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"It was him" Steve said as they sat in the back of the van. "He looked right at me like he didn't even know me"
"How is that even possible? It was, like, 70 years ago" Sam said
"Zola" Steve answered, looking at the ground as Natasha looked at them before her eyes landed on Lydia,
"Steve, saying his name-" Lydia started but paused before saying, "Had to have done something, right?"
"Well, Bucky's whole unit was captured in '43. Zola experimented on him. Whatever he did, helped Bucky survive the fall. They must have found him and..." he trailed off, finally looking up at Lydia and Sam who were across from him and the Natasha.
"None of that was your fault Steve" Natasha said
"Even when I had nothing, I had Bucky" Steve said, and Lydia understood that more than anyone.
Lydia leaned her head back before it rolled onto Sam's shoulder, making him watch her before looking at the bullet wound.
"Lids? Hey. We need to get a doctor here. If we don't put pressure on that wound she's gonna bleed out here in the truck!" As much as he didn't want to say that about his best friend, they knew it was true.
The guard took the electrical rod and pointed it at Sam before quickly turning it on the other guard, kicking them as well."
"That thing was squeezing my brain" Maria said as she took off the helmet, Natasha gave a small smile to her as Lydia lifted her head up.
"Who is this guy?" Maria asked, looking at everyone.
As they climbed out of a van, Steve went first, Sam stopping to help Lydia, then Natasha climbed out.
"Sam I'm good, I've been shot before"
"Sure you are" he replied, wrapping an arm around her waist, she said nothing, just continued to walk, following the other three.
They walked inside, being greeted by someone. "GSW she's lost at least a pint" Maria announced, Sam adding in "Maybe two" after looking at her.
"Let me take her!" someone said
"They'll want to see him, go on" Maria said
"No show us first, I'll be fine"
Maria nodded, leading the way down the Hall into another room. There was Nick, laying in bed. "About damn time"
As Lydia sat down, her shirt removed so she was left in just a tank top for easier access to her wound, Nick began to list off different things
"Lacerated spinal column, cracked sternum, shattered collarbone, perforated liver, and a hell of a headache."
"Don't forget your collapsed lung" The man by Lydia added in
"Let's not forget that" Nick said, "Otherwise I'm good"
Lydia wasn't sure what to say, not fully focused as Natasha spoke
"They cut you open, your heart stopped"
"Tetrodotoxin B" he said, "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"
"Why all the secrecy? Why not just tell us?" Steve asked,
"Any attempt on the Director's life had to look successful." Maria said
"Can't kill you if you're already dead" Nick added, "Besides, I wasn't sure who to trust"
Natasha stared at the ground, as Lydia looked at everyone. Sam standing near her and Steve near Nick's bed. -----------------------------------------------------
Nick and Maria explained the plan to everyone, Lydia's mind racing.
"We're taking down SHIELD" Steve stated
"SHIELD had nothing to do with this!" Nick replied
"You gave me this mission, this is how it ends." Steve said, "SHIELDS 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" Nick said at once
"How many paid the price before you did?" Steve asked
Nick turned to look at everyone before speaking, "Look I didn't know about Barnes."
"Even if you had, would you have told me?" Steve spoke, his tone hard, "Or would you have compartmentalized that too? SHIELD, HYDRA, It all goes"
"He's right" Maria said to Nick
Nick turned from her to Steve, to Natasha, then to Sam and Lydia
"Don't look at me," Sam said, "I do what he does just slower"
"Well," Nick started, "Looks like you're giving the orders now Captain"
