For his entire life, Steve wanted to be a member of the royal guard like his father. Unfortunately, he was born with a low immune system, asthma, and a mild heart condition; and he was also very small and skinny. It was only through pure stubbornness that Steve was allowed to join the royal guard. But, because of his physical limitations, Steve's father will only let him escort dignitaries and other small duties.

"Steve, I have a very important job for you today." Joseph told his son.

"What is it?" Steve asked, unenthusiastically, knowing that the "important job" was probably something very boring.

"You are going to go down to the royal vault and bring the lost prince's crown to be cleaned and polished before it's put on display on the prince's twenty-first birthday." Joseph replied.

"Wait, really? You're actually trusting me with something that important?" Steve said shocked.

"Son, I've never not trusted you, I'm just overprotective that's all." Joseph sighed.

"I won't let you down, Dad." Steve said, saluting his father.

"I know you won't, son, you're a good kid." Joseph said hugging Steve.

"Dad, I'm twenty years old, I'm not a kid." Steve complained, but still smiling and returning the hug.

Steve pulls out of the hug, salutes his father, then heads down to the royal vault. The guards posted outside the vault let him in and Steve grabs the box that held Prince James's golden crown. Taking a look at it, Steve feels a little sad for the king and queen; growing up, they were like a second set of parents, so he loved them very much. There were several times Steve would wonder what it would've been like if James hadn't been kidnapped....would they have been friends?

"Let's get you polished." Steve said closing the lid of the box and tucking it under his arm.

Meanwhile, climbing up the south wall where three of the most wanted thieves, Falcon Redwing and the Widow Sisters, Natasha and Yelena. They walked quietly along the top of the wall until they were close enough to a building to jump onto its roof. After hopping from roof to roof, they pause and hide behind a chimney.

"Okay, soon, a royal guard member should pass by here, on their way to take the lost prince's crown to be cleaned. When they pass by, we take the crown from them and make a run for it." Natasha whispered.

"And then we'll sell it and makes lots of cash." Falcon grinned rubbing his palms together.

"Three against one, should be easy as cake." Yelena chuckled.

"It's "easy as pie", Yelena." Falcon scoffed, rolling his eyes.

The young blonde woman glares at him, reaching for the knife strapped to her belt, but her sister grabs her wrist, stopping her.  Yelena and Falcon didn't really get along that well, thankfully they didn't work together very often or else she probably would have stabbed the arrogant son of a b**ch long ago.

"Enough, you two, if a fight breaks out, you'll blow our cover and get us arrested." Natasha warned.

"So, where's the guard?" Falcon asked looking out into the streets that was full of people going about their day.

"Hmmm....there he is!" Natasha said pointing to the small young man.

"Pffft, hahaha, this is the guy they chose to escort the crown!? He's so tiny and scrawny, like a little baby bird!" Yelena laughed.

She plucks her knife from her belt and gets ready to toss it.

"A knife to the back of the neck should take care of him." Yelena said with a smirk.

"Umm, wouldn't a guard dropping dead in the middle of the street cause a panic?" Falcon asked her.

"Exactly the distraction we need to grab the crown and run." Yelena replied, preparing to throw the knife.

Unfortunately for Yelena, her sister grabs her wrist again, preventing her from throwing her knife.

"Naaaaat!" Yelena whined.

"You can't kill him." Natasha told her little sister sternly.

"Uhg, why not?" Yelena asked, pouting.

"Because he's the captain's son, if he dies, we'll be hunted down like dogs." Natasha answered, taking Yelena's knife from her and strapping it onto her own belt.

"If we're gonna take the crown from him, it'll have to involve a little stealth." she said as Falcon jumped down from the roof into an alley.

His feet were already on the ground before Natasha could stop him. Falcon gives the sisters a wink and finger guns as he exited the alley. He swipes a hat with his skills in slight-of-hand and uses it to conceal his identity, since his and the Widow Sisters's wanted posters were all over the kingdom. The thief shuffles through the crowded streets, following behind Steve, until he catches up to him and purposefully bumps into him. When they sprawled on the ground, Falcon quickly slips the crown out of its box and into his satchel then closes the box.

"Oh dear! I'm so sorry there, sir." Falcon said, feigning concern, and helping Steve to his feet.

"It's fine, I'm alright." Steve replied, dusting himself off.

Falcon picks up the box that Steve doesn't realize is empty and hands it to him.

"Here you go, yo dropped this." Falcon said with a devil-may-care smile.

"Thanks. Have a nice day, sir." Steve said tucking the box back under his arm.

"Oh, I will." Falcon said to himself as he walked away.

As he walked away, Falcon peeks into his satchel and smiles at the crown that laid inside. Back with Steve, he's continuing his journey to the jewelers when he soon noticed that the box was a bit too light. His heart drops into his stomach when he opens the box and saw that the crown his father had trusted him with was gone.

"Oh god, no! No no no no no, this can't be happening right now!" Steve said, freaking out.

Then he remembers the guy he bumped into earlier and immediately knows that that had been a thief. Steve runs into the direction the thief went and spots him trying to hide amongst the crowd.

"Hey! You there! STOP!" Steve shouted at him.

"Oh, sh*t." Falcon cursed, breaking out into a run.

The royal guard soldier chases after the thief, running as fast as his short skinny legs could carry him. Because of his asthma, Steve's lungs began to feel like they were burning, but he pushed on and kept running. Above, he noticed the Widow Sisters following along from the rooftops.

"Wait a minute, that's....Falcon Redwing, stop at once!" Steve wheezed, his vision starting to blur slightly.

Before Steve could catch up to Falcon, he jumps onto a barrel, then onto and awning, then finally jumps up to the waiting hands hands of the Widow Sisters who pull him onto the roof with them. When the three thieves disappear over the south wall, Steve's lungs finally give out and he collapses with an asthma attack, then passes out at the base of the wall.