Steve leaned over the pool table and shot the cue ball into the cluster triangle he had just finished assembling, "I'm out," he told Natasha. There'd been something of a fire sale on quitting SHIELD in the aftermath of Fury's death. A lot of people were mad that more efforts hadn't been made to take him in alive. Some people were disgusted at what Natasha and Daisy had uncovered. Some people just didn't like the oncoming merger with SWORD.

Steve considered himself to be in all three categories.

"Yeah," Natasha said as the balls ricochetted offer the walls. "I don't think I can stay either."

"Would've thought you'd have more stomach for this sort of thing," Steve said once the balls finished rolling. "Solids."

"I did, once," Natasha's eyes shot over to where Daisy was sitting with Bruce at table in the bar. The things that SHIELD had done to Daisy's mother… And all for some drug that disintegrated the subject after six months. "Things change. Plus since my investigation was funded like Strucker's experiments… Not sure I'd be welcome."

"What're you going to do now?" He sunk a few balls into pockets.

"I've never done anything else," Natasha said. "My best reference is in a freezer bag in the Triskelion Morgue. Probably work in the corporate world as a translator, double duty as a bodyguard. Boring, but the pay would be good. You?"

"Thinking about going to college," Steve said honestly. A chance to learn about anything he wanted to learn about, to practice his art full time. He'd had to drop out of Auburndale when his mom died. "My GI bill should more than cover it."

"You could just get married, be a trophy husband."

Steve shook his head and pointed, "Right top corner pocket," he said.

"You're not even going to let me take a shot are you?"

"Why would I?" Steve said, sinking the eight ball into a pocket.

"Chivalry is dead," Natasha complained. "Come on, you could ask out the nurse on your hall? Bet she'd love a big, strapping husband like yourself."

"You mean the spy on my hall?" Steve said. Ward had told him about Sharon.

"Oh damnit, he told you didn't he?"

"Maybe I just figured it out myself."

"I have my doubts," Natasha said, racking the balls and getting in line to do her own round. "Sharon's good, she'd be good for you. She's quitting too, applying to work with the CIA."

"Out of the shark's pool and into the lion's den," Steve said.

"Oh Lord," Natasha said, rolling her eyes as she took a shot. "Daisy then. Join the Rising Tide and stick it to the man."

"Pretty sure I am the man, in this instance," Steve said.

"Stripes. All about the branding, you're not the man, you're," Natasha seemed to be groping for a word and then snapped, "Antifa!" Steve had no idea what that was and he was afraid to ask. "Everybody likes you, you beat up the Nazis. Even Russians like you."

"You can't set me up with every woman you like," Steve said.

"I'll settle for one," Natasha said as she took another shot. "Look, you could get a book deal. I bet people would love to hear what Captain America thinks of America today."

Steve didn't really want to tell America what he thought of it today, especially not after Fury. "I wouldn't want that kind of attention. I'm starting to see a flaw in our choice of games," Steve said as Natasha lined up with the eight ball.

"It does seem suspect," Natasha said. "Left mid." And in the eight ball went. "Let's go back to why you should ask out Daisy."

"I'm not doing that," Steve said.

"Would you say yes if she asked?"

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

Steve looked at her for a moment and then snorted.

"Alright, let's-" Natasha fell suddenly silent.

Steve followed Natasha's gaze to the door of the bar. Phil Coulson had just walked in. Like most of the GDT Fireflies, Coulson had taken to his new form with a great deal of aptitude. He was a big guy with a head of professional cut hair. He still had a somewhat dorky, endearing face much of the time, but today he looked mad. He looked really mad and he looked like he was looking for somebody.

Natasha sighed, "Damn it."

"Why's Phil so upset?"

"Phil was Fury's best friend, as far as such things go, they'd been working together for decades."

"He can't be angry at you for that," Steve said. "You just delivered your findings."

"You'd be surprised," Natasha said, her body stiff and ready for combat.

Phil had spotted them and was marching over. Steve was surprised. "Captain," he said politely before turning to Natasha. "Ms. Romanoff, could I speak to you alone for a moment?"

"Anything you've got to say, you can say in front of Steve."

"Fine," Phil said, "I just wanted to give you a chance to come clean on that bullshit with Fury. I'm going to figure it out."

Natasha sighed and pinched her nose, "There's no bullshit, Phil, he really did those things."

"I can't believe you did this," Coulson said, "Nick Fury would never authorize human experimentation, much less the brutal dissection of a living woman."

"Look, Phil," Natasha said, "I don't like it either. Sometimes people aren't who we think they are. Especially in this mirrors game we're all doomed to play."

"He gave you a chance and you flipped on him, destroyed his whole life's work," he held up his fingers and snapped them.

Daisy had come over to stand next to them, "This guy bothering you Nat?" Daisy asked, in what she clearly hoped would be an intimidating manner. But since Daisy was a head shorter than everyone else in the conversation, it didn't really work. Steve knew she had powers and it still didn't work.

"Phil's just upset, Daisy," Natasha said, her voice steady. "He's not going to hurt me."

"Natasha, I don't want to do this. If they've got something on you, I get it. But I'm going to figure it out, with or without your help. And if you don't help me, you're going to end up going down with them."

"I wish they did have something on me," Natasha said. "But there's no they, the stuff anybody could have on me is in SHIELD's files, and if you clear Fury's name, I'll be glad to hear it."

Phil looked very angry at that and pointed at Natasha, "He should've never taken a chance on you."

"That's enough," Steve said, seeing Daisy tensing her hands for a shot of her powers. "Phil, you've said your piece. We all hope you're right, but we don't think you are. I think you should go."

Phil hesitated and then nodded his head, "You're right Captain. The truth will come out, sooner or later." He walked away.

"Wow, what a dick," Daisy said after he left the bar.

"Phil just lost his best friend, Daisy," Natasha said. Her voice was surprisingly gentle for a super spy. "And he lost the idea of him too. Try not to be too angry at him."

"Well," Daisy said, "Good job defusing the situation, Cap. Score another one for" Daisy put her fists on her hips, "truth, justice, and the American Way."

"I don't sound like that," Steve said.

Natasha raised her right hand and made a space between her finger and thumb, "Little bit, yeah."