Venus | James B. Barnes✔️

xxiv. 𝚕𝚎𝚖𝚞𝚛𝚒𝚊𝚗 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛

STEVE SMILED brightly at Evelyn as he stepped out of the car to greet her with a kiss to her cheek. Evelyn could see the red-head behind the wheel, eyes flickering between the two supersoldiers. Evelyn thanked Steve when he opened the door for her, shutting it as she slid inside.

"Natasha Romanoff," the woman greeted, meeting her eyes in the mirror.

Evelyn smiled and nodded once. "Evelyn Stark."

"Well, let's hope you're just as sprightly as the old man," Natasha said with a wink.

Natasha drove them to the airport with a not-so-awkward silence looming over the trio. As she pulled inside, Evelyn scowled at the sight of Brock Rumlow and his team. Stepping out of the car, her boots made a sound as she walked to the quinjet, not even sparing a glance to the man. Steve rushed to her side.

The quinjet was flown all the way to the Indian Ocean, which meant a most certain awkwardness lingering over the group as Evelyn stayed quiet while the others spoke about the mission. When they had made it over a large ocean, Rumlow had stood with a tablet in hand before handing it to Steve. Evelyn leaned over Steve's shoulder to look as Rumlow said, "The target is a mobile satellite launch platform: The Lemurian Star. They were sending up their last payload when pirates took them, 93 minutes ago."

Steve quirked a brow. "Any demands?"

"A billion and a half," Rumlow answered.

"Why so steep?"

"Because it S.H.I.E.L.D.'s," Evelyn answered instead, moving to grab her belt of weapons. Steve smirked at her.

"So it's not off-course, it's trespassing."

Natasha shrugged as she added, "I'm sure they have a good reason."

Evelyn watched Steve have an internel battle with himself as he handed the tablet back to Rumlow. "You know, I'm getting a little tired of being Fury's janitor."

Natasha's gaze shifted, and Evelyn could see the second meaning behind her eyes as she said, "Relax, it's not that complicated."

"How many pirates?" Evelyn asked as she moved closer to Rumlow to see the tablet. She watched him physically shift over, trying to be discreet. She narrowed her gaze at him.

"Twenty-five, top mercs, led by this guy. Georges Batroc," he said, showing a photo on a monitor. Evelyn nodded. "Ex-DGSE, Action Division. He's at the top of Interpol's Red Notice. Before the French demobilized him, he had thirty-six kill missions. This guy's got a rep for maximum casualties."

"Hostages?" Steve questioned.

"Uh... mostly techs. One officer, Jasper Sitwell." Evelyn frowned at the photo of Sitwell that appeared on the screen. She recognized him. "They're in the galley."

"What's Sitwell doing on a launch ship?" Evelyn whispered to Steve who frowned as well.

As if ridding the thought, Steve shook his head. "All right, I'm gonna sweep the deck and find Batroc. Nat, you'll kill the engines and wait for instructions. Rumlow, Evelyn, you sweep aft, find the hostages, get them to the life-pods, get 'em out. Let's move." Evelyn glared at Steve for pairing her with him.

Rumlow seemed to think the same as he reluctantly said, "S.T.R.I.K.E., you heard the Cap. Gear up."

Steve brought his wrist up to his mouth as he said in the communicator, "Secure channel seven."

"Seven secure," Natasha answered before wiggling her eyebrows. "Did you do anything fun Saturday night?"

Steve gave her a look. "Well, all the guys from my barbershop quartet are dead, so... No, not really."