• • 2004 • •

TONY SAT ON the bench in silence. He looked down at the cement, seeing the line of ants crawling across and into the anthill in the crevices.

In the distance, a couple of police officers were talking to his mom and another parent. The son of the parent, the bully who messed with Lee, was beside them too, sporting a bruised face.

Tony had fought the boy and got good hits in. Because of his knowledge of martial arts, which was thanks to his photographic reflexes, the boy wasn't able to touch Tony. He came out unscathed.

After some time, Julie came over to Tony. He looked up at her but didn't say a word, feeling guilty for somewhat embarrassing his mom.

"Come on. Let's go." She said.

He raised a brow. "What?"

"I still got to make dinner. Lee's probably starving."

"That's it? What happened?"

Julie looked back at the parent and the boy walking off along with the two officers going back to their car. She let out a sigh.

"We resolved it. Words can do wonders if you decide to use them over your fists."

Tony didn't get it. Julie had some way with words and immense confidence to be able to quell the matter so quickly without any repercussions. Julie was a very smart and wise lady.

"I'm sorry, Mom." Tony apologized. "I just got so mad. I don't like when Lee gets messed with or any of my family."

"I get that, Tony." Julie sat down beside him. "You have a good heart. You want to protect the ones you love."

"And...also get payback." He replied honestly.

Julie nodded. "I get that too. Some may see that as revenge...but I see it as...avenging."

Tony glanced at his mother. She continued with a smirk.

"Sounds way better and less vile than revenge."

"Right." He chuckled.

"Still..." Julie spoke. "There might be other ways to solve problems, Tony. In a way that brings less attention to yourself."

She added. "Lee. He looks up to you. You're his role model. You should show him there are other ways to handle situations." 

The boy just nodded. Julie put her arm around her son. She pointed at his head.

"You have that gift up here. You have the strength of three boys your age. Both are extraordinary abilities to have."

Tony took in his mom's words. Like today, he used his abilities to avenge his brother. To put a bully in their place. That did some good and he wanted to do more to help others down the line. And like his mother said, he wanted to be a role model to people like his younger brother.

Julie smiled. She continued.

"Now...how will you use those gifts?"

• • • 2024 • • •

MEN KEPT POST at a marina in the Highlands, New Jersey. They were expecting a shipment from their associates, the Tracksuit Mafia.

A truck drove up to the garage. They allowed it inside and the driver came out. The Dogs of Hell gang member greeted the Tracksuit.

"That all?" He asked him.

"Another truck is right behind. He took another street so it'd be less obvious."

"Well, tell him to hurry his ass up."

The Tracksuit pulled out his radio and spoke into it. "Hey, bro. I'm here already. You close?"

There was no immediate response. The Tracksuit tried again.

"Come on, bro. Let's get this done."

There was still no response. Suddenly, they heard tires outside and an engine. They peeked out of the garage and saw the truck coming.

"Thank God." He remarked.

It was coming by slowly. They waved him down to stop but it wasn't. The Tracksuit kept trying to get his attention but it was no use. The truck ended up crashing into a lamppost.

"What the hell, bro?!"

The Tracksuit and a group of the gang members ran up to the truck. He opened it...seeing his dead colleague in the driver's seat. He backed up and pulled out his gun.

"Oh, shit!"

The Dogs of Hell member pulled the Tracksuit member aside and scolded him.

"What the hell is this? Some kind of joke?"

"What kind of joke would this be, bro? My friend is dead!"

"All I give a shit about is the guns! Where's the—"

Suddenly, the truck that had the dead driver and that was near four gang members exploded. Unbeknownst to them, it had been rigged to do so. The blast killed the people nearby and pushed back the Tracksuit and the Dog.

A few more gang members came out of the warehouse with their guns drawn. The Dog on the floor shouted to them.

"We gotta leave! We're being attacked!"

They all went back inside the warehouse garage, along with the Tracksuit member, to get to their cars. Suddenly, the shutter doors closed and soon after, all the lights went out. They were all in complete darkness.

"What the hell, bro..." The man breathed out.

Thankfully, some of the Dogs had flashlights. They used them to find their cars and the Tracksuit was close behind one of them.

"The hell you following for?"

"I'm scared, bro."

He grumbled. "Keep up, then."

Suddenly, they both heard a yell. It was still pitch black and didn't know who it was. The Dog aimed his flashlight around.

"Shit..."

