Pierce is holding another virtual meeting with the World Security Council

Alexander Pierce:
Nick Fury was murdered in cold blood. To any reasonable person, that would make him a martyr, not a traitor.

Councilman Rockwell:
You know what makes him a traitor? Hiring a mercenary to hijack his own ship.

Councilman Singh:
Nick Fury used your friendship to coerce this council into delaying Project Insight. A project he knew would expose his own illegal operations. At best, he lied to you. At worst...

Alexander Pierce:
Are you calling for my resignation? I've got a pen and paper right here.

Councilwoman Hawley:
That discussion can be tabled for a later time.

Alexander Pierce:
But you do want to have a discussion.

Councilman Rockwell:
We've already had it, Mr. Secretary.

This council moves to immediately reactivate Project Insight. If you want to say something snappy, now would be a good time.

Steve and Regulus go to the mall disguised as a civilian couple

"Cute disguised" Natahsa said, smirking knowing exactly what's about to go down. Steve looks down, not ready for everyone's reaction.

Regulus:
First rule of going on the run is, don't run, walk.

Steve Rogers:
If I run in these shoes, they're gonna fall off.

They go to a Mac store to use one of their computers

Regulus:
The drive has a Level Six homing program, so as soon as we boot up SHIELD will know exactly where we are.

Steve Rogers:
How much time do we have?

Regulus:
Uh...about nine minutes from...

He pops the flash drive into a MacBook Pro

Regulus:
Now.

We see several SHIELD vehicles heading their way

Regulus:
Fury was right about that ship, somebody's trying to hide something. This drive is protected by some sort of AI, it keeps rewriting itself to counter my commands.

Steve Rogers:
Can you override it?

Regulus:
The person who developed this is slightly smarter than me.

Regulus:
Slightly.

Chuckles are heard. Good to know Regulus was still that cocky bitch.

Rumlow and his team pull up outside the mall and head inside. back at the Mac store, Steve and Regulus continue to try and find out what's on the flash drive

Regulus:
I'm gonna try running a tracer. This is a program that SHIELD developed to track hostile malware, so if we can't read the file, maybe we can find out where it came from.

Apple Employee:
Can I help you guys with anything?

Regulus:
Oh, no. My fiancé was just helping me with some honeymoon destinations.

Many people in the room froze at this. Same-sex marriages were not uncommon in the wizarding world, but it was widely known that Black families were mostly made up of men and women marriages, and the idea of a Black marrying a man was shocking.

James frowned at the screen, feeling a hint of jealousy.

Natasha smirks and chuckles a bit. She knew all about this since Regulus had told her. Bucky showed no emotion on his face, but internally he was ready to throw hands.

Steve Rogers:
Right! We're getting married.

Apple Employee:
Congratulations. Where do you guys thinking about going?

Steve looks at the monitor and sees the signal traced to somewhere in New Jersey

Steve Rogers:
New Jersey.

"Really"

Apple Employee:
Oh.

The employee looks at Steve for a moment

Apple Employee:
I have the exact same glasses.

Regulus:
Wow, you two are practically twins.

Apple Employee:
Yeah, I wish. Specimen. Uh...if you guys need anything, I've been Aaron.

Steve Rogers:
Thank you.

As Rumlow and his team are in the mall looking for Steve and Regulus

Steve Rogers:
You said nine minutes, come on.

Regulus:
Shh, relax. Got it.

They find the signal is coming from Wheaton, NJ

Regulus:

Steve Rogers:
I used to. Let's go.

Steve pulls the flash drive from the computer and they walk out of the store

Steve Rogers:
Standard tac-team. Two behind, to across, two coming straight at us. If they make us, I'll engage, you hit the south escalator to the metro.

As two agents are coming straight towards them

Regulus:
Shut up and put your arm around me, laugh at something I said.

Steve Rogers:
What?

Regulus:
Do it!

