THE JEEP RACED through the street. Fortunately, there weren't any Ecuadorian citizens in harm's way as the road was mostly barren. Still, bystanders on the sidewalks watched in awe as the chase ensued.

A motorcycle pursued the jeep and had been doing so for the last several blocks. Y/N Carter, Captain America, was mounted on it...but was not commandeering. He sat behind the driver, who was none other than Natasha Romanoff-Carter, the Black Widow.

The vehicle took a sharp left and sped into the other street. Natasha followed and drifted past an oncoming car that was close to hitting them at the intersection. It wasn't long until the jeep took another turn, this time to the right, and caused a few cars to come to a halt and refrain from crashing.

Natasha stopped the motorcycle to avoid impacting the cars. She cursed in Russian as she witnessed the jeep make another turn and get out of sight.

Y/N spoke into his comms. "Sam? You spot them from the air?"

He looked up at the sky and saw Falcon soaring above. Sam reported back as Y/N watched the red and black streak dissipate.

"They're going down Bolivia. If I had to take a guess they're probably making their way to the hospital on the main street."

"Pretty wild guess."

"Not too wild. I see more of them set up in front of it."

Y/N looked at his wife-slash-partner. "That's probably where he is."

Natasha revved the engine of the bike. "Let's go catch ourselves a ghost." The two then zoomed down the road toward the hospital.

Several goons were putting up barricades in front of the hospital, preparing for a fight. They were in tactical gear and had rifles by their side. One of them turned to their colleague.

"How long until the armed forces arrive?"

"They ain't doing shit. The boss threatened that if any of them show up, we're blowing this building to hell."

"What's all this for then?"

Suddenly, they heard an engine from down the road. They turned to see the oncoming motorcycle, and the sight of the two answered the man's question.

Y/N leaped off of the bike and used his grapple to swing up. He then dived and torpedoed into a goon using his shield.

Natasha also dismounted from the motorcycle and let it slide into two of the gunmen, taking them down.

Captain America and Black Widow continued through the street toward the barricade. Y/N threw his shield at the two goons who were setting it up as Natasha followed close behind.

It hit the first goon in the chest and knocked him down. The shield flew back into Y/N's arm and he immediately leaped at the second gunmen and slammed the disc into his face.

"Sorry, I guess the wife and I are early." He remarked as he and Natasha ran past the unfinished blockade.

A soldier shot at the duo, but Y/N held his shield up to deflect the bullets. He spun around and threw the disc again, where it bounced off a cement barrier and into the man's back. The gunman was flung forward and collided with Y/N's knee.

Natasha went the other way and vaulted over the jersey barrier toward two other goons. He wrapped her legs around one of them and jabbed her Widow's bites into his neck. She brought him down and quickly pulled out her pistol to shoot his colleague nearby.

Three more gunmen ran up to shoot the Widow, but Falcon landed in front of her and deflected the gunfire with his wings. He waited for an opening before taking out his collapsible submachine guns and shooting them down. He gave a nod to the redhead and flew back up.

"Redwing detected bombs. Two of them. One is on the rooftop of the hospital and another is by the side entrance." Sam spoke.

"You got the top?" Y/N replied after taking another soldier down.

"Yeah."

"Nat?"

"I got the ground." She reported back. "You go find the target."

He was already on his way to the front lot of the hospital when communicating with his colleagues. Suddenly, a projectile hit the truck he was beside and blew it up. Y/N shielded himself but was flung backward by the force.

Y/N got back up. "Uh...I think I found him."

The enemy dropped the grenade launcher he used and walked out from behind cover. Captain America kept his gaze on him, finding a hard time believing that their target was alive and breathing. It's been almost a decade since he's seen him.

A/N: Art by Chad Mitchell on ArtStation.

Crossbones.

"What is it, Captain?" The man called out. "Looks like you've seen a ghost."

Although the sight of him brought the soldier awe, his voice didn't sound like Rumlow. The style of the suit he was wearing also differed a bit.

"I don't know. With that white on your helmet, you kinda look like one." Y/N replied.

He immediately took out a miniature Uzi and fired at Y/N, but the super-soldier held up his shield to deflect and rolled out of the way.

"That's one thing Rogers didn't have...stupid quips." Crossbones said and fired again.

He deflected them again and quickly tossed the shield at the enemy. Crossbones raised his arms and the disc bounced off his gauntlets. Y/N charged at him, but the mercenary activated the hydraulic functions of his gloves and punched him in the stomach. Y/N flew backward and landed on his side.

