Welcome to the Triskelion

                  INDEX SUBJECT(S): WRECKING CREW

[ DATA COMPILED: S.H.I.E.L.D., NYPD, AVENGERS ARCHIVE ] [ ATTACHMENTS: .PDF (10, ENCRYPTED) ] [ SUBJECT FILE ACCESS: [email protected], [email protected]; Rogers, Steven; Stark, Tony ]

    ( Well…she asked. )

“I can understand why you’d ask that. Saying I trust him isn’t enough, considering if what I say is true… Fury trusted Pierce. Though if I were tortured, unmade, abused and used as a weapon… I’m sure that my abuser’s face would be seared into my memory. I think that’s something we can agree on.”

This is where it would help to let her in on what Bucky has been up to, what he knows, but he just can’t do that yet. Not without running it by Bucky first. Individuals like Terry, like Robards… their testimonies could help, if they could provide evidence. As it stood, though? What stock would S.H.I.E.L.D be able to put in their words? They might see them just as two men trying to tarnish the legacy of a dead hero who wasn’t alive to defend himself. Robards had been S.H.I.E.L.D. though, hadn’t he? He was foggy on the nature of his assignment, if Bucky had even told him.

“I agree, and I’ll do my best to provide evidence. I won’t deny that with Barnes’ involvement, I have a personal stake in this…  but this situation is bigger than him, Secretary Fontaine. HYDRA being active is enough of a pill to swallow, but them being active within S.H.I.E.L.D… the agency being compromised? I don’t make these claims lightly. I first reconnected with Barnes because he owed Nick Fury a favor. The same Nick Fury he had tried to kill, as he did me… I have no idea where where he is right now, but if there’s anyone who might have the slightest idea? I’m fairly certain I’m talking to her. I believe he took Barnes at his word. If you can contact him, off the books… I truly hope he can give you a reason why.“

Val manages a flicker of a soft smile, fleeting and gone before it can truly be noticed.

     “Nick Fury has a soft spot for...lost causes.”

Habitually, she thinks, with a flare of annoyance and endearment she still hasn’t quite come to terms with in all these years (sentiment isn’t part of her work, but it’s a part of her and she’s accepted it). After all, what else were the Avengers, if not a team of lost causes fronted through bureaucratic channels as a ‘response team’, a solution?

Well, she supposes Nick wasn’t wrong.

     “Hell,” she adds, “everyone thought he was crazy when he sent out an expedition to find you, and yet here you stand....”

Val thinks back to that day-- the initial, barely contained audible groan at the table in this very office, scarcely hidden doubts and disdain at the mere concept of mounting another search for what was surely only bones by now. After all, Howard Stark’s expeditions had all failed over the years despite increasingly improving technology-- and if a man richer than God couldn’t locate one crashed airship, who was Nick Fury to try?

          ( “I found him.”

               Stunned silence broken only by Pierce’s huffed out laugh and the narrow, impressed grin that doesn’t quite meet the lingering disbelief in his eyes--

                    “Amazing, Nick.” )

     “I’ve been waiting to bring this forward until I can back up these claims. I believe them to be valid, but as it stands I can’t prove that they are. All I have is the word of a wanted fugitive, but one in whom I have faith.”

Steve sighs, biting the inside of his cheek. There’s no turning back now, and he can vividly picture the looks on Bucky and Natasha’s faces. “…In the spring of 2013, Pierce had Lukin send the Winter Soldier to eliminate a former Department X officer - Grigor Ivanovich Pchelintsov. Pchelintsov had with connections to the Soviet Red Room program, and he wanted to acquire his assets. While the mission is successful, the Winter Soldier, Bucky, went AWOL shortly afterwards.”

Does he mention Natasha? It’s in his best interest to not mention Natasha. It’s in her best interest. “Since the fall of the Iron Curtain, Lukin and his Kronas corporation grew rapidly. They took over Roxxon, for example. This left Pierce and his people covered and out of suspicion. Pierce basically loaned the Winter Soldier out to Lukin for this mission, for the aforementioned assets… but the mission was botched. So Pierce used him as the fall guy to cover his own tracks. Lukin was orphaned thanks to the Soviet-Afghan war, and was taken in by one General Vasily Karpov. Lukin was meant to be Karpov’s successor within Department X, but the USSR fell, and Lukin took what money he could… over the years ended up with his corporation and such. Both Karpov… and Pierce… were HYDRA. They infiltrated the two superpowers, and probably other countries, in the wake of World War II. Arnim Zola, Operation Paperclip. MK Ultra, even. Your organization has been compromised since it’s inception. Zola experimented on Barnes when his unit was captured in Azzano. That allowed him to survive his fall from Zola’s train in the Austrian Alps. Karpov’s scouts found Barnes… and thus the Winter Soldier was born. As for Pierce, I don’t believe he was recruited into HYDRA until after Bogota… I believe that was his turning point.”

     “Well...that’s certainly something.”

