Meanwhile-
Hill led the three of them to a hidden base beneath a dam. As they walked in, Hill said, "She's been shot. We need help removing the bullet."
A man approached and offered, "Leave it to me."
Hill replied, "Just bring the tools. She'll want to see him first."
Natasha looked at Hill, puzzled, "Who is 'him'? And why would I want to see him?"
Hill guided them to a hospital ward. She pulled back a curtain to reveal Nick Fury lying in a bed.
Fury raised his head slightly and said, "You finally made it."
The group entered the room. Shortly after, a doctor arrived with clamps, forceps, and other tools for the procedure.
Natasha removed her jacket. The doctor inspected her wound, now partially healed, and remarked in astonishment,
"An incredible regeneration rate."
Sam, equally shocked, said, "Is this… also a result of the serum?"
Natasha nodded, "Yes. But the downside is if the bullet isn't removed quickly, the wound will heal over it."
Sam's understanding of human capabilities was once again shaken. With this kind of regeneration, as long as the wound wasn't fatal, it would be nearly impossible to take them down. Their speed and reflexes also made hitting them a challenge.
The doctor warned, "You'll need to endure this. I'll have to cut the wound open to remove the bullet."
Natasha nodded calmly, "Go ahead."
Meanwhile, Nick Fury began explaining his own situation, "Spinal damage, fractured sternum, shattered clavicle, liver perforation, and a killer headache."
The doctor added, "Don't forget the collapsed lung."
Fury smirked and said, "Right, that too. Can't forget that. Otherwise, I'm doing just fine."
Natasha looked at Fury and asked, "But they performed open-chest surgery on you. Your heart had stopped."
Fury explained, "Pufferfish toxin B—it slows the pulse to less than one beat per minute."
"It was something Banner created to control stress. It didn't do much for him, but we discovered a new use for it."
Steve, still processing, asked Fury, "Why all the secrecy? Why didn't you tell us?"
Hill interjected, "To make those trying to kill the Director believe the assassination was successful."
Fury added, "Dead men don't die twice."
"And besides, I didn't know who I could trust anymore."
…
Meanwhile-
The Winter Soldier, Bucky Barnes, was undergoing repairs on his damaged metal arm in a HYDRA base after the recent battle.
As he sat there, fragmented memories began to flood his mind.
Dr. Zola's voice echoed, "Sergeant Barnes..."
A man on a train yelled desperately, "Bucky, no!"
Then he saw himself falling from the train, being taken away, and strapped onto an operating table. Zola's voice resurfaced in his memory:
"The enhancement process has begun. You will become HYDRA's new weapon."
"Put him in cryostasis."
These sudden memories triggered an intense outburst. Bucky slammed the technician working on his arm across the room.
The guards in the room immediately raised their weapons, ready to shoot if he made another move.
But Bucky stayed seated, motionless, seemingly drained of further action.
Alexander Pierce entered the room. One of the staff members nervously reported, "Sir, he's unstable. Emotional outburst detected."
Pierce seemed unfazed. He gestured for the guards to lower their weapons, then walked up to Bucky and ordered:
"Mission report."
"Begin your mission report."
Bucky remained seated, staring blankly into space, showing no intention to comply.
Pierce, visibly irritated, stepped closer and delivered a sharp slap across Bucky's face.
Smack!
The slap echoed in the room, and Bucky flinched slightly, finally reacting. He muttered, "The man on the bridge... who is he?"
Pierce replied calmly, "You saw him earlier this week during another mission."
Bucky, lost in thought, said softly, "I know him."
Pierce pulled over a chair and sat down in front of Bucky, speaking with a calculated tone:
"What you've done has served humanity."
"You've shaped this century. I need you to do it again."
"Human society stands on the edge of order and chaos. Tomorrow morning, we'll help them choose."
"But if you don't complete your mission, I can't proceed, and HYDRA can't restore the freedom the world truly deserves."
But Bucky stared at Pierce and insisted, "I know him."
Pierce sighed, visibly annoyed. He stood up and said to the staff, "Prepare him."
One staff member hesitated and said, "He's been out of cryostasis for too long."
Pierce dismissed the concern coldly, "Then wipe him. Start over."
The staff promptly began the reconditioning process, strapping Bucky into the machine to erase his memories once more.
Pierce ignored Bucky's visible agony as the machine began its work. Without a second glance, he turned and left the room.
…
Meanwhile-
Nick Fury listened intently as Natasha and Steve detailed the intelligence and evidence they had gathered. Looking at a photo of Alexander Pierce, Fury remarked:
"This is the man who turned down the Nobel Peace Prize."
"He said peace isn't an achievement; it's a responsibility."
He tossed Pierce's photo aside and glanced at Natasha, saying, "It's things like this that gave me trust issues."
Natasha said resolutely, "We need to stop the helicarrier launch."
Fury responded, "I doubt the Council will be taking my calls anymore."
He then opened a briefcase in front of him, revealing its contents.
Sam, curious, asked, "What's that?"
Hill explained, "Once the helicarriers ascend to three thousand feet, they'll use Insight's satellite triangulation to become lethal weapons."
Fury elaborated, "We need to infiltrate the helicarriers and replace the targeting modules with our own."
Hill brought up a diagram on her computer, displaying the helicarriers and the location of the modules.
She explained, "Swapping just one or two modules won't be enough. We have to link all three helicarriers together, because even one operating normally could still cost countless lives."
Fury added, "We have to assume the helicarriers are manned entirely by HYDRA. We'll need to fight through them."
"Inserting the modules into the servers might save lives," he hesitated, "but only might."
Steve interrupted firmly, "We're not here to save anything. We're not just taking down the helicarriers."
"Nick, we're taking down S.H.I.E.L.D."
Fury protested immediately, "S.H.I.E.L.D. has nothing to do with this."
Steve countered, "You gave me this mission, and this is where it's led."
"S.H.I.E.L.D. has been compromised by HYDRA—your own words."
"HYDRA operated right under your nose, and no one noticed."
Fury asked pointedly, "Why do you think we're meeting in this cave?"
"Because I found out."
Steve shot back, "And how many lives were lost before you did?"
Fury glanced around the room, visibly shaken. After a pause, he finally said, "I swear, I didn't know about Barnes."