Chapter 81
Triskelion, Washington, D.C.
September 2011
“Attention, all SHIELD agents.” Steve took a deep breath. “This is Steve Rogers. You've heard a lot about me over the last few days. Some of you were even ordered to hunt me down. But I think it's time you know the truth. SHIELD is not what we thought it was, it's been taken over by HYDRA.” His voice hardened. “Alexander Pierce is their leader. The STRIKE and Insight crew are HYDRA as well. I don't know how many more, but I know they're in the building. They could be standing right next to you. They almost have what they want: absolute control. They shot Maria Hill and it won't end there. If you launch those Helicarriers today, HYDRA will be able to kill anyone that stands in their way, unless we stop them. I know I'm asking a lot, but the price of freedom is high, it always has been, and it's a price I'm willing to pay.” In that, at least, Captain America and Steve Rogers are the same. “And if I'm the only one, then so be it. But I'm willing to bet I'm not.”
Masih pressed a button. “Cut.”
“Have you been practicing that or was that improvised?” Sam asked. “Because damn.”
Steve laughed, grateful for the break in tension. “Bit of both.”
Maria shook her head. “This is why Fury didn’t want to wake you.”
Bucky snapped his head toward her.
“Steve was on ice for months before Fury brought him out of the coma,” Maria explained, already moving on to the next stage of their plan. “Partly because he was forming the Avengers, but partly because he knew he might need a card to play against Romanoff.”
Bucky narrowed his eyes. “Fury intended to betray her.”
“He wanted an insurance policy in case she went off the rails,” Maria corrected, voice cool and collected as always. “Let’s not get hung up on that at the moment. We have bigger problems.”
“True,” Bucky said, but Steve noticed that his old friend’s left hand was in a fist, and made a note to monitor Fury if they found him.
“You good?” Steve asked Maria.
“I got this. Go.” She nodded at the door.
“Masih,” Steve said.
The technician stood up. “Salah.”
“All right,” Steve said. “Salah. Can you stay here and broadcast the appropriate clearances for a helicopter taking off from the roof?”
“Yes, sir,” Salah said with a grin. “Never liked Pierce much anyway.”
Steve glanced at Sam. He’d already noticed that the ex-pararescue’s instincts about people were usually accurate. Sam examined Salah for a few seconds and nodded.
“You sure?” Maria asked Steve quietly. “I can stay here and do it.”
“Better for you to get going,” Steve said. “We’ll be cutting it too close if you don’t.”
Maria sighed through her nose. “Right. Good hunting.”
She vanished into the building.
Salah spun back to his console. “What about Carl?” he asked.
“Ca… oh.” Steve glanced over at the fallen blond man when Sam pointed. He sliced a length of paracord from his belt and bound Carl’s hands and ankles behind his body. “That should hold. I don’t know if he’s Hydra or just too loyal, but don’t let him out unless you have to.”
Salah stared at his friend. “So… it’s true? What you said about Hydra?”
“Unfortunately,” Steve said. “And if we don’t stop it, millions of people will die.”
Salah nodded, eyes wide. “Uh. Good luck, then.”
Sam snorted. “Thanks, man.”
Triskelion, Washington, D.C.
September 2011
“You smug son of a bitch,” Singh snarled at Pierce.
Natasha made sure her reactions were in line with the rest of them: shock, anger, indignation. Inside, she was scornful. These people were so arrogant they’d forgotten the rules of the game. Forgotten how easy it was to be betrayed.
She almost moved then, but it was too soon. There was no way Maria’d be here yet. She had to leave time for Maria to oversee the man in the radio booth, and then she could take control of this room.
She stepped threateningly toward Pierce. “You will end this,” she snapped.
“Oh, will I?” Pierce asked.
Four Hydra agents rushed into the room, guns raised and trained on the Council members.
“Looks like I’ve got the floor,” Pierce said with a smirk.
A fifth soldier rushed into the room. “Sir, SHIELD agents in the control room tried to stop the launch,” he blurted. “And close the bay doors. Launch is still a go–Rumlow’s fine–”
“Stop,” Pierce said in a quiet, furious voice.
The soldier shut up and blanched.
“So your control’s not as perfect as you’d think,” Rockwell sneered. “Hydra’s going to fall, Pierce. I should’ve known you were lying when you told everyone Captain America of all people went rogue.”
Captain America, Natasha thought, amused. They still saw Steve as their idol, their figurehead. Fools.
“Stop this nonsense at once,” Rockwell continued. “I won’t stand-”
Pierce raised his phone and brought his thumb down on its clear surface.
The pin on Rockwell’s lapel blazed up. The scent of charred flesh hit Natasha’s nose right before Rockwell collapsed with hardly a sound.
The rest of the Council members froze.
Idiot, Natasha cursed. Complacent little fool. How could she have been so stupid as to allow a known enemy, a Hydra agent, to put anything on her body?
Her mind raced with ways to neutralize this threat. She had an advantage in that he didn’t know who she was, or what she could do. He had no idea there was a world-class assassin standing five feet away from him. But it wasn’t time yet, and the only sure way to prevent him from burning a hole in her chest meant temporarily taking herself out of play as well. Which meant she needed Maria here.
Which meant she had to wait.