Date: May 21, 2015 Location: Upstate New York, on the coast of the Hudson River
The sun dipped low across the Hudson, casting gold streaks across the gleaming windows of the new Avengers facility. Inside, the once-loud halls were unusually quiet. The battle with Ultron was over, but its shadow still lingered.
Steve Rogers leaned against the balcony rail, arms folded, watching the water ripple below. Natasha Romanoff stood beside him, silent, her sharp eyes fixed on the horizon. Behind them, Tony Stark nursed a drink, pacing restlessly.
"Where's Thor?" Steve finally asked, his voice calm but edged with concern.
Tony sighed, gesturing vaguely with his glass. "Our resident thunder god? Took off. Said he needed answers about the stones, about visions, about Griffith …" he trailed off, shrugging. "Asgardian things. Didn't exactly leave a forwarding address."
Natasha smirked faintly. "Sounds like him."
"And Barton?" Steve pressed.
Natasha's expression softened. "Home. With his family. He earned that much."
Tony chuckled dryly, though there was no real humor. "Yeah. Retired to the suburbs. Meanwhile, Banner's buried himself in the lab downstairs. Won't answer half my calls."
Steve turned, his blue eyes narrowing. "And you, Tony? What about you?"
For once, Stark didn't fire back immediately. He let the silence stretch, then exhaled, rubbing his temples. "I don't know, Rogers. I need… time. Space. I built Ultron, I nearly doomed the planet, and now—" his voice dropped, his usual bravado gone, "—now there's that kid."
Natasha tilted her head. "Griffith."
Tony nodded, a rare flicker of unease crossing his face. "Yeah. Project Chimera. Hydra's little science fair project, using my DNA and Thor's. Kid shows up out of nowhere, helps save the day, then—poof. Gone. No trace." He shook his head. "I don't know what scares me more—that he exists… or that he's out there alone."
Steve's jaw tightened. "He made his choice to vanish. But one day, he'll have to decide who he really is. Weapon or ally."
Natasha folded her arms. "And until then?"
Steve turned back to the river, eyes steady. "We do what we've always done. We prepare. We train the next generation. Because the world doesn't stop needing us."
Natasha gave a small nod. "There's always another fight."
Tony finished his drink, setting the glass down with a soft clink. His voice was quieter now, more vulnerable. "Yeah. But this time… maybe we make damn sure we don't create the enemy ourselves."
The three stood in silence as the sun slipped lower, the weight of victory and loss heavy on their shoulders. Outside, the Hudson flowed on, endless and unyielding—much like the battles yet to come.