[the two pull up to outside an abandoned military base where the signal led them to]
Steve Rogers: This is it.
Anastasia Ivanova: The file came from these coordinates.
Steve Rogers: So did I. [later that night as they walk around the base trying to pinpoint where the signal came from] This camp is where I was trained.
Anastasia Ivanova: Changed much?
Steve Rogers: A little. [Steve has a brief visions of his former, smaller self running past him as he's getting trained with other soldiers]
Everyone laughs at what Steve looked like back in the day, making the Captain blush. Some, mainly purebloods, marvel at how he had changed that much. Dumbledore was fascinated by the change, but held his tongue.
Sergeant Duffy: Pick up the pace, ladies! Let's go! Let's go! Double time! Come on Rogers, move it! [his former self stops and stares at Steve as he is now] Come on! Fall in! Rogers! I said fall in! [present Steve watches nostalgically as the former Steve runs off]
Anastasia Ivanova: This is a dead end. Zero heat signature, zero waves, not even radio. Whoever wrote the file must have used a router to throw people off. [Steve notices a building ahead of them] What is it? [as they walk over to the building]
Everyone looks confused.
Steve Rogers: Army regulations forbid storing ammunition within five hundred yards of the barracks. This building is in the wrong place. [Steve opens the lock with his shield and they enter inside, when they turn on the lights they notice it's a SHIELD office]
Anastasia Ivanova: This is SHIELD.
Steve Rogers: Maybe where it started. [they enter a room where they find old framed portraits of Howard Stark, Peggy and Col. Chester Phillips]
Anastasia Ivanova: There's Stark's father.
Steve Rogers: Howard.
Anastasia Ivanova: Who's the girl? [Steve doesn't reply and turns away to walk further down the room and stops by a massive book shelf]
"Rude." Ana mumbles. Bucky chuckles and kisses her head.
Steve Rogers: If you're already working in a secret office... [he pushes the books shelf and slides open to reveal an elevator behind it] Why do you need to hide the elevator? [they go down the elevator which takes them to a room with old looking computers]
Anastasia Ivanova: This can't be the data-point, this technology is ancient. It has a lot in common with you. [Steve looks at the girl and she smirks. Suddenly Anastasia notices a small flash drive port, she places the flash drive in it which then activates the ancient computer in the room]
Computer: Initiate system? [Anastasia types using the keyboard]
Anastasia Ivanova: Y-E-S, spells yes. [Anastasia smiles as the old computer starts to cranks up] "Shall we play a game?" [to Steve] It's from a movie that...
Steve Rogers: Yeah, I saw it. [suddenly they hear an accented voice speaking]
"Jeez. Sorry for trying to be helpful." Ana rolls her eyes and grumbles.
Dr. Arnim Zola: Rogers, Steven. Born, 1918. Ivanova, Anastasia Ekaterina. Born, 1984. [they see an old camera moving above them as it analyzes them]
Anastasia Ivanova: It's some kind of a recording.
Dr. Arnim Zola: I am not a recording, Fräulein. I may not be the man I was when the Captain took me prisoner in 1945, but I am. [the computer screen shows an old photo of Dr. Arnim Zola]
Anastasia Ivanova: Do you know this thing?
Steve Rogers: Arnim Zola was a German scientist who worked for the Red Skull. He's been dead for years.
"Who's the Red Skull?" Someone asked.
Steve looks at them, "Just someone I fought a very long time ago." He says, but you could see the hard look in his eye when he talked about this Red guy.
Dr. Arnim Zola: First correction, I am Swiss. Second, look around you. I have never been more alive. In 1972 I received a terminal diagnosis. Science could not save my body, my mind, however, that was worth saving on two hundred thousand feet of data banks. You are standing in my brain.
Anastasia Ivanova: [mumbling] that's gross.
Many laugh, having been thinking the same thing.
Steve Rogers: How did you get here?
Dr. Arnim Zola: Invited.
Anastasia Ivanova: It was Operation Paperclip after World War II. SHIELD recruited German scientists with strategic value.
Dr. Arnim Zola: They thought I could help their cause. I also helped my own.
Steve Rogers: HYDRA died with the Red Skull.
Dr. Arnim Zola: Cut off one head, two more shall take its place.