Val stands, the movement controlled in spite of the buzzing sensation thrumming through her veins that she isn’t ashamed to identify as anxiety, picking up the stack of files on the table between them before walking to her desk near the window. She gingerly sets them upon the tabletop, pausing as some of the papers slip out past the edges of the folder, begging to be exposed. She taps the edge with the fingertip, shifting them back in place and out of sight.

           ( .... )

She barely looks over her shoulder at him, the smallest of movements--

     “You know the Winter Soldier nearly killed Nick Fury the following year? ...If what you say is true, that’s an order that only makes sense if Nick knew something. But Nick survived, went on to do what Nick Fury does best-- find another mission.” She’s not bitter; that’s beneath her. “So, why would the man who loves to know everything about everyone sleep on even the hint that something was awry within S.H.I.E.L.D.?”

Because he was paranoid-- because he suspected something.

          ( .... )

     “If Barnes was brainwashed for as long as you say he was...how can you be sure what he claims is accurate? His recollection is most likely impaired. I mean, he tried to kill you of all people.”

          ( she knows it isn’t an argument he’ll pay any credit to, no matter how valid-- like blood from a stone, there was no breaking that conviction )

She remembers the aftermath of Bogotá vividly, the three of them sitting on the steps near  Liévano Palace in Plaza Bolívar. Neither of them spoke much, the days’ events having worn away the need for words outside of the mission’s debrief. A few hours of idle talk, a low-lit dinner where hardly any food was touched and the conversation danced around the attack on the embassy-- a touch of debatable diplomacy there, a hint of realism, the shine of a new future imagined in the wake of near catastrophe. Margaret Carter’s successor, Director Keller, was unimpressive as it was, a lackluster inheritor of a legendary legacy-- so really, the path forward was clear. Twenty-four hours later, Fury was Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.-- the next forty-eight, she was Deputy Director and Pierce was on the Council. The changing of hands, the shifting of the tides....

Val circles the S.H.I.E.L.D. logo stamped atop the binder of classified documents. 

Perhaps they’d all walked away from that day changed people.

If Nick Fury was there? If he deemed it a… certain type of decision? Steve has an idea of how he would respond. Would he, though? Also, Fury’s judgement wasn’t always impeccable. Case in point, one Alexander Pierce.

    “I’m not denying the discrepancy in magnitude, but both men were victims. Someone else was in control, violated them, used their hands and their skills. There’s a saying… ‘Which is most deserving of your hate? The one who fired the gun? The one who built the gun? Or the gun?’ That’s all he was a weapon, to be used. Someone used him then, and I believe someone is using him now. Not through mind control, but I believe… his hand is being forced. That he’s a pawn in a much larger game. You know how that game works. We can disagree about this all day, maybe even concede a few points to one another… but I realize that perhaps I do have a bias… and that even if you wanted to believe me, without any proof to back up my claims? Your hands are tied.” Even with said proof, Steve wasn’t entirely sure what she could do for him.

“…we both know this is only going to be resolved in a court of law. It’s a long shot of it working out in Barnes’ favor, even if we were to get the evidence we need. The alternative is him remaining a fugitive until he’s eventually shot on sight. I don’t want that, I’m reasonably sure he doesn’t, and even if that were the quickest and cleanest way to resolve this… I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume it’s not your preferred outcome either. It’s up to the courts what happens to him, and even before that… it is up to him.”

Steve sets his jaw, mulling over how that would go. He’s sure Buck would be willing, but the time’s not right. Everything he had his hands in right now? Terry? Robards? What were the chances either of them would testify, or that anyone would find them credible. “I’d rather not make any allegations I can’t back up, Madam Secretary. However, I’ll reiterate, the Winter Soldier was a puppet. There was likely a puppet master pulling the strings… using him to shape human history. Shape the world. Who knows their reasoning, perhaps their personal bias bled into their life’s work.”

Rogers doesn’t want to make accusations he can’t back up but he might as well. She can connect the dots.

     “Yes, I know how the game works.... Anyone in this line of work will tell you-- power in politics is influence, but in espionage--? power is information. The only thing worse than no information, is old information.” Valentina drums her fingers against her knee. “And old information costs lives.”

She weighs her options. It’s clear their conversation on the matter of Barnes will go nowhere, no matter what evidence she presents to him or vice versa. That’s fine-- frustrating but not unexpected. She could call it a day, say her apologies for being unable to reach any agreements, wish him an early happy birthday, and allow themselves to go about their respective days. Nice try. Better luck next time. Effort wasted.

          ( ... )

     “Secure office.” 

Two words and the technological response in the room is immediate (she’d be lying if she denied there’s a bit of a thrill to it all)-- like a sharp, staggered breath of air, the low double thrum in the room blacks out the windows and kills all surveillance.

    “If what you’re not telling me has any shred of validity, and you’ve withheld this information....”

