Steve's Mission

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After that, Tony had been living in the manor, and the longer he stayed, the more comfortable he felt. He asked Pepper more than once, "Pepper, have you ever thought about buying a manor?"

Now, Tony had learned that before making major decisions—especially those that involved both himself and Pepper—he should discuss them with her rather than deciding alone.

Pepper considered his question for a moment, then said, "Well, do you like living here?"

Tony nodded. After spending so much time in his villa, this change of environment felt refreshing.

"If you think this place is good, then let's stay. The manor is spacious, and there's plenty of room. If you ever want to return to the villa, we still have that option. And besides, Li Heng mentioned that his grandfather might come live with us in the future," Pepper added.

"Ha, so that was your real point!" Tony immediately caught on.

Pepper didn't deny it. Instead, she asked, "Why? Don't you want to live with him for a while?"

Tony quickly raised his hands in surrender. "I'm not against it. I actually think it's a great idea. Let's stay here for now."

Meanwhile, as news of the Vice President's arrest and the resolution of the Mandarin incident spread, Tony and Li Heng received calls from friends checking on them. Li Heng reassured them, "Everything's fine. It's all taken care of."

With that, he finally settled into a rare period of peace.

One day, Steve received an unusual message from Natasha asking for help. He was out running and chatting with a new friend when he had to cut their conversation short. "Hey, Sam, I'll come check out the Veterans Affairs Department later," he said before leaving with Natasha.

On the way to S.H.I.E.L.D., Steve learned about the situation.

"This isn't a war between countries," Natasha explained. "This time, a S.H.I.E.L.D. ship was hijacked."

"So it wasn't an accidental course deviation, but a deliberate invasion?" Steve asked, wanting clarity on the mission.

"That's right, but they must have had a reason for doing it," Natasha replied.

Steve frowned. "I hate cleaning up Nick Fury's mess. This should be the last time I do it. Make sure to tell him—my priorities have changed."

Natasha gave him a sideways glance, surprised by the conviction in his voice. Steve had clearly made up his mind.

In truth, he had wrestled with this decision for a long time. He wasn't turning his back on his country, but from now on, his main focus would be defending against extraterrestrial threats rather than getting involved in political conflicts.

Natasha nodded. "Alright, I'll report that to Fury once the mission is done."

Hearing that, Steve exhaled, feeling a weight lift from his shoulders. "How many pirates hijacked the ship?"

"Twenty-five in total," Crossbones answered. "They're top mercenaries, led by this man."

He pulled up a photo on the screen. "George Batroc. Former External Security Operations officer from a Western European country. Interpol's most wanted. Before being discharged, he carried out thirty-six assassination missions. He's ruthless and highly dangerous."

"Where are the hostages?" Steve asked.

"Mostly technicians, with one officer—Jasper Sitwell."

Crossbones displayed a photo of Sitwell. Steve immediately recognized him.

"What is Sitwell doing on that ship?" Steve muttered.

Crossbones hesitated, unsure how to respond, but before he could answer, Steve shrugged it off. "Never mind. I'll handle it."

Turning to his team, Steve laid out the plan. "Natasha, shut down the engines and wait for my signal. Rumlow, secure the hostages and get them to the lifeboats."

After everyone acknowledged their roles, Steve gave the order. "Let's move."

They boarded a S.H.I.E.L.D. transport and flew toward the ship. As they neared their target, Steve turned to the soldiers. "Get ready. We start now."

With that, he grabbed his shield and leaped out of the plane.

One of the soldiers turned to Crossbones. "Did he bring a parachute?"

"Nope," Crossbones replied casually.

Steve plummeted toward the ocean, slicing through the water before surfacing near the ship. He climbed aboard using the anchor chain, staying low as a guard walked past. Swiftly and silently, he knocked the man unconscious.

He spotted another guard nearby but was seen before he could act. Without hesitation, Steve hurled his shield, using a precise ricochet to take the second man down.

The mission had begun.

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