*A sweet friendship refreshes the soul*
*Leah's Pov*
We were walking into S.H.I.E.L.D headquarters and a lot of familiar agents were staring at me and Steve as we walked in. I guess the word got around fast. A S.T.R.I.K.E agent grabbed my arm to turn me to the direction we were going in. I shrugged his hand off of my forearm and he gave me a disgusted look.
"Hey, look at me like that one more time-" I couldn't finish what I was saying because Steve nuged me; signalling me to shut up. I rolled my eyes and we carried on walking.
* * *
We were both brought to a man called Alexander Pierce; personally, between me and you, I hate the man. He is just.....odd. I see him talking to Agent 13....Kate...well, Sharon I mean. Dont know why, but I just don't like her.
"For whatever its worth, you did your best," Alexander said, still facing Sharon.
"Thankyou sir." She turns to me and Steve and says,"Captain Rogers, Agent Harper." I don't even bother to look at her, and I ignore her.
"Neighbour," Steve greeted coldly. I got to say, that made me smile. Didn't know Stevie could get so cold hearted. We both walk towards Pierce.
"Ah, Captain. Agent," he seemed to look at me, like he was trying to read my thoughts or something. Weird man. Never met him in my life and I already despise him.
"Sir, its an honor," Steve said to him, shaking his hand. I just nodded, no emotion. I was basically trying to give him the hint that I don't like him.
"Come on in." I walked in first, Steve behind me, entering his office. The first thing that caught my eye was a picture of him and Fury. "That picture was taken five years after Nick and I met," Pierce started explaining, noticing I was looking at it. He started rambling on about how they met and boring stuff like that.
"He saved the lives of a dozen political officers, including my daughter."
"So you gave him a promotion," Steve stated.
"I've never had any cause to regret it. Captain, why was Nick in your apartment last night?" He asked. My head shot up, thinking Steve would tell him what Fury told us.
"We don't know," I was quick to answer, before Steve said anything.
"You know it was bugged?" He asked.
"We did, because Nick told us," Steve answered.
"Did he tell you both, that he was the one who bugged it?" When we both don't reply, obviously not knowing that info, a slight, hidden, amused look spread on his face. It wasn't very noticeable, but I've been trained to read the slightest facial expressions in my training; during Hydra and S.H.I.E.L.D.
"I want you to see something." Pierce brings up footage of Batroc being interrogated. I was confused on why he was showing us this.
"Who hired you, Batroc?" A S.H.I.E.L.D agent asked.
"Is this live?" I question, curiously.
"Yeah, they picked him up last night at a not-so-safe house," Pierce replied.
"Are you saying he is a suspect? Assassination isn't Batroc's line," Steve said, slightly confused.
"Its more complicated then that. He was hired anonymously to attack the Lemurian Star, and he was contacted by e-mail and paid by wire transfer." I looked up at him, trying to figure out where he was going with this.
"The money was run through seventeen fictuous accounts, the last one going to a holding company that was registered to a, Jacob Veech," he finished.
"Are we supposed to know who this is?" I ask sarcastically, getting a glare from Steve beside me. He hands me the folders, Steve looking at it next to me.
"Not likely. Veech died six years ago. His last adress was 14-35 Elmhurst Drive. When I first met Nick, his mother lived at 14-35." I was confused on how this could happen. It can't be Fury, can it?
"Are you saying Fury hired the Pirates? Why?" Steve questioned, snapping me out of my thoughts. Me and Steve need to seek answers just as much as Pierce does.
"The prevailing theory was that the hijacking was a cover for the acquisition and sale of classified intelligence. The sale went sour and that led to Nick's death," he explained. My thought went back to the flash drive that Nick gave me and Steve. I noticed back at the hospital that Steve placed it in a vending machine. I needed to get it back.
"Agent Harper, Captain, you both were the last people to see Nick alive. I don't think that's an accident, and I don't think you do either. So I'm going to ask you both again: why was her there?" Piece interrogated. Was he seriously blaming us?
"He told us not to trust anyone," Steve fired at him, getting agitated.
"I wonder if that meant him too?" Pierce answered me.
"I'm sorry, those were his last words," I said, trying to cover up both mine and Steve's anger.
Steve grabs his shield and places it on his back, both of us making our way out of this man's office. Before we could leave, Pierce calls our names. We stop and turn to look at him.
