Old Soul (Captain America/Steve Rogers)

12

<Steve's Pov>

Thursday afternoon, I am called to a meeting. I walk down the halls, finding the board room. Once inside, I see a few other familiar faces, including Natasha, Sam, Clint, and Hill.

"Take a seat, Rogers," Hill says in her clipped professional tone. "I have called you all in to give you some information about the new attackers."

"They're attacking us?" Sam interjects with a raised eyebrow. "I thought we were planning an attack on them."

Hill pulls up a file on her tablet, projecting it onto the screen in the room. "We were until we spotted this little guy on our radar," she says, pointing to the Hydra plane on the screen, circling Stark's Avengers tower.

I can't help but lean closer. "They are out of their territory," I say with an angry tone.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious," Natasha's uninterested tone says, her feet kicked up on the table.

I shake off her comment with an eye roll. "Do you have an estimate of the attack?" I ask Hill.

"Two weeks, at the least," Hill says, making me internally curse. "They want to get in and get out before she gets too good with her training. However, they are waiting long enough in hopes she will know how to control her powers."

As she says this, she pulls up Avalie's file. Of course, I think. They are coming for her.

"They aren't going to get her," I say, my tone sounding more protective than I intended.

"Agreed," says Barton, sitting up straighter. "If they get her, there is no telling how they will abuse her power."

"Plan?" Natasha pondered, now sitting correctly in her chair.

"Not for battle, no," Hill admits. "But we don't want the fighting centered here at headquarters. So, we will be moving Agent Daniels and everyone else to Stark's towers."

"Have you talked to her about this?" I ask, considering how she would feel about moving.

"No," Hill says. "We will. But the placement in Stark's towers is only temporary. Unless, of course, you all find it more fitting there. He's been nagging Fury and I constantly about making it a permanent thing."

"Let's just see how it goes," Sam interjects. "Now battle. What's the plan?" He turns to me when he says this.

"My move would be Agent Maximoff," I say, thinking about her strong and helpful powers. "Keep her on the look out. Knock off any stragglers. She's our best bet. Maybe post Barton there too, alert us of any trouble. Our main motive here is to not let anyone inside."

"Then shouldn't we all be posted on the outside?" Natasha asks.

"All of us who can fly," I reply, thinking of Stark. "But incase they get past our defense, we need the rest stationed inside. Which at this point looks like me, Romanoff, possibly Thor, and Barnes."

"Captain," Hill says. "Barnes is still a wild card."

I ignore the stabbing pain in my chest, thinking about my friend, Bucky Barnes. Sam and I found him about five months ago after months of searching. He's still a tad unstable, but I think he would come to terms.

"Maybe he needs some fighting to take out all the aggression," I tell her.

"Against Hydra," Hill points out. "Who can easily swipe him and brain wash him."

I open my mouth to reply, but she cuts me off. "I'm sorry, Cap. But he's going to have to sit this one out.

As for Thor, we've tried to contact him. He may be in the fight, and he may not," she says. "Now if that is all, you are dismissed."