dear_mun | (no subject)

He's not going to go down easy.

I'll find a way. He infiltrated SHIELD. All of HYDRA is going to go down. But Rumlow... I know I'll need more training, but I will put him down.

[ She isn't going to point out that her aunt had dedicated much of her life to defeated HYDRA, only for them to have infiltrated the agency her aunt had used to protect people from entities like HYDRA. It's enough of a blow as it is. And that Rumlow had tried to kill SHIELD agents in front of Sharon, that Sharon hadn't taken him out right then and there, that just stings. ]

I guess I should ask, though, how are you holding up?

I don't doubt it.

[ SHIELD agents, real ones, are resourceful and clever. They're as well trained as anyone capable of infiltrating their ranks. And Sharon's good. She lived beside him for how long and he hadn't realized she wasn't who she claimed to be. He can't doubt her resolve.

Though if he knew what his comics counterpart does about Rumlow, well... He would be offering to take care of the guy himself. ]

I'm fine. [ These are his demons. He's not burdening anyone else with them. ] You need help tracking my ex-teammate down, let me know.

[ She doesn't believe for a moment he's as good as he says, but she knows Natasha is keeping tabs on him, and Natasha trusts Sam to do the same. She can let it slide. For now.

In the meantime, her lips curl into a smile. ]

One of the reasons I joined the CIA was so I could access their resources. [ She shrugs. She's a spy, through and through. ] I'll let you know if I have a lead on him, if you're interested.

[ After all, it wouldn't hurt to have Captain America at her back. And he probably wants to get a hit in himself. ]

[ He nods, accepting her offer. ]

I'd like that. Thanks.

[ There's a moment's pause as he debates with himself whether he wants to ask for more information or just let it go. Not having all the information hasn't done him any favors recently, though, so he decides to ask. ]

So being my neighbor, that was all part of the assignment, huh?

[ She'd known it would come up sooner or later, but she'd really been hoping for later. ]

Yeah. Not that I minded. You're a pretty good neighbor.

They were just worried that somebody might blow up your apartment or attack you or something, and they wanted you to have backup. [ She hesitates. Dishonesty isn't going to earn her any points, though, not after all he's been through. And at the moment, a half-truth might count as a lie in his book. ] I was also keeping an eye on you for Director Fury. Just to make sure you were okay.

[ Is that the real reason? He isn't so sure he believes it. Oh, SHIELD would certainly want to protect its investment, but he's learned a very valuable lesson lately: there aren't many people in whom he can completely put his trust. ]

Fury didn't need to worry.

[ It's a neutral response, but he lets it all go. Harping on the past won't help the future. He learned that lesson months ago. ]

What are your plans now? Aside from finding Rumlow.

He wasn't wrong to worry, either. You have enemies, Captain Rogers.

[ She isn't going to give up on protecting him. If he doesn't like it, fine. She'll do it anyway. It was a mission from Director Fury himself. She wasn't going to just drop it because Captain Rogers didn't like the idea of having backup or support. ]

CIA. Find the HYDRA agents there. Eliminate the threat. Protect people. [ That was what she'd always wanted to do, protect people. Just because she couldn't do it as a SHIELD agent didn't mean she couldn't do it at all. ]

I'll still be your neighbor, if that's what you're wondering.

[ He does have enemies, he can't argue with her about that. But they're his enemies. Putting other people in danger for his sake has never been something Steve's felt comfortable doing. And because of that, because his home isn't secure anymore, he has to point out the obvious. ]

Like you said, I have enemies. Being my neighbor might be dangerous.

[ She might be trained to handle it. And maybe she's been handling it all this time she's been undercover as unassuming neighbor. But he protects people too. Even the ones who can protect themselves. ]

Director Fury wouldn't have given me the assignment if he thought I couldn't handle it. If you can't have faith in my opinion, you can at least have faith in his, right?

[ Sure, Director Fury had been shot inside, but Steve himself hadn't been shot, right?

Okay, no. That didn't work out perfectly. That had not been how Sharon had wanted Captain Rogers to find out she was an agent.

But sometimes, people need all the backup they can get. And she isn't going to let him face anything alone if she has any say in the matter. ]

[ They're not on opposing sides, and when push came to shove they worked pretty well together, but Steve doesn't think he can have the faith in Fury he might have once had, in what seems like yet another life ago. Things have changed.

Things always change. ]

It's your choice. I just wanted to be honest with you.

[ If she chooses to stay in his vicinity, Steve won't keep trying to persuade her to leave. He just wants her to know the truth. ]