LANA HAD BEEN trying to train with her new powers. So far she had accelerated healing with no sign of anything else. However, it had come in handy on missions. Fury had sent her on numerous ones, with Steve but he had given them something a bit more this time.

She pulled up in her car and rolled down the window looking at Steve and an unknown man, "Hey fellas. Either one of you, know where the Smithsonian is? I'm here to pick up a fossil." In the time that they got to know each other Steve and Lana had grown semi-close, and she would often joke about his age, but he was still slightly awkward in her presence.

Steve walked towards the car, "That's hilarious."

The man looked at her, "How, you doing?"

"Hey," she replied giving him a flirty smile.

"Can't run everywhere," Steve said looking at him.

"No you can't," he replied. Lana rolled the window up as the two drove off.

"So Steven how has it been in the modern world?" Lana asked.

"Still getting used to everything, trying to at least," Steve asked.

"You'll get the hang of it," Lana replied as she turned a corner. She offered him a smile.

Steve nodded awkwardly. He shifted in his seat and Lana smirked.

"Don't be so uncomfortable. I'm not going to bite," she said. Steve relaxed and they spent the rest of the ride in silence.

➶

The two were now on a jet looking at a screen, "Target is a mobile satellite launch platform," Rumlow said as he swiped on the screen, "The Lemurian Star. They were sending up their last payload when pirates took them. 93 minutes ago."

"Any demands?" Steve asked.

"Billion and a half."

"Why so steep?"

"Because it's S.H.I.E.L.D.'s," Rumlow replied. Steve sighed looking at the screen.

"So it's not off-course. It's trespassing."

"I'm sure they have a good reason," Lana responded.

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

"Relax. It's not that complicated," Lana denied.

"25. Top mercs led by this guy," Rumlow swiped and a man came up, "Georges Batroc. Es-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."

"Hostages?" Steve questioned.

"Oh, mostly techs. One officer. Jasper Sitwell. They're in the galley."

"What's Sitwell doing on a launch ship?" Steve asked as he fiddled with his helmet, "All right, I'm gonna sweep the deck and find Batroc. Lana, you kill the engines and wait for instructions. Rumlow you sweep aft, find the hostages get 'em to life pods, get 'em out. Let's move."

"S.T.R.I.K.E., you heard the Cap. Gear up," Lana said as they started to land.

"Secure channel seven," Steve said speaking into his microphone.

"Seven secure. Did you do anything fun Saturday night?" Lana asked.

"Well all the guys from my barbershop quartet are dead, so, no, not really," Steve replied with a smile.

"Coming up on the drop zone, Cap," someone said over the speakers. Steve pushed the ramp button and it came down slowly.

"You know if you ask Kristen out, from Statistics, she'd probably say yes," Lana said as she unhooked a parachute.

"That's why I don't ask," Steve said glancing at her. Her head was turned and he silently admired her.

"Too shy or too scared?" Lana smiled over her shoulder.

"Too busy!" Steve shouted over the sound of the wind before he jumped out of the jet.

"Was he wearing a parachute?" An agent asked.

"No," Rumlow laughed, "No he wasn't." The rest of the team got into the parachutes and jumped out.