Chapter 3

Child's Play

"Wow. Nice digs." Steve looked out onto the English Channel from the window in their hotel room.

"You can sight see some other time Cap. We have a party to attend."

A hissing sound made him turn from the window. Chelsea had unpacked the first case. It extended from it's base with aforementioned hiss and a panel lowered to reveal an impeccably tailored suit. The next case she opened revealed a very forties, gold evening gown.

"So the mission outline says we're intelligence gathering at this party."

The woman went about opening a few more cases; some containing mundane travel items and others contained little gadgets that beeped and lit up as their casings were opened. "Real simple Cap, just get close to someone, close enough for a hand shake." she waved a little black gadget that looked like a beeper, "And this will do the rest."

"What is it?"

"I honestly don't know." she shrugged, "But it'll feed me the data I need through this."

Steve was pretty sure that was just a woman's compact mirror. She walked over and stood next to him, before he knew it his very skimp cellphone contents flashed on the "screen" of her "compact mirror".

"Well, your average diplomat has more than five contacts..."

"I don't even know how to use this thing." he explained, referring to his Shield issue smartphone.

Chelsea smiled and returned to her unpacking. "Beside the point Cap. These diplomats keep very sensitive data and passwords on their phones. Stupid yes, but useful."

"How are we supposed to re-instill faith while tricking everyone?"

Her smile turned to a frown, "There's no such thing as trust in this profession Cap. I mean, do you trust me?"

"You're on my team. Of course I trust you."

The woman huffed, "I won't tell you you're wrong, just surprisingly naive for your age."

"How am I naive when you're the one who doesn't want to tell me anything about you."

"If anything that makes me smart. Keeps me safe."

"You think just telling me where you're from or why you joined Shield would put you in danger?"

Chelsea huffed as she hung up the dress and suit, "Baltimore, if you must know, and because I'm not the first Shield agent in my family."

Steve seemed pretty pleased with himself, "See. Not so hard. Who was here before you?"

"And more questions..."

"If I'm truly prying you don't have to answer."

The agent just stared at him for a moment before she continued unpacking cases, "I can pass?"

"Yes."

"Then pass."

"Ok." Steve joined her in unpacking although everything he opened was promptly taken from him and put in the correct place. "Where do you live now?"

"Washington D.C."

"And your parents?"

Again she eyed him, "My mother still lives in Baltimore."

"Your father?"

"Dead."

"How?"

"Pass."

"Ok. Fair. What do you like?"

She thought for a moment, her mouth twisted up just so while she stuck a camera above the door to the room, "Old cars and ballet."

"Do you dance?"

"Yes. It's in my cover story Cap."

The blonde did recall reading that bit. She was undercover as Anna Blackwell, a dancer with the American Ballet Company. There was a video file on his phone somewhere too... "Of course."

Chelsea felt much calmer with this approach. But she was aware that she couldn't keep passing on the deeper questions. Wait until Sharon heard she'd played twenty questions with Captain America. "What about you? What do you like?"

He smiled just a bit and shrugged, "I'm trying to figure this place out. But I still enjoy baseball, that hasn't changed, and I'd like to try dancing. Not ballet of course." He added after he noticed her eyebrow perched high.

She nodded as she headed to the bathroom with the gold dress, "My mom teaches dance. I'm sure swing is more your speed, you should check it out."

"I should."

"Alright Cap, we have to cover the whole room." Chelsea snuck a side glance at the impeccably dressed Avenger and squeezed his arm slightly tighter when she noticed his panicked expression, "Get it together Steve, it's just a party."

"I don't do well with parties."

"You can face aliens and war, but not a party? C'mon old man." she whispered.

They took the stairs slowly, with the woman feeling like she was holding the hero up by the crook of his arm. "This is easy. Just shake hands, make America sound great, apologize for Thor's mess, and done."

Steve took a deep breath, "Roger that."

The first few sets of handshakes seemed to lift the man's spirits a bit. Chelsea found herself smirking slightly as she wandered off alone to check her compact computer; data was streaming in without an issue. With a glance over her shoulder at Steve she gave him a thumbs up at the small of her bare back.

A few diplomats addressed her solely as well, being huge patrons of the arts they were thrilled to meet her, even if her cover wasn't a principle dancer. It actually made her nervous how Steve would stand nearby and smile proudly. She rubbed her nose somewhat unceremoniously to will away her smirk, "You're getting good at this."

"You were right about it being easy."

She nodded, "Nothing to it. Night is almost over."

The man sighed, "Good."

There was a crackling in both their ears as their mic's picked up some interference. Chelsea frowned deeply. These were Shield issue and normally didn't waver at the presence of simple things like cellphones or normal two-way radios. Her immediate thought was the same as Steve's; find out who else was wired.

"Event is almost over. Anyone have eyes on the hero?"

"I got him."

"Don't let him interfere."

