There was an interrogation going on nearby a set of train tracks.

Anastasia "Ana" Romanoff / Arachne, twin sister to Tatiana, was sitting in a chair, tied up, surrounded by three men. She was wearing a little black dress, and they were wearing suits, as if they had just come from a party.

Man 1 in front of her slapped Ana in the face. He spoke in Russian. "This is now how I wanted this evening to go."

Ana spoke in Russian. "I know how you wanted this evening to go. Believe me, this is better."

Man 1 spoke in Russian. "Who are you working for? Lermentov, yes?" Another man tilted Ana's chair back to threaten pushing her off the landing they were on. "Does he think we have to go through him to move our cargo?"

Ana spoke in Russian. "I thought General Solohob is in charge of the export business."

Man 2 set Ana's chair up right, letting her go.

Man 1 spoke in Russian. "Solohob, a bagman, a front. Your outdated information betrays you. The famous Arachne, and she turns out to be simply another pretty face."

Ana spoke in Russian. "You really think I'm pretty?"

Man 1 turned away.

Man 2 made Ana open her mouth.

Man 1 spoke in Russian. "Tell Lermentov we don't need him to move the tanks. Tell him he is out. Well..." He spoke in English, picking up a pair of pliers. "You may have to write it down."

Man 3's phone started to ring. He pulled it out to answer. "Hello?" He turned to Man 1. "It's for her."

Man 2 let Ana go.

Man 1 took the phone, walking toward Ana, speaking into the phone in Russian. "You listen carefully."

Phil's voice was on the other line. "You're at 1-14 Silensky Plaza, 3rd floor. We have an F-22 exactly eight miles out. Put the girl on the phone, or I will blow up the block before you can make the lobby."  Man 1 walked toward Ana, putting the phone between her head and her shoulder so she could talk to Phil. "We need you to come in."

"Are you kidding?" Ana asked. "I'm working?"

"This takes precedence," Phil told her.

"I'm in the middle of an interrogation," Ana told him. "This moron is giving me everything."

"I don't give everything," Man 1 told them.

Ana looked at Man 1 weirdly, raising her eyebrows slightly. She looked away, speaking into the phone. "Look, you can't pull me out of this right now."

"Anastasia..." Phil trailed off. He was standing in a S.H.I.E.L.D facility. "Clint and Tatiana have been compromised."

Ana instantly changed her mind after hearing this. "Let me put you on hold."

Man 1 took the phone from Ana.

Ana kicked Man 1 in the leg, making him fall to his knees in front of her, headbutting him in the head, making him fall. She stood while still bound to the chair, kicking Man 3. Man 2 tried to punch her. Ana ducked, spinning to hit Man 2 with the chair legs behind her, making him fall, rolling over the floor to hit Man 3 with the chair legs, slamming them onto his feet, headbutting the back of her head into his nose, making him groan in pain, turning to kick the legs out from underneath him. Man 2 stood. Ana kicked him in the leg, making him fall. 

Phil could hear the fighting through the phone, waiting patiently.

Ana front flipped through the air, making the back of the chair land against Man 3 to break the wooden chair and free herself, standing. Man 2 tried to grab Ana from behind. Ana caught his arm, twisting it back so hard and forcefully she made him scream in pain, elbowing him in the stomach, turning to face him, kicking him in the stomach, falling back to the floor, flipping back into a standing position, running toward Man 2, jumping up to wrap her legs around his neck, flipping him to the floor.

Man 1 started to stand.

Ana walked toward a chain hanging from the ceiling, grabbing it, grabbing Man 1 from the floor, pulling him up, grabbing his ankle, wrapping the chain around his ankle, locking it, pushing him through the hole in the floor, making him dangle upside down. She picked up Man 3's phone from the floor to talk to Phil, walking toward her high heels on the floor, picking them up, walking away. "Where is my dad and sister now?"

"We don't know," Phil told her.

"But they're alive?" Ana asked.

"We think so," Phil answered. "I'll brief you on everything when you get back. But first, I need you to talk to Jax and Tony Stark."

"It'll be my pleasure," Ana told him. "Where's my mom?"

"She's still out there, looking forward to talking to the big guy," Phil answered.

"All right," Ana told him. "See you soon."

  Ⓐ  

It was a little town in India.

A little girl ran through the village, up the stairs into a building.

Several sick men were inside.

A woman saw the little girl, speaking in Hindi. "Who are you? Get out! There is sickness here."

Bruce Banner / The Hulk was washing up.

