League of Avengers

"Something's not right," Tony muttered, scanning the Belgrade Institute's perimeter through his HUD. The team was still five minutes out, but already his targeting systems were picking up anomalies. "These guys are too well positioned."

"Explain," Steve's voice came through the comms from the second Quinjet.

"The anti-aircraft positions." Tony highlighted them on the tactical display he was sharing with the team. "They're not covering the obvious approaches. They're covering *our* approaches. The exact vectors we discussed in the briefing."

A moment of silence followed as the implications sank in.

"Could be coincidence," Clint offered, but his tone suggested he didn't believe it.

"With this level of hardware?" Tony countered. "Latest gen everything, positioned exactly where they'd need to be to counter our specific tactical approach? Someone knew we were coming. And they knew how."

"Change of plans?" Natasha asked, already calculating alternatives.

Steve's voice was firm. "No time. Those hostages can't wait. But everyone stay alert – we might be walking into more than we thought."

Sejuani's laugh carried through the channel, ice crystals forming around her as she prepared for battle. "Let them prepare. It will make their defeat all the more satisfying."

"Just remember," Steve cautioned, "our priority is the hostages. Whatever game these people are playing, we play ours."

Thor gripped Mjolnir tighter, electricity crackling around him as they approached. "Indeed. Let them scheme – they face the might of Asgard and Runeterra combined."

The assault began as planned, but with a heightened sense of wariness. Tony and Thor led the frontal assault, drawing attention while Steve's team infiltrated through the maintenance tunnels. But now every encounter felt staged, every resistance calculated.

"Six hostiles, northwest corridor," Ahri reported, her enhanced senses proving invaluable in the dim tunnels. "Moving in formation, but..." her tails twitched with agitation. "They're not searching. They're waiting."

"Same on the upper level," Tony confirmed, dodging missile fire that seemed just a little too predictable. "They're herding us. Using minimal force, but maximum guidance."

"Like a test," Bruce observed from his position monitoring the feeds. "They want to see how we handle specific scenarios."

The realization made the entire mission feel different. Each engagement became a puzzle – what were they trying to learn? What data were they gathering? The team adapted, deliberately varying their tactics, trying to break the patterns their mysterious observers seemed to expect.

Sejuani proved particularly effective at this. The Winter Warrior's brutal, straightforward combat style masked a keen tactical mind. Where the enemy expected calculated strikes, she delivered overwhelming force. Corridors meant to channel them became killing grounds as her ice magic transformed the battlefield itself.

"They study us like prey," she growled, her flail crushing through another 'defensive' position. "They will learn we are hunters."

In the facility's main laboratory, Dr. Hansen worked frantically at her terminal while armed guards kept watch. But something about their positioning bothered Natasha as she and Ahri approached. They were arranged for optimal camera coverage, not optimal defense.

"They're putting on a show," she realized. "This whole thing is theater."

"Then let's change the script," Ahri smiled, her essence orb already forming. What followed wasn't the elegant infiltration their observers likely expected. Instead, it was chaos – Ahri's charms causing guards to fire on each other while Natasha seemed to be everywhere at once.

Throughout the facility, the team began deliberately disrupting the carefully orchestrated scenarios. Darius and Thor, instead of engaging the forces at the main entrance, crashed through a wall to create their own path. Clint's arrows found and disabled cameras as often as enemies. Steve coordinated it all, turning their observers' own plan against them.

But the real surprise came with the combat armor. It burst from a concealed bay exactly when and where Tony had predicted – which meant it was exactly where he wanted it.

"You know," he commented casually as he dodged its first salvo, "if you're going to reverse engineer my tech, you should really change the base coding. JARVIS?"

"Already done, sir," his AI replied. "Their systems were remarkably easy to access once we knew what to look for. Would you like me to demonstrate?"

The experimental armor suddenly froze mid-attack, its systems locked up by their own security protocols. The pilot's escape hatch burst open – empty.

"Remote controlled," Tony landed beside it. "But the real question is, who's watching the watchers?" His suit's systems were already tracing the control signals, burrowing through layers of security.

"Tony," Steve's voice carried a warning. "Focus. Hostages first."

"Multi-tasking, Cap. And... there we go. Bruce, you getting this?"

"Signal traces, command protocols, data routing... This is bigger than we thought," Bruce confirmed. "They've been gathering intel on us for weeks. And not just surface stuff – detailed analysis of abilities, tactics, even team dynamics."

"The hostages were never the real target," Natasha concluded, securing Dr. Hansen and her research data. "We were."

With the combat armor disabled and their carefully planned scenarios in ruins, the remaining resistance crumbled quickly. But the team's work was just beginning.

——————————————————

Back at the tower, Tony's lab had become a war room. Holographic displays showed network traces, data flows, and security breaches that painted a disturbing picture.

"They've been in everything," he explained, expanding a particularly complex diagram. "SHIELD systems, surveillance feeds, even our own network. Not deep enough to get classified intel, but enough to study patterns, monitor communications."

