With Martha in tow, Steve drove his motorcycle to the address Natasha had given him, which turned out to be a private airfield. The redhead was there when they arrived and she wasn't alone. She promised him a team and she had delivered.
Unsurprisingly, Clint was there at Natasha's side. The two of them were partners after all. In every sense of the word it would seem these days. Natasha may have downplayed the significance of the arrow necklace, but Clint was less subtle with his affection. Steve knew Natasha had a dark past and now the rest of the world knew as well. In the days that followed the fall of S.H.I.E.L.D., Clint's main regret was that he hadn't been there when she needed him.
"Don't let the stoicism fool you," Clint said to Steve upon his return to the fold. "Nat is without a doubt the strongest person I know, but she's still human and we all have our moments of weakness. She just hides it better than most."
Whatever personal issues the two of them might have had going on, they had shelved them. Both were dressed and ready for battle. Sam was also there, complete with wings. Martha quickly greeted him with a fierce hug once she climbed off the back of Steve's bike. "My sister sends her love," she informed him with a smile.
"Yea. She sent me a text from the plane before takeoff," Sam confessed.
"Speaking of planes, we should get this bird in the air," Clint commented, nodding towards the quinjet waiting on the tarmac.
"Is that a S.H.I.E.L.D. aircraft?" Martha questioned. "Because I'm pretty sure Brigadier General Talbot just told the world that all S.H.I.E.L.D. paraphernalia is currently being housed in a secure facility by the United States government."
"Yea…" Clint sucked air in through his teeth. "As far as he knows, all S.H.I.E.L.D. paraphernalia is currently being housed in a secure facility."
"So you stole a plane?" Martha concluded.
Clint looked at Natasha and they shrugged in unison. "What's a little grand larceny between friends?" he quipped.
Martha let out a huff that was equal parts amused and appalled. "How does one go about stealing a plane from a secure government facility?"
"With great difficulty," a female voice replied from off to the side. Steve followed the sound to its source and found this former neighbor, Kate, standing in the doorway of the plane. No, that wasn't right. Kate the nurse was just a cover. The blonde who stood before him was a spy and S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. Or at least she used to be. "I had to call in a favor to my former S.O.," Sharon informed them.
"Good old Melinda May." Clint grinned at the mention of the other agent. "She taught me how to fly one of those things, you know."
Natasha rolled her eyes playfully. "Yes, Clint, we know."
"I didn't know," Sam offered helpfully.
"Don't encourage him, Sam. He's prone to imprinting," Sharon told him.
"Hey, don't listen to her, Sam. Birds of a feather stick together," Clint insisted, giving Sam a pat on the back. He turned his gaze back to Sharon. "Don't be mad that you're not one of the popular kids with a cool code name, 13."
"You popular?" Sharon scoffed. "Whatever helps you sleep at night, Hawkguy. Now get your ass in the cockpit," she added with a smirk before disappearing inside.
"Love you too, Shar," Clint shot back as he started towards the plane.
Steve grabbed Natasha by the arm before she could follow. "I thought you were bringing Morse in on this one."
"Bobbi is under," Natasha answered. "Or at least I'm assuming she's under. I couldn't get a hold of her. So either she's under deep cover or she just wanted to stay clear of that one," she commented with a nod in Clint's direction.
"Did I mention how great these new hearing aids work?" Clint asked, turning towards them while walking backwards. "And since we're on the subject of me and my ex-wife, Birdie and I have a great working relationship. It was the other stuff we had problems with. Besides, Sharon is good. Damn good. All jokes aside, that Agent 13 title isn't just a legacy thing. She earned it," he insisted. He turned back towards the plane and headed inside with Sam not far behind, leaving Steve alone with Natasha and Martha.
"What did Clint mean about Sharon being a legacy?" Martha asked.
"The original Agent 13 was Sharon's great aunt," Natasha explained with a furtive glance at Steve. "She also just happens to be one of the co-founders of S.H.I.E.L.D."
