55
You make it there just in time to see Natasha pry Steve’s hands off his side; there’s nothing to see, but he’s white faced and gritting his teeth and whatever’s gone wrong, it isn’t good.
“Where’s Agent Sitwell?” Steve asks you, and you don’t really know what to say. You shake your head. Sitwell is... what do they call it? Collateral damage. Unavoidable loss. Whatever clean-scrubbed set of words is the catchphrase of the day for ‘he was your teammate, and now he’s dead.’
Tony levers a repulsor blast past your head to knock down a couple of enemies who’ve gotten a little too close and you duck out of the way. He’s being a little reckless right now, which is classic; happens every time he feels guilty for anything, and hell, Steve’s strained expression is enough to make you feel guilty and it wasn’t even your fault.
The helicopter finally makes it back overhead, first load of prisoners deposited elsewhere, and you send Steve up in the harness first. Before he goes, he makes eye contact with you and with Tony. “Guys, you did well,” he says. “Sometimes things happen.”
It’s stupid and illogical and doesn’t seem like justification for losing a good man, but Steve is right. Sometimes things just happen.