Steve quickly puts his arm around Regulus and laughs

Regulus looks at Steve grinning, and says, "You are so awkward." He finishes giggling, making the people around him feel certain ways. I mean, The Blacks are known for their looks, but damn, Regulus's smiling and giggling was on a whole new level. James sees this and feels even more certain of his new feelings. Clint laughs at Steve and says, "Dude, we gotta teach you how to be subtle." Steve just nods blushing.

In the Mac store one of the agents looks around

Jack Rollins:
Negative at the source.

Brock Rumlow:
Give me a floor rundown.

SHIELD Agent #2:
Negative on three.

SHIELD Agent #3:
Negative on two.

Brock Rumlow:
Snake the upper levels, work down to me.

As they are going down the escalator Regulus spots Rumlow on the escalator next to them going up, he turns to Steve

Regulus:
Kiss me.

"WHAT?!"

Sirius looked like he was going to kill Steve.

James looked at Steve with a glare.

The whole Avengers team was now full of laughter. They were all aware of Steve's awkwardness, and Regulus simply telling Steve to kiss him was the funniest thing ever.

Regulus was red. Yes, the future him was confident, but now Regulus is still a baby who still has not had his first kiss. Well, that's a lie. He did kiss that one 6th year hufflepuff in his 4th year, and that other time at a slytherin party, AND Barty was his first kiss. Okay, he was a little more experienced, but seeing yourself about to make out on a large screen in front of your friends and family was embarrassing.

Steve Rogers:
What?

Regulus:
Public displays of affection make people very uncomfortable.

Steve Rogers:
Yes, they do.

He quickly pulls down Steve's head and kisses him making Rumlow look away as he goes past them on the escalator

Now everyone was gobsmacked. They didn't actually expect Regulus to pull him into a kiss.

Steve lets out a loud yelp. Everyone was now staring at him. Steve is looking around. "I felt like someone just jabbed me in the gut," he says, rubbing his ribs. Sirius was smirking with his wand out. He puts it away before anyone notices. Remus is shaking his head. James stared at the screen, wishing that it was him instead of Steve. Lily sees him staring and gets a little annoyed but ignores it.

Molly Weasley, who honestly had been forgotten, looked like he was about to throw a fit, but was quickly hushed by her husband.

Orion looked proud at how quickly Regulus was able to detect the attention away from him and not get caught. In all honesty, Regulus is going to make a perfect Lord.

Regulus:
You still uncomfortable?

Steve Rogers:
It's not exactly the word I would use.

As they drive to New Jersey

Regulus:
Where did Captain America learn how to steal a car?

Steve Rogers:
Nazi Germany.

Molly and Lily look disapproving

Regulus:
Mm.

Steve Rogers:
And we're borrowing. Take your feet off the dash.

Regulus takes his feet off the dash

Regulus:
Alright, I have a question for you, oh, which you do not have to answer. I feel like if you don't answer it though, you're kind of answering it, you know?

Steve Rogers:
What?

Regulus:
Was that your first kiss since 1945?

Regulus lets out a loud snort, which gets a few funny looks. Bucky smiles at him. Natasha looks at Steve with a small smirk forming on her face, "Was it?" Steve, blushing, just huffs and rolls his eyes.

Steve Rogers:
That bad, huh?

Regulus:
I didn't say that.

Steve Rogers:
Well, it kind of sounds like that's what you're saying.

Regulus:
No, I didn't. I just wondered how much practice you've had.

Steve Rogers:
You don't need practice.

Regulus:
Everybody needs practice.

Steve Rogers:
It was not my first kiss since 1945. I'm ninety-five, I'm not dead.

Regulus:

Steve chuckles

Steve Rogers:
Believe it or not, it's kind of hard to find someone with shared life experience.

Regulus:
Well, that's alright, you just make something up.

Steve Rogers:
What, like you?

Regulus:
I don't know. The truth is a matter of circumstances, it's not all things to all people all the time. And neither am I.

