𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐄𝐃𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐋

𝟑: 𝐆𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬

Fury's body laid in an empty room with Cassie standing by him emotionless. Natasha and Steve stood behind letting the woman have her own moment with him. She couldn't seem to avert her eyes from him. She simply hoped that he would open those eyes and tell her that everything was simply a good tactic to get off S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Radar. Yet there was nothing and he continued laying there lifeless.

Behind her Maria Hill had joined the two standing behind. She sent them both an apologetical smile.

"I need to take him." She whispered and Nat quickly nodded her head.

"Let's just give her one more minute." She said nudging over at Cassie.

Natasha nudged Steve over to get the young girl to step away so that Maria could take his body. Steve without a word slowly walked up to Cassie and whispered.

"Cassie." He said getting the brunette to quickly look over at him and wipe away the tears that had slipped from her eyes.

Cassandra simply nodded and caught one last glance at Fury before not even saying a word at anyone. She quickly made her way out of the room and into the hall. Everyone saw the change in her, she was no longer her cheery self. This had somehow changed her.

"Cassie!" Steve quickly called out as he followed shortly behind her.

"Why was he in your apartment?" Cassie quickly questioned him as she turned to him.

"I don't know." He simply responded with a slight shoulder shrug and a sigh.

"Cap, they want you back at S.H.I.E.L.D." Rumlow said from behind Steve.

"Yeah, give me a second." Steve said as he turned back to Rumlow.

"They want you now." Rumlow responded not even giving him the chance to look back at Cassie.

"Okay." Steve said as Cassie furrowed her eyebrows at S.H.I.E.L.D.'s sudden interest in Steve.

"You're a terrible liar." They both heard Natasha say from where she leaned against the wall behind them.

Cassie caught one glance at Steve and Nat before quickly walking away from the two shaking her head. She needed some time to think things through. She needed some time to grieve and try to move on. Cassie quickly hopped in her car and drove off to the nearest distraction activity, a jog around Washington.

Leaving the Triskelion after fighting an entire STRIKE team and jumping out of the elevator to avoid arrest. Also after disabling an attacking Quinjet Steve arrives later at the hospital, where he had left the USB inside a vending machine. Natasha had contacted Cassie during her run letting her know that she had an idea on what Steve was hiding.

Seeing Steve's face of disappointment as he saw how the USB was gone Cassie decided to appear behind him popping that Bubble Lishious gum in her mouth. Piecing things together and seeing that she had taken the USB, Steve quickly grabbed her by the shoulder and dragged her into a nearby empty room. Cassie's back smacked hard against the wall as Steve stood in front of her blocking her path.

"Where is it?" Steve quickly asked as he removed the hood of his jacket from his head.

"Safe." Cassie simply responded not bothered by Steve's attitude.

"Do better." Steve quickly added as Cassie rolled her eyes and sighed.

"Where did you get it?" She quickly asked as she furrowed her eyebrows.

"Why would I tell you?" He quickly asked, getting Cassie to shrug herself from his grip and slightly push him off of her.

"I don't know, simply because of the fact that the man I saw as a father was murdered in your hands. I guess you at least owe me that explanation." Cassie said as she glared at Steve.

Seeing as how Steve remained silent and didn't even bother looking back at her she got her answer.

"He gave it to you. Why?" Cassie quickly asked, referring to Fury.

"What's on it?" Steve asked her as he placed his grip back on her and she was once against the wall once again.

"I don't know, does it look like I loaded it up." She quickly said getting Steve to grow frustrated.

"Yeah but I bet you knew Fury hired the pirates, didn't you?" He quickly questioned getting Cassie to roll her eyes.

"Look, I know who killed Fury." Cassie quickly blurted out as she was growing frustrated with this conversation.

Steve looked between Cassie's eyes and he knew she was saying the truth. So he backed down yet he kept a close proximity with Cassie.

"Most of the intelligence community doesn't believe he exists. The ones that do call him the Winter Soldier. He's credited with over two dozen assassinations in the last 50 years. I read that in the files located at S.H.I.E.L.D. while I was looking for things about my past." Cassie said as she looked between Steve's eyes.

"So he's a ghost story." Steve quickly retorted, getting Cassie to roll her eyes.

"Five years ago when I was freshly out the chamber Fury sent me with Nat on my first mission. We were escorting a nuclear engineer out of Iran. Somebody shot out our tires near Odessa." Cassie said not taking her eyes off of Steve as she replayed the memory.

"We lost control and went straight over a cliff. Natasha pulled us out. But the Winter Soldier was there. I was covering the engineer as Nat tried to fight him off so he shot him straight through me." Cassie said as she lifted her shirt up slightly and revealed the scar on her hip.

"Soviet slug. No rifling. Bye-bye, bikinis." She added as Steve glanced down at the scar and she held a smirk on her face.

"Yeah, I bet you look terrible in them now." He simply said, trying to divert the conversation.

"Please, if you want to see me in one all you have to do is ask." She added as she lowered her shirt. "Look, all I have to say is going after him is a dead end. Nat has tried and nothing." Cassie said as Steve backed up off her.

"Like you said, he's a ghost story." She added as she brought the USB drive into Steve's sight.

Steve didn't bother taking his eyes off the brunette standing in front of him. He softly took it out of her hand and nodded.

"Well, let's find out what the ghost wants."