It was now the new year. January was upon us and the team and I were back into our secret missions with what was left of SHIELD. I really needed to come up with a new name. We were slowly building our team back up but I got to specifically choose all my agents and it was kept small and a secret.
I guess we were just the Avengers but even so, it was new. We were currently in Sokovia and taking down HYDRA's main base. I was so happy to finally and hopefully abolish this cult that had been pestering me since 1945.
Tony was flying up to the base in his suit, the rest of us were making our way on foot fighting the soldiers who had made their way out the base to fight us off.
I look up just in time to see Tony hit a forcefield.
"Shit!" He shouted through our coms.
"Language!" Steve clapped back making me giggle.
"JARVIS, what's the view from upstairs?" I ask.
"The central building is protected by some kind of energy shield. Strucker's technology is well beyond any other HYDRA base we've taken."
"Loki's scepter must be here. Strucker couldn't mount this defense without it. At long last." Thor informed us.
I was running across the land using my pistols to hit men in long range. I then threw a grenade over to a vehicle watching it explode and kill all the men on there before I ran over to my next victims.
""At long last" is lasting a little long, boys." Nat said over coms.
"I agree." I breathed out. All this running was making me tired. I don't care if I'm a super soldier, I. Don't. Like. Running.
But Steve got to the bike before me.
"Yeah. I think we lost the element of surprise." Clint grunted as I passed him, helping him kill some soldiers.
"You think?" I replied.
"Wait a second. No one else is going to deal with the fact that Cap just said "language?"" Tony asked making me laugh out again.
"I know. It just slipped out." Steve said as he drove his bike right over to where I was before throwing it at an oncoming vechile causing an explosion.
"Thanks." I breath out wanting to catch my breath.
"Anytime." He smirks at me before fighting alongside me.
I carry on fighting with Steve until I hear Nat's panicked voice over coms.
"Clint's hit."
Just as she said that a blur of blue and silver flashes before my eyes and before I know it I'm laying on the ground with Steve, after falling hard, from my feet being swept off the ground.
"We have an enhanced in the field." I tell them getting up and helping Steve up to.
"Somebody want to deal with that bunker?" Nat asked. Before I can set off in that direction I see Hulk coming in and he barrels through the bunker and destroys it.
"Thank you." Nat and I both say sweetly.
I turn back around and kick a soldier in the chest as he charged at me, sending him flying into a tree. Steve isn't that far from me.
"Stark, we really need to get inside." Steve told Tony through his communicator.
"I'm closing in." Tony states.
A few seconds later he blows up the forcefield on the base.
"Drawbridge is down, people." He tells us.
"The enhanced?" I hear a booming voice next to me and turn slightly to see the long haired God beside me.
"He's a blur. All the new player's we've faced, I've never seen this. In fact, I still haven't." Steve told Thor.
"I have. Be careful of them, we still don't know the power they hold. Only interact if you need to until we get more information." The boys nod at me and we make our way further over to the base.
"Clint's hit pretty bad, guys. We're gonna need evac." Nat tells us.
"I can get Barton to the jet. The sooner we're gone the better. You, Lady Ali and Stark secure the scepter." I roll my eyes at Thor's nickname for me.
"Copy that." Steve said before grabbing my hand and pulling me along as we went into the base.
"It looks like they're lining up." Thor spoke, referring to the approaching soldiers in the HYDRA tank.
"Well, they're excited." I deadpan.
I then duck down as Thor pounds on Steve's shield with his hammer, resulting a wave of force to knock down all the soldiers.
"Find the scepter." Thor yells before flying off as I stand up again.
"And for gosh sake, watch your language!" Tony says making me giggle at Steve's expression.
"That's not going away anytime soon." He sighs while smiling at me.
"We're locked down out here." Nat tells me.
"Then get to Banner, time for a lullaby." I tell her as I walk through the corridors of the HYDRA base.
Just as I turn a corner I find Strucker coming out of one of the rooms. I place my hands on my hips and look to him. He smiles as he turns to face me.
"Ah, Miss Allison Smith. Golden child of America. I must say, if it's not to bold, you are almost as beautiful and talented as your reputation proceeds you." He smiled sickly making me want to gag.
"Baron Strucker. Hydra's number one thug." I state numbly.
"Technically, I'm a thug for SHIELD." He replied.
"Well then technically you're unemployed. Where's Loki's scepter?" I demand.
