"Cap, I, uh, I didn't think you would come." Tony stutters over his words, blinking at the large figure of Captain America walking in, with the Falcon following closely behind him.
"I told you Tony, whenever you need me I'll be there." Steve Rogers nods. I do know his real name, everyone does in Brooklyn. He grew up a few blocks away from me.
"Your beard is longer." Tony notes.
"Your hair is grayer." Cap replies.
"I'd like to think the sideburns are a peppered silver." Tony throws back and Cap smiles, looking down, and then returns to his serious expression.
"It's been awhile, Tony." He says solemnly.
"I'm sorry, am I missing something? I thought you two were the best of friends." Loki comments on the obvious tension, but neither of them look over at him. They probably didn't even realize it was him who said it; they're lost in there own world right now.
"We were never friends, actually." Tony says.
"We were family." Cap adds.
"Still are I'd like to think, Cap." Tony shifts sheepishly as he stands.
"We just had a disagreement is all." Cap nods.
"And I was wrong." Tony admits.
"We both were." Steve makes sure to add, saying sorry without actually saying it.
"See? Now we agree." Tony smiles.
"If you two lovebirds are done making up can we please get on with this?" Natasha breaks them out of their little world.
"Good to see you too, Natasha." Steve smiles at her and then does a scan of the room. His eyes land on me, I tense up. He is absolutely gorgeous. He was always my favorite of the Avengers. "I'm sorry, I don't believe we've met?" He says to me and my mouth opens, but no words come out right away.
"This is Cassidy Martin, she's an enhanced. I'm training her to control her powers." Tony replies before I can.
"Well, it's nice to meet you." He nods, shaking my hand.
"You too, of course." I smile back, blushing slightly. I've met too many famous people in the last hour. I mean, I'm in a room with the Avengers.
"Hi, I'm Sam Wilson." Falcon reaches over to shake my hand as well. I smile and accept the handshake. I think I'm officially at my peak of meeting superheroes today. I feel so incredibly small and insignificant now. When it was just me and Tony, I meant something, now I just feel in the way.
"Alright, now that we're really all here and there are no more perfectly timed dramatic entrances, let's get to work guys." Tony says. He then leads the group of us to a huge conference room lined with floor to ceiling windows that overlooks the backyard on one side and a giant screen and projector on the other. I feel uncomfortable because I don't know if I'm supposed to be here, but Tony didn't tell me where else to go. I hesitantly take an empty seat towards the back of the table next to Captain America.
"I wouldn't have called you all here if we didn't have a major issue. And we all know that's Thanos." Tony says, standing at the head of the long table we all now sit at. "Even more immediately, we have the issue of the infinity stones."
"Actually, most immediately we have the evil God from hell sitting at the end of this table. Now can I ask why whatever your plans are involve Loki?" Natasha complains and Clint nods along from beside her.
"I'm getting to that Romanov, but let me explain to you what we're dealing with first." Tony says. "I've recently been in contact with Peter Quill, one of the guys that have been saving our asses up in space while we've been fighting among ourselves down here. He's learned a lot about these infinity stones. This is what he told me."
Tony then grabs a remote from the table and clicks the projector on. A small yellow gem appears on the screen.
"The mind stone. Also known as the yellow thing currently stuck in Vision's head. Clearly from what it's done for him, it's incredibly powerful. It created a consciousness, no offense Vision." Tony explains.
"None taken, I know what I am." He replies.
"Next, the space stone." Tony says, switching the slide to a blue gem, "It's what gives the Tesseract its power. Loki very graciously brought it to Earth for us. We already know what this thing can do."
Tony flicks the slide and a red gem appears, but Thor speaks first, "That's the power behind the Aether. That stone nearly killed Jane, and brought the universe into darkness."
"Yes, that's the reality stone. It warps reality itself in any way the user sees fit. I'm particularly terrified of this stone, especially considering it's sitting about five hundred feet from us in my compound, courtesy of Thor." Tony tells everyone.
"Trust me, if Asgard wasn't crumbling I wouldn't have brought it here." Thor says.
