America's Soldier

The Others

While Bucky is off talking with the Winter Soldier, the others have jobs to do.

Sam parks the car, takes the recordings, and starts heading into the building hoping to everything he believes in that he doesn't get shot dead today.

Natasha heads in a few minutes later, heading to one of the security rooms with purpose. Nobody questions her presence, she changes sides so often.

Tony is shoved into an elevator and roughhandled all the way down to the cells in the basement. He's putting on a brave face, but he really doesn't know if he's going to get to see his friends again. 

Sam gets into an elevator without issue, but when he tries to go to an upper floor, the robotic voice of a woman says that he doesn't have the clearance. He pulls out the phone with the recordings and prays as he lets the first one play.

"Director override. Fury, Nicholas J."

"Confirmed."

And the elevator begins to move.

Sam breathes a sigh of relief. 

A few more people enter the elevator, but they aren't paying attention to anyone but themselves. Nobody likes to be in an elevator with strangers.

Natasha gets her clearance checked once, but she's easily a high enough level to get into a room with access to SHIELD's computer system. She plugs a flashdrive into a USB port behind an out-of -the-way computer and walks out before anyone bothers her about what she's doing.

Mission accomplished. Hill is gaining access to SHIELD's (and, therefore, HYDRA's) systems. Nobody ever remembers that random security room, and the guard is out on break. Everything's fine.

Tony's cell is the smallest one SHIELD has. This was a purposeful move, and he barely has room to pace. There is no seating, just a concrete floor. It seems to be getting colder every minute and the silence is deafening. He sits in the corner and tries to ignore the pain of his wounds and the ringing in his ear.

Sam gets up to a higher level security room and points a gun at the techs there as he steps inside. They get up from their desks and hold their hands up, and he thanks them.

"Are you SHIELD or HYDRA?" he asks, taking off his pin.

"SHIELD," one answers. "We have no idea what the hell is going on."

"Good. You're unarmed?" They nod. "Perfect. I don't want to hurt you, please just sit in the corner quietly and don't touch anything and we'll get along just fine."

And they do. They look like they don't get paid enough for this shit, and Sam sets his gun down on the table as he looks over the equipment.

"...Actually, if one of you two could get me broadcasting to the whole building? I need to be heard on all of these intercoms."

The one who spoke before, still a little shaky, comes over and starts pressing a few buttons, giving a brief explanation of what he's doing so that Sam doesn't think he's trying to call for backup. After a minute, he steps back and points at a button.

"Press that and you'll be live to the whole building. Speak into the mic and make sure you know what you want to say because everyone's gonna hear it."

"Thanks."

The man sits down and Sam gets ready to speak.

Natasha gets up to the room Sam's in right as he presses the button, and he doesn't see her until he's done talking.

Tony looks up as he hears the vaguely familiar voice over the intercom in his cell.

"This is a message to everyone here who has ever been loyal to SHIELD. To everyone who has heard the name Captain America and thought of his sacrifice with respect. This is a message to every person who's even just a little bit good. Today, three helecarriers are going to be launched, every one of them able to kill millions of people. Innocent people. Look around you. Anyone could be considered a threat to HYDRA. Your desk neighbor, that guy you like downstairs, maybe it's even you.

"Now I don't want you to panic with that. We all have the potential to be threats to HYDRA. And that is an amazingly good thing. We cannot let those helecarriers make it into the sky. Every single one of you can help stop the launch, and I need every one of you to do what you can to do your part in that. 

"Most of you came here trying to be a better person. Some of you came to try and heal the wounds of the past. This message is for you.

"I may not be Captain America. You probably don't know who I am. But you hear what I'm saying and you can help do some good. You can save millions of lives. So please. Hear me, and don't let HYDRA launch those ships. Don't let that blood be on your hands too. I have faith that you can be great."

He presses the button again and steps back. He meets Natasha's eyes, and she smiles.

"Good job, Sam."

The techies are smiling too. Sam puts his gun away, face suddenly warm. 

Tony smiles from down in his cell. He heard every word, and he knows that even if he doesn't live to see tomorrow that the others won't be going down without a fight.

Agent Hill is on her laptop next to Nick Fury when she gets into HYDRA's systems. She sees the chaos caused by the announcement as it happens, as several HYDRA systems are shut down from the inside. 

Nick Fury cracks a smile.

And as they watch Hill's screen, the first helecarrier's targeting system goes offline.