"Meine Bestellungen kommen von Pierce. Sie ist eine von ihm." Pierce was dead. Nobody would deny that, and he knew enough to know that, unlike Nick Fury, Pierce wouldn't come back from the dead. There had been no friend nearby for him - nobody to spirit him off and covertly bring him back to life.

But this was Hydra. Cut off one head, two more grow back. Secrets within a secret organisation were normal. Pierce's orders would have been his final act - and orders telling the Winter Soldier to protect someone if he fell? Those would be unremarkable, really. If they would believe it.

"Ich werde meine Befehle," he finished. His orders would be carried out - and that was part promise and part threat.