"Next is the power stone, which apparently gave Peter access to all the energy ever created, so that's cool. He doesn't have it now unfortunately, so if Thanos were to already have a stone, this one would likely be it." Tony says about a purple gem on the screen.
"Time stone is next," Tony switched the slide to a green gem, "This one is on Earth too, with sorcerer Doctor Strange on the other side of the planet. I believe it's safe with him for the time being."
"Finally, the soul stone." Tony says, and a big question mark shows up on screen. "Nobody has any idea where it is, what it does, or who has it. All Peter could find out was its name, and that it exists. Another one on Thanos' radar I bet."
"So there were two stones on Earth, and you just brought two more?" Cap adds, "Tell me how that doesn't put a gigantic target on us?"
"Yeah, and still waiting to hear why the evil step sister is here too." Clint says, referring to Loki.
"I'm aware that this isn't ideal. Ideally the stones wouldn't exist in the first place. But I'm doing the best I can with the situation at hand." Tony defends his decisions.
"Tony is right, this was our only option. I couldn't have left the stones on an abandoned Asgard, anyone could have walked in and taken them." Thor chimes in, being the only other person here who fully understands what's going on.
"I get that, but I really don't feel comfortable putting every person on Earth at risk because of this. I think we've had a hand in enough destruction here already." Natasha counters, and the room falls silent for a second.
I suddenly again have the feeling that the discussion in this room is way too big and important for my ears. I'm acutely aware that I don't belong and probably should not be here.
"Look, this is temporary, guys. I don't plan on keeping the stones in one place forever." Tony sighs.
"I'm going to start researching suitable planets for hiding the stones as soon as we're done here. But for now hopefully Tony's compound will suffice." Thor tells the room. I see Steve rubbing his forehead, his mind clearly racing, but he doesn't say anything else.
It's pretty obvious he has decided to bite his tongue on the matter. I think they all know there really isn't much to discuss, the only option is to keep the stones here until they can move them. I also have a hunch that Cap knows he shouldn't fight Tony too much right now, the tension I noticed earlier is not lost between them.
"I guess as long as nobody knows the stones are here, they're safe...and so is earth." Bruce adds, putting an end to the debate.
"Okay, well let me ask for the third time then. Why are we now keeping a pet Loki?" Clint says.
"Now, now, Barton, let's remember who was really whose pet not too long ago." Loki laughs and Clint stands, slamming his hands on the table, but Natasha extends a calm hand out and tells him to sit back down.
"What are they talking about?" I quietly ask Steve, who sits to my left.
"Loki had an infinity stone when he attacked Earth, he put Clint under mind control. Wasn't pretty." He whispers to me and my eyes widen. That must have been horrible.
"Listen here you little prick, if your big brother throws you over that fence you'll turn to ash. I would keep the comments to myself if I were you." Clint replies.
"Fair enough." Smiles Loki.
"I think what Clint is trying to get at is none of us are exactly comfortable with him being here." Natasha says, still with a hand on Clint's shoulder.
"You'd be stupid if you did feel comfortable, he's a monster." Rhodey replies, staring Loki down from across the table.
"Mind your words, he's still my brother." Thor defends Loki.
"Well no offense Thor but that hasn't meant anything in the past. It doesn't make him good." Falcon says and Thor leans forward.
"Loki is here because we need him. And I don't expect any of you to trust him, I don't even know if I do, but he truly has changed even if only slightly. He's on our side for this one." Thor says.
"He's only ever been on his own side, don't kid yourself." Natasha says.
"Guys, I get it again, I really do, but we actually need Loki's help. How many of us have ever met Thanos? Hmm? Or talked to him, or know literally anything about him? Only Loki. He's our best chance at defeating Thanos, and to be honest we're going to need all the help we can get to even dream of doing that." Tony chimes in finally.
"He's a liar, Tony. He will lie." Wanda says in a low, slow tone and then the entire room bursts into a chorus of complaints and debate.
Tony tries to get everyone to listen but it doesn't work.
Then suddenly, Loki stands, and all heads turn to him. The Avengers fall silent.
