• • • 1989 • • •

THE YOUNG WOMAN walked into the dimly lit room. She was rather timid and also cold, as her baggy clothing did poorly to combat the chilly temperature.

She rubbed her shoulders and sat down at the table in the middle of the room. It was very quiet, the silence allowing her to hear the ringing in her ears. She waited there for a while until someone walked in.

A bald man, wearing a lab coat and glasses, walked in with a clipboard. He didn't even bother sitting down, choosing only to stand a few feet away from the table. He looked down at the clipboard.

"Ar jie tau davė suskirstymą? (Did they give you a rundown?)"

The woman didn't understand Lithuanian. He caught wind of this and spoke again.

"Only English?"

She nodded. The man nodded back and wrote some more things down on the clipboard.

"Did they give you the rundown?" He asked again.

"Yes." The woman answered.

"You understand the terms?"

"Yes."

"Understand the terms of this project? What can and will be?"

She nodded again. The woman understood what she got herself into. There were real risks with this, but it was something she needed to do. She had nothing else...no purpose but this.

"And you say you're an expert in this field? Correct?"

"Yes." She replied with a nod.

There was a brief pause as he continued to write on his clipboard.

"You're doing the world a great service, young lady." He said as he jotted down additional information. "Are you ready to begin?"

She took a breath before nodding. The man lowered his clipboard and looked at her.

"Then let's begin." He straightened up. "Hail Hydra."

The woman looked down, seeing her blurry reflection on the metal table. She weakly responded.

"Hail Hydra."

• • • 2024 • • •

TONY COULD SEE his reflection within the fogged-up mirror of the bathroom. He wiped the condensation away and was now able to see himself clearly.

The thirty-five-year-old had finished showering. A duffel bag was beside him, containing his weapons and suit that he had on earlier. Before putting on some fresh clothes, he looked at himself in the mirror again.

He stared at himself for what seemed like ages, but it was only a couple of minutes. The man then walked out of the bathroom, into the living area.

Blues music was blaring as the man had kept it on as he showered. One of his favorite tracks, Smokestack Lightnin' by Howlin' Wolf, was playing.

The stereo wasn't the only thing that was alive within the room. He also stumbled upon a bloodied and bruised man that was tied up to a chair.

He let out a sigh. With his bag still in hand, Tony Masters went up to the unconscious man and slapped the side of his face. He snapped awake.

"Still sleeping? Come on. I told you. You had until I was done cleaning up."

He stammered. "I...I—I already told—"

"Blake, Blake, Blake, no." He looked at him and put his bag down. "We're not doing this again."

The man started to yell out like he did before. All it did was amuse Tony again.

"Help! Help!"

"You tried that already. No one is coming."

Tony pulled up a nearby chair and sat in front of the scared man. He continued.

"Look...you have some information that my employer wants. A formula...I don't know nor really care what for...but I need it."

He took out a notepad from his bag and showed it to Blake. It actually belonged to the man. He tapped on the page full of writing.

"I took this out of your safe. It has most of the formula written down already. But you, you sly little devil you, you purposely left out the last step of it. And I know..." Tony touched the side of his own head. "...that it's in here."

"I'm not giving you it." Blake shook his head. "I'm not. I'm not!"

Tony let out an exhale and leaned back on the chair. Blake continued.

"You don't understand what I'm trying to do. I—"

Immediately, a knife was jammed into the man's knee. Blake let out a pained yell as Tony stared at the man, now angry and annoyed.

"I'll pop your goddamn kneecap right off. Then I'll move to the next one. You won't be able to run out of here and you'll be stuck with me."

The man groaned in pain. Since there was no answer, Tony twisted the knife. Blake let out another scream.

"Okay!" He exclaimed. "Stop! Stop!"

Tony did as told. He kept the knife inside and looked directly at the doctor.

"I'll tell you..." Blake grunted.

"All right." He let go of the knife, keeping it in the wound as he held the notepad and pen. "Tell away."

Blake listened and told him the remainder of the formula. Tony was content and closed the notepad.

"Thank you."

He quickly took out the knife and stood up. Tony wiped the blood off using the man's own shirt and sheathed it.

"What you're doing..." Blake panted. "You're stalling the advancement of a revolutionary product in pharmaceuticals. This can help millions!"

Tony picked up his bag and started making his way toward the door.

"Again, I don't care. I get paid to do what I'm tasked to do."

He reached the door, but before he can leave, he turned around and faced the man. He held up the notepad.

"But again, you're not a saint. You're way worse than me. That whole friendly face you put on to the public, the smiles while to you shake hands and sign papers. Little do they know what kind of person you really are."

Blake didn't respond. Tony continued.

"Money laundering. A hand in illegal labor and prostitution. That Epstein type shit." He chuckled. "What I did today ain't as bad as to what'd happen to you behind bars. But...be grateful."

Blake arched a brow. "Wh—Why?"

Tony shrugged.

"Because in a few seconds...you won't have to worry about all that."

He left the room. Blake wondered what he meant by that, but after a few seconds...he heard faint beeping.

Under his chair was a bomb.