Valentina meant what she said-- she takes the world as it is and she lives by that. Trust is a fine luxury, afforded only to a select few. She’d trusted her mother and father-- both of whom she’d outlived courtesy of an IED in Rome decades ago. She trusted herself, to get the job done, to watch her back, to live another day. But outside of blood and country and ideals, she’d attached her loyalty to only two people.

    “Alex-- Secretary Pierce had no affiliations with Department X or any of its branches. He was an active participant in the Cold War, we all were, but he went straight from the State Department to S.H.I.E.L.D., vetted by multiple presidents and the UNSC. I won’t go on-- I’m sure you’re familiar with what was written in the obituary.” She takes a breath, releases it. “Our last verifiable intelligence on the Winter Soldier’s handler led us to the Kronas Corporation and it’s CEO, Aleksander Lukin-- dead as of 2014. Our records link him with a Soviet General, Vasily Karpov, who was affiliated with Department X through the 80s and 90s. The idea that Karpov handed Lukin the keys to the kingdom, so to speak, lines up with what we have on file.”

As much as he hates to admit it, she has a fair point there… becoming what they fight against. That’s probably what happened to Pierce, wasn’t it?  Not asking for permission, just doing what he felt to be done. Like Pierce had been with his daughter… maybe he was too close to this…

On the same side of the other coin, with the Accords… surrendering freedoms for the sake of security… that was a bit like HYDRA rhetoric as well. “…just because Barnes isn’t responsible for the Senator’s death, doesn’t mean he doesn’t feel responsible.” Steve’s not quite sure what happened there exactly, whether it was an accident or… he hasn’t asked… Bucky hasn’t told him…

“…the same could be said for much of that file’s contents. If I’m not mistaken, you were assigned to the Leviathin Horde? Born out of the Communist Bloc, as HYDRA was the Axis powers. You know what they’re capable of. You’re aware of Department X…. just because the USSR was officially dissolved in December ‘91, that doesn’t mean… the assassination of Howard and Maria Stark, that same month? Nick Fury can attest, it most certainly was not his last assignment. Nor was it his fault. Now why would Nick try to cover for someone who according to these files, attempted to kill him? Unless he wasn’t in control of his own faculties. You’ve heard of Project MKUltra, I assume… what the Soviets did to him, allegedly, would make that look almost tame in comparison. Do we want to sweep up Clint Barton’s ashes, while we’re at it? Hold him accountable for the crimes he committed while under the thrall of Loki? It wasn’t him, it wasn’t them…”

He tells himself that the file doesn’t matter, but in his heart he knows Bucky would be the first one to disagree with that. “Since he has been free of their control, he had made a life for himself… continuing to fight and serve, to pay back a debt to society it can be argued he doesn’t even owe. It’s quite possible that he’s been set up by what’s left of his former superiors. You must admit, he’s a perfect scapegoat for the Iliad crash, and Secretary Pierce’s assassination. It’s likely the ballistics and video evidence are due to Barnes trying to prevent said tragedies… as for the death of the Senator… you say it yourself, there’s no evidence placing him there whatsoever. It’s possible he feels responsible for not being there to save him…”

It was possible he got the Senator killed… that wasn’t the same as being the one to kill him, but it likely carried the same sort of guilt with it.

“…I fought Barnes, Secretary Fontaine. When he was brainwashed. He could have beaten me to death, and truthfully? I would have let him… but when the lives of innocents were on the line? I didn’t hesitate, and I didn’t pull my punches. If I thought he was responsible for all these horrors, I would personally deliver him to you. He’s not. I believe you when you say you’re not like your predecessor, and I believe we’re all better for it. S.H.I.E.L.D. is an intergovernmental institution. Corruption is unavoidable, if we’re being realistic. Secretary Pierce…he fancied himself a realist, and when I met with him in this very building? He lectured me on how building a really better world sometimes means having to tear the old one down. That such a stance would make enemies, that people would say you had dirty hands because you tried to stick them in the mud and create something better. You caution me, but I think it’s possible that Alexander Pierce became the very thing he was fighting against.”

Valentina wants to push, to press forward, to tell Rogers that, oh, she isn’t suggesting Barnes didn’t kill the Senator. No. Rather - as the decades of reporting in the binder between them depicts - that the lack of evidence makes it all the more likely Barnes was responsible.

          ( ghost stories don’t become so by leaving too much blood behind )

She’s seconds away from saying as much, breath drawn and lips parted, when he mentions Leviathan-- enough to give her pause and listen anew.

     “I’m aware.” There’s a dull, deadpan ring to the words, though no apparent hostility. “I reported on Leviathan for over a decade. I met agents who had their vocal chords surgically removed for even the potential threat of selling their secrets to enemy hands, but I did it. I know what they were trying to do-- break the human mind and make it submit to another’s will through whatever various horrors they could imagine, ambitions of manufacturing a serum similar to Dr. Erskine’s creation. Every report provided to S.H.I.E.L.D.’s research department marked repeated failures. Their subjects died, some quickly, others over the span of weeks-- or they were driven mad and disposed of. It was ugly business, so you’ll forgive me if I spare you the details.” 