"Listen, i'm not suggesting I want to help you all, but in the interest of self preservation and with the knowledge that you'd probably just kill me or lock me up in a cell if I was useless to you, Tony is correct." Loki begins, "I know Thanos. You've all fought beasts, but none like him before. His resolve knows know ends. He will come, and when he does you will need every advantage you can think of to have a chance at beating him."
"How can you possibly know Thanos?" Clint says after a momentary pause throughout the room.
"How do you think I got an infinity stone? How do you think I got command of an entire alien army to try and take over Earth? I may be charming, but I'm not that charming. Thanos and I had a deal, Earth for the Tesseract. He's assembling...never mind." Loki begins, but stops when he realizes he's not sure what he should let us all know just yet. He must be bartering his information, so it will last him as long as he needs it to for his safety.
"What? Assembling what?" Cap speaks, but Loki pauses, looking conflicted.
"Loki, please." Thor says in an urgent and begging tone.
Loki sighs and says, "The infinity gauntlet."
"What is that?" Clint demands.
"Oh, so now you need me, Barton?" Loki grins.
"Someone hand me my bow. Then let's see how much smack he talks." He responds and Natasha chuckles, again putting a hand on his shoulder to calm him down.
"The infinity gauntlet, if you're quite finished, is the most powerful weapon in the universe. It gives the user unlimited and unchallenged power. They become...more than a God. They become the universe itself. The gauntlet was dismembered long ago, but Thanos is seeking to reassemble it. He will succeed, that is almost certain. He has the gauntlet, and he's looking for the stones." Loki says, and the room falls silent as everyone intently listens to him.
The same thing flashes through all of our minds, I imagine. Death, and destruction. The universe coming to an end.
"Listen, guys, for once can we not be the Avengers? Can we not wait until the Earth is rubble to avenge it? Why can't we defend it instead?" Tony says.
"He's right." Cap replies, and everyone turns to him, "For now, this is the way things have to be."
Once he says it, the debate feels over. I get the sense that Tony and Steve are usually the two biggest presences in a room, and once they agree on something, that something is the way things are. Everyone else nods in agreement, confirming my theory.
"Okay, then that's that." Clint says, standing up.
Everyone follows his lead, and begins to file out of the room.
"Good work team, your rooms are where they always are." Tony shouts over the chatter as we all make our way to the living area to relax after a long and intense debate.
I let everyone else leave the room before I do, but I see that Cap hangs back with me. For some reason he walks beside me as we leave behind everyone else.
"Cassidy, right?" He smiles down at me. God, is he beautiful.
"Yeah." I reply, at a loss for more words.
"Where are you from, Cassidy?" He asks and I smile.
"Brooklyn." I tell him, and his face lights up.
"No kidding, so am I." He laughs, "You're not from Brooklyn Heights are you?"
"Yes! Right by the bridge." I say and we both brighten up at the mention of our shared home. I know this man is a stranger, and an incredibly important person, but he feels comforting in this moment. Like a little piece of home.
"I miss it terribly." I add.
"I do too. What's keeping you here?" He asks.
"I don't exactly have control over myself yet." I tell him, flipping over my palms to show him the shiny metal gashes that run across my skin.
"I'm really sorry to hear that. Are you in school?" Steve pats my shoulder in a comforting way, and it takes everything in me to not giggle like a child. I may blush a little bit.
Come on, it's Captain America.
"I was, I had to stop for this. I was just about to graduate college." I laugh dryly to hide my pain.
"I'm sure you'll get there, you don't seem like the defeated type." He reassures me and I smile. "Well it was nice to meet you for real, Cassidy. I think I need a nap or something. Being a fugitive is tiring." He jokes, though I'm quite certain he's serious.
"Nice to meet you too, Captain Rogers." I reply.
"Please, call me Steve." He tells me and I grin. Then he walks into his room, and leaves me foolishly standing in the hallway. Wow.
He is genuinely the nicest person I have ever met. I bet he could tell how utterly out of place I was, and he wanted to make me feel better, or at least feel noticed.
I go into my room and plan on relaxing for a few hours like Tony said we should, but barely an hour later I hear people chatting and moving about outside my door. I'm guessing these people aren't very good at relaxing.