There was another shout and the sound of gurgling. Immediately, they knew that whoever was attacking them was inside and taking them out. The Dog quickly ran off, leaving the Tracksuit.

"Hey, bro! Wait!"

"Screw you! I'm tryna—"

Moments later, the man yelped and the sound of a body dropping echoed through the room. The Tracksuit also saw the flashlight he had hit the floor too...letting him know he was a goner.

The man was all alone now. He gripped the small pistol he had and fumbled around the dark space, panting in fear.

Suddenly, a beam of light came from behind. He turned around and saw a flashlight being pointed at him. He assumed it was another Dog.

"Bro...you good?" He whispered. "We gotta get out of here."

The man holding the flashlight didn't respond. The Tracksuit couldn't see who it was and only made out a silhouette. He got closer.

"Uh..."

The Tracksuit was immediately hit in the face hard with the flashlight, knocking him out cold. The figure shut off the flashlight and then dragged him away.

The Tracksuit Mafia member had been beaten up as he hung from a chain in the room. The attacker, now with his mask off and hood down, paced in front of him.

Tony Masters hit him again in the abdomen. He groaned and took in breaths.

"Please, bro..."

"We've been at this for over an hour. You haven't given me anything useful."

"I don't know about New Haven or the Brotherhood!"

"They had connections with the Tracksuit Mafia, you may have not been involved but I know there are some in your ranks that do. I want names."

"I don't—"

Tony hit him again. The Tracksuit reacted in pain and coughed. Tony stared at him for a moment before shaking his head.

"Fine. If you're of no use to me..."

He went over to the side and pulled out a handle from a case. It soon expanded into his sword. The Tracksuit's eyes widened.

"Wait—"

"Then you're being relieved," Tony added.

"Wait! Wait!"

Tony pointed the tip of the sword directly at his neck. This action seemed to have scared him to near-death and some crucial information popped back into his head.

"I know! I know who attacked them in New Haven!"

"Do you now?"

"Yes! Uh...the guy, the driver of the truck you killed earlier, he was a part of the Brotherhood once. He—He would tell me stories."

"Tell."

The Tracksuit spoke. "They were up there trying to expand. Former cops...even a rogue ATF Agent was involved. They—"

"I know the story!" Tony exclaimed. "Tell me who attacked them! Who killed them?"

The man panted as he stared down at the blade by his neck.

"Ronin!"

"The Ronin?"

He nodded. Tony eased his grip. The Tracksuit's claim corroborated what he knew and wanted the confirmation.

But then...the Tracksuit spoke again.

"But—But it wasn't just him."

Tony arched a brow, still pointing the sword at him. "Who else?"

He answered.

"Y/N Carter...when he used to go by the name Taskmaster."

• • •

JACK AND ELEANOR sat across from Clint, Kate, and Maggie at the dining room table. They had situated themselves after Jack had Barton at swordpoint a few minutes earlier.

Now, the girl had been explaining their current situation.

"We are working on a case, and we needed to use the bathroom." She lied. "He did. So, we were by the house, we dropped in. No big deal."

"Working on a case together?" Eleanor asked.

"Yeah. Hawkeye and..." Kate tried to come up with a hero name for Maggie but couldn't. "His niece. It's a whole thing. Pretty cool. They're my partners."

Clint scoffed. "I'm not your partner."

"Well, we're friends-slash-partners."

"I wouldn't really describe us as friends."

Maggie chuckled to herself. Eleanor just stared at them. Her cell phone chimed, snapping her out of her thoughts and picking it up.

"Someone used my laptop to sign in to my work account ten minutes ago." She said. "Any thoughts, Kate? Hawkeye?"

"You'll never get anything outta him." Kate said with a laugh. "You see, CB-One has trouble opening up."

"Nobody calls me CB-One." He butted.

"I'm just trying to out for a second." She told him and then looked back at her mom. "Probably some early childhood thing. He thinks he doesn't tell me much, but he ends up telling me all of it."

He disagreed. "I tell her nothing."

"I think it's because I'm generally pretty chill. You know, not like, Oh, my God, Hawkeye!"

Clint disagreed again. "Definitely not chill."

There was an awkward silence after the exchange. Finally, Jack spoke to Clint.

"By the way, thank you...for saving the world."

"Don't mention it."

"You too, young lady," Jack told Maggie. "A fine hero just like your papa. Very patriotic."

