The weather was nice and mild, perfect for a mission. Bruce got set up inside the jet, waiting for the signal on the comms. They only had a mile trek to the warehouse, so they had to be careful in case there were widespread patrols. Steve wasn't worried about taking out any unfriendlies, but it would be a lot easier if they were able to get to the building without alerting anyone about their arrival. And he wanted to be swift, to leave no doubt in anyone's mind that he was a fit leader for this group. Steve pulled up the picture of the map one last time, bringing the group together for a final briefing.
"When we get to the warehouse, I'll go in through the main entrance, Widow can cover the side, and Iron Man can cover the back. Hawkeye can cover the main and side doors from the trees and catch any stragglers. I'll breach and secure the weapon and subdue anyone I come across. We want to keep as many alive as we can, in case we don't find all the information we're looking for," Steve directed, pointing out the positions he wanted the others to take.
"You want to go in alone?" Natasha asked, quirking her brow at him.
"If I can cover both doors, Nat can go in with you," Clint suggested. Steve tried not to let his frustration show at the questioning of his plan. He waited until now to lay it out in hopes they would just agree instead of taking the time to argue. If they trusted him, they wouldn't need to ask questions, but it was his own fault they didn't.
"I won't risk Widow's exposure to the chemicals if they are able to release some when we get there," Steve asserted. No one else would be risking contamination but him.
"Then take Tony in and Nat can cover the back," Clint persisted. Steve really wasn't expecting any pushback from Clint. He was always one to follow orders, as long as they made sense. This plan made sense. "His suit will protect him."
"We don't know what all they have in there and we can't take that chance. You won't take that chance. The serum will protect me from anything I come across," Steve insisted, feeling his annoyance grow the longer they wasted time. They could've been at the warehouse by now if everyone would just listen to him.
"Help me out here Stark," Clint said, turning to the other man. Tony had his suit on, but the faceplate was off. He was staring at the map, avoiding looking at any of them. "We have no idea what's going on inside that building and it makes sense to go in with some backup." So Clint thought he needed to be monitored too. Well, that was just great. Had they all gotten together to discuss babysitting duties?
Steve had made one mistake, just one, and now they were acting like he couldn't take care of business anymore. As if they all hadn't screwed up at one point or another. But he didn't see Fury assigning them an overseer. And he understood that Captain America was held to a different standard than everyone else, but it wasn't like this was a recurring theme. He had finished the main job, making sure everyone was safe. Who cared if Steve was laying there hurt and vulnerable? Everyone that mattered was okay. And he was doing his best to make sure that happened now too.
Maybe being on this team wasn't the right fit for him anymore. If Shield was worried about him being a liability and putting one of their real agents in danger, maybe he should just do solo missions. He either got the job done and came back for another or he didn't and then they could send more people to finish what he started. Steve knew he couldn't stay if the team couldn't respect him in his role as leader. They deserved a captain they could trust and he deserved to be able to act out his title, instead of it being just for show.
"Just follow Cap's plan," Tony muttered, snapping his faceplate in place and stalking off to the open back of the jet. Natasha and Clint turned to watch him go, like they were surprised by him backing his plan. Maybe Steve's apology had a big enough effect on the man that he decided to go against their supervising scheme. Steve moved to face them, trying to exude an air of confidence he didn't quite feel. If they just went with his plan, he could prove to them he was good.
"Lead the way Captain," Clint ground out through a clenched jaw, waving his arm toward the exit. Steve pursed his lips, stopping himself from saying anything back to the man. He got what he wanted, so why bother continuing on with this conversation? Steve marched out of the jet, moving over to where Tony was waiting next to a tree. He was glad Tony hadn't taken off ahead of everyone, blasting away at whatever he found like he hadn't a care in the world. The rest of them might not have known how long Steve spent planning out these missions, but they would realize he was still a good leader when this ran smoothly.
Natasha and Clint came out next, having a full conversation with just their eyes. Steve remembered being able to do so with Bucky, always understanding what the other was thinking just by making eye contact. He would never have that again. Steve was too different from everyone in this time. And he would never attempt to try, knowing it would end poorly like every other relationship. Thinking about this stuff, about Bucky, right before a mission was not a good idea, so he forced himself to throw those thoughts away. He had more than enough time to think about everything he lost tonight when he was resting his body, for now, it was time for business.
Steve gestured for the team to follow him and they crept through the woods at a cautiously fast pace. Steve took the lead, obviously, his shield held securely in front of him. The team was flanking him, even Tony was keeping to the ground, instead of flitting about in the air with constant commentary. He never thought he'd see the day where Tony was listening to him the most out of everyone on the team. Steve was glad he took the time to swallow his pride and apologize to the man. It must've been what Tony needed to finally be able to trust him. Now he just had to figure out what the key was to getting that with the rest of them. While Tony seemed to be fine with words, Natasha and Clint probably needed actions. So taking care of this current threat without issue would go a long way with them. If he could do the whole thing alone, even better.
