warning before we begin, this chapter is a lot of crack to be honest— infinity war starts next chapter so i figured something lighthearted might be nice. kinda ooc but whatever, this whole book kinda is

MISSION STATEMENTS
.

Jakarta had led them to Kuala Lumpur. Kuala Lumpur had led them to Abu Dhabi, then to Frankfurt, and now to Wellington and the whole team was frustrated with it all. The weapons chain was much bigger than they'd imagined, and nobody would let up who the boss was. So Captain America, Aceso, The Falcon and Black Widow flew from country to country, chasing almost cold leads.

Except for this one. This guy was so important, apparently, that he thought he could shoot Steve right in front of Sadie and get away with it.

"It's fine," Steve had insisted. "I'll be fine, just don't let that guy get away!"

When she assessed the wound, Sadie discovered that Steve was right, the bullet had only nicked the skin beneath his suit, barely skimming muscle and certainly not hitting anything vital. But that wasn't the point. Steve could still barely walk because of it.

She was on her own then, with Steve down and Sam and Nat covering the lower levels, but Sadie had enough rage in her that it didn't take her long to run the weapon's dealer. And that was how she ended up where she was, her glowing arm holding a man in chokehold, her heel pressed down on his wrist and her voice holding a certain venom.

"Where's your boss?" she spat, as the man squirmed beneath her.

"I am the boss," he answered, his New Zealand accent as thick as his attitude.

"Bullshit," Sadie laughed, bitterly. "We already know this is some kind of web. So I'll ask you again, where's your boss?"

The man squirmed again, straining to reach the gun Sadie had disarmed from him. She put more weight into her heel and he groaned out in pain.

"You've pissed me off today. You shot my man," she said. "So if I were you, I'd cooperate. And don't even think of giving me false tips- we've been around the world enough to narrow down most places. Now. Where. Is. Your. Boss?"

"They'll kill me if I tell you."

"Then you'd better run."

"I have a family!"

"Take them with you," Sadie said, simply. "We'll give you a head start."

"Fifty thousand dollars," he offered, and Sadie barked out a laugh, tightening her grip.

"What about the glowing arm around your neck gives you the idea that you are in any position to barter, sir?" she asked, keeping her voice low, and close to his ear.

"You're not gonna hurt me," he said with a false bravado that Sadie could see through.

She raised an eyebrow "Oh, really?"

"Gimme a break!" he laughed, but her chokehold made it more of a stutter. "You're Aceso. It's the whole point of you! Maybe your boyfriend could've but I got him, didn't I-"

"You piece of shit!" Sadie shouted releasing the chokehold only to drive her fist into his face. There was the crack of bone, and blood began to gush from the dealer's nose. "He killed six guys when someone took a shot at me, you think I won't repay the debt with one?"

Truth was, Sadie wouldn't kill today. And she wouldn't kill tomorrow either. But this man didn't need to know that.

"Okay! Okay, okay!"

The man didn't reach for his gun, far too concerned with stemming the bleeding from his mouth and nose. Then he spat on the ground, and Sadie noticed the gold of a tooth come with it.

"They operate from Barcelona," he gasped.

"No games?"

"No games," he confirmed. "But these guys are like the fucking Mafia, okay? They're gonna know you're coming!"

"Give me a location."

"They got a factory by Nova Icaria," he rambled. "It's big, you can't miss it- it's where the rest of us get all our stuff from."

Sadie leaned back into a crouch then, and the thug breathed a sigh of relief. She raised her hand to her communicators.

"You guys copy that?"

"Yeah," Natasha's voice answered, the sound of combat in the background. "Sam and I are almost done with the lower levels but we could use some back up."

"Steve?" Sadie asked, worry building when she didn't hear a response. "Steve!"

"I'm okay," he said, eventually, but his words were distant. "I can stand, I just- there's more blood than I thought. I could use some..."

The next voice was Sam as Steve trailed off. "Sadie, where did you leave him?"

"Right where we were, I-"

"Go and fix him so the pair of you can get down here!"