The little girl looked at Bruce, speaking in Hindi. "You're a doctor. My father's not waking up. He has a fever and he's moaning, but his eyes won't open."

Bruce walked closer, speaking in Hindi. "Slow down."

The little girl looked around nervously, speaking in Hindi. "My father..."

Bruce knelt in front of her, pointing at the sick men lying nearby, speaking in Hindi. "Like them?"

The little girl nodded, holding money toward Bruce, speaking in Hindi. "Please."

  Ⓐ  

The little girl led Bruce out to a cabin in the middle of nowhere.

A military vehicle drove past.

Bruce turned to the little girl, away from the military, making the girl stop and hiding his face.

They continued along once they had drove past.

The little girl ran toward the back room, climbing out the window, leaving.

Bruce realized that he had been set up. "You should've got paid up front, Banner."

Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow walked closer. She was in her suit. "You know, for a man who's supposed to be avoiding stress, you picked a hell of a place to settle."

"Avoiding stress isn't the secret," Bruce told her. 

"Then what is it?" Natasha asked. "Yoga?"

Bruce looked around. "You brought me to the edge of the city. Smart." He looked out of the window. "I assume the whole place is surrounded."

Natasha shook her head, walking closer. "Just you and me."

Bruce turned to face her. "And your actress buddy? Is she a spy, too? They start that young?"

"I did," Natasha told him. "So did my daughters."

"Who are you?" Bruce asked.

"Natasha Romanoff," Natasha answered.

"Are you here to kill me, Ms. Romanoff?" Bruce asked. "Because that's not going to work out for everyone."

"No, of course not," Natasha answered. "I'm here on behalf of S.H.I.E.L.D."

Bruce nodded, looking away. "S.H.I.E.L.D." He looked at Natasha. "How did they find me?"

"We never lost you, Doctor," Natasha told him. "We've kept our distance. Even helped keep some other interested parties off your scent."

 "Why?" Bruce asked.

"Nick Fury seems to trust you," Natasha answered. "But now we need you to come in."

"What if I say no?" Bruce asked.

"I'll persuade you," Natasha answered.

"And what if the other guy says no?" Bruce asked.

"You've been more than a year without an incident," Natasha told him. "I don't think you want to break that streak."

"Well, I don't every time get what I want," Bruce told her.

"Doctor, we're facing a potential global catastrophe," Natasha told him. 

Bruce chuckled. "Well, those I actively try to avoid."

Natasha pulled up a picture of the Tesseract stone on her phone, sliding it over the table toward Bruce. "This is the Tesseract." Bruce walked closer. "It has the potential energy to wipe out the planet."

Natasha sat at the table. 

Bruce picked up her phone to look at the picture. "What does Fury want me to do, swallow it?"

"He wants you to find it," Natasha answered. "It's been taken. It emits a gamma signature that's too weak for us to trace. There's no one that knows gamma radiation like you do. If there was, that's where I'd be."

"So, Fury isn't after the monster?" Bruce asked. 

"Not that he's told me," Natasha answered.

"And he tells you everything?" Bruce asked.

"Talk to Fury," Natasha told him. "He needs you on this."

"He needs me in a cage?" Bruce asked.

Natasha leaned forward against the table. "No one's going to put you in a--"

Bruce hit the table with both hands angrily. "Stop lying to me!" Natasha drew a gun from underneath the table, aiming at Bruce. Bruce calmed down. "I'm sorry. That was mean. I just wanted to see what you'd do. Why did they send you?"

"Because my daughter and her father are at the heart of this," Natasha answered. "And I'd do anything to get them back."

Bruce seemed sympathetic, nodding. "Why don't we do this the easy way where you don't use that and the other guy doesn't make a mess? Okay? Natasha... I can help you find them. And I will if you let me."

Natasha slowly lowered her gun. She spoke into the Bluetooth in her ear. "Stand down. We're good here."

  Ⓐ  

Outside, the cabin was surrounded by armed agents. Everyone backed away, lowering their weapons.

  Ⓐ  

Inside, Natasha put the gun down.

Bruce recalled her words from earlier. "'Just you and me'."

Natasha didn't answer, looking uncomfortable.

  Ⓐ  

Nick was in a S.H.I.E.L.D facility meeting room, speaking with a council of some sort through monitors in front of him. 

"This is out of line, Director," Man 1 told him. "You're dealing with forces you can't control."

"You ever been in a war, Councilman?" Nick asked. "In a firefight? Did you feel an overabundance of control?"

"You're saying that this Asgard is declaring war on our planet?" Man 2 asked.

