Chapter Text
The beams of morning sunlight shone in through the window as the alarm clock rang and a hand placed itself on it to turn it off, while Oliver Queen pulled the sheet, with his girlfriend Natasha Romanoff snuggling to him with her head resting on his shoulder.
"Good morning, beautiful." Oliver said.
"Good morning, handsome." Natasha said.
They kissed before Natasha pulled the sheet to reveal her naked body in its beauty and went to the bathroom, while Oliver put on his pants and approached the kitchen, hearing the water of the shower. Oliver opened the fridge and picked the box of slices of bacon and the eggs with oranges as he closed the fridge and began preparing the breakfast. Oliver turned on the stove and put the food on the frying pan as he smiled at the picture of himself and Natasha which was at the nearby table. They had been together for over three years and while Natasha had not believed in love at first, while Oliver didn't think he deserved it anymore after what had happened to Shado and Sara, he and Natasha had been by this point through thick and thin and were happy together. Oliver took a glance at the drawer in which he had hidden an engagement ring, considering whether to use it or not, when Natasha emerged from the shower, wrapping the towel around her head and tying the bathrobe around her waist.
"So, what do you think?" Oliver asked as he prepared the breakfast.
"Well, this should be great." Natasha said, rubbing her hands as they began eating and they were enjoying their breakfast and each other's company and Natasha had to admit, Oliver was a good cook.
"Let's just hope Fury doesn't drop another mission on—" Oliver stopped, when their phones rang.
"You just had to say it, did you?" Natasha sighed as they picked their phones.
Later, Washington D.C.
"You think Tommy, John, Sara and your friends can protect Star City without you?" Natasha asked as she drove the car down the streets.
"Tommy's been trained enough but I'm worried about Sara. She hasn't been the same since…" Oliver sighed and Natasha nodded, aware of the events at the Midland Circle and Matt's sacrifice.
They saw Steve at the park talking with an Afro-American man and judging by their clothes, they were jogging together and Natasha pulled over, while pulling the window. "Hey, fellas. Either one of you know where the Smithsonian is? We're here to pick up a fossil." She quipped.
"That's hilarious." Steve drawled as Oliver pulled his seat, chuckling and letting Steve in as Steve sat at the backseat before Oliver closed the door.
"How you doing?" The Afro-American man asked as he approached the car.
"Hey." Natasha greeted.
"Hey." Oliver offered his hand. "Oliver Queen."
"I know who you are. Sam Wilson." Sam said as they shook hands.
"Can't run everywhere." Steve said.
"No, you can." Sam said, while Natasha drove away.
Few hours later, Indian Ocean
A Quinjet flew above Indian Ocean, while Steve, Oliver, Natasha and members of S.T.R.I.K.E, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s counter-terrorist special unit, with Brock Rumlow, S.T.R.I.K.E's field commander debriefing them as he showed them the blueprints of a S.H.I.E.L.D. ship.
"Target is a mobile satellite launch platform, the Lemurian Star. They were sending up their last payload when pirates took them. 93 minutes ago." Rumlow said.
"Any demands?" Steve asked.
"Billion and a half."
"Why so steep?"
"Because it's S.H.I.E.L.D.'s." Rumlow said and Steve and Oliver sighed, realizing what was going on.
"Trespassing." Oliver said.
"I'm sure they have a good reason." Natasha said.
"You know, I'm getting a little tired of being Fury's janitor." Steve said, frustrated.
"You can say that again." Oliver said tiredly.
"Relax. It's not that complicated." Natasha assured.
"Do we know how many pirates are onboard?" Oliver asked.
"25. Top mercs led by this guy." Rumlow said as another photo appeared on the screen.
"Batroc." Oliver said, recognizing the man on the photo.
"You know this guy?" Steve asked and Oliver nodded.
"Few years ago I fought him and his men on Lian Yu. He got away. Be careful, Steve, this guy is very skilled." Oliver said and Steve nodded.
"Noted." Steve said.
"Ex-DGSE, Action Division. He's at the top of Interpol's Red Notice. Before the French demobilized him, he had 36 kill missions. This guy's got a rep for maximum casualties." Rumlow explained.
"Hostages?" Steve inquired.
"Oh, mostly techs. One officer. Jasper Sitwell. They're in the galley." Rumlow said.
"What is Sitwell doing on a launch ship?" Oliver wondered.
"Good question." Steve said before turning to the rest of the team. "All right, I'm gonna sweep the deck and find Batroc. Nat, you kill the engines and wait for instructions. Oliver, you provide cover from above and scout in case there are other hostiles than Batroc and his men. Rumlow, you sweep aft, find the hostages, get them to the life-pods, get them out. Let's move."
"S.T.R.I.K.E., you heard the Cap. Gear up." Rumlow said.
The team was preparing to gear up, while Oliver, Natasha and Steve were preparing their gear.
"Did you do anything fun Saturday night?" Natasha asked.
"Well, all the guys from my barbershop quartet are dead, so, no, not really." Steve said.
"Coming up on the drop zone, Cap." The pilot said over the P.A.
"I figured Cap must have a life outside of being Cap. How about asking that girl from Statistics out? She'd say 'yes' for sure." Oliver suggested.
"That's why I don't ask." Steve said as he put on his Captain America helmet, while the ramp door opened.
"Too shy, or too scared?" Natasha cracked.
"Too busy!" Steve shouted before he jumped off the plane.
"Was he wearing a parachute?" Rollins wondered.
"No. No, he wasn't." Rumlow said, all of them amused.
"Here we go." Oliver said as he and Natasha put on their parachutes and smiled at each other before jumping down.
