{Later That Day}
Things didn't go as well as you hoped. After you recovered from your nightmare, you got news that along with Steve, Thor, and Andrea, Wanda also manipulated Bruce. He transformed into the Hulk and went on a rampage in the city, in which Tony had to stop him using the Hulkbuster armor codenamed Veronica.
The city suffered extensive damage, and you knew they're weren't going to be fond of the Avengers anytime soon.
You sit in the Quinjet along with the rest of the team. Ultron had uploaded himself to the internet, so even though Tony destroyed his current form in Africa, the robot had transferred himself to another body elsewhere. But before you can go looking for him and the twins again, you had to lay low.
You hold your mask with one hand and rest your face on the other. You still are trying to fully recover from the nightmare you had, it felt so real.
Tony walks up to you.
Tony: You doing all right?
You look up and nod, resting your elbows on your knees.
You: Yeah...how's Banner?
He looks over at the doctor, who's laying against the wall, filled with guilt and shame.
Tony: Big guy should be fine. I just know he thinks all of this is his fault.
You think of the twins.
You: Those two were quite a duo. They crippled us in one fell swoop. We have to watch out for them.
Tony nods, and looks over at Daryl nearby who's piloting the jet.
Tony: How's things going, Legolas?
Daryl: I'm okay, we're only a few hours out.
Tony: Few hours from where?
Daryl fixated his eyes at the sky ahead of him.
Daryl: A safe house.
• •
The Avengers walk through the dirt path and towards the wooden fence. Daryl holds onto a weakened Andrea as he opens it. You all look out of place walking through this farmstead. Steve wears his Captain America attire, Thor still has his armor, and you still have your mask on with your spider-suit. Tony is out of his Iron Man armor.
You all walk up to the porch where Daryl opens the door. He leads you all in, and calls out as you enter the living room.
Daryl: Honey? I'm home.
A pregnant lady comes into the room and sees the team. Daryl walks over to her and plants a kiss.
Daryl: Company. Sorry, didn't call ahead.
Tony gives a confused look.
Tony: This is an agent of some kind.
Daryl: Gentlemen, this is Leah.
His wife chuckles.
Leah: I know all your names.
You all hear footsteps and look over at the hallway nearby. Daryl's children run in.
Daryl: Hi, sweetheart!
Daryl carries his daughter as he also hugs his older son. Even his dog, ironically named Dog, sprints in. Tony is confused, not believing Daryl had a family this whole time.
Tony: These are...smaller agents.
The young girl also went to greet Andrea, who is like an aunt to the children.
Steve: Sorry for barging in.
Tony: Yeah, we would've called ahead but we were busy having no idea you existed.
Daryl explains how Jesus set the farm up for his family when he first joined S.H.I.E.L.D.
You and Daryl have bonded over the last three years, and he explained his past as Taskmaster to you and why he spared you the first time. His family was one reason, and he saw the face of his son when he first unmasked you.
You told him there was no hard feelings, and forgave him for the encounter years ago.
Daryl's son, Cooper, has his eyes fixated on you. You are his favorite hero. Daryl notices this.
Daryl: You gonna say hello or what?
Cooper: Uh...hi.
You: Hey. You're pretty tall. What are you like 15?
Cooper: I'm 12.
You: Wow.
Amidst the exchange, Thor walks out of the house. Steve follows.
Daryl: Cooper's gonna be a tall kid.
You: Maybe take up the mantle of Hawkeye too?
Daryl shoots a look and shakes his head.
Daryl: No...this guys gonna play basketball.
You: All right. The Knicks could use some help.
Daryl: No, he's playing for the Hawks.
Daryl grew up in Georgia, so he's a Hawks fan.
You: That's a big yikes.
Tony is still eyeing the family, a hand on his chin.
Tony: So are we sure these aren't agents?
• •
{Later That Day}
You, Steve, and Tony are chopping wood at the from of the house. You are in civilian clothes. You bring down the axe and chop the log in half. Steve and Tony proceed with theirs afterwards.
You: Thor didn't say where he was going for answers?
Steve: Sometimes my teammates don't tell me things...