"How?" Steve demanded. "Our security—"

"Is good, but they found a way to piggyback on legitimate channels. Hiding in plain sight." Tony's expression was grim. "The good news is, now we know what to look for. JARVIS and I have been implementing new protocols since we got back. Quantum encryption, rotating channels, the works."

"And the bad news?" Natasha asked, though her expression suggested she already knew.

"Someone had to give them access initially. Someone with high-level clearance." Tony met each of their eyes in turn. "We've got a mole. Maybe more than one."

The implications hung heavy in the air. Trust was already a rare commodity in their line of work. The idea that someone had betrayed that trust...

"Can you track them?" Clint was checking his arrows, a habit he fell into when agitated.

"Working on it. But they're good – really good. Every trace leads to another shell, another proxy."

Ahri's tails swayed thoughtfully as she studied the data flows. "In my experience, those who watch others so carefully often forget to watch their own backs. They become so focused on gathering information that they leave themselves vulnerable."

"She's right," Bruce added, adjusting his glasses. "They've been studying us, learning our patterns. Maybe it's time we study them back."

"A hunt," Sejuani smiled coldly. "But this time, we are the hunters."

Steve considered their options. The mission had revealed not just an enemy, but a vulnerability. Someone was playing a longer game, gathering intelligence for some future move. But in trying to study them, they'd revealed themselves.

"Tony, how long to completely secure our systems?"

"Already done for the critical stuff. Full implementation of the new protocols... call it 48 hours. After that, they'll be locked out of everything."

"Good. Bruce, work with him – see if you can trace their data collection, figure out what specifically they were studying. Natasha, Clint – start going through personnel records, anyone with the access and opportunity to plant those backdoors. Thor, coordinate with SHIELD, make sure they're implementing the security upgrades. The rest of you, we train – but we change up the patterns. No more predictability."

"And when we find them?" Darius asked, his axe gleaming menacingly.

"We do this right," Steve insisted. "We gather evidence, build a case. Whoever's behind this, they're patient, methodical. They'll slip up eventually, and when they do..."

"We'll be ready," Tony finished, already immersed in coding new security protocols. "And won't they be surprised to find out just how much we've learned about them while they were busy studying us."

As the team dispersed to their tasks, Ahri lingered, watching the data flows with troubled eyes. "In my world," she said softly, "those who deal in secrets and shadows eventually learn that knowledge flows both ways. Every observation creates a connection, and connections can be traced back to their source."

"Good," Natasha replied, a dangerous smile playing at her lips. "Because I'm very good at following connections."

In his office at the Triskelion, Alexander Pierce frowned at his suddenly blank monitor. Every feed, every backdoor, every carefully placed surveillance routine – gone. Somehow, they'd not only detected the intrusion but had turned it back on itself. Years of careful information gathering, wiped out in hours.

"Sir?" Sitwell stood nervously at his desk. "Should we attempt to reestablish the connections?"

"No," Pierce's voice was cold. "We've learned what we needed to. Begin Phase Two. And Jasper? Find out who talked. Someone warned them."

The game had changed. The observers had become the observed, and the hunters had become the hunted. But in the shadows of the digital world, new battles were just beginning.

In the tower's training room, Steve watched his team prepare – this incredible mixture of heroes from across worlds and realms, each bringing their own strengths and perspectives. They'd faced their first real test as an expanded team and emerged stronger for it. But he couldn't shake the feeling that this was just the beginning.

"We'll be ready," he said simply, meeting each of their eyes in turn. "Whatever comes next, we face it together."

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---

Hours later, with new security protocols in place and teams assigned to their tasks, the tower's main conference room had been transformed. Despite the gravity of what they'd discovered during the mission, there was another matter that couldn't be postponed any longer.

Peter Parker sat nervously in what he hoped was a professional position, then switched to a more casual pose, then back again. He'd changed out of his Spider-Man suit into what Aunt May called his "interview clothes," though the jacket was already slightly rumpled from his anxious fidgeting.

"Kid, if you bounce your leg any faster, you're going to drill through the floor," Tony commented from where he was tinkering with something at the bar. "Relax. You've already passed the hard part."

"Indeed," Thor's booming voice made Peter jump slightly. "Your actions during the Battle of New York proved your worth as a warrior. And today's mission..." he grinned. "Most impressive."

"The way you webbed up those flying bastards so that more and more fell into it?" Clint added. "That was good thinking."

Peter's face reddened at the praise. "I just figured, you know, since they seemed to be quite distracted, and the webbing's really strong, like it can hold several tons of..."

"He babbles when he's nervous," Ahri observed with amusement, her tails swaying as she perched on the edge of a desk. "It's endearing."

"I do not babble," Peter protested. "I just sometimes have multiple relevant points that all try to come out at once and..."

"Babbling," Tony confirmed, bringing over what looked suspiciously like celebratory drinks. At Steve's raised eyebrow, he held up his hands. "Don't worry, Cap. The kid's is non-alcoholic. I'm not completely irresponsible."

