𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍 || 𝘞𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘕𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘴

JAXON COULDN'T UNDERSTAND HOW HE HAD MANAGED TO CONVINCE LEAH TO COME WITH THEM. He didn't take himself as a friendly guy just from his line of work. But he somehow managed to convince this enhanced girl to come with him, and she willingly did. And not only him, but she had warmed up to the other girl that was new. Jaxon hadn't picked up on her name, but she was definitely something he had seen before.

Outside of her clothes, her entire frame was made of metal. Hair smooth as silk and eyes wider than something out of an anime. He was basing that she was someone close to Natasha and Tony judging by how the three interacted. But he didn't know her name or her past. Not that he cared because this was a one-time thing. One mission and he was back with Talon preparing for whatever his bosses needed from him.

The jet was compact with gear and the rest of the Avengers. Jaxon was sitting along the side with Leah and the mystery android. Meanwhile Bruce Banner sat opposite of him, Tony was in the cockpit, Steve and Thor were standing over the Sceptre, and Natasha was in the corner of the jet talking to another person they had found at Strucker's castle. There hadn't been much information on who it had been, for Jason at least, but Natasha hadn't left the woman's side once.

"Look." Leah's small voice drew his vision down to her open palms that held a crystalized droplet. Its shape resembled a tear that didn't look like it was going to melt.

She looked up at the assassin, eyes twinkling as he opened his palm. Being given the small crystal, he held it between his thumb and index finger. "You made this with your powers?" He inquired softly, looking down at the girl. When she nodded, lips curling into a giddy smile, Jaxon felt his own match. "That's very impressive. Wanna see something cool?"

Opening his other hand, an orange tendril reached and took the crystal. Leah watched in fascination as the orange essence absorbed it before it popped. It was causing tiny pieces to explode like pop rocks. A giggle fell from the girl's lips as Jaxon watched with a warm smile. Meanwhile, Natasha had risen from her seat and saw the moment. A smile formed on her lips as this was the first time she had seen Jaxon interact with a kid. Not only that, but it was the first time she had seen him smile in a year, as well as him in general.

"So, if you don't mind me asking. Are you a robot? Like, another A.I.?" Jaxon asked the girl sat on the other side of Leah.

"I'm Grace," she answered. "But no, I am not completely robot. Only the body." Grace said.

"And what about you isn't robot?" He inquired.

"My brain."

Her straightforward answer made Jaxon nod quietly. Pursing his lips, he glanced around for a moment before opening his mouth to speak. But Grace was quick to interject. "I'm Tony's daughter. When he was sleeping around with women, he couldn't manage to keep the rubber on."

"I did!" Tony's voice called out from the cockpit, making Jaxon smirk as Grace chuckled.

But Grace sighed and leaned back in her seat. "This is the only mission I'm doing for the Avengers and then I am flying to Atlanta to visit my mom," she stated. "My father doesn't like the idea of me being in danger after what happened a year ago."

Jaxon does remember hearing about what happened to Tony. How the Ten Rings leader blew up his Miami house. There hadn't been any word on casualties, which explained how his daughter was walking around and living her life. He didn't get that type of luxury when multiple nicknames for him were circulating the internet and news to this day. But he saw it better he keep to himself as it is and do his job for MI6. Better to leave an impact on the world in the shadows than be in the spotlight like the Avengers.

His eyes caught sight of Natasha whispering quietly to Bruce, who sat off to the side. Still recovering from his hulk transformation. There was some type of sting of jealousy that Jax felt seeing her so close to someone. It wasn't right or fair for him to feel that way, but he couldn't help it when the occasional memory popped into his head.

"She talks about you. You know that, right?" Grace muttered quietly, grasping Jaxon's attention.

It was only for a moment before he glanced back at the former assassin. "Yeah, but it's better she doesn't." He stood to his feet, hand patting Leah's crown as she continued to stare at the tiny little pieces of the ice. "Better to keep things in the past as they are." Grace pursed her lips, humming as the man walked away to begin relinquishing his gear from his body.

Sighing in contentment from the lack of weight, Jaxon sat down on a weapons crate and opened his wrist pad. Opened up the tab that gave him any info or any notifications on upcoming missions. Of course, with his luck, there was nothing.

"Thor, report on the Hulk," Natasha called out.

The Asgardian smiled. "The gates of Hel are filled with the screams of his victims." The God said proudly.

Bruce groaned as Natasha looked at the blonde incredulously. Getting the hint, Thor retracted his statement. "But not the screams of the dead, of course. No, no, wounded screams," he corrected. "Mainly whimpering, a great deal of complaining and tales of sprained deltoids and gout."

