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For this chapter, be prepare.
13 : MISSING
Steve was summoned to Fury's office, where he was tasked with a mission in Portugal. The estimated completion time was three days: meaning the whole weekend. Steve would've declined in order to spend those three days with Natasha, but Fury said something that made it impossible to turn down.
"We believe this to be a plot conceived by HYDRA"
He arrived home later that night to find Natasha waiting for him.
"What did Fury want?"
"Mission in Portugal. Three days"
She frowned. "But that's the weekend. I was really looking forward to spending time with you"
"It's HYDRA, Nat"
Her mood immediately changed. "Then you go and kick their asses. I can wait"
"I really wish you didn't have to" he replied, walking to her and capturing her in his arms.
"Lets make the most of tonight then, soldier"
He woke up at 4 AM. Not wanting to wake up Natasha, Steve crept to the bathroom to prepare.
But when he came out, he found his spy was awake, sitting on the bed. She watched him pack his bag and slip on his uniform. As he finished up, she wrapped her arms around him from behind.
"I don't want you to go" She murmured against his back.
"I don't want to go either. But I have to" he turned around in her arms to face his sweetheart.
"Promise me you'll come back. Promise"
"Cross my heart and hope to die"
"Hope to what now?"
"You know what I mean" he replied, pulling her in to an embrace and kissing her deeply. Finally, he pulled away, grabbed his shield and his bag.
"I will be back tomorrow" and with that he exited.
Steve and his team was in quinjet on the way to Portugal. As a result from their last mission, SHIELD was able to trace the money trail to one of HYDRA's subversive organizations, the Secret Empire.
The plan was to infiltrate the base and destroy any possible weaponry that could be used to terrorize the planet.
"ETA three minutes, Cap" Agent Wade said from the cockpit
As the other squad members geared up, Steve opened the hatch, bracing to jump. He never wore a parachute, something that greatly irritated Natasha.
"Good to go!" Wade said. Steve dove out. He landed discreetly out of the line of sight of the guards.
The other agents waited outside the base, bracing for Steve's command. As he was about to issue the order, a familiar voice sounded.
"Captain America. It's a pleasure to meet you again" Steve turned around.
Batroc the Leaper, an adversary he and Nat first clashed with only a year prior. With him a group of mercenaries.
"The captain will be taken alive. The rest...kill"
"Wade! Its a trap! Get everyone out of here, I will stall them!" Steve barked into his mike.
"Not without you, Cap!"
"This is an order!"
An explosion erupted from behind him. Batroc, not anticipating this, fled. Steve watched as the brick wall fell towards him.
"Shit!" were his last words before he got buried.
Back at the Triskellion, Fury and his team began desperately attempting to reestablish contact. When they did, only Wade's signal was found.
"Wade! Do you copy?" Fury asked
"Yes, director" The agent replied weakly. "It was a set-up, sir. They wanted the Captain"
"Where is he now? Where Captain Rogers and the others?!"
"Cant see him, sir.I think they're dead. I'm getting cold, Director. I'm clocking out"
"Wade. Wade!" Fury barked, but the signal died. And they lost communication with Agent Wade. Fury slammed the mike on the controls.
"Get Stark, Barton and Banner here. Now" Fury ordered to Agent Hill.
Hill complied. Within an hour the billionaire, archer and scientist stormed into the control room.
"Is there a status, Fury?" Clint asked.
"Last contact was an hour ago from Agent Adrian Wade. He believes...he believes everyone on the strike team is dead"
The three were shocked. "Does that mean Rogers is-" Tony began.
"Possibly. Wade didn't see the captain. So any result now is a possibility"
The men stood in silence.
"This is bad. Really, really bad" Clint remarked.
"Does...does Natasha know?" Bruce asked.
"I have Coulson going to brief her on the situation. Thor is being contacted by Sitwell as we speak"
Natasha's going to be destroyed, Bruce thought to himself.
Natasha was in her apartment, counting down the minutes until Steve returned so she could sneak down to his apartment. True, he could be late, but Steve always made it back on time.
Pringles, her cat, was the only thing that help distracted her from Steve when he was on the mission. Her fluffy cat now sleeping next to her on the couch.
A knock sounded on her door.
"Must've decided to come right to me" she said to herself as she went to the door.
"Welcome ba-" she began, stopping when Coulson stood there instead.
"Coulson" she sighed, figuring he was there for business. "Got a mission for me?"
"Tasha...it's Captain Rogers. He went missing an hour ago"
He noticed her pupils shrink in utter shock. He produced a file and handed it to her.
"Information is still being updated, but currently...the thought is that the entire team is dead"
He noticed the tremble in her hand as she took the file.
"We'll need you at base in an hour. I'll give you time to read over what we currently know"
"Thank you, Coulson. I'll read this over" she said quickly before shutting the door. She waited as the footsteps disappeared before collapsing to the floor in tears.
She'd lost him once. She couldn't lose him again.
The search effort pressed on as the Avengers scowered the rubble, finding Steve's team. They were luckily still alive and were sent home for medical care.
Thor joined the group immediately upon learning the news. The clouds clapped with thunder as the god let out his anger. As he searched, he stopped upon finding something.
"Lord Stark. I have found something"
Tony immediately went over to his and felt his jaw drop.
"Oh shit"
Natasha had found herself drifting off on the couch while waiting anxiously for any news. The second a knock on the door sounded, she was dashing over to see if her man was back.
But it wasn't Steve, it was Coulson.
"Coulson. Anything?" she asked, trying in vain to hide the desperation in her voice.
He breathed in before handing her Steve's shield. It was heavily damaged and covered in soot, but that's not what made Natasha scared. There was blood on it.
She put her hand over her mouth and blinked back the urge to cry. Coulson attempted to comfort her.
"It was found in the rubble. Stark and the others searched the whole area, but found no body, so chances are he's still alive, Natasha"
"I hope you're right, Phil. I really hope you're right"
He observed the pain in her features and the tired look in her eyes.
"You really care for him, don't you?"
She looked at him.
"He's my one and only. I've never...I've never let anyone this close to me before. Not even Clint. And now that I did that, I don't want to lose him. I really don't want.." she said before breaking down. Phil wrapped his arms around her, consoling Natasha as she sobbed.
"It's going to be fine, Tasha. It's going to be fine"
A/N: First wave of a little drama after I let you guys floating on the fluffiness for a long time
- Thank you to my proofreader, Muldoon22 and CAMILLE JONES. You guys are the best!
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