Author's Note: So a lot of people wanted to see Liberty interacting with the rest of the team in The Avengers. Originally, I wasn't going to do this because I couldn't figure out a way that wouldn't be the movie exactly. A bunch of more rewatches and I think I have a way. Even with that, this will follow the movie pretty closely. Title and first chapter title are from the Fall Out Boy songs My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark and Alone Together.
Dedicated to starspangledimpala, who I blame completely for getting me into this fandom and adore for putting up with my nonsense.
Disclaimer: I don't own The Avengers or any properties associated with it, nor do I own Temeraire. Liberty and the Firecracker breed are the only things that are mine.
Light 'Em Up
Chapter One: Room for One More Troubled Soul
Liberty approached the Helicarrier, turning a bit to flash his light blue belly to the signal tower to get their attention. There was a crackle as the communicator secured close to his ear caught the transmission. He went into a circling pattern, keeping above the Helicarrier as he waited for his orders. They hadn't been given much beyond what Fury had passed to them back at the covert, and they had hurried to respond instead of going through the proper channels. Liberty didn't have the patience for those routes, not when something had happened to Clint and no one had told him. He flexed his talons, the only way to work out his anger without taking action.
Clint was one of his. His sniper. His crew. That he was on loan was a sign of Liberty's trust, one that wouldn't be extended again. He had let them have Clint as a guard for something he had not been informed about. He hadn't cared about what Clint was guarding until the news had come in. Liberty regretted not demanding information, because it had led to Clint being compromised and Liberty didn't even know the extent of what the label meant.
He hissed, lowering his head so he could look for a space to land. He wanted something close to the tower so he could peek in. The lower bays were shut off from him for now, so he would have to depend on his height to see what was going on. Finding a place would be hard, because it looked like all of the active dragons were out of the covert and sprawled over the Helicarrier, some halfway on top of each other. It was far beyond what was normally on the Helicarrier and that made him edgy.
He was old enough to know how to fight for his place in the peeking order without having to actually resort to violence, but with so many dragons Liberty wasn't sure that he could keep himself from snapping. He was fine with two or three other dragons, but not the five that were already there.
The communicator crackled again, Liberty lifting his head. "Sentinel of Liberty, you are cleared for landing."
"Thank you command." Liberty glanced back over his shoulder to where Steve was crouched on his shoulders. "I'm bringing in Captain Steve Rogers."
"Coulson and Romanoff are waiting on deck for him."
Liberty didn't bother to give his thanks a second time, banking in to land. He felt Steve shift around to get into a better position for landing, Liberty giving him the time to settle into position before going to land on the Helicarrier.
His talons skidded on the textured steel, the warning marker, before he got his footing on the asphalt that made up the rest of the landing area. The Helicarrier bobbed briefly under his weight, Liberty standing still as he waited for it to recover. Only when that was done did he continue to walk back to where Coulson was.
Coulson held a hand up, Liberty lowering his muzzle to press against Coulson's hand. It was the only comfort that he would allow himself to take, not while there was information to figure out. He huffed and crouched down, allowing Steve to scramble off of him. Steve pressed a hand to his shoulder, Liberty leaning into the touch for what it was. Steve didn't know Clint, but he knew what it felt like to lose a member of their crew.
He turned his head to knock it against Steve, making the human stagger. "Go on."
"You'll be alright?"
Liberty nodded, raising his head to look around at the other dragons. "I have some catching up to do. I'll see what I can dig up."
Steve gave him one last pat on his shoulder before walking off after Coulson, the two of them falling into a conversation. Liberty stayed in place long enough to see Coulson called away before he was distracted.
He could smell five dragons and something else that wasn't usual. It was almost like dragon, but not at all what he was used to. Maybe it was a new breed that SHIELD was test running. All of the breeders were trying to make the breeds more modern, less muscle and brawn and more slight and fast. Most of the attempts had the body shape but not the stamina, but SHIELD could usually place them in a suitable place for their skills. But the presence of a new breed wouldn't make sense, not when all of the dragons on the Helicarrier deck were veterans. Liberty turned his head to watch Steve, seeing a man come to intercept him and Natasha. Liberty rose to his feet, intending to see what was going on when one of the dragons called his name.
"Liberty!" He swung around to see Viatrix standing on her hind legs and staring at him. She bobbed her head before settling back down on Liviana's back, the Regal Copper's huff the only sign of her annoyance.
He bowed his head briefly in greeting, walking over to the Grey Widowmaker. Strangely enough, Viatrix couldn't get settled. She shifted around on Liviana's back, the movement something that Liberty knew that he would see from an inexperienced dragon or an excited one, but not Viatrix. He had thought that she could never get excited.
With one look over at Steve, he settled down beside Liviana, his own body dwarfed by her. As politeness demanded, he nodded his head to Liviana, hesitating before speaking to her. "I thought you were assigned to New Mexico."
"I was." The Regal Copper gave him a long look before raising her head, giving Liberty a good view of the dragon on the other side of her.
He hissed when he recognized Fergal, the Dakota whimpering as he shifted on the deck. The dragon was swathed in bandages, so much so that they obscured his red and green coloration. Liberty extended his neck, sniffing at Fergal underneath Liviana's neck. He snorted and pulled back, his nose tingling from the smell of so much salve, most of it the familiar smell of burn salve. But that didn't make sense.
The United States didn't use any other fire breathing dragons other than the Firecracker; it was a point of pride in the breed that they had taken so long to perfect. Liberty knew that there were a few acid spitters in the Air Force and that there were rumors of attempts to breed an American version instead of relying on the breed coming in from Europe. But the burns didn't smell like acid; they didn't smell like fire either, but it was closer.
He pulled his head back, rubbing his nostrils against his leg to clear the scent from his nose. When most of it was gone, he looked up again. "What happened?"
Viatrix was the one that answered, leaning almost completely off Liviana to speak to him. "There was an attack on one of our facilities."
Liberty hissed, lifting his head so he was muzzle to muzzle with Viatrix. "Who?"
"We don't know." Liberty looked over at Liviana, the Regal Copper looking worried. He resettled his wings, hoping that the other dragons wouldn't notice how they were slightly open, ready for him to take off. If a Regal Copper was scared, the largest dragon, then it was something worth being wary about.
Liviana didn't seem to notice his shifting, turning her head so she could look towards the end of the Helicarrier. "I was brought in to help haul away supplies. I heard that something was going on, a science experiment gone wrong so they had to evacuate everyone. I just know that they loaded all the trucks up and then they loaded me and two other heavy weights, Fleur-de-Nuits."
Liberty rose up far enough to see the two dragons in question curled toward the front of the Helicarrier, a tangled mess of dark purple, blue and black scales. He lowered himself back down, watching as Liviana did a quick check of the sky. He pressed his talons against the asphalt as a reminder to be patient. His status as captain meant something, but Liviana was larger than him, so there was a certain amount of deference that he had to give to her.
When she was reassured that nothing was wrong, she looked back at him. "I don't know what went on inside, but they had a dragon in the lower garage, one of the middleweight that could fit in there."
"A Yellow Reaper," Viatrix chimed in.
"Yes." Liviana nodded slowly. "Zephyrinus. He was down there to haul out the scientists and the last of the supplies. But I don't know what happened down in the tunnels, you'll have to talk to Maria Hill about that. I heard that she actually tried to fight off Zephyrinus with a pistol."
"Why?"
"He was attacking her." Liviana huffed, looking annoyed for a moment before the fear came back. "I just saw what happened in the open afterward. The scientists, the guard and a strange human came out from the garage so we turned to attack. They weren't answering us when we demanded that they stop. Even Zephyrinus wouldn't answer. So we turned and tried to keep him from flying. Then the strange human poked at Aseneth with a stick and she turned on me. She shook off the men she was supposed to be carrying and flew off after Zephyrinus."
Liberty growled, staring at the ground. That was a middleweight and a heavyweight turned against SHIELD for no good reason. But that alone explained nothing but why Liviana and the two Fleur-de-Nuits were on the Helicarrier instead of at the covert. They had probably just finished the delivery and were resting before heading back to a covert. The rest would have to wait until he was briefed, which would probably be when they called Steve in. He had the patience to wait for that, but there were still questions that he needed the answer to.
