𝙼𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝙼𝚊𝚗𝚒𝚙𝚞𝚕𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 ~ Steve Rogers

The Room Where it Happened ~ 7

Steve and Natasha enter the compact conference room situated a few floors beneath the compound. The assembly comprises Tony, Peter, Sam Wilson, Wanda, and Vision. This routine gathering serves the purpose of reviewing the occurrences of the previous week and initiating the planning of schedules and tasks for the upcoming week. Despite being Earth's mightiest heroes, the Avengers have evolved into celebrities burdened with extensive commitments to public events.

Taking their respective seats at the table, Natasha signals towards Steve. "I located him. He was engaged in conversation upstairs with Evangeline, the individual you mentioned yesterday, Tony," she remarks, a subtle smirk gracing her expression as she settles into her seat. Tony responds with a deadpan gaze directed at Natasha and Steve, subsequently rolling his eyes in Peter's direction with an accusatory undertone.

"Bet that's added a spark to your day," Steve interjects with a wry grin, eliciting a few snorts of amusement from the others. Unperturbed, Tony disregards the comment, maintaining a focused gaze on Peter.

"Parker, why is Eva infiltrating my compound again?" he queries deliberately. Peter sits upright in his chair, taking a measured breath before responding, "I said she could spend the day here while I was working..." He chooses his words carefully, locking eyes with Tony to convey sincerity.

"This isn't a social club," Tony retorts, advancing slowly to his seat at the head of the table. Peter refrains from retorting immediately, biting his tongue as he contemplates a measured response. Before he can speak, Steve interjects.

"Tony, it's all under control. Eva is confined to the upper levels; she can't roam freely around the compound. Natasha and I took precautions, locking down the rec room while we're in this meeting," Steve explains. Both he and Natasha exhibit prudence, recognizing the potential risks of allowing an unfamiliar individual to wander within a classified facility. A shared look between Sam and Peter conveys the acknowledgment of the smart move made by the duo. While Peter's expression briefly hints at a realization of why he didn't think of it initially, he dismisses the thought from his mind.

"I know Eva; she'll be perfectly fine up there for an hour. Quit worrying," Peter reassures the team at large, his words carrying a pointed message aimed at Stark.

"Who is Eva?" Vision inquires, situated a few seats away from Peter on Wanda's side, the AI struggling to grasp the identity of the subject under discussion.

"That's precisely what I want to know," Tony asserts, leaning forward with his arms resting across the table, his gaze fixed on Peter. Peter, mirroring Stark's posture, rolls his eyes and responds, "I've already told you. She's a friend."

"Give it a rest, Tony," Natasha interjects, her patience wearing thin from the ongoing exchange. "He's just a bit salty because Eva outshone him the last time they crossed paths," she adds, offering an explanation to the team, a smirk returning to her face. Sam tilts his head curiously, intrigued by the unfolding dynamics.

"Oh? I need to hear this," Sam prompts, adjusting in his seat to get comfortable. Wanda turns her head towards Natasha, signaling her interest, though her body remains facing Tony and Peter.

Tony, realizing Natasha has left him to elucidate, can only palm his face. Peter and Steve share a knowing and humorous glance, recalling the incident.

"I don't appreciate being handed things, especially not a twenty-dollar bill as a bribe," Tony mutters from behind his palm, shooting Natasha a brief glare. The team bursts into laughter at this revelation, and Tony sighs. "Oh, you all find that amusing? Why don't you enlighten the team about what Eva asked you the other night, Rogers?" Tony redirects the attention, catching the group off guard, and the laughter subsides. Steve's expression remains unreadable, and now it's Peter's turn to palm his face.