Some people in the room get an uncomfortable feeling. Sirius stares at his brother. What did he mean by that.

Steve Rogers:
That's a tough way to live.

Regulus:
It's a good way not to die, though.

Steve Rogers:
You know, it's kind of hard to trust someone when you don't know who that someone really is.

Regulus:
Yeah. Who do you want me to be?

Steve Rogers:
How about a friend?

Regulus laughs softly

Regulus:
Well, there's a chance you might be in the wrong business, Rogers.

The two pull up to outside an abandoned military base where the signal led them to

Steve Rogers:
This is it.

Regulus:
The file came from these coordinates.

Steve Rogers:
So did I.

Later that night as they walk around the base trying to pinpoint where the signal came from

Steve Rogers:
This camp is where I was trained.

Regulus:
Changed much?

Steve Rogers:
A little.

Steve has a brief visions of his former, smaller self running past him as he's getting trained with other soldiers

Sergeant Duffy:
Pick up the pace, ladies! Let's go! Let's go! Double time! Come on Rogers, move it!

His former self stops and stares at Steve as he is now

Sergeant Duffy:
Come on! Fall in! Rogers! I said fall in!

Present Steve watches nostalgically as the former Steve runs off

Those who weren't aware of Steve Roger's history looked at him in amazement. For a tad longer, Dumbledore kept his eyes on Steve. If that's what this serum did, then he definitely needed it in his hand.

Regulus:l
This is a dead end. Zero heat signature, zero waves, not even radio. Whoever wrote the file must have used a router to throw people off.

Steve notices a building ahead of them

Regulus:
What is it?

As they walk over to the building

Steve Rogers:
Army regulations forbid storing ammunition within five hundred yards of the barracks. This building is in the wrong place.

Steve opens the lock with his shield and they enter inside, when they turn on the lights they notice it's a SHIELD office

Regulus:
This is SHIELD.

Steve Rogers:
Maybe where it started.

They enter a room where they find old framed portraits of Howard Stark, Peggy and Col. Chester Phillips

Regulus:
There's Stark's father.

Steve Rogers:
Howard.

Bucky stiffens, not daring to look at Tony. The said man just huffed at the screen and looked away, not noticing the stiffness of the hydra assasination.

Regulus:
Who's the girl?

Steve doesn't reply and turns away to walk further down the room and stops by a massive book shelf

Regulus:
If you're already working in a secret office...

He pushes the books shelf and slides open to reveal an elevator behind it

Steve:
Why do you need to hide the elevator?

They go down the elevator which takes them to a room with old looking computers

Regulus:
This can't be the data-point, this technology is ancient.

Suddenly Regulus notices a small flash drive port, he places the flash drive in it which then activates the ancient computer in the room

Computer:
Initiate system?

Regulus types using the keyboard

Regulus:

Regulus smiles as the old computer starts to cranks up

Regulus:
"Shall we play a game?"
[to Steve]
It's from a movie that...

Steve Rogers:
Yeah, I saw it.

Suddenly they hear an accented voice speaking

Dr. Arnim Zola:
Rogers, Steven. Born 1914,

"Pause." said Barty He looked at Regulus and said, "Run the fuck away, please sir." Regulus smiles awkwardly and nods.

-Black, Regulus Arcturus. Born, 1961.

They see an old camera moving above them as it analyzes them

Regulus:
It's some kind of a recording.

Dr. Arnim Zola:
I am not a recording, Fräulein. I may not be the man I was when the Captain took me prisoner in 1945, but I am.

The computer screen shows an old photo of Dr. Arnim Zola

Regulus:
Do you know this thing?

Steve Rogers:
Arnim Zola was a German scientist who worked for the Red Skull. He's been dead for years.

Dr. Arnim Zola:
First correction, I am Swiss. Second, look around you. I have never been more alive. In 1972 I received a terminal diagnosis. Science could not save my body, my mind, however, that was worth saving on two hundred thousand feet of data banks. You are standing in my brain.