Maggie feigned a smile and nodded. "Thanks."

"I would like my daughter to start telling me the truth." Eleanor blurted as she looked at Kate.

Kate inhaled. "I logged into your account because I needed information on an actual case with actual people who are in actual danger."

Eleanor looked at Clint. "So, Kate is helping you with an Avengers-level threat?"

"Well, not exactly." He answered.

"But you are working together?"

Clint didn't know how to respond initially. He glanced at Kate for a moment before letting out a sigh.

"Yes. Sounds weird, because it is."

Kate smiled. Eleanor didn't know how to take the information and let out a chuckle.

"Okay...well, I guess I'm just gonna have to trust everyone at this table to do what's right." She said.

"Cool. It was great bumping into you guys." Kate started to get up. "We should get—"

"Please stay." Eleanor stopped her.

Kate noticed the look in her mom's eyes. She obeyed and slowly sat back down. Eleanor turned to Clint and Maggie.

"Can I see you two out?" She asked.

"I'll get my coat." Clint nodded and bid farewell to her fiancé. "Jack." He then turned to Maggie. "Let's go."

"It was...nice meeting you." She told Jack. "Thank you for not stabbing my uncle through the neck."

He simply nodded. Clint, Maggie, and Eleanor got up from the table and walked out of the dining room. Discreetly, the archer was able to grab the Ronin sword by the wall and hide it under the coat in his arms.

Eleanor pressed the button and called up the elevator. She turned to them.

"Let me clarify." She began.

Clint turned to her. "All right."

"She is not a superhero." Eleanor mentioned Kate.

"Oh, yeah. Come on. I already knew that." Clint replied. "She's pretty good at all this, but—"

"Pietro Maximoff was pretty damn good at it, wasn't he?" She replied abruptly.

Clint stood quiet, ignoring the sudden jab the woman gave him. Maggie was stunned at the remark, but Clint held her shoulder before she could say anything. The action let her know to just let it go and let Eleanor speak.

"Being good isn't always enough to keep you alive." She added.

"I see." He replied.

The elevator opened and they were about to go in. Eleanor stopped him and spoke once more.

"Do you have kids?" She asked, then received a non-answer. "Yeah, I'm gonna assume that you do. It's been a rough week for my family. But I'm letting you know that I cannot lose Kate. I've lost people before. I know in your line of work, you have, too."

"I understand."

"And I know you worry about your niece as much as I worry about my daughter."

"Okay." He said with a nod and walked into the elevator with Maggie.

"So, you'll forget this case?" Eleanor asked.

"I can't do that." He quickly replied. "But what I can do is ensure that your daughter stays safe. Okay?"

Clint faked a smile and let the doors close. The cabin descended and after a few seconds, Maggie finally let out her frustration.

"That bitch."

Clint glanced at her but only let out a chuckle. He nodded.

"Yeah."

Back in the penthouse, Eleanor was in the living area and took out her phone. She dialed the number, one she never had saved on her phone but had always remembered. The call went through and someone answered.

"Can I speak with him, please? This is Eleanor Bishop." She said.

After a moment of waiting, the man she wanted to speak to was on the line. A gruff voice was heard.

"Eleanor."

"Wilson."

"This must be an urgent matter since you've called my personal line."

"It is. We have someone snooping around the business and looking into what happened with Armand."

"And who's dumb enough to be poking around?"

"Clint Barton."

"Why is an Avenger taking interest in this case?"

"I don't know. But I suspect he's also getting help."

"From who?"

There was a beat before she answered.

"Y/N Carter."

Fisk was silent for a moment. Ultimately, a guttural sound from the man's throat was heard through the line.

"Captain America?"

"Again, my suspicion."

"And what warrants that?"

"His daughter is with Barton. If she's around then he might not be that far behind."

"That man has been a pain in my side for no reason, putting his patriotic nose into my business. I won't take this any longer."

"What do you want to do?" She asked.

Fisk took a moment to compose himself.

"Your connection with De Fontaine, call her and get people to deal with Barton and Carter."

"I already have somebody in mind that works for her that can deal with Barton, but the soldier..."

"I know of her subordinates. And there's one that I find...most reliable for the task."

"Who do you want me to ask for?"

There was a beat before Kingpin responded.

"Tony Masters."

• • •

CLINT AND MAGGIE stayed at Kate's aunt's apartment for the night. The man had frozen packs of slushy taped over his shoulders and arms. Maggie laid down on the couch and had an open book over her face.

