Three bullets pierced through the air in quick succession, shooting Nick Fury thrice. Steve's eyes opened wide in surprise as he collapses. Looking out the window in an attempt to find the shooter, Steve hurriedly dragged Nick to the next room.
"Don't... trust....anyone," Nick chokes out, before passing Steve a flash drive. He passes out mere seconds after, leaving Steve in a state of disbelief. The words that flashed on Fury's device ran through his mind.
S.H.I.E.L.D. compromised.
Ears everywhere.
You and me.
Out of the blue, another figure emerges from the dark. Sharon stood in front of Steve, her gun pointed as she inched forward. "Captain Rogers. Captain, I'm Agent 13 of S.H.I.E.L.D. Special Service," Sharon announces. The revelation left Steve speechless for a moment before he uttered out, "Kate?" The world seemed to be crashing down around him. Just a minute ago, Fury had told him that S.H.I.E.L.D. had been compromised, and now his neighbour had revealed herself to be a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. He had absolutely no idea who to trust. "I've been assigned to protect you," Sharon adds. "On who's order?" Steve questioned fiercely. As the words poured out of his mouth, Sharon noticed Fury lying injured on the ground.
"His."
Kneeling down next to Fury's body, Sharon contacted S.H.I.E.L.D. through her radio. "Foxtrot is down. He's unresponsive. I need EMTs. A S.H.I.E.L.D. agent quickly replied, "Do you have a twenty on the shooter?" Steve nodded slowly, noticing the shooter outside the window.
"Tell him I'm in pursuit," Steve mutters, smashing through his apartment window. Glass shattered everywhere as Steve jumped across to another building. He ran after the assassin, the same man who was responsible for the explosion of Fury's car. The assassin swiftly ran through an office building, Steve giving chase. Walls smashed and windows shattered, but Steve was more focused on the assassin than anything.
With a loud thud, the assassin jumped down from the top of the office building onto the roof just as Steve burst through the window. In one motion, Steve flung his shield at the assassin as he attempted to jump down from the building. The assassin's movements were like a flash of lightning as he turned in one swift action to catch the shield with his left arm.
A... a metal arm.
He was covered in black and wore a muzzle that silenced him. The area around both his eyes was covered in black that matched his black clothes, and in his eyes were a a haunting look. His steel blue irises burned like fire, turning what seemed black too against the night of Washington, D.C. A red star was visible on his metal arm. If looks could really kill, the assassin would have murdered twice as many people as of now.
A tinge of recognition touched Steve as he looked into the assassin's eyes. Steel blue eyes that he could recognise anywhere.
"Don't do anything stupid till I get back..."
The voice of James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes rang in Steve's mind as the assassin gave him a cold look. One devoid of all emotion.
But it couldn't possibly be him.
Steve shook his head slightly, trying to clear the cobwebs, because it wasn't him.
It couldn't be him.
Bucky Barnes was dead. He'd died almost 70 years ago. Steve saw him die. In his head, he could still hear the whoosh of air as the train sped past, leaving his best friend to fall into the deep abyss they called unknown.
The man in front of him, whoever he was, wasn't Bucky.
But those eyes...
The assassin instantly threw the shield back to Steve, catching him in the stomach. Steve slid backward, every ounce of his body erupting in pain. He looked down and let out a groan.
