Celeste's POV
"I think it best that Matthews and Maximoff stick together on this mission." Steve said from his position standing where the back door of the jet would open shortly, once we arrive at our destination in Mexico. "Romanoff and Colonel Rhodes, you will be a team, as will Wilson and Vision. I'll join Matthews and Maximoff. Our target, Klaue, is meant to be dealing in arms with the Cartel, so be careful. They won't hesitate to kill if threatened."
I felt Wanda stiffen beside me. I place a hand on hers. "We'll be fine, Wanda." I whisper.
"We all have our jobs. Watch each other's six, and don't hesitate to call for back up." Steve instructs.
"ETA is five minutes, Cap." Nat says from her position in the pilot's seat.
"Okay, thanks Romanoff." Steve walks over to Wanda and myself. "You two ready?"
"I'm fine, Wanda is a bit nervous for her first official mission, however." I answer him.
"You can hang back here, Wanda. If you prefer?"
"No, I'm sure I'll be fine."
"Okay, let Celeste and I take the lead. We'll instruct you on what we might need. Treat this as more of an observation exercise, but only step in when absolutely necessary." Steve instructs.
"Okay, I can do that." Wanda agrees.
By this time, we've arrived at our destination, far enough away from where Klaue's last known 'office' was. We all seperate into our teams. Steve, Wanda and I are meant to enter through the back entrance.
"Okay, here we are." Steve whispers as we near the back door to the building. He tests the lock. "Wanda, want to try that lock?" Wanda sends a flash of red to the door handle, a small 'click' sounding. Steve tries it again, pushing the door open for us to enter. "Well done." He walks through first, his shield up in front of him.
"I sense heat signatures, all upstairs." I say.
"How many?" Steve asks.
"I can't tell, maybe five? Wanda, can you sense them?"
Wanda concentrates for a moment. "Definitely five minds." She says. "I don't sense Klaue though." She frowns.
"Okay, let's investigate." Steve moves slowly once again, heading up the stairs. "Wanda, with me. Celeste, check that room." He points to the left.
I head to the closed door, sensing a body behind it. It's body temperature is normal, so their heart rate is resting. I pull my side arm out from it's holster, my other hand on the door knob. I slowly turn it, trying not to make any noise. Once the door is cracked open enough, I see a man sitting in a chair, his back to the door. I'm able to get my body through the door without it making a noise and raise my weapon pointing it at him.
"Hands above your head, stand up and place them on the wall, feet apart." I say to him in a calm voice. "Don't turn around." I say sternly as he makes to move his body around. He does as I say. Moving to the wall. I walk up to him, a set of cuffs out ready. "Identify yourself."
"Daniel Greer." He says with a British accent.
"Your business?" He doesn't respond. "Your business." I sternly repeat. He still doesn't respond. I move up to him, quickly cuffing his hands behind his back. I produce a large ice block to place his feet in a hold.
"What the fuck?!" He exclaims.
I move him back into his heat, wheeling him to the corner. I start looking through the desk. I find a folder in the top drawer.
"What's this?" I show it to him.
"Who are you?"
"I work with the Avengers."
He throws his head back with a groan. "Fuck, he said you might turn up."
"He? Klaue?"
"Who the fuck do you think? Of course, Klaue? Argh!"
"You feel that?" I ask him. "That's me controlling the electrical signals in your brain. It's hurts doesn't it?" I stop. "Now tell me what you're doing?"
"How can you be an Avenger and hurt someone?" He whines out.
"What I just did leaves no trace, so no one will do anything. Now, answer me."
"Klaue is selling arms to a terrorist group."
"What group?"
"It's all in the file. All I know is the name Crossbones."
"Steve" I say into the comms. "I have something. Same room."
Soon he walks into the room. "What do you have?" He looks over to see Greer sitting on the chair.
"My new friend Greer here told me that Klaue is selling weapons to a terrorist."
"What terrorist?"
"None I've heard of, he just knows the name 'Crossbones'. There's a file here, I haven't read through it yet." I hand it to him.
He opens it, reading its contents. "This is some heavy firepower." He looks to the man, then to me. "Crossbones... do you have anymore information on him?"
"Listen, I told this crazy bitc-" I cocked my gun, pressing it against his head, "this woman," he corrected himself, "that that's all I know, is that name. Klaue was dealing with him directly."
"Where is he?" Steve questions him, his voice tense. I noticed his reaction earlier, when Greer called me a bitch.
"He's gone on a business trip."
"Where?" I growl out, pressing my gun further into his head.
"I don't know exactly where, he was talking about Europe, he does a lot of business there."
"Europe is a big place, I need more than that." Steve says, walking closer to him. Steve is a big man, his muscles alone could intimidate anyone.
"Usually he does business in Germany. Or London."
"When are you expecting him back here?"
"He said not for a while. Usually means about three to four months." Steve and I look to each other, he nods his head out to the hallway.
"What do you want to do?" I ask as we walk out of the room, pulling the door to.
He huffs out a breath of air. "I think we might need to leave a team here."
"Check to make sure he's telling the truth?"
"Yeah... see if Klaue returns. Give it a week at least."
"Did you find anything else?" I ask.
"No, everyone else are just cleaners or residents."
"We taking him with us?" I gesture to the room with my thumb.
"Yeah, we'll take him to the authorities. Any business he has with Klaue won't be good."
"Okay, you handle him, I'll call Natasha. Where's Wanda?" I ask.
"I told her to wait by the door, keep an eye out."
"Okay, I'll be a moment." I turn to walk down the stairs where I see Wanda.