He shifted so he could look around Liviana again. "What happened to Fergal?"
"He was flying Director Fury after the other two to catch them, but the man shot something at him from his stick and Fergal went down." Liviana flinched and shook her head. "He was screaming the entire time, like he was on fire."
Liberty shivered as well, looking around for Steve. First Clint and then Fergal, and there was no explanation for either of them. He didn't like it. Until he got the full explanation, he didn't want to have Steve out of his sight.
He was about to seek out his captain when a voice came over the communicator. "All dragons please leave the deck. The Helicarrier will be lifting off. Upon getting airborne, the lower bays will be open to all middleweights. I repeat, all dragons with the exception of Fergal, leave the deck."
Liberty looked up at the command tower and sniffed, tempted to remain on deck. But Steve would be going inside with the rest of the humans once the few jets were secured. The best way to get to him was through the lower bays, and he would be the only middleweight trying to get in. Fergal wasn't going to be able to leave the deck and the others would have to fly alongside the Helicarrier or take turns landing on the deck, one at a time. He growled and stalked off to the end of the deck, flapping his wings hard to get airborne from a stand still.
He heard the snap of wings as the others followed, Liberty making sure to give the heavyweights plenty of room so he wouldn't get knocked around in flight. He circled wide on his first time, turning his head at a short trill from one of the Fleur-de-Nuits. The dragon did a quick twist in the air, flipping one wing higher in a farewell before the three heavyweights started back to the New York covert, probably to eat and then sleep until their captains came for them. Liberty twisted so he could raise one of his own wings in farewell before going back to circling.
The water began to froth around the Helicarrier, Liberty listening to the low hum that the engines made as the propellers first cleared themselves of water and then began to lift the ship from the ocean. Liberty cocked his head to the side, watching as the last human scurried into the interior of the Helicarrier before spiraling away.
He rose steadily with the Helicarrier, waiting until it had stopped rising to come closer. Liberty made a pass over the decks, catching sight of Viatrix as she snuggled close to Fergal. He nodded at the two of them as he passed, coming around to the second runway. When the Helicarrier was on the water, landing on the smaller runway was tricky and could cause the entire ship to swamp or a dragon would miss the runway entirely. It was safer to land on it and access the lower bays while the Helicarrier was in flight.
Liberty touched down on the runway, slipping quickly into the Helicarrier with the momentum from his flight. The humans inside of the bay stepped aside for him, Liberty coming to a stop and sliding into one of the larger opening that were used for dragons. A few of the staff gave him a wave, which Liberty returned with a nod of his own. He was too distracted for anything more, his attention on the upper floors.
From where he was, he could see the flight deck through a series of windows and, if he rose onto his hind legs, he could peek into the lab that overlooked the flight deck. Liberty grumbled as he turned himself around, peering through the windows into where the crew was working. He spotted Fury, craning his neck to catch a glimpse of Steve as his captain walked in.
Steve paused for a moment before raising a hand, enough to let Liberty know that he was still alright. It wasn't the reassurance he needed, but he would have to wait. The expression on Steve's face said that this was something big.
Liberty grumbled and lowered his head to rest on his forelegs. His briefing had better come through, or he would squeeze as much of himself through the door and forcibly remind them that he had a vested interest in the proceedings.
Night fell before Liberty got any explanation. It was only because any damage would compromise the Helicarrier that he didn't. A growl had settled in his throat, the sound enough to keep most of the staff away from him.
Liberty didn't mean to scare them off; he just wanted to know what was going on. It was his crew on the line, his captain, and he had seniority over everyone currently in SHIELD. It didn't mean anything, because Fury still outranked him, but just being forgotten made him feel like an animal, something that lacked intelligence. Like they didn't realize that, where Steve went, he went also.
He lifted his head as the door opened, expecting to see Steve there. He let out a huff of disappointment when he saw that it was Natasha. The only heartening thing about her appearance was that she was in her suit, which meant that she was ready for action. Liberty stretched out his neck, humming agreeably when Natasha reached out to run a hand along his muzzle, walking up his side.
She walked to her favored spot, sitting right behind his elbow, tucked up against him on two sides. Liberty went to adjust the fold of his wing, about to drape it over her when she held up a hand. Liberty glanced back at her before resettling his wing. Whenever they had talked before, Natasha had insisted of the secrecy of Liberty's wing. Most people were cautious about approaching a dragon when it was awake. Approaching a dragon when it was sleeping was something that most humans were actively warned against.
At a loss of what to do, Liberty lowered his head to rest close to her. "Natasha?"
She waved a hand, the motion enough to get him to shut his mouth. Natasha gave him a slow nod, turning her attention back to the control center visible through the windows. "I guess they haven't told you anything."
"Nothing."
"Well, Coulson is suffering through a strong case of hero worship." Liberty saw the corner of her mouth twitch up in something like a smile before she schooled her face back into its usual expression. "And everyone has been busy with Banner, so it's no surprise that they've forgotten about you. What did you find out from the dragons?"
Liberty snorted, using the sound to disguise a laugh. Of course she would know that he would be poking around. Natasha kept abreast of nearly everything going on in SHIELD by talking to the dragons, who could be notorious gossips when they wanted to. He had learned enough from her to take what information he could, even if teasing it out of other dragons was a pain. It had helped plenty of times when it had only been the four of them running missions. Clint and Coulson had gone to get the layout of the area while he and Natasha had gone to find where the dragons had gathered to find out what kind of information the local dragons could give him.
He hummed, feeling Natasha drag a hand down his shoulder to his elbow. "They told me that there was an experiment gone wrong and then an attack. Two dragons turned traitor."
"Two dragons were compromised." The use of the word made him tense, Natasha continuing her steady stroke to keep him calm. "Like Barton. Did you hear about the New Mexico incident?"
Liberty gave a quick nod. They had borrowed Coulson and Clint for that mission too, but both of them had come back alright. Natasha had been out on the West Coast with Tony Stark while he had been under strict orders to remain in New York. Fury had not forgiven him for what had happened the last time Tony had gotten himself into trouble. It was enough that Stark had been showboating and nearly getting himself killed, they hadn't needed a dragon in the mix. Liberty had heard about the two missions from the other dragons that had flown his crew in and out and from Clint.
Natasha paused in her stroking, talking quietly. "It's Loki. Dr. Selvig recognized him when he came through the…rift." She waved one hand when she spoke the word, making a face of disgust. "According to the reports, he had a staff that he used to take people."
"How?"
"It's magic, or science, I don't know. But it turned them, people and dragons. We lost a lot of people that day, to Loki and the cave in." It was just a statement from Natasha, no emotion attached to it. What Liberty couldn't tell if it was because she wasn't allowing herself any or if she didn't have any attached to the incident. "We're tracking Loki now, along with the Tesseract."
Liberty snarled at the mention of the cube. He dug his talons into the floor, releasing them a moment later. The cube had been nothing but trouble. He didn't know what it actually did, what its purpose was, but two people had been lost to him because of it. "I want to destroy it."
"Fury wouldn't like it."
"Then I want it gone."
Natasha smirked, tipping her head to the side so she could look at the eye that was facing her. "I take it you're in."
"Clint is part of my crew. I won't abandon him."
"Good. And Captain Rogers is in this too, Fury wants to use his expertise. And I think he feels the same way about that cube as you do. It won't take much to bring me around to that point of view either. I don't like this magic stuff."
"Maybe you should sit this out then. The Tesseract tends to bend the line between science and magic."
"Not until we get Clint back. If we can't rescue that idiot than no one can."
Liberty was glad to hear her chuckle, leaning slightly against her before scooting back so he wouldn't crush her. They leaned against each other for a while, Liberty glad that someone had remembered him. He let his wing down a bit so the leading edge rested against Natasha's shoulders. "What's going on that's keeping you all distracted?"
"We're running searches. Banner is looking for the Tessseract, we're looking for Barton and Loki. We're playing the waiting game at the moment."
Liberty huffed and lifted his head to peer into the control room. He couldn't see all the banks of computers, but the ones facing him were just filled with schematics of the Helicarrier. The people working on the other side of the room must have been the ones that were tracking. Liberty attempted to wiggle closer, craning his head on the off chance that he would catch something, but there was still nothing, just Fury walking along the top bank of computers.