Tony walked down the hallway as the bomb in the room exploded. He walked past several corpses of Blake's security detail that he had taken down earlier.

With the assignment done, Masters left the private floor and slipped out of the building.

• • •

THE ARROW STUCK to the middle of the target. The fifteen-year-old lowered the bow and let out a content sigh as she eyed it.

"Not bad." Laura remarked from the side.

"Still got it." Maggie said.

Her daughter, Lila, held her own bow and looked at her friend. They've been shooting at targets for the last half an hour.

"You might be better than my dad." She remarked.

As if he was summoned by such a blasphemous take, Clint walked out of the house and went up to them.

"I heard that!" Clint called out. "That breaks my heart, Lila."

"I mean..." Maggie shrugged. "We can settle the debate."

Clint scoffed. He also let out a chuckle.

"Trust me. You wouldn't want that, Mags. You may have a bit of that copycat mumbo jumbo your Pops got but that won't matter."

Maggie smirked. "Fine. Wouldn't want to hurt your ego. Especially during the holidays."

"Oooh." Lila remarked.

"All right, all right." Clint waved his daughter off. "Go get your bags ready, we're about to leave."

Maggie, along with Nikolai, joined the Barton family for the week while their parents were on assignment overseas. But they did promise they'd be back to join them by the time Christmas rolled around, which was in five days.

Later, they were going back to New York to spend the weekend there. Laura was going to stay at the homestead, as she wanted Clint to spend time with the children alone since he lost so much time with them the years before. Maggie would've liked it if Laura came with them, she had formed a good bond with her since meeting her after the Blip, but she understood her reasoning.

Lila listened to her father and went inside. Clint looked at the targets by the tree and saw the bullseyes his niece and daughter hit.

"Hmph." Clint grumbled then glanced at Maggie and Laura. "I can hit this from a mile away blindfolded."

Clint walked back toward the house with a smile. Laura crossed her arms and scoffed.

"Yes, honey, you tell us that all the time."

They could hear the archer laughing as he went back inside. Maggie put down the bow beside the tree and was going to go in the house as well, but Laura called out.

"Would you say you know your way around a bow then?"

Maggie turned around. "I guess so. But I'd say the same about a lot of other things."

"Like what?" She asked while crossing her arms.

"I'm a good marksman. Learned from my mom...and being able to study things quickly like my dad helped too. I'm at the point where those throwing games at carnivals isn't even that fun anymore."

Laura chuckled. "Know how to use staves? Like batons?"

Maggie remembered how she used said weapons in the battle with Thanos a year ago.

"Those were the first things I practiced with growing up. If there was one thing I could say I mastered...it'd be that."

"Hmm." Laura nodded. "Okay."

"Why?" Maggie asked.

She shrugged and started making her way toward the house. "Just wondering."

Laura smiled and went back inside. Maggie arched a brow after the exchange, then went inside the home as well.

• • •

THE STREET OF Broadway were filled with people, both New York inhabitants and tourists alike. Electronic billboards and screens were lit up and showcased the occasional advertisement.

People were outside of the theater. Dozens of posters and signs of the current performance were plastered outside...Rogers: The Musical.

Help us win

Save us all from the state we're in

Things look dark But I know this can't be the end.

There's a future I know that

With the strength you bring us we'll rise again

Avengers unite, 'cause we've got to hear you say

I could do this all day

Save the City

Save us all from the state we're in

Maggie watched the show from her row, where Nikolai sat on her left and Clint to her right. The rest of the Barton children were in the same row.

The Hulk is incredible, smashing things up

While Iron Man takes to the sky

Captain America's strong, and that Thor is a god

And Lord knows they're easy on the eyes

Fighting for freedom, with him, there's no doubt

Black Widow's a knockout who can knock you out

And when Ant-Man flies you won't hear a sound.

"Wait a minute..." Maggie started whispering to Clint. "I don't remember dad telling me that Scott was there."

The archer didn't hear her. He looked at him and noticed he was spaced out. Maggie waved her hand in front of his face and finally got his attention, where he turned on his hearing aid.

He turned to her. "Uh...yeah?"

"Did you turn your hearing aid off?"

"No, Mags, I know what happens." He gestured toward the stage. "I was obviously there."

Maggie looked ahead at the performance. This was the first time she'd seen the musical despite it being out for the last few months. Although she was the granddaughter of Steve Rogers, Maggie never really looked forward to it since she was already told about everything her family experienced before she was born. Even her parents still had yet to see it themselves.

"You know who wasn't there?" Clint pointed at the actor playing Scott. "That guy. Ant-Man."

"I figured." The redhead chuckled. "I think he was in jail at the time."

"That's the world of stage adaptation. Always got to stretch the truth or it's no fun."

"Surprised I don't see Peter in this with how popular he is in the city."

Clint raised a brow. "Who?"

The next ten minutes after the Battle of New York segment was about the HYDRA Uprising in 2014, which involved Steve, Natasha, Y/N, Sam, and Bucky. Afterward, they went on to 2015 where they went through the whole ordeal with Ultron.

