Maria clears her throat as she walks down a building that has started construction.

Riley groans over her lunch date being interrupted and how her mother invites herself to their lunch table- until she remembers what it's for.

Maria silently slides an envelope in Garrett's direction, clearing her throat.

The Barton boy wipes his mouth with a napkin and then triple checks his fingers are clean.

Riley can sense the tension and the nervous nature of her boyfriend.

Maria rolls her eyes over the delay in opening the letter, spilling its contents verbally;

"You'll report Monday at 6am for Agent training."

Garrett finds Maria's face and waits for the rug to be metaphorically pulled out from under him, "You're serious?"

Maria points with her chin to the envelope…

…Signed Nick Fury, Maria Hill and Riley Park-Proctor-Hill.

"Congratulations," Maria mutters.

Garrett gawks, lifting his page with his eyes shifting to Riley, "Oh my god! I'm an agent. I got a job! I need to call my mom-! Brody is going to die when he hears this. Riley! We're going to afford that apartment! You and me."

Riley chuckles when she's scooped up into a hug and feels a kiss on her cheek.

Garrett reaches for his phone to call his mother, standing up from the table.

Maria leans her elbows over the table, "He still has to pass combat training. And the obstacle challenges, and the psych exam."

Riley grins victoriously, ignoring her mother as she takes another bite of her sourdough grilled cheese sandwich.

Maria reaches for the other half and takes a stress filled bite;

"You're not moving in with him. I don't care how nice the apartment is."

Riley shrugs, "We'll see."

"No!"

"Come in,' Lucy calls from inside her apartment, 'it's open."

Izabella enters at Lucy's call with Alex on her heels, "Hi. Where is Valkyrie?"

Lucy shrugs, folding a sweatshirt, "I'm not sure. She gave me some space to talk with my parents."

Izabella tugs at her fitted olive colored button down top, "How did that conversation go with your parents?"

"Fine,' she quickly changes the topic, 'Brody told me Riley got you a job with SHIELD?"

"You are looking at the soon to be Assistant Science Officer…under Dr. Lewis."

"Sick," Lucy states proudly.

"So sick."

The apartment is emptied with the exception for the one duffle bag.

Clothes are sprawled around the couch and on the ground.

Alex is eager to sniff, circling the space.

Izabella rubs her hands together with a sadness in her stare, fully aware of Lucy's intentions.

"Can I convince you to stay?" The Russian asks.

Lucy scoffs and lifts the eviction notice she's tossed on the counter, "Nope. I'm already dipping into my 24 hour grace period by packing today. I should've been at Asgardian training this morning."

"We could- talk to Director Hill? Maybe we could have you serve your warrior sentence here. I know, Bruce and your mom could convince Thor to change his mind."

"They did. Thor excused most of it, I mean he really cooled off about everything. But,' she folds a pair of black leggings, 'it's not just about serving time. I feel like I belong there, you know? The theater, the hustle-."

"Valkyrie?" Izabella asks with a sarcastic grin.

Lucy bats her eyelashes and runs with the joke, "Valkyrie- No but. It just! It feels like some magical place where all lost things end up? I'm not sure where I belong."

"...You could belong here."

Lucy laughs lightly over Izabella biting her lip;

"The plus about Asgard is that I can't hurt anyone if I screw up. They're all gods so they can take a punch."

Izabella laughs with tears in her eyes.

She shifts into a hip and forces a smile with a gentle shrug, "I will miss you. We all will. You help the team. You add so much…"

Lucy pauses in her packing and listens for Izabella's choke.

The way she swallows and tries to play off debris in her eye makes Lucy grin;

"I'm limited, 'Glinda'. So, limited,' her chest collapses, on the verge of tears herself, 'While you run circles around me magically and or otherwise, I'm sitting back wondering if my eyes are going to triple my strength and make my head spin."

"It is a cool power."

"You know, I used to wish I was like you. …I'd sit on the window bench in my room and wonder when I'd turn into my mom. Big, green, and honest. I wanted to rescue people and to quite literally hold the Golden Gate Bridge together with my bare hands. But like, that's not my destiny."

Izabella crosses her arms and hugs herself tighter, "And what is your destiny?"

"I don't know,' Lucy shrugs as she confesses quietly, 'All I know is that, thanks to Uncle B and Aunt Nat's prior 'research', even the biggest misfit can have a home in Asgard."