"Debatable," Natasha murmured, making Bruce choke slightly on his tea.

Steve cleared his throat, trying to maintain some semblance of formality. "Right. Well, we should proceed with the..."

"Is this going to be another one of your inspirational speeches?" Tony interrupted. "Because I think we've hit our quota for the day with the whole 'we'll be ready' thing after the mission."

"Tony..." Steve's warning tone was undermined by the slight twitch of his lips.

"No, no, he has a point," Clint chimed in. "There's probably some rule about maximum daily inspiration limits. Safety regulation thing."

"I don't recall such limitations in Asgard," Thor mused. "Though perhaps that explains some of Odin's more lengthy declarations..."

Sejuani, who had been cleaning her flail in the corner (a habit that tended to make everyone slightly nervous), looked up. "In the Freljord, we simply hit things with weapons until everyone agrees. Much simpler."

"We're not hitting anyone with weapons," Steve said firmly, though Peter noticed he had to work to keep a straight face. "This is supposed to be a formal induction..."

"Pretty sure we lost 'formal' around the time Stark started bartending," Natasha pointed out.

"I prefer 'enhancing the ceremonial atmosphere,'" Tony corrected, handing Bruce what appeared to be some kind of green health smoothie.

Peter watched the exchange like a tennis match, his nervousness gradually giving way to amazement. These were the Avengers – Earth's Mightiest Heroes – and they were... bantering. Like a family. A weird, superpowered, partially interdimensional family, but still.

"If I may," Ahri's voice cut through the growing chaos with surprising authority. "While I'm still learning this world's customs, it seems to me that actions speak louder than ceremonies." Her golden eyes fixed on Peter. "You've fought beside well them, I wasn't her yet, bled beside them, and helped them face an unknown enemy. What more needs to be said?"

A moment of silence followed her words.

"See?" Tony pointed at her with his glass. "This is why we keep her around. Well, that and the fact that she's the only one who can beat Natasha at poker."

"You cannot prove I use charm magic during card games," Ahri replied primly, but her tails gave away her amusement.

"Pretty sure using any kind of magic during poker is cheating," Clint argued.

"Says the man who definitely doesn't hide cards in his arm guards," Natasha countered.

"Those are backup arrows!"

"Children," Steve sighed, but he was smiling now. He turned to Peter. "They're right, though. You've more than proven yourself. The paperwork's just a formality at this point."

"Paperwork?" Peter's voice cracked slightly. "There's paperwork?"

"So much paperwork," Tony confirmed cheerfully. "Welcome to the bureaucratic side of superheroics, kid. But don't worry – I had JARVIS fill most of it out. You just need to sign where indicated and try not to think too hard about the liability waivers."

"I... what liability waivers?"

"Moving on," Steve interrupted smoothly, shooting Tony a look. "Peter Parker. On behalf of the Avengers Initiative..."

What followed was possibly the strangest job acceptance of all time, involving everything from standard NDAs to a lengthy discussion about whether web fluid counted as a biological or technological enhancement for insurance purposes. Through it all, Peter couldn't stop grinning. He was officially becoming an Avenger.

"Just remember," Bruce added kindly, "you don't have to move into the tower. Some of us prefer to maintain some separation between work and personal life."

"Boring people, he means," Tony corrected. "Boring people who don't appreciate my state-of-the-art facilities and unlimited snack options."

"The last time I tried your unlimited snacks, they tried to bite me back," Clint pointed out.

"That was one time! And I specifically labeled that drawer 'experimental prototypes.'"

"You labeled it 'probably won't explode.'"

"Same thing."

Peter looked around at his new team – at Tony's manic enthusiasm, Steve's patient exasperation, Thor's booming laugh, Natasha's subtle smirk, Bruce's quiet amusement, Clint's dramatic gestures, Ahri's graceful playfulness, Sejuani's bemused head-shaking, and even Darius's barely concealed eye-roll – and felt something settle in his chest. This was where he belonged.

"Oh god," he blurted suddenly, "how am I going to explain this to Aunt May?"

The room went quiet for a moment before Tony clapped him on the shoulder. "Don't worry, kid. We'll figure it out. That's what teams are for." He paused. "Though maybe we don't lead with the 'fighting international conspiracies' part."

"Or the 'interdimensional warriors' part," Ahri added helpfully.

"Definitely not the 'liability waivers' part," Bruce agreed.

"You're not helping," Steve told them, but he was laughing now too.

And as the conversation devolved into increasingly ridiculous suggestions for how to break the news to his aunt, Peter realized something important: being an Avenger wasn't just about the fighting or the missions. It was about moments like this – the quiet times between battles, the laughter in the face of danger, the feeling of belonging to something bigger than himself.

Plus, he was pretty sure he just saw Captain America snort at one of Tony's jokes, which was definitely going in his diary. Or it would, if superheroes kept diaries. Did they? He should probably ask...