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After Natasha's reminder, Steve realized that no matter how powerful S.H.I.E.L.D. was, there was one place it couldn't monitor—the New Avengers base that Clark and Tony had built on Skull Island.
Still, Steve frowned. As far as he knew, the nearest active teleport point to Skull Island was on the rooftop of Stark Tower.
Tony Stark was an Avenger and Steve's friend, so Steve found it hard to believe that S.H.I.E.L.D. wouldn't have agents watching Stark Tower.
Then an idea struck him. If the New York teleport points were under surveillance, they could simply go somewhere else. According to Clark and the others, all forty-eight U.S. states had teleport points. And the closest one to them right now was—
"Let's go to Los Angeles," Steve said decisively to Natasha. He might not remember all six hundred-plus teleport locations worldwide, but he remembered most of the ones in the U.S.
"Then we'll probably need a car," Natasha replied calmly, fixing her gaze on a small pickup truck parked by the roadside.
She could think of the same things Steve could. Even though she didn't yet know S.H.I.E.L.D.'s exact situation, the fact that they were now hunting Steve—someone Nick Fury deeply trusted—meant one thing: S.H.I.E.L.D. could no longer be trusted.
Following her gaze, Steve noticed the pickup as well.
"Well… I guess we'll have to borrow this one for now."
As he spoke, Steve scanned the area to make sure the owner wasn't nearby, then walked toward the truck. In truth, the reason both he and Natasha had noticed it was its old-fashioned design. Older vehicles usually meant outdated anti-theft systems—and easier access.
Modern cars were typically equipped with electronic or touch-based locks. Without proper hacking tools, opening those quickly was nearly impossible. This old pickup was their best option.
"Where did Captain America learn how to steal cars?" Natasha sighed as she watched Steve deftly open the door and start the engine. She had assumed that even if a righteous old-school guy like Steve didn't stop her from stealing a car, he would at least scold her. She never expected him to be faster than she was.
"Germany," Steve replied. "And we're just borrowing it. We'll return it when the time's right. Now step on it."
As he spoke, Steve noticed Natasha casually propping her feet up on the center console, as if it were her own car, and quickly corrected her. Stealing a car already felt immoral enough to him—he felt they should at least take good care of it. After all, if nothing went wrong, they'd be driving it back to return it later.
S.H.I.E.L.D. clearly hadn't expected Steve to leave New York so quickly. There were no intercept teams at the city exits, allowing Steve and Natasha to get out without any trouble.
In fact, if Steve had been willing to call Clark, he wouldn't have needed to leave New York at all. Clark could have opened a portal and taken him away instantly.
But Steve didn't fully understand S.H.I.E.L.D.'s situation yet. From his perspective, S.H.I.E.L.D. was chasing him because he was hiding clues related to Nick Fury's "death." And it was precisely because of Fury's final words that Steve hadn't handed over the USB drive.
So, to Steve, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s pursuit didn't seem entirely unreasonable. That made him reluctant to bother Clark over it. He believed that once he reached Skull Island and decrypted the information on the USB drive, everything would become clear.
That was why Steve didn't call Clark to take him there directly. Instead, he planned to use the Skull Island teleportation system.
After all, as Avengers, both Steve and Natasha had access cards. At designated locations, a simple swipe was enough to open a portal to Skull Island.
Three hours later, Steve and Natasha arrived on Skull Island via the Avengers branch that Clark and Tony had set up in Los Angeles.
"No matter how many times I come here," Natasha said as she stepped out of the portal and looked at the surrounding stabilizers, "this place never stops being breathtaking."
In the past, every visit made her regret that Clark and Tony had never authorized S.H.I.E.L.D. to use these teleporters, claiming they wanted the Avengers to remain neutral. She hadn't expected that decision to benefit both sides today.
In truth, Natasha didn't know that Clark's refusal wasn't merely about neutrality. The real reason was that Clark understood S.H.I.E.L.D. had effectively become "H.Y.D.R.A. in disguise."
Given that HYDRA had been busy countering Clark's every move from the very beginning, there was no way he'd make things easier for them. Still, to avoid alerting HYDRA, Clark publicly maintained the stance of neutrality and refused to provide teleport access to any non-Avengers.
"Steve? Natasha? What are you doing here?"
The New Avengers base on Skull Island wasn't fully staffed yet, so the moment they arrived, Clark noticed them.
It was impossible not to. Everyone working at the base—men and women alike—were dressed in suits. Steve and Natasha were no exception, having changed clothes to avoid being tracked by S.H.I.E.L.D. Casual wear would have stood out immediately.
"Uh…"