          ( she doesn’t particularly think he’ll fight her on that; the closed file on the Winter Soldier tells her as much )

     “With the fall of any regime, you’re not going to see a clean slate, Captain. I’m sure the same applies to Department X and its various arms. Terrorists exposed in one cell will scurry to find purchase elsewhere, until their time runs out yet again or they’re held accountable to their actions or killed. So, sure, to some extent, corruption is inevitable. Why-- a decent handful of our agents and field assets have not-so-noble origins, one of whom now calls herself an Avenger....”

She knows it’s not what he’s going for, but it’s worth saying.

     “But what is corruption, really, if not just a personal bias bleeding into your life’s work? I think even you can admit that even if Barnes was under some sort of advanced mind control, assassinating presidents and feeding crises that killed thousands far outweigh any of Barton’s actions under Loki’s manipulations. And yes, even Nick Fury gave him the benefit of the doubt-- but that trust was measured. The fact stands that what I care about are his actions now. Do you think that if Nick stood here instead of myself that he wouldn’t have to answer to the same consequences of Barnes’ choices as I do? Or that if you were sitting here, you could simply say ‘but that isn’t so’ and the United Nations would take your word for it? I’m aware that the Accords prompted the particular rifts within the Avengers and that those fissures only sharpened the judgmental lens his actions were and are viewed through, but neither of us can turn back time. I choose to take the world as it is, without dwelling on some great philosophy for humanity, because the world we live in, this job, doesn’t allow the luxury. I choose to play the cards I’ve been dealt, not cheat the dealer to better my own hand. So I hope I’m not the first to tell you this, but there is NO OPTION on the table where Barnes walks out of this with a slap on the wrist. I think you need to accept that, and plan your approach accordingly.”

Admirable idealism or not, he should realize that; thinking otherwise borders on delusion. And for all the value and virtue his history forces him to embody, she’d hoped he’d be pragmatic.

          ( .... )

She had common sense. He appreciates that. Admitting to what everyone already knows, or at least suspects, when it comes to aiding… he imagines Natasha would chastise him. Transparency, though. It will earn respect, if not trust. There’s still a chance he’ll walk out of there expecting them to come after him, and there’s a part that even wants to challenge her to.

Not that he wants it to come to that. Fontaine has been cordial thus far, and he’ll take no pleasure in making her job more difficult if he decides he has to.

If it was up to him? Steve would have been tempted to lay all the cards on the table. Tell her about Pierce, about… everything. Again, Fontaine was intelligent… she seemed more savvy than her colleagues. When it came to The Fridge? Steve’s sure it was unexpected, but he’s not convinced she’s surprised. During the Cold War, there was a theory that one man in the right place at the right time… with the right skills… could be more effective than an army.

Fontaine certainly would have heard about that theory, no?

December 16th, 1991. Ten days before the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Interesting timing, there… it had to be noted.

( Pierce became the Winter Soldier’s handler not long after that. Pierce was corrupt, a traitor. He wanted to scream it. They held vigils for him, praised him and held him up, meanwhile the media had the nerve to call Bucky a traitor and rake him over the coals… meanwhile they held up the man who tortured him and forced him to commit so many atrocities. )

She mentions Fury, and she mentions Maria and Sharon… how they had covered for Barnes, and…

    “I was aware that Hill approached him. Not the particulars of what was discussed, but the end result. There are some things Barnes doesn’t tell even me, and I trust he has his reasons.” He knew a bit, but not everything. Again, he can almost picture Natasha rolling her eyes. He knows enough. They’ll want to know what he does know, they may want to call inquiries. Question if he’s withholding information.

She mentions Bucky’s dignity, and he has to stifle a laugh. The press has all but tried to rob him of that, hasn’t he? …Still. The chance for him to turn himself in, alive… stand trial… it is preferable to being shot dead on sight. For him at least.

His eyes flicker down to the report, Hill’s report. “S.H.I.E.L.D is all that you say it is, but it’s also a joint government organization. You speak of accountability, while not even considering corruption. I mean no personal disrespect, but the Accords? That wasn’t about accountability, that was about shifting the blame. It was about bureaucracy. What if we needed to go someplace we felt we needed to go, but we were forbidden from doing so? If I’m not mistaken, Nick Fury felt the same way as I do. Bogota. He disobeyed orders, and as a result saved 25 lives. Was promoted to Director.” 

( Pierce’s attitudes toward diplomacy shifted as a result, and that is likely when he was recruited by HYDRA. )

      ( You start with something pure. Something exciting. Then come the mistakes, the compromises. We create our own demons.

….Tony could be really profound when he wanted to be.)