Maggie kept watching, but her demeanor immediately changed when they introduced a super-powered set of twins...one of which was Pietro. She didn't understand how...but they got an actor who looked exactly like him. It brought back memories of her uncle that flooded her mind.

The redhead started breathing heavily. She thought back to her last recollection of Peitro, when he bid her farewell before going off to separate points in time at the beginning of the Time Heist...

"We'll see you in a minute, milovaný (darling)."

Maggie quickly got up and left the row. Clint noticed the girl leave and so did Lila.

"Where is she going?" She asked.

Clint looked ahead at the stage, seeing the actors of Wanda and Pietro. He let out a sigh, knowing exactly what made her leave.

"I'll be right back, honey."

Outside in the hallway, Maggie leaned against the wall with her arms crossed. She looked down before closing her eyes and sliding down the wall, sitting against it with her legs now by her chest.

She tried not to cry as she thought about Pietro. Maggie could hear the last words he told her and doing so also made her think of his death. She wasn't there when he died, but she can just imagine it.

With all those thoughts, it made her also think of Yelena. In her eyes, Pietro's death also caused the blonde to basically abandon them...abandon her. They could've been a perfect family, with Pietro and Yelena around with them...even the addition of the speedster's sister, Wanda. But none of that was possible now because of what had to happen to acquire the Soul Stone.

As she buried her face against her knees, Maggie heard footsteps coming to her. Clint stopped and stood over the redhead for a moment before sitting down beside her on the floor.

"I know." He began. "I...uh...I miss him too."

Maggie didn't know what to say at first. She simply kept quiet and kept the same position she was in. Clint continued.

"I appreciate everything he did. Taking care of you and Nik. Loving you as if you were his own. He saved my life once. I know that he helped save your parents...save you...in Siberia that one time. Hell...he saved everyone."

Maggie finally lifted her head and turned to Clint. Her cheeks were wet from the few tears that fell from her eyes.

"Sometimes..." Clint continued. "I think back and wonder...if it had been me. It should've been me. I had nothing to lose at that time...and he had everything...but he still did what he did. I wasn't a hero...not like him."

The redhead noticed the man's expression waver, as he tried to keep his emotions in check. Maggie knows that Clint was there when Pietro sacrificed himself, so it also affected him. She also took in the words he said.

Barton had a form of survivor's guilt and believed he should've been the one to die. A part of him thought it would've been better that way. Maggie and Nikolai would've still been with Pietro, the uncle who was always there for them those five years...unlike Clint.

"My mom told me that day...that he did what he did because he knew the life that we'd have after. How everyone would be back." Maggie said. "Sam...Wanda...your family. He gave his life so that we could all be with each other again."

Clint simply nodded as he looked ahead. Maggie continued.

"I look at it...as him giving all of us, the ones who were already alive, a chance to live again. So that you could be with your family again. And I'm grateful because that brought you back. I get to be...and live...with you."

Barton turned to Maggie. The redhead softly smiled at her uncle.

"I'd like to believe Pietro was fine doing what he did...because he knew you'd still be around with my parents to care for me and Nik."

Hearing that from Maggie made Clint smile. He appreciated those words and definitely needed to hear them. Clint reached over and gave the redhead a side hug, also planting a kiss on the top of her head.

"I don't know what's up with your family and speeches..." Clint began. "...but they're always pretty damn good."

Maggie let out a laugh and kept hugging her uncle. Afterward, the duo got up and went back into the theater.

The show had concluded. Everyone exited the auditorium and the Barton family plus the Carter children made it outside the theater.

"The Hulk part was great." Nathaniel said.

"Yeah, I liked the Hulk." Cooper replied.

Nikolai turned to them. "But he wasn't big like real life."

"The real Hulk wouldn't have fit on the stage." Lila said.

"How'd you like the show?" Clint asked the children.

"Why was everyone singing and dancing about everything?" Nathaniel asked his dad.

He laughed. "I don't know."

"It was still cool!" Nikolai added. "I didn't know Mom and Dad could dance like that."

"I actually don't think they can." Maggie remarked. "Have you seen dad dance?"

"Well, there was that one time Nat and him posed as choreographers during an assignment in Atlanta way back when." Clint replied.

Maggie turned to him. "Uh...what?"

"A story for another time." Clint said with a chuckle.

"Will there be a second one?" Cooper asked his dad about the musical, since it ended with Steve handing the shield to Y/N.

Maggie decided to answer, choosing to also animatedly use her hands.

"Yeah. It's going to be called Carter: The Musical: The American Dream."

"Really?"

"No."

They let out a laugh. In reality, Maggie didn't think there will be any musical or movie that will detail his father's life as Captain America for the foreseeable future.

Clint spoke to the children. "Hey, it's Christmas in New York. And we're out of here. Right?"

Lila nodded. "Yeah."

"Let's go."

"All right!" Nathaniel exclaimed and high fived his dad.

"Let's show Mom what she's missing."

"Time for a Christmas adventure!" Nikolai cheered, being as excited as the other boy.

Clint pat his back. "That's the spirit."

The family walked away from the theater and down the sidewalk, about to continue their night out on the town.