Two days later the call finally came from Shield, letting him know one of the teams got enough information to justify the Avengers going in and shutting down the operation. The relief Steve felt at finally having a task to fulfill was almost painful. Like he hadn't realized he had been wound up so tight, that when he finally relaxed, his muscles ached. This is how he knew he was right about what he was meant for. If he wasn't meant to be constantly working, this time off would've felt great. But he only felt good when he had a purpose.

He quickly threw on his always on standby, proper work clothes, packed up his shield and uniform, and headed out the door. The days after his almost relapse went better than the previous ones, mostly due to the weather taking a better turn. He was finally able to leave the apartment and he took advantage of it, running all of the daylight hours. Sleep hadn't gone any better, but that was fine. The serum kept anyone from being able to tell he was exhausted by looking at him, so as long as Steve did his job, no one could say anything.

He sat stiffly in the back of the cab, trying to stop himself from fidgeting. He really should consider getting his own car, instead of relying on public transportation and taxis. Steve rolled his eyes, thinking of all the cars that sat in Tony's private garage, barely used. Tony rarely even drove himself, preferring to be chauffeured around the city or just flying around in one of his suits. Steve had left the motorcycle he rode with Shield, since it was theirs to begin with. And a motorcycle wasn't a practical vehicle, so it would be a waste of resources if he used it. Something with a nice trunk made more sense for him.

Fury hadn't told him which mission they would be going on, but he knew every file like the back of his hand. Steve reread them every night, making sure each word was seared into his brain. He could not afford to make any mistakes in this mission like he had the last one. He'd have backup this time though, not like before when it was only him and Tony. But he shouldn't have to depend on backup to do his job. Captain America was a super soldier, he had the abilities of multiple people combined. Steve should be doing all of the hard work.

It was different during the Battle of New York, because aliens. Something like that took all of them. A mission like this, he should be taking all the risks. A teammate taking a hit when he was there to take it was unacceptable. Not like anyone would be getting hurt while he was there to come up with the perfect plan. But not everything could be prevented. Steve would have to make sure he put himself in the most dangerous positions, to give his team the best chance to leave the mission unscathed. He had already lived out his natural life, it wouldn't be fair if anyone lost theirs when he got a second chance.

Steve bolted out of the cab as soon as it stopped, wanting to get up to the mission floor as fast as possible. He still had to get into his uniform and didn't want to hold anything up. He briskly walked to the elevator, sending it to the top floor of the building. Shield had it sectioned off just for mission related things and it had easy access to the roof where they'd be flying off from. Steve hoped the rest of the team was there and ready.

Luckily they were, all gathered around a table looking over a holographic image of their mission. Although now that he thought about it, he wished he'd been the first one here, not the last. It didn't look good for the captain to come in after everyone else. He really needed to get a car. Steve slid into a nearby bathroom, pulling on his uniform as fast as he could. The team didn't have to worry about making sure they weren't seen in public in their uniforms, since they all came straight from the tower. And they weren't dressed in a bright, obnoxious outfit. Steve wished he had something more inconspicuous, but this is what Shield wanted him in, so this is what he wore. So what if it was a big, glaring target for the enemies to shoot at, it looked great in the pictures for the news.

Steve gave himself one last look in the mirror, making sure everything was perfect. This was his first chance to show everyone the new Captain America. The Captain they should've had in the first place. The Captain people were counting on and deserved. The Captain he had just spent the last few weeks rebuilding. He was ready.

Steve strode back into the room, walking to stand at the head of the table. He glanced at the information the team was currently looking over, recognizing the details from one of the folders he memorized. This was a great one to ease back into things.

"Hey Cap, good to see you," Natasha said, giving him a quick once over. He stood tall and strong, pretending not to notice her assessment of him. "Fury hasn't fully briefed us yet, but the mission is-"

"Only Victory, a small rebel group based out of Ecuador that Shield has had their eye on for a while. They have been making noise about overthrowing the government there, possibly with biological weapons. Local authorities thought they had a handle on it, but there has been talk of branching out with distribution of their weapon once they get it stabilized enough for shipping. We need to go in and shut down the plant and get any information on who they are planning on selling to," Steve recited, addressing the whole team.

"Yeah," Natasha said, glancing back at the others. "Were you in contact with the teams while we were waiting for the go ahead?"

"Fury kept me updated on the progress of each potential mission. I wanted to be prepared for when we were called in," Steve answered, moving over to the display to bring up the map of the factory. "There are three main entrances visible from the map I was given." He pointed out the main entrance and side door, plus the large door for loading trucks.

"Any lower levels?" Clint asked, moving forward to take a closer look.

"Not that I've seen with the info I've been given," Steve replied, gesturing toward the area surrounding the building. "The warehouse we'll be breaching is surrounded by woods, so we'll have to land the jet a bit away from the building. But that will give you a lot of options to find a perch to shoot from."

"Do we need Hulk for this mission?" Bruce asked, standing to the side of the group.

"I think Hulk could do more harm than good in this scenario. He isn't known for being careful and we don't want to risk anything being broken and letting loose hazardous materials," Steve stated, turning to look at the apprehensive man. "You staying in the jet in case we need you after the site is secured seems like the best idea. We may need to take samples and we don't know how the weapon is stored." Bruce nodded, agreeing to his plan. This was going well. The team was listening to his direction and didn't seem at all worried about following his lead. He must not be in as bad of standing with them as he thought.

"Are you all ready to go?" Fury asked, approaching the team from the bank of computers he had been standing at.

"Yes sir. I have a plan of action and we should be in and out with no problem," Steve said, standing at attention in front of his superior. If he impressed Fury enough on this mission, maybe he'd bring him in on others, instead of it always having to be Avengers related. He knew he wasn't technically a Shield agent, but he could still do more than just the big missions.

