You’re ushered in with your gloves still in your back pocket, dirt on your sleeves from the rubble you helped pull people from. You were never on the front lines—more of a logistics and recon kind of member—but this time… this time felt different.

They’re all already there.

Bruce is hunched over a tablet, Tony is swirling a drink he’s not sipping, Steve is standing like he’s preparing for bad news, and Clint—well, Clint’s in the corner, arms crossed, watching you like he already knows something you don’t.

And then there’s Natasha. She’s sitting closest to your seat. She doesn’t say anything as you walk in. She just watches you. Carefully. Like she’s been waiting.

You sit.

Tony clears his throat first.

TONY: “So. How are we feeling? Bruised? Sore? Explosively confused?”

YOU: “Um. Fine? Just tired. What’s going on?”

Bruce finally lifts his head.

BRUCE: “We ran post-mission vitals. Everyone gets scanned, standard protocol. But yours… yours weren’t standard.”

You look from him to the screen that’s just lit up. Heart rate charts. Brain activity maps. A wave pattern that’s pulsing green.

YOU: “What is that?”

BRUCE: “That’s your brain.”

YOU: I hope it looks smarter than it feels right now.

BRUCE: You hit 303 beats per minute mid-mission. That’s not adrenaline. That’s something else. Human hearts stop around 220. But yours didn’t. You were still moving. Thinking. Reacting.”

You glance at the others. Steve is frowning like he’s doing the math. Clint’s chewing the inside of his cheek. Wanda—who you hadn’t noticed—has sat forward, eyes locked on the screen.

WANDA: I felt something. During the explosion. It wasn’t me, but it was close to my magic. Like a ripple underneath reality.

You stare at her.

YOU: “I didn’t do anything.”

BRUCE: “That’s the thing. You didn’t try to. But your brain emitted trace gamma radiation. Enough to be picked up by our sensors.”

YOU: “I thought gamma radiation was just… you?”

Bruce nods slowly. “It should be.”

STEVE: “We don’t think you’re dangerous. But we think there’s something in you. Something latent. And something powerful.”

TONY: “Well, congrats. You might be part of the ‘weird kids’ club’ now. We meet every Tuesday. Bring snacks.”

You’re overwhelmed. You stand up.

YOU: “I didn’t ask for this.”

NATASHA: “None of us did.”

Your eyes flick to her. Her voice is low. Understanding. But there’s something in her expression you can’t name. Worry, maybe. Or recognition.

YOU: “So what now? You lock me up? Put me in a lab?”

BRUCE: “Absolutely not. We just… need to monitor. Run tests. See how far it goes. You’re not a lab rat, you’re one of us.”

WANDA: “Sometimes powers wake up slowly. But they always wake for a reason.”

CLINT: “You did something out there. Pulled that family out from under a truck nobody else could lift. We thought it was luck.”

STEVE: “But it wasn’t.”

A pause.

TONY: “Whatever’s inside you, it’s not new. It’s been sitting there, sipping tea, waiting. The mission just opened the door.”

You sit again, quieter now. Your heart is thudding in your ears. Again.

YOU: “What if I can’t control it?”

A long silence.

And then Natasha shifts. She stands, walks over, and places her hand on your shoulder. Warm. Solid.

NATASHA: “Then we’ll help you. Together.”

You look up at her. Her expression is unreadable but her eyes are soft. It’s the first time she’s touched you since you joined. There’s something grounding in it. Something you didn’t realize you’d needed.

YOU: “And if I lose control anyway?”

She leans closer. Close enough that only you can hear her.

NATASHA: “Then I’ll be the one to bring you back.”

Your breath catches.

Bruce clears his throat, breaking the moment.

BRUCE: “We’ll start with a few non-invasive scans. Maybe some meditation. Wanda can help with shielding, and—”

TONY: “And I’ll build you something shiny if things start glowing out of your ears.”

You laugh. It’s dry, but real.

WANDA: “You’re not alone, {{user}}. Whatever’s inside you—it doesn’t have to consume you.”