The Soldier's Girl

Trusting no one

As soon as we arrive at Headquarters, Steve and I waste no time bursting into the directors office still in our suits having just come back and leaving Nat and the STRIKE team to handle the pirates and hostages.

"You just can't stop yourself from lying, can you?" I speak loudly making no announcement.

Nick was facing away from us, gazing out his window. Practically infuriating me.
"I didn't lie. Agent Romanoff had a different mission than yours." Nick spoke.
"Which you didn't feel obliged to share." I counter.
"I'm not obliged to do anything." Nick spoke finally turning around.
"I'm a founder Fury! Did you forget that while gazing at the skyline?"
Nick didn't answer me making me cross my arms. Thank God Steve spoke up because I was about to blow.
"Those hostages could've died, Nick."

"I sent the greatest soldier in history and the best agent in the world to make sure that didn't happen." Nick said as if that would change anything.
"Soldiers trust each other, that's what makes it an army. Not a bunch of guys running around and shooting guns." Steve replied making a very valid point.
"The last time I trusted someone, I lost an eye. Look, I didn't want you doing anything you weren't comfortable with. Agent Romanoff is comfortable with everything."

Oh please. He was being so dramatic. Stop the theatrics Nick!
"I can't lead a mission when the people I'm leading have missions of their owns."
"It's called compartmentalization. Nobody spills the secrets because nobody knows them all."

This is exactly why I didn't trust anyone at the minute. A few months ago Fury and I were like two peas in a pod. Now he was hiding nearly everything from me. Was it jealously because Steve's back, who knows?!

"Except you." I fire back.
"You're wrong about me. I do share. I'm nice like that."
Before I can utter another insulting word to him he walks off and just gestures for us to follow.

Listen. I follow no man.

Steve saw the deathly look behind my eyes and sighed as he picked up my hand and squeezed it gesturing for me to lead the way.
I give him a small smile, thankful for him always being a gentleman and gladly walk in front slightly swaying my hips.

I'm sure anyone in the building at this point could tell I'm pissed off and not to mess with me. People either turned around or stepped meters out of my way down the corridor.
I step into the elevator with Steve following behind.
"Insight bay." Nick states.
"Captain Rogers does not have clearance for Project Insight and Agent Smith needs confirmation."
I swear I've never whipped my head around to look at someone so fast. Nick avoided my gaze.
"Founder override. Allison Roslyn Smith." I spit. Steve rubs his thumb over the back of my hand but I still can't help the anger rising within me.
"Access granted. Confirmed." The computer spoke back to me.

I literally for the first time in my life huffed. Call me petty, I dare you. I'll stab you in the back faster than fricken Loki God of Mischief.

"You know, they used to play music." Steve spoke into the deathly silence, trying to defuse the tension practically radiating off me.
"Yeah. My grandfather operated one of these things for forty years. My granddad worked in a nice building, he got good tips. He'd walk home every night, roll of ones stuffed in his lunch bag. He'd say "hi", people would say hi back. Time went on, neighborhood got rougher. He'd say "Hi", they'd say, "Keep on steppin'. Granddad got to grippin' that lunch bag a little tighter." Nick told his story to us.

"Did he ever get mugged?" Steve asked curiously.
"Every week some punk would say, "What's in the bag?""
"What did he do?" Steve asked again.
"He'd show 'em. Bunch of crumpled ones and loaded .22 Magnum. Granddad loved people. But he didn't trust them very much." Fury smiled.

As we continue to ride down the elevator Steve notices the giant Helicarriers.
"Yeah, I know. They're a little bit bigger than a .22." Nick states.
"Yeah. Just a bit." I say sarcastically.

"This is Project Insight. Three next generation Helicarriers synced to a network of targeting satellites." Nick announces as we step out of the elevator.
"Launched from the Lemurian Star." Steve says.
"Once we get them in the air they never need to come down. Continuous suborbital flight courtesy of our new repulsor engines."
"Stark?" Steve asks me.
"Well, he had a few suggestions once he got an up close look at our old turbines." I tell him.

"These new long range precision guns can eliminate a thousand hostiles a minute. The satellites can read a terrorist's DNA before he steps outside his spider hole. We gonna neutralize a lot of threats before they even happen." Nick says.

Something just didn't sit well with my about this project. I think that's originally why people started to keep secrets from me. I would reject many projects that came about SHIELD's way. This was another one I would have. Having all of this sitting here ready to be ambushed. In the wrong hands it would be a death sentence.

"I thought the punishment usually came after the crime." Steve spoke out again.
I couldn't agree more with that.
"We can't afford to wait that long." Nick told him.
"Who's "we"? Because I know for a fact it's not you and Allison, given the fact you didn't tell her till the project was practically finished." Steve spat back.
"After New York, I convinced the World Security Council we needed a quantum surge in threat analysis. For once we're way ahead of the curve." Nick sighed knowing full well I didn't agree with this.

"By holding a gun at everyone on Earth and calling it protection." I speak bluntly.
"You know, I read those SSR files. Greatest generation? You guys did some nasty stuff." Nick fired back.
"Yeah, we compromised. Sometimes in ways that made us not sleep so well. But we did it so the people could be free. This isn't freedom, this is fear."

Steve was right. We didn't always make the best decisions, majority on the spot but they were always for the right reasons. This was not in any way a good enough reason. And I feared Nick and the rest of SHIELD would soon see this.

"SHIELD takes the world as it is, not as we'd like it to be. It's getting damn near past time for you to get with that program, Cap. The same for you Allison."
"I'm a founder Nick. I know damn well what I built this business on. So I don't need you or anyone else to remind me. I have a lot of things I want to say but I will save that for our next head meeting. I don't want to regret anything and I am done being treated like a walk mat. This is the last time someone ever takes advantage of me." I spit to my once friend before walking off before I say anything else.

"Don't hold your breath." I hear Steve say before he too follows me out.

I don't say anything until I get to my locker room where my suit and weapons are. I immediately start to rip my weapons off and take my hair out. I was so frustrated.

I soon stopped however, when two large hands wrapped around my waist and pulled me into a chest. I sighed into it and grabbed the front of his suit.

"I'm so tired and fed up." I say quietly.
"I know. I know. I am too. Just try and forget about it ok? Let's do something fun, take your mind off things." Steve offered.

I look up to meet his gaze and smile slightly.
"What did you have in mind?" I ask.
"Well firstly, we'll take my bike out of here so you can burn off some steam while we drive. Then I heard about this amazing Captain America exhibit at the Smithsonian and I thought maybe we should check it out?" He joked smugly making me laugh.

"Making sure your facts are right?" I tease.
"Absolutely. C'mon it'll be fun." He said.
"Ok. Will you unzip my suit?" I asked.
"Of course! You know maybe we could just go home, I know another way you can easily burn off some steam."

I slapped his chest and he laughed loudly.
"Stephen!"
"Alright, alright I'm joking. But it's not a bad idea."
"You'll be lucky if you get any action tonight." I told him as he unzipped the back of my suit.
"Now get out!" I teasingly scolded him, as I slapped his ass playfully making him laugh again as he walked out.