I haven't spoken to Steve or Sam for around two years now, which has given me time to think over everything that happened. I still have no idea where James is though. I've been keeping in contact with Pietro, who is in Edinburg with Wanda and Vision. Clint and Scott are still choosing to be on house arrest in order to protect their families from danger.
On the other half of the dilemma, Tony is at the compound with Rhodey, Peter's back in Queens but occasionally comes to the compound for the Stark Internship, Natasha's back from finding her family in Russia, T'Challa is back with his family in Wakanda, and Vision is with Wanda.
Both Bruce and Thor have been missing since Sokovia – Banner got stuck in a Quinjet as the Hulk and disappeared, whereas Thor went 'on a journey through space.'
I met with Natasha this morning at a coffee shop in Brooklyn. I did suggest to have the compound as the meeting place but she told me she wants to avoid anyone who could get her arrested.
"Do you remember Yelena?" She asks.
"I have vague memories of her," I say, "why?"
"Well, I found her. And Alexie. And Melina."
"In Russia?"
"Yeah," she says, "oh, and we brought down the Red Room."
"I saw about that," I nod, sipping my drink, "good job."
"Thanks." She smiles.
"Dreykov wasn't dead, by the way." Nat continues.
"I thought Shield-"
"Yeah, me too," she sighs, "turns out Dreykov turned his daughter into this 'Taskmaster' who can mimic your every move too."
"That's... terrifying."
"The Red Room were chemically conditioning their Agents instead of psychologically conditioning them, like they did with me. So, after we took them down, Yelena's been around the world setting the Widows free."
"That's great," I say, "she didn't seem that interested in anything when I first met her, but then to be fair, she was in the Red Room."
"I found her in the Budapest safehouse Clint and I used a few years back." Nat states.
"Why were you there?" I ask.
"Clint and I stayed there while Shield sent us on the mission to get rid of Dreykov. We had to hide out in vents in a station for a week before we could move."
"That must have been hard."
"It was. We got through it though."
"Has anything exciting happened to you?" Nat asks.
"I haven't spoken to Steve for two years, so I guess that could count." I chuckle.
"How come?"
"Hydra related stuff," I answer, "I don't really want to go into detail."
"Fair enough."
We continue talking for an hour or so before the coffee shop starts to get busy. Nat heads off in a cab to 'find Cap,' while I make my way back to the compound. I was offered to go with her, but I decided not to.
~
Back at the compound, I'm sitting in the lab and stitching up a few small rips on my suit, when Bruce stumbles slightly into the room.
"Banner," I say, putting my stuff down and rushing over to him, "oh my- are you ok?"
"Yeah, yeah," he replies shakily, "I'm ok."
"What happened? Where have you been?"
"It's uh... it's a very long story." He chuckles.
"Have we got time for it?" I ask.
"I don't think so," he sighs, pointing to the message Rhodes sent, "go on."
"Alright," I nod, "I'll be back."
"Still no word from Vision?" Ross asks from the hologram call he's on.
"Satellites lost him somewhere over Edinburgh." Rhodes answers.
"On a stolen quinjet with four of the world's most wanted criminals." Ross argues.
"They're only criminals because you've chosen to call them that." I point out, joining Rhodey.
"Why aren't you in prison like the others, Emerson?" Ross asks.
"I have my ways." I smirk and sit on a chair in the corner of the room.
"If the Accords weren't a thing," Rhodes continues, talking to Ross, "Vision would be here."
"I remember you signing those, Colonel." Ross says.
"I'm pretty sure I've paid for that."
"Have you got second thoughts?"
"Not anymore." Rhodey sighs.
Quickly after, Steve, Natasha, Sam, Pietro, Wanda and Vision walk into the conference room, joining Rhodes and I.
"Mr Secretary." Steve nods to Ross' hologram.
"You've got some nerve coming here." Ross says.
"You could use that right now." Nat adds.
"You think all is forgiven?" Ross asks Steve.
"I'm not looking for forgiveness, and I'm way past asking for permission," Steve informs, "Earth just lost her best defender, so we're here to fight. If you want to stand in our way... we'll fight you too."
"Arrest them, Rhodes." Ross says.
"Sure," Rhodes rolls his eyes and turns off the hologram, "it's great to see you, Cap."
"It's great to see you too, Rhodey." Steve nods.
"You guys look like crap." I say.
"Thanks, Laurie." Steve laughs.
"The hotels weren't exactly five stars." Sam chuckles.
"I think you guys look great," Bruce shuffles into the room, "yeah, I'm back."
"Hi." Nat says softly.
"Hey." Bruce sighs.
"Laurie." Steve walks over to me.
"Tough guy." I nod. The two of us stand in an awkward silence for a little while.
"Come here." Steve laughs and pulls me into a hug.
"English!" Pietro runs over to me and hugs me once Steve has walked off.
"Speedy!" I shout back at him, "how have you been?"
"Not too bad," he smiles, "Scotland is great. A beautiful city."
"I'm glad to hear it." I smile back. After, I hug both Sam and Nat before we move into the room next to us.
"After the while Accords situation," Nat begins, "Clint and Scott went on house arrest. The job was too tough on their families."
"Who's Scott?" Bruce asks.
"Ant-Man." Steve informs.
"Wait, there's an Ant-Man and a Spider-Man?"
"Yeah." I laugh.
"Look, Thanos has the biggest army in the universe," Banner continues, "he's not going to stop until... he gets Vision's stone."
"Well, we gotta protect it," Nat says, "right?"
"We have to destroy it," Vision says as everyone turns their heads to him, "if it were exposes to an equally powerful energy source, it could be destroyed."
"No." Wanda says stubbornly.
"It's the only way," Viz continues, "one life cannot stand in the way of defeating Thanos."
"But it should." Steve contributes.
"Captain," Vision beings again, "you laid down your life to save millions of people. Why is this time any different?"
"Because you might have the choice. Cap didn't," I say, "Vision, your mind is made up of a complex construct of overlays. Multiple parts mixed together, learning from each other."
"If we take the stone, there's still a whole lot of Vision left." Bruce adds.
"Can we do that?" Natasha asks.
"Not us. Not here." I say about Bruce and I.
"Well, we better find someone and somewhere fast," Rhodey says, "Ross isn't exactly going to let you guys move back in."
"I know somewhere." Steve states.
"Where?" Pietro questions.
"Wakanda," Cap replies, "after Siberia, I took Bucky there, and T'Challa has been helping him. The Wakandan army could be useful, and so could their tech."
"Let's get going then." Natasha says and the group leave for Wakanda.