He lowered his head again, glaring at the door. He hated waiting, not when he could be planning flight paths or getting briefed on the situation in full, not with what other people had heard. Liberty stretched out his legs, about to turn and ask if there was a cow he could eat or if he had time to fly back to the covert when the door opened.
He pulled back his forelegs as Steve ducked in. "We've found him."
Natasha pushed up onto her feet, Liberty stretching out his neck so he could be close to Steve. Steve shifted so he could rest a hand against Liberty's muzzle, including Natasha in their triangle. He nodded at Natasha. "We found Loki."
Liberty saw Natasha's shoulder's slump for a moment before she squared them again. "Where?"
"Stuttgart, Germany. We're all going." He nodded over at Liberty and took a step back. "There's a ground crew waiting to fit you out with what we'll need. Miss. Romanoff-"
"Natasha."
"Natasha," Steve corrected himself without missing a beat, "get harnessed up and make sure everything is secure. I'll be down as soon as I get into the suit they've got for me."
"Permission to bring a few people in as backup, to watch the prisoner."
Steve glanced over at Natasha, looking her up and down. "That might be thinking too far ahead."
"It's what I'm good at, preparing for the unexpected."
"I'll let you get to it then." Steve smiled at Liberty before walking out of the room, Liberty raising his head so he could track his captain until he was out of sight.
As soon as Steve was gone, he lowered his head to look at Natasha. "You got this?"
"Of course. Go bully the new ground crew. They're all new recruits." She patted his jaw. "Have fun."
He hissed at her, not fully meaning it. In any case, the new recruits that came to SHIELD were far better than the ground crews that Liberty had dealt with in the Air Force. There would still be the normal amount of fumbling and bad balancing, but they would correct themselves quickly. Fury had a zero tolerance policy when it came to the safety of the dragons that worked with SHIELD.
Liberty pulled himself out of his bay, walking out to the second runway. It was easy enough to clamber up onto the main deck, Liberty careful to avoid where Fergal was spread out. From the way that the Dakota was lying down, Fergal had managed to find the one side that made him comfortable. Liberty bobbed his head toward Viatrix, the Grey Widowmaker returning the greeting before going back to trilling at Fergal. He wanted to go over and have a few more words with them, especially Fergal. He wanted to see if the dragon had seen Loki, but his attention was taken by the nervous group of men and women that had gathered by the door to the interior of the Helicarrier. It wasn't too hard to guess that they were the new recruits, intimidated either by his size or because he was the Sentinel of Liberty. He lowered his head just in case, it made him loom less. It still didn't relax the recruits, but maybe it would keep them from being less then through.
Resigning himself to the experience, Liberty walked over to them and settled on his belly. He rested his head on the ground and closed his eyes, letting the recruits swarm over him to ready him for his flight over the Atlantic.
Liberty shook his head as he flew through a thin cloud, blinking rapidly as he tried to catch sight of the Fleur-de-Nuit that was leading the way. They had stopped by a covert in France and picked up their escort, the Fleur de-Nuit equipped with the weapons that Liberty had hauled over the Atlantic.
It hadn't been a strenuous flight over, Liberty only landing on one dragon carrier to snatch a few hours of sleep. But he was in better shape than most dragons, used to flying great distances in short amounts of time. He wasn't one of the modern Firecrackers, the ones that had been crossbred with Longwings and courier breeds that were known for their stamina, but he could keep up with them well enough. It had only taken a day, which was the speed that most dragons could hope for, to get to Spain. He had spent the rest of the day flying to the covert and then to Germany as soon as the sun had started to set. Loki hadn't been seen during the day, so Liberty had gotten to take his time instead of exhausting himself. The Fleur-de-Nuit was for back up.
Liberty hissed as the other dragon suddenly dove, having to turn quickly to keep up with it. He was about to shout at it when Steve's voice came over the comm. "Word from the Helicarrier. Loki made his move. The Fleur saw a crowd before the transmission finished. Apparently, we're a bit late."
"Let's make up for lost time then." Liberty heard Steve begin to relay what their plan was, his full attention on the city below.
Closer to the ground he could see better with the lights from the city, something that would hinder the Fleur-de-Nuit. Of course, the dragon would be trained to listen to orders to make up for the loss of its excellent night vision. It would remain above to provide support if the two stolen dragons came to interfere.
Liberty gave the sky a quick sweep before focusing on the crowd below. They were all tightly packed at one of the plaza, meaning that he would have to land on the street or on the clear side, both of which would trap the innocent people. He snarled at their placement, about to call back to Steve for a plan when he heard a faint click from behind him. Liberty turned his head to ask when Steve was doing when he saw his captain plummet past him.
He roared, reaching out with his talons to snatch at Steve, only to miss. The roar did cause people to scatter, although some of them ran because Loki leveled his staff at an old man. Liberty pulled out of his dive, twisting so he was landing on his hind legs instead of all four at once. There were still too many people rushing around and he didn't want to step on any of them. As it was, some were lingering in his shadow, probably hoping that his bulk would protect them.
Liberty glanced up at where Steve and Loki were fighting, keeping track of Steve's shield through the sound of the vibranum bouncing off objects. He ducked his head when the shield spun by, baring his teeth as he saw Steve go down again. He was well aware that Steve could handle himself, but he kept staring at the scepter that Loki was using to both block Steve's attacks and knock him around. The blue blast had not been repeated since Steve had deflected it, but Liberty had learned enough about the scepter that he didn't want it anywhere near his captain. So, when Steve went down with the scepter against the back of his head, Liberty lost his patience.
He lunged forward with a roar, the sound making Loki look up. For a moment, there was fear in the man's eyes, but then he was bringing the scepter around. Liberty saw Steve roll out of the way, enough of an opening for him to open his jaws and let fire rain out.
A flap of his wings got him airborne, Liberty keeping his feet off the ground as he spat fire onto Loki from above. It gave Steve the chance to kick out Loki's legs, sending the man to the ground.
Liberty thumped back to the ground, circling the plaza as he waited for the next place he could steal in. Steve had an opening, but he missed it entirely by hesitating a beat longer than he should have done. As it was, the kick that Steve aimed at Loki's head was easily deflected and his shield went spinning off to the side.
He lunged to cover the shield, crouched over it and snarling. He noticed that the noise drew Loki's attention, the man glancing over his shoulder at him. Liberty couldn't tell what the man was thinking, but he could see that Loki was frightened of him at least. But he didn't react to fear the way Liberty was used to. Most people ran or backed off. Loki reacted like a dragon and struck out.
Blue light blasted out from the scepter, Liberty rising to his hind legs and pivoting to avoid it. He came back to earth with a thud, the sound of his landing obscuring what Steve yelled. But then his captain was attacking Loki, punching and kicking with no real plan; Liberty could tell that much by how half of Steve's blows didn't quite hit right. Steve wasn't thinking ahead, wasn't fighting smart, and it would get him hurt. Liberty reared back his head, ready to shout for Steve to draw him back over. Something was wrong with his captain, and he was going to make sure that Steve had his shield and the bulk of a dragon between him and Loki.
The intended shout turned into a shower of sparks, Liberty lunging forward to try and get some of the fire to land on Loki. A few sparks landed on the man's cape, the ends flaring up before Loki passed a hand over them. Liberty flapped his wings just enough to get his feet off the ground as blue light flickered over the ends of the cape and the fire went out.
He landed with a hiss, swiping at Loki with his talons to try and herd him closer to Steve. If he could line Loki up properly, then Steve could score a hit that actually hurt the man. Maybe then, he could pin Loki down and bring the Fleur-de-Nuit down to package him up. But Liberty was not going to risk attacking while Steve was in the way or when he was in danger of being turned. He didn't particularly want to find out what it felt like.
Liberty turned, swiping his tail out to try and knock Loki's legs out from under him. As expected, Loki stepped forward to avoid the blow, but Steve wasn't ready. Steve was turning around for a kick. Liberty hissed and crowded up on Loki, hoping that he could get the man into Steve's range only to have Loki throw his captain into his side.
