The Syndicates || "MARVEL: Avengers" || COMPLETED

S E V E N T E E N | ' SHIELD compromised '

. . . STEVE ROGERS . . .

"You busy?"

Steve froze up as he saw her, one of his hands still resting on the door to his apartment.

Silver Fox.

The woman who had been on the Lemurian Star, and the woman Marionette had discussed with him back in the helicarrier. Pivoting on his heel, he faced her fully, releasing his grip on the handle.

"What are you doing here?"

He stepped forward defensively, noticing the dark bruises surrounding her neck. She had been in a fight, and recently too. What was it about him that attracted ex-HYDRA agents?

"I came to warn you."

"About whoever's in my apartment? I'm aware."

"Your director's in your apartment." She said, dismissively, "I'm here to warn you about the HYDRA operative coming to kill him." He remained expressionless but the corner of his mouth twitched up, something only she would notice. A sign of shock. So, he hadn't known. That was good, it meant she could trust him for now.

Steve tilted his head to the right, toying with the sleeve of his navy blue jacket. Silver's eyes flickered over his plain attire, acknowledging his modest apartment block properly for the first time. He was humble for a superhero. All that influence and it seemed he hadn't once exploited it for himself.

"Looks like you went to a lot of trouble to get here." He remarked, eyes locked onto her every movement.

"We don't have the time for this." She glanced at the cracked digital watch on her wrist, taking a deep breath. It was now or never, "It's Winter- Bucky, who's coming."

He frowned. Apparently, everyone but him seemed to know that Bucky was alive.

"How can I trust you?" He asked, finally.

She sighed, "You can't. But Director Fury is in your apartment, that's a fact. Are you going to risk his life for this?"

Rogers clenched his teeth, glancing back at his door. She was right. Whether he trusted her or not, investigating his apartment wasn't a question. He would have to do it eventually, besides, he could handle himself.

Wordlessly, he strode past her, jogging down a flight of stairs without looking back.

"Where are you going?" Silver asked, her throat still too sore to yell after him. She threw up her hands in frustration just as a door swung open from a nearby unit. Releasing her ponytail to cover her face, she hustled around the corner, keeping her head down as the person passed her by. He appeared to be a man in his late twenties, likely not a threat, but by the time he'd disappeared, so had Steve.

Clambering up the outside of his apartment, Rogers slid open his window on the third floor, swinging himself through with a quiet grunt. The instant his feet met the wooden floorboards of his bedroom, he dropped into a crouch, snatching his shield from where he'd left it- leant up against his cabinet. He edged towards the source of the music, pausing after every step he took. Listening intently, he peered into his living room and for a moment, his gaze rested on the active vinyl player in confusion before they drifted towards the man laying silently beside it. Fury. Drenched in darkness, too. Rogers clenched his teeth, leaning against the side of the door with his head down. So, she was right after all.