CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX —
( You poor souls. )

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Evelyn and Steve quickly slipped into their uniforms before making their way back to S.H.I.E.L.D.. With strong strides, they made their way down the hallways of the Triskelion towards Alexander Pierce's office. As they passed, Sharon strolled by and she offered the duo a warm, encouraging smile that brightened the otherwise serious atmosphere.

"Captain Rogers. Agent Parrish," she greeted.

"Neighbour," Steve replied coldly. Evelyn smiled apologetically at her as they walked to Pierce.

"Ah. Captain. Agent. I'm Alexander Pierce," he shook Steve's hand.

"Sir, it's an Honour," Steve said.

"The honour's mine, Captain. My father served in the 101st." With a warm smile, Alexander extended his hand toward Evelyn. "Agent Parrish, it's truly a delight to see you again," he said, his voice carrying a hint of nostalgia.

Evelyn tilted her head slightly, scepticism crossing her features as she scrutinised him. "Have we met before?" she inquired, her brow furrowing slightly.

Before she could linger on the thought, Pierce stepped forward without hesitation. "Indeed, we crossed paths shortly after you arrived at S.H.I.E.L.D. in ninety-two. Come on in," he urged

Evelyn and Steve stepped into the dimly lit office, the air thick with the scent of polished wood and aged paper. They lingered near the entrance, allowing Steve to approach his desk, where he carefully draped his jacket over the back of his chair, the fabric slipping effortlessly into place. As Evelyn's eyes wandered around the room, they fell upon a framed photograph of Fury and Pierce resting on the desk. Intrigued, she picked it up, her fingers grazing the cool glass, curiosity igniting within her as she studied the captured moment of friendship between the two men.

"That photo was taken five years after Nick and I met when I was at State Department in Bogota," Pierce said. "E.L.N rebels took the embassy, and security got me out, but the Rebels took hostages. Nick was Deputy Chief of the S.H.I.E.L.D. station there, and he comes to me with a plan. He wants to storm the building through the sewers. I said, 'No, we'll negotiate.' It turned out the E.L.N. didn't negotiate, so they put out a kill order. They stormed the basement, and what do they find? They find it empty." Pierce made his way over to the couple and sat as he placed a file on the table. Steve and Evelyn took a seat on the two-person couch beside his.

"Nick had ignored my direct order and carried out an unauthorised military operation on foreign soil and saved the lives of a dozen political officers, including my daughter," Pierce went on.

"So, you gave him a promotion," Steve said.

"I've never had any cause to regret it," Pierce said. "Captain, Agent, why was Nick in your apartment?"

Don't trust anyone.

"I don't know," Evelyn said.

Pierce cast a measuring glance at Evelyn, his expression a mix of concern and frustration. She met his gaze, curiosity flickering in her eyes. "Did you know it was bugged?" he inquired, his voice low and serious.

Evelyn arched an eyebrow in surprise, her heart quickening. "Our apartment was bugged?" The realisation sank in, and Pierce confirmed with a subtle nod. As the implications washed over her, her cheeks flushed a soft shade of crimson, a rush of thoughts about all the private moments shared in that space flooding her mind. "Well, shit," she muttered, the weight of the situation sinking in.

"I was aware because Nick told me," Steve interjected, his tone casual yet laced with tension.

Pierce's gaze sharpened at Steve's words. "Did he mention that he was the one who bugged it?" he pressed, his voice edged with disbelief. A thick silence followed, the air heavy with unspoken truths as Steve remained tight-lipped, the tension palpable.

Don't trust anyone.

"I want you to see something," Pierce announced with urgency, reaching across the polished conference table to grab a sleek remote. With a click, the darkened room was suddenly illuminated by the flickering light of the television screen, revealing the tense scene of Batroc being interrogated under glaring lights.

Evelyn turned in her chair, her curiosity piqued as she focused on the grainy image. "Is that live?" she asked a hint of disbelief in her voice.

"Yeah, they picked him up last night in a not-so-safe house in Algiers," Pierce responded, his tone serious as he leaned forward, his eyes fixed on the screen.

Steve chimed in, scepticism lacing his words. "Are you saying he's a suspect?" Evelyn couldn't shake the nagging feeling that something was off; she knew Fury's assassin had a formidable metal arm, and Batroc's typical antics hardly screamed conspiracy. "Assassination isn't in Batroc's line of work."

Pierce shook his head, signalling that the situation was far from simple. "No, no. It's much more complicated than that," Pierce began. "Batroc was hired anonymously to attack the Lemurian Star. And he was contacted by email and paid by wire transfer, and then the money was run through 17 fictitious accounts. The last one going to a holding company that was registered to a Jacob Veech."

He then handed Evelyn a thick file, its contents brimming with evidence, the weight of the case settling heavily between them.

