The Spider and The Wolf

Fears over Fun

Something wasn't right.

The day was March 11th, and usually on the 11th of every month the Avengers would let Peter tag along on a mission. It was usually a less important one, but it was a promise they had made last Christmas and had abided by since then. But the mission for today was not some run of the mill kind of criminal activity. There were reports that made the Avengers believe that HYDRA was present not far from midtown.

Peter went to school in Midtown. The Avengers lived in Midtown. If Steve was being completely truthful, he would say that these rumors were just too close to home.

For the time being, Peter was at his buddy Ned's house, and usually it would be around the time Bucky would leave to pick him up, but the potentially dire situation at hand called for an emergency all-Avengers present meeting.

Tony gathered the team together for this important briefing: how to prepare for a potential HYDRA attack and protect Peter and Bucky in the process. With it being nearly four years since the escape, Steve had barely thought this was a possible event they would be having.

On one hand it felt like only weeks ago that they found Bucky and Peter in the wildernesses of Norway. On the other, the tower just doesn't feel right without either of them there. Steve could somehow vividly remember when they came but only hazily remember time without them.

Tony began his spiel on protocol he put in place at the tower should there be an attack. Everyone was uncomfortably silent until Bucky piped up.

"We can't just play defense. They will do all they can to get some of their most important assets returned. They've been plotting for years most likely. Sitting idly by as they try to hurt Peter again?" Bucky paused and sighed heavily. Steve noted the pain felt in his voice. "I can't-I-I won't let that happen."

"They know we are some of the most heavily guarded towers in the world. It would be next to impossible to infiltrate us." Natasha interjected.

"She's right," Steve continued as a shiver went down his spine. He was never one to argue with Bucky, but he was being over paranoid, or Steve certainly thought so at least. "Peter is safe while he's here with us. We will guarantee it." He put a hand on Bucky's shoulder as a gesture of comfort, but instead Bucky shrugged it off and turned back from the window towards the Avengers.

"I can't explain it, but you have to trust me. Unless we fight back, they will hurt us. I've seen all they are capable of." He looked up from hanging his head, and Steve caught a glimmer of fear glint in the strong brown eyes.

"I don't understand this feeling I have, Steve, but somewhere in me knows that we haven't seen the last of HYDRA yet."

The room waded in silence for quite a while. Steve fidgeted with the calluses on his fingers for an eternity. He was at a moral crossroads. Steve knew Bucky's good intentions, and it was in everyone's interest to keep Peter safe at all costs. He was just unsure fighting such a formidable enemy would only weaken them. But, he knew they could not wait it out forever. HYDRA was playing the long game here.

Steve glanced around the room. He yearned wholeheartedly to hear everyone in the room's thoughts. Their heavy expressions were usually a tell-tale sign that some sort of intriguing inner-dialogue was happening. They all knew, deep down in their hearts that is, that there was a painstakingly real chance that this moment would decide the fate of both the young boy they had grown to love over four years and the fate of their beloved friend with a metal arm and a dry sense of humor.

Steve looked over at Bucky. This was the very man who once was a happy-go-lucky soldier, doing anything for the people he loved. Steve was glad to know at least one aspect of him hadn't changed. But Bucky had not only aged a bit more from the time-locked memory Steve had of him, but also Bucky's whole expression morphed into something more somber. Bucky had seen some things, had done some things, that Steve could not even fathom. He knew that, and he tried to understand that. This Bucky was no longer the same.