Leipzig, Germany

Spring 2016

In that moment, Steve wasn't entirely sure if he was more annoyed or amused.

Naturally, with his Enhanced speed on his side, Pietro was at loose ends waiting for everyone else to finish gearing up. If it weren't for Steve's reservations that Pietro would stick to any orders he gave, the Captain would've seen about sending him out on some manner of recon.

Unfortunately, it was Pietro...and since Pietro, however improved since his last mission out with the Avengers, still had an unfortunate habit of striking out on his own? He was far too brash for his own good, Steve couldn't help but lament. And the fact that, at speed, the Sokovian boy was virtually untouchable didn't help.

He really couldn't help but feel a great deal of sympathy and respect for Clint, that was for sure. Steve had a great deal of patience, but he wasn't even sure he'd have been able to keep his cool with Pietro the entire trip from the Compound.

And apparently, what little reserves of patience Pietro had once had were long gone. Even Steve's pointed suggestion that he 'warm up' by taking laps around the garage level they were on hadn't been enough to channel Pietro's anxious energy. Or distract him in the slightest. A blur and a few seconds later and he'd been back, lounging indolently against the side of the Beetle or flitting around the group of them where they were finishing getting into their gear, chattering and generally being his usual impertinent self.

At the moment, he was eying Bucky with an unabashedly curious expression that Steve was not entirely sure what to make of. Especially as he wasn't entirely certain if he'd gotten the hint Nadine seemed to have passed onto Wanda not to mention Nina. He knew they both knew about Nina's relationship to The Winter Soldier and had since that tense flight from Seoul back to the Avengers Tower during the Ultron Fiasco. He just wasn't sure if they'd both made the connection to Bucky. Wanda certainly had. Steve hadn't missed the way the Sokovian girl's eyes had widened when she'd seen Bucky or the way Nadine had silently warned her off. He knew she remembered the conversation on the Quinjet over a year ago, now, when Wanda had filled in the last blanks for him about why Strucker had been so fixated on Nina. He also knew from Nadine that their mission to Paris had likely told her more still. Pietro, on the other hand, intelligent as the kid was, didn't tend to pay quite as much attention to those sorts of details.

Whether or not he remembered the way Wanda did was uncertain. There seemed to be very little in the way of meaningful recognition when Pietro looked to Bucky, so far as Steve could tell. And Steve was fairly certain it would be plain on his face, were Pietro to remember what it meant about his relationship to Nina that Bucky and the Winter Soldier were one and the same.

So for the time being, at least, it didn't appear that Pietro had made the connection, yet. Steve was pretty sure Pietro hadn't realized Bucky was Nina's father.

Which was a small mercy.

Wanda was relatively good at keeping sensitive things to herself—she tended to internalize more than Pietro did, so it came far more naturally to her than her extroverted brother. Not to mention she was generally far more tactful and aware of such things. Pietro, on the other hand...

Steve bit back an exasperated sigh as he finished doing up his right boot, sparing Pietro an admonishing glance as he straightened that the boy either didn't see or ignored. Really, either was a possibility. Either way, Pietro seemed far more interested in his blatant assessment of Bucky, his arms crossed loosely over his chest, eyes narrowed thoughtfully and an impish quirk to his lips.

"So what is it you do, then," he finally said. There was little doubt he was asking Bucky. Bucky looked up to Pietro, a faint frown creasing his forehead.

"What?" Pietro's grin only seemed to grow at Bucky's bewildered response, but he didn't get a chance to immediately counter, Sam cutting him off even as his mouth opened.

"What are you getting at, Maximoff," Sam said with barely maintained patience. Steve glanced carefully between the speedster and his oldest friend, concerned what buttons Pietro might inadvertently—or purposefully—push in his apparent quest to get Bucky's measure.

Pushing off from the side of the Beetle to gesture absently around him, Pietro absently waved first toward Lang as their newest recruit joined the group around the vintage car.

"He can shrink really small, which is neat," the Sokovian boy threw out before looking to Sam with another careless gesture, "You, you fly. That's cool. Me, I go really fast; that's better," he turned to Bucky, a smug smirk threatening. "You? I'm not so sure what you do." Bucky glowered at him, though a faint mischievous glint surfaced in his eyes.

