Back in his one-room apartment—which is barely big enough for a twin bed, a toilet, a sink, and a dresser-Steve settles himself down on the hardwood floor and opens the folder. When he sees the thick, dark red lettering across the top of the first page, his heart nearly stops. Welcome to Project Insight, it reads. And then, Assignment #1013, Phase One. Details listed below. Reports due after every mission to Agent Margaret Carter.

Suddenly buzzing with excitement, Steve eagerly skims down the page to the assignment details, which are listed in fine black print:

· Choose a team of three to serve as your backup during Mission 001. These individuals are not to know the purpose or details of this assignment. They must be trustworthy regardless of this restriction.

· Track the two suspected attackers from last week's bombing. Do not apprehend them directly. Follow them and find out who they report to.

· Identify and record any and all individuals suspected of being affiliated with Hydra and/or any Carrier safety network or shelter group.

· If attacked, you are authorized to use fatal force to defend yourself. Otherwise, do not kill unless the situation directly requires it.

· Film and/or photograph any important locations or artifacts connected to Hydra or any of their allies.

· If compromised, do not return to the Tower. Do not betray your connection to SHIELD. If necessary to protect the identities of SHIELD operatives or other sensitive information relating to SHIELD and its operations—especially Project Insight—you are required to terminate yourself. You can find your termination injection in the back pocket of this folder. Use it only as a last resort.

· When you have identified both the bombers and their superiors, report back to SHIELD and return to the medical sector of the Tower for physical evaluation.

· Once your report is filed and you are cleared by medical, await further instruction in the Mission Room.

· This mission begins immediately. Do not waste any time. The longer we wait, the more time we are giving them to rally their resistance. Good luck, Captain Rogers. We eagerly await your return.

Steve reads the list several times over, his heart beating faster in his chest. This is it, he thinks. He is almost numb from the shock of it—he has only been at SHIELD for five months, and an Avenger for three. He barely has the clearance to know that Project Insight existed. Whoever decided he's ready to work on this assignment is either insane or… well, insane. Which is not to say that he doesn't want this, because he does. More than anything.

Skimming quickly through the rest of the folder's contents, Steve commits as much of it to memory as he can. Tucking the most important pages and pictures into an envelope, he rises to his feet, sliding the envelope into his pocket. Crossing the room, he turns on the tap and runs cold water over his hands for a few seconds in an attempt to calm his racing heart. He can feel a tingling in his hands and feet. His blood is full of adrenaline and his mind is flooded with endorphins. He can't remember being this excited; not since the Awakening, when he and the other survivors finally risked returning to the surface and began rebuilding their lives above ground.

After donning his civilian jeans and coat, he heads for the Downtime Room. He finds Clint and Natasha sitting with Sam Wilson at a small table, a chess set spread between them on a roughly drawn checkerboard.

"Your move," Sam says, sitting back and gesturing with one hand at Natasha.

Natasha and Clint exchange a glance. They're sitting dangerously close together, their thighs almost touching. Clint leans in to whisper something to Natasha, who smiles wickedly. He laughs, brushing his fingers across her shoulder as he draws back. What they're doing is definitely against regulations, Steve thinks. If not for their artificial immunity, they could be arrested for being in such close physical proximity to one another. They might even be executed, if the authorities had reason to believe that one or the other was infected.

"Oh, shit," Sam swears when he sees Steve. For a moment his eyes flicker to Natasha and Clint. But then he visibly relaxes, an easy smile lifting his lips. "Oh, hey, Captain. Thought you were a guard for a second there."

Steve returns the smile. He crosses the room, taking the seat on Sam's left. "Who's winning?" He asks, although it's obvious by the players left on the board. Natasha is missing two pawns and a rook, while Sam is down to his King, his Queen, and a knight.

"They're cheating," Sam says, raising his eyebrows at the two Avengers opposite him, "Nat's getting help from Barton."

Natasha corners Sam's knight with her Queen. Smirking, she says, "Don't worry, this is all me. He's not helping at all. Unless you count telling dirty jokes in Russian."

