I Can't Help It - Steve Rogers

Chapter 18

Fury is rushed to hospital and Kate goes with him while Rachel waits for Steve to get back. She needs to know that he's ok and so she anxiously waits for him after she washes her hands, removing all the blood from them. She hears footsteps through the apartment and remains quiet, concerned about whether it's Steve or not. She grabs a knife from the counter and hides. Steve rounds the corner and she sighs in relief as she lowers the knife. "Are you okay?" Steve asks as he walks towards her. "Are you hurt?" he asks concerned when he sees the blood stains on her grey shirt and starts looking for any wounds. "I'm okay. Steve, it's not my blood" she assures him as she takes his hands. He nods and relaxes. "We need to get to the hospital" she states and he nods as they exit the apartment. "Get on" Steve says as he climbs onto his bike and starts the engine. Rachel quickly hops on and wraps her arms around his waist.

They stand beside each other as they watch doctors operate on Fury, doing everything they can to save his life. Nat rushes in and stands beside Rachel as she watches worriedly. "Is he gonna make it?" she asks. "I don't know" Steve replies in defeat. "Tell me about the shooter" Nat demands. "He's fast, strong. Had a metal arm" Steve explains as he looks down and away from the surgery happening on the other side of the glass. Rachel places her hand on top of his for comfort as Maria approaches them after finishing her phone call.

"Ballistics?" Nat asks Maria. "Three slugs, no rifling. Completely untraceable" she answers. "Soviet made" Nat finishes, causing Maria to look at her surprised uttering a "Yeah". Suddenly, the doctors start rushing as Fury flatlines, causing everyone to stand straight as they watch. "Don't do this to me Nick" Nat whispers as Rachel raises her hand to her mouth while both of their eyes fill with tears. Nat continues to whisper those words as the doctors call time of death as 1.03am. Steve walks away while the girls fight the tears in their eyes. Rachel stands beside Steve as he opens his palm to reveal the hard drive Fury gave them. They look at each other, completely clueless on what to do next.

Nat says her goodbyes to Fury while Steve and Rachel stand against the wall, having already said their goodbyes. Maria approaches, "We need to take him" she states and Rachel nods. She walks towards Nat and places a hand on her shoulder. "Nat" she starts but Nat only shrugs her hand off and leaves the room. Steve follows her with Rachel close behind. "Natasha" he calls and she turns around, stopping abruptly. "Why was Fury in your apartment?" she asks. "I don't know" Steve sighs. Natasha raises her eyebrows before looking at her friend, Rachel. "We don't know Nat" she answers, backing Steve up, remembering what Fury told them. "Cap, Forbes, they want you back at Shield" Rumlow tells them and they both turn around. "Yeah, give us a second" Rachel replies before turning back to Nat. "They want you now" Rumlow says more sternly. "Okay" Steve responds with a glare. "You're terrible liars" Nat says before leaving them. Steve quickly hides the hard drive in a vending machine before they both leave with Strike.

Steve and Rachel put on their Shield uniforms and make their way to Secretary Pierce's office for questioning. "So we agree, that we have to keep this to ourselves?" Steve asks quietly. "Yeah, we don't know who's compromised. Just play dumb" Rachel answers just as quietly. They walk past Kate who greets Steve with a "Captain". But Steve only replies "Neighbour" with clear frustration. They both greet Alexander Pierce with a handshake. "Sir, it's an honour" Steve says. "The honour is mine Captain. My father served in 101st. Come on in" Pierce replies and allows Steve in. "Agent Forbes, Violet" he greets Rachel with a handshake. "Sir" she nods before he allows her inside as well.

"That photo was taken five years after Nick and I met, when I was at State Department in Bogota. ELN rebels took the embassy, and security got me out but the rebels took hostages. Nick was Deputy Chief of the Shield 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'. Turned out the ELN didn't negotiate so they put out a kill order. They stormed the basement, and what do they find? They find it empty. 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 tells Rachel and Steve as they study a photograph of Fury and Pierce.

"So you gave him a promotion" Steve states knowingly. "I've never had any cause to regret it. Captain, why was Nick in your apartment last night?" Pierce questions. "I don't know" Steve answers with the shake of his head. "Did you know it was bugged?" Pierce asks. "I did, because Nick told us" Steve answers. "Did he tell you he was the one who bugged it?" Pierce questions and they both just stare back at Pierce without flinching. "I want you to see something" Pierce says as he brings a screen to life. "Is that live?" Rachel asks. "Yeah, they picked him up last night in a not-so safe house outside Algiers" Pierce explains. "Are you saying he's a suspect? Assassination isn't Batroc's line" Steve questions. "No, it's more complicated than that" Pierce answers.

"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" Pierce continues. "Am I supposed to know who that is?" Steve asks as he's handed a file. He opens it and he and Rachel skim through the information. "Not likely, Veech died 6 years ago. His last address as 1435 Elmhurst Drive. When I first met Nick his mother lived at 1437" Pierce elaborates, causing Steve and Rachel to raise their heads in surprise. "Are you saying Fury hired the pirates?" Rachel assumes. "Why?" Steve adds. "The prevailing theory, was that the hijacking was a cover for a acquisition and sale of classified intelligence. The sale went sour and that led to Nick's death" Pierce suggests with confidence and Rachel finds herself losing her cool. "If you really knew Nick Fury, you'd know that's not true" Steve argues. "Why do you think we're talking?" Pierce questions.

"See, I took a seat on the Council not because I wanted to, but because Nick asked me to, because we were both realists" Pierce explains as he elaborates on his point and Rachel starts losing her cool more and more and sighs in frustration. Steve notices and takes her hand. "You two were the last people to see Nick alive. I don't think that's an accident. And I don't think you do either" Pierce assumes. "So, I'm gonna ask again. Why was he there?" Pierce pushes and Rachel finds herself squeezing Steve's hand. "He told us not to trust anyone" Steve states. "I wonder if that included him" Pierce suggests. "I'm sorry, those were his last words. Excuse us" Rachel responds before they start to leave. "Captain, somebody murdered my friend and I'm gonna find out why. Anyone gets in my way they're gonna regret it. Anyone" Pierce warns. "Understood" Steve states before they leave and Rachel lets out a breath.