Tony had become a very busy man, and unlike before, he had taken a more low-profile approach, spending most of his time at his mansion. With Tony deliberately avoiding Steve, the only way Steve could meet him now was by forcibly entering the Stark estate.
But Steve, despite his differences with Tony, would never resort to breaking. He had more respect than that.
That's why Nick Fury was certain Steve wouldn't pass up this rare opportunity for an Avengers assembly meeting.
"I've got other matters to attend to," Fury said as he and Steve stepped into a car. "But I'll make sure someone takes you where you need to go."
"Off to meet with some politicians?" Steve asked, casting a sidelong glance at Fury.
Steve had dealt with more than his fair share of self-serving bureaucrats in his time, and he wasn't eager to repeat the experience.
"Not just politicians—military top brass too," Fury said with a smile. "But don't worry, I'll handle them. I won't let them bother you guys."
The Avengers, after all, were a collection of extraordinary individuals, each with their talents and quirks. And while they came from different walks of life, they all had one thing in common: an unwavering confidence in their abilities.
In short, they were proud. That they had even agreed to come together was a stroke of luck. If politicians or the military started meddling, it could easily cause the newly formed team to fracture before it even began.
Fury knew better than to let that happen.
"As long as they don't try to restrict my actions, I don't care," Steve replied, giving a small nod. "But I can't speak for the others."
Steve was well aware of his position. He worked with S.H.I.E.L.D. because Peggy had founded it, and he respected her vision. He had no issue carrying out missions for them. But there was one thing he couldn't stand—having his thoughts and actions constrained. If that ever happened, he'd rather retire to some quiet corner of the world and live a peaceful life than serve under selfish, power-hungry politicians.
"I understand," Fury said, nodding.
The car eventually came to a stop. Fury left Steve in the care of one of his agents, who drove him to a secret military base.
There, Steve was brought to a massive aircraft—unlike anything he had ever seen.
"Hello, Captain Rogers," a friendly voice greeted. "I'm Phil Coulson. I've heard a lot about you."
Coulson handed Steve a tablet, his smile never wavering. "This contains the latest files on the Avengers Initiative, as well as some recent supernatural events happening on Earth. I thought it might help you prepare for what's ahead."
He gestured toward the plane. "Let's get aboard. It'll take us about fifty minutes to reach HQ."
Steve nodded, taking the tablet from Coulson as they boarded. He settled into a seat, glanced at the tablet, and with a few taps, began reviewing the files. He had been awake long enough to get used to modern technology, so using the device wasn't an issue.
The first file that caught his attention was one labeled "Dr. Bruce Banner," also known as the Hulk.
As Steve read, he noted the high praise Banner's strength and resilience received—near invulnerability, impervious to modern bullets and missiles, with seemingly unlimited physical power.
But right alongside these accolades was a glaring weakness: Hulk's uncontrollable rage. The film even included a few video clips.
Steve's interest was piqued. While his enhanced abilities made him capable of withstanding normal gunfire with little more than minor injuries, anything more powerful—like an anti-tank sniper round—would require him to take cover behind his vibranium shield.
Yet here was the Hulk, shrugging off military firepower as if it were nothing.
Steve clicked on one of the videos, showing a rampaging Hulk.
A fully armed and highly trained military unit was trying to subdue him, but their efforts were laughable. Their bullets had no effect, and even the blasts from tanks and artillery merely caused Hulk to pause momentarily before unleashing a deafening, beastly roar, even angrier than before.
The sheer power on display made Steve widen his eyes in disbelief.
Hulk's strength was equally terrifying. The video showed him easily bending a tank's cannon before smashing the armored vehicle into scrap metal with a single blow from his fists.
Steve, who had made sure to stay updated on modern military equipment, knew full well that tanks could withstand direct hits from rockets and still keep functioning. Yet under Hulk's raw force, a tank—an over twenty-ton war machine—was sent flying like a toy.
And this... this monster was part of the Avengers?
"Is Dr. Banner unable to control that power?" Steve asked, still stunned by what he had just seen.
"Dr. Banner doesn't want to control the Hulk," Coulson explained. "He's been trying to rid himself of it. Because of that, S.H.I.E.L.D. can't fully determine whether his power can ever be controlled."
Steve nodded but didn't say anything. He quietly moved on to the next set of files.
Up until now, Steve had only glanced at the basic profiles of the other Avengers members, but Coulson's tablet provided far more detailed information—complete with videos. And while some of the footage was brief, it still gave him a clearer understanding of the team he would be working with.
Black Widow and Hawkeye, for instance, didn't have any special powers, at least compared to his super-soldier abilities. This gave Steve some comfort, knowing that he wasn't completely outclassed by everyone.
But when Steve came across Tony Stark's file, his expression shifted. He tapped on a video showing Iron Man in action.
The footage featured Tony in his iconic red-and-gold suit, engaging in aerial combat with a cutting-edge fighter jet at speeds exceeding Mach 2. And that was from 2008, back when Tony was still refining his suit.
Subsequent clips showed Tony single-handedly wiping out a terrorist cell in Afghanistan, effortlessly dealing with heavily armed soldiers. The whole operation looked more like a stroll than a battle for Stark.
S.H.I.E.L.D.'s report on Tony summarized it well: the Iron Man suit was decades ahead of modern technology—a humanoid weapon of ultimate warfare.