"You are not a misfit."

"Hmm,' Lucy folds a crop top next, 'you love to be the optimist. And I hate it."

The younger lifts a shoulder, "You like it. I am your best friend."

Lucy laughs, "I trust you, that's for sure. Too bad Jessie took the fish or I would've left my daughter with you. Her name was Velma Kelly- gorgeous red Beta. You should've been her godmother."

"I know what she meant to you-."

"Velma was my Queen."

Izabella tries not to roll her eyes, "I meant Jessica. You will find someone else to love-."

"-Will I, though? Jess was everything."

"Lucy. You are kind,' she struggles, laughing to herself, 'you are funny. Someone else will come into your life when the time is right. Your first love will not be your only love."

Lucy huffs, "Garrett was the first-."

"I was trying to be encouraging."

"Did I ask you for that? No. No I did not."

"My point is! You will find someone who loves you- the new you. Just send them for an interview with me. I must decide whether or not they are worthy of you."

Lucy salutes, "You got it boss."

Izabella sits up on the edge of the sofa, the last remaining piece of furniture in her friend's apartment;

"Do you remember when you asked me if I had a 'we are about to die' apology in Asgard?"

"Don't bring that up,' she snickers, hugging a half folded sweatshirt, 'I totally thought we were about to die."

"Me too,' Izabella clasps her fingers and starts to tug, 'I was thinking, and what I should have said was that I am perfect and I have nothing to apologize for."

"Ha! That's funny,' Lucy grimaces, 'and obnoxious…maybe I have had an influence on you. Or! Maybe. That's just Aunt Nat talking now."

Izabella bites her cheek and drops her hands, "Are you actually going to warrior school? Or. Are you running off to your next adventure."

Lucy looks up silently, knowing she's being caught, "I haven't decided yet. After going through what we did... I know every dealer from here to Miami. From here to California- I've made that drive! I don't have the patience for a GED or a normal job. Even SHIELD sounds boring. And Riley's got the vigilante thing covered."

Izabella shakes her head, "You are wild."

She smiles proudly.

Mikhailov hugs her elbow, unable to stand still, "I am sorry. For whatever part I played or did not play in-."

"Oh don't-."

Izabella swallows hard, "I wish we had more time. I am not ready to say 'goodbye'. We have already lost so much time together…"

Lucy hums and tucks her chin when Izabella continues;

"But. Saying 'I need you' is selfish. When I know, that is not what you want. You need to find yourself and I understand. I hope you do."

Lucy nods, focused on her friend.

Izabella wipes her eyes, "Do not forget me, okay? Your sister."

"I won't."

"I can keep better track of my things now with you gone. I can finally go back to buying nice green sweaters without worrying about you stealing them."

Lucy's hand finds Alex in her anxious state, his tail wagging.

She crouches to give him a scratch behind the ears and looks up at her friend with a sigh;

"Will you take care of my mom for me? Send her to come visit. And my dad. Look after Aunt Nat and Uncle B; They need supervision," Lucy asks with her snarky tongue out of her mouth to match Alex's panting.

"Yes," Izabella wipes her damp eyes once again, this time with a sniffle.

Her shoulders are lifting, her lip quivering.

Lucy stands up taller and chuckles, opening her arms, "Alright, get in here. You need a nice, tight Lucy hug!"

"I do!" Izabella hugs her friend, her head on Jameson's shoulder.

Lucy wants to offer a snarky response, her own head tucking against Izabella's while she hugs her tighter.

She sniffles and shivers dramatically, "You get me all in my feels when I'm trying to work on growing thicker skin."

Izabella chuckles and brushes her eyes.

"Oh! Before I forget; I have something for you," Lucy digs into her pocket, her palm opening to reveal a half glowing crystal with a red and green stone on either side.

"How did you-!" Mikhailov snatches it up with an urgency, inspecting every inch, "You had this the whole time?! How- why?! This is at least one hundred years off of your Asgard sentence!"

"What can I say? I miss jail."

"-And a few years off mine- Lucy," she lifts the red and green stones, toying with the necklace in her gasp.

"I um,' she scratches her neck, 'I thought if I had a contingency plan in my pocket, I would feel better? It turns out carrying the world in your hands is, a pretty heavy burden. And don't know how you do it."

