Frostbite

Four

The elevator dinged, informing us that we had reached the top floor. The doors opened, allowing Steve and I to exit and make our way down the hall. Steve and I had ridden over on his motorcycle thankfully. I don't think I could've handled anymore of the tension between everyone.

Steve and I had changed once we arrived. Him into his stealth suit, and me into my normal skinny cargos, tank, and leather jacket. I still refused to wear spandex or anything that resembled it. Unfortunately, that didn't stop Tony from relentlessly designing outfits for me.

Kate was talking to Alexander Pierce, Secretary to the world council, down the hall from us. Secretary Pierce had requested our presence immediately. Neither of us had ever met him before. He was in his late seventies, his blonde hair only starting to grey at the roots. He was slightly shorter than Steve, and his piercing blue eyes seemed to look straight through me.

"Captain Rogers, Agent Stark," Kate acknowledged as she walked away, her conversation with the secretary having ended.

"Neighbor," Steve replied coldly. As we stopped in front of Pierce, I strangely grew uncomfortable.

"Ah, Captain, Miss Stark. I'm Alexander Pierce," he introduced himself, smiling at us both and taking a sip from the coffee mug in his hand.

"Sir, it's an honor," Steve said, shaking his hand. Pierce held his hand out to me, and I hesitated before obliging.

"It's a pleasure sir," I told him warily. When our skin made contact, I suddenly grew cold and a raw feeling of fear that I hadn't felt since my time as a prisoner reared its nasty head. I quickly dropped his hand and followed him and Steve into his office, the feeling refusing to go away, nagging me in the back of my mind.

"The honor is all mine, Captain. My father served in the 101st," he said, stopping to point out a picture of him and Fury together while rummaging through the things on his desk, "That photo was taken five years after Nick and I met. When I was at the State Department in Bogota. ELN rebels took the embassy, and security got me out, but the rebels took hostages. Nick was deputy chief for 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 ELN didn't negotiate, so they put out a kill order. They stormed the basement, and what did they find? They find it empty. Nick had ignored my direct order and carried out an unauthorized military operation on foreign soil. He saved the lives of a dozen political officers, including my daughter."

"So, you gave him a promotion," I mused, Pierce taking a seat in one of the chairs, so Steve and I sat on the couch. Steve took his shield off and leaned it against the couch.

"I've never had any cause to regret it. Captain, why was Nick in your apartment last night?" he asked finally, his eyes studying the both of us.

"I don't know," Steve lied. My eyes flicked toward him for only a second, trying to keep my composure. I was surprised at his dishonesty.

"You know it was bugged?" Pierce inquired, already knowing the answer, I'm sure.

"I did, because Nick told me."

"Did he tell you he was the one who bugged it?" We both sat there in stunned silence. Pierce nodded, figuring as much.

"I want you to see something," he stated, bringing up a video feed on the monitor on the wall behind us. I twisted my head around to watch. It was Batroc being interrogated by a couple of men. He hadn't made it far since his escape on the ship.

"Who hired you, Batroc?" a S.H.I.E.L.D agent questioned the pirate.

"Is that live?" I asked, impressed that they had caught him so quickly.