"I'm good at killing people," he replied with a quiet snap to his otherwise offhanded tone.

Steve only barely restrained the urge to laugh as Pietro's smirk faltered.

"Hey, just like, umm..." Scott trailed off as he joined the group, finishing zipping up his curious suit as he came to stand next to Sam, his brow furrowing faintly in thought. He finally jerked a thumb back toward the van where Nadine was speaking quietly with Clint. "Ms. Intimidating Blonde, over there." Steve nearly choked on a chuckle of his own as Sam coughed out a poorly disguised laugh. Even Bucky's lip quirked in amusement at how plainly intimidated yet intrigued Lang was.

Not that Steve could blame him, he had to admit, an undoubtedly foolish grin threatening even as his pulse began to thrum happily; she was both intriguing and intimidating and more—sharp and strong, resilient and determined...and passionate beneath her cool exterior...

And she cared about him...maybe even loved him. She had effectively said as much, he easily recalled with thrilling clarity...and the way she'd kissed him before her flashback—that it had prevented them from going too far, too fast was probably a mercy in disguise—certainly seemed to suggest as much...he mentally shook off the distracting train of thought. Not a good time, he silently self-admonished.

Good thing he had plenty of practice tucking away distracting thoughts in favour of focus on the mission when the situation called for it...he certainly had a lot of them today...and some decidedly pleasant for once...

"Something like that," Bucky shrugged off even as Pietro chortled. It was then that Lang seemed to realize who he was surrounded by, blinking and even swallowing thickly, before he cleared his throat. Nadine wasn't the only one who intimidated the man, apparently, no matter how well he was trying to hide it. Especially Bucky, given the not-so-covert way he kept looking back to the former HYDRA operative.

"So, wait, who is she?" Scott all but blurted out after a long, awkward moment. Sam stifled another laugh as he finished with the last fastening securing his wings in place.

"Who, Ryker?" Sam said, "she's The Ghost." Scott swallowed thickly again, eyes widening slightly.

"The Ghost. Well, that sounds...important," Scott said, sparing a quick glance behind him. "Yeah, I don't know what that means," he added once satisfied Nadine was still out of earshot. Steve chuckled.

"She's one of the best assassins and trackers in the world," Steve elaborated patiently, putting their newest recruit's curiosity to rest.

"Yeah," Sam continued, "think a little bit of the Winter Soldier over here," he said with an absent nod toward Bucky, obviously enjoying unsettling Lang further, "plus Black Widow. She and Natasha were trained together, after all." Huh, Steve really hadn't quite thought of it in those terms before. That was actually a rather good way to describe Nadine and her skillset, he considered absently. Lang's mouth formed a silent 'oh' of comprehension, even if he still appeared somewhat unsure. Definitely still intimidated.

Pietro laughed, then, clearly enjoying himself just as much as Sam was. And naturally, he didn't pay the slightest attention to Steve's admonishing glance, blurring over to slip between Scott and Sam to throw in his own contribution.

"Anyone with any sense would be right to be wary of Ms. Ryker," Pietro piped up. "She's scary good and scary clever." He leaned in, whispering conspiratorially then, "she once took me out when I was at a full run." Sam snorted and Bucky raised a skeptical brow at the Sokovian boy. Pietro scoffed before elaborating, tone decidedly patronizing. "I run very fast. Faster than the eye can see." Bucky nodded slowly before fixing Pietro with a shrewd look.

"Maybe you're just predictable," he countered blandly. A frown flickered across the younger man's features for a split-second before he scoffed again, a wide grin on his face.

"Nah. Besides, I can run faster than a bullet," he boasted smugly.

"And yet you still managed to get shot." Pietro's face fell to a petulant scowl at Nadine's dry quip behind him. But he straightened quickly, bold, proud grin once more plastered across his face.

"There were...extenuating circumstances," he dismissed. "Besides, who here hasn't been shot?" Between Pietro and Sam, Scott tentatively raised his hand, eyes widening when he realized he was the only one. Steve bit back a smile as the hand just as slowly returned to Scott's side, their new recruit not quite managing to keep from drawing attention to himself.