"Brother, I don't think that's making it any better," Jaxon laughed, before looking at the Doctor with a smile. "Hulk did what he had to. Nothing you could've done to stop it."

The man nodded, still a bit distressed by Thor's words. "Hey, Banner, Dr. Cho is on her way from Seoul. Is it okay if she set's up in your lab?" Tony inquired.

"Uh, yeah, she knows her way around," Bruce replied.

As Tony stood to his feet, Jaxon did the same. "Hey, Stark. What's the E.T.A. on arrival?"

"Why?" Tony inquired. "Got somewhere to be?"

"Unlike you guys, I don't get to sit around in a tower all day searching for problems. I gotta get back to work and MI6," Jaxon replied. "So, how are we?"

"Don't worry, frogman. We're almost there," Tony said with a forced smile.

Jaxon could only resist the twitch of his upper lip before sitting back down. He didn't like being here. It was an offer of his services and he wasn't planning on helping any further than that. And even though there was no intel on another mission at the current moment, he wanted to get back home and spend time with Sharon. She deserved that when he was already halfway around the world cleaning up messes.

"Feels good, yeah?" Tony asked Thor, who nodded. "I mean, you've been after this thing since S.H.I.E.L.D. collapsed. Not that I haven't enjoyed our little raiding parties, but..."

"No, but this... This brings it to a close." Thor nodded.

"As soon as we find out what else this has been used for. I just don't mean weapons," Steve added. "Since when has Strucker capable of human enchancement?"

"Banner and I will give it the once over before it goes back to Asgard. Is that cool with you?" Tony asked as Thor nodded. "Just a few days till the farewell party. You're staying, right?"

"Yes, yes, of course," Thor said. "A victory should be honoured with revels."

"Yeah, who doesn't love revels? Captain?" Tony inquired, glancing at the man in red, white and blue.

"Hopefully this puts an end to the Chitarui and HYDRA," Steve replied. "So, yes, revels."

"What about you, frogman?" Tony turned around to face Jaxon, who still sat on the weapons crate. "You gonna stick around for a few days? Enjoy the scenery of New York instead of a desert?"

"I got other things going on currently," Jaxon sighed. "This was a request from Maria and nothing more comes from this. And besides, I'm not really fit for your little band of saints." He mocked, standing to his feet and stashing his blade in its sheath.

"It wouldn't hurt for you to stick around for a bit." Natasha grabbed his attention as he raised a brow in response to the woman's words. "You know more about the enhanced than we do and what Strucker has done to give them powers."

He still wasn't sure, but when he glanced at Leah to see her creating another crystal with pieces of orange fragments, he sighed. There was no doubt in his mind that she had been put through the same thing as him. Maybe not to the level that he had been through, but it was still traumatizing. That and the fact that he didn't help but feel some type of connection with the girl. Who better to help her gain some control over her powers than someone who still didn't have a full grasp on his?

The jet landed and everyone was getting ready with Leah taking Grace's and Jaxon's hands. Natasha walked over with her hand grasping his forearm. "Your information is needed for this, Jax. Just a few days and then you can be on your way, alright?" She pleaded.

Jaxon inhaled deeply before nodding. "Yeah. Alright. I'll give you 4 days. Nothing more."

She smiled upon hearing that, nodding and letting him go. The touch was silently missed instantly as the ramp for the jet opened up with Clint being wheeled off first and the others following, besides Steve, Tony, and Natasha. The redhead took the mysterious woman, who was shaking and trembling off the jet and rushed her inside. But Jaxon was able to get a brief sight of a feather falling from beneath the blanket that covered her frame. He didn't let that get to him as he let Grace take Leah to wherever to get her set in for the time being as Jaxon approached Hill.

The woman smiled at his presence and the same uniform he wore the last time they saw one another. Looking him up and down, she raised a brow with a familiar smile. "I see things haven't changed."

Jaxon placed his hands on his hips with a laugh. "Yeah, when do they ever?" He exhaled heavily, looking back at the jet to see the two most prolific members cleaning up.

"Thank you for this, by the way," Maria added. "Didn't know if you would come."

"It wasn't off the table, but I was hoping to see Sam here, but that seems like he left before I could speak to him during the mission," Jaxon said, glancing around. "Don't worry about it. I'm only sticking around for the kid."

"Is that really it?" Maria inquired with a smirk.

That had earned a laugh from Jaxon who shook his head. "Screw you, Hill." He muttered walking past the woman.

"You might want a suit just in case for the coming days," Maria called out, eyes following the man to the elevator. "Don't want to look like a sore thumb for Tony's party."

Jaxon sighed as he turned to her. "We definitely wouldn't want that." And with that, the doors shut.