Back at Avengers Tower, there was silence. The team was all seated on the luxurious leather couches around the glass coffee table, drinks of all types barely touched, Tony's oversized television playing and replaying the news footage of Bane's takeover off to the side, the occasional exhale.

"This is wrong," Natasha spoke up, voicing everyone's thoughts. Stark then set his beer firmly down on the glass table, before turning to Steve.

"Well Cap? Got any ideas?" Tony said, half jokingly but with a hint of pleading in his voice. Steve thought for a moment before he started.

"Thor's out of play since we can't contact him, and I'm sorry, but Bruce-"

"It's ok," Banner assured him, hands up in agreement. "Me, the Other Guy, going into a closed off warzone that could turn nuclear if something goes wrong. Trust me, I get it and I completely agree."

Tony clapped him on the back before continuing with, "So that leaves the spies, Cap, and-"

"No." Tony stopped, surprised. "I'm sorry Tony, but this requires secrecy and you're not exactly the most subtle of people."

"You think I can't handle this?" he asked gesturing between himself and the TV playing the footage.

"Stark, your idea of keeping a secret was blurting it out at a press conference just to spite a reporter," Natasha deadpanned.

"To be fair, she was a bitch." Cap gave him a look. "A bad woman." The Captain just sighed and turned to the redheaded former Russian spy.

"Nat?" She promptly produced a flash drive from her pocket and handed it over to him.

"This is everything I managed to get about Gotham." Tony frowned and looked between her and the drive.

"You were with us the whole time, how did you manage to sneak this out of the Helicarrier." She gave him a look that said something like, You're really asking me that? "Never mind." Steve then plugged the drive into the table and uploaded the complete map of the topography and systems of Gotham City's five connected islands.

"All the main bridges are blown out except this one, which is being used to transport relief supplies into the city," he said gesturing to the oldest, widest, and currently only standing bridge in the city. Captain America looked up at his team. "That's our way in."


'Buck Jones,' 'Laura Matthers,' and 'Francis Morse' unloaded food, water, medicine, and other supplies being provided to Gotham's citizens from one of the many relief trucks into one of the cold steel and concrete structures designated as relief centers. Once the loading rolled down, the trio slipped away quickly and quietly as shadows vanishing in the light.


"The Commissioner James Gordon is practically a war hero after what happened with the domestic terrorist known as the Joker. Coordinating with him will be the main key in finding out how to fix this," the Captain continued. "I'll meet with him and figure out the best way for us to take down Bane."


"Commissioner Gordon, Captain Rogers," Steve stated, separating from his escort to greet his new ally.

"An honor, sir," the aged Policeman greeted with a firm handshake.

"I've read your file, the honor's mine."


Nat will survey the city from street level…

'Laura' strolled through the streets of Gotham, taking in everything from the emptiness of them (a city of several million people yet no one goes out: expected) to the graffiti that graced the walls and windows (while there was some pro-Bane propaganda, most of the art too the form of bats and Anti-Bane messages and visuals: somewhat unexpected given the city's history with the Bat and general apathy toward corruption) to the fact that even Bane's men were nowhere to be seen (completely unexpected and sloppy at that, especially with the supply crew in the city).

And Barton will take the skies.

'Francis' locked eyes with his partner, before taking off over rooftops. He'd had to trade out his usual combat bow for one of his weaker, more portable ones out of fear of discovery. But in the end, it wouldn't make much of a difference; no matter the bow, if he got a shot at putting an arrow in Bane's eye, he'd make it. There was too much on the line for him (or any of them, really) not to.