Into the War || A Captain America Love Story

1

TORI

S.H.I.E.L.D. newbies are kind of irritating. I know that I used to be one all those years ago, but I had been training for the job ever since I graduated from high school. I worked my ass off trying to be one of the best agents S.H.I.E.L.D. had to offer, and I accomplished that goal.

Along with Barton, I was one of the go-to assassins; however, I preferred to work alone. Every time that I had companions they ended up severely injured or even dead.

There was this one mission that I was just itching to do. It was my first one, and it was supposed to be easy. I was required to have assistance from higher level agents, which I didn't mind at the time. My mission was this old guy. He worked with HYDRA, and that just wasn't going to happen. So my group was scattered around the building where Mr. HYDRA worked. We were just supposed to find the guy and kill him, leaving no evidence behind. That was exactly what happened until the bomb went off where most of my garrison was settled.

I'm afraid that this time it will be the same way.

Lagos is our destination for this mission. Nothing too special, but still very similar to the last one. I pull at my good old Mysterieux uniform, something that I haven't worn in a while. Steve and I are stationed inside a building, so thankfully I'm not out in the heat sweating to death with this thing on. He jabbers through his comm to Wanda and Natasha, who are undercover in the streets.

"Yeah, the red one?" Wanda replies to something Steve said, who is also masked as Cap. "It's cute."

"It's also bulletproof, which means private security, which means more guns, which means more headaches for somebody. Probably us," Natasha rambles.

"You guys know I can move things with my mind, right?" Wanda states sarcastically.

"Well get used to looking over your shoulder," I sneer. "It's called going undercover for a reason, Maximoff."

"Anybody ever tell you you're a little paranoid?" Sam questions through the comms.

"Yeah, reason why I was diagnosed with social anxiety when I was twelve. Why?" I ask back.

"Did you hear something?" Natasha adds, lacing her words with sarcasm.

"Keep your eyes on the target, folks," Steve says, trying to regain our attention. "This is the best lead we've had on Rumlow in six months. I don't want to lose him."

Sam scoffs. "If he sees us coming, it won't be a problem. He kinda hates us."

"'Kinda' is an understatement, and the feeling is mutual," I say, stepping back up to the window with Steve.

The anxious feeling returns back to me when commotion rustles to life in the street outside. I take in a deep breath and let it out slowly, just how Tony taught me all those years ago.

"Sam, see that garbage truck? Tag it," Steve orders.

After a few moments, Sam says, "That truck's loaded for mass weight. The driver's armed."

Steve sighs from my left, leaving his gaze from the window.

"It's a battering ram," Natasha whispers.

"Go now," Steve says.

"Why?" Wanda asks, but by then I'm already running out the door without question.

"He's not hitting the police," Steve answers, taking off behind me.

Everything just blurs together at that point, memories of my team and the battle fill my mind. I remember the agonizing pain of bullets bouncing off my bulletproof vest that covered the horrible cuts in my skin. Blood seeped out of my clothes. Explosions rung in the distance. By the time I'm truly back in reality, we've made it to the building where everyone went.

Steve takes out a few agents as I ice their feet to the ground, planting them into the cement and then watching the shield fling them yards away into walls. "Body armor. AR-15's. We make seven hostiles."

Grunts and bullets sound from the room, some of which are Sam's. "I made five." And after a few more moments and Wanda's help, Sam corrects himself, "Four. Robo's on the third floor."

"Wanda," Steve says, the four of us meeting up in a circle for instructions, "just like we practiced."

"What about the gas?" she asks.

"Get it out."

She sends Steve up through a window, crashing inside the building. Sam and I cover Wanda while she uses her powers to move the gas out. Sam's gun shoots bullets for what it seems to be nonstop, and so do I. Flashbacks dart across my vision. I smack them away and focus on my aim.

"Rumlow's got a biological weapon," Steve informs us.

I sigh, squinting my eyes shut for a moment.

"I'm on it," Natasha says. Oh thank god.

I run my fingers through my sweaty hair, trying to keep my mind focused. I can't just take a little break, I know that. If anyone here knows about this kind of stuff with these kinds of people, it's me. And I can't just quit because Steve will be beyond pissed.

I scan the area. A tank is rolling towards Steve's direction. "Steve," I say, explosions roaring from the building. "You've got incoming."

"What's with you Starks and having the worst timing?" Steve groans, who was probably hit by a canon. "Sam, there is an AFV heading north."

"I've got four. They're splitting up," Sam says.

"Why must they be so difficult?" I sigh, looking up to the sky as I run towards the site with Steve far ahead.

"I've got the two on the left with Tori," Natasha states.

"Okie dokie," I say, stopping and turning to the other direction after Natasha. We sprint through cute little shopping stands, hectic amidst the chaos. "I call the stealthy one," I tell her, building a column of ice underneath me, bringing me to the top of the stands.

Natasha punches one while the other's coming up at her from behind. I leap off the roof and knock him to the ground, unfortunately sending my gun flying over a few feet. I dodge a few blows, but one hits me in the leg, sending me to the ground. I bring him down with me by yanking his arm to the dirt. I give him one more good punch in the face before I scramble for my gun before he can. Natasha finds her gun too, aiming at my original guy, leaving me with the bulkier one.

I spot a small tube of an orange liquid in between his fingertips—the weapon. I hold my gun tighter around the trigger.

"Drop them," the man with the tube demands. "Or I'll drop this." We both keep our guns in the air, getting another shout from the guy. Natasha pants, staring down the barrel of the gun.

"He'll do it!" my original guy says.

One of Sam's drones comes at the perfect time and shoots the guy I'm aiming at. I dive over, taking the tube in my palm. Natasha shoots her guy, running towards me. "Thanks, Sam," Natasha and I say in unison.

"Don't thank me," Sam says, and I can almost hear him smiling.

"I'm not thanking that thing," Natasha spits.

"His name is Redwing."

"Well thanks, Redwing," I say, curtsying towards the little flying drone.

"I'm still not thanking it," Natasha replies.

"He's cute. Go ahead, pet him."

I laugh, looking into the drone's camera lens. A massive explosion comes from Steve's area. My smiles falls. Please no. I run like hell towards them, my ears ringing from the booms and the screams.

What did they do?