He gives a look towards Daryl at his porch, hanging out with his daughter and wife. He grabs another log and places it down.
Steve: I was kind of hoping Thor would be the exception.
Tony: Yeah, give him time. We don't know what the Maximoff kid showed him.
Steve chops the wood in front of him. You grab another log and place it down.
You: Earth's Mightiest Heroes...pulled us apart like cotton candy.
Tony: Rogers seems like he walked away all right.
Steve looks up at Tony.
Steve: Is that a problem?
You: Tony...
Tony: I don't trust a guy without a dark side. Call me old fashioned.
Tony extends his arm towards you.
Tony: We all have one. Even Y/N had a black-suit phase.
You: I'd prefer to forget about it, thank you.
Steve responds to Tony's assumption about him.
Steve: Well, let's just say you haven't seen it yet.
You: You know Ultron's trying to tear us a apart, right? And you're both pointlessly arguing.
Steve glances at you and prepares to chop down at the log.
Steve: Well, I guess you'd know. Whether you tell us is the real question.
You: Come on...
Tony: Y/N, Banner, and I were doing research.
Steve: That would affect the team.
Tony: That would end the team.
There is silence for a second. Steve starts picking up a log.
Tony: Isn't that the mission? Isn't that the why we fight? So we get to go home?
Steve rips the log in half and drops the pieces on the ground.
Steve: Every time someone tries to win a war before it starts, innocent people die. Every time.
Daryl's wife, Leah, walks up to the trio.
Leah: I'm sorry. Mr. Stark, Daryl said you wouldn't mind...but our tractor doesn't start and I wanted to ask—
Tony: It's fine, I got it.
Tony nods and looks over at the two of you. He points at his pile of logs before leaving.
Tony: Don't take from my pile.
You and Steve stay behind chopping the logs.
You: I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Tony's plan.
Steve: It surprised me, really. My co-Captain keeping things from me.
You: A mistake on my part. Sometimes, I just have to trust my gut.
Steve: It's all we got, Y/N. Behind our power, is our guts.
You nod as you chop into a log.
You: Co-Captain, huh? Captain Arachnid. All I need is a vibranium shield.
Steve chuckles.
Steve: Good luck finding another one of those, son.
• •
{Later That Night}
You're on your phone having just talked with Clementine. She heard about what happened in South Africa and wanted to ask if you were okay. You put the phone in your pocket and walk into the kitchen, where you see the team sitting around with none other Jesus himself.
You: Rovia? I didn't think I'd see you this soon.
Jesus: Being in hiding gets boring after a while. Besides, my team and I had to deal with that homicidal robot you and Tony created.
You sigh and cross your arms. Jesus continues to speak.
Jesus: Ultron took you folks out of play to buy himself time. My contacts all say he's building something. The amount of vibranium he made off with, I don't think it's just one thing.
Steve: What about Ultron himself?
Jesus: Oh, he's easy to track. He's everywhere. The guy is multiplying faster than a Catholic rabbit.
Tony was by the dart board playing with Daryl.
Tony: Is he still going after launch codes?
Jesus: Yeah, he is. But he's not making too much headway. He's fixated on them, but they are constantly being changed.
Jesus further explains how it's up to you all to take down Ultron. It's up to the wit and knowledge of the Avengers.
Jesus: So outwit the platinum bastard.
Andrea glances at Steve.
Andrea: Steve doesn't like that kind of talk.
Steve chuckles.
Steve: You know what, Romanoff?
Jesus still ignores their inside joke.
Jesus: So what does he want?
You lean against the wall.
You: To become better?
Steve: Better than us. He keeps building bodies.
You: Person bodies.
Tony: The human form isn't sufficient. Biologically speaking, we're outmoded. But he keeps coming back to it.
Bruce crosses his arms and looks Daryl's daughter's drawing of a butterfly on the table.
Bruce: They don't need to be protected. They need to evolve.
He looks up at the team.
Bruce: Ultron's going to evolve.
Jesus: How?
Bruce begins to think. There was only one person the world who can attempt to create the form Ultron's always wanted.
Bruce: Has anybody been in contact with Helen Cho?