20 Meeting the Team

'...'= Thoughts

"....."= Conversations

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The Jet was hovering in the air, currently in an invisible mode as people were not alarmed even when they had arrived.

James looked out and saw the similar scene as in the Avengers where Loki was creating a distraction and people were kneeling on the ground in front of him.

"Open it," Thor ordered.

Suddenly one old man stood up, confronting Loki. Loki attacked the old man but Captain America blocked the attack.

At the same time Thor jumped out of the Quinjet with a roar, "Lokiii." James too looked at the Jet near them, which was controlled by Natasha and followed Thor ready to fight Loki any time.

However Thor didn't even give him the chance and attacked Loki without saying anything. Loki, surprised by such an attack, failed to block it and was thrown towards the ground. Just as Loki was about to reciprocate, he felt something heavy on his chest. Thor had put his hammer on Loki's chest to prevent him from causing any more trouble.

In just a few seconds the situation was brought under control.

While Loki was beaten down, Stark too had appeared, however he just stood in the air, seemingly incapable of doing anything, as Thor had already captured Loki.

"Screwed up my damn entry," Tony grumbled, making sure his complaint carried to every ear in the vicinity. He landed gracefully, adding a touch of flair to his landing. "Hey Point Break, you guys were supposed to be Earth's mighty defenders, but in just one year, you've managed to piss off more people than I ever thought possible. That's why I've always believed that we can't rely on anyone else to keep us safe. We need to take matters into our own hands, be accountable for our own damn protection."

"Are you capable of handling what is about to prevail, metal man," Thor replied, seemingly quite familiar with Tony.

Tony smirked at Thor's remark. "Oh, you have no idea, Golden Boy. I've faced my fair share of challenges, and I've always come out on top."

'Seems like they had met already,' James concluded.

Tony walked towards James who was silently listening to their conversation.

"Hey James, nice to finally meet ya. Been meaning to catch up with you, but got caught up in my crazy busy schedule. You know, back in the day, I was actually real tight with your folks. We had some epic times together, kid. Plenty of unforgettable moments," Tony said with a nostalgic sigh.

"Says a guy who failed to attend their funeral. If you guys were so close, how come I had never seen you all these years," James asked suspiciously.

"We crossed paths a bunch back in my teenage years, way before you were even a twinkle in anyone's eye. But as I matured, I drifted away, lost touch. And yeah, I was there at the funeral, lurking in the shadows. Didn't want to make a scene and ruin such a somber occasion. My bad, I should've made an effort to connect with you, but as the genius that I am, I had a whole lot of enemies gunning for me. Didn't want you getting caught up in my mess." Tony clarified.

James looked at him deeply, trying to understand whether Tony was really concerned about his well being. Having strong sensory ability and perception, he could tell that Tony was not lying.

Fury growled, his voice gruff and commanding, "Listen up, people! Time to move. Get your asses on the Jet, pronto. We'll save the chit-chat for when we're in the damn ship."

James nodded, understanding the urgency of the situation. He followed the others toward the Jet and found a seat, buckling himself in. As the Jet took off, the atmosphere inside was a bit awkward and filled with silence, broken only by the hum of the engines.

Natasha glanced at Tony, studying him for a moment before speaking softly. "So, Tony, why didn't you reach out to us sooner?"

"I made it here as early as humanly possible, Natasha," Tony replied.

Steve who was sitting near the cuffed Loki looked at James and greeted him," Nice to meet you, James. I've heard about Alfred and Audrey. My condolences. They were both instrumental in shaping me into the person I am today. Their loss is deeply felt, but their legacy will always live on," Steve reminisced.

"Looks like, you were quite close with them. Hope I won't have to call you Gramps or something," James joked while looking at Steve.

"Him, huh? Guess you actually believe that one," Tony mumbled begrudgingly, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Steve is just fine or do I look that old?" Steve smiled feeling a bit of warmth and closeness from James.

"Nah, you look even younger than me," James laughed feeling comfortable while talking with Steve. He seemed to get a familiar feeling from this old guy.

Loki, who had been silently observing their conversation, sneered. "Oh please, spare me the sentimental drivel. You two can bond over your shared tragedies all you want, but let's not forget that I'm the one sitting here in chains. It's quite the spectacle, isn't it?"

Steve shot Loki a stern look. "Loki, we don't have time for your games. We have a mission to complete and lives to save. So sit tight and behave yourself."

Loki rolled his eyes but remained silent, knowing that Steve's words held weight.

"Loki's right, I thought you were gonna kiss or something," Tony grumbled.

James just shot a look at Loki who seemed to be a bit pissed, even though everything was going according to his plan.

Natasha, with a smirk on her face, leaned forward and introduced herself to James, casually saying, "So, do you happen to have a girlfriend?"

"No work keeps me busy. Maybe I am waiting for the one or maybe I am too bored to have one right now," James smiled.

"Well, don't wait for long," Natasha replied.

James nodded his head in confirmation," No I won't."

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POLL

1) Should there be romance in the story or not?

•Yes

•No

2) If you agree to put the romance in the story, what it should be?

•Harem

•Only one partner

3) Should it have a major impact on the story?

•Yes

•No

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