The World Keeps Changing

Chapter 5

I met the man's calculating, one-eyed gaze, gave him a distasteful look and moved to close the door again without entering. "JARVIS, find me another room, please."

"We need to talk." I ignored the commanding voice, finished shutting the door and headed back for the elevator as briskly as I could still walk.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, there are no other rooms available." JARVIS answered.

"Then tell me when Nick Fury is no longer in my room, or in the building for that matter."

"Director Fury is not currently on premises, ma'am."

My heart jumped in my chest. "JARVIS, record this entire conversation along with all audio happening in my vicinity until I tell you to stop and send to Mr. Stark with an urgent marker. Also, patch Romanov with a live feed right now, please."

"Yes, ma'am."

I heard my name, snapped like the crack of a whip behind me. "I said, we goddammed need to talk."

I didn't stop. "We absolutely do not, Mr. Fury. You asked me for something. I gave you an answer. Months ago."

"I'm offering to pay you for something you're doing anyway."

"You seem to think this is some kind of negotiation or debate, Mr. Fury. I assure you, it is not." I was forced to stop in front of the elevators and he caught up with me.

"The Avengers-"

"I will not leverage my professional relationship with my clients to give you intel." I turned on him with a snarl as I backed into the elevator and pushed the lobby button. "And I will not put myself in your pocket so you can use me someday to get compliance from them, you fucking megalomaniac."

He bullied his way into the elevator with me and the elevator closed before I could go back. "These are dangerous fucking people. The Winter Soldier is an unknown factor and-"

"Of course he fucking is! Sergeant Barnes is a veteran and tortured POW of one of the bloodiest conflicts in human history and carting a case of c-PTSD to match! He was a science experiment for fuck sake!" I returned his bullying, crowding into his space, glaring up at the tall, spindly black man, right into his one eye. "News flash. JAMES BARNES is still a person. They all are still people, Fury!" My voice was growling straight from my chest. "I may just be the help, but I'm not a tool, and neither are they."

I shoved past him out of the elevator and immediately made a mad dash for the other elevator, "JARVIS! Penthouse elevator, emergency trip!"

I was short and not fast, but I hauled ass and hoped for the best as I hurtled myself across the empty lobby. My leg gave with a violent cramp as I reached the elevator and I followed the momentum as best I could, tucking and rolling ass over teakettle inside. I saw Fury pulling up half a dozen steps behind me. I flipped him the bird with a snarl as the doors closed. I just lay there on the floor panting, trying to make my leg bend again, face contorted in pain.

The doors opened on the event floor and Nat was there. I looked up at her. "Hi, Nat," I said with a weak, pained smile. "JARVIS, cut the recording now, thank you." I pushed up on my elbows, feeling just a little dumb. "Sorry," I said as she stepped on the elevator, doors closing behind her. "I've made baked beans for a hangry Hulk, but Nick Fury may be the scariest motherfucker I've ever met."

She smiled, looking spectacular in her gown for the benefit. "You aren't wrong," she said, offering me a hand up.

When we reached the penthouse, Bucky was coming up the hall, probably on another of his late night strolls and looked at me getting off the elevator with Nat in my normal beanie and chef pants with just a t-shirt, limping hard and still a little out of breath. "What's wrong? Cookie, are you okay?"