THE SUN HAD STARTED to set. Y/N placed his keys down on the counter near the apartment door as he entered.
There was no need to switch on the lights, since the large pane glass windows in the living room lit up the room. Y/N was lucky enough to acquire a place like this several months ago. There was a time when he wondered how he'd get by financially, since his only source of income was cut off with the downfall of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Word got out to Y/N that a new S.H.I.E.L.D team was being formed, but he thought it'd be best to simply stay with the Avengers and work with them. Besides, just like Maria Hill, authorities were after Y/N for the events that happened a year ago in Washington D.C. As long as he was close to Tony Stark, his team's lawyers would keep them away.
A part of Y/N thought Pepper Potts scared them too.
Y/N sat on the sofa, putting his hands on his face as he took a breath. Lots of things were going on at the time.
Yesterday, he went with the Avengers to take down HYDRA soldiers in Sudan, lead by a doctor named Jensen. The mission was so sudden, as Natasha had J.A.R.V.I.S inform them about it while she did recon there. They took the Quinjet and flew there to assist her.
The Avengers got back early in the morning today, and Y/N took most of the rest of the day simply getting as much sleep as he could. Right now, he had just got back from an evening jog.
He got up from the sofa and started making his way into his room. Y/N figured it was time for a shower. Before he can begin undressing, his cellphone rings.
He picked it up from his nightstand and looked at it. It was a call from Steve. The super-soldier rarely called to simply chit-chat at that time of day, so he figured it was important.
"Steve? I see you've figured your way around a mobile phone." Y/N joked.
Steve chuckled on the other end of the call, "Come on, I woke up three years ago. I had plenty of time to learn."
"I'm surprised you had the time based on what happened these last few years."
"Yeah, it's kept me from catching up on the Dodgers, which I still don't understand why they moved to Los Angeles."
Y/N let out a chuckle of his own, maybe he'll explain it to him one day. "So, what's this about?"
"I'm calling everyone back to the tower. Can you make it?"
Y/N sighed as he sat on the edge of his bed.
"I was about to shower. What's so important that I should refrain from enjoying my evening bliss?"
There was silence for a moment, and then Steve replied.
"We found Strucker. He has the scepter."
• • •
INSIDE AVENGERS TOWER, Y/N entered the large office. He saw the sun still setting through the big window that wrapped around the room.
The agent must've arrived early, since the only members in the office were Tony and Steve. They looked over at their fellow Avengers' team member and greeted him.
"Hey, kid. Glad you could make it. Drink?" Tony asked, as he began pouring himself drink on the table.
"I'm fine. Thanks, Tony." They sit down at the table. "Must be early. Where's everybody else?"
"Romanoff's here. I already called the rest of the team so they should be on their way." Steve replied.
Tony looked at Steve as he took a sip from his glass.
"Are you sure you don't want some?"
"No, I told you earlier."
"Come on, you know the Prohibition era is over, Captain."
"Yes. I know."
Y/N listened in on their exchange. Tony snickered, since he always loved making jokes about Steve's age. Rogers was only a teenager during that era.
Natasha arrived soon after, walking by the agent.
"L/N. Good to see you."
"Romanoff."
She went over to a chair and sat in it, putting her legs up on the table. Tony noticed this.
"Remember how proper you were as my assistant those years ago? Is there still a part of that in there somewhere?" Tony asked.
"Remember how much of an asshole you were those years ago?" Natasha tilted her head and smiled. "Oh wait, you still are."
Tony laughed and looked at Y/N, pointing at Natasha. "See, my aura is rubbing off on her. Feisty."
"That's just her giving a great comeback, Tones." He replied.
A while after, the rest of the team arrived. This included Bruce, Clint, and Thor. They all greeted each other as Tony began projecting a hologram at the center of the table.
It was an interactive, overheard shot of a HYDRA facility. Beside the image were also two other pictures, one of Wolfgang von Strucker and of Loki's scepter.
"Agent Hill informed us about Strucker and his whereabouts. It's a research facility in Sokovia, where he also does his experiments." Steve explained.
"Experiments?" Bruce asked.
"It looks like they're experimenting with the scepter. Who knows what they're trying to do?"
Thor's booming voice caught the attention of the team.
"We'll take it from them before we can find out, then bring it back to Asgard where it belongs."
Y/N looked at the image of the scepter in the hologram. That single weapon wielded by Loki almost destroyed New York City. They had to get it out of HYDRA's grasp.
Clint crosses his arms. "So, what's the game-plan?"
Before their leader, Captain America, could give his insight, Tony started explaining his own plan.
"I say we blitz them." Tony slammed his left fist against his right palm. "A surprise attack they won't expect."
Natasha put her feet down and sat up. "A surprise?"
Y/N chimed in. "Strucker seeing three master assassins, a demigod, super-soldier, jolly green, and a flying metal-man coming at him should do the trick."
Bruce does a double take. "Jolly green?"
"Sorry."
Steve continued to speak.
"We have to get past their perimeter. Once we deal with the soldiers there, there's gonna be more at the base itself. We have to prepare for that."
Tony turned to face Steve. "Thanks, Captain...obvious. It was pretty much the same back in Sudan."
"Cap's got a point. Jensen didn't have the scepter. Strucker does. He's gonna have way more muscle." Y/N said.
Steve gave a smirk at Tony, who simply rolled his eyes.
"We should get ready. We fly to Sokovia first thing tomorrow morning."
Y/N raised his brow at Steve's remark. "Tomorrow?"
Steve nodded. Y/N rubbed the back of his neck.
"I still need to get my suit dry cleaned."