A/N: *peeks up from under rock and waves* Hi! Long time no see! So here I am at last with an update for this fic. Crazy life is crazy and its about to get crazier as I move in three weeks so I wanted to get this up while I could.

To all my reviewers: Thank you so much for your interest in this story! You guys are awesome and I hope ya'll enjoy this short installment. :)

To my reviewer ChildofGod: I absolutely believe in salvation by faith through our Lord Jesus Christ in accordance with what is written in Scripture (Eph. 2:8-9). :) And remembering that promise is a great comfort for me especially when all I seem to do is mess up. Hope all is well with you!

Disclaimer: not mine, obviously.

Also not beta'd again, so please forgive me for any mistakes.

A personal note: I would like to thank my Lord Jesus Christ for His innumerable blessings and boundless grace and love. Whatever sins I commit in this earthly place, I know when I come before him humbly seeking forgiveness I am forgiven. And He will pick me back up and by His power will my iniquities be defeated. Not my own. Thank you Jesus for dying to save me, a person so unworthy and foolish. Amen.


My Mission: Part 3


Finding Captain America was far too easy. All he had to look for was extra security at a hospital and then determine the floor and room. Easy. But time consuming. It took several hours of checking hospitals before he found the right one. He knew he'd located the right one when he saw a security guard with the name of Stark Security on the lapel pacing in the lobby. There was something familiar about the name, something bitter. Considering the malfunction he'd had when confronted by the captain, it followed that anything pertaining to him would result in malfunctions.

He left the hospital in search of a good vantage point. By noon, the Soldier was concealed on top the tallest building nearby; using a pair of binoculars he'd stolen from the front seat of a police car to survey the windows of the hospital. The Glock he'd taken was tucked into the holster on his hip.

The winged man was the first one he saw. He was holding a plastic cup and talking to someone in what appeared to be a bed. A large, bruised hand reached out to accept the cup. The Soldier inhaled sharply and tension seemed to drain from his shoulders. He had not killed the Captain. The man was alive.

Too stubborn to.

The Soldier ignored the thought and the relaxing tension he didn't know the name of. There were still too many unknown sensations and thoughts caused by the mission.

"You've known me your whole life."

He watched as the dark man conversed with the person the hand belonged to. There were no signs of trouble, but he did not like how slow the man was moving. HYDRA would be continuing the false mission and would launch an assault soon.

When the red-headed woman came in, pale and worn, the soldier growled in frustration. She seemed to be as capable as the Captain's other companion right now.

It was up to him then to ensure the Captain's safety while he healed.

The Soldier spent the afternoon scouting around the hospital and stealing weapons from unsuspecting policemen who left back-ups in their cars. It wasn't as much as he'd like and if HYDRA launched an attack it would not be an easy fight. He had no doubt he could handle whatever strike team was sent—the dead from the helicarriers being destroyed was high and the Soldier suspected many of the teams he normal worked with were dead—leaving him facing the lesser trained teams. The Soldier knew he could kill them though. That was, after all, why HYDRA trained him.

For some reason though, the thought brought no assurance. Instead a queasy feeling grew in his chest; like a hole inside him suddenly ripped open. He vaguely recalled it from before—a frequent feeling from when he woke after the chair. It never made any sense. In fact, the hole made him angry. Why was there a hole in him? Physically, he was in good condition, his dislocated arm notwithstanding. He supposed the hole came from the wiped memories—something he had deduced and miraculously never forgotten. Yet that did not seem sufficient.

He brushed those thoughts aside. Now was not the time for idle thoughts. He had a mission and distractions were unacceptable. The mission itself came with enough distractions. The Soldier's eyes narrowed as he saw the Captain's legs swing over the side of the bed. He'd shot the man in one leg. Was he really going to try standing?

Stupid punk. He needs rest!

Then the captain's flying companion was there, talking and holding him back. Good. At least the man was proving somewhat competent. The woman did not appear to be in the room. He frowned. That meant he had no idea where she was and that left him vulnerable. The information his handlers initially provided on the woman, code named Black Widow, listed her as an assassin in her own right and highly skilled. He vaguely recalled fighting her; shooting her even. But nothing else. Regardless, it was not good.

The captain was still trying to get out of bed. The other man, to the Soldier's consternation, capitulated and placed an arm around his shoulder to help him up.

Are you crazy? Can't you see he needs to stay in bed?

Lips peeling back in a snarl, the soldier considering shooting the man just on principle. Why was he letting the captain up?

Then Black Widow was there, pushing a wheelchair. Her expression was pinched. The Soldier could see the captain back now, including the blood-stained white bandage wrapped all around his torso. It was suddenly difficult to swallow. Like his tongue had swelled taking all the moisture in his mouth with it.

He did that. He shot the Captain. He nearly failed his mission because Pierce gave him the wrong one. Heat burned his chest and throat, hands curling into fists. If Pierce and his handlers had given him the wrong mission regarding the captain, wasn't it possible his other missions were wrong as well?

The thought made his stomach churn.

No! Stop thinking! He was not supposed to think beyond his mission. Thinking led to questions, questions led to trouble, trouble led to pain. He wanted to avoid the pain. Therefore, he could not keep harboring these…thoughts. These questions.

"You're my friend."

And he certainly wasn't going to let the Captain's words from their fight stop him.

The captain was situated in the chair by then, and the three of them disappeared from the window.

The Soldier shifted his attention to the area around the hospital. That's when he saw the suspicious black van pulling up in the alley. He stood, gun in hand.

It was time to go to work.

tbc...


Thanks for reading! I hope ya'll enjoyed it. :) Please review and let me know what you think.

Oh, and stay tuned for the final two parts of this story! There will be a lot more action in the next chapter as - Spoiler Alert!- the Soldier faces off with not just HYDRA but Iron Man!

Have a great day!

Noelani