“S.H.I.E.L.D as it stands today is a far cry from the organization founded by Margaret Carter and Howard Stark. America is different… the world is different. All I’ve ever wanted is to do the right thing, Madame Secretary… but in this day and age? It’s hard to be sure of what exactly that is. Everyone has their own opinion. I will take all of this under consideration, Secretary Fontaine. Now, I can try to convince you to reconsider… but without anything solid, I understand that you probably won’t. That you can’t. I understand that you have a job, a duty and an obligation. We both do. To do what we each think is right. You’re asking me to be objective and think about what’s right, and I promise you, that until my dying breath, I will do what I believe is right. Now, I may be wrong. It’s happened before… and if that’s the case? If you have to bring me in? I hope it doesn’t come to that, but if it does, I’ll understand. I’m sure Barnes will as well. I’ll ask him if he’ll consider turning himself in, and depending on his answer… then I’ll have to make the tough calls. Then you’ll have to decide if you’ll want to arrest me for not bringing him in personally….”

Wetting his lips, he closes the file and slides it back across the table. “The press may crucify us both, but you see, it doesn’t matter what the press says. Doesn’t matter what the politicians say. Doesn’t matter if the whole country decides that it’s wrong is something right. This nation was founded on one principle above all else: The requirement that we stand up for what we believe, no matter the odds or the consequences. When the whole world tells you to move, your job is to stand your ground, and tell the whole world – ‘No, YOU move.’… and I think… that you understand that. I think that’s exactly what we’re doing here, only we’re doing so civilly. We’re asking each other to bend, to move, to reconsider. You’re reminding me of all the reasons I should, and at the moment, I cannot disclose the reasons why you should. I’m not even aware of all of them. See, it’s not a matter of distrust in regards to you… it’s a matter of faith in regards to him. I’m standing up for what I believe in. I’m not sure I believe in this country anymore, nor this organization. I believe in Bucky Barnes. I believe in Captain America.”

That said, if he found himself a fugitive once more… there are other personal relationships that he was only starting to mend, that would likely crumble. The Avengers, they had their fair share of bad PR as of late. He may not care what the press says, but… “ I cannot understate this, my stance is not that of The Avengers. I speak only for myself in regards to all of this. Representing myself, and only myself. The bottom line here is if my faith in one man… my oldest friend, is worth it to me. Becoming a fugitive once more. The trust of my nation, and the world… and my team, and my friends. If I’m willing to throw all that away for him, on faith. Is it too much to expect some allotted time to consider that question, or do you require an immediate response?”

Ah, and there it is: the man who led others into and out of war. On paper? It’s an acceptable fact, one easily taken for granted-- she’d pointed out as much to the Daily Bugle. But you don’t really get it until you’re on the receiving end of it, something you feel more than realize.

          ( yes, she sees why people would go to hell and back with Steve Rogers )

She watches as he slides the thickly bound files back across the table.

     “Yes, I imagine Nick would agree with you regarding the Accords.” Valentina allows a flicker of a smirk to pass across her features-- the patient drum of her fingertips against her knee. “I was onsite for the Bogotá mission.... Negotiations weren’t working, and weren’t going to-- Alexander was too close to the situation. A lot of innocent people owe their lives to Nick’s decision to fly against orders, and perhaps in the years that followed S.H..I.E.L.D. became better because of it...but it can’t be like that all the time, can it? The very foundations of our society, our government, of this organization, are built on order. Without it you have anarchy-- rogue soldiers and intelligence agents.... You disobey orders to do what you feel is right time after time after time, at what point do you become what you’re fighting against?”

It’s a rhetorical question, and definitely not one aimed for him-- but he can view it that way if he wishes.

          ( it applies, certainly )

     “Like I said, I’m not those who sat here before me. You can walk out of this building knowing I won’t give the order to detain you as soon as you step foot outside my office. And as much as I’d like an immediate answer...well, I’m familiar enough with the notion that you can’t get blood from a stone to know it applies here. The decision’s yours, Captain, and won’t affect your teammates so long as they aren’t involved.”

Her eyes narrow only a fraction, thoughts lingering over his words-- his possibly vain promise to ask Barnes to turn himself in, the reasons he can’t disclose. Now would be the time to talk, wouldn’t it? 

          ( say something )

Valentina crosses her legs, jiggling her foot once, twice.

     “It’s interesting though, isn’t it? Barnes turned himself in once before-- not after the Helicarrier crash. Which you claim he wasn’t responsible for. And not after Secretary Pierce was killed. Which you claim he also wasn’t responsible for.... But he turns himself in after a Senator is found dead-- and it’s not the fire that killed him. No. It’s blunt force trauma. So you have two very high profile events, with digital recordings and ballistics placing Barnes at the scene, and then you have this significant yet swept under the rug murder with no evidence placing him there whatsoever. I mean--” and she doesn’t quite scoff, but it’s close “--if it weren’t for dental records, we might have never ID’ed the body.”

     She gestures, open-handed, as if said evidence is before their eyes in this very room, before allowing her hands to fall back into place, palms resting on her knee.