"I am so done with that phrase." Ana huffs. Those who truly understand nod. The saying truly was getting very old very quickly.
I mean, honestly, we get it, if you cut off one head two more will take its place. Every Hydra person says that when they die, it's said so much that it's not even scary or mysterious anymore.
Steve Rogers: Prove it.
Dr. Arnim Zola: Accessing archive. [the computer screen shows them old footage of Johann Schmidt/Red Skull, of the how the original SHIELD founders] HYDRA was founded on the belief that humanity could not be trusted with its own freedom. What we did not realize, was that if you try to take that freedom, they resist. The war taught us much. Humanity needed to surrender its freedom willingly. After the war, SHIELD was founded and I was recruited. The new HYDRA grew. A beautiful parasite inside SHIELD. For seventy years HYDRA has been secretly feeding crisis, reaping war. And when history did not cooperate, history was changed.
Anastasia Ivanova: That's impossible, SHIELD would have stopped you.
Dr. Arnim Zola: Accidents will happen. [the computer screen shows them HYDRA had killed Howard and Maria Stark making it look like a car accident along with the recent death of Fury] HYDRA created a world so chaotic that humanity is finally ready to sacrifice its freedom to gain its security. Once the purification process is complete, HYDRA's new world order will arise. We won, Captain. Your death amounts to the same as your Life; a zero sum. [in anger Steve suddenly smashes the computer screen] As I was saying...
Tony, Bucky, Steve, and Ana all look down when it shows Howard and Maria's death.
Steve Rogers: What's on this drive?
Dr. Arnim Zola: Project Insight requires insight. So I wrote an algorithm.
Anastasia Ivanova: What kind of algorithm? What does it do?
Dr. Arnim Zola: The answer to your question is fascinating. Unfortunately, you shall be too dead to hear it. [suddenly the doors starts to close, Steve tries stops it by throwing his shield in between it but he's too late]
Anastasia Ivanova: Steve, we got a bogey. Short range ballistic. 30 seconds tops.
Steve Rogers: Who fired it?
Anastasia Ivanova: S.H.I.E.L.D.
"What?!" Many people shouted. They were all confused.
Dr. Arnim Zola: I am afraid I have been stalling, Captain. Admit it, it's better this way. We're both of us...out of time. [Steve notices a small opening on the ground, he throws the metal door aside and just as the place explodes he throws himself and Anastasia into the hole and protects them with his shield, he then manages to get them out from under the building rubble just as STRIKE agents arrive to roam the area for them]
Bucky catches Steve's eye and gives him an appreciative look for protecting Ana like that. Steve just waved him off.
Brock Rumlow: [As he notices a footprint in the dust] Call in the asset.
[at his home, Pierce goes to his kitchen to get a drink when he sees the Winter Soldier sat behind behind him with his gun on the table when his housekeeper calls out]
Bucky stiffens once again and Ana tries to comfort him.
Renata: I'm going to go, Mr. Pierce. You need anything before I leave?
Alexander Pierce: No. Uh...it's fine, Renata, you can go home.
Renata: Okay, night-night.
Alexander Pierce: Good night. [Renata leaves] Want some milk? [the Winter Soldier doesn't reply] The timetable has moved. Our window is limited. Two targets, Level Six. [he pours himself a glass of milk and goes over to join the Winter Soldier at the table] They already cost me Zola. I want confirmed death in ten hours. [just then Renata interrupts them as she enters the kitchen]
"Wait, he's Hydra?!" Someone asked what most everyone was thinking in the hall. The kid looked to the front and saw Steve nod.
Renata: Sorry, Mr. Pierce, I...I forgot my phone. [she notices the Winter Soldier]
Alexander Pierce: Oh, Renata. I wish you would have knocked. [Pierce picks up the gun from the table and shoots and kills her]
[returning home from his morning run Sam hears a knock at his door, he opens the door to see Steve and Anastasia]
Sam Wilson: Hey, man.
Steve Rogers: I'm sorry about this. We need a place to lay low.
Anastasia Ivanova: Pretty much everyone we know is trying to kill us. [Sam pauses a moment before replying]
Sam Wilson: Not everyone. [Sam let's them enter, later as Steve and Anastasia are cleaning up, Steve notices Anastasia looking sad and thoughtful]
Steve Rogers: You okay?
Anastasia Ivanova: Yeah.