"You got something?" She asks looking back to me from her position by the door.
"Yes, a lead on one of Klaue's business deals. Not too much for now, but it's a start. I'm just going to contact Nat."
I pull out my phone, dialling her number. We organise pick up, and she says she'll contact the necessary authorities to deal with Greer. We meet the team at the chosen rendezvous location. Greer is making a scene and being a right bastard. I'm tempted to play with his head again, but I don't. It's going to be a long ride back to the compound.
"I'll stay here and keep an eye out for the week." Nat volunteers.
"I can too." I offer. Steve looks a bit disappointed. Probably because of our date we had planned. But there will be other dates.
"If you're sure." He chooses to say.
"Yeah, Nat and I should be fine."
"Alright then. We'll stay and help you set up before heading back to the compound." He offers.
We find a free room in the apartment complex across the street and set up there. Wanda, Steve and Sam go for supplies while Rhodey helps Nat and I.
"Didn't you and Steve have a date tomorrow?" Nat asks.
I frown. "How would you know?"
"Just saw his reaction when you offered to stay with me."
"Yes. We did. But we can reschedule it."
"Okay. He just seemed a bit put out."
"I'll talk to him." I say. I don't really want people involved in Steve's and my relationship.
Not long after that, he returns with the others. He announces they should be on their way since everything is now ready, so I walk up to him.
"Can we have a chat before you go?"
"Of course." I follow him out the back.
"I'm sorry, Steve." I say.
"What for?"
"Well... I know we planned a date for tomorrow, and you didn't seem too happy with me offering to stay."
"Well... yeah, I was really looking forward to it. Thought you might have wanted to at least give it a moment for someone else to offer, not just jump at the chance."
"Steve, this is work."
"No, believe me, I know. It's just what I felt."
"What did you feel?" I ask softly.
"Just... I couldn't help but feel you didn't want to go out and would rather be here." He looks down.
"I said I like you, Steve. And I do, I wouldn't have said so if I didn't. I just..."
"Are you trying to prove something?" I look outside the window. "You are, aren't you? What would you have to prove?"
"I guess... a large part of me is still worried about my past."
"You don't need to be, Celeste. We spoke about this."
"I know, but that was before all this." I gesture around us. "Before I joined you guys in this capacity." I could feel myself getting worked up.
"Okay, okay!" He puts his hands on my arms, rubbing up and down in an attempt to soothe me. It works.
"I'm sorry."
"No, I guess I can understand." He pulls me into a hug. "After this week, let's have a chat, okay?" I nod my response. I feel his lips kiss my forehead. "Let's get back in there."
It's been four days since Nat and I stayed behind to observe Klaue's hideout. And there's been zero activity.
"I don't know what Greer's job is exactly, but so far it looks like it isn't much. There's nothing out of the ordinary." I say out loud as I'm looking down the street.
"Hmm... when we check in back home, we'll see if there's anything more they got from him." Nat says, sitting in her chair, feet up on the table. "You gonna have a chat with Steve?" I can hear the tone in her voice.
I look at her from the corner of my eye. "Maybe. What's it to you?"
"Just asking."
"I haven't known you long, but I know your type."
"Oh? What's my type?"
"Sneaky. Smart. Cunning. Smooth. Although I know you're friendly with Steve, so your emotions are breaking through your hard exterior." I say, turning back to the window. "You're being protective."
"You're right. I am." I look at her. "But I understand."
"Understand what?"
"You."
"Me?" I'm somewhat surprised.
"Yes."
"Please. Enlighten me."
"You've been hurt. Not necessarily in a romantic way, and not just what you've recently found out about your handler at HYDRA." My jaw clenches. "Something further back in your past." My throat tightens. Did Steve tell her what I told him? "You're protective over yourself."
"What do you know?" I ask through my clenched teeth. I'm so angry.
"I don't have to know what happened to you, Celeste." My eyes snap to hers. "I can see that you're just protective over yourself, for whatever reason, I don't know what exactly. But I can see it. In the way you just... are." She looks down my body, I'm breathing fast. "I don't mean to make you uncomfortable, Celeste."
"Really? I imagine you'd like that sort of thing."
"Not to people I'm building a fondness for." She says softly. Our eyes meet again, her emerald green ones holding a softness about them. We don't speak for a moment. I turn back to the window and I can feel my heart rate slowing. "I have my own past, Celeste. We all do. Mine isn't quite as honourable as Steve's, Sam's, Rhodey's, hell even Tony's. I have red in my ledger. I used to work with the KGB, before Clint came after me. Brought me back to S.H.I.E.L.D. where I began a new life. I thought I might have even been getting out all together, not so long ago." I look back at her. She looks heartbroken. She swallows before looking back at me. "This is your chance at a new life too, Celeste. I hope it works out better for you than it did me. And I'd be pleased for Steve to have his own happiness. He's had it rough. It'll just be nice to see someone happy. One of you, or both of you."
"I... honestly don't even know what to say."
"I don't expect you to."
We sit for a moment in silence.
"In your past...," I start softly, "did you ever feel... betrayed?"
"Yeah. A few times I have."
"Did you ever... do anything about it?"
She turns her head to me. "Like revenge?" I slowly nod. "Trust me, revenge is a fools game, Celeste."
"I know."
"What do you want to do?"
I'm silent for a minute. How do I say this out loud...?
"Kill him."
Her only response is a small nod. But I don't miss the knowing look in her eye, as if she knows exactly how I feel.
I'm not in love with this chapter. But I guess it's kind of going to get the ball rolling to the next climax of the story.