The Ghost [Marvel | Steve Rogers]

Chapter 25

Somewhere over the Atlantic

Spring 2015

With an indulgent grin, Steve turned from Tony and Thor, leaving the Asgardian and the billionaire to chat and plot about the upcoming 'revels.' He'd known it was time to back away from the conversation when Tony started talking about inviting some World War II vets so Steve would 'have someone to talk to.'

Pacing through the Quinjet, Steve couldn't help but take stock of his team again. It was a habit, and instinct even. It had been a rough outing this time, and it inevitably left him concerned for his teammates; Barton had been injured, which of course unsettled everyone, especially Natasha, even if she worked hard not to show it; Banner was now recovering from an unexpected Code Green; something else had shaken Tony—badly, not that he'd admit it—which he was now hiding extremely well. Then there'd been Ryker's episode...

For all that had gone right on this mission, a lot had also gone wrong. It had paid off, of course—Loki's Sceptre had finally been retrieved—but there had certainly been a cost. Luckily, it also seemed everyone was holding up alright, considering.

It could have been a lot worse...

Barton was resting as comfortably as could be expected. He'd even managed a snappy quip when asked how he was holding up before Steve had gone over to check in with Thor about the Sceptre.

Bruce was looking much better, Nat's efforts to bolster his spirits following the Hulk's unplanned appearance not going to waste. Even despite Thor's slip, the scientist had visibly relaxed thanks to the rest of his team's support, and that was a relief to the rest of the team, Steve noted. None of them liked seeing the reserved scientist so distraught over something he had such tenuous control over...particularly since both Banner and the Hulk were both such valuable members of the team.

Tony definitely looked better, Steve noted wryly as he glanced back to where the billionaire was still chuckling with Thor. He had no idea precisely what had been bothering Stark when he'd emerged from the bowels of Strucker's base, but he had a fair idea given what Tony had described when he told them about what all he'd found down there; they all carried troubling memories from the Battle of New York. Coming face to face with a Leviathan again? Even a dead one? Steve had a feeling he'd have been shaken too...though his gut told him there was more to it than that. But looking back at Tony, Steve pushed the thought aside. If he needed to talk about it, he would. But prying rarely got anywhere with Tony, even when the ones doing the prying were those he trusted most. If he did choose to talk about it, it would likely be Banner the billionaire chose to open up to, not Steve.

Even Nat was mostly herself again now that it was clear Barton's life wasn't in danger and Banner was slowly getting back to his own normal, unassuming self. Though, having gotten to know the redheaded spy as he had, Steve still got the feeling that something else was bothering her, and he suspected it had everything to do with what had happened to her oldest friend inside Strucker's base.

It was then that Steve realized there was a face he didn't see.

He didn't see Ryker.

Holding back a groan, he scanned the interior of the Quinjet, searching the handful of faces for the one he suddenly worried was actually missing. Immediately he was considering that she'd slipped away again the way she had in Chernivtsi, though his instincts insisted it was unlikely. He knew she had boarded the Quinjet; he'd been right behind her, watching her warily after her alarming reaction to Nina's disappearance back at Strucker's base. Whether or not she'd managed to get off again without anyone noticing? No, he decided, that was unlikely. Someone would have noticed.