"Fury's death is classified for now," Rumlow told the NCIS agents and Rogers as he led them down the hall toward Alexander Pierce's office. He had already debriefed them on the attack in the STRIKE wing, taking down notes on what had happened leading up to Fury's death. "We need to make sure SHIELD is secured before we release news of this to the public."

"Understood," Rogers said grimly. The Avenger was dressed in his iconic blue uniform, ready for action. DiNozzo and Bishop had changed into their STRIKE gear under Rumlow's orders, in case news of Fury's death leaked to the wrong groups and an attack was launched against the Triskelion. Gibbs glanced at Rumlow as the STRIKE agent stopped and gestured to the office door. His gut was telling him he was walking into a trap. If Fury was right, and if everything he knew about Pierce was right, this was a trap.

I wonder if Vance knows how to contact Agent Torres, working the underbelly of SHIELD.

Rumlow had already informed them of SHIELD's assuming jurisdiction on the Morris case, and how an agent had already been dispatched to collect the files. Although at this point, the files weren't going to help solve the case. This was so much bigger than a murder.

Pierce stood as Gibbs, Bishop, DiNozzo, and Rogers entered his office. The Secretary of the World Security Council gave them a weary smile, his face lined with age but no less hard for the wrinkles. "Thank you for coming." He nodded to the young female agent standing beside him. "Thank you, Agent 13."

The woman smiled tightly and turned to leave, nodding to Rogers as they passed. "Captain Rogers," she said.

Rogers looked shocked to see her there. "Neighbor."

DiNozzo lifted an eyebrow at Pierce. "Looks like Robert Redford," he muttered to Bishop.

"I'll take that as a compliment," the Secretary announced, causing DiNozzo to widen his eyes. "Captain Rogers, Agents Gibbs, Bishop, DiNozzo. Please, take a seat."

The four took seats. "I'll cut right to the chase, Agent Gibbs," Pierce said. "Why was Nick in your basement?"

"Everyone calls me Fury. Not Nicholas, not Joseph, not Nick. Just Fury."

"He wanted a drink," Gibbs answered. "Wanted to talk about the Morris case, warned me SHIELD was taking it over. That's about it."

Pierce gave him a look. "You sure about that, Jethro?"

"I'm sure," Gibbs replied coolly. "Anything else, Pierce?"

Pierce glanced at Rogers. "What were the three of you doing at Gibbs' house?"

"Romanoff tells me I work too much," Rogers answered evenly. "I need a hobby. So I decided to talk to Agent Gibbs about woodworking. DiNozzo told me he is quite skilled at it." He nodded at DiNozzo and Bishop. "They were kind enough to direct me. We were going to grab a bite to eat afterwards at a local diner Bishop had recommended."

Bishop and DiNozzo nodded, expressions serious. Well, they had learned Rule 7 well – always be specific when you lie.

Pierce sat back, eyeing each Avenger in turn. "We all just suffered a tragic loss. Nick Fury was an irreplaceable leader. The two of us, we were realists. We knew that despite all the diplomacy and the handshaking and the rhetoric, that to build a really better world sometimes means having to tear the old one down. And that makes enemies." He directed his gaze at Gibbs. "You were the last person to see Nick alive, Jethro. I don't think that was an accident, and I doubt you do, either. So what was he really doing there?"

Gibbs stared down Pierce, his eyes cold and impassive like a rattlesnake's. "Rule 35, Pierce."

"And which one of your rules would that be, Gibbs?" Pierce's tone was suddenly icy.

"One of the ones you never bothered to learn," Gibbs replied smoothly, straightening, his eyes not leaving Pierce's. The only people in this room he needed to understand were DiNozzo and Bishop, who knew that Rule 35 was always watch the watchers. They would make the connection with Project Insight.

Pierce slid his gaze over to Rogers as Gibbs stood. DiNozzo and Bishop stood as well, but Pierce held up his hand. "Agents DiNozzo and Bishop, Rumlow requests your presence in the STRIKE quarters. There are some increased security measures to go over, what with Nick's death. Gibbs, Rogers, you two are free to go. Oh, and if either of you remembers anything – make sure I'm the first person you tell." He gave them a grim smile. "I like to be kept in the loop."