Steve had always assumed that Natasha was playing coy when she asked about Peggy's identity the time they came across her photo in the old S.H.I.E.L.D. bunker. It never made sense to him that someone like Natasha wouldn't know who Peggy was, but apparently there was a lot more that Natasha knew that she hadn't let on about. "You mean…"
"Sharon is honoring the Peggy's legacy in every way possible," Natasha said. "More than that, she's one of the few people I trust with my life. Fury must have felt the same because he never would have assigned her to you if she couldn't do the job." She resumed walking. "S.H.I.E.L.D. might be gone, Rogers, but we're still on the same team."
Steve let her words sink in, only moving when Martha tugged on his arm. "I think Clint is ready to take off," she commented. Steve nodded and followed her aboard in silence.
The flight to Austria was going to take a few hours. Natasha settled into the cockpit with Clint while Sam and Martha chatted quietly in the corner, which left Steve alone with Sharon. "Were you ever going to tell me about your connection to Peggy?" he asked once he finally built up the courage to broach the subject.
Sharon sighed softly. "It wasn't relevant to the mission."
"But pretending to be my friend was?"
"What makes you think I was pretending?" Sharon shot back.
"So you're telling me you would have reached out if Fury hadn't assigned you to tail me?" Steve questioned.
"Are you serious right now?" Sharon scoffed. "I literally grew up hearing stories about all the things my aunt did with you and the Howling Commandoes. I'm everything that I am because of Peggy Carter. She was my hero growing up and she still is," she retorted angrily. "We both know that she'd be here if she could, but obviously she can't be. So knowing all that do you really think I'd turn my back instead of helping someone who meant so much to her?"
Steve glanced down at his feet. "She talked about me?"
"Yea," Sharon answered quietly, losing some of the fire she had moments before. "Though, she clearly left a lot out." Steve met her eyes. "I guess I should have figured there was something more than just a working relationship between the two of you. Don't get me wrong. She was happy, but sometimes when she would talk about you she'd get this sad look in her eyes."
Steve was quiet for a short while before he spoke again. "The only reason I went to work for S.H.I.E.L.D. was because I didn't want to see all of her hard work go to waste."
"I'm not going to let that happen," Sharon insisted. "S.H.I.E.L.D. might be dead, but I'm not. As long as I'm drawing breath, I've got a legacy to protect."
"Then I guess we're on the same team," Steve replied.
"Yea, we are." Sharon nodded. "And I got your six, Cap."
"Have you two finished kissing and making up?" Natasha asked from over Steve's shoulder.
"I think I'll leave the kissing to you and Barton," Sharon retorted, heading back over to where Sam and Martha were sitting.
"I don't know," Clint called from the front of the plane. "I think Cap and Martha have got us beat in that department. I mean the fact that you two have gone this long without locking lips and frankly remarkable."
Sam looked at Martha. "Hey, I'm in love with love as much as the next guy, but watching you guys couple up is not my idea of in-flight entertainment."
The corner of Natasha's mouth turned upward. "Just so you know, Sam, Sharon's single too."
Sharon narrowed her eyes at Natasha. "Don't make me fight you."
Clint glanced back at the group from his seat. "Nat, what did we say about matchmaking during missions?"
"I'm multitasking," Natasha said, dismissing him with a flick of her hand. "But whatever, business before pleasure." She turned her gaze to Steve. "Let's go over the plan."
Using the information that Natasha had gathered, the six of them laid out a plan for when they reached the Hydra facility. It was concise and about as thorough as the information would allow. And it got blown apart as soon as they stepped foot on the ground.
The fact that the facility was being used again didn't come as a surprise. They had expected it. And they adjusted accordingly. Natasha and Martha went in to look for any sort of records that might be able to give them answers. Clint and Sam were the eyes from above. Steve secured the parameter with Sharon. When they got ambushed by Hydra operatives, Sharon made good on her vow to watch his back.
"Behind you!" Sharon shrieked. He had dropped his shield while fighting off a group of guards. Sharon took out a few of her own before throwing the shield back to him.
