[ WWII AU ] a ghost story

[from_the_outside]

It's been almost two years since she's been home, and little by little, the grief has gotten easier to live with.

It hasn't gone away. But she's able to focus on her job, watch movies, chat with friends, sleep most nights. She still dreams about him, but the dreams are tinged with wistful longing and only sometimes does she wake up with tears on her cheeks. She can't have his picture out in this apartment, Kate's apartment, but it's safe in the mountain house, along with his last letter to her, and she has a scan on her phone to look at when the long day is over and she's in bed, the stars from the lamp he'd given her filling her dark room.

Steve has helped, more than she could ever explain, and she hopes she's helped him in return. Aside from a few deeply classified missions here and there, they haven't worked together all that much, but she still sees him almost every day. In the halls, she's undercover as his mild-mannered neighbor, Kate, but in her secure apartment they can talk over anything, everything.

And it works. Every day is a little easier. They lean on each other when they need to, and they spend hours remembering and reminiscing about Bucky, talking shop, chatting about how Steve's fitting into the future. It's nice. She still misses Bucky, an ache that never really goes away, but they can both breathe through it, work through it, live through it.

She's on her way up from the basement laundry machines when she hears a familiar step in the hall, and has to smile to herself – first her own, then Kate's sweeter, more open one. "Hey, neighbor."

Comments

[marvel_npc]

"Can't argue that. The more the merrier, in fact." Fury glances around at them all, then lets his eye rest on Nat. "The Council members are coming in for the launch. If we get you a veil, think you could mimic Hawley well enough to pass?"

Nat's smile is bright. "Easily."

Fury nods. "That'd give us Thirteen in the bay, Romanoff with the council, and both Rogers and Wilson standing by for the swap and as air support. If we handle it right, we can take them down quietly and then maybe, just maybe, we can salvage what's left."

Steve stares at him in disbelief. "Salvage? We're not salvaging anything. We're not just taking down Insight, Nick. We're taking down SHIELD."

[from_the_outside]

Everyone turns to look at him. A faint ringing noise begins in Sharon's ears. She stares at him, disbelieving. "Everything?"

True, SHIELD has been compromised. They need to burn HYDRA out at the root, but... "Steve – "

But she doesn't know what else to say. What is there? The very idea is impossible. Even thinking about it is like running face first into a brick wall.

[marvel_npc]

"Everything. It all has to go." His heart aches, knowing how much SHIELD means to her; knowing what it means to her to be following in her aunt's footsteps, how she's dedicated her life to what SHIELD means.

What it was supposed to mean, anyway. What it apparently hasn't meant for longer than any of them had ever guessed.

"We know the rot goes all the way to the top, and we don't know how far it's spread, but it's a lot. How many people are working in those helicarrier bays? How many HYDRA agents are scattered across the world, trying to destroy it with SHIELD's protection and support?" He swings to pin Fury with a sharp look. "How long has this been going on under your nose without you noticing?"

Fury glares at him. "Why the hell do you think we're meeting in this cave? I noticed."

Steve shakes his head. "And how many paid the price before you did? No. It ends now. SHIELD, HYDRA, it all goes."

But even as he says it, he turns back to Sharon. "I'm sorry. But you know it's the right thing to do."

[from_the_outside]

He holds her gaze, and because it's Steve, she doesn't have to try to explain. He knows. SHIELD has been her whole life, her career and her purpose. What she'll do when it's gone, she has no idea.

But he's right. She can't hide from that truth, no matter how much she wants to.

Sharon takes a deep, shaky breath, and nods. "I know."

Her voice is quiet, but determined. "I'm with you, Steve. No matter... no matter what."

[marvel_npc]

"Thank you." Steve holds her gaze a moment longer, sympathy in his own, then turns back to Fury, who's staring at them both with a hint of dismay.

Steve waits while Fury glances at Nat, who shrugs, to Hill, who does the same and murmurs "He's right." Sam shakes his head before he can even ask. "Don't look at me, man. I do what he does, only slower."

Fury blows out a breath and meets Steve's eyes. "Look. I didn't know about Barnes."

He'd like to believe that's true. It better be true, because if it isn't, he doesn't know how he'd ever trust the man again, even a little bit. Steve shakes his head. "It doesn't matter if you did or not," he says, and wills himself to believe it. "This can't continue. Bucky'd be the first to agree."

If he could.

[from_the_outside]

This will kill Aunt Peggy. She has to, she has to call Anna, make sure she keeps Aunt Peggy away from the news for a while. She should get Aunt Peggy out of DC. She –

A slight jostle at her elbow snaps her out of the spiral, and she looks up to see Nat watching her, sympathetic. Sharon nods back, tight, and looks back at Steve and Nick. "It sounds like we have a plan."