Crossbones went up to the downed Captain and tried to stomp on him, but Y/N rolled away before he can. He kipped back up and landed a punch across the mercenary's face. Crossbones let out a grunt before throwing a flurry of punches at Captain America, who deftly dodged them.

He charged up his two gauntlets and punched Y/N in the chest, sending the super-soldier back again. He impacted against the side of a truck, where Crossbones ran up and tried to stab him with the knife that protruded from his arm. Y/N moved his head out of the way at the last second and the mercenary impaled the door of the truck.

Y/N grabbed his arm, quickly bending it and pulling one of his gauntlets off. He push-kicked Crossbones back and dropped the weapon on the floor.

"I'm getting some major déjà-vu here." Y/N remarked, recalling his fight with Rumlow back in Lagos.

Crossbones activated his other knife and charged at Y/N, but the super-soldier flipped over him and landed beside the shield that was on the ground. He grabbed it and quickly held it up before Crossbones can stab him.

The blade bent upon impact with the vibranium disc, and Y/N took the enemy's stunned state to hit Crossbones across the face with the side of the shield and then roundhouse kick him. He flew back and rolled over the hood of a car before landing on his stomach.

"Y/N. The bomb on the roof has been defused." Sam reported to him. "Tangos are down as well."

The Captain was slowly walking toward the downed Crossbones as he replied. "Good work. Nat?"

"Oh. It's been done." The redhead relayed back. "Bomb was nothing an ex-KGB agent couldn't figure out."

"That's my girl." He said with a chuckle.

Natasha smiled on the other end. Sam overheard this and spoke back.

"And I don't get praise?"

"Oh, all right." Y/N cleared his throat. "Attaboy, Sam."

"Yeah...on second thought, I'll pass. Please never say that again."

Y/N chuckled before signing off. He went up to the defeated mercenary and held him up by the collar. He took off his helmet to confirm whether or not it was Rumlow...and to his surprise it wasn't.

It was Jack Rollins. A former S.H.I.E.L.D-slash-HYDRA member who was on Rumlow's STRIKE team. Y/N hasn't seen the man since HYDRA's fall in 2014.

"Rollins?" The Captain asked.

"L/N..." He breathed out with a chuckle. "Rogers...Carter...whatever the hell you go by."

"Looks like your taking up Brock's mantle, huh?"

"Someone's gotta after y'all had him blown up."

"That was all him." Y/N replied, then took a moment to look at his torso to make sure history didn't repeat himself.

"Don't piss your pants, Captain. I don't got a vest on me. I actually want to be alive to see my work."

"Not much to see though."

"Not yet." He said with a chuckle.

Agents and Ecuadorian Armed Forces finally arrived at the scene. A few were walking up to apprehend Rollins.

"Well...yet might not happen for a while, Jack." He remarked and gave him over to the agents.

They walked away with Crossbones. Soon afterward, Sam and Natasha regrouped with Y/N. Soldiers and agents began to scurry around the scene and set up a perimeter.

"So it wasn't Rumlow?" His wife asked.

He shook his head. "No. But get this...it was Rollins."

"Who?"

"You don't know Rollins? Tall guy, straight face. Used to have his hair sleeked back?"

She shook her head.

"No? All right. He's a guy who used to work under Brock."

"Phew." Sam breathed out. "That's good news. I thought that son of a bitch came back from the dead or something."

"A relief it is." Y/N said. The trio started to walk away together. "I'd assume there's no coming back from getting blown up."

"Imagine if he did though. All stitched back up like a doll." Sam replied. "Like in Child's Play."

"Child's Play?"

"Have you seen it?"

"I don't think so."

"You've been in this century for over a decade and you haven't seen it? Not even when I was dust?"

"Nope."

Sam shook his head. "Well, then my reference was pointless."

"I mean...you could explain it to me." Y/N replied.

"Just watch the movie...the second one. And then see the third."

"There's three?"

"More like seven."

Natasha chuckled at the friends' exchange.

"Speaking of children...you two are."

• • •

THEY WERE ON their way back to the United States via quinjet. Natasha was piloting the aircraft while Y/N sat in the seat beside her and Sam stood in the back looking over Redwing.

A screen in front of the super-soldier displayed a man who was on a call with him. Y/N had already spoken to him in Ecuador, but they were exchanging the last bits of info from their operation.

"Rollins is on his way to the Raft as we speak." Alphonso Mackenzie said.

"He better get used to the same four walls." Y/N replied as he took off his headpiece. "And the silence of his thoughts."