"Not Asgard," Nick answered. "Loki."

"He can't be working alone," the woman told them. "What about the other one? His brother."

"Our intelligence says Thor is not a hostile, but he's worlds away," Nick told them. "We can't depend on him to help, either. It's up to us."

"Which is why you should be focusing on Phase 2," Man 1 told him. "It was designed for exactly this--"

"Phase 2 isn't ready," Nick told them. "Our enemy is. We need a response team."

"The Avengers Initiative was shut down," Man 1 told him.

"This isn't about the Avengers," Nick told them. 

"We've seen the list," Man 2 told him. "You're running the world's greatest covert security network, and you're going to leave the fate of the human race to a handful of freaks."

"I'm not leaving anything to anyone," Nick told them. "We need a response team. These people may be isolated, unbalanced, even, but I believe with the right push, they can be exactly what we need."

"You believe?" the woman repeated.

"War isn't won by sentiment, Director," Man 1 told him.

"No," Nick agreed. "It's won by soldiers."

  Ⓐ  

Bree Rogers / Star Mistress was in a gym late at night, punching a punching bag repeatedly. She was overwhelmed by memories.

  Ⓐ  

Flashback - Star Mistress: Captain America

Chapter "Sentimental Journey" 

It was night in the amusement park.

Bucky Barnes and Bree stood in front of the silver globe.

Bucky took a knee to the ground. He took out a ring box, opening it to show Bree the engagement ring.

Bucky: (voice over) "Bree Rogers. Will you marry me?"

Bree smiled.

Bree: (voice over) "Yes."

Bucky stood, taking Bree in his arms. They kissed passionately in the middle of the park.

  Ⓐ  

Chapter "Train"

It was night in the woods during World War II.

Bree, in her suit and with her staff, was standing on top of a tank, using the hook of her staff to break the lock off, opening it.

Steve Rogers / Captain America, in his suit, threw a bomb into the tank.

Bree jumped off before it could blow.

The explosion behind Bree sent her a little more out.

Bree was caught by Bucky Barnes, both of them falling and rolling over the ground, landing on their backs, looking at each other, breathing heavily. 

Bucky: (voice over from the chapter Return) "So, what do you say, Star Mistress?"

Bree and Bucky leaned their foreheads together, smiling small smiles.

  Ⓐ  

Now

Bree continued to hit the punching bag, a little harder, and a little faster.

  Ⓐ  

Flashback - Star Mistress: Captain America

Chapter "Love and Lost"

It was day on the train.

A blue blast shot against the wall of the train behind Bree and Steve, the wall the Bucky and Alec Anders were clinging onto, disintegrating it.

Bree and Steve gaped, knowing what would happen, in denial, horrified.

Steve: (voice over) "Alec!"

Bree: (voice over) "Bucky!"

Alec and Bucky no longer had anything to hold onto, falling screaming toward the ground below. "No!"

Steve was horrified and disconcerted.

Bree was in agonizing pain.

Steve pulled Bree away from the broken wall. Bree turned to face him, starting to cry. Steve pulled her into his arms. Bree returned the embrace numbly without realizing she had.

  Ⓐ  

Now

Bree was starting to get angry, more overwhelmed, punching the bag harder and faster.

Bree: (voice over from Star Mistress: Captain America, the chapter Ends for Beginnings) "There's not enough time. I got to put her in the water."

  Ⓐ  

Flashback - Star Mistress: Captain America

Chapter "Ends for Beginnings"

The remains of the plane was in the water, drowning Bree along with it.

Bree was not completely in the water. Her head and chest were above. She had her eyes closed.

When the water took her, Bree wasn't afraid.

  Ⓐ  

Now

Bree continued to punch the bag furiously.

Ⓐ

Flashback - Star Mistress: Captain America

Chapter "Ends for Beginnings"

Bree was flying the plane.

Steve: (voice over from chapter Recovery) "You won't be alone."

  Ⓐ  

Flashback

Young Howard Stark and several others had found Bree.

Steve was standing next to her, in shock. "Oh, my God. Is she still alive?"

  Ⓐ  

Now

Bree finally kicked the punching bag so hard she tore it down from the ceiling, making it fall to the floor. She breathed heavily for a moment, taking the moment to calm herself down. She walked toward a line of punching bags on the floor, picking up the closest one to her, hoisting it above her to chain it to the ceiling.

Steve walked in, holding a file. "Trouble sleeping?"

"We both slept 70 years, Steve," Bree told him. "I think I've had my fill."

