Viper

Chapter 1: Angry Brother

Several months later Tony and Sarah are helping Pepper and Rhodey with some shit that's going down at Stark Industries, and I'm at the Triskelion watching surveillance footage of Nat and my brother taking down the Lemurian Star. Agent Sitwell is there, which I find curious. I see Steve find Romanoff, and I know he will be pissed. A bomb then goes off, and I am officially in for it. Later at the Triskelion SHIELD Headquarters, my brother comes to see me.

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"You just can't stop yourself from lying, can you?"

"I didn't lie, Steve. Agent Romanoff had a different mission than yours."

"Which you didn't feel obliged to share."

"Just because you're my brother, doesn't mean I'm obliged to do anything."

"Ady, those hostages could have died."

"I sent the second greatest soldier in history to make sure that didn't happen."

"Soldiers trust each other. That's what makes it an army. Not a bunch of guys running around shooting guns."

"Last time I trusted someone, he almost destroyed the world. Look, I didn't want you doing anything you weren't comfortable with, Stevie. Agent Romanoff is comfortable with everything."

"I can't lead a mission when the people I'm leading have missions of their own."

"It's called compartmentalization. Nobody spills the secrets, because nobody knows them all."

"Except you."

I look at him with a hard glare for a few seconds before standing straight up.

"You're wrong about me. You've been back, what? A year? I've been here all one hundred or—whatever—the number is now. But I do share, and you of all people should know that, brother. I'm nice like that. Insight Bay," I say to the elevator as we get on.

Captain Rogers does not have clearance for Project Insight.

"Director override. Jones, Elizabeth A."

Confirmed.

"I'm sorry for snapping at you, Ady."

"It's okay, honey. I should warn you though. What I'm about to show you is another one of the Council's ideas, and I didn't approve it. In fact, I want nothing to do with it, but—as you know—I don't always get my way. So, do you understand?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"You're not gonna blow up at me?"

"No, ma'am."

"Good. Here we are."

Steve stands in shock as the carriers appear in our view. We walk out and begin our tour.

"This is Project Insight. Three next generation helicarriers synced to a network of targeting satellites."

"Launched from the Lemurian Star."

"Once we get them in the air, they never need to come down. Continuous sub-orbital flight, courtesy of our new repulsor engines."

"Stark?"

"The three of us had a few suggestions before I realized the purpose. These long new range precision guns can eliminate 1,000 hostiles a minute. The satellites can read a terrorist's DNA before he steps outside his spider hole. They say we're gonna neutralize a lot of threats before they even happen."

"Thought the punishment usually came after the crime."

"Remember what I said, hon?"

"Yes, Ady. Sorry, ma'am."

"If you'll excuse me—" I say gesturing to the elevator.

"Of course. See you later, boss."

"Sure, get out of here."