Nick Fury got up, walked toward Steve, and said, "Well, just… my friends, I suppose."
Steve asked, "Would you say we're friends?"
Nick Fury looked at Steve and replied, "That depends on you."
Steve said, "I need a dose of the enhancement serum from Charles Agency, or an 084 item that can be exchanged for it."
Hearing Steve's words, Nick Fury was momentarily stunned. The righteous "Captain America" and symbol of justice was now learning how to take advantage of a situation.
'Times really are changing…'
Fury was curious why Steve Rogers needed the enhancement serum. After all, Steve had already been injected with a dose, and taking a second—especially from a different source—was almost guaranteed to be fatal.
Despite his curiosity and annoyance at Steve's opportunism, Fury agreed.
With S.H.I.E.L.D. holding numerous 084 items, and given the current surplus of enhancement serums from the ninja villages, acquiring one wasn't as challenging as it had been. Moreover, Fury needed to maintain Steve Rogers' loyalty.
"I'll agree to your request, but you need to tell me who you're giving it to. This stuff is strictly regulated."
Hearing Fury's agreement, Steve's face lit up with relief. Peggy Carter is going to be saved, and he'd have 56 years to make up for all she had endured.
At the same time, he would be able to keep his shield.
Just as Steve was about to say Peggy Carter's name—
BANG! BANG! BANG!
"Ah!"
Three gunshots rang out, piercing Fury's body and embedding themselves in the wall behind him.
The sudden turn of events made Steve's eyes widen in shock. Fury collapsed to the floor, blood pooling around him.
Acting quickly, Steve pulled Fury to safety behind a wall, shielding him from further attacks, while scanning the window where the shots had come from.
After securing Fury in a safe corner, Steve prepared to pursue the attacker. But before he could move, Fury grabbed his arm with surprising strength.
Steve looked at him in confusion. Fury released his grip on Steve's arm and opened his hand, revealing a USB drive clenched tightly in his palm.
"Cough… cough…"
"Don't trust anyone," Fury rasped.
Steve took the USB drive, his attention shifting to the sound of the apartment door being broken open. Quickly positioning himself behind the wall, he peeked toward the entrance.
"Captain Rogers?"
It was the nurse from next door, now holding a gun as she stepped cautiously into the apartment.
"Captain, I'm Agent 13 of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s special task force," she said.
Steve, still processing the chaos, muttered in disbelief, "Carter?"
Agent 13, whose real name was Sharon Carter, clarified, "I'm here to protect you."
Looking at her warily, Steve asked, "Who sent you?"
But before she could answer, Carter noticed Fury lying on the ground, bleeding. She froze for a moment, then immediately crouched down to check his vitals.
"He's alive, but unconscious," Carter announced after a quick assessment. She pulled out her radio and reported, "Foxtrot is down, unresponsive. Requesting immediate medevac."
A male agent's voice responded through the radio, "Have you identified the shooter's position?"
Carter glanced at the bullet holes in the wall. By this time, Steve had already spotted the shooter retreating outside the window. He immediately said, "Tell them I'm going after him."
Without hesitation, Steve broke into a sprint, leaping through the window into the adjacent building. Spotting movement on the rooftop, he began charging through the building with incredible speed.
With his shield raised in front of him, no door could stand in his way—each one shattered upon impact as Steve barreled through.
Finally, after crossing a second building and jumping to the rooftop of a third, Steve caught up with the fleeing shooter.
The assassin had reached the edge of the roof, preparing to jump. Without wasting a second, Steve hurled his shield with all his might. The shield spun through the air, a perfectly aimed throw intended to incapacitate the target.
"Whoosh!"
The shield sliced through the air, about to strike its mark. But at the last second, the shooter turned and effortlessly caught the flying shield with one hand.
Steve's eyes widened in shock.
'Another superhuman.'
In the next instant, Bucky Barnes, the Winter Soldier, flung the shield back at Steve with tremendous force.
"Whoosh!"
The shield returned with a deafening rush. Steve braced himself and caught it with both hands, but the impact's sheer force pushed him back several steps. He immediately realized that the shooter's strength was on par with his own.
When Steve looked up again, the edge of the rooftop was empty—the assassin had disappeared.
He quickly ran to the edge and peered down, but there was no trace of the attacker.
…
New York City-
S.H.I.E.L.D. Emergency Medical Center-
Natasha Romanoff rushed into the facility after receiving word of the situation. Inside, she found a gathering of several S.H.I.E.L.D. agents.
In the medical lab, Steve Rogers stood silently, staring through a glass window at the surgical team operating on Nick Fury.
Natasha entered the room, her gaze shifting to the ongoing procedure. She asked, "Will he make it?"
"I don't know," Steve replied.
"What did the assassin look like?"
Steve's tone was heavy as he described, "Fast, strong, and with a metal arm. Based on what I saw, his speed and strength are at least equal to mine."
At this moment, Maria Hill entered the room, her eyes also drawn to Fury on the operating table.
Natasha couldn't hide her surprise. Steve, enhanced with the super-soldier serum and an additional enhancement serum, was one of the strongest individuals she knew. For someone to match him in power was almost unbelievable.
After a moment of thought, Natasha asked, "Ballistics analysis?"
Maria Hill responded, "No rifling marks—completely untraceable."
Natasha speculated, "Soviet-made?"
Hill gave her a surprised look before confirming, "Yes."
The medical team's tense voices suddenly cut through the conversation:
"He's crashing!"
"Bring the crash cart over!"
"Nurse, clear the bed!"
"Blood pressure is dropping—hurry up!"
"Charge the defibrillator to 100 joules!"