"Natasha, what's your twenty?" Steve called to her over coms.
"If there was anything to be found, it's gone now," Natasha answered. "The drives were all swept and there's not a paper file in sight."
"Martha?" Steve asked, nodding for Sharon to cover him as they made their way back towards the quinjet.
"We got separated," Natasha informed him. "I covered her so she could get away."
A lump formed in Steve's throat. "Where is she?" he demanded.
"I got eyes on her," Clint chimed in from his position. "Martha, do you hear me?"
Martha's voice came in and short bursts as if she was out of breath. "I can't find an exit," she told them in a pant.
"I got you, Doc," Clint assured her. "I need you to run to the end of the corridor you're in then make a hard left and when you get to the balcony…jump."
Martha huffed softly. "Have you lost your bloody mind?"
"Jury's still out, but I need you to trust me. Can you do that?"
There was a pause before Martha's answer came. "I trust you."
"Good," Clint replied. "Sam…southwest quadrant. You know what to do."
"On it," Sam replied.
Steve ran to safety with Sharon and Natasha tight on his heels. He scanned the horizon for signs of Martha and Sam.
"There!" Sharon gestured as Martha's form emerged from the building on the top floor. She rushed to the edge and hefted herself up onto the railing. She paused for half a second and glanced downward before diving off the balcony.
For a brief moment, Steve couldn't breathe. A million thoughts and emotions surged through his mind. Martha. Love. Guilt. Fear. Bucky on the train. Regret. It couldn't have been more than a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity.
And then it was over.
"Nice catch," Clint said over the coms.
Sam landed softly on the ground below with wings outstretched and Martha curled up in his arms. "It helps that she's a lot lighter than her boyfriend."
Steve felt the tension melt away all at once. "Barton, get us out of here." The quinjet rematerialized above their heads and they didn't waste any time getting on board.
The flight back home was quiet for the most part. The sting of coming away empty handed was overshadowed by Steve's concern for Martha. "Seriously, I'm fine," she insisted, but Steve continued to cup her face between his hands and search her eyes. "Do you even know what you're looking for?" she asked playfully a moment later.
"No, but I've seen plenty of medics doing it," he admitted.
"Steve…" His name came softly like a gentle caress. "I'm fine."
"People don't usually vomit when they're fine," he challenged.
"People don't usually jump off of buildings either," Martha retorted with a lazy grin. "Unless they're you, of course."
Steve managed a weak smile. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"It was just a touch of nausea," Martha assured him. "It's not uncommon when dealing with disorientation."
Steve stroked her cheek. "As long as that's all it was."
Martha nodded. "I suppose I'm a bit like you in a way," she confessed. "Only instead of a super soldier serum, it was time spent travelling through the time vortex. Residual artron energy altered my white blood cells so I pretty much never get ill."
"That doesn't mean I can't try to take care of you." Steve gave a gentle kiss on the lips.
"Damn, I wish Stark was here," Clint said suddenly. "I could use the cash."
Steve groaned softly and Martha buried her face against his chest, stifling a laugh. "Just get us home," he requested.
"Captain's orders," Clint replied. "We should grab a bite when we get back to Manhattan though. All this danger is making me hungry."
"I could go for that," Sam agreed.
"I know a place that has decent cheeseburgers," Sharon suggested.
Natasha glanced over her shoulder with a smirk. "Still on the quest for the world's greatest burger?"
"Only until I find it," Sharon answered.
Martha lifted her head. "Will there be chips?"
"You can't have a burger without fries," Clint insisted.
Natasha turned her gaze towards him. "I like onion rings."
"Yea, but you have weird Russian taste buds," he teased.
"Believe me, the more time I spend with you the more I realize how questionable my taste is," Natasha retorted.
"Martha, I think Barton's gonna need some ice for that burn," Sharon quipped.
Steve listened to the five of them going back and forth in content silence. It was a long trip back to New York and he was no closer to finding Bucky, but somehow, someway, he didn't feel as sad as the other times he failed because he knew that he wasn't truly alone anymore.