“They want how many copies?” I asked, flipping through the thick packet of information.

“Five. The new members are coming in finally. And a few old ones, too.”

I glanced up at my colleague then. A few of the old ones, huh? Excitement made my expression lift some. It had been a while since I’d seen any of the old Avengers. After the battle with Thanos, everyone just kind of… drifted away. I’d only been a peripheral assistant to most of them, but I couldn’t deny missing the old team.

“Got it,” I said, nodding firmly as the taller, light-haired man walked past.

Five members. I wondered idly as I waited beside the printer in my office who those five members might be. I couldn’t help the inexplicable hope that Tony might walk through those doors. It was stupid, to think he might. But the hope was there.

After nearly a solid half-hour running off copies, I started stapling them together, getting them ready for the new team. Nerves made my hands shake a little. I was taking on a more involved role for this team than I ever had for the Avengers. I would be the Tony of the group (minus the fame, fortune, and iron suits). My responsibilities included things like fixing up and creating new tech for the team, running logistics, and keeping the team handled remotely. I was no trained assassin or super powered hero; I was just the IT kid. Their eye in the sky, as it were.

I adjusted the collar of my green blouse and stacked the papers together, heading out for the meeting room. Once I made it to the third floor, I turned the corner and saw two women walking side-by-side.

One had blond hair, braided back into an up-do. Her face was hard to read, but she carried herself with a very familiar confidence. If the vibes weren’t enough, the tight leather suit she wore reminded me so much of Natasha that I had to remind myself where and when I was.

The other was completely unfamiliar, but the bow across her back was another familiar image. Her dark hair was pulled into a ponytail. Her face gave off a bubbly impression. Her eyes were wide and looked everywhere at once, even turning and looking up at the ceiling so that the woman beside her had to nudge her with her elbow.

Their eyes fell on me at the same time. I was the only other person in sight.

“Excuse me,” the blond said with a heavy Russian accent.

I smiled in a friendly, professional manner and approached.

“We’re supposed to be meeting with Nick Fury,” the dark-haired one continued. “Do you know where we’re supposed to be going?”

“Yeah, actually, I was just on my way there. You can follow me,” I gestured to them over my shoulder as I turned down a hallway lined with boardrooms. I stopped outside a door with the number 206 on it and opened the door, flipping the lights on and allowing the two strangers in before I entered myself.

“By the way, I’m Indy,” I said as the two took chairs at the large square table that dominated the room. “I assume the two of you are here to join the new team.”

They both gave assenting nods.

“Yes, I’m Yelena, and this-”

“I’m Kate,” the brunette shook my hand.

“Nice to meet you both,” I smiled again, passing them each a packet of information and setting the others down in front of the other empty seats. “I’ll be working for the team. You can let me know if you need anything.”

“Knock, knock.”

I turned to see a familiar face in the doorway of the room. Sam Wilson’s eyes met mine, and I saw an inkling of recognition in them. He cocked his head to the side like he was trying to place me.

I raised a hand in a wave. “Hey, again.”

He snapped, eyes opening. “It wasyou that stalled Tony at that airport!”

I grimaced and looked down. That moment was not my proudest, and had caused a lot of issues between me and Tony. That being acknowledged, I didn’t regret it. It had been the right thing to do. Even if it had almost earned me a light prison sentence.

“Yeah. That was me.”

Sam came further into the room and held his hand out. I reached out to shake it, but he dragged me into a friendly hug. “Good to see you again. Or, you know, for the first time.”

I chuckled with him; I’d been just a voice over everyone’s comms that day.

“Yeah, you, too.”

“Where’s everyone else?” he asked, looking around at the three of us.

“There’s just two others, but they should be here soon. The meeting starts in about 15 minutes,” I said, checking my watch. “Actually, I need to grab a few things from my office. I’ll be right back.”

The three of them nodded, and I heard introductions being made behind me as I left the room. My office was on the first floor, but according to Fury, I’d soon be moving into a slightly bigger office on the fourth floor. The fourth floor was technically residential, and those who agreed to stay on the team full-time would be offered a room. It would be more convenient for everyone if I was stationed there rather than on the ground floor.

