2012

Cassandra across from Nick Fury, her boss, tapping her boot against the carpet, waiting for him to say something. He blinked at her with one eye, and she stopping tapping.

"How do you feel about the Avengers Initiative?"

"I don't know what that is sir."

Fury slid a manila folder at her, and she caught it, opening it, and taking the picture of her out. She wrinkled her nose at the confused expression on her face, the picture dated back to maybe 1961. She never aged, so she didn't really ever have to switch out ID pictures.

"A group of remarkable people, so far, we only have six members, and that's a good number, don't you think?"

"Who's in it?" She asked, with a curious tone of voice.

"You, Agent Barton, Agent Romanoff, Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, and Captain Steve Rogers."

She dropped the folder into her lap suddenly.

"Steve?"

••••••••••••••

Cassandra walked carefully into the gym, looking around for the man with blonde hair, just like she remembered. Cassandra flinched when he blasted the punching bag off the chain, sending it flying across the room. Sand spilled everywhere, and Cassandra slowly stepped closer.

"Steve?" Cassandra said quietly.

Steve jumped, clutching his chest, he looked like he'd seen a ghost, which he probably thought he did.

"Lucy? Lucy is that you?"

"Not Lucy, Cassandra."

"What?"

"My name is Cassandra. Cassandra, Cassandra Barnes." The last part of the sentence was quiet.

"Barnes? Like Bucky?"

"Yeah, we're siblings."

"You lied to me."

"I had to, I didn't have a choice."

"You lied to all of us!"

"Steve, I didn't have a choice!"

Steve walked up to her angrily, and sized her up, which was easy because he was significantly taller than she was. She didn't look afraid, she looked much more defensive than she already was. She showed no emotion on her face, keeping herself completely blank, she didn't really even move.

"Were you spying on us?"

"Depends on how you're going to react."

"I can't believe you. You make me sick."

"I seem to have that effect on people."

"You were our friend, our teammate, and you lied."

"Steve, nothing you say has the ability make any mark on me. Because I've already said it all to myself."

"Why are you even here?"

"S.H.I.E.L.D needs your help. But if you don't want to come, that's understandable. I wouldn't want to be on a team with a liar either." Cassandra said with venom in her voice.

Steve seemed to be considering his options carefully. He finally sighed, and looked down at her, taking a step back from her personal space.

"When do I have to leave?"

"Right now would be best."

••••••••••••••••

Cassandra sat against the chair lining the quinjet, looking ahead of her to stop her plane-sickness.

"We're about forty minutes out from base, sir." The pilot said.

Steve was watching a video of the Hulk, destroying things. She didn't know if he could do much else.

"So, this Doctor Banner was trying to replicate the serum that was used on me?" Steve asked.

"A lot of people were. You were the world's first superhero. Banner thought gamma radiation might hold the key to unlocking Erskine's original formula." Agent Coulson said, getting up from his seat.

"Obviously it didn't go so well for him," Cassandra added.

"Not so much. When he's not that thing though, guy's like a Stephen Hawking."

"Uh, Phil, he doesn't know who that is," she whispered to her coworker.

"He's like a smart person. I gotta say, it's an honor to meet you, officially."

Steve smiled at the man, who Cassandra knew, was a HUGE Captain America fan. He had trading cards. If you were in a conversation with him, he would most definitely bring it up.

"I sort of met you, I mean, I watched you while you were sleeping," he said awkwardly.

"Phil," Cassandra chided quietly.

"I mean, I was, I was present while you were unconscious from the ice. You know, it's really, it's just a, just a huge honor to have you on board," he said, shaking Steve's hand.

"Well, I hope I'm the man for the job."

"Oh, you are. Absolutely. Uh, we've made some modifications to the uniform. I had a little design input."

"A little?" Cassandra asked.

"Yeah, a little," he said, mocking her tone.

Cassandra tuned out the rest of the conversation, not wanting to hear Coulson fangirl over Steve. He wasn't all that special anyways. She crossed her arms, and put one leg over the other, leaning back against the flat seat. She twisted a strand of brown hair around her finger, attempting, and failing, to curl it.

"Agent Barnes. Cassandra!" Coulson said, shaking her shoulder when she didn't respond.

"What!" She answered, smacking his hand away.

"We're here."

Cassandra walked down the ramp out of the jet, smirking at the familiar red headed assassin that walked towards her.

"Agent Romanoff. Captain Rogers," Coulson said.

Natasha and Steve nodded to each other.

"Ma'am."

"Hi," she turned to Coulson. "They want you on the bridge. They're starting Face Time."

"See you there."

Coulson walked off, and Cassandra looked to Natasha.

"Agent Romanoff."

"Agent Barnes."

Cassandra and Natasha smiled at each other, and shook hands.

"There was quite a buzz around here, finding you in the ice. I thought Coulson was gonna swoon. Did he ask you to sign his Captain America trading cards yet?" Natasha asked Steve.

"Trading cards?"

"They're vintage, he's very proud. Ah, Dr. Banner, pleasure to meet you," Cassandra said, shaking hands with the man.

"Dr. Banner," Steve said.

"Oh, hi. They'd told me you'd be coming." Bruce said nervously.

"Word is you can find the cube."

"Is that the only word on me?"

"Only word I care about."

Cassandra rolled her eyes at Steve. If he was going to be annoying and rude to her, she'd do the exact same to him.

"Must be strange for you, all of this." Bruce sympathized.

"Well, this is actually kind of familiar."

"Gentlemen, you may want to step inside, it's going to get very hard to breathe." Natasha advised, walking off towards the bridge.

"Is this a submarine?" Steve asked.

"Really? They want me in Ina pressurized, submerged, metal container?"

Cassandra smiled, and folded her arms, watching the two men look over the edge of the helicarier.

"Oh no. This is much worse."

we have officially started the Avengers!!

also, you guys should do this...

i looked up the clip from thor: the dark world, where loki turned into steve.

made my day 3000% better!

love you 3000-