𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐈-𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐎, avengers¹

𝐱𝐱𝐯𝐢𝐢. god, it's brutal out here

.ೃ࿔*:･𝐱𝐱𝐯𝐢𝐢. god, it's brutal out here

𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐑𝐈𝐃 𝐆𝐑𝐎𝐀𝐍𝐄𝐃 𝐀𝐒 𝐒𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐄𝐓𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐃, feeling the tightness in her muscles from the long ride. The van's door swung open, and she hopped out, her boots hitting the concrete with a thud as she straightened up. The cool air hit her face, and she took a deep breath, trying to shake off the fatigue. Her eyes darted around, scanning the area, the tension of what was to come making her pulse quicken.

“Cap,” Clint greeted Steve with a nod, the casualness of the gesture masking the gravity of their situation. Ingrid, standing just behind Clint, managed a small wave, her usual energy subdued.

Steve’s blue eyes were sharp as he stepped forward, but there was a heaviness there too. “You know I wouldn’t have called if I had any other choice,” he said, his voice low but sincere.

Clint shrugged, a small, almost imperceptible smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Hey man, you’re doing me a favor,” he replied, his tone light, but his gaze steady. “Besides, I owe a debt.”

Then, Steve turned to Wanda, his expression softening, just a little. “Thanks for having my back."

Wanda gave him a small smile, though her eyes were resolute. “It was time to get off my ass,” she said, her voice laced with a quiet determination. Ingrid couldn’t help but smirk at Wanda’s words, the momentary lightness breaking through the tension that hung in the air.

Finally, Steve’s gaze settled on Ingrid, and she felt the intensity of his stare like a physical thing. He didn’t say anything for a moment, as if searching for the right words. “You didn’t have to do this,” he finally said, his voice softer, almost as if he was pleading with her to understand, to see that he was trying to protect her, even though they both knew it was a futile effort.

Ingrid raised an eyebrow, a teasing glint in her eyes as she crossed her arms over her chest. “You really think I’d let you go and have fun on a mission without me? Never, old man,” she joked, her voice light, but there was an undercurrent of emotion there, a deeper need to prove herself, to stand alongside him no matter the cost. Steve’s lips curved into a smile, but it was tinged with something bittersweet, as if he was proud of her but also wishing she didn’t have to be here.

“How about our other recruit?” Steve asked, his voice carrying just the slightest hint of concern as he glanced toward the van.

Clint didn’t miss a beat as he opened the sliding side door of the van. “He’s rarin’ to go. Had to put a little coffee in him, but… he should be good.” There was a hint of amusement in Clint’s tone, the kind that suggested he wasn’t entirely sure how this was going to pan out, but they didn’t have much of a choice.