Sadie paused for a moment, looking back at the man she interrogated who listened with fear in his eyes. "You go," she told him. "Get your family, run. Don't let me ever see you in this business again."

The man ran in the opposite direction almost as fast as Sadie ran to Steve, pushing herself faster than she'd ran even to catch the thug. But when she reached Steve at last, he was standing just as he had said he could, in the spot she'd left him, right beside the warehouse stairs.

"You get shot in the leg and you think it's a good idea to stand on it?" Sadie asked, as she reached him. The bandage she'd tied on Steve's calf was soaked crimson. She pulled scissors out of her utility belt.

"We need to make a plan to help them," Steve said, pointing down the balcony to where Sam and Nat fought three levels below.

"We need to get that leg healed," Sadie said, kneeling so she was level with his wound as she cut away the dirty bandages, and let her hands glow.

She hesitated for a moment, taking a breath as her hands hovered above his bloodied skin. How long had it been since she healed? She couldn't remember. It didn't matter though- this was Steve, and he was getting paler as she looked up at him for consent, or reassurance.

Not that he was at all concerned, apparently, since his eyes were still trained on the fight below. Alright, Sadie thought. Assumed consent was okay in first aid, right? Especially when the patient was a loved one, uncaring of the fact that he was bleeding obtusely. Sadie didn't hesitate a moment longer as she began her work.

"Alright, I have a plan," Steve said, turning around and Sadie gripped his leg for balance.

"Stay still," she hissed at him, as she closed her eyes, imagining the damage reversing.

Her progress was slower than it used to be, but it was working, and Steve's distraction was enough of a clue that she wasn't hurting him, so... she'd take small victories.

"If you disarm those guys on the right," he continued, keeping his voice low so as to not attract attention. "I'll run in and get the ones on the left. That should ease them off Sam on my end and Natasha on yours."

"In order for you to run anywhere, I have to fix this leg of yours," Sadie said, looking up at him. "Now, stay still, already. Doctor's orders."

Steve's face was still much paler than she would have been comfortable with, but he smiled at her regardless, running a hand over her golden brown braids. "Curious position you're in, doc."

"Shut the fuck up," Sadie laughed, slapping his leg as she finished healing and stood. "The level of disrespect!"

"Says the woman cursing- I was perfectly good before I met you," he smirked, and Sadie rolled her eyes. "Anyway, aren't I allowed to say those things in private company?"

"Not when we're working. You play too much," she said, firmly, and Steve, the idiot that he was, put his hands together, bowing his head in mock apology. "How are you feeling?"

"Little light headed," Steve said, taking her hand- he was still pale, despite his jokes. "It'll pass in a minute. Okay, there's more of them now, we'll have to-"

"Babe, you lost a lot of blood, you should sit this one out," she suggested. "I can fight from up here and keep an eye on you."

"Thanks for healing me," Steve said, pressing a quick kiss to her forehead. "I know it must've been hard for you after everything, but I'm okay."

"You're sure?" Sadie asked, uncertainly.

"I'm sure," he replied, giving her hand a squeeze before he turned to walk towards the stairs. "You're taking the right."

"Got it," she agreed, turning to jog the opposite direction as she let her hands glow, ready for combat.

As she moved, Sadie sent blasts of blue light towards the assaillants on three levels below, and there was soon a clanging sound to her far left as she managed to take two of them out.

"Sadie, Cap's taken a fall," Sam said, through the comms. "Went right over the railing."

"What the hell?" Sadie said, peering over the bridge she stood on to find Steve laying unconscious four levels below her, and one below the fight. "Today is not good for him at all."

"Sadie, incoming!" Natasha shouted, and she ducked and rolled just in time to avoid three shots of purple light coming her way- this Chitauri technology was not a joke.

Standing quickly, Sadie let her blue light wrap around her legs, force fields for the impact as she leapt to Sam and Nat's level with a running start. The quicker she dealt with these threats, the quicker she could get to Steve.

"Can you do something with these?" Natasha shouted, tossing her two alien sidearms.

