"Loki has informed me of something my allies," Thor announced casually, as if he hadn't caused a huge scene by falling from the sky in the middle of New York only ten minutes ago before making his way to the newly renamed Avengers Tower.
"Something Point Break or something important enough that you are coming down in the middle of date night and stop Pepper and I from having an amazing meal flown in from Italy?" Tony asked, nursing his tumbler full of bourbon.
"There is an ill tide about fall upon midgaurd, the people are in danger," Thor announced, tightening his grip on his hammer, "We are going to be needed."
"You should have just let us shoot him when we had the chance," Clint groaned, while Natasha nodded without looking up from sharpening her knives.
"He is my brother, I will not tolerate people speaking ill of him, we will need him," Thor announced.
"And what does he even think will happen, I mean all of the worlds know that we can kick their butts," Tony laughed while taking a sip of his drink as Pepper smacked his arm disapprovingly.
"They are coming, his former allies have found a new warrior for their cause and he is said to be much stronger," Thor paced then, restless.
"Stronger? The things that they sent before weren't strong, there was just a lot of them, what did they get now, a kitten?" Tony laughed, smiling at Pepper as he sat the drink down and raised his hands in defeat.
"Where is friend Bruce, we will need him," Thor annonced, suddenly noticing the lack of their ally.
"What did you say about us needing Loki?" Clint asked, his voice edging up an octive, standing suddenly.
"Focus, Clint," Natasha interrupted, standing and taking his wrist into her gentle hand.
"He is after someone on this planet first," Thor sighed again, taking a soothing breath, "Loki is…Loki is working with the people at S.H.I.E.L.D. to find the person they are looking for."
"He's working with what?!" Clint stomped forward, "Why is he even here!? He is supposed to be still being punished for New York!"
"Friend Hawk, be calm he is only trying to help," Thor reached out with a single hand moving in a defensive motion.
"This is insane! How are we going to trust someone that just…that…" Clint shouted, stomping in circles and shoving his shaking hands through his hair.
"Why should we trust him, Thor?" Natasha asked, following Clint with her eyes.
"Because we don't have any other choice," Thor answered, shaking his head.
"So what do you wanna do, Goldilocks?" Tony asked, standing suddenly, glancing at Pepper, who didn't look all to pleased about anything that was being said.
"We need to get back to the helicarrier," Steve announced, standing from the couch where he had been hiding, silent until now.
"Why?" Pepper shouted back, "How do we even know that your brother is tellng the truth about this?"
"My brother would know better then to lie, it is a matter of honor and of his life," Thor sighed, shaking his head, "He will be preminantly exiled if he is wrong."
"He better be," Tony snapped, bending to kiss Pepper, "We will be back soon, I promise."
"You better be," Pepper answered, "Jarvis prepare the suit for Tony and get a plane ready for the others."
"Yes, ma'am."
One Hour Later
S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier
"So we figured out the basics of what they are about to be after," Fury announced as soon as the team entered the room, though he didn't turn.
"What do you mean?" Steve asked, standing in the front of the group.
"And where is Banner? We are going to need him for this if it's real," Tony added.
"Banner is still in the wind and what they need, what they want is…"
"A person who can control the world with their voice alone," Loki announced, walking into the room with agents on either side.
"A person who can what?" Clint turned quickly.
"That's not…" Natasha started.
"It is, they are mutants that can do anything now," Logan, Wolerine of the X-Men, followed the pervious group.
"So there is some one that could seriously…"
"Get everyone, including us, to drop to one damned knee and pray that someone kill us," Logan nodded, "Professor Xavier worked with three people that could possibly be what they are looking for, so I was called in, but I think this is stupid. You idiots are chasing your tails for something that some idiot told you about on a hunch."
"It is not a hunch! The Chutiri called me back!" Loki shouted back.
"And do you think that they would really tell you the truth," Tony asked, laughing.
"None of those kids are strong enough to do what they want anyway," Logan disagreed.
"None of them, there are a few more," Fury disagreed, turning back to the screens that were pulling up several profiles, "most are too old,'' the motioned to the three on his left, all older people, knocking them away with a flick of his wrist. "She is dead," he flicked another woman away, "She was strong enough though. But this one…" he double clicked on the last one, a woman standing in a holigraphic image, "She has the power and she is young enough."
"So this is the girl they need, hm?" Clint asked, moving closer to the screen, looking at the girl that looked to be early 20s, brown hair and eyes.
"She's with Banner," Maria Hill anounced, bursting into the room, looking ruffled.
"Banner was in the wind, we promised after…" Fury tried to announce but he was interrupted again.
"We weren't tracking him, I was tracking her," Maria answered, "In Brazil for a while, disappeared and reappeared, then Banner showed up. The two have been working together for about two months."
