"What's that supposed to mean?"
Nick Fury was livid. All the evil deeds were Hydra's doing. What did any of that have to do with him, Nick Fury?
Right then, Hill flung the file Pierce had given her straight into Nick's face.
"Read it yourself. Every single charge in there is leveled against you."
Nick Fury went through the list item by item, and his face darkened instantly.
"I'm willing to bet that aside from the accusation of you being Hydra, everything else in there is true."
Hill crossed her arms over her chest and fixed Nick Fury with a scrutinizing glare.
As Deputy Director, she was supposed to hold a position second only to one man within S.H.I.E.L.D., commanding authority over thousands. Yet, as it turned out, Nick Fury had been keeping countless secrets from her.
Of course, Hill didn't actually care that much about those secrets.
What she truly cared about was how, after becoming Director all those years ago, Nick Fury had dared to embezzle so many U.S. dollars!
That much money!
She glared viciously at Nick Fury. God only knew where this bald bastard had spent it all.
"Ever since I became Deputy Director, I've been wracking my brain over funding every single day. We have so many agents running high-intensity missions daily, and yet we can't even afford basic recreational facilities or therapists to help relieve their psychological stress..."
Hill took a deep breath, her fury erupting fully.
"And most importantly, with that much money, you couldn't even cut me in for a share!"
"That's what you're upset about?"
Nick Fury raised an eyebrow.
"Nick Fury, you're done for. Embezzlement is one thing, but tax evasion on top of that? Who wouldn't want you shot by a firing squad?" Bant chimed in, snatching the file and zeroing in on the key point immediately.
Nick Fury was just too shady.
When there was money to be had, the guy really did take it all.
He wouldn't part with a single cent.
"I've never heard of embezzlement requiring tax payments!"
"Of course it does. Don't you know the rule? Seventy percent goes to the people above you," Bant shot back.
If you eat everything on the plate and leave no scraps, who's going to tolerate that?
"Alright, enough of that. We need to get ready to deal with Hydra."
Tony glanced at the file accusing Nick Fury. He couldn't fathom why anyone would risk so much for such small change.
"Hacker, lend me your workshop. I'm going to build a new suit."
"No problem."
Bant nodded. The Prismos Building originally belonged to Hammer Industries, and there was already a small-scale production line here. Fabricating a suit of armor would be a piece of cake.
"Mr. Stark is going to build a suit, and little Bant is going to hack the helicarriers. What should the rest of us do?"
Peter asked.
Steve answered him:
"Rally the forces we can rally."
He stood up, his frame as tall and unyielding as an iron wall.
"I believe that even within S.H.I.E.L.D., not every single person is Hydra. Some agents are just following orders."
"That won't be easy."
Nick Fury said.
"Right now, we're the criminals. Who would believe us?"
"We have to try."
Ding
Just then, the elevator doors slid open. Connors walked in, glanced at the group gathered together, and said:
"That guy woke up."
Steve and Tony hadn't yet realized who he was talking about when Nick Fury stood up abruptly. He shot a complicated look at Steve Rogers and said, "It's an old friend of yours."
"James Barnes."
Nick Fury expected Steve to be shocked upon hearing that name.
And indeed, Steve was very shocked. But beyond the shock, he turned a gaze even more complex toward Tony Stark.
In that look lay both worry and guilt.
"Why are you looking at me? I don't know this person," Tony frowned.
Hearing this, Bant looked over at Steve. He was curious to see what choice Steve Rogers would make this time. Would he protect Bucky? Or would he take the initiative and tell Tony the truth about what happened?
Steve was also looking at Bant.
His eyes held a trace of confusion, as if silently asking Bant, Haven't you told Tony the truth yet?
Bant shook his head at him.
Tony only knew that the assassin who killed his parents was a Winter Soldier, but he didn't know the specific name.
Many people believe that in Captain America: Civil War, Steve chose to protect Bucky by concealing the fact that Bucky killed Howard Stark.
But in reality, Steve didn't have much of a chance to explain things to Tony.
By the time they had their final falling out and came to blows, Steve himself had only just learned the truth shortly before.
But this time, he had plenty of time and opportunity. Yet, Tony and he weren't even really friends at this point.
What choice would he make?
"What's going on? Why did the atmosphere suddenly get so weird?"
Peter scratched his head, confused.
At that moment, Steve stood up. He first walked to a spot near the elevator, then let out a heavy sigh, as if having made a weighty decision.
He looked at Tony, the guilt in his eyes deepening.
"Tony... Howard was once my friend..."
"So?"
Steve opened his mouth, unsure where to begin, but forced himself to push forward.
"You don't know this, but your parents' deaths... they were also tied to Hydra. They were assassinated..."