The younger woman lifts the crystal, "Did you use it?"

"I. You know…I decided against it. Shockingly. My life isn't that bad. It turns out I have a family who believes in me. My rage factor isn't that different from Uncle B's so. I know how to use my power a bit better. And if I rewind things too much I- could lose my family, my friends, right? Butterfly effect and all that science jargon I don't understand."

"Are you sure?"

"Pretty sure,' she stands, still paused in her packing, 'Have you, you know. Had any more visions? Anything about the future."

Izabella tilts her head to one side, "I stopped trying. It turns out knowing just makes me freak out and do things I normally would not do. If something needs to happen it will happen."

Lucy zips her bag stoically and lifts the duffle over her shoulder, "Well. Thor's waiting. I should go meet him before I get left behind."

Izabella nods, offering her necklace back to Lucy, "Keep it? It is…you know, your contingency plan. Besides the stones are our colors. My green mist and your red zone."

Jameson takes it back gingerly, her head down as she pulls the red from the chain, "How about, you keep this one so you don't forget about me?"

She chuckles, "I will write."

"Everyone says they'll write and that they'll visit…it never actually happens."

"Well, I will write."

"Snail mail might be a challenge."

"What about hand mail," she flickers a bit of green on her fingertips.

"There you go. See ya buddy,' she pets Alex one final time, 'Any last minute favors to call in before I fly away and 'Defy gravity'? Nothing's off the table for you! The more problematic the better. You know I thrive on a dangerous rush. Me and the Tigress- or- whatever we're calling my alter ego."

Izabella contorts her mouth with a thought, a devious smirk over her features, "One, actually. If you love me."

Lucy lifts the bow Clint made for her up over her shoulder, battered from Garrett's clumsy usage when she contorts her smile suspiciously over her sister's devious expression;

"You have that look."

"What look?"

"The look I give you when we're about to get into mischief."

Izabella lifts her shoulder, "See? You have had an influence on me."

"And you on me," Lucy scoffs to hide her sadder emotion, studying the green stone in her hand.

"A good influence?"

"For good, yeah; You've changed me for good,' Lucy hides, playing off a stray tear when she sniffles, 'Anyways. What is this favor of yours, Izzy?"

At the Barton's cabin, Garrett and Riley are preparing to roast marshmallows post sunset with Nathaniel in between them a few months later.

Maria is sitting nearby with her own stick, chatting with Darcy Lewis.

Laura sorts the supplies and aids Natahaniel in his roasting adventure, signing the process he's all too excited to try.

Agatha and Agmundr are dancing to a soft guitar from Brody's new hobby- Courtesy of Rick Jones.

Jane is chugging a glass of wine, yelling at the twins to stop trying to electrocute Darcy.

James Rhodes has arrived late to the party and he and Antonia are taking on Jennifer and Pepper in an overly competitive game of corn hole.

They're up 4-2, according to Violet who is diligently keeping score- when she's not trying to talk to Peter Parker.

Izabella is sketching, and she and Thor are watching Steve and Clint mess with an outdoor dartboard.

Thor critiques her picture, "Valkyrie's hair has become far longer. And she prefers a gray uniform to match your dear friend."

Izabella laughs lightly, twirling her pencil, "I knew Lucy would get along with Brunnhilde."

"Indeed. They have become close friends."

Izabella ties back her more natural light brown -almost- dirty blonde color now that the red has practically washed out.

Her new look is complete with a new tigress tattoo on her wrist, a red stone around her neck.

Steve reaches for his shield and whistles for Alex to come running over, hurling it forward, "Fetch boy."

Tony steps over, holding a beer, "I never thought I'd see the day where you'd let that thing become a chew toy."

"You know,' Steve deflects, 'we have to keep him interested. He's gotten used to playing with Asgard items."

Thor laughs. Natasha crosses her arms;

"Tonight is supposed to be a fun barbecue. Not a roast."

Clint sorts his darts, "Who are we roasting?"

"No one!"

"Cupcakes?" Bruce asks timidly, offering his creation on one of Laura's warm serving trays.

Laura rounds the other side, "They came out great."

Clint wastes no time before diving in. Steve follows suit.

Natasha takes the tray from Banner's hold, replacing her hand in his as they stand in their mini circle.