"They'll probably give him some kind of radio though. Ross is nice like that." He replied.

"Sure."

Alphonso was the new Director of the reformed S.H.I.E.L.D. The man had been put in the position just recently, having had the pedigree and experiences of being an agent for the team while they were in the shadows the last several years.

Fury approved of it, not wanting to take a leadership position in the organization unless absolutely necessary. Either way, he was often never around and was still living discreetly. Y/N wondered where he was at the moment.

"All right, Captain. We'll talk another time." Mack told him, then looked at Natasha. "Agent."

She gave a nod. The director made sure to not forget Sam who was in the back.

"Good work, Wilson."

"Appreciate it." He spoke back as he continued checking Redwing.

Mack ultimately signed off. Y/N exhaled and stood up from his seat, stretching out his arms and back.

"Careful there, I don't want you messing up a hip." Natasha joked as her eyes watched the skies ahead.

"Old man jokes don't get me anymore." Y/N replied as he continued stretching. "I'm always in tip-top shape."

"Mmhmm."

"You know firsthand." Y/N said with a chuckle. "I'm never rusty."

"Really?"

"I'm a well-oiled machine. Job after job I'm always gonna be at my best."

Natasha looked over her shoulder and smirked. "We're going to have to see for ourselves when we get home then, Captain."

Sam continued looking down at Redwing and refining it. "You know I'm right here. Like...six feet away. Jesus, you two always do this."

"Just imagine what Clint was feeling those years before." Y/N told him.

"Oh, I would've given my two-week notice immediately." Sam replied.

Y/N and Natasha laughed with Sam also giving a soft chuckle. The redhead continued flying the jet and toward their destination.

• • •

THE TWO AVENGERS were back home in Jersey City. After their operation in Ecuador, they decided to spend as much time as they could with their children.

They had come back from a carnival that was held at Pershing Field Park. Maggie sat on the couch and laid on top of the large stuffed bear that she won from one of the booths. She had popped so many balloons with pinpoint accuracy that she could've won all the prizes if rules weren't put in place that kept her from doing so. Still, Maggie was happy with the one she won.

Nikolai had a toy gun that Natasha bought him. It lit up and made laser sounds as he pulled the trigger. He pointed at Maggie, who looked away from her phone and stared at her brother.

"You're supposed to die." He said.

"Sorry." She replied and gestured her hand over her face. "I have a force field."

"That's not fair!"

"Boo-hoo."

Y/N walked into the living room and joined Natasha who was sitting on the other couch. He looked at his children.

"Maggie. Deactivate your force field and let him shoot you." He jested.

"Really, dad?"

He simply smiled and laughed. Maggie shook her head and sighed.

"Fine." She turned to Nikolai and grabbed the bear that she was resting against. "I have no force field, but Smokey will protect me!"

She got up and ran off with the large stuffed animal. Nikola laughed and chased her while firing his toy gun, garnering a chuckle from both Y/N and Natasha.

The super-soldier picked up the remote and surfed through channels. He stumbled upon a re-run of Masterchef and glanced at Natasha.

"Oh, look. Your celebrity crush is on." Y/N joked.

Natasha snickered. "I said he used to be my crush."

"What does Ramsay have that I don't?" He asked.

She decided to play along. "You know what? Let me get my list."

She acted like she was getting up, but Y/N grabbed her waist and pulled her back down. They laughed and he shook his head but followed with a kiss to her lips.

"Very funny." He said. "I'll get his accent down, just wait."

Suddenly, Maggie ran back into the living room. Her eyes were glued to the phone.

"Guys!" She exclaimed.

"What is it?" Y/N looked back and noticed her in a panic.

"It's...its's Peter." The teenager replied and showed them her screen.

The two could see the application she was on that displayed a post of Peter Parker's face merged with half of Spider-Man's mask. Natasha had already grabbed the remote and tuned into the local news.

The anchor of the network had switched to a feed of another journalist. The older balding man sat on a desk in front of a green background, speaking to the viewers of his web outlet, The Daily Bugle.

"All this time the public looked up to the boy and called him a hero..." J. Jonah Jameson said.

Y/N leaned over and watched the broadcast, in shock at what he was reading from the text bar and the news ticker. Along with exposing his alter-ego as Spider-Man, they were accusing Peter of murdering a hero named Mysterio and causing destruction in London.

He hoped nobody was buying all this.

Jonah continued. "...well I'll tell ya what I'd call him...public enemy number one!"