Traceur

•08•

Steve's POV.
-Minutes before-
I drive up to my apartment, depression settling over me. Ever since Levi's outburst...our argument...everything has seemed five times duller than usual. Usually, she'd be driving right beside me, since she does own a motorcycle, she just doesn't use it much. She has a room in my apartment, and we're like a tiny family. But she still hasn't come back home, or back to the Tower, to my knowledge. It's been hours, and she still hasn't come back.

To say that I'm worried would be an understatement. I know she can fend for herself- I learned that firsthand when we met, all those years ago- but I still worry. She's like my daughter...but apparently, she does not see me as a fatherly figure in her life. She made that crystal clear.

I head on up to my apartment, pausing as I catch my neighbor on the phone with someone, a bin of laundry balanced in her arms.

"That's so sweet. That is so nice," she replies to something on the other line. I pause, smiling at her. She's a very nice woman, as far as I'm aware.

"Hey, I gotta go, though. Okay, bye," she ends the call, smiling charmingly. She turns to me.

"My aunt, she's kind of an insomniac," she explains, laughing apologetically. I smile at her.

"Yeah..."

"Hey," I begin, trying to not stutter, "if you want...if you want, you're welcome to use my machine. Might be cheaper than the one in the basement."

She smirks at me. "Oh, yeah? What's it cost?"

"A cup of coffee?" I try, still not too good at this...whatever this is. Is this considered flirting?

"Thank you," she sighs, "but um...I already have a load downstairs and, uh...you really don't want my scrubs in your machine. I just finished orientation with the infectious diseases ward...so..."

I playfully put up my hands in surrender, a little disappointed, for some reason. "Ah, well, I'll keep my distance."

"Well, hopefully not too far," she replies, and I nod, turning to head inside my apartment. My cheery mood fades away as she says, "Oh, and I think you left your stereo on."

I continue without hesitating, although I know for certain that there's someone inside there. I didn't leave my stereo on. In fact, we only have it because Levi likes to blast foul rock music at ungodly times of the day. Along with playing some rather...vulgar songs just to aggravate me. Ugh, I miss her.

"Oh, right. Thank you," I reply, and wait until she's heading down the stairs before I give my door a well-warmed look of suspicion.

Who's hiding behind you?

...

I shimmy through the small window, listening to the sounds of music from my time as they drift through the seemingly empty apartment. I know that it definitely isn't Levi in here; she hates my 'old-time-y' music.

I hold up my shield, sneaking into my own apartment. I head towards the sound of the stereo...

...to find Nick in my chair, with the lights off.

"I don't remember giving you a key," I grumble, watching as he shifts a bit.

"You really think I'd need one? My wife kicked me out."

I furrow my eyebrows. There's obviously something deeper going on here.

"Didn't know you were married."

"A lot of things you don't know about me."

"I know, Nick," I growl. "That's the problem." I turn on the light, and my eyes widen. Nick's covered in injuries, from a broken arm to an open scar across his nonexistent hairline.

He turns off the light, then types something into his phone.

'SHIELD compromised'

My breath stops on my throat, but I force the question out. "Who else knows about your wife?"

Fury types in something, and shows it to me again.

'You and me'

"Just...my friends," he manages, beginning to type something else into there.

"Is that what we are?" I ask, he looks me on the eye.

"That's up to you," he replies, just before chaos strikes. In just a blink of an eye, Fury's shot, then again, and again. Three growing bloodstains on his clothing.

He drops off the chair, and I look out the window for the shooter. I stare at the dark-clad figure as it packs up its gun and starts running. Quickly, I drag Fury into the next room,then tense, ready to leave. He suddenly shoots up, grabbing my hand and forcing the phone and a flash drive into it.

"Don't...trust...anyone," he grunts, before passing out. The door slams open, and I shove the two items into my pocket as someone enters.

"Captain Rogers?" I pause at the voice. It's...her.

"Captain, I'm Agent 13 of SHIELD Special Service."

My neighbor walks into the room, gun pointed and ready. "Kate?" I ask, feeling lost and betrayed.

Was our sort-of friendship just...a lie?

"I'm assigned to protect you," she states calmly, and I narrow my eyes.

"Under whose order?"

She freezes, noticing Fury in the ground.

"His," she whispers, before dropping down to his side and pulling out a radio.

"Foxtrot is down, he's unresponsive. I need EMTs!"

A voice crackles from the other line. "Do you have a twenty on the shooter?"

I clench my jaw.

"Tell him I'm in pursuit."

I get up and rush down the hall, probably disturbing tons of people. I smash through the walls of the office building I managed to get into, then finally catch up with the shooter on the rooftop. I'm still a distance away, so I throw my shield at them.

To my surprise, the lithe figure leaps up and catches the disk, spinning effortlessly before sending it flying right back at me. I catch it, still in shock, and start running as they jump off the building. I don't see anything, but catch a glimpse of a stray strand of hair that's drifting across the rooftop. Pulling my jacket sleeve over my hand, I pick it up, clenching it in my fist and bringing it to my face.

To my shock, I recognize the strand from all those showers at my apartment, where I had to unclog hundreds of the very same hairs from the drain.

Levi.