The doorbell rang. Clint got up, went to the door, and held the button that allowed the person outside the building to speak.

"It's me. I come bearing pizza and holiday cheer. Let me in." Kate said through the speaker.

"Hmm." Clint chuckled and buzzed them in.

A couple of minutes later, she came in with Pizza Dog. Kate held two boxes of pizza and some bags in hand.

"What's all this?" Clint asked from his seat.

"This is me saving the holidays." Kate replied as they put the stuff down.

"Look at you." Maggie sat up. "Kate Claus."

"I'll get you home in time for the big day." Kate took off her coat. "Figured in the meantime, we could celebrate. It's movie marathon night, right? Check this out."

Kate took DVDs out of it and showed them to the archer and the redhead.

"We got movies. From holiday blockbusters to the ones nobody knows about." He said.

"That's very thoughtful of you. Thanks." Clint replied.

Kate smiled and put away the DVDs. Maggie got up and started looking into the bag herself. Clint's grin disappeared and got more serious.

"But, can we put a pause on that and talk about Sword Boy for a minute?" He asked.

"Sword Boy?" Maggie asked.

"Her mom's fiancé, Jack. The guy who was about to cut my throat."

"Oh. Right." She simply replied.

"What's up with him?" Kate asked Clint.

"You got good instincts, kid."

"What do you mean?"

"So, I did a little digging, and turns out, Sloan's a shell company that launders money for the Tracksuits. And Jack Duquesne is the CEO."

"You sure?"

He nodded. "Mmm."

Kate nodded as well. Maggie looked at the young woman and commended her for trusting her gut.

"Kate Claus. PI." She pointed. "Badass."

She chuckled.

"Okay, well, we're just gonna have to come up with a plan to take down my mom's fiancé's organized crime ring..." Kate began and took out a sweater from a bag. "...while simultaneously having a heartwarming holiday celebration."

She threw the ugly sweater at Clint before getting up from the sofa and going toward the kitchen.

"Got any more of that slushy stuff?" She asked about the frozen packs he had on his shoulders.

"In the freezer."

Maggie watched as she left and let out a laugh. The teenager grabbed another sweater from the bag and held it.

Maggie looked ahead at Kate in the kitchen who was prepping her frozen alcoholic beverage. She turned to Clint but the man spoke up before she could. He knew what she was going to ask.

"Uh, no."

Holiday music played and a movie was on in the background. Frozen strawberry daiquiri cocktails were on the table along with an open box of pizza. Maggie enjoyed the pizza but not the cocktails...she instead had some soda.

Kate was up by a poster frame writing on it with a marker. Maggie and Clint sat down enjoying their snacks, giving Pizza Dog some as well. The three wore their respective ugly sweaters.

"Okay, cops. We need to get the cops off my back." She looked back at the board. "TSM, we need to get them to leave us alone."

"Easier said than done." Maggie replied and threw a snack at Pizza Dog.

"And we need to figure out why and how Jack is connected to it all."

"Right."

"This is the part where one of you finishes my sentence with a plan." Kate told them.

"Planning's not really my thing." Clint butted. "Are you sure that's dry erase?"

Kate looked back at the glass frame and tried wiping away the writing. It didn't work. She let out an exhale and put the marker back.

Maggie cringed. "Ooh. That was a nice frame too."

Music continued to play throughout the space. Clint was getting the decorations ready for the tree and Kate was making herself another drink. Maggie was in the living room seemingly having the time of her life with Pizza Dog.

"You like this song?" Maggie laughed as she danced with the dog, who was shaking its tail and moving as well. "Up! Up!"

Clint looked over at the redhead. He chuckled at the sight of Maggie playing with the animal.

"He your dance partner now?"

"Hey, he dances better than you." She joked.

"Oooh!" Kate reacted from the kitchen.

"Come on. I do a mean Macarena." Clint remarked.

"Spin! Spin around!" Maggie told Pizza Dog and surprisingly enough, he did. She let out an elated laugh. "Awesome!"

Clint kept looking at her, a smile forming on his face. She was having so much fun with the dog and he knew that she'd been asking for one the last couple of years. He thought about it for a moment...

They put up a tree in front of the frame to hide the writing. Later, they started to decorate it with lights and ornaments. Kate and Clint had been talking about arrows and their skills as archers.

