𝙼𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝙼𝚊𝚗𝚒𝚙𝚞𝚕𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 ~ Steve Rogers

Did You Miss Me? ~ 17

An hour unfolds. The Avengers have coalesced once again in the rec room. Tony, Bruce, and Steve are now alert, the two former, occupying seats scattered across the room, grappling with the lingering effects of their involuntary slumber. Peter, Sam, Natasha, and Clint are also present. Clint leans casually against the exit, shoulder to the wall, catching up on recent events from Natasha.

"Stark, something infiltrated your system," Barton informs the team. He recalls, noticing the computer, after assisting Peter in moving the unconscious scientists from the room. Retrieving the drive from the port, he handed it over to Bruce as soon as he regained consciousness. "When we discovered you and this Eva, your computer had completed the upload from that device."

Tony slouches into his seat, a defeated posture, his hand covering his face as he inhales deeply. Bruce, lost in contemplation, idly toys with the drive in his grasp, while the others silently convey their reactions.

"Well, it doesn't take a genius to deduce what it might be," Tony mutters resignedly behind his hand, fully aware of the ominous nature of Eva's upload.

"It's been an hour, Tony. If Ultron had infiltrated, we would know it by now," Bruce counters, perplexed by the absence of any signs of Ultron's presence.

"Can't we remove the data and be done with it?" Peter interjects, nervously rubbing his palms together, the tension of the situation keeping him on edge.

"It's a ghost file," Bruce elucidates, prompting a disappointed nod from Peter, who is well-acquainted with the implications. Bruce elaborates for those in the room seeking clarification, "Locating it will be like trying to find a virtual needle in a virtual haystack." The scientist's frown deepens as he successfully ejects the microchip from the drive in his hand. "Not to mention, it will be heavily encrypted," he adds, his attention now solely on the chip rather than the team.

"So, are we just going to give up, letting Eva win?" Sam questions, his expression a mirror of the collective silence that envelops the group. Positioned near the dining table, he gazes at each member in turn, seeking a response.

Steve, stationed on the opposite side of the room, has been observing the bustling New York streets through the expansive wall-length windows. Sam's inquiry draws his attention, and he turns around. "We're not giving up, nor are we letting Eva win, Sam," Rogers asserts, sighing as he walks over to the team. "After all this, we still have no idea what we are dealing with one hundred percent."

Tony withdraws his hand from his face, deadpanning at the super soldier. "We're dealing with your fanatic, infiltrating my compound, and making us look like a bunch of idiots, Rogers."

"Speak for yourself, Tony," Natasha retorts, rolling her eyes simultaneously with Steve. Tony sighs and leans forward, rising from his seat, signaling a need for a drink.

Natasha strolls over to retrieve the drive from Banner, who hands it over willingly. She inserts it into a laptop she had just been tinkering with. At that moment, a faint groan emanates from the other side of the room. The group turns to witness Evangeline, shifting in the seat where Peter had placed her, securely restrained.

Instinctively, Peter moves toward Eva, but Sam extends an arm, shaking his head slowly. "Parker, no."

Evangeline realizes she's been situated in an armchair, her hands bound behind her back and her feet tied together at the ankles. Opening her eyes to darkness, she furrows her brow upon realizing she's been blindfolded. Clearing her throat, Eva adjusts to a more comfortable position.

"Ce n'est pas la meilleure façon de se réveiller," she comments quietly, indicating that this is not the best way to wake up, addressing no one in particular, as if expecting to be alone.