"Uh. Well. They do what you do, it sounds like. They aren't FBI- it's an entirely separate department of government enforcement. Most people don't know SHIELD even exists. The Avengers Initiative - that's primarily me, Tony, Thor, Dr. Bruce Banner, Agent Natasha Romanov and Agent Clint Barton- we're... I guess you'd say we're SHIELD's public face. We're the ones that go in as a last line of defense."

Except for the bit about SHIELD, this is all more or less public knowledge, he thinks. "Sometimes they send us on individual missions if the situation calls for a certain type or degree of force. You could call us the sword, I suppose."

There's a polite knock on the door and a young woman dressed in what looks like a French maid costume enters carrying a tray. Steve very carefully keeps his eyes on her face, his earlier discomfort returning perforce. "Thank you, Abby."

She winks at him as she sets the tray on the coffee table and saunters out of the room. Steve keeps his eye on the lintel of the door until it closes. He clears his throat, fumbling with his cup and the tea pot and trying to pour them both water. Most of it ends up on the tray. "Sorry, where was I?"