Sitting at his newly-furnished countryside house -the one he'd promised Pepper he would buy- Tony Stark sighs and rests his head on the back of his stiff new couch.
"What's wrong?" Pepper asks from the nearby kitchen, hearing his sigh of distress.
"Nothing. Well, I mean, it's definitely something, but it's nothing," he replies.
"What do you mean? Did something happen?"
Tony knows he's no match for Pepper's persistence. "I guess I just feel bad for leaving them to fend for themselves." He knows he sounds rather boastful, but that's just the way he is.
"You can't be there for everyone, Tony. Besides, you're not the only one who protects them," Pepper points out.
"You're right. Do you think Bruce or Thor went back?"
"Not that I've heard of."
Unsure of what to think or do, Tony closes his eyes and rests.
•We join the new team of avenging badasses in their spacious flying vehicle.•
"Wanda, may I have a word?" Steve calls from the control panel of the ship.
"Yes, sir." Wanda walks over towards the buff Captain America.
"You seem depressed. Is everything alright?"
Truthfully, Wanda shakes her head. She's tired of hiding her emotions.
"Is it Pietro?"
The powerful young woman bursts into tears.
"Follow me. Falcon, can you handle the controls and keep a lookout for enemies?"
"Yes, sir," comes the dark-skinned man's reply. He stalks over to the panel and takes Steve's seat.
Wanda and Steve head over to a corner of the vehicle for privacy.
"What's on your mind?" Steve asks.
"Pietro was my brother, my twin. There was never anyone closer than we."
Steve's mind drifts off to think about Peggy and Bucky. Wanda is really hurting.
"I know exactly how you feel, I'm afraid."
"Did you have a brother, too?"
"No, but I lost my best friend and my best girl. I was closer to them than anyone. Peggy died and Bucky doesn't remember me. He almost killed me."
"You will never understand!"
Natasha turns around in her chair.
"Steve, Wanda, you both are tired. Will you please go and set yourselves up on the bunks?" The redhead's tone is controlling. The two are left with no choice but to obey.
Wanda awakes to a cold hand on her shoulder. Opening her eyes, she's surprised to see Pietro.
"Wanda, wake up. C'mon, we're here." Contradicting his cold flesh, Pietro's smile is warm and his eyes are lit up.
"Pietro? No, you're dead. It can't be you."
Pietro's face fades and is replaced by Steve's.
"What?"
"Oh, nothing," Wanda replies quickly, a fierce blush spreading across her cheeks. She tries to make it go away by rubbing her icy-tipped fingers on them. It doesn't work.
"Did you call me- never mind. We've landed." A small smile crosses his face briefly before it's replaced by his usual serious slim line of a mouth.
Wanda sees something scamper across his eyes, over his mind, but she can't tell what - or who - it was. Perhaps it was Peggy. Perhaps it was Bucky. Perhaps it was nothing at all.
Three raps on the large, lumbering doors cause them to open up and reveal a shaggy-haired, disheveled, slovenly man. He staggered as though he were drunk.
"Woah, woah, bright light," he says, laughing and holding a hand up to shield his eyes from the sunlight attacking the sky. "How can I help you, gentlemen?" He asks, obviously dismissing the females in the group.
"Is Hank McCoy here?" Natasha asks, getting right down to business. "We need to speak with him."
The man's expression suddenly becomes worried and... Pained?
"What do you want with him?"
"Listen, we just want to talk-" Steven tries.
"No, I'm sorry, he's not here... He's not here. Good day!" The man attempts to shut the doors but for Wanda's slender hand acting as a doorstop. "Listen, lady, I just wanna let you know-"
"Open the door." Soberly Wanda peeks through the small opening left in the doors by her hand. "Open it now."
Steven and Natasha look at one another.
"Okay, but I warned you; the guy you're looking for isn't here."