WINTER SOLDIER
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"So here's the plan," Loki snapped through the speaker in my ear, "walk inside the tower, and try not to seem hostile."

I had my back pressed up a wall, a few paces away from the Stark Tower entrance. There were no guards in the exo-premises, but there were a litter of cameras.

"That's impossible," I murmured, scanning the area, "Tony Stark has the most advanced security system up to date."

"That doesn't matter."

"Do you want me to get caught?"

"I only picked you to do this mission, because you already know those fools," Loki hissed.

"I don't understand."

"Never mind," he groaned, "just do as I say."

My hatred for Loki was growing stronger by the second. I had only worked my missions alone, but this time he decided to shove a transmitter into my ear just to boss me around. I hated it.

Following his command, I strode across the street and into the tower's front door, the air-conditioned room hitting me in the face. I counted twelve guards staring at me as I walked in, and my hand grazed against the knife in my pocket defensively.

Loki somehow sensed it.

"They won't kill you, unless you initiate something," he groaned, "just go to the elevator."

Rolling my eyes, I did as he said again. Striding past the guards, I let out an exhale in surprise. Strangely, they just nodded their heads at me, and continued to pace around.

Pressing the lift button, I narrowed my eyes impatiently.

"[y/n]?"

I didn't recognize the name, but apparently it was being directed at me. An unfamiliar man with a beard came running towards me, the tie of his suit blazing behind him. He came skidding to a stop in front of me.

"Where have you been?" He interrogated, "we've been looking for you everywhere."

People were looking for me? 

That was impossible.

If they were, it only meant one thing: I had been compromised. If that was true, there was only one thing I could do in order to keep my information sealed. Simple: get rid of the man, and complete the mission. My hand drifted towards my weapon again, but Loki hissed once more.

"Tell him you managed to escape," the god said, "and that you're just going to your room."

What sick trick was this?

Violence was the only alternative to everything, and yet all I was supposed to do was talk my way through to the tesseract. The world had definitely changed from how it used to be.

"I escaped," I said bluntly, "I'm going to my room."

The man narrowed his eyes, "I thought you were staying with Peter?"

"Who's Peter?"

"You idiot!" Loki yelled, "I told you to only say what I tell you to say!"

The bearded man scrunched his nose, "are you okay?"

"Tell him you're tired, and just need to talk to Stark."

"I'm tired, and I need to talk to Stark."

"I'll let him know," the man said, reaching for his walkie-talkie.

"TELL HIM NOT TO CALL!"

"Don't call," I urged, pushing his hand away from his device, "I'm tried, and I need to talk to Stark."

"Are you sure you're okay, [y/n]?"

There was that name again. [y/n]. It wasn't my name, and it certainly wasn't familiar. Why was everyone addressing me with it?

"Tell him you just don't want to wake everyone up," Loki continued, "then get inside the elevator."

"I just don't want to wake everyone up," I said, brushing past him like Loki said to do.

Leaving the man bewildered, I watched as the doors closed between us. Remembering what Loki told me earlier in the day, I pressed the button for the tenth floor, and waited for the elevator to stop moving.

"What is this?" I said under my breath, "why does everyone seem to know me?"

"No reason. Just get the tesseract, and get out."

"Affirmative."

Once the door finally slid open, I stepped carefully into the empty hallway. It was eerily quiet, which put me on edge, and being on edge was never good in the first place. A mission doesn't need emotion. The sound of my boots hitting the floor echoed loudly down the corridor, and I drew back to stop it from creating any unwanted attention.

"The tesseract is kept in a storage unit to your left," Loki directed, "the code is 04-10-72."

"Shut up and let me work," I grunted.

"Oh, you didn't not just tell me to-"

"I work alone," I cut him off, "so until I need your help, don't speak."

It was unnecessary fighting, but I did it in spite. I didn't like being controlled during my work, and I also didn't like Gods. Creeping into the storage room, I spotted a safe-box planted into the wall. 04-10-72. Pushing my hair out of my face, I began to type the code in number-by-number.

Once the light flashed green, the door popped open.

"Is this all you wanted?" I frowned, taking out a silver case, "it's just a tiny briefcase."

"It's what's in the case that matters."

"The tesseract?"

"Yes, now bring it back to me, and make sure no one sees you with it."

Shutting the safe closed, I exited the room, walking all the way towards the emergency staircase to the left. Leaving through the back of the tower would be safer. As I passed down the hallway, I turned my head to look inside the rooms. Most of the stuff was just hoards of technology, all piled up into heaps. That was all there was.

Computers, screens, phones, devices, more computers, more screens, more phones, and....

Me.

I stopped in my tracks, skidding to an unexpected halt. A grainy timestamp of my face was being projected into the air, which set off my internal alarm. I don't remember having my photo taken, and it wouldn't make sense to have it here.

Why did Stark have a photo of me?

"What are you doing?" Loki growled, "get out of there!"

"I need to see something first," I said, "I'll get you your tesseract on my own time."

Slowly pushing open the glass door, I crept into the room, and approached the floating picture. I was sitting in a room, wearing a grey t-shirt, my mouth half-open unflatteringly. It looked like it was stopped in the middle of me talking.

"What the hell?" I muttered under my breath, "how is this possible?"

As I passed by a couch, I noticed a boy passed out on the cushions. His brown hair was tangled over his face, and he was curled up into a ball, deep in sleep.

He was a creep.

A creep who somehow obtained a photo of me, that I didn't remember taking. I never took photos of myself, since it was against regulation. This was evidence that needed to be destroyed before anyone else saw.

Spotting the projector, I reached my hand out, hoping to snatch it up. Instead, it started to play something as soon as my fingers touched it.

"I hope I'll never forget all of this," a familiar voice started to say, "even though most of my time here in Queens wasn't the greatest."

That was...my voice.

I spun around, realizing the picture had just begun to move. Apparently, It was a video. I stared at the screen in horror as I watched it play.

"I think it has it's good parts," I continued, "like family dinners, ducks, and Peter."

Who was Peter?

"My friend, Peter."

I hated friends. They were unreliable, and too much of a burden to have.

"Yeah, Peter."

Suddenly the video stopped abruptly, the audio coming to a halt. Scrunching my eyebrows, I set down the case and tilted my head. Why did it stop mid-video?

As I turned to the projector again, I realized there was a figure standing right next to it.

It was the boy.

"Oh my god," he whispered, "[y/n]?"