Ocean Eyes| s.rogers

11. Burning HYDRAs stump

My eyes open slowly, the first thing I could see was the roof. I turned my head my vision clear. My eyes landed on a man, it looked exactly like Nick. "Welcome back, Aunt Alya, thought we lost you there for a second,"

"Nick?" My voice hoarse from the obvious nap I took. "That's not possible," I mumble he laughs.

"It is, Tetrodotoxin B. Slows the pulse to one beat a minute. Bruce Banner developed it for stress. Didn't work so great for him, but we found a use for it," I turn my head from looking at him to looking at the roof before sitting up in the hospital bed. I groaned at the sore point in the shoulder.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"It had to look real. Of all the people after I 'died' you would be the most distraught," I sigh but nod at his explanation.

"Nicholas," I state he hums "do that to me again, and I'll bring you back just to kill you,"

"I wouldn't expect anything less from you, Aunt Alya,"

"This man declined the Nobel Peace Prize. He said, "Peace wasn't an achievement, it was a responsibility." See, it's stuff like this that gives me trust issues," I rolled my eyes at the dramatics coming from him

"You had trust issues way before you met him, Nicholas," he turned to glare at me which I returned with a raise of an eyebrow and a small smile which he returned sarcastically.

"We have to stop the launch," Natasha says interrupting our conversation.

"I don't think the councils accepting my calls anymore," Nick says opening a case that had 3 chips.

"What's that?" Sam asks

"Once the Helicarriers reach three thousand feet, they'll triangulate with Insight satellites becoming fully weaponized," Maria explains turning the computer so that we could see it.

"We need to breach those carriers and replace their targeting blades with our own,"

"One or two won't cut it. We need to link all three carriers for this to work, because if even one of those ships remains operational a whole lot of people are gonna die," Maria continues for Nick

"We have to assume everyone aboard those carriers is HYDRA. We need to get pass them, insert the server blades, and maybe, just maybe, we can salvage what's left..." Nick says my eyes snap from the computer to him

"Nicholas, are you insane?" I snap at him

"We're not salvaging anything. We're not just taking down the carriers, Nick, we're taking down SHIELD," Steve says before I could carry on

"SHIELD had nothing to do with it," Nick tries to defend

"Nick, it's our mission," I say "did you know in ancient mythology a hydra could only be killed if you burnt its stump," I say standing looking around the room seeing the confusion on their faces "today we are burning HYDRAs stump whether you like it or not," I say

"HYDRA grew right under your nose and nobody noticed," Steve said right after I finished

"Why do you think we're meeting in this cave? I noticed," Nick said

"And how many paid the price before you did?" I roll my eyes.

"Look, I didn't know about Barnes," Nick defends himself

"Even if you have, would you have told me? Or would you have compartmentalized that too? SHIELD, HYDRA, it all goes,"

"He's right," Maria and I say at the same time nick looks at Sam.

"Don't look at me. I do what he does, just slower," Sam says causing me to chuckle

"Well... Looks like you're giving the orders now, Captain,"

Sam and I joined Steve on the bridge he stood on. He looked like he was thinking hard, remembering something. "He's gonna be there, you know?" Sam tells him.

"I know," Steve says shortly looking at us

"Look, whoever he used to be, the guy he is now, I don't think he's the kind you save. He's the kind you stop," Sam says I take a few more steps to stand next to Steve

"I don't know if I can do that,"

"Well, he might not give you a choice. He doesn't know you," Steve doesn't seem swayed by this as he looks at us once more.

"He will. Gear up, it's time,"

"You gonna wear that?" I ask smirking at Steve

"No. If you're gonna fight a war, you gotta wear a uniform," I smile turning to walk with him.