💣CHAPTER 5💣

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Troy had undergone a complete transformation, donning a fresh set of army uniforms, as Fury ushered him, Steve, and Tony into the briefing room. Troy appeared dazed, his face displaying a mixture of shock and numbness. It was evident that the others shared the same emotions.

Fury addressed Steve, tossing Coulson's Captain America trading cards towards him, remarking, "These were in Phil Coulson's jacket. Guess he never did get you to sign them." Steve picked up the cards, disregarding the blood stains on them. Troy felt grateful that he had managed to take a picture with Coulson.

Fury continued speaking, his words heavy with the weight of loss, "We're dead in the air up here. No communications, location of the cube. Banner. Thor. I got nothing for you. Lost my one good eye. Maybe I had that coming...Yes, we were going to build an arsenal with the Tesseract. I never put all my chips on that number though, because I was playing something even riskier. There was an idea. Stark and most likely Kemp know this, called The Avengers Initiative. The idea was to bring together a group of remarkable people, see if they could become something more. See if they could work together when we needed them to, to fight the battles that we never could. Phil Coulson died still believing in that idea, in heroes."

Troy's attention was caught by the sound of someone getting up from their seat. He glanced over to see Tony walking away, clearly uninterested in hearing any further.

Fury nonchalantly shrugged and remarked, "Well, it's an old-fashioned notion."

-

After their conversation with Fury in the briefing room, Steve and Troy both had a shared thought to visit Tony. They strolled side by side towards the detention section of the Helicarrier, where they found Tony gazing at the vacant glass cell container. Surprisingly, Tony remained silent.

Curiosity got the better of Steve, and he couldn't help but ask, "Was he married?"

Tony responded solemnly, "No. There was a... cellist, I think."

Troy, still fixated on the bloodstains, expressed his condolences, saying, "I'm sorry. He seemed like a good man."

Tony's unexpected reply caught them off guard. "He was an idiot."

Confused and taken aback, Steve questioned, "Why? For believing?"  Troy shared Steve's confusion. Sacrificing one's life or doing something as courageous as Coulson did should be commended, not labeled as idiotic. However, deep down, Troy understood that sometimes even the bravest actions can seem foolish.

"For taking on Loki alone," Tony retorted.

"He fulfilled his duty, Tony, regardless of the risks involved, and he paid the ultimate price," Troy reasoned.

"He was out of his league. He should have waited. He should have..." Tony trailed off, lost in his own thoughts. Troy recognized this as Tony's way of grieving. He had witnessed it before in the friends and families of fallen soldiers to whom he had delivered the devastating news.

"Sometimes there isn't a way out, Tony," Steve said calmly yet firmly as Tony turned away and scoffed.

"Right. How did that work for him?"

"Is this the first time you've lost a soldier?" Steve questioned. Even though Troy wasn't officially a soldier for this mission, he had the mindset and uniform of one. But what they were about to do wasn't a soldier's duty. However, Troy was determined to make it one.

Tony spun around abruptly to face them both. "WE ARE NOT SOLDIERS! I am not marching to Fury's fife!"

"Neither are we, Tony," Troy replied calmly, with Steve nodding in agreement. He continued as he watched Tony stare intently at the blood-stained wall, "Fury has just as much blood on his hands as Loki does. Right now, we need to set that aside and focus on the task at hand. Loki needs a power source, and if we can compile a list..."

Tony interjected, causing Troy to furrow his eyebrows. "He made it personal."

Steve shook his head. "That's not the point."

"No, no. Tony is absolutely correct, Steve. The issue at hand is indeed Loki's motive. He launched an attack on all of us. But why?" Troy spoke, fully grasping the significance of Tony's argument as the billionaire pointed directly at him. In that moment, Troy understood the potential consequences of this situation.

"To tear us apart," Steve responded, crossing his arms, his curiosity now fully awakened.

"He had to conquer his greed, but he knows he has to take us out to win, right? That's what he wants. He wants to beat us and he wants to be seen doing it. He wants an audience."Tony explained, with Troy nodding in agreement, silently affirming that he understood Tony's point. Steve, too, nodded, indicating his comprehension.

"Right, I caught his act in Stuttgart."

"Yeah, that's just a preview, this is opening night. Loki's a full-tilt diva. He wants flowers, he wants parades. He wants a monument built in the skies with his name plasters..."Tony's eyes widened, mirroring Troy's astonishment as they exchanged a knowing glance, understanding each other's thoughts.

"Sonofabitch!" they exclaim simultaneously as Tony heads off in one direction, while Steve and Troy take off in another. 

They were well aware of Loki's scheme.

Unleashing the portal atop Stark Tower...

-

Steve had already changed into his Captain America uniform, while Troy had equipped himself with a bulletproof vest, thigh holsters containing pistols, and an assault rifle in hand. They found themselves in the medical bay of the Helicarrier, facing Natasha who appeared unprepared for their arrival.

(Troy's uniform ^

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(Troy's uniform ^. Just add thigh holsters and pistols and take away the sunglasses.)

"Time to go," Steve declared.

"Go where?" Natasha asked, a mix of confusion and anxiety evident in her voice.

"We'll explain on the way. We need someone to pilot one of the jets, can you do it?" Troy asked, just as Agent Barton, also known as Hawkeye, emerged from the restroom. He glanced towards the two individuals standing in the doorway, wiping his hands with a cloth.

"I can," Barton informed them.

Steve and Troy exchanged a glance with Natasha, silently questioning if Barton was ready and willing to join them in the battle against Loki. A nod from Natasha confirmed that Barton was indeed on their side and prepared for the fight.

"Do you have a suit?" Troy inquired.

"Yeah," Barton nodded.

"Then suit up," Steve demanded confidently.

Edited.

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