UNKNOWN GUEST

#54 Assembling

Tony's lab buzzed with the usual hum of machinery and flickering screens, but the tension in the room was palpable. Thor, towering and frustrated, crossed his arms, his face a mix of confusion and concern.

"I do not understand," Thor began, his voice echoing with a hint of frustration. "If Director Fury's men promised to keep the scepter safe, then how is it possible that someone is using it for nefarious purposes?"

Tony, never one to miss an opportunity for sarcasm, quipped, "Were you living under a rock?"

I couldn't resist adding my own comment, "More like living on another planet."

Thor's brow furrowed even more, his confusion evident as he asked, "What are you two talking about?"

Tony sighed, realizing he had to explain the complexities of Earth's recent troubles. "SHIELD wasn't the noble organization we all thought it was. An organization called Hydra had infiltrated it from the inside."

Thor's eyes widened in realization as he started to catch up, "So, a Hydra agent took the scepter and handed it over to some bad guys?"

We both nodded in unison. The gravity of the situation was beginning to settle in.

Tony turned to me, "How do we know who has the spear?"

I shrugged, trying to piece things together myself. "Hill went to meet with Fury. He mentioned something about 'rats drowning in the water,' so we should get more information soon."

Uncle Tony nodded, though the weight of the situation was clearly pressing on him. He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, "Alright, I'll get Bruce. Who do you have?"

I nodded, "Mr. Hawkeye. He'll bring in Ms. Romanoff, and she'll get Cap."

Tony raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the plan. "Where are they anyway?"

I shook my head, a small smile playing on my lips, "No idea. But it'll work out."

Tony sighed, resigned but hopeful, "Okay, let's get to work."

With that, I pulled out my phone, scrolling through my contacts until I found Uncle Clint's number.

Uncle Clint tapped his pen on the table, the rhythmic sound the only noise breaking the silence as we waited for my mom to respond. The tension was building, but I tried to keep my cool. After a moment, I sighed, "You think she'll pick up?"

He nodded confidently, "She will. It's an emergency signal."

He narrowed his eyes at me, a hint of curiosity in his expression. "How are you so sure she can get to Cap?"

I smiled, shaking my head with a bit of mystery. "That's a secret."

He rolled his eyes, clearly not in the mood for guessing games, but he didn't press it further. I knew how Mom could find Cap. She'd mentioned a few times about running into Dad while she was on the run, and Dad was looking for Uncle Buck. If I wasn't wrong, they'd met in Croatia at some point before reuniting in New York. So, I was confident she could track him down.

After a few more moments of waiting, the radio on the table beeped. Uncle Clint quickly put on the headset, his face serious as he spoke into the mic. "Hi, Tasha. Time to show up."

He listened intently to whatever she was saying on the other end, then sighed, "Yeah, there's a huge problem. Remember the spear SHIELD secured from Loki? Someone's messing with it."

There was a pause on his end as he listened to her response. Then he added, "Well, the Avengers have to step up when the world needs them. That's what Fury said, right? So, we have to."