“I do… no disrespect, Secretary Fontaine… but let’s not stand on pretense. Even if we set my stance on the Sokovia Accords aside… my best friend is a fugitive. One who I’ve aided and abetted. I don’t know where he is at this exact moment, but I imagine you’re wondering if I would tell you if I did. If I’ll help you bring him in… even though I’ve been maintaining his innocence even though neither of us can prove it…”

Steve inhales, bowing his head in a sort of concession. “…however… while I personally I believe he’s earned the goodwill, the faith… I also realize that I may be too close to the situation. To let him stay in the wind until such time he can provide evidence is… irresponsible, to say the least. I realize that this is something that should be resolved in court. That I’m in no position to ask for favors, understanding, nor empathy.”

If she was to ask him to take up the shield again? He would state his reasons for why he was not comfortable doing so, and hopefully she would understand that. If she asked him if his loyalty to Bucky outweighed the loyalty to his country? …Of course it did.

“Ask of me what you will. I do hope that I can help you, truly.”

If they didn’t? He’d understand if she had to come after him as well. Would the others understand, though? Natasha and Sam maybe, Thor…but Tony… Wanda and Carol…

After everything. Was this what the Avengers needed? Could he do that to them?

“…forgive me if it’s presumptuous, I know that you hoped to clear the air between myself and S.H.I.E.L.D… but I imagine that is what you called me in to discuss?”

So, straight to it then. She can appreciate that.

     “Yes. In part, at least.”

The room’s bugged-- there isn’t a room in the Triskelion that isn’t. Valentina could easily hold him accountable to anything and everything he says-- outright admitting his involvement in assisting Barnes to no uncertain degree; a bold move, but one with an honesty she can admire. 

WSC observations go to her, to be acted upon per her discretion. In this case, she has no plans to break whatever tentative trust can be built here. 

          ( he’s far more useful as an ally than an enemy )

     “I’m not my predecessors...or my colleagues. I know better than to ask you to go against what you feel is right, or what you see as your duty. I only ask that you extend the same respect to me.”

Valentina slides a thick, manila folder across the table to Rogers and flips it open for him, its pages ranging from a crisp white to a tattered beige.

     “You’ll find detailed reports in there regarding the recent infiltration of The Fridge, as well as the murder of Senator Jackson, and other records dating back to the late 1950s. You might find the file for November 1963 of interest. I’m told you’re already aware of the events of December 16th, 1991. We’ve only gone public with the first two, given their relevance to Alexander Pierce’s assassination and the Iliad’s sabotage and crash....”

The exception, the unspoken ‘however’ hangs in the air like a noose.

     “It’s classified so I don’t expect you to know this, but The Fridge--? it houses S.H.I.E.L.D.’s most advance, deadly weapons and enhanced threats-- prisoners like Emil Blonksy. Now, no weapons were stolen and no prisoners were released, but it’s unsettling to say the least that one man can break into the most secure facility on the planet like its a corner street bodega. And for what? S.H.I.E.L.D. intelligence, records we keep for the purpose of national and international security, now compromised.”

Valentina sets the files on The Fridge and Jackson aside, still within Rogers’ view, and pushes forward another document.

     “Did you know that in 2015 Director Hill approached Barnes regarding his vigilante activity? This is her full report. In it is a detailed breakdown of their discussion, brought about by the fact that his activities had been linked with the deaths of several businessmen and politicians-- all about as clean as they could be, given their profession, and certainly not deserving the bloody deaths they received. The issue with this, outside the obvious, being that his actions directly flew against whatever claims of innocence S.H.I.E.L.D. accepted regarding his actions over the past seventy years. Hill directly asked Barnes to stop whatever...crusade he’d taken on. He refused.”

She watches his face closely for a reaction, any sort of tell-- he’s only human after all, and this? This is personal for him. He’s said as much. And she can empathize with that, really, because how many times has she been asked to set aside her beliefs or feelings in favor of responsibility?

          ( too many )

    “You know...Nick Fury may no longer be with S.H.I.E.L.D., but he left a legacy here. A certain breed of loyalty, the kind that inspires people to do what they feel is right, to give people chances....” There’s sympathy in her voice, and its genuine. “Nick Fury has covered for Barnes. Maria Hill has covered for Barnes. Sharon Carter has covered for Barnes. We have bent and distorted rules and regulations to offer him a chance to save himself from bureaucratic action as a courtesy towards his service record for this country as well as for you, Captain. But S.H.I.E.L.D. as an organization has national and international standards of accountability-- standards put in place by its founders, two whom you personally knew. How are we expected to uphold even a shred of those standards if we continue to blindly make exceptions for an individual who, frankly, hasn’t warranted S.H.I.E.L.D.’s protection and has consistently rejected any warning or offer to stand down?”

          ( A part of him is tempted to wish Clay farewell by name, but that would be too… no, he doesn’t need to have the first word. Nor the last. Both of them have a general idea of how this meeting is going to go, don’t they? They both want cooperation, to work together to get things back on track. There’s just the matter of Bucky.  )

    “Secretary Fontaine.” Steve nods, reaching to shake her hand. “Thank you for extending such a cordial invitation. Was given no trouble at all. All things considered, everyone’s been quite welcoming.”

