ＳＬＡＴＥ ◼ STEVE ROGERS◼

ＦＯＲＴＹ－ＳＩＸ

"I need to take him,"

Charlotte Watson stood off to the side of the room, watching Natasha closely as she placed her hand on Nick Fury's body. She couldn't even begin to understand what was going through Natasha's head, even as she stormed out of the room.

"Natasha!" Steve called, running out after her as Lottie quickly followed suit, leaving Maria Hill with the body. Natasha whipped around in the middle of the hospital hallway to face the two soldiers.

"Why was Fury in your apartment?"

"I don't know," Steve lied, though not very well. Natasha narrowed her eyes, turning to Lottie.

"You were with him before hand. Why'd you bring him there?"

"Natasha, you know it's all more complicated than a straight answer," Lottie tried to reason with her friend. The conversation was cut short by Brock Rumlow down the hallway, standing with the rest of the STRIKE team.

"Cap! Slate! They want you back at SHIELD,"

"Give us a second," Steve called to him, trying to continue the conversation with Natasha.

"They want you now,"

"You can wait a damn second, okay," Lottie bit back, narrowing her eyes at Rumlow down the hall. He scoffed, turning away from her, but she couldn't seem to tear her eyes away. Something felt wrong. SHIELD was compromised, there was no telling who was on what side anymore. Cautious had to be their approach now.

"You're a terrible liar," Natasha shot at Steve, sending Lottie another look before she took off down the hallway, leaving the pair of soldiers to stand together and watch her go.

The pair turned back to the STRIKE team, who was waiting idly at the end of the hallway. Steve opened his hand, looking down at the flashdrive that sat in his open palm before turning around, seeing a vendor stocking the vending machine beside them.

"I'll distract them," Lottie told Steve, gaining his attention as she nodded her head to STRIKE, then glanced at the flash drive. "We can't trust anyone. I'll buy you time."

The pair went in separate directions, Steve to the machine and Lottie to the STRIKE team. Rumlow looked up, coking an eyebrow as the woman came to stand before the team.

"Where's the Captain?"

"Getting some gum," Lottie shot back, matching his cold gaze with one of her own. "I told you to give us a second, didn't I?"

Rumlow hummed, turning to look behind Lottie as Steve appeared. They shared a look, one that Lottie knew conveyed that Steve had done it, before the man beside her looked back to the STRIKE team.

"Let's go,"

◼ ◼ ◼

Walking side by side down the hallways of the SHIELD headquarters, Lottie knew that both her and Steve were thinking the exact same thing: they could trust one another right now, and that was it.