national anthem → s . rogers ( 2 )

[4]

Steve and Blossom entered SH.I.E.L.D HQ, and they saw Agent 13 talking with Alexander Pierce. As they walked by, 13 looked at them, giving Blossom a cold nod.

"Captain."

"Neighbor," Steve replied, and they approached Pierce.

"Oh. Captain, and the Mrs., I presume?" he nodded to Blossom, who nodded her agreement to his statement.

"I'm Alexander Pierce," he stuck out his hand for them to shake, which they both did.

"Sir, it's an honor, and I'm sure I'm speaking for the both of us," Steve held his wife's hand, and she nodded again.

"The honor's mine, Captain and Agent. My father served in the 101st. Come on in. Oh, and Mrs. Rogers, Fury always spoke highly of you and your sister. I'm sure you won't disappoint," he led them both inside, with the lovers sharing a look. As they were in the office, Blossom looked around silently, and Steve found a picture of Fury with Pierce.

'Did he ever have any hair?' Blossom found herself thinking.

"That photo was taken five years after Nick and I met, when I was at State Department in Bogota. 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". Turned out, the E.L.N didn't want to negotiate, so they put in a kill order. They stormed the basement, and what do they find? They find it empty," Pierce told them, sitting down. Steve and Blossom followed suit, and Pierce resumed talking.

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

"He always was a bit crazy," Blossom said softly, and he chuckled.

"Right you are, young lady," Pierce agreed, and she blushed lightly.

"So you gave him a promotion," Steve interjected, and Pierce looked at him.

"I've never had any reason to regret it," Pierce leaned forward. prompting Blossom to shift back a bit. In truth, she never trusted him. Hi didn't seem like the trustworthy type to her, but she couldn't tell Steve. He'd argue with her, and that was something neither of them needed at that moment.

"Captain, Agent, why was Nick in your apartment last night?" Pierce asked, and Blossom subtly dug her nails into her palm, going unnoticed by Pierce, or her husband.

"I don't know," Steve mumbled, shaking his head and not making eye contact with Pierce.

"Did you know it was bugged?"

"I did, because Nick told me."

"Did he tell you he was the one who bugged it?" Pierce asked, and Blossom looked at her husband. She noticed how his eyes held betrayal, and she reached for his hand squeezing it gently.

"I want to show you something. Your wife may see it as well, since she has been reinstated," Pierce reached over to type something in, and a video feed popped up.

"Who is that?" Blossom asked, turning to face the screen. No one in the room answered her, but the interrogator on the screen answered her question.

'Who hired you, Batroc?'

"Is that live?' Steve asked, regretting the decision of ignoring his wife.

"Yeah, they picked him up last night at a not-so-safe house in Algiers," Pierce told them, and Blossom sighed internally.