A/N: What do you know, we're finally getting to the meat of the story! Also, there's a moment in this chapter that sets up the third (and largest) story in this series. I'm really excited about that fic ya'll, I can't wait to start posting it :)

Part 5

Steve's day begins long before the sun rises and goes downhill from there. Though Steve is used to waking up early, it's still alarming to open his eyes at three-thirty in the morning to see Tony Stark crouched next to his bed, his eyes wide and shining in the reflected lights from the New York high-rises.

He throws himself backward across the bed, clutching his quilt to his chest in a move he knows Clint will mercilessly mock him for if he ever finds out about it.

"Tony!" he gasps after a moment to catch his breath. He lets go of the blanket, feeling a little sheepish.

Tony tilts his head to the side, looking puzzled by his shock. "Come on, Cap," he says, "Wheels up in ten."

Steve scrubs his hand down his face roughly, "What?" He feels a little like he hasn't woken up at all and this is all a very strange dream.

Tony rolls his eyes as he stands and yanks the covers off Steve. It's a weirdly familiar gesture, but one that Steve is starting to grow accustomed to. Ever since they flew to Gotham to find Bruce Wayne during the Joker's rampage, Tony is a lot friendlier to Steve than he is to the rest of the team. Steve is learning to expect Tony appearing in unexpected places at unexpected times, chatty and baffling in the same way Howard had been.

"Come on," Tony says, "I'll explain on the way."

Fifteen minutes later they're taking off from the landing pad at the tower. Tony's in the pilot's seat. He looks both exhausted and energized and Steve really, really wants to know what's going on.

"Where are we going?"

Tony spins the chair so he can see Steve, he grins. "I need you to look intimidating while I talk to Lex fuckin' Luthor."

Steve frowns, "What?"

Tony sighs, "What's confusing about that? Lex Luthor, ya know the guy who owns LexCorp? He's hiding something at his factory in Kansas."

"Tony, I'm not going to help you intimidate a business rival!" That's… that is not something that Steve is okay with in any way. He will not allow the Avengers to be used like that and if Tony really thinks-

Tony rolls his eyes, "Uh, no. Luthor is hardly a threat to SI. He doesn't give a shit about anything outside of Metropolis and his weird obsession with Superman." Tony says 'Superman' like with really strange inflection, like he's simultaneously annoyed by the man and envious of him.

"Then why are we going?"

"Because Superman thinks he's evil and he's possibly the only guy on Earth more dedicated to the Boy Scout oath than you?"

"I was never a -," Steve cuts himself off and shakes his head. He's told Tony many times before that he hadn't been a scout. Hell, the Boy Scouts had only been around for about twenty years when Steve was old enough to be think about joining up and he'd been way too sickly to even think about wilderness training. Bucky had been- He wrenches his thoughts away from his childhood best friend.

"How long until we get there?" he asks instead of continuing to protest against their trip.

Tony grins at him, "Nice to have you on board." He spins around in his chair and jabs at the screen. "We're an hour out. Practice your mean face, babe."

Tony's estimate was right on point and almost exactly an hour later they are gliding to a stop on the private helipad atop the LexCorp factory.

"Ah shit," Tony says.

"What?" Steve comes up to the front of the jet, peering out through the window. There are two women standing just at the edge of the pad. Though Steve is sure he's never seen the one on the left before, the one on the right, with her striking gaze and powerful stance was terribly familiar.

"Who are they?" Steve asks.

"The terrifying one in the Prada is Mercy, Luthor's dogsbody." He considers the other woman, "I don't know the other one, but she looks… I've seen her somewhere before."

The jet cycles down and Tony locks the screens.

"JARVIS, babe," he says, "Full security. You heard me, Mercy's here and that means-"

"Mister Luthor is as well, of course sir." JARVIS sounds as droll and amused as always and Steve can't help his smile. He's been fascinated by the robotic butler since they were first introduced, even before he actually liked Tony at all.

"Great, thanks J." Tony turns away and picks up his briefcase.

"Sir, if I may," JARVIS continues, "I believe I know why the other woman looks familiar."

"Shoot. Oh, wait, if I slept with her please don't tell me. I really don't need to deal with that today."

Steve rolls his eyes, of course Tony is concerned about-

"No sir, I do not believe that is the case. She is Her Royal Highness Diana Prince, Princess of Themyscira. I believe you would most likely know her as-"

"Wonder Woman," Steve breathes, "That's Wonder Woman." She doesn't look like she had the last time they met. Form-fitting clothes are a lot different than the almost frumpy look she had sported during most of the War and her dark hair is cropped close to her head, save for a dark fringe. She's wearing glasses with a wide frame and make-up. He's never seen her in more than the simple swipe of lipstick that she and Peggy had both favored. Now that he recognizes her, Steve can't believe he didn't before. Diana was such a huge part of his life before...