"Somebody murdered my friend and I'm gonna find out why. Anyone gets in my way, they're gonna regret it. Anyone."
"Understood." We turn back and leave.
* * *
"Is he actually blaming us?" I asked Steve, slightly worried.
"Like he said, Nick is his friend. He is probobly just mad," Steve tried to reassure me.
"I don't trust him Steve."
"We don't trust anyone, apart from our selves. So I guess we are on the right page," he answered me, smiling.
We step into the elevator,"Operations control."
"Comfirmed" The computer said. Just as the elevator doors are about to close, Rumlow steps in with two S.T.R.I.K.E agents. He said something to the two agents, but I didn't catch what he said.
"Harper."
"Agent, agent Harper," I corrected him.
"Agent Harper then, Cap," he said again, greeting us both.
"Rumlow," Steve greeted back.
"Evidence Response found some fibres on the roof they want us to see. You want me to get the tac-team ready?" Rumlow asked
"No, let's wait and see what happens," I ordered.
"Right."
Steve nuged me, snd gestured his head towards one of the agents, and I saw them touching their weapon suspiciously, like they were getting ready for a fight.
The elevator opens and more S.H.I.E.L.D and S.T.R.I.K.E agents enter. They started talking to eachother and me and Steve were listening in closely.
"I'm sorry about what happened with Fury. Messed up, what happened to him." Rumlow said looking at me.
"Thankyou," Steve thanked.
I felt something was off with the atmosphere around us, and I look at the agents in the elevator, noticing one of them is sweating. Then the elevator stops again, more agents walking inside. I realised me and Steve have been surrounded. I look up at him, and he nods at me.
"Before we get started," Steve began to speak.
"Does anybody wanna get out?" I finished.
There was a moment of silence before suddenly one of the agents turn and use an electric stick thing, like a rod, to shock Steve. Another grabbed me and and tried to strap my wrists with magnetic cuffs, and I manage to knock some of them down; but one cuff was able to strap around my wrist. I see Rumlow use his Rod to give Steve a shock, and I manage to get the magnetic cuff off my wrist and help Steve.
We both knock down all the agents and we turn to face Rumlow.
"Woah, big guy and little lady." Oh he did not just say that.
"I just want you to know, guys, this ain't personal," Rumlow finishes. He then goes to attack but I manage to defend myself and eventually knock him out. It was deserved.
"It kinda feels personal," Steve said jokey. I laugh at his comment, and he picks up his shield and opens the elevator doors, but we were faced by a team of S.T.R.I.K.E agents, pointing their weapons at us.
"Uuuhh," I mumbled, not knowing what to do. I didn't have my gun on me because I forgot it back in Steve's car.
"Drop the shield! Put your hands in the air!" An agent demanded. Steve used his shield to break off the elevator wires which sends the elevator down. I let out a small scream since it was very unexpected and Steve just laughed at me. I force the doors open with my powers and we see more S.T.R.I.K.E agents approaching us. I close the door, me and Steve trying to figure out a way out.
"You trust me right?" I ask, looking at Steve.
"It depends, what are you gonna do?" Steve questioned. I grab Steve's arm and we break through the glass elevator, and plummeting down, finally hitting the ground.
I grunt, as pain shot through my body. I got up, Steve lending me a hand and we run off.
"Okay, your crazy!" Steve said to me as we were running.
"Glad you trust me!" I say back laughing. Steve hops onto a motorcycle, me getting on the back of it, him driving, evading the obstacles laid out. But then, a Quinjet emerges ahead of us.
"Stand down, Captain Rogers, Agent Harper. Stand down!" The speakers of the Quinjet said. It lowers its machine gun, pointing at me and Steve. Shit.
"Repeat, stand down."
As Steve doesn't stop they start shooting at us.
"Steve what are you doing, we are gonna die!" I shouted, using only one of my hands to change the direction of the bullets, with my powers, that were heading towards us.
"Do you trust me!" Steve shouted back.
"I hate you!" Steve laughs and throws his shield into the propellers to jam it, giving us an opportunity to hop onto it and do more damage to the jet.
We jump off, as the jet goes crashing down and we both escape because they lost us.
Word Count: 1697
Kiwi ~🥝