Swan Song ✧ STEVE ROGERS [✓]

28 - Fear, Not Freedom

THE TRIP BACK TO THE TRISKELION WAS VERY LONG AND VERY TENSE. Both Steve and Raevanna were upset with Natasha for not telling them about her separate mission, but it was Raevanna who knew that it had been Fury who had assigned it to her. So she had convinced Steve to go with her to confront him about it, knowing that if anything, Fury would tell her why he did what he did.

Sure, Raevanna did respect Fury. He was a good leader, and since she worked for SHIELD she had to (for the most part) follow his orders. But she did not trust him in the slightest. A man with as many secrets as him couldn't be trusted, in her opinion. Tony's words to her three years prior had rung true: his secrets have secrets. And Raevanna didn't like it one bit.

When they arrived at the Triskelion, Raevanna led Steve through the halls and towards Fury's office. Raevanna's eyes were narrowed slightly in anger as she pushed open the door; she had many strong words for the man.

"You just can't stop yourself from lying, can you?" Raevanna snapped to Fury as they entered.

"I didn't lie," Fury replied calmly, clearly knowing what Raevanna and Steve were upset about. "Agent Romanoff had a different mission than yours."

"Which you didn't feel obliged to share," Steve argued. 

"I'm not obliged to do anything," Fury replied. 

"Those hostages could've died, Nick," Raevanna said.

"I sent two of the greatest heroes in history to make sure that didn't happen," Fury told her.

"Soldiers trust each other, that's what makes it an army," Steve said. "Not a bunch of guys running around and shooting guns."

"The last time I trusted someone, I lost an eye." Fury glanced at the two. "Look, I didn't want you two doing anything you weren't comfortable with. Agent Romanoff is comfortable with everything."

"I can't lead a mission when the people I'm leading have missions of their own," Steve told him.

"It's called compartmentalization," Fury informed him. "Nobody spills the secrets because nobody knows them all."

Steve pointed at Fury. "Except you."

Fury was silent for a moment before he spoke. "You're wrong about me. I do share. I'm nice like that."

He gestured for the two to follow him, turning and walking out of the office. Raevanna glanced at Steve in confusion before she trailed after the man, stepping into an elevator with Steve following behind her. 

"Insight Bay," Fury said once the doors closed. 

"Agent Knight and Captain Rogers do not have clearance for Project Insight," the SHIELD computer answered. 

"Director override, Fury, Nicholas J," Fury told it.

"Confirmed," the computer said, and at those words the elevator started moving down. 

The three were quiet as the elevator went down. Raevanna's hands drummed against her thigh, her eyes down as she pushed down her growing emotions. As much as she hated to admit it, Fury was just doing his job. She couldn't fault him for that.

"You know, they used to play music," Steve said after a moment. 

Fury chuckled. "Yeah. My grandfather operated one of these things for forty years." Looking around, he leaned back and put his hands in his pockets before addressing the two. "My granddad worked in a nice building, he got good tips. He'd walk home every night, roll of ones stuffed in his lunch bag. He'd say 'hi', people would say hi back. Time went on, neighborhood got rougher. He'd say 'hi',  they'd say, 'Keep on steppin'.' Granddad got to grippin' that lunch bag a little tighter."