"I don't need it," Sadie said, throwing them back to her before she turned, letting her light extend from her hands as she visualised a blast ricocheting from one assailant to the other and soon it was done- faster than she expected.

"You couldn't have done that earlier?" Sam asked, marvelling at the eight unconscious men on the ground.

"We had a plan earlier, but that all went to hell," Sadie huffed, looking back to see if Steve had woken- no such luck.

"You go and wake him, we'll clean up," Natasha said, but Sadie was already halfway gone, not bothering to take the stairs as she used her power to cussion her landing once again.

"How far did he fall?" Sadie asked, over the comms as she checked Steve's breathing- that was okay, at least.

"More than ten feet," Sam answered and Sadie sighed, shaking her head.

"Onto rock hard ground too, God," she breathed, as she assessed for any damage to  Steve's skull. Swelling and some blood- unsurprising but completely worrying too.

Sadie took a breath as she healed it, taking a moment to remember who she was treating- Steve wasn't the average man. The average man would have severe bruising after falling three feet. If they fell six feet they would have rib and pelvic fractures, along with internal bleeding. And if they fell more than ten feet, they would at least shatter their nervous system, but they were more likely to die on impact.

Because of the serum, Steve wasn't dead- he was breathing, and his pulse was strong, but it didn't stop Sadie from conducting a standard head to toe survey three times, just in case there was something she'd missed.

But there was nothing she'd missed- nothing to heal at all. Also because of the serum. But Sadie couldn't help her awful frustration- this would've been easier if there was something to heal, but instead, all she could do was use significant strength to roll him into recovery position so that he wouldn't choke on his own tongue.

"Steve," Sadie spoke, loud and clear as she grew impatient. He stirred only slightly. "I would appreciate it if you woke up. Even more if you didn't go into cardiac arrest cause I don't know where the nearest defib is and I can't mimic electricity. Or I guess I could- but I've never tried, so I won't, cause I would burn you, and-" she paused her rant, sighing as she pushed his hair out of his face. "Just wake up."

Moments, and moments, and moments passed by. Sam and Nat finished clean up and started recon. Sadie sat by Steve. They finished recon, and she told them there was nothing to worry about, so they went to retrieve the weapons. Sadie sat by Steve. They finished retrieving the weapons, and then went to get the Quinjet. Sadie sat by Steve.

Each minute she grew more and more fearful.

"Baby, come on," Sadie said, her voice shaky. "I can't lift you out of here in any way that's safe. And we can't call an ambulance, so please wake up. This is the stupidest way you could go."

And she meant it. If Sadie had only boosted his blood cell count as she healed him, this never would have happened. She should have pinned him down from the moment he said he was lightheaded.

Sadie really couldn't get the simplest thing right-  maybe it was a good thing the medical counsel had suspended her license- probably revoked it by now.

"Might be a stupid way to go," Steve murmured, his voice shocking her out of her wits as he sat up slowly. "But you really shouldn't have such high expectations for my death."

"Oh, thank God," Sadie gasped, fumbling in her utility belt for her pen light. "Let me see your eyes."

"I'm fine," he answered, but she ignored him anyway, shining the light briefly into his blue eyes, watching his pupils contract equally.

"Okay, good," she muttered, digging around her belt again for the small percussion hammer. "Your arm, please? Reflexes."

Steve sighed but followed her instructions, rolling up his sleeve as far as he could, which was just enough for Sadie to tap above his elbow. Sure enough, Steve showed the correct reflex response, if a little exaggerated.

"You're hyper-reflexive," Sadie commented.

"I've always been that way," Steve chuckled. "Didn't you do a whole section on it in that case study?"

She had, but Sadie still wasn't so convinced- a fall like that was bound to have neurological repercussions, especially after he lost so much blood. The last thing she needed was for Steve to collapse again, or have a seizure, or even delayed amnesia-

"What's your full name?" she asked.

"Sadie!" Steve laughed, shaking his head. "Haven't I proved I remember enough?"

"Last I checked, Sadie was my name, and that's not what I asked," she insisted, unimpressed that he was still laughing at her. "You've only proved you know who I am, not who you are."

