Oh, great, more fucking chasing. USAgent ducked after the kid into the construction site, peering into the shadows, trying to keep sight of him. Nick wanted so badly to say something, to ask the kid what he knew and what really had to happen, but to blow it at the zero hour would undo everything. Alex wasn't going to give up his secret and Nick wasn't going to see him tortured for it. Even if he did reveal himself and the kid gave him the Cube, if they caught Alex they'd still try to get information from him. There was no way to win here, it was just a losing race towards the grim finish line in Alex's visions.
Nick didn't like it. Fuck fate. There was still a chance, if the kid would just give up the location to Nick, it'd be on record and maybe S.H.I.E.L.D. would leave him alone. Maybe save the kid from death or torture. If Fury could get there first, get the Cube, and disappear then maybe he'd be able to keep it out of the wrong hands. It was a lot of 'ifs' and 'maybes'. If Nick killed the kid, maybe Hammer would go down for it. Maybe the secret would die with Alex and the Cube would be safe. Maybe you couldn't fight the future. Nick would take that chance.
"Just end this. Don't be stupid," he shouted into the dark, almost pleading. He "Tell me where it is and you can go back to your Dad," Fury promised with the faint hope that Alex's sense of self preservation was stronger than his destiny. He was running out of time; the other New Avengers would be here soon so whatever was going to happen would have to happen whether Nick liked it or not. "It doesn't have to be this way.