Steve Rogers: What's going on?
Anastasia Ivanova: When I first joined SHIELD, I thought I was going straight. But I guess I just traded in the KGB for HYDRA. I thought I knew whose lies I was telling, but...I guess I can't tell the difference anymore.
Pitiful looks were shot towards the spy, who pointedly ignored them and continued looking at the screen.
But if you looked closely enough, you could see just how much her and Bucky were relying on each other for comfort.
Steve Rogers: There's a chance you might be in the wrong business. [Anastasia smiles faintly]
Anastasia Ivanova: I owe you.
"What is it with you and Nat thinking you always owe us if we do something for you?" Tony asks.
Nat sighs, "In the Red Room if anyone did anything nice for you, you were expected to return the favor. Whether that be sharing your food or going easy on them in training. You always had to return the favor."
Many looked sadly at the spy's, while their team just looked down, they didn't know that and they felt guilty about how much was still unknown about the two assassins.
Steve Rogers: It's okay.
Anastasia Ivanova: If it was the other way around, and it was down to me to save your life, and you be honest with me, would you trust me to do it?
Steve Rogers: I would now. And I'm always honest.
Anastasia Ivanova: Well, you seem pretty chipper for someone who just found out they died for nothing.
Steve Rogers: Well, I guess I just like to know who I'm fighting.
Sam Wilson: [to Steve and Anastasia ] I made breakfast. If you guys...eat that sort of thing.
Anastasia Ivanova: I actually drink the blood of my enemies after it sits for a couple hundred years. And then, if you could, I'd like if you went out, killed a couple Polish soldiers and roasted them above an open fire. [they both look at her disturbed, she just shrugs] [later as they are sat in Sam's kitchen]
Many look at her disturbed and horrified, but the rare few have smiles on their faces.
Anastasia Ivanova: So, the question is: who in SHIELD could launch a domestic missile strike?
Steve Rogers: Pierce.
Anastasia Ivanova: Who happens to be sitting on top of the most secure building in the world.
Steve Rogers: But he's not working alone, Zola's algorithm was on the Lemurian Star.
Anastasia Ivanova: So was Jasper Sitwell.
Steve Rogers: So, the real question is: how do the two most wanted people in Washington kidnap a SHIELD officer in broad daylight?
Sam Wilson: The answer is: you don't. [Sam drops a file in front of Steve]
Steve Rogers: What's this?
Sam Wilson: Call it a resume. [Anastasia picks up a photo of Sam with his para-rescue team]
Anastasia Ivanova: Is this Bakhmala? The Khalid Khandil mission, that was you. [to Steve] You didn't say he was a para-rescue. [looking at the photo of Sam with his colleague]
Steve Rogers: Is this Riley?
Sam Wilson: Yeah.
Anastasia Ivanova: I heard they couldn't bring in the choppers because of the RPGs. What did you use, a stealth chute?
Sam Wilson: No. These. [he hands Steve the file, Steve opens it and reads it]
Steve Rogers: I thought you said you were a pilot.
Sam Wilson: I never said pilot.
Steve Rogers: I can't ask you to do this, Sam. You got out for a good reason.
Sam Wilson: Dude, Captain America needs my help. There's no better reason to get back in.
"That's so relatable." The Weasley twins laugh. Many agree with them.
Steve Rogers: Where can we get our hands on one of these things?
Sam Wilson: The last one is at Fort Meade, behind three guarded gates and a twelve-inch steel wall. [Steve looks at Anastasia who shrugs her shoulders]
Steve Rogers: Shouldn't be a problem. [Steve throws down the file on the table and we see that it's a classified military project called Falcon]
[after their meeting is over Sitwell walks out of the building with Senator Stern]
Senator Stern: Listen, I gotta fly home tonight, cause uh...I got some constituency problem, and I gotta press the flesh.
Jasper Sitwell: Any constituent in particular, Mr. Senator?
Senator Stern: Uh...no, not really. Twenty-three, kind of hot. Real hot. You know, wants to be a reporter, I think. I don't know, who listens at that point?
"That's horrible." Lily says. They shouldn't disrespect any women like that. Even if it's a mistress or anything else. Many of the women agree with her.
Jasper Sitwell: Doesn't sound much of a problem to me.