"That makes no sense," Steve chuckled, and she resisted the urge to yell at him right then.

"Of course, 'cause my methods don't match up with your extensive medical knowledge, Mr First Aid," she snapped, before repeating firmly: "What is your full name?"

"Steven Grant Rogers," he sighed, exasperatedly. "You know it, Sadie-"

"You know where you are?"

"Of course I do, I'm fine-"

"Do you know where you are?" she asked again, growing impatient.

"Alright- Wellington, New Zealand," he answered.

"And the year is?" Sadie asked, and Steve frowned at her as if the answer was the most obvious thing in the world.

"It's 1945," he answered, plainly, and Sadie's stomach had never dropped further in her life. But then Steve was smiling wide at her, and she sighed with relief, clutching a hand to her chest. "I'm joking- it's 2018."

"You asshole, I'm not convinced," Sadie argued, although she was- but she couldn't end her assessment on such a mortifying note. "Who's the President?"

Steve grimaced at that. "I don't wanna talk about it."

"Okay," Sadie said, it was her turn to smile now. "You're okay."

"Of course I'm okay," Steve said. "You didn't have to do all that. You healed me, didn't you? You should have more faith in yourself."

"I had to make sure," Sadie said, her eyes burning now. "You fell so far. And that would've been fine- how many times have I seen you fall and get right back up? But then you go and settle down for a nap after and scare me like that, and I- I hate you sometimes!"

Steve only looked at her fondly, then, and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. Sadie still felt an irritating annoyance, but she couldn't help but buckle slightly as he parted from their kiss.

"I love you," he said, more of a reminder than anything else. Sadie nodded

"I love you, too. But next time you listen to me," Sadie said, pushing back the water in her eyes. "I say sit out and you sit out, okay? You don't ignore me- too busy making stupid jokes, and getting distracted, and not taking care of yourself- you can't do that, Steve. I need you."

"I'm sorry," he said, pulling her to him. "I'm making jokes because I'm happy, sweetheart. Happier than I've been in a long time. Because I have you again. And maybe I was sloppy but it's only 'cause you make me feel invincible."

"Don't think you're off the hook just cause you got game," Sadie said, but she returned his embrace regardless.

"The mission is over, isn't it?" he asked, leaning back to look at her and she nodded with a sigh. "You carried the whole team today. Got our next location."

"Well, you were being sloppy. Someone had to make up for it," Sadie teased as they stood.

~

Travelling in a group was the hardest thing about it all, for Steve. He loved his friends, of course, but a moment alone with Sadie was rare lately. So he savoured every one with a certain contentment he found nowhere else.

Like tonight, as they flew away from Wellington, and their friends took the opportunity to get some sleep, and Sadie wanted to take the opportunity to practise piloting. And she needed a co-pilot, of course, so Steve was fast to volunteer.

But she seemed so deep in thought as they sat in the quiet, that he wondered what could be going through her mind. Steve didn't have to wonder for long though, and as she began to speak, he couldn't help but feel so lucky that he was the one she would confide in- for anything, even her late night thoughts. A pride came with that, that Steve couldn't shake off.

"I used to think I'd die young," Sadie said, and the moonlight bathed her in a blue glow. "At least in my mid-twenties. I just always had a feeling. Especially after Jamal went, and then even more after the war, and the fire. I thought I'd dodged it so much that it had to catch up to me."

"Don't pray for it," Steve warned, his pride making way for surprise. He hadn't expected her thoughts to be so melancholy. "It could still happen. You're still young."

He wasn't lying. It terrified him to his core, but it truly could happen. He was reminded of that fact every time he thought of Paris, and how one of the best nights of his life turned into one of his worst.

"Nineteen eighty-nine," Sadie said, bluntly. "Do the math."

"Nineteen eighteen," Steve countered. "Trust me, you're young enough."

There was turbulence then, and Sadie sucked in a breath beside him, stiffened her hands around the controls. The jet shook quite rigorously, but Steve wasn't worried- it was a simple fix. Sadie didn't mirror his calmness.

