Over the Atlantic, 2014
Aurora stood beside Steve, preparing to drop onto the Lemurian Star beside him, before Natasha and the Strike Team.
Natasha was busy trying to secure Steve a date, and Aurora was trying to ignore it. The conversation made her uncomfortable to even be near, because Steve made her feel like she was back at Xavier's School in high school, when the guy she liked would ask her a question—she was crushing hard. It made her feel childish and embarrassed.
"Secure channel seven," Steve said through the comms.
"Seven secure," Natasha replied into it before looking at Steve. "Doing anything fun Saturday night?"
"Well, all the guys in my barbershop-quartet are dead, so… no, not really." Steve replied with a slight smile.
Nat smiled as Steve opened the launch bay.
"You know, if you asked out Kristin from statistics, she'd probably say yes," Natasha pointed out.
"That's why I don't ask," Steve said as he walked forward beside Aurora.
"Too shy or too scared?" Natasha teased.
Steve grinned, and held onto Aurora for the jump. "Too busy."
She grabbed ahold of him and they fell off the ramp.
They separated just before the collision with the ocean, jumping up onto the deck. Aurora twisted into tuck-and-rolls as they landed, and Steve held a man in a sleeper-hold until he couldn't fight back.
Steve looked at Aurora. "Cover?"
She nodded and closed her eyes, summoning fog off the water to conceal the ship just enough to cause confusion. She and Steve could still see through it.
They fought through the insurgents on the deck, splitting apart to take them down on each side. The Strike Team followed quickly.
Natasha landed beside them, walking beside Steve for a moment. "What about that nurse that lives across the hall from you? She seems kinda nice."
"Secure the engine room, and then find me a date," Steve ordered her as he and Aurora kept walking, the named telepath rolling her eyes.
"I'm multitasking," Natasha called before hopping over railing and disappearing from sight.
Aurora was keeping tabs of the entire team—the Strike Team fanning out to try and get to the hostages; Natasha heading for the engine room; and Steve taking out as many pirates as he possibly could, no matter how unfair the odds might have been—for the pirates of course.
She ducked quickly under an expected swing from a pirate who thought he was hiding from her, waving her hand and tossing him overboard with a wave of teal energy.
Aurora looked down at her hand like it had betrayed her. Every day she spent on missions or training with Steve the energy turned just a little bluer, the green of her original power slowly fading the longer she spent with the Captain, the stronger her feelings became.
She was pulled from her thoughts when another pirate lunged for her, and she ducked again, shot back to her feet, and swung a back roundhouse into the side of his head, her boot heel connecting hard. She waved a hand, and progressively bluer energy flung the pirate across the S.H.I.E.L.D. carrier.
She hoped Steve didn't see it.
"Strike Team," Aurora called into her comlink. "Are the hostages secure?"
"Hostages secure," Rumlow answered quickly. "You and Cap get the rest of the insurgents."
"On it," Aurora said quickly, jogging to meet Steve as he hurled his shield through glass to take down the remaining pirates.
She pulled it back with the teal energy, forcing herself to ignore the color change in hopes that Steve wouldn't notice. She handed it back to him, abruptly stopped when a large foot slammed into her side.
She slid to the side on her side, holding her ribcage as the Algerian pirate, Batroc, lunged for Steve, who was taken off guard and was blocking most of the attacks with his shield.
When Batroc stopped, he looked at Steve for a long moment. "I thought you were more than just a shield."
Aurora got up and stepped beside Steve to help him.
Captain Rogers dropped the shield and took off his helmet, revealing his messy blonde hair. "We'll see."
Steve and Aurora lunged in unison. Their attacks complimented each other so well that there was no opening for Batroc to break through before Steve finally just trucked the pirate through the door to the control room.
"Well, this is awkward," Natasha said with a smirk as she leaned over a computer.
Steve pushed back to his feet as Aurora walked inside behind the Captain.
"What are you doing?" Steve asked as he frowned and looked at the computer, frowning deeper.
"Backing up the hard drive. It's a good habit to get into." Natasha said simply.
"Rumlow needed your help, what the hell are you doing here?" Steve asked shortly.
He looked at the screen. You're saving S.H.I.E.L.D. intel."
"Whatever I can get my hands on."
"We're supposed to be saving hostages, that was our mission."
"No, that was your mission." Natasha replied as she unplugged the drive and turned to look at Steve. "And you've done it beautifully."
"You just jeopardized this whole operation," Steve snapped.
"I think that's overstating things," Natasha argued, raising an eyebrow.
Aurora put a hand on Steve's shoulder. "Take a breath, Steve."
He was still tense, fists clenched by his side, but she felt the muscles in his back slowly release some of their tension as she set her hand on his shoulder.
His blue eyes met hers and he relaxed a little more.
Aurora gasped, whirling around and catching a grenade that was tossed into the control room by Batroc in swirling blue-green energy. She tried to contain the blast.
"Get out!" She ordered Steve and Natasha. "Go!"
The Captain didn't move.
"Steve, go!" She ordered quickly, turning to look at him more fully.
He only lifted his shield again and shook his head. "Not without you."
"Steve, we don't—"
"I'm not leaving you." He swore, blue eyes locking with her's across the small distance as he waited.
She only insisted again. "I can't hold it forever, Rogers. Go!"
Steve grabbed her around the waist and jumped through the next window, Natasha following quickly.
Aurora lost her hold on the grenade and it exploded just after they ducked.
"Okay," Natasha admitted with a cough, all of them newly covered in soot from the blast. "That one's on me."
Steve huffed. "You're damn right." He helped Aurora to her feet, looking at her in quick concern before they left the blown control room.