Venus | James B. Barnes✔️

xxiv. 𝚕𝚎𝚖𝚞𝚛𝚒𝚊𝚗 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛

"Nothing with Stark?" Natasha asked, nudging Evelyn.

Evelyn snorted. "Steve's got a lot of friends and people to please."

"Oh, come on. I miss one night, and you hold it over my head?" Steve asked with a frown.

"Says the man who keeps bringing up how I left him to find my dead fiancé," Evelyn sneered back, anger from being paired with Rumlow taking over. If she had been focusing, she would have noticed Rumlow's eyes shoot to hers at the mention of Bucky.

Steve rolled his eyes. "You know I'm over it. I just say it to rile you up."

"Are you? Over it?"

"Are you?"

Natasha looked between the pair. "Wow. You old folks have a lot of unresolved issues."

Evelyn sighed. "I'm fine, focus up," she told Steve. "We're nearing the—"

"—the drop zone, Cap," Rumlow finished causing Evelyn to scowl his way.

Natasha nodded. "Totally fine," she agreed with Evelyn's false words before looking at Steve as he opened the hatch to jump. "You know, if you ask Kristen out, from Statistics, she'd probably say yes."

"That's why I don't ask," Steve admitted.

"Too shy or too scared?" Natasha teased.

"Too busy!" Steve yelled before jumping off the jet.

Evelyn rolled her eyes with a smirk before saying to Natasha, "He's scared."

"And what about you?" Natasha called as she watched Evelyn near the hatch.

"Too committed!" Evelyn replied with a wink before falling backwards dramatically from the jet.

"Were they wearing a parachute?" a man asked Rumlow.

Despite his feelings, Rumlow smiled and let out a small laugh. "No. No, they weren't."

Evelyn landed next to Steve, knees bent and eyes narrowed as she immediately ran to her first target. Jumping, she was able to wrap her legs around the pirate's neck and send him the ground. Steve was fighting a man next to her, and he threw Evelyn his shield to which she caught easily—knocking out the man. As another one came to them, a bullet went through his head by Rumlow as the man parachuted from the jet.

"Thanks," Steve said, panting slightly as Evelyn threw his shield back to him.

Rumlow smirked, unlatching his parachute. "Yeah. You seemed pretty helpless without me."

As the rest of the team made it to the deck, Natasha held a thoughful expression on her face. "What about the nurse that lives across the hall from you? She seems kind of nice."

Steve gave her a deadpanned look. "Secure the engine room, then find me a date."

"I'm multitasking!" Natasha yelled before jumping to a lower deck.

"Evelyn," Rumlow called. The woman turned, her gun raised as she looked around the deck. "Hostages," he reminded.

"Lead the way," she said politely.

Rumlow did as she asked, the group walking to the hallway that led to the room of hostages. They could heard faint yelling in french that had Evelyn reminded of her time in France as a child with her family. Pushing the thoughts of Howard away, she watched the door open with a pirate walking out. Rumlow used a stun gun, taking him out quickly.

Evelyn grabbed the bomb from an agent, hooking it to the door easily. She nodded at Rumlow, both walking backward to be away from the blast.

Rumlow placed an arm protectively in front of Evelyn as he aimed his gun at the bomb. "Steve," Evelyn called, "S.T.R.I.K.E. in position."

Steve answered with, "Natasha, what's your status?" It was quiet as Rumlow furrowed his eyebrows. "Status, Natasha?"

"Hang on!" Natasha exclaimed. Another moment went by before, "Engine room secure."

"On my mark. Three. Two. One," Steve said as Rumlow shot the bomb to have the door open. All of the team began shooting the pirates, Evelyn smirking as she killed the head pirate as he landed right in front of Sitwell—a bullet through his skull.

Sitwell smirked. "I told you, S.H.I.E.L.D. doesn't negotiate."

Evelyn helped up Sitwell, the man thanking her quietly as he averted his eyes. Handing him off to Rumlow, each hostage was helped up as they began to leave. When they made it to a certain hallway, Evelyn turned the corner while looking for Natasha.

"Hostages en route to extraction," Rumlow began.

"Romanoff missed the rendezvous point," Evelyn added with a sigh.

"Cap, hostiles are still in play," Rumlow finished.

Steve sounded annoyed. "Natasha, Batroc's on the move. Circle back to Rumlow and protect the hostages." There was no reply. "Natasha!"

Evelyn looked at Rumlow. "Can you handle them?" she asked without much room for discussion as she nodded. "I'll find the hostiles. Go."

"Yes, ma'am," Rumlow replied. When she turned to run off, he sneered a bit.

Evelyn made it to the main deck, seeing Steve's shield on the ground as he fought Batroc without anything to defend himself with. Evelyn watched as Steve managed to finally knock Batroc down by smashing through into one of the rooms nearby. Running inside, her eyes widened as she saw Natasha on a computer.

Her eyes went to each supersoldier with a mocking smile. "Well, this is awkward."

Steve walked toward her with a frown. "What are you doing?"

"Backing up the hard drive. It's a good habit to get into."

"Rumlow and I needed your help. What the hell are you doing here?"

Steve noticed the computer. "You're saving S.H.I.E.L.D. Intel."

"Whatever I can get my hands on."

"Our mission is to rescue hostages."

"No. That's your mission. The two supersoldiers." Natasha pulled the flashdrive out with a smirk. "And you've both done it beautifully."

Steve grabbed Natasha's arm before she could leave. "You just jeopardized this whole operation."

"I think that's overstating things."

Evelyn was knocked in the head from behind by Batroc as he stood. Evelyn landed on her knees, turning and glaring at the French pirate. Steve turned in fear just as Batroc threw a grenade into the room and ran off. Evelyn jumped out of the window while Steve ran forward after deflecting the bomb, grabbing Natasha as he jumped through the same window.

The trio leaned on the wall outside of the room with the explosion, all three panting. The two supersoldiers were seething in anger.

Natasha nodded. "Okay. That one's on me."

"You're damn right," Evelyn growled out.