"Am I supposed to know who that is?" Steve inquired, his brow furrowing in confusion.

"Not likely. Veech passed away six years ago. His last known address was 1435 Elmhurst Drive." Evelyn flipped open the file before her, revealing a collage of photographs and detailed information about Veech. Her eyes darted over the contents. "When I first met Nick, his mother lived at 1437."

Steve's gaze sharpened with curiosity. "Are you suggesting that Fury hired the Pirates? Why?"

"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."

As she spoke, Evelyn shot an incredulous glance at Pierce as if silently challenging the validity of his words. "If you truly knew Nick Fury, you wouldn't believe that line," Steve countered, a hint of defiance creeping into his tone.

"I've known him for 22 years. I seriously doubt that was the reason behind Nick's death," Evelyn asserted firmly. "I suspect one of Nick's enemies got angry enough to hire someone to silence him."

Pierce, seemingly unfazed by the tension, replied, "Why do you think we're having this conversation?"

With a deliberate movement, Pierce stood up, the chair scraping against the floor. Steve followed suit, his body tense as he prepared for what might come next. Meanwhile, Evelyn remained seated, her thoughts churning as she weighed the implications of their unfolding discussion. "See, I took a seat on the council not because I wanted to but because Nick asked me to because we were both realists. We knew that, despite all the diplomacy and, the handshaking, and the rhetoric, to build a better world sores means having to tear the old one down. And that makes enemies. Those people that call you dirty because you got the guts to stick your hands in the mud and try to build something better. And the idea that those people could be happy today makes me really, really angry.

"Captain, Agent, you two were the last to see Nick alive. I don't think that's an accident. And I don't think you do, either," Pierce said. "So, I'm gonna ask again. Why was he there?"

Don't trust anyone.

"He said his wife kicked him out of his house," Evelyn replied, her voice laced with a hint of disbelief as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Pierce frowned, his brow furrowing in confusion. "He doesn't have a wife," he stated emphatically, the tension in the room rising.

Evelyn shrugged a nonchalant gesture that masked the weight of her words. "Nick had so many secrets. I'm not surprised not many people knew about his wife, and you shouldn't be either." Her tone was matter-of-fact, indicating that this was just another chapter in Nick's mysterious life.

"I'm sorry, but that's the last thing he told us," Steve interjected, his voice steady as he maintained eye contact with Pierce. "Excuse us." With that, Evelyn rose from her chair, her legs scraping against the floor as she followed Steve toward the door, her expression a mix of concern and determination.

"Captain, Evelyn, somebody murdered my friend, and I'm going to find out why," Pierce declared, his voice low but intense, filled with a palpable sense of urgency. "Anyone gets in my way, they're going to regret it. Anyone." His fierce gaze bore into them, raw with grief and resolve.

"Understood," Steve nodded, acknowledging Pierce's conviction. With a lingering look, he and Evelyn walked out of the room.

Neither of them got far before a figure emerged from the shadows, cutting through the tension in the air. Evelyn's eyes widened with recognition as she took in Agent Edwards's sharp suit and steely demeanour, one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s best field agents. He stood tall, exuding an aura of authority as he offered her a polite nod, which Evelyn responded to with a tight-lipped smile, trying to remain composed.

"Agent Parrish, could you please come with me?" he requested.

"Why?" Steve shot back, his protective instincts flaring as he stepped slightly before Evelyn, clearly reluctant to let her go.

Evelyn placed a steadying hand on his chest, a silent signal that she could manage this. "We have new uniforms for you to try on in five," Edwards continued, his tone firm yet measured, as if this were a simple matter.

"I'll be down in a moment," Evelyn assured, but Edwards' voice cut through her resolve before she could turn away.

"Now," he insisted; his eyes narrowed with an intensity that signalled this was not up for discussion. Evelyn's frown deepened as she pivoted back to face him. "They want you on five now. And Captain Rogers, they want you on seven for a debrief."

Evelyn's gaze locked with Steve's, and she could sense the unease on his face. Despite the tension, she managed a tight-lipped smile, offering him a nod before turning to follow Agent Edwards. They veered off in a different direction, heading toward the far side of the Triskelion.

Another S.H.I.E.L.D. agent emerged beside her as they approached the sleek glass elevators. Evelyn briefly glanced back, catching a glimpse of his stoic expression. He nodded in acknowledgment before continuing. Further down the corridor, two more agents exited a nearby room, standing at attention, their presence commanding and watchful. Behind her, footsteps alerted her to another pair of agents who had just joined the procession, their demeanour equally alert.

A knot tightened in Evelyn's stomach; she could feel the tension in the air. Her instincts screamed that something was about to go down. As they moved forward, she noticed one of the agents ahead of her subtly place his hand on the electric rod secured at his side—a clear warning signal. The team was fully equipped; their uniforms bore additional layers of padding, and their helmets gave them an almost robotic appearance, making them look somewhat intimidating.