"Good, that's what I like to hear," Fury said with an appreciative nod. "Other teams should be reporting in shortly, so we'll need you ready to go when the next call comes in. No more six day naps." If Steve hadn't already been concentrating on holding himself so stiff, he might've jolted hard enough to crack his teeth. He focused on taking one breath after another, his face carefully blank. Did Fury really have to bring that up? Right now? While he was doing so well? Had Fury hidden his disappointment with Steve so skillfully during the last two meetings that he had wrongly convinced himself that things were going to be okay now? Was this a warning, Fury letting him know that he didn't want to see another failure, but wouldn't be surprised by one? Steve would throw up if that wasn't a waste of food.

"We'll keep an eye on him," Natasha assured Fury, pulling Steve out of his stupor. Was Natasha agreeing with the sentiment that Steve needed to be monitored? Had they all discussed this before he showed up? They could've been here for hours before he got there, if Fury called them first. Maybe they had been at the Shield building these past couple of weeks and it was only Steve they didn't need until now. Just a few moments ago he thought things were going so well. Just another thing he was wrong about. He'd have to perform the best he ever had during this mission so he could gain some ground with everyone.

The team grabbed all of their things, getting ready to head out. Steve was going to be stuck with them for a few hour flight in a small plane, so he needed to get his head on straight. Yet again, he thought he was ready for whatever came his way, but a few words and all of his plans start to unravel in his head. What was wrong with him? He was doing everything right. He was training, he cut out everything that was non essential, he dedicated every waking moment to making himself better. Was there something he missed? What could he do to bolster his defenses against a few verbalized doubts he had earned? Steve Rogers had many harsh things spat at him before the serum. People hadn't liked having someone that looked like him stand up to their bullying ways. But Captain America shouldn't have any faults, so when people pointed them out, it was like a knife to his chest. Steve needed to focus on removing any reason for people to doubt him.

He sat alone in the back of the jet, settling in for the flight as Natasha and Clint piloted their way. Steve didn't particularly enjoy flying, it probably had something to do with a bad experience he had in a plane, but he didn't let it show. It was just like the cold, something else to overcome. A weakness he couldn't afford to have. But it was just smart to at least be strapped in during takeoff. And it was easier to forget your discomfort if you were distracted. Tony was his current distraction.

Tony hadn't said anything since he got to the Shield building, and that was weird. It wasn't like Tony to not add his two cents into every conversation. Steve had been expecting some sort of reaction from the man after that jab Fury made about sleeping for six days. And now he was just sitting in his own seat, not even chatting with Bruce. Steve thought back to what he had realized in the shower a few weeks ago. Tony probably felt undeservedly guilty about all the stuff that had happened between them. That wouldn't be good for the team if his head wasn't in the game, so as team leader, Steve needed to do something about it.

Steve waited until the flight was well underway, coasting swiftly above the clouds. The autopilot was doing most of the work, so Clint and Natasha were casually chatting from their seats. Bruce was thumbing through a book, keeping to himself. This was the perfect chance, since everyone else was distracted. He didn't want this to be some big to-do, just a small moment between the two of them to square things up. Steve unbuckled from his seat and carefully made his way over to where Tony was sitting, trying to look natural. It didn't really work if the strange look Tony was giving him was anything to go by. Tony was about to speak, but Steve stopped him with a raised hand.

"I just wanted to let you know that I get why you did what you did. I didn't understand before, but now I do," Steve started, looking the other man in the eye respectfully. "You were trying to help me, to make me better, but I took it the wrong way. So I apologize."

"What?" Tony spluttered, shaking his head at him. Did everyone think he was so uptight that he couldn't apologize for his actions? Steve couldn't really blame anyone but himself for how people perceived him. It was a good thing Captain America wasn't going to do anything that needed to be apologized for from now on.

"I don't want you to feel bad about anything, because if I had learned in the first place, it wouldn't have gone as far as it did. I shouldn't have even had to learn at all and I'm sorry that burden fell onto you. But I don't want you to worry anymore."

"I don't-"

"Thank you." Steve patted the man on the shoulder and moved back over to his seat. He felt good, knowing that weight was off his and Tony's shoulders. Steve still didn't want anyone to know what happened in the tower between them, because it was an embarrassing weak moment, but now he didn't think Tony would bring it up, since it was settled between them. He couldn't wait to start this mission and further solidify his superior Captain America.

"What happened?" Natasha asked from the front of the jet. Steve looked up to find her eyeing Tony suspiciously. Tony looked ill, with his face pale and his jaw slack. His eyes were darting around, not meeting anyone's gaze. This must have been bothering the man more than Steve thought, if his reaction to their talk was so dramatic. Everyone was looking at Tony now, not used to seeing the playboy billionaire so out of sorts.

"Just a bit of motion sickness," Tony grumbled, glaring toward the front of the plane. "I should've flown myself." The others clearly weren't buying that explanation, but they didn't call him out on it. They weren't the most open group and that was good in this situation. Steve and Tony cleared the air, there was no use harping on it with other people who didn't need to be involved. The important thing was that they were good and ready to get the job done.

Everyone stayed in their places for the rest of the flight, a little quieter than usual, but this was their first group mission for a while, so it was good to be extra focused. Steve ran through everything he knew about this job again and again, wanting to be perfect. It was going to run smooth as silk and hopefully he'd be back home in time to get a good run in before it got too late. As the plane lowered down in the predetermined clearing, Steve pulled on his cowl and picked up his shield. This was it, the true beginning of his next chapter. He was going to earn this life, even if he died trying.