I stay put though. Everything feels different now that it's not just me and Tony. I don't want to bother him, or take up his time when he's clearly busy with more important things.
I sit in my room staring out the window for what must be two or three hours, until a thought pops into my head. My powers. Well, maybe I can still get in a training session after all.
I stand up and walk to the door, then I go invisible before quickly stepping out into the hall. Only Sam and Steve sit in the living room, and neither of them seemed to notice me.
Suddenly, Steve looks in my direction and stands, walking quickly over to me. My heart skips a beat and I look down, but I'm still invisible. Then I hear someone approaching from behind me and realize Cap must be walking towards them. I turn and see Thor, who Cap pulls aside in the hallway.
"You know Loki is going to try and steal them once we gather the stones." Cap says in a low tone.
"I do know that, but I also know we can't get them and stop Thanos without him in the first place." Thor replies, also using a hushed voice.
"I don't trust him." Cap sighs.
"That's probably wise." Thor tells him honestly and Cap nods. The two see Tony and Banner walking towards them and quickly disperse, as if nothing happened.
It wasn't a particularly juicy conversation, but I still feel guilty for eavesdropping. I walk away to go find a hidden spot to shift back in, when I notice someone else phasing into sight. Loki.
He was spying on them too. He smiles and shakes his head before walking back into the living room as well, as though he heard nothing. He really is as crafty as they say.
I watch him walk away before phasing back in myself, and then I quickly hurry to my room before anyone sees me. I don't think I'll be doing that again. I want these people to like and trust me, after all.
I sit in my room for what feels like hours and hours after this, because I quickly realize if I don't have Tony's undivided attention I have nothing to do. The sun sets, and in the darkness I hear something I didn't expect to. Laughter.
I look outside to see that everyone has gathered in the backyard, and they're all hanging out underneath the stars by the light of a few fires and lampposts. They look like they're all having fun, and I've been cooped up here all day, so maybe I'll go join them. I walk out into the living room and almost reach the backdoor when I realize how awkward I'll feel out there. Like the odd man out.
I decide to go invisible again. Not to spy on them, but just to get some fresh air and some distance. All I want to be right now is invisible.
Once I shift, I'm able to sneak outside without being seen. I climb onto a low laying part of the roof above the backyard patio, stepping onto the table to help me climb and pushing off of the metal table frame to boost me up with my powers. I sit with my legs tucked close to my chest and my head resting on my knees, gazing out at the scene in front of me.
Tony walks out, carrying Captain America's iconic shield; only it's noticeably different. It has been painted black, but you can still see the star outlined underneath. Everyone stops what they're doing and watches him approach Steve.
"Cap, I think I have something of yours. Sorry about the paint job, I had a mini episode of rage and the cheerful red, white, and blue was really pissing me off." He says, extending the shield to Steve, who doesn't take it.
"Tony, you don't have to-" He begins.
"Yes, I do. My father gave this shield to you, Steve. He wouldn't have done that for no reason." Tony says.
Cap still hesitates.
"Look, I'm not giving this to you because you need it. You're Captain America with or without it. But I have a feeling we'll be doing a lot of ass kicking in the next few months, and this thing sure would help. It's really more for my benefit than yours, anyways." Tony starts talking endlessly like he always does, trying to make this generous act seem less so.
He really hates being perceived as kind and giving. I think he secretly likes the assumption that he's some rude and selfish billionaire, because then when he actually acts like that nobody can be let down. That's how I thought he was, anyways. Now I know who he really is, and I couldn't have been more wrong. Not even Tony Stark level sarcasm and dryness can hide his big heart.
"Thank you, Tony." Cap smiles, finally taking the shield, "And I'm sorry. About your parents, about the accords...about everything."
"I know you are Cap. I know. It's good to have you back." Tony extends a hand for him to shake, but Cap takes it and pulls him in for a hug instead. The other Avengers all clap and whistle jokingly at the spectacle, and a smile crosses my lips. It dawns on me that Tony just gave Cap his shield back, implying there was a reason he didn't have it before. I wonder what happened between them.
As I look upon these two old friends coming together again, somebody else crosses my mind. My old friend.
Dylan.