Steve walked closer. "I told you that I could explain everything to you."

"I don't want you to explain," Bree told him. "I don't want to know."

"Yes, you do," Steve told her. "When you went under the water, the world was at war. I made sure that we won the battle before I told them to freeze me in ice alongside you so that I could see you again."

"Was it your idea to put me on ice?" Bree asked.

"No," Steve answered. "It was Howard Stark's. He wanted to see if he could expand your life this long. And he did. He did the same to me, too."

Bree shook her head, looking away. "So, like you with the serum, I was someone's science experiment. Great." She started to punch the punching bag. "Glad I can still be of service."

Steve grabbed the bag to steady it for her. "You can be of service in a better way."

"Why are you telling me this?" Bree asked. "You have a mission in mind?"

"Yes, I do," Steve answered. 

"Trying to get me back in the world?" Bree asked.

"Trying to save it," Steve answered. "Director Nick Fury contacted me." He held the file he had brought with him toward her. "He gave me this to give to you. He said that you would know what it is."

Bree took the file, opening it to see a picture of the Tesseract stone. "Hydra's secret weapon."

"Howard Stark fished that out of the ocean when he was looking for you," Steve told her. "S.H.I.E.L.D thinks the Tesseract could be the key to unlimited sustainable energy. That's something the world sorely needs."

Bree handed the file to Steve. "Who took it from them?"

"He's called Loki," Steve answered. "He's not from around here. The Director says that there's a lot they'll have to bring us up to speed on if you're in. The world has gotten even stranger than we already know."

"At this point, I doubt anything would surprise me," Bree told him. She sighed, taking a drink of water. "I'm guessing you're in."

"Only if you are," Steve answered. "I can give you the debriefing packet the Director handed me. Is there anything you can tell us about the Tesseract that we ought to know now?"

"They should have left it in the ocean," Bree told him. "I'm wondering if they should've left me there."

Bree turned to leave.

Steve grabbed her arm to stop her. "You don't mean that. I know you're hurting, Bree. And I'm sorry. But you did a great thing saving us by sinking the plane. And I know that it wasn't only because it was the right thing to do. You did it because of the grief and the pain of losing Bucky and Alec."

"It doesn't matter anymore now, does it?" Bree asked.

Steve didn't answer, looking down.

Bree turned around, walking away, leaving.

Steve watched her go somberly.

  Ⓐ  

Jackson "Jax" Stark / Gold Strike was in New York City, underwater in a lake, wearing his suit, using the light from his glove to search, using the laser to cut into an underwater pipe, opening it, screwing a piece on. He flew out of the water, into the sky above, talking to Tony Stark / Iron Man through the line. "Good to go on this end. The rest is up to you, Dad."

"You disconnected the transmission lines?" Tony asked. "Are we off the grid?"

"Stark Tower is about to become a beacon of self-sustaining clean energy," Jax told him.

"Well, assuming the arc reactor takes over and it actually works," Tony told him.

"I assume," Jax told him. "Light her up."

The building ahead of Jax started to light up.

It was the Stark Tower.

"How does it look?" Tony asked.

"Like Christmas, but with more Stark," Jax answered.

"We've got to go wider on the public awareness campaign," Tony told him. "We need to do some press. Pepper is going to DC tomorrow." Jax flew toward Stark Tower. "She's working on the zoning for the next three buildings."

"Dad, you're killing me," Jax told him. "Just enjoy the moment." He landed on a ledge of the Stark Tower, walking along. Mechanism started to remove the Gold Strike suit from Jax while he walked across the platform. Ana was standing on the balcony, waiting for him, still in the black dress from the interrogation. Jax walked closer, surprised to see her, and impressed with her appearance. "Anastasia Romanoff. It's nice to know you get all dolled up just to come see little old me."

"The dress wasn't for you," Ana told him.

Jax smirked. "Sure it wasn't. What can I do for you?"

"You can lend an ear and a hand," Ana answered. "Is your dad inside?"

"With Pepper, yeah," Jax answered. "Why? Everything okay?" Ana tilted her head. "I'm taking that as a no."

  Ⓐ  

Pepper Potts and Tony Stark were inside the building, looking at holograms.

"Levels are holding steady, I think," Pepper told him. 

"Of course they are," Tony told her. "My son and I were directly involved. Which brings me to my next question. How does it feel to be a genius?"

"Well, I really wouldn't know, now would I?" Pepper asked.

"What do you mean?" Tony asked. "All this came from you."