He crouched to catch Steve, not getting a moment to talk strategy with his captain before Steve was pushing away and rushing Loki again. Liberty stared after him, shaking his head. Steve was forcing Loki back away from him, making Liberty have to scurry around the edge of the plaza in awkward skip-hops, taking to the air to avoid the blue blasts that were sent his way whenever Loki got the chance. Liberty flapped his wings hard, getting a partial rotation as the blue energy tried to reach up for him, coming down on the other side of Steve.
Maneuvered into a bad position, Liberty could only hiss at Loki, which wasn't impressive or helpful. He curled around Steve to protect him better, but he kept having to shift to allow Steve the freedom of movement he needed, not that it helped. Steve was still not fighting right, still getting in his own way. And Loki was taking full advantage of it.
Liberty jerked his head out of the way as the shield went flying his way, about to snap at Steve when Loki sent his captain flying in the other direction. He meant to go after Steve, but he had to jump to the side to avoid another blast of blue energy and then press himself to the ground to avoid the shield as it came ricocheting back. He snarled, glaring at Steve and Loki.
This was not what he had thought when he had heard that Steve was still alive. It was not what he had thought when they had been assigned the mission. Everything between them had fallen back into place so easily; he thought that he and Steve would be able to fall back into this the same way. And it frustrated him to no end that nothing was working the way it was supposed to.
Liberty brushed his head against his shoulder, activating the communicator by his ear. "Natasha."
"The guy's all over the place."
Liberty gave a short nod. He wasn't going to risk Steve any longer when there was another dragon that could help take Loki down. He was about to give the call when the communicator crackled again, Liberty jumping at the sound. He heard a snippet of a music before it was rerouted through the radio speakers that were on the Fluer-de-Nuit and the one on his own back. Liberty cocked his head at the loud music, not sure that he recognized the song, but he recognized the sound, and he recognized the voice that followed.
"Agent Romanoff, did you miss me?"
He tipped his head to look up at the sky, hearing the sounds of the fight behind him stop as Tony roared in. He wrinkled his nose at the scent of Tony's suit, not sure that he liked the smell of the Iron Man suit, but Tony seemed to enjoy it. But the sight of something other than a dragon or one of the few planes that were in the sky set him on edge. The sky was their place.
Liberty stood up as Tony swooped in and blasted Loki. The man grunted and went down, Liberty snarling and lunging forward. He stopped by Steve as Loki went to sit up again. Liberty puffed himself up and opened his wings to look bigger, nearly ruining the rumbling growl that he had going. The start that Loki gave was gratifying enough, the man was terrified of dragons and Liberty would use that to his advantage. The fear was gone a moment later, Liberty snapping his mouth shut at the whine of Tony's suit. He turned his head to look at Tony, staring at the array of weapons that were aimed at Loki.
"Make your move, Reindeer Games."
Loki looked at the three of them, before raising his hands. Liberty saw the staff rise, lunging forward before he thought the motion through.
He bowled Loki over, planting a foot on the man to keep him in place. Sure that Loki wouldn't escape; he lowered his head to grab onto the staff. His teeth slipped a bit on the gold, catching a hold on one of the raised portions on the staff. As soon as his hold was secure, Liberty started to whip his head back and forth, like he was tearing a particularly tough chunk of meat off of a cow. It was more violent than he needed to be, but Loki had threatened Steve and Liberty did not take kindly to threats to his captain.
Loki resisted for a moment, Liberty expecting the man's arm to snap at the first shake, but Loki was able to hold against him. He held his arm stiff as Liberty tried to pull the staff free and it was enough resistance to make Liberty adjust his stance and try harder.
Behind him and through the communicator, he could hear Steve and Natasha ordering him to stop. He growled, low and loud, increasing the force behind his shaking. Liberty didn't know whether it was the growl or the shaking, but Loki let go of the staff. He backed away quickly, spitting the staff out, settling a foot over it to make sure that Loki didn't reach for it again, To his disappointment, it didn't look like the man wanted to. Loki just raised his arms again, focusing on the two humans.
Tony was talking to Loki, but Liberty ignored him in favor of Steve. His captain was strolling over, Liberty glancing over the uniform. It was strange to see Steve in the uniform of Captain America again, but it was good. They were back to doing their job.
He lowered his head to look at Steve, surprised to see him scowling. Liberty glanced up to where the Fluer-de-Nuit was landing in the plaza, the dragon curling around Tony and Loki. Sure that things were under control, Liberty looked back down in time for Steve to slap his shoulder. "What was that?"
Liberty stared at him, surprised at how tense Steve looked. "I was making sure that he didn't get to you. Getting the staff away was priority."
"Without ripping his arm off."
"I don't think I would have been able to." Liberty looked up at Loki. "He was able to resist."
"He's the brother to a god."
"God?"
Steve shrugged. "Apparently."
Liberty snorted, giving the man another glance. He hadn't been warned that Loki was a god; he had just thought that it was another villain like the ones that he had been chasing around. He wasn't sure that he believed that Loki was a god at all. It was a concept that dragons didn't have. Liberty sniffed and lowered his head. "That would have been good to know in the briefing."
"Well, we got him." Steve didn't sound quite as confident as he used to, but it was enough for Liberty to nod. His captain sighed and leaned against him, absently patting his shoulder. "Are you good to make the flight back?"
Liberty nodded. "I can make it out into the Atlantic. If we radio ahead now, the Helicarrier could meet us halfway and fly us the rest of the way back. I hate to admit it, but the Helicarrier flies faster than I do."
Steve chuckled, Liberty glad to get that out of him. It wasn't much, but it was almost like the way they had come down from their missions before. The only thing missing was the rest of the Howling Commandos, but the pain wasn't as sharp for Liberty anymore. Steve would be feeling their absence keenly though; he hadn't gotten the time to get used to them being gone. They had been there one day and then completely gone the next. Even Peggy hadn't been a clean cut, because she had been young when Steve had gone under and old later. And it had to have felt like a single day for Steve, no matter what anyone told him.
The heavy thud of footsteps made him turn his head to the side, Liberty perking up when he saw Tony strolling over. He lowered his head so that Tony could pat his muzzle, disappointed when Tony didn't remove the gauntlet. It was a sign of affection, but it wasn't the same as a human hand, just metal with an indentation in the center where the repulsor was fired from. Liberty hated the mask as well because it just gave him a voice. A voice was all well and good, but he was used to body language, things that could be inferred from the eyes and mouth of a person. Plus the suit blocked out any smell or sign of injury. It was like Tony was purposefully muffling himself and Liberty didn't like it.
Tony didn't seem to notice, walking steadying around in front of Liberty. "I didn't blow out your ears with my theme there, did I?"
Liberty snorted. "You call that music?"
"You're just a grumpy old man in scales."
Liberty huffed, about to fire back his own rebuttal when Tony came around to his other side. He couldn't see Tony tense up, but he went still when he saw Steve standing close by Liberty. His captain looked Tony up and down. "Mr. Stark."
One of Tony's hands clenched before he let it relax, Tony barely inclining his head towards Steve. "Captain."
Liberty expected more out of the two, but Steve just gestured over to where the Fleur-de-Nuit was being unloaded. "They secured him yet?"
"I don't know. They don't like sharing secrets with me."
Tony wandered off, leaving Liberty to stare after him. They had never gotten a chance to catch up after Afghanistan. Liberty had been ordered to remain in the covert as punishment and then he had been busy with missions around the world. Tony had sent a package of new tech as a thank you, or that was what Liberty assumed it meant. He had only kept up with Tony through the news and what Coulson and Natasha had brought back to him, which wasn't a lot. And it didn't look like he would be getting much out of Tony this time around either.
He lowered his head to rest on the ground, watching as Tony went to make a nuisance of himself. If he wanted to make sure that Tony was doing alright, it was not the time or the place. He was on a mission and Tony was in the suit, both of those meant work came first.
"Hey." He looked over at Natasha, watching as she stood in front of him and adjusted her harness. "We're going to load you up and get back as fast as possible. I already called the Helicarrier."
"Right."
Before Liberty could remind her, Natasha was up on his back doing a check of his harness. It was a routine they had settled into after Budapest. His harness had torn in a few places while he had been running through the streets and no one had noticed until they were in the air. Clint had nearly fallen from his back while Liberty had been going at full speed. And, although it had been a good bit of revenge after Clint had spend most of the mission holed up in a coffee shop, it wasn't worth almost losing him.
