𝐓𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

𝟏𝟓

"𝐋𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐦𝐧, cracked sternum, shattered collarbone, perforated liver, one hell of a headache."

"Don't forget your collapsed lung." The doctor spoke up.

"Oh, let's not forget that. Otherwise, I'm good." Nick said sarcastically.

"They cut you open, your heart stopped" Nat said.

"Tetrodotoxin B. Slows the pulse to one beat a minute. Banner developed it for stress. Didn't work so great for him, but we found a use for it." Nick answered.

"Why all the secrecy? Why not just tell us?" Steve asked.

"Any attempt on the director's life had to look successful." Hill butted in.

"Can't kill you if you're already dead. Besides, I wasn't sure who to trust." Nick added.

"HOW COULD YOU LET THEM GET AWAY? AGAIN!" Pierce yelled.

"W-We don't know sir, we had them then when we went to get them out of the back of the truck they weren't there." A agent said.

Pierce looked at the Agent for not even two seconds before he slammed his fist into Rumlows nose and walks off fuming.

"This man declined the Nobel Peace Prize. He said, 'Peace wasn't an achievement, it was a responsibility.' See, it's stuff like this that gives me trust issues." Nick said as he looked at a photo of Pierce.

"We have to stop the launch." Nat stated.

"I don't think the Council's accepting my calls anymore." Fury opens a case containing three chips.

"What's that?" Sam asked.

"Once the Helicarriers reach three thousand feet, they'll triangulate with Insight satellites becoming fully weaponized." Hill informed showing the four her computer.

"We need to breach those carriers and replace their targeting blades with our own." Nick explained further.

"One or two won't cut it. We need to link all three carriers for this to work, because if even one of those ships remains operational a whole lot of people are gonna die."

"We have to assume everyone aboard those carriers is HYDRA. We need to get pass them, insert the server blades, and maybe, just maybe, we can salvage what's left..." Nick said before Steve interjected.

"We're not salvaging anything. We're not just taking down the carriers, Nick, we're taking down S.H.I.E.L.D."

"S.H.I.E.L.D had nothing to do with it." Nick fired back.

"You gave me this mission, this is how it ends. S.H.I.E.L.D's been compromised, you said so yourself. HYDRA grew right under your nose and nobody noticed."

"Why do you think we're meeting in this cave? I noticed."

"And how many paid the price before you did?"

"Look, I didn't know about Barnes."

"Even if you have, would you have told Me or Thomas? Or would you have compartmentalised that too? S.H.I.E.L.D, HYDRA, it all goes."

"He's right." Hill said and Fury looks at Natasha then Sam.

"Don't look at me. I do what he does, just slower."

"Thomas?" Nick asked.

"I thought Steve and I got rid of the nazis but apparently not."

Nick laughed to himself before leaning back in his chair, "Well... Looks like you're giving the orders now, Captain."