"It won't steady," she said, her eyes wide.

"Relax," Steve reminded her, putting his hands over hers and easing the pressure on the controls. "You're pulling on the yoke too hard."

"But we want to pitch up," Sadie argued.

"We do, but only a little. If you press on the rudder it'll give you more stability," he said, glancing down at the pedal beneath her left foot as she pressed down on it. "A little more-"

"I'm not going to step on it, Steve," she chuckled, and he held his hands up.

"Just trying to help," he said.

"I know," Sadie smiled, staring straight through the clouds. "Thanks. I'd give you a kiss but I don't want to take my eyes off the sky!"

"Oh, really?" Steve decided to fix her dilemma himself by leaning over to kiss her cheek, then her jaw, then her neck.

"Stop it," Sadie laughed, shaking her head until he detached himself. "If you distract me, I'll crash this thing."

"I promise I'll step in if we start to nosedive," he assured her. "We'll be fine."

"You sure about that?" she said, playfully, glancing over at him as he frowned. "I'm just saying, we think we know what our fate is, but we could go at any moment."

"No, I know how I'll go," he said, as a thought occurred to him. "It'll be on my tombstone: Steven Grant Rogers- death by a thousand cuts."

"I think you've had more than a thousand cuts just in the time I've known you," Sadie scoffed.

"Hey, that's still a long time," he laughed. "You say it like that and I sound like a crazy man."

"You are a crazy man, you don't know when to stop," she said, bluntly, before adding. "But I love you for it."

God, how long had it been since he first heard her say those words? And still, his heart soared to hear it.

"Anyway, I think we'll last," Sadie continued. "We'll die old, and warm in our beds."

"Like Rose," he pointed out, remembering when Sadie had sent him away with a list of ten films to watch. That had been so long ago now, it was crazy to think almost three years.

"Like Rose!" She repeated, with excitement. "You did your homework!"

"I did," Steve smiled. "Which makes me question whether you want to use that movie in reference to us."

"I would let you on the raft," Sadie said, simply. "No way would I let you freeze like that."

"I'm not scared of a little cold," he pointed out. "You would get the raft and I'd find us a boat."

"What, swimming?" she laughed, as if it was the most ridiculous thing on earth. "I guess you could, couldn't you?'

"I won't boast," Steve grinned. "But I could probably swim to the mainland from here."

His joke didn't seem to land, as Sadie frowned for a moment, peering down at the water below the jet. Big, black waves of it.

"Let's not talk about this while we fly over the Indian, huh?" she said, with a nervous laugh.

"What's gotten you in this mood?" Steve asked, curiously.

"What mood?"

"Dying young or old, fate, whether we'll 'last,'" he said. "You aren't usually so... Philosophical."

"What?" Sadie spluttered. "I'm an abstract thinker!"

"Hmm," Steve teased. "I think you're pretty black and white. If it can't be put on a graph or in a scientific journal, it isn't worth knowing."

"That is not true," Sadie argued, before hesitating for a moment. "Okay, it's kinda true."

"So, what is it?" he asked. "Is it flying?"

"I think it's everything," she shrugged, casually, but he could see a distance in her eyes.

Steve put his hand over hers on the yoke. Not to correct her, this time. Sadie looked over at him and smiled, but her smile was sad. Steve tried to tell himself not to worry- it was turbulence, and he'd step in before the nosedive. Always.

"Steve?" Sadie said, gently. She looked tired, as they all were, he supposed, but it was especially uncomfortable to see her that way.

"Yeah, angel?" Steve replied, waiting for her to ask whatever question lingered with her.

"You ever miss the city?" she asked him, her eyes soft.

"We're headed to a city," Steve smiled, nudging her gently. Then, in his best Spanish accent (which was to say, not as good as hers), he added: "Barcelona, baby!"

Sadie rolled her eyes in that fond way, chuckling gently and he was so glad to have made her laugh. She looked back at the sky ahead, and he could've sworn her dark eyes reflected the stars.

"Not Barcelona," Sadie said, eventually. "Our city, Steve. Home."