"I haven't," Wanda interrupted then with affected disdain as she came up beside Nadine, her eyes glinting wickedly as she goaded her twin, "and I do recall warning you." Pietro's nose wrinkled in indignation, muttering under his breath about cheating and flashy 'psycho'-kinetic shields. Not that it entirely detracted from the subtle, reassuring look the twins exchanged or the way Wanda unconsciously brushed her fingers over her brother's wrist.

"Hey," Clint offered next with affected cheer, laying a hand on Wanda's shoulder, "it all worked out. I know I'm grateful since I'm not dead because of it." Pietro straightened, the smug grin returning.

"Great," Nadine grumbled, her grin belying her affected annoyance. "You should know better than to feed his ego, Barton," she admonished lightly. Clint just laughed.

"I keep forgetting how tough you are to impress, Ms. Ryker," Pietro piped up impishly, "I get shot trying to save—"

"Shut it, Pietro," Nadine interrupted lightly. Next to him, his twin fought and failed to hold back a snicker. Pietro simply glared at her.

But Steve wasn't blind. She'd hidden it quickly, but he'd caught the trace of panic in Nadine's eyes. And he'd heard the underlying thread of tension in her voice. So had Clint if the glance the archer spared Nadine was any indication.

"Aww, not nice, Ms. Ryker," Pietro pouted theatrically, "sometimes you're too tough, you know that?" Nadine's eyes at once took on a wicked glint of her own, and it was very clear that Pietro had seen it just as easily as Steve had, his brash grin beginning to fall.

"You think so?" Nadine cut him off with a deceptively kind smile, "for that, you're taking a few more warm up laps. Easy ones," she clarified firmly, "meaning regular human speeds." Pietro scowled, this time complaining under his breath about her 'taking all his fun." But he nevertheless did as he was told and sulked off, for once clearly visible to the naked eye as he followed Nadine's instructions. Clint huffed, then.

"You need to teach me how you did that," he said with a glance to Nadine. Laughing softly, Nadine patted him on the shoulder before slipping around the group to collect her rifle and begin assembling it. Shaking his head, Steve returned his focus to finishing up with his own prep, sliding the harness for his shield across his shoulders.

Only to catch Bucky eying Nadine with a measure of amused respect. Realizing that Steve was watching him, Bucky shot him a faint grin.

"Tough is one word," he explained, earning a laugh from Steve. "But that seems to be your type, doesn't it." Steve groaned at his best friend's mischievous grin, rolling his eyes before he could help himself. But he chose not to comment.

Not on that, at least.

Especially since Bucky wasn't wrong...his pulse threatened to quicken once more; her confession and the passion that had finally had a chance to bloom between them because of it teased his memory, the feel of her in his arms and the staggering depth of feeling in her eyes threatening once more to derail his thoughts.

He dutifully, if reluctantly, set them aside once again.

"She is," Steve replied as he turned to his gloves, his harness settled securely and comfortably. "Nat says she's always been that way. I was sure that, at least, you'd remember," he teased lightly, determined not to treat Bucky like he was made of glass. Something Bucky seemed to catch, if his appreciative glance was anything to go by.

Bucky let out a small, humourless chuckle. "My memory's not that bad," he retorted. "Still, doesn't help that it's been what, sixteen? Seventeen years since I last saw her?"

"Nineteen." Both their heads swivelled to Wanda. "Or close enough to," she added with a shrug. Bucky looked to the Sokovian girl in bewilderment before glancing to Steve with growing alarm.

"Does everyone know about—about that place?" he asked, glancing between Wanda, Steve and Nadine, whose own head had lifted from her partially assembled rifle at Wanda's interruption. Steve exchanged a worried glance with the blonde assassin, but before he could answer, Wanda beat him to it.

"No," she said, her eyes flashing scarlet for a moment. Crimson tendrils wisped around her fingers before darting out to retrieve Steve's shield and depositing it in his waiting hands. "I also have some telepathic ability," she continued, "I could look into your head, if I wanted. I read it in hers." Wanda's expression darkened then, her eyes once again flashing scarlet as she glanced to Nadine, "and in the mind of the woman who trained her." Nadine's expression had grown blank and cool, though her eyes glinted with satisfaction. Next to Steve, Bucky tensed, looking to Nadine himself.

