[ The Avengers and SHIELD have always had a strained relationship. But SHIELD had a lot of rebuilding and rebranding to do after Steve found out HYDRA was still bubbling up within the ranks. It was chaos. Chaos and tragedy that left an agency he believed in as a smoldering pile of ash. Decimated by a fight that nearly killed Steve if Bucky hadn't pulled him from the river. Despite Sam's reservations about Bucky he knows that he realizes that deep down there's a man still in there. Hidden under brainwashing and abuse. Which is why he's been hunting for Steve while he remains in the city. Dealing with people and Avenger missions that take him global.
It's no big secret that the public is scared. Scared that the Avengers all somehow have some sort of dark association to HYDRA and what they managed to accomplish in seventy years. Hidden in plain sight. Natasha released documents after documents. A lot of them encrypted. Too difficult to decipher, but that wasn't the point. What mattered at the time was transparency. Making themselves visible so that the public could decide on their own. But since the fall and rebuild of SHIELD they've been hurting severely. The government doesn't trust them and the public is scared. They need something.
Of course it falls on Steve. Tony is dating Pepper. Sam is not technically an Avenger. Not to mention he's out of the country right now. Natasha--well, he'd like to see anyone try to tell Natasha who she should date. The same goes for Bruce Banner. Thor is with Jane. Clint was suspiciously avoided in this instance. Steve isn't sure why and he doesn't ask. But Steve is single. He's single and he's a public figure they can trust given what he did to dissolve HYDRA back in his day and what he did to stop them now. He gave up a lot.
But here they are. Playing a game that Steve didn't know would one day be apart of being Captain America. He thought his days of being a dancing monkey were done. Finished being a media whore with no real say in what he does and says. But it could be worse he figures. It could be someone from within his own team. Seeing as how the only one was Natasha and possible Maria Hill he was just happy they reached out elsewhere. Those things made work difficult. ]
What can I say? I like to keep you on your toes.
[ He would have preferred a meeting that wasn't forced, but it's nice to see her again. ]
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It's no big secret that the public is scared. Scared that the Avengers all somehow have some sort of dark association to HYDRA and what they managed to accomplish in seventy years. Hidden in plain sight. Natasha released documents after documents. A lot of them encrypted. Too difficult to decipher, but that wasn't the point. What mattered at the time was transparency. Making themselves visible so that the public could decide on their own. But since the fall and rebuild of SHIELD they've been hurting severely. The government doesn't trust them and the public is scared. They need something.
Of course it falls on Steve. Tony is dating Pepper. Sam is not technically an Avenger. Not to mention he's out of the country right now. Natasha--well, he'd like to see anyone try to tell Natasha who she should date. The same goes for Bruce Banner. Thor is with Jane. Clint was suspiciously avoided in this instance. Steve isn't sure why and he doesn't ask. But Steve is single. He's single and he's a public figure they can trust given what he did to dissolve HYDRA back in his day and what he did to stop them now. He gave up a lot.
But here they are. Playing a game that Steve didn't know would one day be apart of being Captain America. He thought his days of being a dancing monkey were done. Finished being a media whore with no real say in what he does and says. But it could be worse he figures. It could be someone from within his own team. Seeing as how the only one was Natasha and possible Maria Hill he was just happy they reached out elsewhere. Those things made work difficult. ]
What can I say? I like to keep you on your toes.
[ He would have preferred a meeting that wasn't forced, but it's nice to see her again. ]