Black Mage

Chapter 9

As they continued to fire at the mercenaries Fury's car automatically backed up and drove off.
"Initiate vertical take off!"
"Flight systems damaged."
"Then activate guidance cameras! Give me the wheel!"
Fury took over driving his car as the mercenaries chased after them in their police cars.
"Get me Agent Hill."
"Communications array damaged."
"Well, what's not damaged?"
"Air conditioning is fully operational."
"Very helpful!" Nova yelled.
The police cars continued to chase after them as he weaved through the cars on the road. Nova kept shooting at them.
"Traffic ahead."
"Give me an alternate route."
"Traffic alert on Roosevelt Bridge. All vehicles stopped. 17th Avenue clear in three blocks, directly ahead."

As Fury headed into the traffic, he smashed into some cars causing a pile up which stopped the police cars, the mercenaries got out and started shooting at Fury's car.
Nova leaned out of the window and threw fireballs, killing others of them, but the remaining mercenaries continued to chase after them and managed to sandwich Fury's vehicle between them.
"Warning, approaching intersection."
As they approached the intersection Fury managed to shake off the two police cars, killing off the mercenaries.
"GET ME. OFF. THE GRID."
"Calculating route to secure location."
Suddenly they saw a mysterious figure emerged ahead in the middle of the road.
"Oh no... it's him." Nova whispered, shocked.
He suddenly shot a bomb that attached itself to Fury's vehicle causing it to explode and flipped over.
Trapped inside the car, Fury and Nova watched as the figure walked over to the car but they managed to escape just in time by using a laser weapon to burn a hole out.

                                                                                 ⍟ⴵ

As Steve was walking to his apartment, he heard his neighbour talking on the phone as she went to do her laundry.
"That's so sweet. That is so nice. Hey. I gotta go, though. Okay, bye." turning to Steve, "My aunt, she's kind of an insomniac."
"Hey, if you want... if you want, you're welcome to use my machine. Might be cheaper than the one in the basement."
"Oh, yeah? What's it cost?"
"A cup of coffee?"
"Thank you, but um... I already have a load in downstairs, and, uh... you really don't want my scrubs in your machine. I'm just finished orientation in the infectious diseases ward, so."
"Ah, well, I'll keep my distance."
"Well hopefully not too far."

Steve nodded and turned to go into his apartment.
"Oh, and I think you left your stereo on."
"Oh. Right, thank you."
"Yeah."
Steve watched her go down the stairs before turning in suspicion to his door. He heard music as he cautiously entered his apartment though the window, he grabbed his shield for protection and found Fury sitting on his couch in the dark and Nova sitting on the floor.
"I don't remember giving you a key."
"I let him in." Nova added.
"My wife kicked me out."
"Didn't know you were married."
"A lot of things you don't about me."
"I know, Nick. That's the problem."

As Steve turned on the light, he noticed Fury's and Nova's injuries for the first time, but Fury indicated for him to be silent, he turned off the light and wrote something on his phone and showed it to Steve: "Ears everywhere."
"I'm sorry to have to do this, but I had no place else to crash." Fury added.
He wrote another text and showed it to Steve; "SHIELD compromised."
"Who else knows about your wife?"
Fury showed him another text; "Three of us."
"Just... my friends."
"Is that what we are?"
"That's up to you."

Suddenly Fury was shot three times from through the wall and collapsed, Steve and Nova looked out the window for the shooter, then, they quickly dragged him to the next room. Before Steve could go after the shooter, Fury handed him the flash drive.
"Don't... trust anyone."
Fury passed out.
"No, Nick!" Nova exclaimed.
They heard someone breaking into the apartment as Nova took her gun, pointing it and they heard their neighbour calling out, "Captain Rogers?"
Steve saw her walking in with her gun pointed as Nova lowered hers.
"Captain, I'm Agent 13 of SHIELD Special Service."
"Kate?"
"I'm assigned to protect you."
"On whose order?"
She noticed Fury lying injured on the ground, "His." She went to Fury then contacted SHIELD through her radio, "Foxtrot is down, he's unresponsive. I need EMTs."
"Do you have a twenty on the shooter?"
Steve noticed the shooter though the window, "Tell him I'm in pursuit."