[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/7rzp20d.jpg?1[/img][/center][hr][right][sup]Over the Pacific Ocean[/sup][/right]
Another hologram of the large SHIELD cargo plane was displayed in the center of Strike Team A's quinjet. While the autopilot kept the smaller, faster craft rocketing towards their target, the strike team sat ready for the final briefing before they caught up and head to execute a dangerous, mid-air mission.

"You're all familiar with the cargo planes," Steve began the walkthrough. "I don't have to give you a play by play here. We've been doing this long enough that we don't have to need one. Sam attaches the Quinjet by the top hatch, Choi gets inside and lets us in. Piotr and I lead the charge, Vivian and Joe secure the package while the rest of us secure the plane. Any objections?"

"Nah," Colossus shook his head as he began to stretch in preparation for battle.

"However many beekeepers we have to deal with, we deal with them," Steve continued. "We're professionals. We've done this before, we'll probably have to do it again. But we're not letting AIM get away with this tech. The more we starve them out, the more desperate they get. We're going to win this war, everyone. I promise you that."

As much as he believed that, it was a line that was growing stale. He saw it in the team's face when he said it. They had been fighting AIM for years. Every time they seemed to be getting the upper hand, MODOK or Arnim Zola seemed to slip through their fingers at the final moment. It was maddening, but something Steve was used to. Zola had learned a lot from his old boss, the Red Skull, who also was slippery as the devil. But the Invaders and Howling Commandos had eventually gotten that bastard, and the A-Team will get AIM. It was just a matter of time.

"You know, I forgot how much I missed those speeches," Sam chuckled. "That was shorter than your usual though. You getting tired, old man? Need to take a rest before we join the Mile High Fight Club?"

"Shut up, Sam," Steve shook his head. "There's just not a lot to say at this point. Everyone here knows what they have to do."

"Sure...but you're still Captain America," Wilson gave him a smirk. "Even if some of these guys are from places not wholly on the up-and-up, they still know you're a living legend. No reason not to give them that."

His friend was right, of course. Sometimes the unending fight wore on him, especially when his teammates weren't always agreeing with the direction of their missions.

"I guess that's why Fury really put you on the team," Steve laughed. "To be my sidekick."

"Hey, I am no one's sidekick. Partner. You got that," he jokingly pointed his finger in Steve's face.

"I can live with that," the man who was Captain America agreed.

Suddenly, an alarm went off in the cockpit and Sam took his seat, "We're coming up on the plane. I'm sure they'll have at least some countermeasures active, so you all better strap in!"

Cap took the seat next to Sam as the rest of the team followed his instructions. As the clouds parted in front of his eyes, the SHIELD cargo plane came into view. The black, hulking aircraft looked like a whale suspended in the air, somehow cutting a more awkward figure than even the Helicarriers did in flight. The cargo shuttle was at least ten times the size as the Quinjet, and moved like it. Strike Team A's craft was like a shark cutting through the air, heading towards slower prey.

But the whale was not defenseless. From below the wings popped two laser turrets that began firing a line of intense heat towards the approaching craft. With the skill he was known for, Sam Wilson threw the jet into a spiraling ascent. Through the spinning viewport at the front of the craft, Steve could barely make heads from tails, but he did manage to catch the beams barely miss the wings of the Quinjet. Without warning, Sam had the craft dive back towards the cargo plane. The speed of the maneuver was too quick for the turrets to compensate for, and with a surgeon's precision, Sam had locked the Quinjet's boarding clamps into the roof of the plane.

"Easy like Sunday morning," Wilson had a cocky smile on his face. 

"You need to warn us before you do that next time," Crimson Fox responded, and Steve looked back to see her looking more green than red.

"We need to do that one again," Falsworth smiled broadly. "We're going to have a joy ride sometime, kid."

"Game faces, everyone," Steve said, standing and affixing his shield to his back. Next to him, Piotr stood and metal quickly spread over his skin as the mutant activated his power. Choi fiddled with his power belt, Union Jack checked the ammo in his guns, and Crimson Fox made sure her gloves were on snuggly. "You know the mission. You know your jobs. Now let's go pop AIM one in the jaw."

"I'll wait here incase we need to make a quick getaway," Sam nodded as the rest of the strike team made their way towards the boarding chute. 

In the middle of the jet, a small opening telescoped out of the floor, revealing a top entry hatch to the plane. Atom nodded to the rest of the team, before dropping down to the other craft. The way the Quinjet was designed blocked the massive amount of wind from blowing the superhero off and into freefall, the nose pointed down in its boarding configuration. Suddenly, Choi disappeared from sight as he shrunk down to enter the inner workings of the craft. 

Within moments, the hatch sprung open, and almost instantly Colossus jumped in, with Steve not far behind. Steve's feet had barely hit the deck below when the AIM soldiers inside began firing their plasma weapons at them. The shots harmlessly bounced off of Rasputin's skin, while Cap kept his shield primed to deflect any that came his way. 

"Four in front of me," Colossus said clamly. "Two to my right. One in front of you."

Captain America took a peak over the shield to spot the one Beekeeper, named for the bulky, armored hazmat suits the AIM soldiers wore, in front of him, and the slanted wall next to that soldier. When the soldier dropped his weapon to reload, Steve yelled, "Now!"

In a maneuver practiced to the point of perfection, Steve threw his shield as hard as he could, striking the man in the head. The wonderous shield ricocheted off his skull, struck the wall, and pinballed between the two men to Steve's left. It flew back towards Rogers, but instead of catching it, he gave the edge a roundhouse kick towards the four that had been firing on Piotr. Giving the big man a warning, Steve yelled, "Incoming!"

Colossus, surprisingly nimble for his size, slid with his foot first, the shield missing his head by a hair on its continued journey. He popped up after it had cleared him, and continued rumbling towards his foes. The shield took out two of them before returning to Steve, and Piotr took out the other two, slamming them into the ground with one hand each.

The two men nodded to one another as Choi reemerged from his shrunken state, "Well, that was dramatic."

"Do not act as if you are not impressed," Rasputin responded bluntly.

"Well done, darlings," Vivian purred. "Now, the limey and I are off to do our jobs while you stand here and flex."

Steve nodded to them, "Good luck. We'll try and secure the cockpit."

The team split up, and Rogers's portion made their way forward toward their destination. The first new bulkhead they passed through, however, told Steve this wasn't going to be easy. There, waiting for them, were half a dozen more Beekeepers. Without hesitating, Steve flung his shield at the one closest to him. It thunked into its chest, and dropped them to their knees. But as the shield came back, he was amazed to see the Beekeeper instantly get back to their feet.

Not only that, they took off in a dead sprint towards Steve. He barely had time to catch the shield and raise it to deflect a surprisingly powerful blow from his enemy's bare hand. Steve swung out of the way as Colossus's fist slammed into the face shield of the Beekeeper's helmet. The material shattered from the blow, and what Steve saw below had his eyes wide with surprise.

"Well, that's new."

Staring back at him was a face that was modeled after a man, but was clearly mechanical.

AIM had androids doing their dirty work now.