"Gotcha."

Chelsea nudged Steve and nodded to the waiter approaching them with his gaze trained hard on the glasses on his tray. "Hello Sir. Complimentary champagne?"

Steve started to say no but Chelsea looked at him funny, he took the glass. The waiter walked away, again trying hard not to drop the tray. Chelsea took his glass and swapped it with her half empty one, "Down it." she told him.

He did just as the waiter looked over his shoulder. "Affirmative on the cocktail. We are clear."

"Artifact is in the Celtic exhibit. Everyone ready?"

"Ya'."

"Ready."

"Hit the lights."

The Captain held up four fingers and Chelsea nodded, four guys. She flipped open her compact and the last bit of data Steve's pager grabbed was from the waiter. The little computer clicked shut just as the lights were turned out. The museum security went about keeping everyone calm and started having everyone file outside until the lights could be turned back on. Chelsea grabbed Steve by the wrist and ducked into the nearest restroom, locking the door.

"They're after this." she handed him the small computer.

"A piece of paper?"

"Part of an old Celtic story that talks about the first Asgardian to choose earth over Asgard."

"There was one before Thor?"

"Seems like it, a berserker, if I only knew what that was..."

"I take it we don't have time to google it, as you all say now."

There was a snort and some zippers from the nearest stall, "No Cap, we don't. First order of business is to get the power back on; get the alarms going." Chelsea climbed the walls of the stall and removed a ceiling tile, climbing into the ventilation. She shouted down at the man, "See you at the exhibit Cap."

"This is Agent 16 requesting a patch to op command."

"One moment... patched."

Operation Command at Shield was an entire floor of directors and computer nerds who knew the whereabouts of every agent at any time. But out of everyone in that room Chelsea got the same op manager every time and she didn't even know their name.

"Crusade, what happened to gathering intelligence?"

"That pretty much went out the window when some thieves decided to go after something thats clearly "gifted" related in the museum." Gifted, it was the term Shield started giving to people who were like the Avengers.

"Thats not your area anymore. Let me call on the team that handles that stuff. I'm sure Agent Ward-"

"Agent Ward!" Chelsea hissed, "You want me to sit around and wait for Dickward? No."

"His team has been specially put together to handle this sort of thing. They're in Greenwich now, I can catch them before they leave. Which means you and Captain Rogers can return to your primary mission."

"I don't think you understand what no means."

"Agent, this mission now outranks you. Let the level sevens handle it."

"Seven!" she actually shouted, vibrating the tubing, "Dickward outranks me?"

"This conversation is over Crusade. Return to the party with Captain Rogers."

Her connection died immediately after. There was no way she was waiting for that asshole Ward and his little team. Last she checked he scored just under her or the same as her on all of the agent tests. She was just as good if not better, "Cap?"

"I'm all ears." Steve's voice came in bursts, must have been running.

She dropped out of the ceiling into one of the many security stations in the the museum, "We don't have Shield at our back right now. They want a special team in here who will miss the burglary all together."

"I say we stop them. No waiting."

With that she slammed her hand down on the emergency power button and all the monitors flickered to life. Alarms started blaring and there in the Celtic Exhibit the men where stuffing a box in a duffel bag.

"Where are you?"

"Looks like an Egyptian exhibit."

Chelsea checked the security camera's and remembered the museum layout she'd studied, "You're not gonna make it. Neither of us are."

"Don't say that."

"Just telling the truth." she left the room and sprinted down the hall, "You're almost there, but i'm closer."

Even running, her footsteps were light and the men in the exhibit didn't notice her until she was right on them. Only three by her count and there was an open window. No duffel bag in sight. "One got away!"

"I'm not leaving you against three men."

She perched herself on the shoulders of the closest man and pressed her hand against his neck. The gold ring she wore shocked him and he hit the ground, "Two men."

They came at her at the same time and she'd hoped they wouldn't be that smart. She lunged at one, effectively scaring him, and grabbed his combat vest in her hands, using his weight she swung and caught the other in the jaw with he heel. It was only enough to send him teetering backwards, but it was all she needed. She circled the one in her hands and piggy-backed him. With a grunt he slammed his back, her included, into the wall.

There was a click sound that even in her dizzy state she recognized. The silhouette of the gun was clearly being pointed over the man's opposite shoulder.

From her angle she could only do one thing. Steve came barreling down the hall just as she snapped his shoulder blade and slammed full speed into the last man, almost putting a hole through the wall where his body slumped, unconscious.

The Avenger frowned at her, "You ok?"

"I'm fine." the man writhed in agony on the floor, "I cut the feed off for the camera's in this exhibit. It recorded the burglary, but not this fight."

"Why?"

"I am undercover Cap. I have to go."

He grabbed her upper arm gently, but firm enough to stop her. "Are you ok?" he asked again.

"Steve, I'm ok. I promise."