"No, all this came from that," Pepper told him, pointing at the arc reactor in his chest.

"Give yourself some credit," Tony told her. "Please. Stark Tower is your baby. Give yourself 12% of the credit."

"12%?" Pepper repeated.

"An argument can be made for 15," Tony told her.

"12%?" Pepper repeated. "My baby?"

"Well, Jax and I did do all the heavy lifting," Tony told her. "Literally, we lifted the heavy things." Pepper walked toward the couch, sitting down. "And, sorry, but the security snafu? That was on you."

Pepper grabbed a wine glass and bottle. "Oh."

Tony walked closer. "My private elevator..."

"You mean our elevator?" Pepper asked, pouring them two glasses of wine.

"It was teeming with sweaty workmen," Tony told her. He sat next to her. "I'm going to pay for that comment about percentages in some subtle way later, aren't I?"

"It's not going to be that subtle," Pepper told him, handing him his wine glass.

"I'll tell you what," Tony told her. "The next building is gonna say 'Potts' on the tower."

"On the lease," Pepper told him.

Tony winced. "Call your mom. Can you bunk over?"

Pepper chuckled.

The elevator doors opened.

Jax and Ana walked in.

Tony and Pepper looked at Ana in surprise.

"Ana," Pepper told her. "Come in." Pepper and Tony stood, walking closer. "Come on in. We're celebrating."

"Which is why it's grownup time and the kids can take it elsewhere," Tony told them.

Ana held a laptop toward Tony. "We need you to look this over as soon as possible."

"I don't like being handed things," Tony told her.

Pepper took the laptop from Ana. "That's fine, because I love to be handed things." She handed her wine glass to Ana. "So, let's trade."

Pepper took the wine glass from Tony, handing him the laptop.

Tony looked at Ana. "Official consulting hours are between 8:00 and 5:00 every other Thursday."

"This isn't a consultation," Ana told them. 

"Is this about the Avengers?" Pepper asked, taking her glass from Ana. "Which I know nothing about."

Jax walked toward the wine, pouring himself and Ana a glass. "The Avengers Initiative was scrapped, I thought."

"And I didn't even qualify," Tony told her.

"I didn't know that, either," Pepper told her.

Tony walked toward his desk, looking at Ana. "Apparently, I'm volatile, self-obsessed, don't play well with others."

Pepper nodded. "That I did know."

Tony looked at Ana. "That's according to the assessment written by you, your mother and your sister."

"That's actually why I'm here," Ana told them. Jax walked toward her, handing her a glass of wine. Ana downed the glass, surprising them. "This isn't about personality profiles any more."

"Whatever," Tony told her. "Ms. Potts, got a second?"

Pepper looked at Ana and Jax. "Half a mo."

Pepper walked toward Tony.

Tony was working over the laptop. "You know, I thought we were having a moment."

"I was having 12% of a moment," Pepper told him. "This seems serious. Ana's pretty shaken. What is all this?" 

Tony spread the information from the laptop to the hologram screens. "That is... this."

Ana and Jax walked closer.

The holograms showed videos and pictures of Tony, Jax, Steve, Bree, Bruce, Natasha, Ana, Tatiana, and Clint.

"I'm going to take the jet to DC tonight," Pepper told them.

"Tomorrow," Tony told her.

"You have homework," Pepper told him. "You have a lot of homework."

"Well, what if I didn't?" Tony asked.

"If you didn't?" Pepper repeated.

"Yeah," Tony answered.

"You mean when you've finished?" Pepper asked.

"Mm-hmm," Tony answered.

"Well, then..." Pepper trailed off, leaning closer to whisper in Tony's ear.

Ana looked at Jax.

Jax looked away awkwardly from overhearing what Pepper said, drinking his wine.

Tony nodded. "Square deal. Fly safe."

Pepper and Tony kissed, pulling away.

Pepper looked from Tony to Jax. "Work hard. Be safe."

Pepper walked away.

Jax saw a hologram of the Tesseract stone, picking it up. "What the hell?"

"Some form of it, actually," Ana told them. "It's like a gateway to the other side of space. Loki from another world, Asgard, opened a portal earlier tonight and compromised my sister, Tatiana, who you know, and my father, Clint, who you don't."

"Compromised how?" Jax asked.

"He has a scepter that can turn anyone he touches into his slave," Ana answered. "And he aims to take over the world with it and God knows what else. This is an all-hands-on-deck matter, to save both my sister and my father, and the world. Are you in, or are you out?"

Jax and Tony exchanged a look.