"I already knew that," Tony said flatly.
He appeared calm, but Steve was astonished.
"You knew?"
"Hydra, the Winter Soldier... Why else would you think I'd risk becoming a wanted fugitive just to help you fight Hydra? Because I had nothing better to do?"
Tony wore an expression that seemed to say, What am I, brain-dead?
"So what exactly are you trying to say?"
"James Barnes is one of those Winter Soldiers, and he's the one who killed your parents. He's also the one who attacked this burnt meatball over here. After Harry defeated him, he brought him to Prismos."
Seeing that Steve ultimately chose to lay everything out for Tony but was struggling to find the words, Bant stepped in and explained.
Tony didn't register the second half of that sentence at all.
He only heard that the criminal who murdered his parents was currently inside this very building. At that moment, he had no other thought besides making that person pay with his life.
He stood up, his lips trembling, but his voice came out ice cold.
"Which floor is the recovery room on?"
"The 15th," Bant said.
Tony headed for the exit without looking back, but Steve blocked the elevator door.
"Calm down, Tony!"
Steve stopped him. "This wasn't Bucky's fault. He didn't know. He was brainwashed..."
Even though he had chosen to reveal the truth, Steve still intended to protect Bucky. Not just because Bucky was his friend, but also because the past couldn't be changed. He had to protect the one who was still alive.
"Then whose fault is it? My dad's?"
Tony sneered.
His eyes were rimmed red, and when he looked at Steve, they were filled with resentment and blame.
"And you have the nerve to call yourself my father's friend?"
"I'm sorry..."
Steve had nothing to say. All he could do was keep apologizing. The debt he owed to Howard was one he could neither repay nor atone for.
"Move!"
Tony said icily.
"I'm sorry, I..."
"I'm going to the workshop. Move!"
Stone-faced, he shoved Steve Rogers aside. Steve, strong enough to pull back a helicopter, now seemed as frail as a leaf, pushed away by that one palm.
Then Tony stumbled into the elevator alone, weaving like a child still learning to walk.
The elevator doors slowly slid shut, like an impenetrable barrier, cutting Steve and Tony completely off from one another.
The sight left Nick Fury deeply frustrated.
He had thought that with the Avengers gathered here, they'd soon be fighting side by side.
He never imagined that cracks would form in the group this quickly.
Steve hung his head in silence. He watched the elevator descend, not heading toward the 15th floor, and felt a wave of relief mixed with an even deeper pang of guilt.
But he quickly buried that emotion deep inside, turned around, and went to find Bucky.
Inside the workshop.
Tony Stark wore a dark scowl, a hammer clutched in his hand as he relentlessly pounded on a sheet of metal.
In truth, the materials used for the latest Mark suits were so durable that human force couldn't leave even a scratch on them.
He wasn't really hammering steel; he was venting his rage.
Bant approached from behind him.
"I thought you'd start throwing punches at him right away."
Tony didn't look up, his voice cold.
"Why would I pick a fight with a juiced-up super soldier when I'm not wearing my suit?"
After all, some time had passed since the moment he first witnessed his parents' death. Tony was somewhat calmer than he'd been in the movies.
"I doubt he would have fought back anyway," Bant remarked.
Tony stopped his motion, turned around, and looked at Bant stubbornly, a hint of grievance in his expression as he asked:
"You knew all along?"
"Knew what?"
"Don't play dumb. Did you know from the start that Bucky was the Winter Soldier who killed my parents?"
Bant froze.
A strong sense of déjà vu washed over him, like that scene in the movie where Tony confronts Steve.
Wait a minute.
Am I supposed to be Steve now?
"So you did know this whole time, but you hid it from me for the sake of winning this war. Is that it?" Tony demanded of Bant.
"Do you also think I shouldn't kill him?"
"Why would you think that?"
"The enemy is at our doorstep. We need to stand united..."
"Unity comes after resolving internal conflicts," Bant said. "Whatever you decide to do, I'll support you."
Tony looked surprised.
"I thought you'd say he was brainwashed, that it wasn't his fault, that he was just a tool, like a knife..."
Tony lowered his head.
"That I shouldn't direct my anger at the tool."
"But as the victim, you have every right to destroy that knife," Bant said.
Tony looked at him, feeling a bit better. He exhaled and said:
"I didn't expect you to take my side."
"Of course I'm on your side. I'm not one of those holier-than-thou types. We're cut from the same cloth. I like you better."
"Of course I'm on your side, Cap."
Inside the recovery room, Bant clapped a hand on Steve's shoulder.
"You know how Tony is. He's way too self-absorbed sometimes. I don't like him one bit. I like you better!"
/-\
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