The four left Pierce's office. DiNozzo and Bishop glanced at Gibbs. "Well, see you later, I guess," DiNozzo said grimly.

"Rule 35," Gibbs told them quietly. "Stick together. Watch each other's backs."

DiNozzo and Bishop nodded. "Be careful," Bishop said, and the two STRIKE agents walked away down the corridor.

Rogers and Gibbs headed down the hallway toward the elevators. Pressing the down button, they stepped into a cab and Gibbs hit the key for the lobby.

He needed to head back to the Navy Yard and rendezvous with his team, alert Loki and McGee to the impending danger. Pierce was not just going to let him walk away from this unharmed. He needed to warn his team before they were targeted. Fury had been content to work with Pierce, had given him some of his limited trust, but Gibbs had never trusted him. Not since London.

The elevator stopped, the doors opening and admitting several armed STRIKE agents, Rumlow among them. "Captain, Agent Gibbs," he greeted in a low voice, turning to face the door. The elevator descended another floor before more agents crowded the cab, forcing Gibbs and Rogers to stand by the glass back wall, Gibbs keeping his hand by his holster, Rogers with his hands resting on his belt. But both of them were tensed. A fight was coming. It was in the air.

As the elevator started to move again, Gibbs locked eyes on the panel beside the door and lunged. Hitting the emergency stop button, the elevator lurched to a stop.

The STRIKE agents staggered from the jolt as Gibbs drew his pistol, slamming it into the head of the nearest agent. Rogers was throwing a punch, knocking another one down, as Rumlow and his agents began to fight back, Rumlow drawing Taser Rods.

Gibbs clobbered another agent as Rumlow struck his arm, sending a bolt of electricity into him. He dropped his gun involuntarily, the weapon swept away from him in the crowd of agents. Gritting his teeth, the former Marine grabbed the head and neck of the nearest STRIKE agent, twisting it so hard it snapped and the agent crumbled to the floor, dead.

Ducking another swipe from the Taser Rods, Gibbs kicked an agent's knee out and blocked a punch with his arm, knocking their fist away. Rogers took a blow from Rumlow's Rod on his shield, Rumlow stumbling back from the shock. Several agents were on the ground, taken out of the fight, but there were still enough in the cramped cab to keep Gibbs and Rogers busy.

Someone clapped a metal cuff around Gibbs' wrist, attempting to attach the magnetic strip on it to the wall. Gibbs hit the agent in the throat, sending him reeling, just as another agent slammed into him and knocked him into the wall.

The cuff connected with a sharp click and Gibbs swore. Rogers also was pinned against the wall, still struggling against the STRIKE agents. Rumlow struck him with one of the Taser Rods, causing the Avenger to bare his teeth in pain.

Lashing out with his feet, Gibbs nailed one of the agents near him in the groin and he went down with a groan. Hurling his weight against the magnet, Gibbs strained against the cuff and it snapped free, sending him crashing to the floor of the cab. A kick with his leg took down another agent and Rogers flipping off the wall to disconnect his own cuff took out the second to last.

Rumlow was the last one standing, gripping both Taser Rods tightly in his fists. "Nothing personal, I swear," he panted. "Just business."

He lunged, giving Rogers a glancing blow on the arm and catching Gibbs in the side and sending him to the ground. Rogers kicked the STRIKE agent in the chest, sending him stumbling backwards as Gibbs grabbed his gun up off the floor and took his shot.

The bullet struck Rumlow in the chest and he hit the side of the elevator, slumping to the floor with a groan. Rogers hit the stop button again and the elevator started up, like nothing had happened.

But when the doors opened, heavily armed agents met them, guns raised. There wasn't time to plan. "Grab on!" Rogers yelled, bracing his shield before him. Gibbs grabbed onto his shoulders as Rogers crashed through the glass encasing the elevator, the two falling toward the ground hundreds of feet below.