     “Of course. It’s the least I can do, all things considered.”

Valentina repeats his blanket statement - all things considered - with a little humor-- no mockery, just small talk. So much of bureaucracy is small talk, she thinks with disdain. She gestures for him to have a seat with the same hand that shook his. 

     “I have to admit, I wasn’t sure if you’d accept, given the...tense nature of the circumstances. I’m glad to be wrong.” 

She takes a seat across from Rogers, only a small rectangular table standing between them (a mimic of the larger meeting table on the other side of the room). It feels ridiculous, in such an expansive room-- a room so large and vacant that your voice echoed off the walls when you spoke; Valentina often finds herself thinking that the Secretary’s office feels like an attempt was made to design the world’s first comfortable situation room. The cold tile floor and concrete walls atop an ivory tower defeat the illusion.

          ( they used to get so much done with so much less during the cold war )

     “Your time’s as valuable as mine is, so I hope I don’t seem too rude if I skip the pleasantry of asking how you are. Though, I’m sure I could hazard an educated guess at ‘not as good as I could be’.” Valentina allows herself the shadow of a smirk, gone as quickly as it came. “I imagine you must have a lot on your mind....”

[sighs as he types his response]

Date: Monday, Jun 3, 2019 at 10:00pm From: Rogers, Steven To: Fontaine, Valeninta <[email protected]​> BCC: Romanoff, Natasha<@couldbetricky​>, Wilson, Samuel <@wingsonwilson​>

[ AUTO DELETION: YES // 12-HOUR ]

Secretary Fontaine,

I humbly and gratefully accept your invitation. I look forward to meeting with you and addressing our respective concerns. I truly hope that we can achieve both mutual understanding and cooperation in any dealings we may experience going forward.

Regards, Captain Steven Rogers

Valentina is staring out over the expanse of the Potomac when the light, trill alerting her to an incoming guest dings, drawing her attention to the entrance way. In the fifteen seconds she knows it takes from the elevator to the meeting room, she allows herself only this: a deep inhale, steady exhale (one, two).

           ( she’s not exactly surprised that Rogers accepted her invitation, but she is somewhat relieved-- any eagerness kept under wraps as her countdown resolves to zero )

     “Thank you, Agent Quartermain.” Her curt nod towards Rogers’ escort serves as an emphasis of her words as well as a silent dismissal, waiting until the room belongs to them alone before speaking again.

Captain Rogers,

You are receiving this email invitation in good faith and in accordance with the United Nations Security Council’s extension of amnesty towards yourself and other parties involved in the rift caused by the Accords.  I understand the acts, or lack thereof, of my predecessors have established bad blood between yourself, S.H.I.E.L.D., and its governing Council, and wish to address these and any other concerns you may have in person.

As such, your presence is requested in Washington D.C. at the Triskelion on Wednesday, June 5th, at 9:00am EDT.  Should you accept this invitation, you will need to present valid identification at the main atrium front desk.  This process includes producing a photo I.D. and providing fingerprint impressions.  You will receive a biometrics-based security device as well as an escort to accompany you to the World Security Council.

[ WORLD SECURITY COUNCIL CLASSIFIED ASSET DEPLOYMENT ORDER ] [ DISTRIBUTION: RESTRICTED (AD-HOC CODE CLEARANCE REQUIRED) ] [ RECIPIENT(S): [email protected] ] [ DATE: 29 APRIL 2017 ] [ ORIGINAL: ENGLISH // TRANSLATION: NONE // ENCRYPTION: OMEGA-13 PROTOCOL ] [ AUTO DELETION: YES // 12-HOUR ] [ DOCUMENT ID: WSC/C.A/SEC/7102 ]

Mr. Stark:

EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY, the World Security Council has voted to deploy S.H.I.E.L.D. Technical Asset #0862U as part of this Council’s continued effort to safely, effectively enforce the ACCORDS.

As spearhead of the original project involving Article L097VE ( ‘The Mind Gem’ ), you have been selected to oversee the Asset’s defensive actions, and will report directly back to the Council with quantitative data regarding the Asset’s success.  Please bear in mind that at present, this Order is CLASSIFIED, and will remain so until such time that this Council chooses to release any details pertaining to your involvement, Asset #0862U, or the World Security Council’s ACCORDS enforcement effort.

Furthermore, considering the Asset’s provisional status and as-yet-undetermined usage protocols, at present this Council has elected to maintain full control of any ongoing efforts concerning Asset #0862U.  To that end, the S.H.I.E.L.D. Directorate is not to be involved, and will be updated if necessary by this Council.

Please address any concerns directly to the World Security Council, following the customary encryption protocols.  We anticipate your first field report within five business days.