[marvel_npc]

Fury looks back and forth between them before letting out a long breath. "Looks like you're giving the orders now, Captain."

Steve nods to him and turns to Nat. "Can you use Sitwell's access to give Sharon the authorization she needs without giving him the chance to send up any alarms?"

"No problem," she assures him, while Sitwell makes a choked noise. "You're all insane. It'll never work."

[from_the_outside]

Sharon closes her eyes and tries to count to ten.

One. Two. Thr –

Fuck it. "If someone doesn't shut him up, I'm going to break his jaw."

[marvel_npc]

"If you do that he'll have a harder time sharing anything useful," Nat advises, lightly. "But I suppose as long as you don't break his fingers too he can write or type."

She smiles at Sitwell. "I wouldn't piss anyone off any more if I were you. If she doesn't, I will."

[from_the_outside]

Sitwell scowls at her. "I'm not going to help you," he blusters. "The helicarriers will launch and Insight will succeed."

Sharon gives him a long, level look. "It won't," she says, flat. "Whether you help us or not. Your only choice is whether we leave you to HYDRA's tender mercies, or try to protect you."

[marvel_npc]

"Either way he's done. We're not going to have another Zola."

It burns through him like acid. If they'd dealt differently with Zola in 1945, rather than recruiting him, would HYDRA have ever gotten a foothold inside SHIELD? Would Bucky have been rescued decades ago?

Which reminds him. He turns a sharp look on Sitwell. "What did you mean, 'keeping' him? The Winter Soldier."

[from_the_outside]

"What, you think they let that maniac run around free?" Sitwell sneers. "They let him out for missions. That's all I know."

[marvel_npc]

He sees a muscle in Steve's jaw twitch and moves fast, putting himself between him and the bald man with the big mouth.

"He's just trying to rile you up," Sam says. "Trying to get you to make mistakes. He ain't worth your time, man."

[from_the_outside]

Sharon comes forward, too, to Steve's side.

"We can go after him tonight," she murmurs. "Get him off the board. Bring him somewhere safe."

[marvel_npc]

Steve's jaw works again before he jerks his head in a sharp nod. "Nat, see what you can do about that access, and then let's lock him in a room somewhere."

"Pretty sure there's a cistern around here somewhere," Fury offers, dry. "Could use that."

"Agent Hill, assuming you aren't on the watch list yet, we'll need to plan a way to get to where you can take over helicarrier command once we have it," Steve continues. "And we'll all need to figure out the timing, so that it won't be too late and yet the other side will be at the point of maximum distraction."

[from_the_outside]

"No problem, Cap," Hill says, calmly. "We've got some toys down here we can use. Communication won't be a problem. I'll coordinate once I'm in place at the Triskelion."

Sharon nods, then goes to grab Sitwell by the arm. "C'mon, Jasper," she says. "Let's go talk about that secret HYDRA lair under the bank. You can tell us everything you know."

[nerves_of_ice]

* * * * * * *

Once the usual pain of the procedure had cleared, restoring his ability to think clearly once more, he had given his attention to reviewing the parameters of the mission with intent focus.

The Insight launch is scheduled for the next day, but there are known threats to the operation. Threats that endanger HYDRA's goals. Threats the Winter Soldier can eliminate. If he does his part, then Command will be able to do his, and HYDRA's guardianship of the world will be complete.

The Winter Soldier reviews the files on the targets, assessing their threat level, and coordinates with Rumlow and STRIKE on the plan for the following morning. They consider and reject smuggling him into the helicarrier bays; the security risk is too high, and he'll need more flexibility to move if anything should go wrong. Rumlow and his team will handle interior operations; the Winter Soldier will ensure no one on the outside is able to stop the launch.

He leaves under the cover of darkness and takes up position near the Triskelion, hidden high up in the shadows of one of the aboveground hangars.

Once he's established, all that's left is to watch and wait.

[from_the_outside]

The bank had been a bust. There'd been nothing there aside from a couple of HYDRA goons who didn't stand a chance against Steve's shield and a chair set up in the middle of an open space.

The chair had restraints. They all knew what it had been designed to do.

But their disappointment didn't stop the clock. She'd said her goodbyes and vanished into the city, stopping long enough to change and apply makeup over the bruises and raw, scabbing spots on her face.

She enters the Triskelion easily enough, and makes her way to the control room, where a few discreet taps of some keys unlocks a door in traffic control and gives Steve, Sam, and Hill a way in. That mission accomplished, Sharon paces slowly up and down the rows of computers and analysts, arms crossed, keeping a sharp eye on the pre-launch sequence.