As if she could read his mind, Natasha rested a hand on his side, only removing it when she had to use both of her hands to check his harness. It was a small bit of comfort as they went through a procedure that Clint had insisted upon. And more than enough for him to know that someone else still hurt because Clint had been taken from him, and that Natasha would be there when they were given permission to rip Loki to shreds for what he had done to them.
Natasha hopped off his back, Liberty standing up as soon as she was off. He shook himself down, feeling the harness slip back into place without catching or hurting him. Then again, the harness was Stark Tech, so Liberty didn't doubt that it was the height of technology and comfort. He nodded at Natasha and lowered himself to the ground. "All lies well."
"Good." She turned and began shouting orders to the SHIELD agents, Liberty tuning them out as he felt Steve climb onto his back.
He expected Steve to stay something to him, even to give him a run down of the usual warnings to an exhausted dragon to make sure that Liberty didn't push himself. But Steve was silent which made Liberty worry. He looked out over the plaza, watching as the prisoner was moved as Steve clipped himself in.
The night was cold as they flew back towards the Atlantic, which meant that Liberty had to flap nearly constantly. His only respites were the strong gusts of winds that came over the mountains, allowing him to spread his wings and glide for a bit. The thermals that he was used to catching for long distance flying were gone, and wouldn't begin to reform until the air warmed up.
Liberty snorted, banking slightly to take advantage of another gust of air. He could only wonder at how the Fluer-de-Nuits handled night flying with so much ease, although being able to see perfectly well in the dark probably helped. Liberty could see pretty well himself, but everything at a distance was just vague shadows, which made him nervous. He was high enough to avoid hitting any mountains, but he couldn't be sure. It had been a long time since he had flown over Germany.
A rumble of thunder made him look to the north, Liberty searching the dark sky for clouds before reverting to his other senses. The air was cold already, but the temperature hadn't dropped like it would do because of a storm, nor did the air smell like rain or ozone. He could be hearing a storm that was right on their tail or off to one side. Liberty grunted and flapped harder, putting on more speed. He didn't want to be caught in a storm, not with a prisoner on board. Loki could take advantage of any panic to lunge for the staff that they had secured in a box in his belly netting. Liberty didn't want to try and fight the god, not with a crew on his back.
Behind him, he could hear the murmur of voices as the humans talked. He couldn't hear exactly what they were talking about, the wind carrying most of the sound away, but he could hear the rhythm. It was tense and clipped, something that set him on edge as well. Then again, all prisoner transports had been the same. Everyone wanted the operation to go off without a hitch.
Liberty risked a glance over his shoulder, marking off the shadows of his crew and prisoner before looking ahead again. Steve was in his customary place at the base of his neck, Tony right beside him. It was strange to feel the weight of the metal suit on his back and know that Tony wasn't in harness. It was enough to make him want to turn his head and demand that Tony put on a harness, despite the fact that he knew that Tony could easily fly away if they got into any trouble.
Behind them was Natasha, crouched by the radio as she reported in to the Helicarrier. Liberty caught snatched of the conversation with Fury, only giving the radio his full attention when Fury directed an order to him. "Just get him here. We're low on time."
Liberty gave a grunt, the sound loud enough to carry over the radio as he tried to increase his speed just a little bit more. He was pushing towards a speed that he couldn't hold over long distances, but it would be worth it to get to the Helicarrier in time. Whatever they wanted to question Loki on Liberty didn't care much about. He would let Fury and the others work on Loki as he ate, and then he would demand his answers. As long as he knew where Clint was, he would be content.
He felt people moving over his back, probably the two agents shifting to a more comfortable position to watch over Loki. The prisoner was cuffed and clipped in the center of Liberty's back, protected by Liberty's wings as he flew. Anyone who wanted to take Loki would have to fight through Steve, Tony, Natasha and the two agents, all while Liberty was prepared to spit fire at them. It would be a tough task for any dragon and crew.
But the fact that he hadn't been able to smell any of the missing dragons was worrying.
If Loki had completely taken over Aseneth and Zephyrinus, then they would have stayed close to him. But they hadn't been there to defend him or even within scent range. If they weren't with Loki, then where were they? Being a middleweight like he was, Zephyrinus wasn't too much of a worry. Liberty had almost a decade of experience over the Yellow Reaper, enough that he was sure enough of the outcome of a fight between the two of them. Aseneth was the one that worried him. The Defendeur-Brave was a heavyweight and larger than him in every way, plus her tail ended in a dangerous hook. Liberty didn't want to risk tangling with her, because he was sure that he would come out worse for that fight.
Thunder rumbled again, Liberty glancing in the direction that the front seemed to coming in. He lifted his head above where he usually held it while flying, trying catch a glimpse of the little bit of scent from other dragons. When nothing came to him, he lowered his head with a growl, glad when Steve rested a hand on his neck. But his captain's attention wasn't on him, it was on their prisoner.
"I don't like it."
Liberty didn't know who Steve was talking to. All of their communicators were set to his private channel now that Natasha was done speaking to the Helicarrier. She would switch their line if anything came in from Fury. Liberty turned his head slightly so he could see Steve and Tony out of the corner of his eye. He was about to ask Steve to explain when Tony beat him to it.
"What? Rock of Ages giving up so easily?"
"I don't remember it ever being that easy." Liberty saw Steve reach up to rub at his arm, mentally marking that spot down to check for a bruise or worse injury later. "This guy packs a wallop."
"Still, you are pretty spry, for an older fellow. What's your thing? Pilates?"
"What?"
"It's like calisthenics. You might have missed a couple things, you know, doing time as a Capsicle."
It was too dark to see much body language, and Tony's was muffled by his suit. But Liberty recognized the tone of voice. It wasn't a threat, but he didn't like it, especially directed at his captain.
He turned his head more, baring his teeth. He wasn't sure that Tony could see it in the dark, since his helmet was off, or that Tony would recognize it for what it was. In all the time that Liberty had known Tony, he had only bared his teeth in jest, just a play threat that Tony knew he could easily laugh off. It was different know, and Liberty hoped that Tony got the distinction. Steve was his captain and he would be respected. Liberty liked Tony, but Steve was someone that he would defend against everyone.
Liberty tried to ease the threat with a warning rumble. "Tony…"
Steve held up a hand to him, Liberty automatically obeying the command and quieting down. He couldn't see Tony's face, but the man had tensed up. Liberty hoped that it meant that Tony got his message. If Tony disproved of Steve, then he could disprove of his captain elsewhere.
He was calmed by a hand on his neck, Steve patting him as he continued to speak to Tony. "Fury didn't tell me he was calling you in."
Tony snapped out of his surprise, going right back at Steve. "There a lot of things Fury doesn't tell you."
Liberty glanced at them both before snorting and turning his head so he was looking forward again. Now he just wanted to snap at the both of them, because their snapping at each other was going to drive him crazy. Liberty liked Tony; he had since Tony had been a child. But Steve was his captain, Steve came first. And the difference between the two of them was going to tear him apart. If Steve and Tony were always going to be arguing with each other, then Liberty would have to keep threatening Tony to back off. And then everything would start to fall apart, something that Liberty didn't want. With Steve back things were supposed to get better instead of getting worse.
Thunder rumbled, like nature was taunting him. Liberty snarled at the storm, the sound enough to quiet the different conversations going on along his back. In the silence that descended, Natasha was the only one that spoke up. "Where is this coming from?"
That she didn't know worried him. Natasha was sitting at Coulson's station, working the radio, keeping track of where the Helicarrier or dragons transports were and keeping an eye on the weather. If the storm didn't show up on any of her read outs, then they were in trouble. Liberty gave the sky a glance, trying to work out where the top o the clouds were. If he could climb above them before whatever storm it, they would be able to ride out whatever was coming with more ease. He was about to ask Natasha about how the sky above them looked when Steve spoke up.
"What's the matter? Scared of a little lightening?"
A flash of lightning arced down, Liberty banking quickly to avoid it. He hissed at the lighting, angling up to rise about the cloud cover. It would be too dangerous for them to remain within striking distance. Another flash had him looking back at his crew, about to order them all to prepare for rough flying, when he saw the look of wary anticipation on Loki's face.