Which is why my office was stuffed with half-full boxes of books, computer equipment, and desk toys. I maneuvered around the towers of boxes and made it to my desk. I pulled out the drawer of my desk to grab a small notebook and pen to take notes throughout the meeting, but fumbled my pen and had to climb onto my hands and knees beneath the desk to retrieve it.

Naturally, it was at that moment that someone knocked on my office door.

BUCKY

The compound was huge, something I could see Stark throwing his money into. There were a lot of windows, so natural light streamed in easily. If the place lost electricity in the daytime, the reception area of the compound would probably barely get dim.

I knew Sam had arrived just before me and considered calling him to give me directions, as the instructions Fury had sent me were pretty vague. Luckily, I saw someone in the distance. A woman, if the long hair and small size were any indicator. Her back was to me, but I saw her enter a room against the far wall. Maybe she knew where the hell this meeting was supposed to be.

I made my way to the door she had disappeared through and found it still slightly cracked open. I glanced around in the space between the door and frame, but a leaning stack of boxes blocked most of my field of view.

I lifted my hand and knocked my knuckles against the door as I stepped in, cringing at the metallic echo my hand gave at the action.

There was no one in sight, but a thud and the desk rattling gave away whoever was beneath it.

“Ow, shit,” a female voice groaned. She stood from behind the desk, face scrunched in pain as she rubbed a hand over the back of her head.

“Sorry,” I said quickly, pointing behind me. “I was just- looking for… wait, who are you?”

I was almost certain she hadn’t been a regular installment the last time I ran in this particular circle. She seemed young, probably mid-twenties. Her hair seemed almost straight, but it sat rumpled around her face like she habitually ran her hand through it. Her square face was youthful, with freckles and all. But her eyes were intelligent, an amber mix of green and brown.

With a few heavy blinks, she refocused her gaze on me, standing before her desk in my usual leather jacket and jeans.

“Oh,” she said in a bright voice, holding out a hand with a friendly smile. “Hi. You’re the guy with the metal arm, right?”

I blinked at her in confusion, shaking her hand bemusedly. I was careful to use my right hand. “Yeah. Do I know you?”

“Nope,” she said cheerily. “I’m the tech support kid. You need any copies run off, calls made, can’t remember the Wi-Fi password - I’m your girl.”

She seemed to wilt just a tiny bit before my eyes, signs of a frown hovering near her lips. “For now, I’m basically a glorified secretary.”

“You seem a little…” I was going to say something along the lines of ‘inexperienced’ or ‘out-of-place’. Her apparent cheery demeanor, the fact that she was pretty obviously a civilian, her age - it all seemed an odd choice for an in-compound IT worker. “Young.”

Though her smile remained in place, her eyes hardened a fraction. “I can assure you, I’m more than qualified for anything this team might need from me.”

I inspected her a moment longer. She wore black slacks and an emerald green blouse with the top two buttons undone, displaying a white diamond necklace resting atop her pale collarbone. Her hair, though dark brown, had golden streaks peeking through the darker strands. She still had a polite smile on her face and seemed perfectly at ease to let me glare her down.

“What’s your name, kid?”

“I didn’t tell you-?”

“No, you didn’t.”

“Right, sorry,” she shook her head, cheeks turning pink. “It’s…” - a sigh - “Belinda Strathos.”

“Belinda?”

She looked like she might retch, the pink in her face fading. “Ugh, just- call me Indy, please.”

I nodded. “Nice to meet you. I’m-“

“James ‘Bucky’ Barnes.”

At my blank look, she explained with a laugh, “Local schools take field trips to the museum pretty much seasonally. The Captain America exhibits are wildly popular with 8 year olds, so we saw your obit quite a few times.”

“I didn’t think most kids paid attention to history,” I muttered as she put a pair of glasses on top of her head and picked a notebook and pen up off the desk.

“Yeah, well, they do when history is hot.”

I didn’t let my surprise show for more than a split second. She didn’t even seem to notice.

“I’m guessing you’re here for the meeting?” she asked casually.

When I nodded, she rounded the desk and started walking toward the door, gesturing to me over her shoulder.

“I’ll take you.”