THEIR BREAK-OUT FROM the Raft officially labeled them as war criminals.

In order to be with their families and be pardoned, Clint and Scott took plea deals with the FBI and German government. They didn't want to be on the run.

Steve on the other hand, wasn't going to turn himself in. He left Tony a voicemail, apologizing for everything that transpired in Germany and Siberia. Steve told Y/N what happened after Tony confronted him and Bucky in Siberia, from how he found out about his parents' deaths and Tony's attempt to kill Bucky.

Y/N didn't think that'd happen. He gave Tony their location because he thought it would help. He just didn't predict how Zemo was using them as pawns, and his ultimate plan was to tear apart the Avengers.

A plan he accomplished.

Currently, the team was in the Quinjet on their way to Europe. It consisted of Steve, Wanda, Y/N, Sam, Natasha, and Bucky. Nat had reunited with them, haven't had seen her friends since the battle in Germany.

Steve activated the autopilot feature of their stealth plane, and left the seat. He walked up to the team who sat around talking amongst each other.

"How's everybody holding up?" The Captain asked.

"For a few enemies of the law, I say we're doing all right." Y/N replied.

"So, what's the plan?" Sam asked.

Steve sighed, "It's just us now. The Avengers aren't what is once was, but I can't give up on the mission."

Steve was still willing to lay down his life for the betterment of humanity. He was still a hero, and wanted to help those in need.

"So...vigilantism?" Natasha asked.

Cap shrugged, "If that's what it's called now, then yes."

Y/N understood Steve's point of view. He felt the same way. His time as an Avenger showcased his selflessness and willingness to save lives. Even after the government labeled him a criminal, he would still help those that needed it.

But did Wanda want that?

"I'm in." She suddenly said, which surprised Y/N. It's as if she read his mind.

Did she?

"Are you sure about this, Wanda?" He asked. "On the run, living in cramped up apartments and God knows where..."

"What's the other choice?" She held his hand and interlocked her fingers with his. "Besides, as long as we're together...there's nowhere I'd rather be."

Y/N smiled, "Then I'm in, too."

"So what are we? The Fugitive Five?" Sam looked over at Bucky, and remembered him. "Or...the Secret Six?"

"Keep it at five." Bucky chimed in, not wanting to do that work. He didn't believe he was fit to help people, still thinking his mind was messed up.

"Keep it simple. The Secret Avengers." Y/N said, which garnered a nod from Steve.

"The simple ones are always the best." He replied.

"Like your parties." Natasha cut in.

"I'm a simple guy."

Steve then sighed and turned back to the front of the jet, seeing the sky and clouds they were passing by.

It was a new beginning. And their new lives started now.

• • •

TWO MONTHS HAD PASSED. In the dimly lit lot, three men got out of their van and made their way to the door of the building. It was in an isolated part of town, which was beneficial for their operation.

They knocked on the door, which was soon answered. Another man peeked through the crack and saw his colleagues.

"Took you assholes long enough." He fully opened the door. "You have them?"

The man nodded, and went back to his van. He opened the sliding door, revealing four people bound and tied up. It consisted of two young men and two women.

This was a human trafficking exchange.

"All right, bring them in. We'll keep them here for now." The man at the door ordered.

The driver nodded, and was about to pull their victims out but was suddenly shot by an electric round. He was electrocuted, and fell to the floor.

The rest of the men looked around in confusion. The man at the door quickly called over a couple more guys who joined them outside.

Redwing flew away after shooting the man. Specter quickly dropped down and kicked one of the traffickers into the van, knocking him out upon impact.

"Shoot him!" One of the men yelled. They pulled out their handguns and fired at Specter, who simply became intangible and avoided the bullets.

Black Widow leaped down from the fire escape and landed on one of the traffickers, grabbing his head and hitting it against the pavement.

Another trafficker saw this and shot at Natasha, but a crimson force field shielded the assassin. The man kept firing, but Wanda floated the man in the air and threw him against the brick wall.

One of the men quickly surveyed the losing situation and began to run away. He ran into Captain America who suddenly appeared in front of him. Steve smiled, and clocked the coward right in the face.

Falcon flew in, and quickly deflected bullets that came from the two remaining traffickers. He glided towards them, kicking them down and dropping their guns.

One of them on the ground tried to go for his gun, but Specter kicked him in the face, knocking him out. Only one man out of the six remained conscious.

He laid on his back, panting and looking up at the heroes.

The Secret Avengers.

"Wha...what the...?" He breathed out.

"Who do you work for?" Steve asked.

"I don't know! I don't know!" He was afraid, and didn't know what to say. Specter grabbed him by the collar and lifted him up off the ground.

"We won't ask again." Steve added.

The man was breathing heavily, "Information is in the van! It's in the van!"

Steve nodded, giving Specter the queue to knock out the trafficker. He punched him, and let his body drop on the floor.

Steve put his hands on his waist, looking around at the unconscious bodies.

"The man said it's in the van. Let's look and get those fellas to safety."

The Secret Avengers freed the victims and checked the van for information on the operation. Falcon made sure to anonymously report the criminals they took down, which has worked so far in their missions. They also made sure to transport the victims to safety, and they were thankful for their help.

After a night of work, the team went back to their small apartment. It consisted of two bedrooms and a pull-out sofa. It was all they could get in the small Italian town that kept their low profile.

"Man, I'm beat. I call dibs on the shower." Sam said as he started taking off his wing suit pack.

"Don't hog the hot water." Natasha remarked, going over to the fridge and grabbing a drink.

"You're mistaking me for Y/N."

"That's not true." Y/N laughed as he sat back on the sofa.

Sam immediately went into the bathroom. Wanda sat down beside Y/N and rested with him. Steve went over to the table, placing down then papers he got from the van.

For Y/N, it was weird seeing Cap without his shield. He still wore his uniform, but it was shaded darker. He also removed the star patches from his shoulders and blacked out the one on his chest.

While looking at the papers, Steve thought of Bucky. He had taken him to Wakanda after T'Challa agreed to house him and cleanse his mind from the HYDRA programming. He surely missed him.

"That's the second operation we've taken down this month. I fear it's growing." Steve spoke.

"What did we get out of the van?" Y/N asked about the papers.

"Just more names. A couple addresses." Steve started taking off the top part of his suit, revealing his t-shirt, "We'll talk more about it in the morning. Time to turn in."

The rest of the team called it a night. Y/N and Wanda slept on then pull-out sofa. Steve slept in one room and Natasha did another. Sam was willing to sleep on a reclining chair in the living room near the couple.

He didn't want to deal with the awkwardness of sharing a bed with Steve or Nat. He wouldn't had a problem with her, though.

Y/N held Wanda in her arms, the two trying to go to sleep. Both were in their thoughts, and they knew it.

"What's on your mind, love?" He whispered.

"What's on yours?"

"Something funny." Y/N answered, "We're traveling the world...in a sense."

"Not in the way you expected, right?"

"Nope. But hey, maybe we can still try France?"

Wanda chuckled, "Good luck trying to convince Cap."

"I'll try once we deal with the issue at hand." Y/N mentioned the Italian trafficking ring.

Y/N moved her hair aside and kissed her cheek. "Good night, Wanda."

Wanda turned her head and pecked him on the lips. "Good night, miláčik (darling)."

He smiled, and the two went to sleep.