Steve sighed heavily, pausing for a moment. "I've been away from New York before. Lived in DC for months, didn't I?"

"Yeah, but you were back and forth. Seeing the Avengers, making every excuse to see me," Sadie said, with a small smile. "Every time you left you knew you'd be back. Like I lived in Palo Alto for years at med school. But I never missed home 'cause I knew I'd be back for Thanksgiving, and for summer and- you know. For life."

"I know," Steve said, guilt twisting in him. They couldn't go home because of him.

"Ours is the city of all cities," Sadie said, quietly. "I miss the street food."

"I miss the coffee," Steve added.

"I miss the subway."

"I miss the stupid tourists."

"God, yeah- in Times Square?" Sadie grinned. "Looking all dazed like you did when Fury had to talk you down?"

"Shut up," Steve said, but he was glad to see her smiling.

"Do I sound psycho if I say I miss the sirens?" Sadie asked, curiously, and he barked out a laugh.

"Yes," Steve laughed, shaking his head. "Sirens are bad, they mean something bad is happening."

"I know, but like," she sighed, rolling her eyes. "Sometimes in Hell's Kitchen, especially around my block as a kid, the police cars would just do random loops with their siren lights on. After dark. No noise, just blue, red, blue, red, blue, red."

"Why?"

"Make their presence known," Sadie shrugged. "Scare off anyone trying to deal on street corners. Savannah and I used to wait for the lights to come by, and we'd dance around for a few seconds like it was a disco. Then we'd wait for them to loop back again."

"That's adorable," Steve said. "You were inseparable, huh?"

"Yeah," Sadie smiled. "We passed the trend around the block, and it ended up as a pretty neat game. Oh, I miss that. I miss our city, Steve."

"So do I," Steve sighed. "New York is... it's different to when I was a kid. I think it's probably different to when you were a kid, too, it all changes so fast there. But it changed fast when I was growing up, too. Only place where change feels normal for me, only place it feels good."

Sadie nodded then, but she didn't interrupt him, or comment on his past, or his age like anybody else would. She just listened, and understood, and took his words to mean precisely what they did.

"We'll go back there," Steve said, firmly. "We will. We'll be back there before we know it, and we'll make a life, Sadie. A proper life."

"I know we will," Sadie smiled, squeezing his hand. "And I can't wait."

. . .

. .

.

some action and some tender moments for you guys- hopefully they blend well enough! nil I'm pretty damn happy with this chapter!

now guys: unless something crazy happens and the characters tell me no like they have several times before, I plan for the next chapter to lead us nicely into infinity war. it's actually crazy to think that, because I feel like I was just writing tws and aou and now we're at infinity war? which is like also one of the fastest paced movies ever, especially when you take out all the space scenes which don't relate to this pic.

but yeah I can't believe I've been so consistent! hopefully it continues that way. Thanks for sticking with the story, folks!

let me know your thoughts?

-Amber.

edit: after posting this chapter i just had like a real epiphany of just how personal this chapter is, especially the last half. writing is so cathartic for me, and i like being open with you guys so i thought i'd pop on here and say that. i'm also feeling so sentimental, idk if it's hormones (that time of the month) or what but the more i look at this chapter and the things i've written, the more i realise how it directly reflects my life.

like the whole conversation about new york was basically me just missing manchester without realising it (i went to uni there for a while but had to leave for personal reasons) and the thing with the police sirens literally happens in my neighbourhood all the time (an underprivileged area with lots of POC)- we're not as positive about it as sadie and savannah's dancing but i think that was me subconsciously trying to make something beautiful out of a real frustration of mine. excessive police presence has really had a direct effect on myself and people i love.

but anyway, my point is, it's really true what people say about writing/art being cathartic. so many subconscious feelings i've only just figured out through writing this (like i didn't even realise how much i missed mcr). so i want to say thank you guys for being here and reading, and voting because it honestly makes a big difference to me and i don't know how i would survive without writing honestly.

again, it might just be hormones, but you know what's not hormonal? MY LOVE FOR YOU LOT!!!