The prisoner glanced up at all of them, raising one shoulder slightly in a shrug. "I'm not overly fond of what follows."
The slight bit of warning was enough for Liberty to abandon his easy climb and try to get above the clouds as fast as he could. He beat his wings hard to gain altitude, Liberty closing his eyes as lightening flashed again. He shook his head to clear out the afterimages, opening them just in time to catch something streaking down out of the corner of his eye. Liberty tried to turn so he could face what was coming, but the object was too fast.
It landed on his back, Liberty roaring in pain at the sudden heavy landing. He twisted in the air, trying to get a look of what had hit him, getting glimpses of another shape on his back before his attention was taken by Steve's voice coming over the communicator. "We've been boarded. Shake him off."
Liberty stopped his frantic twisting and climbed up another foot before turning and plummeting. He flicked his wings out to put him into a spin before clamping them close to his body. As soon as he had gathered speed, he began to shake and twist while in a spiral, flicking out his wings to make abrupt direction changes. When the weight still remained, Liberty roared and stopped his fall just before the mountains.
His talons scraped against the side of a mountain as he used it to push away, hearing shouts from his crew. Liberty trusted that they were strapped in well, because he had been given the one order that he had been trained not to stop. When he was boarded, he was to do everything he could to fling the invaders from his back.
Liberty bucked in the air, twisting and twining around himself to get a chance to snap at the boarder. His teeth came close to closing on the man, but they scraped over something metal that gave him a shock. Liberty pulled back with a screech, shaking his head to get the tingle to go away. He was still trying to recover when the weight lifted off his back and flew away. Liberty raised his head to track it, settling down on a nearby ledge.
He panted for breath, turning his head to look back at his crew. He snarled at the sight of a torn harness, the leather slapping against his side when he moved. By its position, it had held Loki. Either their prisoner had fallen of while Liberty had been shaking or the thing that had landed on him had freed Loki.
He snarled and looked over at where Natasha and Steve were crouched by the radio and other sensors. "What was that?"
Natasha barely looked up from what she was doing. "Another Asgardian?"
Liberty tipped his head at the unfamiliar name, looking over at Steve. His captain just shrugged, leaning over Natasha shoulder as they looked at something.
"You think the guy's a friendly."
"It doesn't matter." Tony clambered up from where he had slid from, Liberty not sure if Tony had taken off during his attempts to shake the invader off. He inspected his back for burn marks, not sure if the repulsors would actually burn him or not. His search was distracted as Tony resettled the helmet over his head. "If he frees Loki or kills him, the Tesseract is lost."
Liberty heard the whine of the repulsors warming up, about to snap at Tony to take off somewhere other than his back.
Steve beat him to the punch, storming across Liberty's back. "Stark, we need a plan of attack!"
"I have a plan. Attack." He pushed off of Liberty's back, jumping into the air before activating the repulsors.
Liberty followed Tony' flight away from him, settling back with a huff. He should have expected as much from Tony, he was still the reckless child that he had known. But he was right; they had get to Loki before he got too far from him. And Liberty wanted to see what had landed on his back without the assistance of another dragon or a plane. He turned his head to look at Steve and Natasha. "He has a point."
He thought he saw Steve flinch, a bit taken aback by the reaction. What had he said to make Steve look at him like that? He opened his mouth to demand an answer when Steve turned away from him.
His captain walked past Natasha to stand back in his usual position. Liberty heard a rattle as Steve checked his shield where it was clipped to Liberty's harness. There were two more clips as Steve secured himself again. "Liberty."
Liberty nodded and stood up, about to jump off the ledge when Natasha spoke up. "I'd sit this one out, Cap."
"I don't see how I can."
Natasha snorted, not looking away from her array of sensors. "These guys come from legends, they're basically gods."
Liberty moved to the edge of the ledge, waiting for the signal. Natasha had warned him that they were gods, but that just meant that they had to be taken care of quickly. He had never faced gods in his time with SHIELD, but he had fought off people who thought that they were gods or ones who seemed to have the power of gods. There was nothing that had been able to face up to his crew, his ability to breathe fire or to his strength. They had the advantage of numbers on their side, for what it was worth. And they had no other choice; they needed Loki to get back Clint.
He leveled a look at Natasha, knowing that she knew that just as well as he did. But she wasn't looking at him, she was watching Steve. He saw her reaching down to adjust her own straps, that the only warning that he got before Steve reached down to rest a hand on his neck, tapping out a rhythm with his fingers. It was one of the signals they used during the war, a command hidden in what looked like a gesture of comfort. Steve was telling him to get ready to fly.
Liberty shifted, getting his feet into a better position as he leaned towards the edge of the ledge. He spread his wings, waiting for the signal to take off as Steve checked over the rest of the crew. The tapping stilled for a moment, meaning that Steve was completing his last checks. Liberty shifted, tensing his hindquarters as he waited for the last tap.
"There's only one God, ma'am. And I'm pretty sure that he doesn't dress like that." Steve tapped two fingers against Liberty's neck, Liberty pushing off the ledge and snapping open his wings.
The smell of ozone was strong in the air and easy enough to follow, just as easy as the bright spot in the distance that had to be Tony. Liberty flew after them, catching a few clicks as the SHIELD agents loaded their guns, something that Liberty thought would be useless. If this man was a god, there was no chance that he would just stand and allow himself to be shot at.
A flash of light attracted his attention, Liberty ducking his head to stare at the forest below him. There was already a swathe of trees cleared, a trail that would lead him right to whoever was fighting. It was safe to assume that it was Tony; Liberty had seen enough footage of Tony fighting to recognize the destruction that came with the suit. He circled once to make sure of the trail before swooping low and following it.
Ahead, he could hear the metallic reverberations of battle, Liberty glancing back at Steve.
It took a Steve a moment longer that usual to come up with a plan, Liberty pushing back his unease. Steve was human, without the better eyesight that Liberty had. Even with his eyes, half of the landscape was still vague shadows. Steve was going to go in cautious until he knew the terrain for sure.
"There!" Liberty jerked his head to the side, catching sight of a flash of lightening. He slowed his flight, circling a bit further away from the fight. If the god could call on lightening, he didn't want to get struck. He had seen dragons that had gotten struck by lightening and it was an ugly mess.
Liberty gave a tight circle so he could look back at Steve. It took him a while to get the slow nod from Steve that meant his captain had worked everything out to his satisfaction.
Steve leaned out to point at the area where the fight was happening. "Drop me off there and then head for where Natasha points you. Secure Loki and come when we're done. I don't want our ride to be messed up by this."
He nodded, coming out of his circle to drift over the site of the fight. On his back, he heard the various clips of Steve unbuckling his harness and then the careful roll from his shoulder that launched Steve towards the ground. Unable to help himself, Liberty glanced down, getting a quick glimpse of a man in a cape and Tony fighting. He snorted and climbed, scanning the mountains.
"Eight o'clock." The shout came through the communicator as well as over the wind, Liberty banking to his left and spotting the man crouched on the mountain ledge. He adjusted for the wind coming off the mountains, moving quickly around the mountain.
He was under no illusions that he had managed to sneak up on Loki, his colors were too bright to allow him to hide. He would just have to rely on being faster than Loki.
Liberty didn't land completely on the ledge, still partially airborne as he reached for Loki. He heard Loki give a yelp before he placed a foot over the god. He didn't press down, aware that Fury would want Loki back alive. But he did tense the muscles in the foot, using his talons to create a cage. Liberty felt Loki press up against the pads on the bottom of his foot before the god gave in. It was an easy surrender, but Liberty was pleased with it. He just wanted to get back to the Helicarrier and eat. Dealing with a prisoner that fought him every step of the way would take more patience than he had.
Natasha shouted orders for the SHIELD agents to secure Loki, Liberty remaining crouched over him until the god was secure again. He snarled once at Loki, enjoying the way that the god jumped. It was immature of him, but it was something to vent his frustration on.
He jumped at a large explosion, only kept from jumping into flight by a sharp order from Natasha. Even then, he shifted in place, clawing at the ground as the agents secured their prisoner again. When they took longer than he had the patience for, he hissed. "Natasha…"
"Hold…Now!"