"We hunted her down," Nadine said in reply to his look. It was then that Steve recognized the silent question in his friend's eyes. But then it was gone, replaced by a hardness that Steve found unnerving.

"And you snapped her neck?" Steve nearly started at Bucky's earnest question, his eyes widening in shock. Nadine smiled, the expression chilling.

"I wasn't sure just how much you would remember about that place," she said softly, something in her expression softening until she looked almost sad. "I don't know if that's a good thing or bad, honestly." Bucky watched her expression with a similarly tired, commiserating grin.

"It'd be hard to forget a place like that," Bucky said just as sedately.

Steve felt vaguely sick. He'd given little real thought at the time to Nadine's choice of words when she'd told him her supervisor was dead. But hearing Bucky make the exact same choice? There was obviously a greater significance than he'd realized.

But before he could bring himself to comment on it, Sam had appeared at his elbow, the grave look in his eye suggesting he'd caught at least part of the exchange between Nadine and Bucky. Nadine turned away, shouldering her rifle and closing the lid to the case with a sharp snap. Whatever either of them might have said had to wait. Sam looked pointedly to Steve.

"I think we're all set, Cap," Sam told him. Looking around, Steve nodded. Their newly assembled team was congregating next to the railing between the van and the Beetle. Steve nodded briskly, slinging his shield up to his harness.

"Then it's time to get started," he said back. Nodding, Sam walked off to join the rest of the group, Bucky and Wanda following close behind. And behind him, the Beetle's hood closed with a hollow thunk.

"Here we go," Nadine murmured as she stepped up next to him. Steve glanced to her where she'd stopped next to his elbow. Her face was once more clear and focused, effectively hiding away whatever it was Bucky's comments had dredged up.

But that didn't stop him from fixing her with a concerned look. And not just because he needed her focused on whatever it was they were about to face. A look she easily noticed. A small huff escaped her as she brushed a hand against his arm.

"C'mon, Captain. Time to rally your troops," she said lightly with a wry glance to Steve, a small smile curving her lips as she stepped away to join up with the rest of the team. A small smile that left a warm, swelling feeling in his chest he was beginning to think he'd quite like getting used to. A feeling that was a pleasant echo of what she'd inspired in him back in her bolthole when she'd admitted that she cared for him just as much as he did for her.

A smile that, as she was turning away, had him reaching for her hand, pulling her back to him.

"Come here," he murmured, transfixed by the way her pale eyes fluttered shut as he leaned in, his hand rising to cup her jaw.

It was barely more than a chaste press of his mouth against hers, but it still somehow managed to say a great deal. Especially when she leaned into it, her lips soft and supple, while her hand fell to grip lightly on his waist, just above his belt.

"Dammit," Barton groused to himself—yet still clearly audible to everyone, to Steve's mingled annoyance and begrudging gratitude—breaking the moment as they parted, "I owe Nat fifty bucks...and Laura gets to pick date night." Nadine huffed, her cheeks beginning to pink. Steve wasn't sure whether he felt the urge to groan or chuckle, his hand falling from where it had begun threading into her pale hair.

"You're welcome," Bucky piped up then. Steve and Nadine both looked to the former HYDRA agent in surprise. Barton was startled nearly speechless, only for a scoffing laugh to burst free.

"You couldn't have waited another three weeks?" The archer grumbled good-naturedly with an askance look to Bucky. "I'd've split the fifty with you." Steve couldn't help himself. He smiled, his eyes rolling of their own volition as Bucky muttered back with a 'now you tell me.' Nadine, on the other hand, merely sighed with exasperation. Steve looked back down at the woman all but in his arms.

"Should we be surprised," he murmured wryly even as Sam was cheekily pointing out that betting against Natasha was always a bad idea, earning a few choice words from Clint. A soft almost-chuckle sounded in the back of Nadine's throat, the sound doing pleasant things to his stomach.

"Not really," she admitted. She sighed once more, hitching her rifle's strap more securely on her shoulder before pulling away from him. Much as he wished she didn't have to, he let her. They needed to get moving.

Tony wouldn't wait forever.

"Be careful, Steve," she murmured as she stepped back, her grey eyes earnestly meeting his ocean-hued ones. Slowly he nodded, his hand brushing down her arm to lace his fingers briefly with hers. Sparing her a small smile as she handed him his helmet, Steve tucked it into the crook of his elbow and followed her over to the rest of their Team.

