41. Nothing Personal

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Everly's heart skipped at the sound of each beep that flowed through the glass window. With a cocked hip and her arms crossed over her chest, she let out a shaky sigh. Nicholas Fury laid atop a table in an operating room on the opposite side of the glass. The door to the hallway suddenly flew open, causing her to jump as a worried Natasha Romanoff hurried over to them. Her eyes instantly locked onto Fury, a blood splattered, blue sheet covering him as the surgeons went to work. For a while, the beeping monitor was the only sound to fill the hall until Nat gulped and glanced at Steve who stood to her right.

"Is he gonna make it?"

"I don't know." He replied, not daring to peel his eyes away from the unconscious man before them.

"Tell me about the shooter." Nat asked quietly. Everly's stomach dropped as she turned to look at the flaming haired woman.

"He's fast. Strong." Steve hesitated. "Had a metal arm." Agent Maria Hill walked up behind Nat and stared into the operating room. 

"Ballistics?" Nat stuttered.

Maria shook her head lightly. "Three slugs, no rifling. Completely untraceable."

"Soviet made." Natasha added quietly. Everly's heart began to race in her chest. She knew the metal-armed man. She knew him, and yet she had no idea who he was. Steve sent her a questioning look at the panic that swam through her brown eyes.

"It's dropping." Her attention snapped back to the room where the doctors began to rush around. The beeping grew faster and her eyes widened. "He's in V-tach."

"Crash cart coming in."

"BP's dropping."

"Defibrillator!" 

Everly took a small step back from the window and glanced over at Natasha, whose eyes threated to spill tears. 

"Don't do this to me Nick." She mumbled softly. They all watched with sad eyes as the doctors repeatedly shocked him, trying desperately to bring him back from the brink. The beeping faded into a constant ring as the line on the monitor flattened. "Don't do this to me Nick. Don't do this to me." Nat repeated in a whisper. Everly's gaze fell to the floor and she hesitated before leaving the room entirely.

Once they'd cleaned up, the doctors allowed Natasha, Steve, and Everly to get one last look at Director Fury. Everly stayed leaned up against the far wall, unable to bring herself any closer. Occasionally, her eyes flickered to the corpse and watched his chest carefully, just waiting for it to rise. Though he remained motionless. Steve walked up beside her as Natasha moved to stand next to Fury.

Everly dug her hands in her pockets and her eyes widened slightly when she recognized the flash drive brushing against her fingers. She nudged Steve lightly and plucked it from her pocket, holding it out to him. He met her eyes before his gaze fell to the drive, which he took hesitantly from her palm. He turned it over in his hands a few times before Maria Hill approached them. Quickly, he stuffed it in his pocket and huffed.

"I need to take him." Hill said in a shaky voice, giving away the fact that she'd been crying. Steve nodded lightly and stepped up beside Natasha, who gently placed her hand on Fury's forehead before hurrying from the room. Everly frowned and followed as Steve chased after her.

"Natasha." He called down the hall. She spun on her heel, catching them off guard.

"Why was Fury in your apartment?" 

Steve took a deep breath and shrugged. "I don't know." He lied. Everly fidgeted nervously where she stood as Nat's piercing eyes flickered to her. 

Everly || Steve RogersWhere stories live. Discover now