Mister Rogers (Steve Rogers)

2

Once we reached the Triskeleon, we found Agent Rumlow, Natasha, and the rest of the S.T.R.I.K.E. team waiting for us in the Quinjet. Steve immediately got out of the car as I changed into black leggings and my favorite tank top. It was ribbed and a deep blue, with spaghetti straps. I fumbled with the handle to open the door and then jogged over to the quinjet while tying my hair up into a high ponytail.

The second I stepped into the Quinjet, it immediately closed. I looked around and noticed all eyes on me.

"What?" I confusedly smiled.

Rumlow looked at his watch, "It's 5:17. You're late." He crossed his arms and stood taller.

I pursed my lips, "Right, sorry about that."

Briefly, I locked eyes with Steve who gave me the smallest grimace of sympathy in return. I felt the vehicle start to lift off and turned left to face the monitor on the wall where Rumlow began a debriefing.

"The target is a mobile satelite launch platform: the Leumarian Star. They were sending up their last payload when pirates took them, ninety three minutes ago," Rumlow zoomed into a diagram of the Leumarian Star on the monitor.

Steve inhaled, "Any demands?"

"Billion and a half," Rumlow answered. I raised my eyebrows slightly at this.

"Why so steep?" Steve asked.

"Because it's S.H.I.E.L.D.'s."

Steve looked down, "So it's not off course. It's trespassing."

"I'm sure they have a good reason," Natasha turned to face Steve.

"You know, I'm getting a little tired of being Fury's janitor," he challenged.

"Relax. It's not that complicated," she said raising an eyebrow.

"How many pirates?" Steve inquired.

"25. Top mercs. Led by this guy," Rumlow paused, tapping the screen a few times, "Georges Batroc. Ex-DGSE, Action Division. He's at the top of Interpol's Red Notice. Before the French demobilized him, he had thirty six kills missions. This guy's got a rep for maximum casualties."

I stepped forward so I was side by side with Steve, "How many hostages?"

"Mostly techs. One officer. Jasper Sitwell."

"What's Sitwell doing on a launch ship?" Steve muttered under his breath, then loudening his voice to give orders, "All right, Marrese, you and I will sweep the deck and find Batroc. Nat, you kill the engines and wait for instructions. Rumlow, you sweep aft, find the hostages, get them to life pods, get them out. Let's move."

"S.T.R.I.K.E. you heard the Cap. Gear up," Rumlow ordered the team.

I scanned the blueprint for a good landing point on the desk. I heard Natasha and Steve talking behind me.

"Doin' anything Saturday night?" I immediately looked over my shoulder and saw Natasha looking at Steve as they checked the channels.

I turned back to the blueprint, quickly stretching my fingers to create a light reflection in front of me, like a little mirror.

"Well, all the guys in my barber shop quartet are dead, so no, not really," Steve said, the corners of his mouth slightly raising.

"Coming on the drop zone," the pilot's voice from the intercom warned.

I walked over to Steve and Natasha, adjusting my earpiece when I heard Natasha yell to Steve over the wind, "You know, if you asked Kristen from Statistics out, she'd probably say yes."