[marvel_npc]

Sharon peels off in one direction, and Nat silently wishes her the best of luck as she herself dons the photostatic veil and heads for the airport. It's easy enough for her to replace Pamela Hawley's driver, but taking out Hawley herself in an unpleasant fashion could be slightly awkward once things are over.

Luckily, it doesn't turn out to be necessary. Nat pulls the car around to the hangar where Fury's waiting with the helicopter, and settles in to explain to the British woman just what kind of trouble she's walking into. Between the two of them they're able to convince her to let Nat take her place and represent all their interests at the meeting with Pierce.

She leaves Hawley to Fury and adjusts the veil to reflect her new appearance, then changes clothes and heads for the Triskelion. She joins the other members of the Council as they meet Pierce in the lobby and makes acerbic small talk as she accepts the metal clip that gives her unrestricted access to the facility.

That could come in useful indeed.

[marvel_npc]

The backdoor works, and he leads Hill and Sam to traffic control, grateful for the clarity that always comes once he's on the mission. So far, this coup of theirs is silent and bloodless. He has no illusions it'll stay either.

When they come to the locked door, he nods to his companions. Hill nods back, then activates the gadget she'd brought. From inside the room, they can hear the sharp yelp of pain from the techs as their earpieces short out.

A moment later, the door opens, and Steve nods to the tech who stands there, bemused, as Hill and Sam level their guns at him. "Excuse us."

Once the techs are out of the way, Hill takes a seat at the console. Her fingers fly over the keyboard, and she nods at Steve, who takes a breath. Thinks. Then leans down to the microphone. "Attention, all SHIELD agents," he says.

"This is Steve Rogers. You've heard a lot about me over the last few days, some of you were even ordered to hunt me down. But I think it's time you know the truth. SHIELD is not what we thought it was, it's been taken over by HYDRA. Alexander Pierce is their leader. The STRIKE and Insight crew are HYDRA as well. I don't know how many more, but I know they're in the building. They could be standing right next to you. They almost have what they want: absolute control. They shot Nick Fury and it won't end there."

He pauses, then continues. "If you launch those Helicarriers today, HYDRA will be able to kill anyone that stands in their way, unless we stop them. I know I'm asking a lot, but the price of freedom is high, it always has been, and it's a price I'm willing to pay. And if I'm the only one, then so be it. But I'm willing to bet I'm not."

The microphone clicks off, and he straightens, only belatedly realizing Sam's looking at him with bemusement. At his quizzical glance, Sam huffs a laugh. "Did you write that down first, or was it off the top of your head?"

[from_the_outside]

She looks around as Steve's voice comes through the comms, taking note of anyone who looks surprised, anyone who looks pissed off. There are more of the former than there are of the latter, and she allows herself a moment of small relief.

If she can control this room, if she can convince these colleagues, if they'll all stand for what SHIELD meant instead of what it became, they have a chance.

[nerves_of_ice]

The announcement pours out over every communications system. He recognizes the name of his target as the man identifies himself and goes on to exhort anyone listening to help him stop HYDRA. It's clear he's just as much of a threat as had been previously established, and the Winter Soldier's mission is clear.

He uncurls himself from his hidden alcove as below him technicians and pilots begin to run for their aircraft, and leaps from rafter to rafter, heading for the tarmac.

Not one of them will survive. So be it.

[marvel_npc]

Goddamn Rogers anyway. Rumlow can't wait to have that sanctimonious bastard in his own sights. He's always wondered if a supersoldier could survive a headshot, and promises himself that if there's a chance, he'll find out.

But first things first, and the order of the day is to see Insight launched by any means necessary. As branch teams make their way down to the helicarriers to prevent anyone on the hangar crews from acting on any stupid ideas, Rumlow leads the assault on the control room. They break in with ease, as it turns out no one's given any thought to controlling access within the building. That's their mistake.

Most of the analysts all look the same to him, hunched over their computer screens and terrified. He picks out one and stalks up to him as his team spreads out through the room. "Preempt the launch sequence," he orders. "Send those ships up now."

[from_the_outside]

Rumlow. Her fingers itch to reach for her sidearm, but she holds her position. The tech shrinks into himself, then glances carefully up. "Um. I'm..."

He trails off, and Rumlow lifts his eyebrows. "Is there a problem?"

SHIELD. SHIELD takes the best of the best. SHIELD is the best of the best. It's why her heart breaks at the same time as it swells with pride, as the tech swallows hard. His voice is quavery but clear. "I'm sorry, sir. I'm not gonna launch those ships."

He breathes hard, but stands his ground. "Captain's orders."

[marvel_npc]

It's not worth arguing with the little shit, and he can make his point and get the job done both. He thumbs back the hammer and aims his gun at the tech's head.

"Move away from your station." His tone promises death if the man doesn't obey.