Pierce is standing back in the conference room of Shield, overlooking the skyline. The windows are all darkened and he is holding another virtual meeting with the World Security Council. He looks over at them all, pacing back and forth in the room. "Nick Fury was murdered in cold blood." He reminds them. "To any reasonable person, that would make him a martyr, not a traitor."
"You know what makes him a traitor? Hiring a mercenary to hijack his own ship." Rockwell argues harshly, sitting forward slightly.
"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…" Singh's voice is cut off.
"Are you calling for my resignation?" Pierce interrupts, arguing with him. "I've got a pen and paper right here."
"That discussion can be tabled for a later time." Hawley tells him.
"But you do want to have a discussion." Pierce says dryly, his eyes darkening, his movements stopping, standing still in the middle of the room.
"We've already had it, Mr. Secretary." Rockwell admits. "This council moves to immediately reactivate Project Insight. If you want to say something snappy, now would be a good time."
Pierce doesn't say anything and quickly finishes the meeting, the windows going transparent again, the sunlight flowing into the room. His face changes to a slight smirk.
Later on at his home, Pierce goes to his kitchen to get a drink when he sees the Winter Soldier sitting behind him with his gun on the table. Pierce looks like a deer caught in headlights, when his housekeeper calls out. "I'm going to go, Mr. Pierce. You need anything before I leave?" She calls out to him.
"No." Pierce answers quickly, not moving, his eyes glancing towards the kitchen door. "Uh...it's fine, Renata, you can go home."
"Okay, night-night." She replies.
"Good night." Pierce calls, his eyes staying locked in on the assassin sitting in the darkness. He walks over to the fridge and gets out a bottle of milk and a glass. "Want some milk?" He asks mockingly, knowing he can't reply to him. He doesn't. "The timetable has moved. Our window is limited. Two targets, Level Six." He pours himself a glass of milk and walks over to the table, sitting down from the Winter Soldier. "They already cost me Zola. I want confirmed death in ten hours."
Renata interrupts them when she walks in from the kitten and starts to walk back in, looking through her purse, his eyes drifting downwards. "Sorry, Mr. Pierce, I…" She looks up to find something, stopping in her tracks like a deer caught in headlights, looking at the black-clad figure sitting in the shadows. "I forgot my phone."
Pierce looks up at her and sighs, looking regretful. "Oh, Renata." He says softly, picking up the gun that had been laid on the table, raising it up to her head. "I wish you would have knocked." Before the housekeeper could even argue about what was happening Pierce shot her in between the eyes, her body falling to the ground, lifeless.