Changes (A Prequel to "Through, Together")

Jailbreak

The reflective panels of the Quinjet were turned on, cloaking the aircraft completely from view. It hovered in near silence over the rough waters of the Atlantic that beat mercilessly against the prison that was known as the Raft. It was a huge, cylinder-shaped structure that was partially submerged below water. There were no windows in the dark gray steel, only drain ports that allowed water to pour out the sides and back into the ocean. The flat topside of the Raft was big enough to comfortably house two dozen, if not more aircrafts, but Natasha knew better than to land the Quinjet there. Instead, she kept the jet hovered over the dead center of the Raft, where a pair of thick metal panels served as the only door in and out of the place.

"Thermal readings show most of the guards in the command center," Natasha said from her seat. Steve stood behind her, looking over her shoulder at the display screen in front of her. "You'll have to pass through there to get to the cell block where they have everyone."

"And what about their gear?" Steve asked.

"It's in a containment unit one floor down," Natasha replied. She glanced up at him. "The second those cell doors open, the alarms are going to sound. You'll barely have time to get everyone topside, let alone go rummaging through lost and found. We can replace their stuff, Steve."

But she knew it was useless. She could see it in his eyes that he'd already made his mind up, and if Steve Rogers was anything, it was determined. She sighed and shook her head. "Fine," she said, "but if you're late, I'm leaving you here."

Steve smiled down at Natasha and patted her shoulder. "I won't be late," he said. Then, he turned and headed for the loading ramp. He pressed the side of his fist into a red button on a wall panel that dropped the ramp. Immediately, the sound of roaring winds and crashing waves filled the Quinjet.

"You and I both know you aren't exactly great with punctuality!" Natasha shouted over her shoulder to Steve.

He just smiled at her as he backpedaled down the ramp. He even threw in a little salute before he allowed gravity to take him. Natasha didn't think she'd ever get used to seeing him jumping out of planes with no parachute. Despite all his stars and stripes and moral codes, Steve could be incredibly reckless... and Natasha liked that. She had a history of being a little reckless, herself, from time to time.

Steve plummeted quickly, the air around him forming a sort of wind tunnel. He kept his legs straight and pressed together, arms pressed firmly down against his sides, pencil diving down toward the Raft. In the few seconds it took him to fall, Steve thought about what Natasha said. He knew he had a history of falling short on his promises to not be late. He was confident, though. Steve had no intention of finding himself trapped at sea. He'd done that once already and wasn't exactly looking for a repeat. Besides, he knew Natasha would wait for him. As much as she may have teased and threatened, Steve knew she wouldn't leave a man behind. Maybe, once upon a time, she might have left without a second thought, but that wasn't the Natasha he knew now. She was loyal and dependable. She would wait. He found himself wondering if Peggy had waited. For how long?

The ground came up to meet him a little quicker than expected. Steve hit the metallic surface of the Raft, knees bent to absorb the impact, and rolled several times to diffuse his momentum. After a few seconds of gathering his bearings, he righted himself, standing up and brushing some sea water spray from his suit.

"Not the best landing I've seen," he heard Nat say through his earpiece. "I give it a six."

"Yeah, I'd like to see you try." He replied.

He heard a small bubble of laughter. Then, "Tick tock, Rogers. Clock's ticking."

Steve jogged across the Raft's surface to the pair of huge floor panels that allowed access inside. He knew that the metal doors were too thick and heavy for even him to pry apart. Thankfully, there was a small service hatch situated in the right door. That was much easier for Steve to pull off. The hinges bent and broke easily beneath his strength, and he tossed the door aside to reveal a ladder that headed down into the structure. He wasted no time, opting to jump down the chute rather than take the ladder down. His boots hit the floor below with a heavy thud when he landed. He'd made it inside the prison. Unfortunately, there was no warm welcome waiting for him.