Senator Stern: Really? Cause she's killing my back. Look, this isn't the place to talk about it. [he touches Sitwell's pin on his jacket] This is a nice pin.
Jasper Sitwell: Thank you.
Senator Stern: Come here. [they embrace and as they do Stern whispers to Sitwell] Hail, HYDRA. [as Stern steps away he touches his back] See, it's right there...
"Is there anyone that's not Hydra?" A student asked. They looked at the avengers who just shrugged.
Jasper Sitwell: I just saw that, yeah.
Senator Stern: Should I get it checked?
Jasper Sitwell: I think you should. [Stern walks away] [Sitwell gets a call from Pierce, Sitwell turns to his men] I need a minute. Bring the car around. [his men leave and Sitwell answers the phone] Yes, sir?
Sam Wilson: Agent Sitwell, how was lunch? I hear the crab cakes here are delicious.
Jasper Sitwell: Who is this?
Sam Wilson: The good looking guy in the sunglasses, your ten o'clock. [Sitwell looks around but doesn't see him] Your other ten o'clock. [Sitwell turns the other way and sees Sam sitting a few feet away from him] There you go.
"He is good looking." Ginny mumbles, but most everyone hears her. They laugh and Sam blushes but tries to cover it up. The avengers all laugh at Sam.
Jasper Sitwell: What do you want?
Sam Wilson: You're gonna go around the corner, to your right. There's a grey car, two spaces down. You and I are gonna take a ride.
Jasper Sitwell: And why would I do that?
Sam Wilson: Because that tie looks really expensive, and I'd hate to mess it up. [Sitwell looks down at his tie and sees a small red light from the gun being pointed at him] [Steve throws Sitwell across a rooftop, Anastasia follows behind him]
Steve Rogers: Tell me about Zola's algorithm.
Jasper Sitwell: Never heard of it.
Steve Rogers: What were you doing on the Lemurian Star?
Jasper Sitwell: I was throwing up, I get seasick. [Steve forces Sitwell to the edge of the rooftop, Sitwell just smiles] Is this little display meant to insinuate that you're gonna throw me off the roof? Because it's really not your style, Rogers.
Steve Rogers: You're right. It's not. It's hers.
[Steve steps aside and Anastasia kicks Sitwell off the roof. He plummets down, screaming.]
Anastasia Ivanova: Oh, wait. What about that girl from accounting, Laura...?
"How can you be so vile?!" Molly screeched. Ana rolled her eyes. But no one answered her.
Steve Rogers: Lillian. Lip piercing, right?
Anastasia Ivanova: Yeah, she's cute.
Steve Rogers: Yeah, I'm not ready for that.
[But then, Sam, in his Falcon jet-pack suit with wings, flies up holding Sitwell and throws him down on the roof]
[Steve and Anastasia walk towards Sitwell, he holds his hand up in fear]
Jasper Sitwell: Zola's algorithm is a program...for choosing Insight's targets!
Steve Rogers: What targets?
Jasper Sitwell: You! A TV anchor in Cairo, the Undersecretary of Defense, a high school valedictorian in Iowa city. Bruce Banner, Stephen Strange, anyone who's a threat to HYDRA! Now, or in the future.
"Wait, Stephen Strange?" Someone asked. In the back, said man is seen looking very confused. He was an Insight target?
Steve Rogers: The Future? How could it know? [Sitwell laughs]
Jasper Sitwell: How could it not? The 21st century is a digital book. Zola taught HYDRA how to read it. [Steve and Anastasia look at him in confusion] Your bank records, medical histories, voting patterns, e-mails, phone calls, your damn SAT scores. Zola's algorithm evaluates people's past to predict their future.
Steve Rogers: And what then?
Jasper Sitwell: Oh, my God. Pierce is gonna kill me.
Steve Rogers: What then?!
Jasper Sitwell: Then the Insight Helicarriers scratch people off the list. A few million at a time.
Many were horrified. This was yet another thing that happened without their knowledge. Were any of them on that list? Did the Captain, Ana, and Sam fix everything on time? They were all basically on the edge of their seats waiting for what happened next.
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A/N:
Here's another chapter. I don't know when the next one will be out but I wanted this one out for y'all.
Hope you have a good day/night, and make sure to drink some water. Pls vote and comment too!
Thx for reading, The Author