My fingers clack across the keyboard and I chew on my pen absentmindedly, the plastic leaving a subtle bitter taste in my mouth.

An array of colorful stickies are pasted on the monitor in front of me, with what seems to be no particular order to their mayhem.

Some list formulas, while others have codes and keys for what look to be complex equations. Way above my pay-grade, but whatever. It's not my job to understand this target, it's my job to take care of them.

I shift the mouse to my left carefully, dragging an assortment of encrypted files to my micro-USB I had previously stuck on the underside of the monitor when I was in this office last.

Of course, last time it was under the guise of IT to anyone who asked. Now, I was just a somebody who was not supposed to be snooping around in the Doctor's office.

This flashdrive is odd, no doubt. It kind of looks like a miniature disk, no bigger than the end of a pencil and hardly noticeable to the untrained eye.

It was supposed to collect the files I needed remotely and broadcast them to my servers once the upload was complete, but technology is apparently not my friend this week. So here I am, risking my ass to gain the files manually.

My hazel eyes flicker to the picture windows that form the walls of this spacious office and I wince in annoyance as I notice a woman with ginger locks and a sharp pantsuit exit the elevator. She seems to be struggling with a mound of manila folders overflowing her arms, along with a steel mug sloshing over with a dark brew.

Basically, her gaze is anywhere but on me, at least until she finishes struggling with her load. Translation? I need to hurry the hell up and scoot.

I finish my transfer and peel the USB off the underside of the monitor, sticking it behind my ear where it can't be seen behind my mound of choppy blonde hair.

I look up once again and my heart nearly pops from my chest when I notice the woman start to look up, towards me. I duck quickly, concealing my limber frame behind the mahogany desk which is thankfully big enough to hide me.

Her footsteps hesitate at the door, almost uncertainly. I curse myself inwardly, at my stupidity for not darting into the supply closet beside me, but nothing can be done for me now.

She raps at the door with her knuckles and I nearly jolt, before settling down.

"Bruce, are you in there? Tony wanted me to bring you the briefing, but you weren't in the lab..." She calls it out cautiously, as if this Bruce character was gonna jump out and bite her. Or perhaps she had seen me...and knew it wasn't Bruce scuttling about the office. Either way, I had to get out of dodge and make sure I wasn't captured on the way. Easy enough.

After a few moments, I hear the sound of her heels clacking die out as she gets farther away from me.

I yank out my modified cell and pull up the cameras around the office, letting out a sigh of relief as I notice the woman is gone. I stand from behind the desk awkwardly, my joints cracking oddly as I stretch out.

I tuck my cell into the pocket of my beat-up leather jacket and stroll towards the door leading out of Bruce Banner's office. I place my gloved palm against the glass door, swinging it outward with a slight creak.

With that, I'm in the homestretch. My window of invisibility is getting smaller, with about 10 minutes left before Tony Stark's AI notices my intrusion on the surveillance cameras and computers. However, I'll be long gone by the time it expires.

With that thought in mind, I grin gleefully and waltz right into something.

Correction.

Someone.

I peer up at the hulking, blonde; watching his expression carefully. He looks confused, a bit perturbed by me so close to him. He takes a step back, nearly stumbling before regaining his balance.

I recognize him and can't help but allow a bit of awe to play on my face. It wasn't everyday you bumped into a genetically enhanced man; let alone a hunk like Steve Rogers.

We're nearly the same height and I can tell he's a bit intimidated. I relax my posture, just enough to look smaller than the super soldier.

"Mr. Rogers, my apologies! I mustn't have been watching my step too well!" I chuckle lightheartedly, sliding into character with ease.

Acting comes naturally to me, I suppose. Living your life on the run leaves no room for you to peer through. You have to adapt, to manipulate your surroundings to suit your outcome.

"No, that was all me ma'am; my apologies," He offers nervously, rubbing the back of his neck, "Say, I don't think I've seen you around here before. Are you new?"

"Yep, first day on the job actually. I was dropping off some files for Dr. Banner actually before I pop off to lunch," I chuckle, jerking a thumb over my shoulder to the office behind me.

Steve follows the direction of my thumb and visibly relaxes, his shoulders falling into a more natural position. He's hooked, I observe, and I take pleasure in knowing he's convinced.

"Oh, don't let me keep you..." He starts, before trailing off pointedly when he realizes I haven't told him my name.

"Carol. Carol Johnson." I reply with a warm smile, offering my hand out to the man.

Of course, Carol Johnson isn't my real name. He doesn't need to know that, though. One quick background check on my actual name, Alex Masters, would be enough to have the entirety of the Avengers on my ass. Something I don't need at the moment.

He studies my hand carefully, before grasping shaking it firmly. No doubt Steve was a military man with a grip like that.

"See you around Carol," He murmurs softly as I flutter past him, my pace brisk enough to get me out of here and casual enough to not arouse suspicion.

I toss my head back over my shoulder, close cropped blonde hair falling over my eyes slightly. I flash him a toothy grin at the comment.

"You can count on that, Captain," I chuckle wryly, sending him a mock salute before stepping into the elevator.

The confusion on his face nearly sends me into a fit of laughter before the shiny metal doors slide shut, entrapping me in the bliss of Tony Stark's elevator music, a lovely rendition of "Highway To Hell". I'd expect no less.

The buttons on the elevator ding as I make my way closer and closer to the lobby before finally, the doors slide open.

The lobby is a mess of people, as usual. I slip into the crowd, undetected, with 3 minutes to spare.

Outside, the sounds of city life flood my ears as I duck my head, avoiding the cameras on the street, just in case S.H.I.E.L.D was smart enough to give them a once-over.

They were definitely going to, of course. The files I took aren't exactly what we'd call "declassified" or "low-risk".

With that in mind, I thud down the steps into the Subway and allow myself one more disappearing act.

BRIEFING ROOM: STARK TOWER:

"All right, I'd love to call this little meeting to order, but first; will someone try Spangles again?" Tony Stark snarks from his spot at the head of the board table, swiveling in his office chair like a hyperactive child on a sugar high.

"I already called him, he said he was on his way in," Natasha Romanoff deadpans from her spot in the corner, leaning against the wall in annoyance at having to participate in another one of Stark's 'briefings'.

At that moment, Steve pushes through the double doors, clearly in no rush. He takes his spot at the table quietly, wedged between an unusually silent Clint Barton and Bruce Banner, who is just ignoring everyone in the room entirely as he scribbles mind-numbing equations in his tiny notebook.

"So, I assume you all have your briefing packets; so if you will just pull those out and open to numero uno, we can get this over with," Tony Stark grins, folding his hands and allowing his chin to rest atop them.

"Wait, what briefing?" Bruce speaks up for the first time, his voice soft and tinged with confusion.

"Bruce, I think yours is upstairs. Carol was dropping off a folder in your office," Steve mentions distractedly, peering down to the cellphone hidden discreetly in his lap.

"Carol?" Tony tests out the name, before shaking his head in genuine confusion, "No, I had Pepper bring it up to Bruce's office...I don't have any Carol's working up there..."

Steve's head practically snaps up, bewilderment dashed across his features.

Bruce speaks the question hanging in the air before anyone else gets a chance.

"Then who the hell is Carol and what was she doing in my office?"