"Movie night on Friday?" Tony asks, licking frosting from his fingertips.

Thor sighs, "I will agree so long as it is not a horror genre that my children will mourn over."

"Not horror."

Bruce adjusts his arm around Natasha when encases herself in his embrace with her back to his chest.

He kisses her hair, "Did you tell them?"

"Not, yet," Natasha admits slowly.

Tony pauses with his mouth open. Clint nearly drops his cupcake;

"Tell us what?"

Steve laughs and looks off in the distance, "Oh no."

Izabella mumbles from behind the group, still drawing and now on the lawn. "They want to cut down on hero hours."

"Well they can't,' Tony snaps, 'they have years of Avenging to catch up on before they retire!"

"No one said anything about 'retiring', okay?" Natasha laughs, "It's just that Bruce and I have other passions and endeavors we want to try-."

"Nope!"

Thor lifts his dessert, "I am in full support of you both opening a confectionary!"

Clint shrugs, "What about an official adoption?"

"No! No, I think we're good," Bruce blushes.

Natasha nods in agreement, "We have all of your children to help raise."

Barton swings his arms, "I need a beer."

Laura huffs, lifting the now empty trays, "I just restocked the ice chest."

"Can you grab me one as well, Barton?" Steve calls.

"What's the matter, Cap? Afraid to stick your hand inside of it?"

"PTSD," Tony wheezes.

Bruce shakes his head disapprovingly while Natasha throws her head back against his chest;

"Why did we come home?"

"For Riley," Bruce kisses her forehead.

Steve has a thought, "Speaking of Riley! I have news from Wakanda concerning Linda."

"Good news?" Natasha waits.

Steve nods, "Good news."

The group head back toward the fire pit, watching Riley wrestle Garrett and Nathaniel pile on top of the duo.

Laura coughs, frustrated over the yellow ash in the air from the marshmallow sticks, "Jennifer. I thought you were watching them?"

Walters lifts her wine glass, "I was! There's no fire."

"It looks like an ash cloud. And sparks?"

"That's not ash," Jane pointedly observes, watching the yellow hover in the air. She checks on Agmundr who is quietly eating his marshmallow.

Thor shouts, "Agatha?!"

Agatha appears at his side, completely innocent, "It's not me daddy."

Natasha makes eye contact with Clint and senses a now focused Riley making a breach.

The spies can all sense the cryptic energy behind them, subtly reaching for weapons.

When a yellow mist starts to spiral and grow larger, the team falls into a panic.

Clint and Garrett reach for their respective bows while Tony for the plate on his chest.

Bruce clenches a fist and Jennifer cracks her neck.

Natasha reaches for a baton and flicks it open while Mjolnir flies overhead.

Izabella lets a green mist start to slip from her fingertips and Riley backs up to her opposite side with her own baton.

Brody and Steve take their stand with Rhodey widening his stance.

Pepper stands in front of Antonia and reaches for a stick to hurl in the spiral's direction.

Violet rolls her ankle and huffs, ready to run.

Darcy scoops up Nathaniel and hides behind Jane.

"Woah, hey. There's need to get excited. My name is Stephen Strange, Master of the Mystic Arts- you can put that all down now," the cloaked figure explains.

"Strange," Thor mumbles.

"It is,' the figure blinks, 'I mean no harm. I come as a friend…I'm only here for a conversation."

Pepper sarcastically outs her husband, "Oh. Well, you're in the right place because he loves those."

"Not with Stark,' Stephen ignores and scans the field, 'I was hoping to speak mystic to mystic- practitioner to practitioner- with one Izabella Ivanovna Mikhailova. I have an opening in my field of study and I was wondering if she'd be interested in training and filling in as I have- recently come in contact with another Russian- ironically- who needs my help."

Izabella's face drops, her eyes lighting up over his insider knowledge in regards to her middle name.

Bruce, Riley and Natasha stand at her sides with curious eye contact.

"Everyone wants our kid,' Bruce mumbles, 'Why does everyone want our kid?"

Natasha drops her arms slowly, ready to interview and shred into Stephen with an icy stare down.

"He's okay," Riley senses honesty in his voice and waits for the mob on the Barton lawn to lower their weapons.

Stephen seems far too posh to be offered a beer so Laura lifts a mug;

"Tea?"