Of course it would be Natasha who saw so quickly to the heart of it; to the reason for it. After all, the two of them have been here before, in their own way. His eyes meet hers again, and they trade a long look in silence, each of them aware of their own memories.
"That was a mistake," he murmurs - to her, to the absent Sharon, to anyone who might care. His glance flicks to Steve and T'Challa in turn.
"Yes. We have to. Not just for her sake, although everyone here knows what I think about that. But because Fury doesn't get to pull a stunt like this, endangering someone who laid her life on the line time after time for SHIELD and the cause it served. If she's alive --"
He forces his voice not to crack on the words. He can't afford to let emotion rule him.
"--if she's alive, then she's cut off from everyone but him. That's not acceptable. We have to get her out."
A beat of silence falls. He lets it hang in the air before he breaks it. "As far as planning goes, I've already told T'Challa that the Winter Soldier is known in Madripoor. We can use that."
Only after he says it does he let his glance return to Steve.
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"That was a mistake," he murmurs - to her, to the absent Sharon, to anyone who might care. His glance flicks to Steve and T'Challa in turn.
"Yes. We have to. Not just for her sake, although everyone here knows what I think about that. But because Fury doesn't get to pull a stunt like this, endangering someone who laid her life on the line time after time for SHIELD and the cause it served. If she's alive --"
He forces his voice not to crack on the words. He can't afford to let emotion rule him.
"--if she's alive, then she's cut off from everyone but him. That's not acceptable. We have to get her out."
A beat of silence falls. He lets it hang in the air before he breaks it. "As far as planning goes, I've already told T'Challa that the Winter Soldier is known in Madripoor. We can use that."
Only after he says it does he let his glance return to Steve.