"Good luck cap," the shield stealth jet crew chief said. At the rear of the craft near the open ramp cap said "thanks." Dressed as an afghan and with no parachute on cap leaped out of the aircraft and into the high altitude darkness. He dove upon clearing the aircraft. It went on its way and he on his.

Despite the darkness cap could see everything like a pro. Angelic enhancements did that. He closed the gap quickly to the ground. He was in Helmand airspace. To Helmand province. It was a series of rich river valleys in the southern part of the nation. Iran wasn't too far away to the west. The intel was compelling. A lotta dirty parties on all sides were profiting from the very illegal yet lucrative afghan heroin poppies. These poppy fields were all over Helmand province; fed by various rivers and stream paths all joined to the mighty Helmand River; the Afghan mighty Mississippi. The range of immoral dirt was wide. The traditional enemy was engaged in it but so were friendly units as well. Dirty Langley players amongst others. Despite the promising new republic in progress much of this would still need to be reformed; and a lot would still happen on the side to advance the cause of evil until the new republic was stronger. And money; evil's root; would drive most of it as always. It was getting troops killed and cap would have none of that. Hence why he was here.

He neared his LZ. Only now did he assume the free fall position. It slowed his rapid descent a little but not too much. Not that he had to worry about it to say the least.

It was time. Cap called his shield to his arm and put it ahead of him between him and the ground. He hit the ground head on. The shield magically dispersed the high altitude fall like it was nothing then cap flipped right out of it to land in a crouch. The old shield couldn't even touch that. But the new shield had abilities cap was still discovering by the day. It was more like Thor's hammer in most respects now. And given that its previous adamantium form had been reforged into something heavenly it was infinitely more powerful than Mjolnir could ever be; as was cap over Thor in theory. In this sense he could readily operate in any environment; even a fantasy world like middle earth. Cap was loving his newfound adventure potential as nomad. Awesome.

Remaining crouched cap reached out with his angelic senses. He could sense the settlement to the near southeast. It would take a foot mobile regular group a few hours after sunup to get there. At a sustained angelic run he could get there in far less time. Cap even estimated by dawn. Right at even.

Cap surged off at a sustained run; vanishing his shield as he did so. He sensed no immediate danger so for now that was good enough. He hadn't made a point to go strongly undercover as Bucky had been doing here until the American conflict had occurred. Plus cap's fair features would make that even harder. It's that damned Irish in me. What can I say?

As he ran like a true superhuman could cap was starting to feel another difference. He was actually starting to loosen up more. Since cap that hadn't ever been the case. But now that he was nomad and was a nomad it didn't really matter anymore. He could let go more. He'd always be a warrior. That never had to change. But it was time to live and let.

Bucky had told him he needed to quit being so serious all the time. He was an angel of god now. He didn't have to worry about any of that earthly crap anymore. All would be as god willed it to be. What else mattered.

Yep Steve. It's time to grow a sense of humor. He could do it deep down. He knew he could. He just had to embrace it. As he ran he did so. I'm a fossil just like Nat said I was! He laughed a little inside. I'm a certified grandpa. Yep. Need a rocker to sit in. What's the world coming to.

He continued his run nonstop as only an angelic badass could do.

Xxx

The sun was up just above the horizon. And cap's angelic mental compass had been locked onto the settlement completely. He was now here. The village that had drawn his angelic presence towards it. Moth to a flame sort of thing. Despite being dressed like an afghan cap didn't have the darker features to better blend in like Bucky or sabra could. He still stood out like a sore thumb.

There were Taliban patrollers everywhere. Their black turbans gave them away most of the time. There were technicals present too. Each manned. Their collective gaze focused on the strange appearing infidel nomad that had just entered their settlement.

A foot squad approached him. "State your business." Their AKs remained at the near ready. Cap didn't need to use his power to sense their hostility. "I'm not here to be your friend." They shared looks and tensed. "You're foolish for saying that stranger." Their guns came up. "Do you wanna die?" "That's just it fellas. I can't."

"Stand down." The command came from behind them. They complied and stepped aside. A senior Taliban commander approached him. "I am mullah Kunai. This region is under my control." Pause. "I know who you are; Captain Rogers." This surprised the Taliban. "I met your good friend. James Barnes is it? He posed undercover here for a time; along with a mutant Israel spy that have since left." Cap nodded. "Sabra." "Yes." Kunai walked up to cap. Dangerous given how powerful cap in fact was. Still, cap kept his shield dissolved and played along.

"Strange as it may seem Captain but I may owe you something of a debt." Cap frowned at that. "How's that?" "When Barnes posed here as a Syrian mercenary named nadir everything changed. His efforts indirectly made me a mullah. Without those actions and his presence that would not have been possible. Allah works in ways that we cannot understand."

This was a strange path things were going down. Especially for the foaming at the mouth Taliban types. Machetes ever ready to remove sinful heads. Was this another Mephisto/red skull plot? It couldn't be ruled out. But cap's heightened angel senses didn't say anything bad was up. Just what it appeared to be. Still, like Star Wars, he didn't have a good feeling about it either…