Loki story *The Avengers*

Old Fashioned Notion

I sat across the table from Steve Rogers and Tony as Fury stood at the head of the conference table. Natasha was in an emergency room with Barton, Thor and Banner were who knows where and Loki had escaped. So far things were looking great...

"These were in Phil Coulson's jacket. Guess he never did get you to sign them," Fury threw Coulson's vintage 'Captain America' cards onto the glass table in front of Steve. The corners were soaked in blood. Coulson's blood. I looked away.

"We're dead in the air up here. Our communications, location of the cube, Banner, Thor. I got nothing for you. Lost my one good eye. Maybe I had that coming," Fury turned back to face us

"Yes, we were going to build an arsenal with the Tesseract. I never put all my chips on that number though, because I was playing something even riskier. There was an idea, Stark knows this, called the Avengers Initiative. The idea was to bring together a group of remarkable people, see if they could become something more. See if they could work together when we needed them to, to fight the battles that we never could. Phil Coulson died still believing in that idea, in heroes," Tony stood up from his chair and walked away as Fury finished.

"Well, it's an old fashioned notion," Fury added, looking at Steve and I.

"I'm going to check on Clint," I sighed and pushed myself out of my chair, wincing slightly at my bruise on my ribs. I arrived at the medical rooms and saw Clint strapped to one of the beds, Nat was sitting in a chair opposite him.

"Clint, you're going to be alright," I heard Nat say as I opened the door.

"You know that? Is that what you know? I got...I gotta go in though. I gotta flush him out," Clint shook his head, struggling against the bonds that held his hands against the stretcher.

"We don't have that long, it's gonna take time," I said, sitting next to Nat

"I don't understand. Have you ever had someone take your brain and play? Pull you out and send something else in? Do you know what it's like to be unmade?"

"You know that I do," Natasha nodded.

"Why am I back? How did you get him out?" Clint asked

"Cognitive recalibration. I hit you really hard in the head," Nat replied, standing up and sitting next to him on the stretcher.

"Thanks," he nodded as the bonds were untied.

"Tash, how many agents?" He asked quietly

"Don't. Don't do that to yourself, Clint. This is Loki. This is monsters and magic and nothing we were ever trained for," Nat shook her head.

"Loki? He got away?"

"Yeah. I don't suppose you know where?" I asked

"I didn't need to know. I didn't ask. He's gonna make his play soon though. Today," I sat back and sighed at his response.

"We gotta stop him,"

"Yeah? Who's we?" Clint asked standing up

"I don't know. Whoever's left," Nat shrugged.

" Well, if I put an arrow in Loki's eye socket, I'd sleep better I suppose," I laughed at Clint's response

"Now that sounds like you," Nat smiled slightly.

"But you don't. You're a spy, not a soldier. Now you want to wade into a war. Why? What did Loki do to you?" Clint asked, watching his friend closely.

"He didn't, I just.." Nat trailed off

"Natahsa," Clint whispered

"I've been compromised. I got red in my ledger. I'd like to wipe it out," She replied eventually. I nodded sympathetically.

"I'm going to go find Tony and Steve, see what their plan is," I stood up.

"Glad you're back Barton," I smiled at my friend before leaving the room.

"We are NOT soldiers! I am not marching to Fury's fife!" I entered to hear Tony yelling at Steve.

"Neither am I! He's got the same blood on his hands as Loki does. Right now we've got to put that aside and get this done. Now Loki needs a power source, if we can put together a list," Steve replied

"He made it personal," Tony said, looking at the wall where Phil's blood was still stained.

"That's not the point," Steve sighed

"That is the point. That's Loki's point. He hit us all right where we live. Why?"

"To tear us apart," I chimed in. Tony nodded

" He had to conquer his greed, but he knows he has to take us out to win, right? That's what he wants. He wants to beat us and he wants to be seen doing it. He wants an audience,"

"Right, I caught his act at Stuttgart," Steve added

"Yeah. That's just a preview, this is opening night. Loki's a full-tilt diva. He wants flowers, he wants parades, he wants a monument built in the skies with his name plastered..." Tony stopped with a look of sudden realisation

"Son of a bitch,"

"Stark Towers," I whispered. Tony snapped his fingers and pointed to me

"Find Clint and Natasha, we need to go," I nodded and ran back to the emergency room where I knew they would still be with Steve behind me.