"Don't worry, I know when I'm beat. You'll mention how I cooperated, I hope." He spoke but I saw the flicker of his gaze turn else where and turned to see the other enhanced behind me. She quickly knocked me down and she leaves causing me to groan in frustration. I had them both.
"We have a second enhanced. Female. Do not engage." I say into my coms.
I look back over to Strucker who is smiling.
"You'll have to be faster than-" He started but was cut off mid-sentence by Steve's shield, knocking him out. I smile over to him.
"Couldn't have done that earlier?" I ask him.
"Guys, I got Strucker." He said into coms rolling his eyes at me.
"Yeah, I got... something bigger. Thor, I got eyes on the prize." Tony replied to us making us both look at each other in relief.
We soon were all back on the Quinjet. We had the sceptre. The only thing we didn't have was the enhanced but Maria was already at the tower getting entail on them.
I walked over to Steve and hugged him. He hugged me back and placed a kiss on my neck.
"You alright?" He asked me.
"Yeah I'm just tired." I smile up at him.
"Well it's been a long day." He replies with the same smile.
We walked over to where Thor was looking at the sceptre. Tony sooner joined us. I found the sceptre interesting, there was something special about it and I wanted to study it.
"It feels good, yeah? I mean, you've been after this thing since SHIELD collapsed. Not that I haven't enjoyed our little raiding parties, but..." Tony spoke making me smile over to him.
"No, but this... this brings it to a close." Thor said making me nod my head. He was right, this was our main goal and we accomplished that, so after this I was planning to completely focus on SHIELD again with the help of Nick and Steve.
"As soon as we find out what else this has been used for. I don't just mean weapons. Since when is Strucker capable of human enhancement?" Steve asked.
"HYDRA have been obsessed with the idea of creating people beyond the incapable. After seeing us all come together and create a team publicly it practically became their mission to one up us. Always be on top." I told the three men.
"Banner, Sunny and I'll give it the once before it goes back to Asgard. Is that cool with you? I mean, just a few days until the farewell party. You're staying right?" Tony asked as Thor nods.
"Yes, yes, of course. A victory should be honored with revels." Thor chuckled.
"Yeah. Who doesn't love revels. Captain?" I glare at Tony and jab him in the ribs making him whine and tap me back.
"Hopefully this puts an end to the Chitauri and HYDRA, so. Yes, revels." Steve agreed making me chuckle slightly.
Steve and I were never one for parties. We were much more anti-social and just enjoyed each other's company.
"I was hoping our revel could be your wedding but-"
"It's not ready yet." Steve and I both sang as we cut my Godson off making him roll his eyes.
"We're not rushing anything Tony." Steve told him.
"Especially not for your benefit of a party." I add making Tony sigh and clutch his chest dramatically.
"You wound me Sunny. Right here." He said pointing to his heart.
"You'll come back for our wedding though, won't you Thor?" I ask my God friend.
"Why yes of course Lady Allison! I wouldn't miss it for the world." Thor boomed making me smile as I took Steve's hand in mine.
We soon landed at the Avengers tower in New York and Clint is taken by Dr. Cho immediately to have his wounds tended to. Maria walks up to Tony, Steve and I.
"Lab's all set up, boss." She told Tony.
"Uh, actually, he's the boss. I just pay for everything, and design everything and make everyone look cooler." Tony said pointing to Steve.
"Actually I think she's the boss." Steve disagreed pointing to me making me roll my eyes and turn to Maria.
"What's the word on Strucker?" I ask.
"NATO's got him." She told me.
"The two enhanced?"
"Wanda and Pietro Maximoff. Twins. Orphaned at ten when a shell collapsed their apartment building. Sokovia's had a rough history. It's nowhere special but it's on the way to everywhere special." She said as her, Steve and I walked into the tower and she showed us the twins on her tablet clearly.
"Their abilities?" Steve asked.
"He's got increased metabolism and improved thermal homeostasis. Her thing is neural electric interfacing, telekinesis, mental manipulation." I nodded in understanding but Steve looks at Maria funny, making me rephrase it for him.
"He's fast and she's weird." I deadpan making him nod.
"Well, they're going to show up again." Steve said.
"Agreed. File says they volunteered for Strucker's experiments. It's nuts." Maria said as she turned the tablet over.
"Right. What kind of monster would let a German scientist experiment on them to protect their country?" Steve asked rhetorically.
"We're not at war, Captain."
"They are." Steve spoke before walking off making me smile at Maria before following him in.