Rumlow sat in his apartment, his mind racing with plans to push S.H.I.E.L.D. into striking Hydra first.
Though Dugan's old soldiers had already moved, Hydra remained the strongest of the three factions.
Maria Hill had learned part of the truth without his knowledge, leaving him to wonder what the World Security Council might do next.
"Rumlow, mind sharing what you know?"
Nick Fury emerged from a blind spot in the corner, his tone leaving no room for refusal.
Rumlow stayed seated at the table, unmoving, not even glancing up.
"You've never been trustworthy, just like you've never trusted anyone else."
He grabbed the glass in front of him, downing the liquor.
"At least we're on the same side against Hydra."
Fury sat across from him, pouring himself a drink.
"Ha! How many of your people can you actually rely on? Besides a few useless grunts, you've got no one left to trust."
Rumlow couldn't pin down how many Hydra agents were in S.H.I.E.L.D. Even as a former mid-to-high-ranking Hydra member, he didn't know their full roster.
"Even someone like me has a few friends."
Fury was determined to pry information from Rumlow.
"You're wondering why Dugan's crew is so sure Pierce is Hydra—and why they suspect you too?"
Rumlow glanced at Fury's dark face, easing into a relaxed posture.
"If you're willing to tell me."
Fury had rehearsed this conversation in his head. Things were going well.
"Because I was Pierce's direct subordinate. To put it simply, I was Hydra."
Rumlow watched Fury's body tense, a smirk tugging at his lips.
Had Fury really not considered this?
No, he was just acting.
Fury's performance outshone even Black Widow's venomous charm. The only difference was his looks didn't suit a honey trap.
Who'd want to see a one-eyed "black boiled egg" flex his masculine allure? Rumlow would do better, or even Coulson—some women went for that gentlemanly type.
"What, you're actually surprised?"
Rumlow poured more liquor from the bottle.
He knew his limits. He lacked the ability to steer grand plans.
Even plotting this much left him drained, so he approached other tasks with a half-baked "good enough" attitude.
"So, what's your real plan?"
Fury kept up the act, even knowing Rumlow saw through it.
"You gonna stop me?"
Rumlow studied Fury with amused curiosity.
Fury had enough intel to guess part of Rumlow's intentions.
The fact that Rumlow was ex-Hydra alone was enough for Fury to piece things together.
"Depends. I think S.H.I.E.L.D. being reborn from ashes sounds like a fine idea."
Fury probed, his expression neutral.
"You want me to vouch for your loyalty to the old soldiers? Forget it. You're no better than Hydra in my eyes."
"Everything I do is for the world's safety!"
"Including the hallucinogenic gas you used in my apartment?"
Their rapid exchange teetered on the edge of a quarrel.
"Enough, Fury. Your tricks only piss me off. Kilgrave's compounds aren't enough to control me."
Rumlow straightened, gripping his hand-axe. He'd known what Fury was doing the moment it started. Now he was just playing along.
"What if I said I found the Captain?"
Rumlow froze.
"Which Captain?"
He eyed Fury suspiciously, his axe poised for attack.
"Captain America, Steve Rogers!"
Fury dropped the name, and Rumlow laughed.
"That's good news. Looks like S.H.I.E.L.D. won't be such a shitshow with you out of the picture."
"I don't trust you. You were Hydra."
Fury held his ground, his single eye glinting.
"And I don't trust you. You're not worth it."
Rumlow's face was blank as he shifted from a combat stance to a casual one, his fingers brushing the axe's blade.
"Want to meet him?"
Fury pressed further.
"Figure out how to leave my apartment alive first."
Rumlow stood, retreating to the bedroom and closing the door.
The instant it shut, a metal arm smashed through the apartment's front door. A soldier strode in, unflinching.
"Motherfucker!"
Fury's act dropped as he saw the face.
Bucky Barnes!
Captain America's war buddy!
Fury had studied his file when he found Steve.
Bucky's appearance was beyond his comprehension.
Fury's recent moves hadn't gone unnoticed by Hydra.
Now, it seemed Alexander Pierce was a tougher foe than he'd thought.
A former S.H.I.E.L.D. director wouldn't sit idly waiting for an attack.
Fury fired his gun at Bucky, but the shots had no effect.
"Don't come for me! Go for the guy in the bedroom!"
Fury spat the words like a rapper.
Bucky stopped in front of him, standing still as if assessing something.
Then he turned toward Rumlow's bedroom.
Fury stood dumbfounded.
He'd braced for death under Bucky's attack, despite his precautions. But Bucky wasn't here for him.
As Bucky prepared to smash the bedroom door, an axe swung from the other side.
The blade struck the metal arm, leaving a deep gash.
"Rumlow, looks like Pierce knows you're off the rails."
Fury, gun in hand, edged toward the exit, shouting to Rumlow.
"If you hadn't used Kilgrave's compounds, you'd be dead!"
Rumlow roared back.
(Chapter End)
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