Caught In The Widow's Web

Ch 12

The Triskelion, SHIELD Headquarters

"You want me to trust you but you make it so damn difficult." I say as Steve and I walk into Fury's office.

"You just can't stop yourself from lying, can you?" Steve asks.

"I didn't lie. Agent Romanoff had a different mission than yours." Fury says simply.

"Which you didn't feel obliged to share." I scoff.

"I'm not obliged to do anything." He retorts making me shake my head, clenching my jaw.

"Those hostages could've died, Nick" Steve tells him seriously.

"I sent the two greatest soldiers in history to make sure that didn't happen." He says looking between us.

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

"The last time I trusted someone, I lost an eye. Look, I didn't want you doing something you weren't comfortable with, Agent Romanoff is comfortable with everything." Fury shrugs.

"I can't lead a mission when the people I'm leading have missions on their own and especially if they don't take me serious until Cap agrees with what I'm doing." I say then look away shaking my head.

"It's called compartmentalization. Nobody spills the secrets because nobody knows them all." He says.

"Except you." Steve tells him.

"You're wrong about me. I do share. I'm nice like that." He smirks.

We then step into an elevator.

"Insight bay." Fury speaks.

"Captain Rogers and Sergeant Barnes do not have clearance for Project Insight." The computer responds.

"Director override. Fury, Nicholas J." Fury says.

"Confirmed."

The elevator starts to move down.

"You know, they used to play music." Steve says breaking the silence.

"Yeah. My grandfather operated one of these things for forty years. My grandad worked in a nice building, he got good tips. 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'." Grandad got to grippin' that lunch bag a little tighter." Fury says.

"Did he ever get mugged?" Steve asks turning to him.

"Every week some punk would say "what's in the bag?" He responds.

"What did he do?" Steve asks curiously.

"He'd show 'em. Bunch of crumpled ones and loaded .22 Magnum." He smiles.

"Grandad loves people. But he didn't trust them very much." He adds.

As we continue to ride down, Steve and I look over to see huge helicarriers.

"Yeah, I know. They're a little bit bigger than a .22." He says as the elevator stops and we step out.

Fury then goes to show us around.

"This is Project Insight. Three next generation Helicarriers synced to a network of targeting satellites." Fury says.

"Launched from the Lemurian Star." Steve says looking around.

"Once we get them in the air they never need to come down. Continuous surborbital flight courtesy of our new repulsor engines." He explains.

"Stark?" Steve questions with a raised eyebrow.