"You got any other cool tricks?" She asked him.

Clint held up a small silver disc that he was putting up as a decoration.

"Well, I can knock somebody unconscious with this, like, twenty feet away."

"No, you can't." She scoffed.

"I'd use a quarter or a nickel. A dime's too light."

"Prove it."

"What? Want me to knock you unconscious?"

"No. Just hit something."

He shook his head. Kate scoffed.

"Fine. Live forever without me believing you. I'll just tell every stranger that I see that Hawkeye is full of bullshit."

Clint tossed the disc without looking and hit the button on the television, turning it off. Kate looked on in awe.

"You gotta show me how you just did that."

Kate ended up learning the trick Clint did. She asked Maggie if she wanted to try...and the teenager showed up. Of course, she already knew that trick.

Afterward, they sat on the sofa while a movie played. One conversation lead to another, including Clint's time as a SHIELD agent.

"All right. Best shot you ever took?" Kate asked.

"Uh, the one I didn't take."

Kate raised a brow. "What does that mean?"

"Uh, it means..." Clint hesitated. "Never mind, shouldn't have said it."

"Oh, come on, you can't do that."

"Never mind, it's nothin'."

"Come on, Uncle Clint." Maggie said.

"You gotta tell me," Kate added. "Consider it my Christmas present."

"No, it's not the right time."

"Yes. Look, it'll be a good story, I'm sure..."

"It's just not really good story, okay? It's... about the time I met someone."

Clint took a breath, relenting and deciding to talk about it.

"I was sent to take her out. And when I got there, when it was time...um...I couldn't do it. I just had this feeling that she wanted out. Turns out, I was right."

Maggie had never heard the story before...but she had an inkling of who it was about. She spoke up.

"Mom?"

Clint nodded. Kate chimed in.

"You mean Natasha?"

"Yeah. She was the best there was. Still is."

"She always talks about second chances. How she was given one after being found by you. Same with my dad...after Fury did."

"They made the best of it, that's why," Clint said. "I mean...you're here."

She chuckled.

"Pietro...uh...was also given a second chance. Him and his sister. Being part of HYDRA and all."

Clint nodded. Although he retired right after the Battle of Sokovia he knew of the Maximoff Twins' work on the team. They pretty much righted their wrongs and became heroes.

"Yeah." Clint sighed. "I remember...when he saved me...me and that boy. From then on...I knew the kind of man he was."

Maggie looked down as she thought of Pietro. Clint continued.

"And, well...then he saved me again. Saved all of us."

"I—I know," Maggie replied somberly, letting a tear roll down her face.

Kate reached out and offered comfort for her friend. From the times they talked the last couple of days, she knew how much the late speedster meant to her and Clint.

"I'm sorry." She apologized.

"It's all right. It's, uh..." He began. "When you do what I do for a living, it—it's just a game of managing loss, right? So..."

Barton sighed. There was a brief silence before Kate spoke up.

"You lost your family in the Blip?" She asked him.

"Yeah. Like half the world."

"God, that must have been devastating."

"Yeah, there are no words."

"Is that where you met the Ronin?"

He let out another sigh, not answering right away. His reaction was all Kate needed to confirm her suspicions.

"It's you, isn't it?" She asked.

"Everybody dealt with the Blip their own way." He said. "I just went out and did what I was trained to do."

"Protect people." Kate replied.

"Hurting people." He butted. "Investigating first, but in the end, my job has always been to hurt people."

"You were a hero."

He looked up at her. "I was a weapon. I was aimed by the right people at the right targets."

"You made mistakes but those are behind you."

"No, they're tied to me. Tied to my family. That's why I'm here. And I can't go home until I fix it."

Clint sighed and looked down. The man continued.

"I told you before, Kate. I'm not a role model. I'm not a hero."

Maggie took a breath in and looked at her hands. What Clint said about being a weapon reminded her of what her father, Y/N, often thought years ago after finding out about his ties to HYDRA. It also reminder her of her mother, Natasha, and her doubts about being anything else but a killer for the Red Room.

"Don't...don't put yourself down like that, Clint," Maggie said. "A lot of people see you as a role model. A hero. As that inspiration. Kate has...even me."

Clint looked at her. Maggie kept speaking.

"From a God in Thor, to a guy with metal wings in Sam, to a simple guy with a bow in you. You're a hero people look up to. Not just as a hero...but as a person. A great man, a friend, a dad."