Steve Rogers:
How did you get here?

Dr. Arnim Zola:
Invited.

Regulus:
It was Operation Paperclip after World War II. SHIELD recruited German scientists with strategic value.

Dr. Arnim Zola:
They thought I could help their cause. I also helped my own.

Steve Rogers:
HYDRA died with the Red Skull.

Dr. Arnim Zola:
Cut off one head, two more shall take its place.

Steve Rogers:
Prove it.

Dr. Arnim Zola:
Accessing archive.

The computer screen shows them old footage of Johann Schmidt/Red Skull, of the how the original SHIELD founders

Dr. Arnim Zola:
HYDRA was founded on the belief that humanity could not be trusted with its own freedom. What we did not realize, was that if you try to take that freedom, they resist. The war taught us much. Humanity needed to surrender its freedom willingly. After the war, SHIELD was founded and I was recruited. The new HYDRA grew. A beautiful parasite inside SHIELD. For seventy years HYDRA has been secretly feeding crisis, reaping war. And when history did not cooperate, history was changed.

Purebloods and half bloods looked distubred at the screen. Muggles were a lot more terrifying than they realized.

Regulus:
That's impossible, SHIELD would have stopped you.

Dr. Arnim Zola:
Accidents will happen.

The computer screen shows them HYDRA had killed Howard and Maria Stark making it look like a car accident along with the recent death of Fury

Tony's whole body goes rigid. Both Steve and Bucky get stiff. Tony looks at Steve with a serious face. "What do you know, Rogers?" he says, his voice full of anger. Before Steve answers, Strange cuts him off "You'll find out in the movies." "So what am I supposed to do, just sit here and watch these stupid movies to find out what the fuck happened to my mom while Rogers over here seems to know pretty fucking well what happened? " Tony complains. Strange just sighs and nods. Steve sits there looking guilty and Bucky looks like he's about to go into panic.

"There is no need to use such language when there are children," Molly huffed. "Will you shut the fuck up?" snaps Regulus. People looked at him with surprise. Sirius looked like he was about to bust out laughing, while Walburga looked like someone had told her her son was squib.

-HYDRA created a world so chaotic that humanity is finally ready to sacrifice its freedom to gain its security. Once the purification process is complete, HYDRA's new world order will arise. We won, Captain. Your death amounts to the same as your Life; a zero sum.

In anger Steve suddenly smashes the computer screen

Dr. Arnim Zola:
As I was saying...

Steve Rogers:
What's on this drive?

Dr. Arnim Zola:
Project Insight requires insight. So I wrote an algorithm.

Regulus:
What kind of algorithm? What does it do?

Dr. Arnim Zola:
The answer to your question is fascinating. Unfortunately, you shall be too dead to hear it.

Suddenly the doors starts to close, Steve tries stops it by throwing his shield in between it but he's too late

Regulus:
Steve, we got a bogey. Short range ballistic. 30 seconds tops.

Steve Rogers: Who fired it?

Regulus:
S.H.I.E.L.D.

Dr. Arnim Zola:
I am afraid I have been stalling, Captain. Admit it, it's better this way. We're both of us...out of time.

Steve notices a small opening on the ground, he throws the metal door aside and just as the place explodes he throws himself and Regulus into the hole and protects them with his shield, he then manages to get them out from under the building rubble just as STRIKE agents arrive to roam the area for them

Sirius looks close to tears. He's wondering if his little brother is dead. He feels tempted to get up and hug his brother and apologize, but first he needs to get him alone for that and away from those avengers.

Brock Rumlow:
[As he notices a footprint in the dust]
Call in the asset.

At his home, Pierce goes to his kitchen to get a drink when he sees the Winter Soldier sat behind behind him with his gun on the table when his housekeeper calls out

Gasps are heard. They think the winter soldier is going to hurt Pierce.

Renata:
I'm going to go, Mr. Pierce. You need anything