Chapter Text
At the end of the day, they were nothing like the Avengers. The name new avengers, was just a brand, borrowed from a glorious shadow of the past. Poorly executed, Bucky might even add.
Alexei would most likely argue that that is the whole point. To the once supersoldier of the Soviet army, it was all about public perception. For all of his career, he did what the public wanted to see, and busked in the cheers and admiration. Being in the supersoldier business longer than anyone (because Alexei refuses to admit that he ever retired), he knows very well that there is no personal ethics or morals in missions. It’s pure politics and marketing.
Yelena thought a bit differently. Although, she agrees, the new avengers label seems forcibly slapped on now, there was some part in her that believed that the team could grow into it. Besides, the world is so different compared to when the OG avengers were around. A seemingly curated, easily dissected by the public eye, sort of group will not fly anymore. The world was too dark for that shit.
John, personally wanted part of none of this bullshit. He knows this way too well, he might as well be looking through a thoroughly polished glass. However, he also had nowhere to go, and nothing to lose. And if, IF, there happens to be a chance to redeem himself…. it’s not like he can afford to turn it down.
Ava, don’t give a damn. She just wants enough stability (which her atoms clearly don’t have). She wants a clean bed, a comfortable shower, and a nice meal. If Valentina wants to pay to keep her intact, and provide all above? She’s staying.
And Bob is just… chilling. Well, he can’t do anything but that, because the moment he acknowledges that he’s gotten himself in this mess, he’s pretty sure he will freak out. There are days he can’t remember. So, until he figures himself out, he’s focus is purely on being just Bob.
Naturally, with such a difference in attitude towards their situation, there was bound to be some tough conversations due to happen.
And it did.
It’s just none of them anticipated that it would be the way it went.
3 days later to the Void attacks NYC fiasco
The elevator ride was long and silent, but different kinds of silence compared to the prior one three days ago. Less adrenaline, more awkwardness. Also, way stuffier because they each had their own luggage, none of them volunteered to catch the next round.
They were a ragtag team that consisted of ex/current assassins, failed super soldier, and lab experiments. Most of them had less than ideal living situations, and Valentina half suggested, half threatened, that they all live in the tower. “Just like your predecessors did,” she said with her performative smile. They weren’t exactly in the position to turn it down, except for one.
Buck was going to refuse, he had a perfectly fine apartment equipped with a state-of-the-art dishwasher. He wasn’t desperate like the others.
Then he got served with a strong encouragement of resignation from the congress.
The elevator door opened with a ding to reveal an already fixed and polished penthouse. Even the thorough job of Sentry’s wrath could not fight the power of whatever big money can do.
“It’s nicer.” Yelena said, particularly to no one.
The room that once looked like a hotel lobby, now looked much homier. The bar counter was transformed into an island kitchen, there was a living room in the corner with a sofa and a TV.
“And no cameras, huh.” Ava’s voice had a remainder of suspicion, but for what a quick scan could tell, there was no surveillance equipment anywhere.
“Hey, admire that rich-ass interior AFTER you move out of the way. Please.” John annoyingly called out. No one responded, but the doorway was cleared. From behind, the four guys poured out, each taking their time to appreciate the interior. For some moment, they allowed silence to take them in. Not just any kind of silence, the big room kind of silence. The one that reminds you that you are with people, yet so alone.
I wonder how many of us can tell. Yelena thought to herself, that silence echoes differently in different rooms. Of course, she knows. Silence is a state of no sound, hence it differs in the space that sounds could have traveled if there were any. Slowly moving her pupils, she stole a glance of Bucky. A room full of professional snoopers meant they had to snoop, snoopier.
He knows, or knew. Maybe he forgot.
He was pacing around the room. Well, to be fair everyone was pacing around. Inspecting everywhere they could think of. To check for potential threats, yes. To secure emergency escape routes, yes. To plot emergency assassinations… maybe. However, a big part of it was to avoid being the one to initiate any sort of interaction. They didn’t hate each other, which is a surprise on its own. They could tolerate each other, even mildly enjoy the company some moments. Albeit, none of them wanted to put in the work of finding out just how much they could tolerate each other. Anything that could be a tip off of affection was hidden, yet everyone stole glances, looking for any signs that could help them assess the situation. It was like holding each other at gun points all over again, but this time it wasn't the lives they wanted. It was confirmation that they could go on like this, as a squad, as a highly dysfunctional pseudo-family.
“Finally a home worthy of the Red Guardian! Home worthy of thunderbolts!” Alexei was the first to break the silence. Hollering to the room an announcement, as if he was waiting to hear the crowd cheer for him. Instead, an embarrassed “ Dad!” escaped through Yelena’s lips. A mixture of chuckles and sighs in exasperation were let out.
