Imagine If You Assembled the Avengers: Volume 1

Sorry I'm Late (Barnes/Rogers/Stark x reader)

"It won't always be this way," the nice man said. "One day, I'll get us out of here. Both of us." He pushed the tray in front of you, but today you had no interest in eating; you were far too tired from the long day of experimentation and testing, so sleep was all that you wanted. "You need to eat, (Y/N). Don't let them win."

"You say 'them' like you aren't a part of it. You are one of them, aren't you?"

The man's face changed in his expression from an eagerness to help to one of sadness at your words. He was HYDRA, and he was there to ensure your compliance, but he hadn't stopped to think that you had seen him as one of the bad guys. He took it upon himself to care for you; he brought you food and water, even if he was told not too, he brought you new clothes, and snuck pillows and bedding into your cell when you weren't supposed to have either. He thought he was doing right by you, the best way that he could.

"I am in their service, yes," the man said quietly, "but I am not them. I...I still...know when a person is mistreated. And one day, I'll make good on my promise. I will free us both."

~~~

It had been almost three months since the team had come back together after being torn apart by Steve and Tony, each of them fighting for their own causes that never came to win. Despite the reunion there was always palpable tension in the tower, though it was lessening with each passing day. Steve and Tony had come to terms that they would always have disagreements and found a way to coexist, but one relationship that was seemingly likely to never work was between Tony and Bucky. It wasn't for a lack of trying; Tony gave it effort because Bucky was Steve's best friend, but with everything that happened and the stories of how Bucky played into his own past, he couldn't trust him. Bucky wanted to be a part of the team, but he was trying to find a common ground with Tony for Steve's sake, and he was at his end with what else to try, until an opportunity all but fell into his lap.

"How long did you say this would take?" Tony asked Steve, watching him throw gear into the back of the jet. "I need to report that you're both leaving in case we get called in for anything."

Steve let out a huff as he tossed a large duffle bag carelessly, "Just tell them three days. Then tell them to get off my back about it."

"Hey, we all had to make compromises here, Rogers. All of us."

"Yeah, I'm aware. Doesn't mean I have to like it."

Bucky moved towards Steve from the front of the jet, leaning in to whisper so that Tony wouldn't hear, "are you sure we shouldn't say anything to him? This is a big thing to keep as a secret, don't ya think?"

Steve glanced from Bucky to Tony, watching him as he spoke so that Stark wouldn't hear him, "not until we know if the lead is good or not. If we're wrong and we say anything now, it's only gonna make everything worse. I have Barton on standby if we need him to say anything to Tony before we get back." He turned back to his friend and gave a supporting slap to his arm, "don't worry, Buck. If this works out, the credit is all yours, I promise."

~~~

Steve and Bucky had been in the air for over an hour before they decided to get their plan ready; a plan to infiltrate a HYDRA base looking for clues and information as to where you were. On a random day, they had received an anonymous tip that a highly valuable hostage was being held somewhere; and that was all. Somewhere. Two days later they received another notice, a pile of tapes filled with grainy and unfocused images, nearly impossible to make out other than the sounds of voices overlapping each other. Finally, just yesterday, the third and final clue came to them; a gold locket holding two small pictures, one of a young girl that they assumed to be you, the other of a much younger Tony. On the back was inscribed the words, "My Loves".