Three's A Crowd

Thirty One | Looks Aren't Everything Samuel

[CA:TWS SPOILERS AHEAD!!!]

At his house, Pierce goes to his kitchen to get a drink when he sees the Winter Soldier sat behind him, all guns out on the coffee table in front of him.

"I'm going to go, Mr. Pierce. You need anything before I leave?" the housekeeper calls out, still thick accented despite living in the States for so long.

Pierce, who is still holding a staring contest with the Winter Soldier, calls back out to her, sure that she had absolutely no idea he had managed to sneak in. "No. Uh... i-it's fine, Renata, you can go home."

"Okay, night-night."

"Good night." Pierce says. As soon as the door clicks shut, indicating that Renata had left, Pierce continues around the counter to rummage through his fridge. "Want some milk?" he asked light-heartedly, despite knowing that the Winter Soldier wouldn't reply. He chuckled at the sudden confusion that flashed through the asset's face, the little quirk his eyebrows furrowed for a short period of time before giving him a complete, resting bitch face. "The timetable has moved. Our window is limited. Three targets, Level Six." Pierce says, as he pours himself a glass of milk and goes over to join the Winter Soldier at the little coffee table.

"They already cost me Zola. I want confirmed death in ten hours." Pierce ordered, stern and serious. Just then, Renata interrupts them as she enters the kitchen.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Pierce, I... I forgot my phone." she says, slowly picking it up on the small table beside her as she locks eyes with the Winter Soldier. Pierce sighs, shaking his head.

"Oh, Renata... I wish you would have knocked."

And with the final statement Pierce picks up the gun from the table, shooting her two times in the chest, killing her instantly. He turns back to the Winter Solider, who doesn't even seem fazed by the sudden kill. "Also, our little siren is with them. I don't expect you to hold back solider."

• • •

Back in Washington, Sam Wilson had just return home from his daily morning run. He had opened the fridge, pulling out a carton of orange juice from it in exhaustion, mouth dry from all the running he pressured his legs into doing. He twists the cap off, ready to chug it down straight when he hears a knock at his door. Turning to the clock, seeing as it was only seven in the morning, he walks over to the front door confusingly, opening it to see Steve, Natasha, and another woman, someone unfamiliar to him.

He looks at them a little bit confusingly, taking note of the sooth on their faces and their crumpled up clothes. Natasha even had a little red swelling on her head.

"Hey, man..."

Steve lets out a sigh as Natasha looks around the area cautiously, holding onto the other woman for support. "I'm sorry about this, but we need a place to lay low..."

"Everyone we know is trying to kill us." Natasha grumbled, chest heaving a bit as Sam pauses a moment, looking around, before replying.

"Not everyone."

As Sam let's them enter, he shows the two women to the bathroom, where they could get cleaned up, along with Steve, who he offers some spare clothes. As the two women are cleaning up in the bathroom, Sam starts to speak.

"I was gonna save these for the whole story, but, who's the other girl?"

"An ally. SSR-SHIELD Senior Agent. She's just as confused as we are..."

A little later, after having changed and cleaned up, Steve notices Natasha looking sad and thoughtful at the floor, drying her hair in the guest bedroom, wearing her jeans and tank top from earlier. Steve leans over on the doorframe.