Steve was climbing on the chain of the anchor before he got onboard and snuck up behind a merc, grabbing him in chokehold and knocking him out. Steve then ran down the deck and threw his shield at one merc before he slid down the ropes, while the shield ricocheted and knocked down another merc and Steve knocked him out. As he was making his way down the ship, he threw another merc off the ship and quickly took out two more. Given his training with S.H.I.E.L.D. and enhanced Super Soldier physique, he was in great advantage.
Oliver was descending down from above with his parachute, when he saw a merc having Steve at gunpoint and fired an arrow as the merc fell down.
"Thanks." Steve said as he looked up at Oliver, while Natasha landed with Rumlow and other S.T.R.I.K.E. operatives.
"What about the nurse that lives across the hall from you? She seems kind of nice." Natasha suggested.
"Secure the engine room, then find me a date." Steve said.
"Ever heard of multitasking?" Oliver joked as he climbed up, while Natasha jumped down the railing to the lower level.
Steve ran and jumped up the machinery and the wall as he picked a small launcher and fired a listening device that embedded itself onto the window, allowing Steve to eavesdrop onto the conversation in the bridge.
"I don't like waiting. Call Durand. I want this ship ready to move when the ransom comes." Batroc ordered to a merc in French.
"Yes, Batroc." The merc said before picking a phone. "Durand. Start the engines."
The merc in the engine room hung up before turning around, only to face Natasha.
"Hey, sailor." Natasha quipped.
The merc stared in shock before Natasha kicked him in the leg as he screamed. Natasha then wrapped a line with a grapple hook around his throat before descending down and pulling out two pistols and shooting the mercs on her way down.
Oliver observed from his vantage point as he shot the last of the mercs. "Deck is clear."
"S.T.R.I.K.E. in position." Rumlow said as his men were getting into position, aiming at the mercs holding hostages.
"Natasha, what's your status?" Steve asked over the comms.
"Nat, do you copy?" Oliver asked.
"Hang on!" Natasha said before she tased a merc with her Widow's Bite and disarmed another of his gun and kicked him down. Another merc attacked her but Natasha kicked his gun away and elbowed him in the face before she threw him down on the ground. "Engine room secure."
The merc was getting up but Natasha grabbed a pipe and hit him in the face, knocking him out.
"On my mark." Steve said, while the S.T.R.I.K.E. operatives were aiming their guns at the mercs. "3… 2… 1…"
An instant later, the door fell off the hinges, while all the mercs were shot down.
"I told you, S.H.I.E.L.D. doesn't negotiate." Sitwell said.
On the bridge, Batroc was wondering why his men were not responding, when he sensed something and ducked when the window shattered and Captain America's shield flew in, knocking down another merc, while the shield embedded itself in the wall. Steve climbed in, only for Batroc to kick him as Steve fell down, while Batroc ran off. Steve recovered his shield, while giving chase to the leading mercenary.
"Hostages en route to extraction. Romanoff missed the rendezvous point, Cap. Hostiles are still in play." Rumlow said over the comms.
"Natasha, Batroc's on the move. Circle back to Rumlow and protect the hostages." Steve said as he went back on the deck of the ship, only to get no response back. "Natasha."
"She's not answering me either, Steve." Oliver said. While he trusted that Natasha could take care of herself and that she must have had a good reason not to respond back, he had to wonder what was her angle here and what hidden agenda could she have.
Next thing Steve knew, he was knocked down before he recovered and raised his shield as Batroc kicked again, knocking Steve down before he tried to kick again but Steve spread his legs, while Batroc missed. Steve got up as Batroc kicked him in the face and then in the chest, knocking him down again. Steve rolled to avoid another kick before he raised his shield, blocking Batroc's incoming blows before Steve bashed the shield at him, knocking Batroc to the floor. Batroc got up but Steve blocked his attacks again before he found an opening and kneed Batroc in the gut but Batroc flipped away as he and Steve looked at each other.
"I thought you were more than just a shield." Batroc said in French.
Steve put the shield on his back and took off his helmet as Batroc smirked, while Steve responded in French. "Let's see."
Steve dropped his helmet before he began exchanging blows with Batroc until Steve elbowed him in the face as Batroc staggered. Batroc tried to attack again but Steve kicked him in the leg, while Batroc screamed in pain before a kick in the abdomen sent him stumbling back and Steve flipped forward with a kick to Batroc's face, knocking him down. Batroc got up but Steve rushed at him as they burst through the door before Steve tackled Batroc down and knocked him out.
"Well, this is awkward." Natasha quipped as Steve looked up at her.
"What are you doing?" Steve demanded as he saw Natasha typing away at the computer.
"Backing up the hard drive. It's a good habit to get into." Natasha said as Steve got up.
"Rumlow needed your help. What the hell are you doing here?" Steve demanded before he realized what was she doing as he looked at the screen. "You're saving S.H.I.E.L.D. intel."
"Whatever I can get my hands on." Natasha said.
"Our mission is to rescue hostages." Steve reminded.
"No, that's your mission." Natasha corrected, while unplugging the drive. "And you've done it beautifully."
"You just jeopardized this whole operation." Steve snapped as he grabbed her by her arm.
"I think that's overstating things." Natasha said before she and Steve spotted Batroc getting up and running off. Batroc threw a grenade but Steve knocked it away with his shield, while grabbing Natasha as she shot the window as they jumped through the glass into the office area to avoid the explosion.
"I heard an explosion. What happened? Cap! Nat! Do you copy? Are you OK?" Oliver called out.
"We're fine, Ollie." Natasha assured before she turned to Steve. "That one's on me."
"You're damn right." Steve snapped.