They made it to the edge of the clearing where the warehouse sat without encountering anyone. These people were either stupid or cocky enough to think they were protected from attack based on fear alone. Didn't matter, because The Avengers were here and they didn't lose. Steve signalled for everyone to spread out to where he designated, moving into his own position.
This was it, what every sleepless night and training session and boring meal was for. When this mission was finished with no issues, it would make every sacrifice worthwhile. The team would be able to count on their captain again, without having to worry he'd fail like before. This would also do great things for his confidence in himself. He wouldn't feel like he had to prove himself every second of the day, because everyone would have evidence of his value.
"Go!" Steve called into the comms, running forward in a crouch. He could see Natasha make it to her door with ease, still no signs of life besides their's. Steve got to his own door, standing to the side of it and listening to see if he could hear anything coming from inside. He could hear movement, but not as much as he expected. This probably was going to be very easy for them. Maybe even easy enough for normal Shield agents to take care of. Is this why they had gotten this assignment? A softball to see if Captain America could still hack it? Well, if it was, he was going to knock it out of the park.
Steve reached out to turn the knob on the door, finding it unlocked. These people really must not be very good at this. He cracked open the door, peeking in to get his first look inside the building. It looked like a low budget version of Bruce's lab, with all the equipment Steve couldn't be bothered to try to understand. He still hadn't seen anyone yet, but he could hear talking, so he knew there were people close. Time to get this show on the road.
"Heading in, standby for runners," Steve whispered, letting the team know to be ready. Hopefully he'd finish this whole op without them seeing any action. He barged into the room, opting for shock instead of stealth. Immediately there was yelling, men scattering to different corners of the room. Steve ran up to the closest man, thrusting his shield forward into his face, bringing him down with ease. He wished he could throw his shield and take out multiple people at once, but he couldn't risk breaking any of the delicate glass that surrounded them. On the plus side, it was also keeping the bad guys from wildly firing their guns. None of them seemed to be wearing protective gear, which again either meant they were stupid, or the chemicals weren't mixed to the point of being too dangerous yet. Steve wasn't willing to take any chances though, in case his team didn't listen to him and came into the building anyway.
Steve quickly made his way around the building, the whole thing open as one large room. The men were not prepared for an attack, so they didn't have any effective offense or defense. They pretty much just ran around, waiting for Steve to take them down. That was fine with him, sprinting from one spot to another, bringing down each man as he went along. He didn't count more than twenty and none of them were fighters. Shield had mentioned more men, but it made sense for them to not all be in one location. This was the only one they'd found making the weapon though, so normal agents could take care of the rest of the group.
He spotted a couple men running toward the door Natasha was covering and he vaulted over a table, slamming into them from behind just before they could escape. That was too close of a call. He couldn't have anything go wrong during this test mission. There were only a few people left, gathered together in the center of the room. Steve stalked over to them, ready to get this operation over with. One man decided to be brave, rushing forward and getting a boot to his face for his trouble. Two more tried a coordinated attack, which led to Steve smashing their faces together without breaking stride. There was one more man, standing protectively in front of a man in a lab coat. This must be the person who cooked up all this mess. A good one to keep for questioning. Steve made short work of his guard, grounding him with a swift punch to the jaw. The scientist cowered in front of him, but Steve felt no sympathy. The man had made his choices and now he would suffer the consequences. He bound the man's hands behind him, making sure he wasn't carrying anything dangerous.
"The building is secure," Steve said into the comms, feeling a swelling of pride bubble inside. He'd done what he set out to do. He was perfect. The team entered the building moments later, still on alert, but relaxing when they took in the site of all the men laying around unconscious.
"I guess you were right," Clint said, toeing one of the men he passed as he walked to where Steve was.
"Iron Man, fly out and bring back Banner. I think he'll have a few questions for our friend here," Steve commanded, nodding his head at the scared scientist leaning against a desk. "Widow and Hawkeye, start securing everyone else. We don't want anyone waking up and causing problems." The team took off to complete their assignments, while Steve stood guard over his prisoner. He wasn't going to take any chances.
The only sounds in the room for the next few minutes were the sound of zip ties as Clint and Natasha made their way around the room and the scared panting of the man beside him. Steve took the time to bask in the glow of a job well done. He couldn't think of a smoother executed mission he'd ever been on. Everything he'd put himself through these past weeks had been worth it. The old Captain probably would've listened to Clint's advice and who knows what would've happened then? This was all Steve's idea and it couldn't have gone better. All of Shield would know now that the great Captain America was back. The one people idolized for years. The one kids learned about in school. The one they were expecting, but hadn't gotten until now. This was the beginning of fulfilling who he was destined to be.