"Seems like I'm not the one we needed to be concerned about having slept with her," Tony mutters. Then, he locks his arm around Steve's neck and ruffles a hand through his hair. "You okay there, Stripes?"

"Uh yeah," Steve says. He's suddenly glad Tony had told him not to wear his uniform on this little trip. He reaches up and scrubs his hand through his hair. It is too short to change the style completely, but he can certainly make it look less like the poster boy image of Captain America. Tony watches him for a long moment before shrugging.

"Well, make some noise, i-d-k, shriek like an eagle or something if you need rescue," he says it flippantly, but there's a degree of concern in his gaze that Steve really appreciates.

"Yeah," he says, "Okay. Just, uh, don't introduce me to them?"

He's not being a coward he tells himself. After all, he had looked up everyone from the war before and seen that Diana was still out there, doing good work and helping make the world better. But, he can't bring himself to actually talk to her, not without more than three hours sleep and time to prepare. He needs time to figure out what he's going to say, what if she mentions the Howlies? What if she mentions Peggy? Did they stay in touch? A sudden, stomach curling thought occurs; she hasn't reached out to him either. Maybe she doesn't want to see him?

He looks up and without him noticing they've exited the Quinjet and begun to approach the women. He tries to arrange his face into something very far away from the Steve Rogers Diana would have known in the War. He stays a few steps behind Tony, curling his shoulders in on himself. He braces himself for Diana to recognize him.

"Ladies," Tony says in his smarmiest tone. He's flipped his sunglasses down and even from behind him Steve knows he's grinning broadly as he looks them up and down. "You didn't have to wait outside for little old me."

The woman Tony called Mercy is glaring at the two of them. "Stark," she says coolly. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, you know," Tony says, "Corporate espionage, or is it sabotage? Ah, who can keep them straight? We're definitely not here to steal secrets is what I'm saying."

Mercy rolls her eyes at him. Steve can't stop staring at Diana. He sees her look from Tony to him and quickly averts his gaze.

"You may proceed to the reception area outside Mr. Luthor's office," Mercy says. Her voice is controlled and tense. "He is a very busy man, but we can always make time for the Avengers."

"Not here on Avengers business," Tony says. He's already brushing past the women, "Come along, Brent." It takes Steve a minute to realize that Tony means him. A rush of affection fills him. Tony has no idea why Steve is acting strange but he's willing to go along with it for Steve. How they had ever thought the man was a bad friend…

As he passes Diana, Steve thinks he sees something in her eyes, but he moves too quickly for her to say anything.

He will contact her when they get back to New York, he vows. This is ridiculous.

They step inside the building and the door swings shut behind them. Steve knows, logically, that this is a factory, but you'd never be able to tell from the top floor. The offices are just as richly decked out as anything at Stark Industries, all plush carpets and polished glass. As soon as they approach the receptionist she stands from her desk and beckons them towards the frost glass wall behind her.

"Mr. Luthor has graciously cleared his schedule to speak with you Mr. Stark," she says. Then she eyes Steve up and down, "Your bodyguard will have to wait out here."

Tony considers this before nodding. It's the smart move after all. Tony knows that Steve will be able to hear anything they're saying through the wall and it's not like glass is going to stop him if he needs to get to Tony quick.

"Of course, ma'am," Steve gives her his most charming smile. He's still a little rattled knowing that Diana is less than thirty feet away, but this all feels like an Avengers mission now and he's settling with each passing moment.

"Well come on," Tony practically whines at the woman, "If Mr. Luthor is so busy let's get this show on the road. Some of us have actually successful companies to run."

"Charming as usual Stark." And that's Luthor, standing in the open doorway with a grimace on his face. "Hurry up. I have more on my schedule today than just being harassed by do-gooders."

Tony nods understandingly, "Of course," he says, "Megalomania is so time consuming." The door slides to a shut behind them.

Steve waits. Tony is questioning Luthor is as round-about a way as he can manage about the strange readings they've been getting out of the factory below. Luthor is lying his as off, the usual really. Steve is almost bored.

And then the door on the opposite side of the reception area slides open and Steve's day gets worse.

"Superman," he greets. It's a genuine pleasure to see the other man. Then, his gaze slides to Superman's companion and he says as casually as he can, "Batman, I didn't expect to see you here today." Batman's face doesn't change, but Steve can tell he's tense.

Steve feels the explosion before he hears it, the rapid de- and re-pressurization followed by a deep BOOM from somewhere below them.

"Tony!" Steve manages to shout before the ground falls out from under him and he's in freefall.