Ice and Defenders: The New Age// Book 4 of the Frostbite Series

New Home

Upstate New York, almost out of city range and surrounded by woods was the new Avengers Facility. It was nice. It was big, everyone had a room again, and apart from the humble building that we lived in, there was an indoor skating rink which I know will be my favorite room.

Natasha and I stood in a mirrored room, looking at her phone. Laura had sent us a video of the new baby, Nathaniel Pietro Barton.

"Say hi to Auntie Nat and Ellie!" Laura's voice said from the video and Nathaniel babbled.

I smiled and Natasha said one word. "Fat."

"Tasha!" I scolded.

"It's true!" She looked at me.

I glanced past her to see Nick enter the room with a tablet. "One of our tech boys flagged this," he held up the screen showing a map with a plane pinpointed.

After Sokovia, Bruce had flown away in one of the jets. We don't know where, but we have an idea why. Bruce was tired of bringing harm to others. I nodded to Natasha before leaving the room and joining Steve, Tony, and Thor in the hallway.

"The rules have changed," Steve said.

"We're dealing with something new," Tony continued.

"What, the hammer?" I asked, knowing their shenanigans all too well. "Just accept the fact that Vision is worthy."

"Well, he's Artificial Intelligence," Steve pointed out.

"A machine," Tony said.

"So it doesn't count," Steve looked at Tony while Thor just walked with a smile on his face. I went ahead of them and turned walk backward. 

"No. It's not like a person lifting the hammer," Tony explained.

"Right," Steve pointed. "Different rules for us."

"Nice guy, but artificial," Tony said and I laughed.

"Thank you," Steve looked up.

"Thor lay it out for them," I said and we stopped walking.

"If he can wield the hammer, he can keep the Mind Stone," Thor said. "It's safe with the Vision and these days, safe is in short supply."

"But if you put the hammer in an elevator..." Steve said after a pause.

"Elevator still goes up," Tony pointed.

"The elevator's not worthyy," Steve raised his eyebrows.

"You two are hopeless," I shook my head.

Thor clapped Tony's shoulder and lightly shook him. "I'm going to miss these little talks of ours."

"Well, not if you leave," Tony offered.

"I have no choice," Thor replied and we continued down the hallway. "The Mind Stone is the fourth of the Infinity Stones to show up in the last few years," we exited the facility and stepped outside and stood in the green grass. "That's not a coincidence. Someone has been playing an intricate game and has made pawns of us. But once all these pieces are in position..."

"Triple Yahtzee?" Tony interrupted.

"It's a Monopoly!" I threw my hands up and Steve lowered them back down.

"You think you can find out what's coming?" Steve asked Thor.

"I do. Besides this one, there's nothing that can't be explained," Thor stepped ahead of us before turning around.

"We'll miss you, Thor," I smiled.

Thor smiled back, lifted up his hammer, and a beam of light shot down from the sky and disappeared with Thor, leaving an engraving burned into the grass.