《 It's Been A While 》Steve Rogers X Reader

~ Chapter 40 ~

"Are you sure this is going to work?"

"Look at it this way; I finally got the chance to take you out."

Sam and I were sitting in one of the outdoor tables outside and waiting for Sitwell to finish his meeting with the Senator.

"Is this bakhmala? The Khalid Khandil mission, that was you? You never said he was a Pararescue," Natasha said when we went through the files Sam laid out for us.

"You never told me you were in the military, either," I say as I look at one of the photos.

"Well, if you'd've let me take you out for dinner you'd learn about all the things I can do."

"Sam." Steve says giving him a look as he puts his hands up.

"Heard they couldn't send in the choppers, how'd you get out?" Nat asked and Sam showed her a photo of high tech flight suits. Steve looked them over.

"I thought you said you were a pilot?"

"I never said pilot."

My eyes catch Sitwell and Senator Stern surrounded by the Senator's guards. Sam and I watch as they wrap uo their conversation and do a "man hug." When they hug I see the Senator's lips move.

Focusing on his movements, my head starts the throb as I strain to hear what he's said.

"Hail HYDRA.."

The Senator walks away with his men following him. Sam and I wait until they've left before calling him. Sam does the talking as Steve instructed, he still doesn't want me involved. He's been acting that way since he got back. I wonder what else they learned from Zola, and if that's the reason he wants me to stay clear of all this.

"Agent Sitwell, how was lunch?" Sam says as I watch Sitwell from the table. "I hear the crab cakes here are delicious."

I can only hear Sam's side of the conversation, but by judging Sitwell's body language, he's got something to hid. "The good looking guy in sunglasses with the smokin babe, your 10 o' clock."

"Your other 10 o' clock. There you go. I know, she's absolute fire." That one deserves an eye roll. Sitwell spots us and Sam smiles and I wave. Sam instructs Sitwell to get into his car and he hesitates, until he notices the cute red dot on his chest. Yeah, we meant business.

He gets into the car and we fill in behind him. We take him up one of the forgotten buildings with Steve and Natasha waiting for him on the last staircase. He tries to run away but instead he's pushed to the top of the building.

"Tell me about the Zola algorithm," Steve orders as Natasha and I follow behind him. Sitwell tries his best to scurry away like a little rat. I found it sickeningly amusing to see him cowering belo....

I found it amusing?

"Never heard of it," he says fixing his glasses, which reminds me that I need my glasses back from Steve.

"What we're you doing on the Lemurian Star?" Steve corners Sitwell to the edge of the buildings roof.

"I was throwing up. I get seasick." Smart guy, are we? Sitwell almost trips over the ledge but Steve grabs him by his jacket.

"Is this little display meant to insinuate that you're going to throw me off the roof?" Sitwell asks. "Because it's really not your style, Rogers."

I turn to Natasha and give her a look. She nods and steps back as Steve sets Sitwell down, brushing his jacket off.

"You right. It's not," he says in a calm tone. "It's those two's." Steve moves out of the way and I slam my fist right across Sitwell's face, knocking him off the roof.

"Woah!" I huff as Steve and Natasha look at me. I shrug. "I've got a lot of pent up anger."

"You should try boxing," Natasha suggests as Sitwell's screaming continues. "Or something else physical, right Steve?"

"We are literally in the middle of an interragtion, Natasha," Steve sighs as he looks at her. She just smiles and I can feel my face redden. Thank God it doesn't show that well.

"I'm not ready for that yet, either."

"Yet~"

The two of them are interrupted by Sam bringing Sitwell back onto the roof with his mechanical wings. I've got to admit, he looks pretty friggin cool.

We walk over to Sitwell, whose now laying on the ground and pretty shaken up. He holds up his hand and catches his breath while giving us the answers we need.

"The Zola algorithm is a program," he says between breaths. "For choosing Insight's targets."

"What targets?"

"You!" He exclaimed pointing at Steve.

"Himbos?" I ask and can hear Sam stifle a laugh. Sitwell starts to list off names with no connection to each other and the names of Avengers.

"Anyone who's a threat to HYDRA," he says, still on his knees. "Now, or in the future."

"How does it determine the future actions of innocent people?" I ask as he starts laughing.

"How could it not?!" Sitwell gets up and turns to Steve. "The 21st century is a digital book. Zola taught HYDRA how to read it."

We stay silent.

"Your bank records, medical histories, voting patterns, emails, phone calls, your d----- SAT scores! Zola's algorithm evaluates people's past to predict their future."

"And what then?" Steve narrows his eyes at Sitwell. He stays silent and starts to look around like he's just gained consciousness.

"Oh my god, Pierce is gonna kill me.." he mumbles and I grab his back collar roughly.

"What then?!" Steve demands.

"Then the Insight helicarrier scratches people off the list. A few million at a time." He finally spits it out and I let go of him, unaware that I had lifted his feet off of the ground.

"Come on, we gotta stop S.H.I.E.L.D." I say and start to walk back down the stairs. We all file into Sam's car with Sitwell with us and head towards the Triskellion to stop Project Insight from taking off. Sitwell insists on talking the entire drive.

"HYDRA doesn't like leaks--"

"Then why don't you stick a cork in it," Sam is behind the wheel and drives on the interstate. Something tells me that what Sitwell said is important.

Fury could've leaked his suspicions but was killed. Steve and Natasha could have leaked their findings and escaped an attempt to be killed. Something tells me someone is going to try and fix this leak in Sam's backseat.

"Project Insight launches in 16 hours," Natasha says. "We're cutting it a little bit close here."

"I know," Steve starts. "We'll use him to bypass the DNA scans and access the helicarruers directly."

"You've got it all planned out," I say and can see his ears tint red. It wasn't even that severe of a compliment.

"Are you crazy?" Sitwell pokes his head into the front of the car, pushing me a bit. I don't sit in the middle for this exact reason.

"That is a terrible, terrible idea--" Sitwell starts to whine but is cut off by two thuds on top of the car.

An arm reaches into the car and grabs Sitwell, yanking him through the window and into oncoming traffic.

"Holy sh---!" I yelp as the thud from above starts firing bullets through the roof of the car. Natasha swings over into Steve's lap and protects his head from the bullets. I scoot over, kick the car door open, and roll onto the street.

The cars emergency breaks engage and stops just a few feet ahead of me and a figure flies off of the car roof and onto the road. Using their metal hand to stop their momentum, the Winter Soldier looks up at the car.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Preview~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Did they really have to make the arm muscular? That's a little over kill don't you think?"

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