It was time to get down to business.

At once his thoughts were switching tracks, mulling over strategies and replaying the discussion he, Sam, Bucky and Nadine had run through on the way to the airport, reconsidering their tentative plan, taking into account Stark's presence. Especially as they didn't know precisely whom their former ally would have with him. Rhodes was a given. Vision likely was as well. Nat, certainly.

They had to play this carefully.

He was very much not looking forward to fighting his way through his former teammates. His friends.

But he would if he had to.

Stopping the doctor was critical. Ideally, he'd be able to get Stark on board.

But knowing Tony as he did, Steve was admittedly rather doubtful the billionaire would come around without more substantial proof than they had to offer, just now.

This would've been much easier if Tony hadn't caught up to them until they'd already reached Siberia...

But as Steve and Nadine joined the rest of the team—Nadine slipping between Clint and Bucky and Steve slightly apart, causing everyone to automatically shift to face him—next to Wanda, Pietro laughed at Sam and Clint's friendly bickering, choosing that moment to make his own contribution.

"Well, just wait until Nina hears," the Sokovian boy chuckled impishly, "she's going to be so mad that she missed it." Steve froze even as Nadine blanched. Next to Sam, Bucky frowned.

"Who's Nina?"

It was like a switch had been thrown, the atmosphere among the newly formed group turning swiftly toward uncomfortable. No one spoke. No one knew what to say. Sam shifted awkwardly next to Bucky, carefully not looking to Nadine while Barton was suddenly focused on checking his finger-guards were properly secured. Pietro frowned before a sharp glance from his twin had his opening mouth slamming shut. Something that, mercifully, Bucky seemed to miss.

And Steve glanced to Nadine, meeting her eye. Her face was once more impassive, her features carefully controlled as her masks slipped into place. But she wasn't entirely able to hide the panic that once more flickered to life in her eyes. Steve's gut twisted uneasily; as much as he agreed that telling Bucky now wasn't a good idea, it didn't stop the guilt at keeping Nina from him from churning unpleasantly in his gut.

"After." Bucky blinked, his frown deepening further as he looked to Nadine. Steve almost hadn't heard her speak at all. Next to her, Clint let out a long, tense breath.

"What?" Bucky glanced up to Steve in bewilderment then, following Nadine's gaze. Slowly, confusion melted into something far more considering...along with a flicker of hurt that easily managed to make Steve feel worse. Bucky looked back to Nadine. "This is about whatever you didn't get to say back at the safehouse, isn't it," he asked softly. Nadine started, her suddenly wide-eyed gaze jerking from Steve to look to Bucky.

"What do you mean," she asked, the stress she was so carefully keeping from her face leaching into her voice. Bucky had gone still, a look beginning to surface that Steve knew well as one that his oldest friend got when trying to puzzle something out.

"I'm sorry, Buck, but that's going to have to wait," Steve broke in, forcibly ignoring the pang in his gut as the hurt flicker surfaced again, mingling with bewilderment. Much as he wanted nothing more than for Bucky to know about Nina? They couldn't get into that now.

He only hoped Bucky would understand... He was pretty sure he would but...but finding out he had a daughter? And that Steve had known? Honestly, as well as he knew Bucky, even Steve wasn't sure how his oldest friend was likely to take it.

But now was not the time or the place for that conversation.

With Stark in the airport with them and the doctor well on his way to Siberia ahead of them?

They had bigger, more immediate concerns.

His eyes narrowing faintly as he looked to Steve, for a moment Bucky seemed like he was about to object. But he paused as Steve levelled him with a firm, pleading look. A look that, thankfully, Bucky recognized. Shoulders hitching minutely with a suppressed sigh, Bucky backed down. Steve allowed himself a small, internal sigh of his own, though his had relief on top of resignation.

Inhaling deeply, mentally retrieving the rough plan that had been taking shape before Pietro's slip with more difficulty than he would've liked, Steve looked around to his new Team, taking in old faces and new recruits alike.