"I suck at chess," Clint admits, chuckling. He finishes off what is likely his third or fourth cup of coffee in a single loud gulp. Rising to his feet, he nods at Steve and Sam. "Sorry to bail, but I need to sleep. Like, yesterday. If Fury asks, I'm working on some profiles."

"Check," Natasha says. "Barton, Rogers wants to talk to us. You can nap later."

Steve looks at her. He smiles, letting out a short huff of a laugh. "How'd you know?"

"Because if you didn't, you'd be helping Wilson not get his ass kicked for the third consecutive game in a row." Her smirk grows. She watches as Sam shakes his head and picks up his King, moving it one square to the right. With one finger, she prods a bishop into position, cornering his King between her Queen and two knights. "Correction: you'd be trying to help him. Checkmate." She tips his King over with her Queen. The hollow plastic piece hits the board with a dull thud. Flipping her hair back over her shoulder, she sits back and fixes Steve with her piercing green-blue gaze. "Out with it, Rogers. Why was Carter here? What did she tell you?"

Of course she knows Carter was here, Steve thinks, and is once again impressed and astonished by Natasha's thorough knowledge of all the Tower's many goings-on.

"Carter?" Clint pauses behind Natasha's chair. His hand falls down to rests on Natasha's shoulder, the fingers curled against her collarbone. "How did I miss that?"

Sam resets the chess board, placing his fallen King back in its place with an air of finality. "Twenty dollars says it was cuz you were sleeping."

"I'm not betting against that," Natasha says.

"C'mon, Tasha," Clint groans, an expression of mock betrayal on his face, "I was doing paperwork for Hill. I was stuck in my room for six hours."

"You just answered your own question," Natasha replies, the barest hint of a smile hiding behind false exasperation.

"Guys," says Sam. Clint, who had just opened his mouth to retort, closes it again.

"Thanks, Sam," says Steve, shooting his friend a grateful look. Everyone at SHIELD knows that if you don't cut them off early, Natasha and Clint's infamous verbal sparring sessions can go on indefinitely. "Agent Carter gave me a solo mission." He decides not to beat around the issue. It would just waste time, and Natasha would call him out for stalling. "I can't tell you what the objective is, or any of the details, but it's important. And I need your help."

Sam settles back in his seat. He stretches, folding his arms across his chest. "So is this an Avengers thing, or…?"

"No," Steve shakes his head. "I was told to assemble a team of three to act as backup in case I get into any fights I can't handle. Which seems to be a distinct possibility. Besides, Sam, you'll be an Avenger as soon as they can get more Cure, right? Which should be in, what, two weeks? You're more than qualified for this. Trust me."

Natasha stretches, crossing her booted feet on the chess table. Miraculously, none of the pieces so much as shift from their original squares. "Let me get this straight, Rogers," she begins. "You want us to follow you on an unspecified assignment to act as your bodyguards?" Steve can hear the disbelief and disdain in her voice. But under that, there is a veiled note of curiosity. And if he knows Natasha at all—which he likes to think that he's beginning to—then he knew it was that spark of curiosity that would win out. Already, he could see her trying to put pieces together in her mind, building a picture that would allow her insight into the situation that not even he had considered.

Steve shrugs at her words. "I'm not saying you have to. But I want you guys with me on this. Trust me, it's important. But if you're not okay with secrets, then by all means…"

"I'm in," said Sam. When Steve looked at him incredulously, he said, "Look, Cap. If you trust me to back you up, I can trust you to keep the right secrets for the right reasons. I've got your back."

"You've captured my interest, Rogers." Natasha tilts her head, that slight smile back in place. "I'm not promising I won't figure it out."

Clint sighs heavily, lifting his empty coffee cup and shaking the last few drops into his mouth. Natasha looks up at him, expectant, and he caves immediately. "I'm in, too," he says. "When're we heading out?"

Steve smiles at them. He hopes they know how grateful he is. "Right now," he replies. "Get your weapons and meet me outside in half an hour. No combat suits, though. We're going undercover."