We're Still Here - Captain America Fanfic

27. The New Mission

Steve and Lucy had stayed in the training room until noon either practicing their fighting skills or talking about random topics. Neither of them thought to bring up a topic such as Bucky or Ultron. Lucy had gotten Steve to practice hand to hand combat with her though he had refused at first saying he 'would never hit a woman.'

"I think you've got the wrong person, Rogers," Lucy stated with a small laugh. Even though they were slightly close in height, she felt small compared to him, but took him down in a matter of seconds. When the two had gone back to the main floor they each took a shower and changed into clean clothes all before Tony spoke to them saying there was going to be a team meeting. The Avengers gathered into the lab, the hole in the wall still covered by a tarp, but starting to look fixed in some way.

"Sokovia is our new mission," Tony simply spoke as he walked in carrying a manila folder.

"What do you mean by that?" Clint questioned as he stood closest to Tony but next to Lucy.

"Two threats to us but civilians think they're heroes. Captain, Agent, if knowledge serves me right both of you have gotten a taste of Hydra's medicine when it comes to the Winter Soldier."

"They're not the only ones," Natasha spoke earning a look from both Steve and Lucy. Tony blinked in confusion, but turned to the computer bringing up CCTV footage and pictures of the groups apparent targets.

"Wanda and Pietro Maximoff," he spoke. "They work for Hydra."

"No kidding," Lucy mumbled.

"They've been experimented on, but in ways that seem unnatural," Bruce stated taking his glasses off.

"How?"

"Loki's scepter."

"You mean to say Hydra has a weapon in their possession that's as powerful as the Tesseract?" Steve asked sort of as a reassurance.

"What do you expect? You and Lucy where around when Hydra compromised S.H.I.E.L.D. which had taken the scepter after the Chitauri attack. They had easy access to the scepter, no harm done."

"But there was harm done when they compromised S.H.E.I.L.D.," Tony stated keeping an eye on his cousin.

"Can we get back to the mission business?" Thor questioned speaking up earning everyone's attention. "Please?"

"I agree with Thor," Lucy said. "What is our purpose of going to Sokovia?"

"Ultron," the good doctor simply stated. "He must've manipulated them in some way to make them help him."

"So, these kids are only our enemies because they were experimented on by Hydra and are now working with a crazy homicidal robot created by, I don't want to point fingers but, him?" Lucy made her statement seem less subtle when she quickly pointed to Tony.

"They possess a power unlike anything we know of. We as a group only knew of the scepter being able to brainwash a person, not give them powers. Sorry for bringing that up, Clint."

Agent Barton held his hand up waving off the comment, "It's fine."

"As of right now, the only thing we know is the Maximoff boy has the ability of superhuman speed," Tony informed. "There isn't anything known about the girl, though. If we knew them, I would suggest they should go to Xavier's school."

"So we're meddling with something we don't understand?" Thor questioned.

"Well, I'm sure our old fashioned pals know something about Hydra experimenting."

"What are you trying to get at, Stark?" Steve asked, his head tilted to the side and arms crossed over his chest.

"You know," the scientist replied walking toward Steve. "Your little friend Bucky? I read about him. I was even lucky enough to hack Hydra without detection for any information on the Winter Soldier dude you fought. He was experimented on. And so was your friend."

"You're right, he was. But really, how is this relevant to the topic of these Maximoff kids?"

"Because they're affiliated with Hydra. And you two should know more about Hydra than we do." At the moment Tony got in Steve's face, Lucy became fed up with the two arguing.

"It's been 70 years, Tony," she spoke as she walked over and stood between the two. "Hydra, not to mention the world, has changed. We don't know how bad they've gotten, and S.H.I.E.L.D. being compromised doesn't help. And there's no reason you should be bringing the Winter Soldier into this if he didn't do anything to you!" Lucy felt a pang of guilt hit her as she said the last few words. She clearly knew that Hydra was the reason for her cousin and wife's death - Tony's own parents. Anger welled up inside Tony at her defending of Hydra's top assassin, the only hint of it being in his eyes.

"We all have something we regret," Lucy continued. "There's always a dark part of our past which can't be forgotten." Tony didn't answer but simply backed away. The whole group was silent. Steve, who stood behind Lucy, knew she was right about everyone having a dark part in their past. But it made him want to know the unknown about her. What was the dark part about her past he hadn't known?

Natasha decided to speak up, "When do we leave for Sokovia?"

"I was looking forward to tomorrow night," Tony replied. "Give us time to get ready in the day."

"Well, I have no plans tomorrow night," Steve said looking to Tony. The rest of the Avengers agreed with the Captain in a similar way.

"Then we leave tomorrow."

"What about Harley?" Lucy questioned wanting to know what the boy will do when they're gone.

"He knows how to be on his own. Unless he's so attached to you that he doesn't want to be alone."

"He has no way of protecting himself if any sentients attack the building. And that potato gun won't help."

"He could help us in some way," Bruce suggested.

"How?" Thor asked.

"Computer things?" Lucy proposed. "Lately I've seen him doing some programming on my laptop. I think it was the first time he ever did anything like that, but he caught on quickly."

"He even helped me rebuild a suit of mine and even track down The Mandarin," Tony noted slightly regretting, for his own sake, mentioning The Mandarin with all that happened, and almost loosing Pepper.

"Well it would be too dangerous to bring a kid on the mission," Clint began saying, "Maybe we could leave him here, but with a high security system or something."

"I still need to add one more detail to Jarvis's system after what happened. If I can finish that tonight, then Harley will stay here. So there's nothing for you to worry about, Lucky."

"I'm not worried," Lucy lied. "I just don't want him being alone."

"He's not going to be alone."

"Tony, the reason I offered him a home here is because his mother left him a year ago. I offered him a family if he helped me get back to mine."

"He's not going to be alone," Tony reassured again. "You can count on it."

"I hope you're not wrong."