Liberty leapt into the air, using the momentum from his jump to plummet down. He only opened his wings to slow his fall, his talons catching on the top of the trees as he clawed a space for himself. There wasn't much work to be done, Liberty pushing through to a large space of felled trees.
He craned his neck around, spotting Steve getting up slowly. Liberty marked where Tony and the other god were, already striding over to where Steve was and curling around him. He gave Tony a quick glance before looking at the other god, baring his teeth in a visible threat. He didn't let up, even when Steve placed a warning hand on his muzzle. It was a matter of principle for him. He had been attacked and then the god had tried to kill his captain. In dragon terms, he was being polite for the circumstances, all for Steve's sake.
When no one moved, Liberty took a step forward, his eyes fixed on the god. He made sure to drape one wing over Steve, blocking him from sight. He only stopped when he was nose to nose with the god, only barely keeping a growl down. "Are we done here?"
For a moment, it looked like the god was ready to attack. The god lifted his hammer, holding it just above waist level for the space of a breath before lowering it again. Liberty tipped his head to the side, watching the god through one eye.
The god looked him over before giving a nod, enough of a surrender that Liberty could relax. He took a step back and lowered himself to the ground, waiting for the negotiations between Steve and the others to stop so he could head back to the Helicarrier and eat.
Liberty groaned at the sound of voices, opening one eye to glare at the crews in the lower bay. They were all talking softly, wary of the sleeping dragon. They all knew better than to raise their voices, especially when he had come in wobbly just a few hours before. They had been considerate enough to leave him a cow in his bay and then strip him of his harness as soon as he was done eating. There hadn't been time for him to get a scrub down, there wasn't really a place for him to get a bath without diving down to the ocean and Liberty didn't want to leave the Helicarrier that long.
Viatrix was perfectly capable of handling the prisoner if Loki escaped, but Fergal wasn't. The Dakota was still splayed out on the deck, occasionally making miserable noises. Besides, Loki was his prize so it was his job to look after him.
Liberty lifted his head to look at the windows, surprised to see the ones that opened up into the lab cracked open. He vaguely remembered seeing Tony wave down at him from there before he had drifted off to sleep again. It also explained where the noises were coming from.
He huffed and got to his feet, craning his neck to see in the windows. He was just too short to peek in, Liberty reaching up for one of the holds on the wall before standing up on his hind legs, using the extra height to peer in.
Dr. Banner was the only one to notice him, the man giving him a nervous glance before going back to his computer screen. Liberty tipped his head to the side, surprised at how jerky Banner's moves were, like he was trying to avoid something. Liberty narrowed his eyes, trying to drudge up what he knew about Banner. There wasn't much, most of the files in print far too small for him to read easily. But Banner was still someone to watch.
He turned his head to peer at the other end of the room, spotting Steve as his captain argued with Tony. From the way that Steve held himself, they had been talking about this for a while. Liberty pulled himself up higher, spreading his wings for balance so he could remain on his hind legs.
He had already bared his teeth at Tony once, and he still didn't like the fact that he had gone to that extreme. What he needed to do was mediate between the two of them and, hopefully, they could come to some sort of understanding. It had worked between Howard Stark and Steve during the worst of their arguments. It should work just as well for his captain and Howard's son. He eyed the windows, looking for the one that had been cracked open so he wouldn't have to bellow to be heard.
Liberty found the window two down from the one that he was peering through. He leaned over, nosing it open so he could rest his muzzle in through the floor. Anything else would look like a threat, which neither of them needed while they were feeling confrontational. And there was no reason to frighten Banner; he was just caught in the same room.
He settled his muzzle on the floor, expecting Steve to spot it immediately. Instead, his captain continued glaring at Tony, ignoring him completely. "I think Loki's trying to wind us up. This is a man who means to start a war, and if we don't stay focused, he'll succeed. We have orders, we should follow them."
Liberty saw Tony's shoulders shift back, the move so obvious after seeing Tony in his armor for hours. "Following is not really my style."
Steve snorted, looking Tony up and down. "And you're all about style are you?"
Tony held his tension for a moment more before relaxing, Liberty recognizing the motion quickly. Tony had found his opening and he was going to use it. "Of the people in this room, which one is; A. wearing a spangly outfit, and B. not of use?"
"Tony!" Liberty snarled out the name before he could stop himself. He hadn't meant to, but he had seen how Steve had recoiled slightly, how the insult had been right on. And the slight slump of Steve's shoulders made Liberty want to curl around him, even more so when Steve returned to his rigid military posture.
But Steve's moment of pain was just as bad as the look of shock that Tony sent his way. Apparently, it was a day of firsts for them. The first time that Liberty had bared his teeth and Tony, and the first time he had argued with Tony. They had managed to get along before, and it was only when Steve came back that everything had started to fall apart. Liberty tightened his hold on the brace at that thought. He didn't want that to be true, he didn't want to choose. Tony was as much his as the rest of his crew was.
To his relief, Banner took the chance to speak up. The man came around the table, holding out his arms. "Steve, tell me none of this smells a little funky to you?"
It wasn't what he wanted, but Liberty would take anything to turn the conversation away from it had been going. He turned his head so he could look at Steve, trying to encourage Steve to leave the room. Nothing good would come of arguing, and Liberty was not going to stand having his loyalties torn in two. He had not waited seventy years for Steve just to have the friends he had built up around him get torn away. His captain was important to him, but not at the cost of everything that he had.
Steve didn't seem to get Liberty's silent message, but he did calculate that the odds were not in his favor. He looked over at the two other men before sighing and walking out of the room. "Just find the cube."
The two men didn't say anything until Steve was out of the room, Banner the only one to lean to one side to see Steve pass by one of the windows. Tony didn't move from the spot he was at until Banner went back to tracking the cube. Tony didn't go over to help Bruce; instead he stormed over to the window.
Liberty pulled his muzzle out of the window just before Tony slammed it shut. He whined, pressing the tip of his muzzle against the window as Tony leaned against it for a moment. He wanted to explain but Tony walked away before he could. Tony didn't even look back, already talking to Bruce, or complaining from what Liberty could hear through the glass.
He remained with his nose pressed against the window for a moment more before he lowered himself back down to the floor. There was nothing else for him to do by rest in the bay, but Liberty wasn't sure that he would be able to just drift off to sleep knowing that Tony was angry a floor above him. He couldn't go after Steve, his captain had headed deeper into the Helicarrier where dragons couldn't get access. Natasha was somewhere in the heart of the Helicarrier, probably looking after Loki. He didn't have anyone else to turn to inside the Helicarrier, which frustrated him. Seventy years of working for SHIELD and he only had a handful of people left for him.
Liberty rose to his feet, storming out of his bay and onto the secondary runway. From there it was easy enough to jump onto the main runway where Fergal was still stretched out. Liberty gave himself a shake, vaguely considering taking a quick flight down to the ocean to rinse himself off. If he did that, he would probably bring up a fish for Fergal, the Dakota enjoyed fish more than any other dragon that he knew.
He edged closer to where Viatrix and Fergal were resting, the Grey Widowmaker raising her head and nodding to him. Liberty returned the nod, taking it as permission to come closer. "How is he?"
"Sleeping well and it doesn't look like he'll be waking up for a while." She tipped her head to the side, nosing one of Fergal's wings to the side. "Hopefully he'll be able to fly back to the covert as soon as we are close to New York. He's taking up my favorite sunning space."
Fergal's only response to her was a huff, but he didn't attempt to move away. Liberty doubted that he would be able to move far anything. Fergal had picked a good spot to rest. It would be easy enough to roll off the side of the Helicarrier and get a good glide toward New York. Although, judging from the way that Fergal looked, they would have to call in two heavyweights from the covert to carry him back. Then they would be down one dragon on the Helicarrier when there were usually three. That in itself was worrying, because something was going on and they would be under staffed.
Liberty shook his head, turning the motion into a full body shake before settling down on the surface of the runway. It felt warm on his stomach, which calmed him. He was still tired from the flight back to Europe, still sleepy from the cow. He wouldn't be falling into a deep sleep, not annoyed by both Steve and Tony as well as being on edge from their prisoner and the man that had tried to steal him. Worse yet, he was useless at the moment, which made him irritable.
