The promise of S.H.I.E.L.D. as renewed on secrets and lies did little to settle Steve, though sheer force of will had him taking that deep, even breath and forcing himself to calm. Fury had proved nothing in past weeks but that he was a man who was built on secrets atop of secrets and as sure as Steve was that he understood him a little better than he had, he could not but feel as if he had had his knees kicked out from beneath him to see that the man had gone around his back (as it was presumably Fury who orchestrated it, puppet master that he was) and done as he damned well pleased anyway.

Her words stopped that line of thought, leaving him to set it aside for further exploration at a later time. "I have a friend of my own," he admitted, deciding against naming the man or, rather, against naming what Bucky had been made into. "One I thought I lost a long time ago, but...he's not lost. Not completely."