with The Soldier. Assassin isn't a language, it is a lifestyle.)

Natasha said, sounding excited to have someone to talk Russian with. Tony once again threw his hands up into the air, letting out a groan of frustration.

Steve just shook his head at his teammates and The Assassin.

"Eto tak, Vdova, eto tak." (That it is, Widow, that it is.) Winter said, nodding his head.

Steve rolled his eyes, still having no clue what the two were saying, and turned back to the screen.

Steve Rogers: He's fast and strong. Had a metal arm. [just then Agent Maria Hill also joins them]

Natasha Romanoff: Ballistics?

Maria Hill: Three slugs, no rifling. Completely untraceable.

Natasha Romanoff: Soviet-made.

Maria Hill: Yeah. [suddenly they watch in shock as Fury's state deteriorates]

Male Nurse: He's in V-tach.

Female Nurse: Crash cart coming in.

Doctor: Nurse, help me with the drape.

Male Nurse: BP is dropping.

Doctor: Defibrillator! [Steve, Natasha and Hill watch in shock as Fury is flatlining] I want you to charge him at one hundred.

Natasha Romanoff: Don't do this to me, Nick.

Steve could practically feel tension and guilt coming from Winter, who had his head in his hands. He knew that nothing he could say would help, so he just offered what comfort he could. Hopefully just being beside Winter and rubbing his back would be enough.

Steve looked over at Natasha, who had gripped Clint's arm in an iron tight grasp. Steve knew how close Natasha was to Fury, he also knew that Natasha hated showing so much emotion, being so vulnerable.

Doctor: Stand back! Three, two, one. Clear! [Fury is given a shock with the defibrillator] Pulse?

Male Nurse: No pulse.

Doctor #1: No pulse.

Doctor: Okay. 200, please. Stand back! Three, two, one. Clear! [Fury is given another shock] Give me epinephrine! Pulse?

Male Nurse: Negative.

Natasha Romanoff: Don't do this to me, Nick. Don't do this to me. [the three watch the doctors as they continue to revive Fury but Fury is still showing as flatlining, Steve turns away as they finally call his time of death]

Steve could feel The Assassin's pain as if it was his own. With every painful drawled out breath Winter gave, Steve felt the ache in his soul. The guilt in The Soldier's eyes was breathtaking, for there was so much of it.

Doctor: What's the time?

Female Nurse: 1:03, Doctor.

Doctor: Time of death, 1:03 a.m.

[Steve looks down at the flash drive Fury had given him]

[Natasha and Steve are in a room where Fury's dead body has been laid out, Natasha is looking at Fury's body with tears running down her face, Hill joins them]

Even Tony knew better than to comment, Natasha hated being seen as weak. And it was a subject that no one brought up as a rule. Like how nobody brought up Natasha's childhood or Steve's days before being, as Tony put it, a Capsicle.

Steve did notice that Clint was hugging Natasha close to his chest, oddly close.

Maria Hill: I need to take him. [Steve goes over to Natasha]

Steve Rogers: Natasha. [she doesn't respond, instead she tenderly touches Fury's head then turns and walks out, Steve follows her] Natasha!

Natasha Romanoff: Why was Fury in your apartment?

"Uh, classified?" Steve said, trying to lighten the mood, it worked, seeing as Natasha huffed a little.

"Yeah. Classified, sure." Tony said playfully, always up for messing around.

"Very classified." Bruce said, nodding his head. Steve could practically feel Winter's confusion at The Avengers interaction.

"It's so classified that it's classy." Clint said, making everyone snicker or roll their eyes at The Archer.

"Extremely classified." Natasha finally joined in. Steve looked to his side, meeting Winter's extremely confused eyes.

He nodded a little at The Assassin, encouraging him to speak, wondering what he had to say.

"What is the point of this discussion? You've already established that it is classified, why do you waste your breath repeating it? When you're all old and grey you will regret this conversation, for it is a waste of time and oxygen." Winter said passionately.

"And what you just said wasn't?" Tony asked gleefully, happy to have something over Winter for once.

Steve could practically hear the gears in Winter's head grinding, looking for something to say back.

"Touché', Living Toaster." He finally settled on, making Tony gawk at him and the other Avengers burst into laughter.

Steve Rogers: I don't know. [they are interrupted by Rumlow]

"Lies!" Both Tony and Clint screeched at the same time, making Winter wince.

Brock Rumlow: Cap, they want you back at SHIELD.

Steve Rogers: Yeah, give me a second.

Brock Rumlow: They want you now.

"Pushy." Grumbled Natasha, glaring at her former friend, who had turned out to be Hydra.

"They always are." Winter said tiredly, making Steve look at him with concern.

Steve Rogers: Okay. [Steven turns to Natasha]

Natasha Romanoff: You're a terrible liar. [she turns and walks off]

Jasper Sitwell: [on earpiece] STRIKE team, escort Captain Rogers back to SHIELD immediately for questioning.

"Hydra, Hydra, everything is Hydra." Tony sang mockingly, earning a glare from both Winter and Natasha, before Winter shrugged. "Living Toaster's got a point." He admitted.

Brock Rumlow: I told him. [Steve notices the vending machine next to him, we then see Steve walking towards Rumlow]

"Oh, what great plan has The Master Chef Captain America cooked up this time?" Clint asked, smirking at Steve's dry glare.

Steve Rogers: Let's go.

Brock Rumlow: Yeah. [to the agents] STRIKE, move it out. [as they leave we see that Steve has hid the flash drive behind a pack of gums in the vending machine]

"Better hope no one buy's bubble gum, Captain." Winter pointed out. Steve was a mix of glad and exasperated at Winter's new found ability to chat up a storm. In a haunting way, Winter's way of phrasing things was familiar. Horribly familiar.