Dinner was had in front of the TV, huddling over a table that was a little bit too low for the height of the sofa. On the table was a spread of miscellaneous food, bags of chips, pizza, pad thai, chinese takeouts, and salads. Just as they were getting hungry, Mel appeared with four paper bags stuffed with takeouts, no announcement. She didn’t even bother to leave the elevator, just slid the bags to the edge so that it wouldn’t get caught by the door. In a rushing manner she said something about not knowing what they would like, and made quick eye contact towards Bucky. Before he could have said anything though, she left.
“So do you guys have preference…?” Bob at the very edge of the sofa, asked in a squirmish manner. No verbal response was made, yet the team silently started reaching for their food of choice. Bucky with his box of Chinese food, Yelena with the pad thai, and Ava with her salad. John and Alexei unpromptedly bumped each other’s hand as they reached for the pizza, and was now stuck in an awkward stare down, while Bob was assessing if he was allowed to reach for the pizza as well.
Yelena was thinking. Thinking of the last time she had a meal with this many people. Sure she had one-on-one, occasionally. Sure she had to sneak into dinner parties, but she hadn’t eaten with people . Thinking, how is it that none of them has killed each other, or at least tried to run away. Thinking, somehow Bob tied them together, including the James Buchanan Barnes.
There was no use not saying it.
“We should stay.” She blurted out. Everyone froze, mid-chew. All except Bob, who still was not successful in procuring any food for himself. Yelena took a greasy slice of pizza, and handed it off casually to him.
“Care to elaborate?” Bucky was the only one to speak. He had a look on his face that he wore regularly. Tired, yet amused. Emphasis on tired.
“Not much to elaborate. We should stay here, as a team.” Yelena shrugged. It took some will to seem this nonchalant. If she hadn’t had any training in her, she was pretty sure she would have had some tears in her eyes. Or, at the very least made a pleading eye to someone. Yelena knew better though. For this to work, she needed to seem confident, she had to make this seem like it was normal, what she was asking. Gaslighting, as this generation would say.
“Well, aren’t we? We are sitting here eating together, right now.” Ava pointed out. Poking some bits of croutons with a plastic fork.
“Yeah. It’s not like we have a choice.” John also joined in, while obnoxiously chewing his pizza.
Bucky took a look at Yelena once again. Observing her mannerism, from her unmoving pupils to her steady hand movements. On paper, she was perfectly fine, composed, maybe one would even say, elegant. But, Bucky sensed something like fear from her. He knew this fear all too well.
Yelena studies John before she opens her mouth again. “Gross, Walker. Swallow before you talk.” Then she takes another bite of her noodles, as if to make a point. Chewing and swallowing deliberately. “And no. Not like that. I’m saying we should stay, not because we don’t have a choice, but on our own accords.”
She set down her food on the low table, and gazed at her father figure. He returned the gaze, and nodded to encourage her to keep talking.
“Valentina gave us this team, yes. But we get to decide what we do with it. We can either run from it and be crushed with the legacy it carries.” She takes her chopsticks and stabs it in the container, for added dramatics. “Or, we can make it our own. We may not be the avengers people know, but people change… No?” She takes the chopstick back up again, this time using it as a pointing stick to point to the team.
Silence consumed them again, but this time it was a thoughtful silence. One to contemplate to. One for soaking the meaning of the words that lingered in the air. Ava purses her lips. John does the same. Even Alexei is, and looks silent.
Ava phases from her spot, and in front of Yelena, though she doesn’t flinch a bit. Ava stands tall over her, challenging her to do the same. Yelena doesn’t.
“So, what does that exactly entail? I’m here because I want to live. Unlike you lot, I don’t have the luxury of choosing what I am.”
“We corrupt Val and her plan. From inside. We play nice for her now, but slowly we’ll take control. Taking her stuff.” Yelena says, holding her chopsticks in both her hands horizontally,
“One” she snaps it, in front of Ava’s face, “by”, snapping it again. “One”, she lets go of what once was a wooden utensil, crumbling it onto the floor.
“And why would we do that?” Ava demanded.
“Because it makes sense. Valentina fucked us up, and Valentina gave us a chance to fuck her up. I say we take it.”
“And when it’s all over?”
“Then, we stay, because we are a team.”
“You say that like that’s already decided.” Bob spoke up, staring down at his half-eaten pizza.
“We are pretty good.” Yelena nodded as she said.
To this Bob looked up.
“We are pretty good.” Yelena says again.
Maybe it was the way she said it. Or maybe the whole team was already looking for a reason to stay. Or maybe, just maybe, they were pretty good, like Yelena said.
“Okay.” Alexei was first, but soon followed the others. “Fine.” “For now.” “Sounds good.” and finally a confused “good” from Bob.
Yelena’s perfect facade faltered for a brief moment with her sigh. Bucky didn’t miss that.
“Just pick up after yourself though.” He gestured to the mess underneath Yelena.
“Aye, Sergeant.”
What did I sign myself up to? Bucky sighed.