"Okay, this is how it's going to go," he started, easily falling into his familiar role as Captain. "Clint, you and Wanda will stay over here. Lang? You'll get small and stick with me in reserve. They don't know you to expect you and I'd like to keep it that way for the time being." Serious for once, and still somewhat uneasy from the sudden shift in atmosphere among his new teammates, Scott nodded sharply, a determined if nervous expression on his face. Steve spared him a reassuring glance before continuing.

"I'll circle around and head for the chopper and draw Tony out. Buck, Sam; the two of you circle through the Terminal; use Redwing, get the lay of things, try to figure out who else Tony's brought along." He looked to Nadine then, taking in her pale but once more grimly focused features before sparing a glance to Pietro; he was the wild card. He just hoped his strategy would work to help keep the younger man in check. "Nadine? You and Pietro get high; you'll call it as you see it. Positions, openings, just as we've done before. And you and Sam see if you can't spy a Quinjet as you go; Tony will have likely brought one and it may be our best shot out of here. Otherwise, we need transportation, and you two are our eyes on this." It was then that Steve nearly hesitated, knowing full well that Nadine was not likely to fully approve of what he was about to say next. "Pietro? You get her up there—"

"Steve, I can—" Nadine started to object, but Steve pressed on, exchanging an entreating look with the blonde assassin—complete with a subtle nod in Pietro's direction—that she quickly understood.

"—cover her and get her back down when we move," he continued with a pointed look to the speedster. He wanted there to be no question; Pietro needed to stay in line, this time. Too much rode on the success of this mission. "You stick with her and you follow her orders, you copy? She will not hesitate to keep you in line. This is not practice or training or any regular mission; these are our teammates we're going up against. There can be no going off on your own. Do you understand?" His eyes betraying he wasn't happy with Steve's orders, Pietro nevertheless nodded sharply, the gesture combined with his firmly set jaw indicating he understood and seemed willing enough to comply. It was promising, but Steve was still leery.

But he had faith that Nadine would be able to keep him in check. She was one of the few who had some success in that area, after all.

Probably in part because she was his girlfriend's mother, Steve grudgingly had to admit. And because she'd apparently once made it clear that he'd never see her coming if he crossed her...

With a final look around his teammates, Steve nodded, as satisfied as he could be.

"Alright. We all know what needs to happen. The doctor, whoever he is, is looking to get his hands on a set of supersoldiers that we can't afford to let loose on the world. It's up to us to get this done. The minds behind the Accords are too set on bringing in Bucky to see it, and they have enlisted Stark and the rest of the Avengers to stop us." Steve bit back a sigh, his gaze automatically drawn to Clint, Wanda, Nadine and Sam, above the others, painfully aware they were the ones with closest ties to members of Tony's team. "I know you all don't want to have to fight our friends any more than I do, but it doesn't look like we're going to have a choice. So we make it fast," he concluded briskly. "Get in, get past Stark's Team and try not to kill anyone. Siberia is the priority, and we can't lose sight of that." Satisfied he'd covered everything he needed to, Steve nodded to himself.

"Okay, let's move."

Almost as though they'd all worked together before, the Team split, reorganizing themselves neatly into the pairs as Steve had instructed before beginning to move away.

For the most part.

If it wasn't for the faint quirk to her lips, diminished as it was by the way Pietro's unknowing blunder had shaken her, Steve would've been sure Nadine was annoyed with him. Though, it wasn't entirely out of the realm of possibility.

She didn't even have to say anything. Her raised brow said it all. Steve spared her an apologetic grin.

"I know," he offered, "but you can't deny that Pietro listens to you." She hummed, her silent, affected admonishment and unsettled air easing as one shoulder lifted in an elegant shrug.

"That is true," she ceded, her grey eyes glinting with a trace amusement. Only to sober. "This is not going to be easy, Steve," she added quietly. She wasn't referring to keeping Pietro in line. Before Steve could stop himself, his hand had settled against the small of her back.

"I know," he admitted, lip quirking as he inadvertently repeated himself before sobering himself. "But we're out of options." Nadine nodded slowly, her slow, sighing exhale the only indication of her dismay. And something in his chest eased as she leaned into his touch.

They could do this. They had to.

Exchanging a final, loaded glance with the woman he'd fallen in love with, Steve steeled himself.

And the Team parted ways.

A/N: Thanks for reading!

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