Sincerely,

[ PROVIDER: YANG, A. ] [ LOCATION: PRIVATE PRACTICE ] [ CLEARANCE: WHITELISTED ] [ REQUESTING PARTY: FURY JR., NICHOLAS ]

// PATIENT DATA:

[ PROVIDER: YANG, A. ] [ LOCATION: HART ISLAND PRISON FACILITY, HOLDING A ] [ CLEARANCE: WHITELISTED ] [ REQUESTING PARTY: WORLD SECURITY COUNCIL ]

// PATIENT DATA:

[ WORLD SECURITY COUNCIL SECRETARIAT PRIVILEGED COMMUNICATION ] [ DISTRIBUTION: RESTRICTED (AD-HOC CODE CLEARANCE REQUIRED) ] [ RECIPIENT(S): [email protected], [email protected] ] [ RECIPIENT(S) BCC: [email protected] ] [ DATE: 07 FEBRUARY 2017 ] [ ORIGINAL: ENGLISH // TRANSLATION: NONE // ENCRYPTION: OMEGA-13 PROTOCOL ] [ AUTO DELETION: YES // 12-HOUR ] [ DOCUMENT ID: WSC/C.A/SEC/2710 ] [ ATTACHMENTS: .PDF (32, ENCRYPTED), .PDF (9, ENCRYPTED) ]

Mr. Stark:

After reviewing the submitted report and its corresponding documentation, the World Security Council has elected to consider your hypothesis concerning Article L097VE, heretofore referred to as the “Mind Gem”, viable and have therefore decided to entertain your request for unrestricted access to the item for more permanent use.

Standard S.H.I.E.L.D. procedure concerning the acquisition and transfer of protected scientific assets dictates that only yourself, S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Maria Hill, and essential Stark Industries personnel be present at the time of transfer.  Please refer to the attached Nondisclosure Agreement, and ensure that it is completed and notarized by each member of your staff that will be present.  Additionally, S.H.I.E.L.D. technicians will be on-site and at your disposal.

Regarding your request to include Stark Industries’ Artificial Intelligence, the Council would first like to reiterate S.H.I.E.L.D.’s legal rights, which includes protective clauses regarding the physical and intellectual property associated with the asset and its use - these are also documented in the attached paperwork.  As it has already been agreed upon, Asset 0862U would, upon activation, be maintained as a working S.H.I.E.L.D. Technical Asset and therefore remain completely under the purview of the Strategic Homeland Intervention: Enforcement and Logistics Division, the World Security Council, and, by extension, the United Nations.

On behalf of the Council I would like to thank you, Mr. Stark, for your generous contribution to the facilitation of the ACCORDS regulations.

Sincerely,

Dear Sirs & Madams,

Over the past few months, both myself and Dr. B. Banner have been performing extensively detailed Research & Development into the underlying mechanisms involved within a potential asset to S.H.I.E.L.D. Currently encompassed within a vessel-like formation dubbed as “The Cradle” which houses the unit, the resource in question is a bipedal android-like figure whose origin is based from the notoriously failed and subsequently defunct efforts of Dr. Hank Pym’s Project Ultron. It’s our firm belief that our work in question could be an important factor to the success of the WSC’s ongoing campaign to detect threats and bring vigilante fugitives to justice, with notable individuals such as Captain Rogers and Sergeant Barnes. 

Our line of work has delved into numerous fields including (but not limited to) Neural and Mechanical Engineering, all of which are indicative of a remarkable series of specifications which can be described as inhabiting a number of scientific marvels this side of the Western world. Please find attached an array of comprehensive scientific reports and schematics as part of our ongoing documentation to explain these further, prominently the two following points:

The asset’s cellular structure has been uniquely bonded with the rare element of vibranium. This alone has evidently concluded in an insurmountable means of strength to withstand considerable payloads. Coupled with the cells whose frequency of resonance is capable of rapid alteration, the asset has portrayed exemplary precedent of being pliable when making contact with other sturdy surfaces - “phasing”, in summary.

Whereas experimentation into power sources have been somewhat trying, the cranial unit of the android has been designed to securely hold an Infinity Gem (namely, that known as the “Mind gem” utilised in Loki’s sceptre during the Battle of Manhattan) as a means of unlimited energy. Despite interstellar origins, this particular gem has an intrinsically code-like internal makeup which lends to the credence that it was best suited for the unit in terms of compatibility and circuitry functionality.

In both Dr. Banner and my expert opinions, we‘re advising that that this could be an invaluable asset to the pro-reg cause and the use of a trusted Artificial Intelligence is required to operate and commence its deployment. A detail that I am willing to aid in with the temporary utilisation of J.A.R.V.I.S., the A.I. of my design whom has continuously proved to be a reliable and supportive figure at Stark Industries as well as to The Avengers over the past few decades.

I understand that not everyone on the panel is scientifically inclined, hence I’ve included some additional “Cliff Note” style documentation to summarise our findings for your convenience and swift perusal. Looking forward to receiving your feedback.