Chapter 13- A Morning Jog and New Missions
Two years later...
Yelizaveta stretched after tying her shoes. Captain Rogers- Steve- and Yelizaveta would go running every day when the two of them weren't on missions. Due to the Super-Soldier serum both of them could run miles and not tire. The day before both had run 25 miles around the city and didn't even break a sweat.
"You ready, Liz?" Steve asked.
"Whenever you are, old man," Yelizaveta teased. If Steve hadn't gone under the ice he wouldn't still look in his 20's. He was technically 95 years old, but he would tease her back and say that at fourteen, he considered her a baby who carried swords and packed a knife and gun with the sword. They both took off running, going in the direction of the Potomac.
Because of the pace at which they were running, the only words either of them would say was to a young Black man in his 30's, who was also out running. " On your left," Steve said as Yelizaveta said, "On your right." Yelizaveta smirked at the third pass as the man looked annoyed at them. The sun was high in the sky as they went to a tree at the nearest park and saw the man collapsed in front of it.
"Need a medic?" Yelizaveta asked dryly. The man started laughing.
"I need a new set of lungs, kid. Dude, you and the kid just ran, like, 13 miles in 30 minutes," the man said, breathing hard.
"I guess we got a late start," Steve said.
The man started to laugh again. "Really? You should be ashamed of yourselves. You both should take another lap. Did you just take it? I assume you just took it," the man said, indicating where they had been running.
"What unit you with?" Steve asked.
"58th Pararescue. But now I'm working down at the VA. Sam Wilson," Sam said as he shook Steve's and Yelizaveta's hands.
"Steve Rogers," Steve said.
"Yelizaveta Markova," Yelizaveta said.
"I kind of put that together. Must have freaked you out, coming home after the whole defrosting thing," Sam said as he got to his feet.
"It takes some getting used to. It's good to meet you, Sam," Steve said as he and Yelizaveta turned to start another run.
"It's your bed, right?" Sam asked and Steve and Yelizaveta turned back to face him.
"What's that?" Steve asked.
"Your bed, it's too soft. When I was over there, I'd sleep on the ground, use rock for pillows, like a caveman. Now I'm home, lying in my bed, and it's like-" Sam started to say.
"Lying on a marshmallow," Steve and Yelizaveta both said at the same time.
"Feel like I'm gonna sink right to the floor. How long?" Steve asked.
"Two tours. You must miss the good old days, huh?" Sam asked.
"Well, things aren't so bad. Food's a lot better. We used to boil everything. No polio is good. Internet, so helpful. Been reading that a lot, trying to catch up. Liz here has been introducing me to Taco Bell and her favorite Russian restaurants," Steve said, indicating Yelizaveta with his hand.
"Marvin Gaye, 1972, Trouble Man soundtrack. Everything you missed jammed into one album," Sam said as Steve pulled out a small notebook. He opened it to a page.
"I'll put it on the list," Steve said as he wrote down the album under the Rocky films.
Yelizaveta's cell phone then beeped. She raised it. "All right, Sam, duty calls. Thanks for the run," Yelizaveta said, showing Steve the text that said they had a mission and they would be met at the curb.
"If that's what you want to call running," Steve said as he and Yelizaveta shook Sam's hand.
"Oh, that's how it is?" Sam asked, raising his eyebrows.
"Oh, that's how it is," Steve teased.
"Okay. Any time you and the Winter Soldier want to stop by the VA, make me look awesome, in front of the girl at the front desk, just let me know," Sam said as a car pulled up to the curb.
"We'll keep it in mind," Yelizaveta said as they backed up to the car.
"Yeah," Sam said as the window rolled down, revealing Natasha Romanoff in the driver's seat.
"Hey, Fellas, Vet. Any of you know where the Smithsonian is? I'm here to pick up a fossil," Natasha said in a teasing tone.
"That's hilarious," Steve said as he and Yelizaveta made their way to the car and got in.
"How you doin'?" Sam asked Natasha.
"Hey," Natasha said back.
"Can't run everywhere," Steve said to Sam.
"No, you can't," Sam said as Natasha pulled away.
Yelizaveta sat next to Steve, suited up in what everyone called her "Winter Soldier" uniform. Yelizaveta had recently added some smoke grenades and throwing stars, that gave off an electrical current, to her knife, gun, and sword. "Has anyone ever told you you look like a walking weapons arsenal?" Brock Rumlow asked Yelizaveta as she put a clip in her glock.
"Not to my face, no. Not if they want to stay my friends," Yelizaveta said as she tucked the glock in her hip holster and they went to the cockpit.
"Target is a mobile satellite launch platform, the Lemurian Star. They were sending up their last payload when pirates took them, 93 minutes ago," Rumlow said as he brought up a computer schematic of the ship.
"Any demands?" Steve asked from his place between Natasha and Yelizaveta, his arms folded across his chest.
"Billion and a half," Rumlow said.
"Why so steep?" Steve asked.
"Because it's S.H.I.E.L.D.'s," Rumlow said. A look that said Steve was groaning crossed his face.
"So, it's not off-course. It's trespassing," Steve said in an aside to Natasha and Yelizaveta.
"I'm sure they have a good reason," Natasha said softly.
"You know, I think me and Steve are getting a little tired of being Fury's janitors," Yelizaveta said, with more bite in her voice than she intended.
"Relax, Vet. It's not that complicated," Natasha said.
"How many pirates?" Steve asked.
"25. Top mercs led by this guy. Georges Batroc. Ex-DGSE, active division. He's at the top of Interpol's Red Notice. Before the French demobilized him, he had 36 kill missions. This guy's got a rep for maximum casualties," Rumlow said, pulling up a picture of a bald man with thin ears, nose, and mouth.
"Hostages?" Steve asked.
"Oh, mostly techs. One officer. Jasper Sitwell. They're in the galley," Rumlow said, pulling up the picture of Sitwell.
"What's Sitwell doing on a launch ship?" Yelizaveta asked, annoyance tingeing her voice.
"All right, I'm gonna sweep the deck and find Batroc. Liz, you come with me and, Nat, you kill the engines and wait for instructions. Rumlow, you sweep aft, find the hostages, get them to the life-pods, get them out. Let's move," Steve said as he, Yelizaveta, and Natasha moved away from the computer.
"S.T.R.I.K.E., you heard the Cap. Gear up," Rumlow said as they moved to the exit ramp.