The man took it all in. But Maggie wasn't finished.

"You get that you're the first guy my dad hung around with when he first was brought out of stasis? He got everything he learned from you. How to be a good agent, a good teammate, a good fighter. And as years went on...he learned what it takes to be a good husband and a good father...from you."

What she was saying was true. Clint was one of the main teachers for Y/N when he officially joined SHIELD in 2011 and had him under his wing. When their bond became closer, he introduced Y/N to his family. From there, the super soldier pretty much learned what it takes to be a family man.

Clint processed her words, holding back some tears. He never really thought about it that way before. He had been a role model to a paragon like Y/N Carter and he didn't realize it.

"I really appreciate what you did tonight." He told Kate, now wanting to move on from the conversation. "It means a lot."

Kate didn't respond, looking dejected after such a somber moment between her and the two. She didn't expect that on a night of holiday celebration.

Clint continued. "You know, you two should get some rest. We got a big day tomorrow."

"Yes, boss," Kate said quietly and nodded. "Good night."

"Good night."

Kate got up and went into the hallway. Maggie got up as well, walking passed him and patting his shoulder. But before she can leave, Clint grabbed her hand.

"Thank you." He spoke softly. "I-I needed that."

She knew he was talking about her words from before. Maggie smirked.

"Thank Grandpa Steve. I got my speaking chops from him."

The archer chuckled and so did the redhead. She smiled more genuinely and continued.

"It's all love, Uncle Clint. Good night." 

She walked off to the guest room. Clint shut off the television and lamp beside him. He took off his hearing aid and laid back on the seat, closing his eyes to sleep.

• • •

TONY HAD GOTTEN a call from one of his handlers for a job opportunity. He had to put his mission dealing with the New Haven incident on hold for now. He needed to look into some more leads anyway.

In a run-down diner on the outskirts of Tottenville, New Jersey, Tony sat in the corner at a table. He had a view of the entire room, which is something he has always done when sitting in an establishment. It was a tactic he learned in the army. He preferred having an entire layout of the room with a view of each exit and route of escape.

He sat there enjoying his coffee. Finally, the person he was waiting for came into the diner. Sporting her coat, sunglasses, and a purple streak on her hair, she smirked at the man.

"Mister Masters." Valentina Allegra de Fontaine greeted as she removed her glasses.

"Just Masters." The man replied. "Pleasure to see you again, Val."

She sat down. In all honesty, she felt kind of icky sitting in the old seat and being inside the run-down diner.

"You always frequent places like this?" She asked.

"As long as they have food, drinks, and a bathroom...I'm good."

Val didn't like the area and preferred to get this done quickly. She decided to straight to business.

"This is high priority contract."

"Hmm. From Osborn?" He replied.

"No. But someone who knows him. They need this matter dealt with as quickly as possible."

"The target in the States?"

"Targets." She clarified, taking out a folder from her bag. "Yes. They are only a state away."

"More than one? You understand the price goes up..."

"They understand and are willing to pay more since they know your expertise. And, in all honestly, they're desperate."

"Should I ask why?" Tony asked as he sipped his coffee.

"The original plan was for you to have a partner for this job. Make it easier. You two split the money. But she declined the contract for unspecified reasons. So..."

"It's just me now." He finished.

Val slid the folder over to him. She continued.

"These two pack quite the punch. But they know you're able to handle it."

Tony smirked as he opened the folder. He moved some papers around until he saw the photos of the targets. He stared at them and was stunned upon seeing who they were.

Val spoke. "Clint Barton and Y/N Carter. Aliases include—"

"Hawkeye. Freedom Fighter. Ronin. Taskmaster." He interjected, still staring at the pictures.

"And just recently, Carter as Captain America."

He scoffed. "He doesn't deserve that title."

Val sensed some malice in his tone. She decided to question it.

"Bad blood with either of them?"

Tony kept looking at the photos. He just learned a couple of days ago about the fact that Clint as Ronin and Y/N as Taskmaster attacked and killed a group of the Brotherhood in New Haven a few years ago...one that his partner, Carla, an ATF Agent, was deep undercover in. She was one of the victims of their assault.

Because of that, he harbored anger towards them. An anger that fueled his dedication to take them out. To avenge Carla.

"Won't have any for long." Tony finally answered her question. She looked up at Val. "Because I'll make sure they're dead before Christmas."