He curled slightly around Fergal, giving Viatrix a break on guarding him. He thought he heard Viatrix trill her thanks, but he didn't bother to reply. When the Grey Widowmaker clambered up onto his back to survey the Helicarrer from a new vantage point, Liberty wiggled his back a little. It was an empty threat that he could throw her off if he really wanted to, but Liberty enjoyed the company. Viatrix and Fergal, whatever condition they were in, were better company than his captain and the rest of the humans on the Helicarrier. He rested his chin on the runway and closed his eyes.
Steve glanced at the door, running a hand over the top and the side where the door slid back. He pressed his hand against the door, staring at the number that was painted there.
The way he saw it, he had two choices. One was to turn away and seek out the gym that had to be somewhere on the Helicarrier. Steve felt the need to punch through a punching bag or two to get the frustration that was Tony Stark out of his head. The other choice was to open the door and investigate like his gut was telling him to do. Until they got anything out of Loki or the Tesseract was found, Steve had nothing better to do. He was not going to go back into the lab, not without something to show.
He glanced down the hallway before straining against the door, pulling it forward off of its track. To his relief, an alarm didn't go off, but that didn't mean anything. The Helicarrier was crawling with SHIELD agents and Steve didn't know if he would be handed in or just given a stern warning on what his place was in the agency. He didn't know where he stood, and that was worrisome, just as worrisome as the idea that he wasn't being told everything. Like why SHIELD had the Tesseract in the first place.
The door creaked open, sliding slightly off its track before Steve was able to settle it again. A quick glance down the hall showed that everyone was busy elsewhere, the perfect time to slip into the room.
Steve eased his way through the opening, rocking the door shut behind him. It was still a bit ajar, not enough that anyone would come looking, but enough that he could easily push through quickly. His escape route was as secure as he could make it without Liberty around to keep watch for him.
He ducked under one of the walkways in the room, waiting in the darkness while he listened for the sound of anyone patrolling the room. Steve leaned back against one of the crates, staring at the door. With everyone on high alert, it would be better to call Liberty. The dragon was bound to know something that could help him figure out what exactly was strange about the situation. Liberty had been with SHIELD for seventy years, he was bound to know some secrets. That was enough to have him reaching up to turn on the communicator and contact Liberty, but he stopped.
Liberty had worked for SHIELD for seventy years, so there was no telling where his loyalties truly rested. Steve had just assumed that they were with him, because dragons had always sided with their captains. But he had seen dragons who had disagreed with their captains, refused to obey orders or had requested a new captain entirely. Steve had never thought that Liberty would be able to take that step, not after what had happened to his first captain and then to Steve himself. For seventy years Liberty had flown without a captain because of his respect for Steve. He could only hope that meant that Liberty wouldn't seek out another captain.
Steve was sure that the dragon wouldn't, because Liberty had been snapping at Tony Stark every since the man had arrived at the scene. Steve had seen Liberty's equipment, all top of the line Stark Tech. It wasn't so different from when they had been working with the Howling Commandos, but it was obvious that Tony liked Liberty well enough to make sure that the dragon always had the best. It was a small victory, a petty victory that Steve absolutely did not want to acknowledge, that Liberty still preferred him as his captain.
But Steve couldn't just believe that Liberty would agree with him forever. Nor could just believe that Liberty would just spill SHIELD secrets. So Steve was just going to have to find out himself. Maybe it would do something to ease the growing unease that had lodged in his chest ever since he had heard that the Tesseract was missing.
Fury had said that it had been hauled out of the ocean before he had, which probably meant that SHIELD had held onto it. But why would they want to do that when they had all the compiled reports of the Howling Commandos and Peggy stating that the cube should have either been destroyed or buried so deep that no one would find it again. Steve could think of a few reasons for why SHIELD would want the cube functioning, but he hoped that none of them would turn out to be true. Hopefully, it had been taken out to have a few scientists poke at it to see if it was still dangerous and they hadn't gotten to put it back before Loki attacked. Steve doubted that scenario completely, but he held on to the thin strand of hope.
Sure that there was no one guarding the room, Steve stepped out of the shadows and jumped for the walkway above him. He grabbed at the railing, using it to haul himself the rest of the way up. Steve dropped into a crouch, giving himself a moment to listen for anyone else before standing up.
The room was one of the storerooms on the hallway, one of just many that Steve was sure that scattered throughout the Helicarrier. Steve suspected that he didn't have the time to look through all of them, but he just needed the time to find something that would stop his feeling of unease, or prove that his gut feeling was right. But he was sure that his method would be faster than trying to search through all the files that SHIELD had stored. Poking around the storerooms would be faster than any program that Stark could come up with.
Steve gave the door one last glance before going to the end of the walkway and using the air duct there to hide himself. It would work as cover for a few crates, but Steve doubted that anyone would come looking for him here. They would seek out Liberty or Coulson first.
He started working his way down the row, opening the crates and digging through them. The first five yielded nothing but the weapons that Steve had seen the SHIELD agents carrying. Three more had what looked like spare parts or, alternatively, broken parts. Steve was surprised to find four more with spare pieces of leather and Kevlar for dragon harnesses in no particular order and mostly tangled.
Steve sighed and took a step back, looking down the row of crates. It seemed that the storeroom held nothing of interest in no particular order. He shook his head and considered checking out another room, there seemed to be nothing in the room. Then again, he had poked around less interesting Hydra bases and been rewarded. It was a matter of perseverance.
The rest of the row proved to be nothing but extra pieces, Steve sighing in frustration. He ducked into the next row, starting with the closest crate. He flipped the lid back with a little more force than necessary, ready for it to be nothing more than spare pieces of harness. Instead there was a sickeningly familiar helmet and gun nestled in foam.
Steve stared at the Hydra gun, backing up until his back was against the row of crates that he had first looked through. He took a deep breath and pulled the first layer of foam back, frowning at the second mask and gun. He was sure that the crate was full of them, relics from World War II. Steve would have passed them by, if they hadn't been in full repair. Steve picked up the gun, turning it over in his hands.
It looked just like something that Hydra had used, but it was different. The weight was lighter and it was sleeker, like the modern guns. He tipped it to the side to let the dim light of the storeroom play over it. The recharge chamber was gone as well, Steve used to the glowing blue streak along the top of the gun. There were other parts that were subtly different from the guns that he was used to, enough to prove that SHIELD had been messing with the original design.
He dropped the gun back in the crate and moved on to the next one. A single redone Hydra gun was gun was dangerous but, in the grand scheme of things, not as dangerous as the other alternative. If there was only one, then SHIELD had only succeeded in replication and improvements once. The other alternative was worse, the one where SHIELD had refitted enough weapons for them to be of use. The former he could let sit until whatever Loki was doing was figured out. The latter he would have to deal with quickly.
Steve flipped the next crate open, only lingering long enough to see that the crate held more Hydra weapons. He rushed down the row, opening crates to reveal more weapons.
He leaned over the last crate, staring at the weapons. None of them would work without the Tesseract, which they had lost after experimenting with. Banner had brought up a good point when he had pointed out that it was unlikely that SHIELD was going into clean energy, not without contacting Stark or Stark knowing about it. So weapons it was.
Steve sighed and glanced back toward the door. There was no time to wait out what Loki was doing, not when SHIELD getting the Tesseract back would mean that the guns would continue to be produced. He drummed his fingers against the crate, making his decision fast. Stark's program wouldn't dig into the files soon enough for him, so he would have to confront Fury. It was better to go straight to the source than to wait around. Steve was sure that asking Liberty about the project wouldn't help, no one would tell the dragon about the Hydra weapons, not if they wanted the dragon to remain on their side.
He picked up the closest gun and helmet, tucking them under his arm as he jumped from the walkway. Steve landed in a crouch, not bothering to check for anyone. It didn't matter if he was caught now. Even if someone tried to stop him, Steve was sure that he would just be escorted to Fury anyway. And any escort had to be done quietly, it would be better for anyone if Liberty didn't get involved. Steve didn't want to have to watch SHIELD trying to take down his dragon nor did he want to chance Loki getting free. It was a fine line to walk, and Steve would not enjoy a minute of it, especially if he had to keep Stark under wraps as well.
Steve shook his head and hitched the gun and mask into a more comfortable position before walking out into the hallway, intent on seeking out Fury.