Evelyn let out a small chuckle. "You poor souls."

The front two agents pulled out their electric rods, swung around, and aimed them at Evelyn. She ripped them from their grasp and smacked the agent to her left with one, and ducked and turned the other rod at the agent to her right. She twisted sideways, dodged a blow, and delivered a swift kick to their midsection. He crumpled to the ground, gasping for breath. She ducked under a punch and pivoted on her heel to land a precise elbow strike to the jaw. He staggered back, eyes rolling as he slumped against the wall.

Evelyn quickly rolled forward, avoiding their electric weapons, and began to run towards the elevator down the hall. A couple more agents appeared from surrounding rooms, and Evelyn didn't hesitate to smack one in the head with the rod while simultaneously throwing one behind her, hitting an agent straight in the chest and electrocuting him. She quickly smacked the elevator button to summon it and whipped around to face the oncoming crowd. She grabbed someone's wrist and twisted it until the taser slipped from their fingers. She followed through with a powerful knee to their abdomen, sending them crashing to the floor. When the next man aimed his taser, she grabbed his wrist and flipped him onto the floor, then used the taser to zap the next person down onto the floor before zapping the previous man.

The elevator chimed with a distinct sound, its doors sliding open to reveal a new group of agents waiting on the other side. A surge of anger coursed through Evelyn as she huffed. Without hesitation, she leapt into the elevator and slammed her palm against the emergency stop button, causing the metal doors to close behind her. Evelyn skillfully landed punches squarely on their jaws and delivered knee strikes that brought them down. Suddenly, a couple of agents pulled out syringes that looked eerily familiar to her. Her face contorted in horror as soon as she recognised the liquid inside.

Panic surged through Evelyn, compelling her to think fast. In a split second, she grabbed the closest man to her and swung him in front of her. The syringe plunged into him, and he immediately passed out. As he collapsed, she jumped up and kicked the man standing in front of her. She landed back on the ground, swung her leg around, and tripped another attacker. Seizing the opportunity, she grabbed the remaining syringes from their hands and turned them against the agents.

An agent swung his fist at Evelyn, but she dodged and seized his arm, using his momentum to throw him into the wall. He bounced back up and lunged at her again, this time aiming to grab her by the throat. Evelyn ducked under his grasp, spun around him, and delivered a solid kick to his back. He stumbled forward, crashing into one of his comrades and sending them sprawling to the ground.

The last man stood before Evelyn, and it didn't take long for him to swing his electric rod at her. However, she anticipated his move, quickly catching and throwing the rod from his hand. She then kneed him in the gut, grabbed him with both hands and slammed him against the ceiling of the elevator before slamming him back onto the floor.

Evelyn couldn't help the small smile that made its way onto her face. "God, it's been a while."

Evelyn looked around at the eight bodies sprawled out around her and let out a huff. She then spotted a syringe on the floor, picked it up, and put it into her pocket. She quickly looked around her and at the glass exterior of the elevator. She wasn't far from the bottom floor, so she grabbed one of the men's electric rods, smashed it against the glass, and stepped back. After a big huff, Evelyn took two steps forward and leapt out of the elevator. She landed perfectly on the cement below, and after scaring a couple of workers around her, she hurried to her feet and began to run towards the garage.

If Steve had also been attacked, he was likely making a beeline for the garage to grab his motorbike. In the distance, Evelyn spotted him racing out of the dimly lit garage, the roar of the engine echoing in the air as he charged towards a looming quinjet. With her heart pounding, she sprinted as quickly as she could. She reached him just as he hurled his shield at one of the jet's propellers. 

Evelyn's breath caught in her throat as she finally reached Steve, her fingers wrapping tightly around the bike handle so he could stand on the seat. Evelyn gave him a swift nod and without a moment to lose, she leapt onto the bike as Steve leapt onto the jet. With a thunderous crash, the jet spiralled down, smoke billowing around it as Steve landed with precision, shield in hand, and raced towards the motorbike.

"That was incredibly attractive," Evelyn said with a teasing smirk.

Steve's cheeks flushed a rosy pink, a smile breaking across his face, lighting up his features. "We should get going," he replied, urgency lacing his tone.

He hopped onto the back of the bike, his arms wrapping securely around Evelyn's waist. "Yes, Captain," she replied playfully, her voice mixed with determination. With a twist of the throttle, Evelyn revved the engine, and they burst forward, the world blurring around them as they sped away from the Triskelion.

AUTHORS NOTE
I'm so so sorry this took way too long. I'm going to try to speed this up now, considering this is the last movie for this book. But don't take my word for it 😬
Don't forget to like and comment!
Pheebs / -rosepetal