illogical

𝚌𝚑. 08

❗this chapter contains: cursing, violence, disturbing images, Alexander Pierce

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Katerina Koroleva stood in the corner of the meeting room, next to the window that overlooked the city below. She kept glancing out to look at the buildings. She didn't recognize any of them, as she had never been to Washington D.C. She liked St. Petersburg better.

Alexander Pierce had gathered up a gaggle of people. Three men and one woman, not including Pierce himself. They all wore fancy clothes and held thin glasses of champagne, mingling with one another. It flashed Katerina back to the galas she attended with her father and sister.

Katerina tried to listen in on their conversations but it wasn't anything important. Just generic small talk. She watched the woman, though. Something about her wrists was wrong. The sleeve of her dark blue dress coat moved oddly when she lifted her to take a drink. Katerina didn't think much of it, though. It could just be a thick bracelet or something.

When a voice sounded over the intercom, she didn't think too much of it. Although, after listening to exactly what Steve Rogers was saying, Katerina wrapped her fingers around the handle of her holstered gun a little bit tighter.

"Attention, all SHIELD agents." His voice crackled over the speaker. "This is Steve Rogers. You've heard a lot about me over the last few days, some of you were even ordered to hunt me down. But I think it's time you know the truth. SHIELD is not what we thought it was, it's been taken over by HYDRA. Alexander Pierce is their leader. The STRIKE and Insight crew are HYDRA as well. I don't know how many more, but I know they're in the building. They could be standing right next to you. They almost have what they want: absolute control. They shot Nick Fury and it won't end there. If you launch those Helicarriers today, HYDRA will be able to kill anyone that stands in their way, unless we stop them. I know I'm asking a lot, but the price of freedom is high, it always has been, and it's a price I'm willing to pay. And if I'm the only one, then so be it. But I'm willing to bet I'm not."

More SHIELD ruses. The lies never stopped, did they?

Katerina didn't understand why this Steve Rogers was talking about HYDRA like that. Why he was talking about her like that. Being the forgiving person she is, she let it go. She would probably kill him eventually, anyway.

The other people in the room seemed convinced. More corrupted by SHIELD. They slowly turned towards Pierce. One of them, a bald and wrinkly man, broke the silence first.

"You smug son of a bitch," he growled. Katerina did not know his name. She didn't need to know his name

One of the other men, one with greying hair and an accent Katerina didn't recognize, looked straight at her and gestured to Pierce.

"Arrest him," he said to her. He thought Katerina was SHIELD. He thought Katerina was SHIELD? She fought the urge to visibly shudder and instead looked at Pierce for instruction. The blonde nodded his head slightly. Katerina unholstered the pistol at her side and pointed it at the man who had tried to command her. He took a step back in surprise, staring down the barrel of her weapon.

Alexander shrugged slightly, smirking. "I guess I've got the floor."

Two things caught Katerina's eye. From the window, she could see doors opening in the river below her, giant metal machines starting to fly. She watched them carefully in her peripheral. Small dots darted frantically around the aircrafts. She saw gunfire. She didn't know what anything going on down there meant.