"Time to break it up, we need them both and we need them A.S.A.P. Bring them both back to base and inform them of what is going on now."
"It's not that easy sir," Agent Hill interjected, "She has others that are following her, they have been keeping distance because of recent S.H.I.E.L.D. activity but if we try to take her away there might be some…unfortunate reactions."
"From who?"
"From the other team and…if Banner gets caught in the cross fire…the Hulk could smash both them and the girl."
"And what exactly do you think will happen if any of the agents just show up and tell the Hulk and some kid who has been in the wind get in the van?" Logan laughed, making Tony bristle in distaste.
"It's Banner, not the Hulk but that girl I can't say anything besides she has good choice in who she ran away with," Tony laughed, smiling slightly, "I'll go get them with the other Avengers, that's your best beat to get Banner to come back without incedent."
"And if the other team that is following the girl steps in?" Fury asked with a raised eyebrow.
"We are the Avengers, Earth's mightest heroes, what do you think would happen?"
"Right," Fury nodded.
"Everyone suit up!" Steve announced, then he looked back at Logan and Loki, "I don't know about you two."
"Take them with you," Fury motioned dismissively with his hand.
"Right," Clint agreed, eyes narrowing, "This is a good idea."
"Suit up then, met in the hanger and we'll take it from there,'' Steve agreed, walking away with the rest of his team and the others trailing slowly behind.
Somewhere in Brazil
Three Hours Later
"I'm ready for the next patient," Bruce called out, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand. The sweat was pouring off of his face in the noon sun, his white tee shirt was already soaked in sweat, he knew he was going to have to change soon to make sure that everything in the shabby tent was as streil as it could. His kakhis were ripped and muddy, his brown boots were untied but he continued to wear them, his brown hair was flattened to his skull.
He reached over and checked the large white med kit that stayed next to him and in front of the cot for the patients and checked the contents. The medceine bottles and slave, bandages and wraps were all still full, he would need to grab more needles for injections at the next town. The small brown tent wasn't the least strile place he had been in the past twenty years but he knew that he would also have to buy a new cot so it could stay that way.
He sighed and sat down fully on the dirt floor, allowing some of the pressure off of his knees. "I said I'm ready for the next…"
"There aren't anymore here at the moment," the female voice that he had gotten used to over the past two months answered, her voice echoing into the tent a second before she herself ducked inside. "I brought you a new shirt," she held out a new white tee to Bruce timidly.
He was taken aback for a second, blinking dumbly in her direction, before looking down to the actual shirt. He glanced back up at her, smiling that her own shirt looked freshly changed, white tee that still managed to cling to her breast and skim down her waist before changing into a pair a green, knee length cargo shorts. Her shoes however where only canvas tennis shoes, he had watched her accidently destroy her own pair of boots last week when she had to cross the river.
"Thanks," he smiled at her akwardly, taking the shirt quickly, "I need one."
"You're welcome," she smiled, Bruce watched as her normally pale skin turned a delicate pink, "You'll need to stop soon Doctor Banner and grab some food or you might pass out."
"Well I guess there aren't any other people wait for me," Bruce said slowly, biting his lip, "what are you thinking?"
"I went into town today and refreshed our provisions…there isn't much, some bread and fruit and more clean water, but it'll stop you from passing out," she shrugged.
"Thanks," Bruce gave a half grin, standing and trying to ignore the ache in his knees and back, "I'm getting old."
"Way before your time," Alex smiled, turning to lead them to the 'living' tent, Bruce trailing behind. The 'living' tent just turned out to be a matching ratty brown tent, in which sat a small bag of clothes for each person next to their own sleeping bags.
"Lunch time!" Alex shouted, dropping herself next to the bag sitting at the entrance. "What are you craving Doctor Banner?"
Bruce sat down slowly, careful of his knees, stripping his shirt and pulling on the new one. "Um, got any bananas this time?"
"Banana for Doctor Banner," she nodded, groping around in the bag searching for the fruit. "Bread for me!"
Banner smiled again, looking down at the floor as she enthusastically handed him the banana, shaking his head. "Thanks, so what have you been working on today?" he methodically peeled his fruit.
"I worked on that water purifing system some more," she answered, nibbling on the bread, "You need to make sure the chemicals are balanced inside but the structure is complete. It should last on the up side about twenty six years."
"That's great," Banner said enthustastically.
"And you saved like eighteen people today," she added with a grin, "Sounds like we both had good days, don't you think?"
"Pretty good," he agreed, holding out his hand, "Orange this time?"
"Right," she agreed, tossing him the requested fruit, "I didn't think that it would be so easy to find the right metals to create something sestainable in water for that long, without your contections I would have never been able to find anamanthim! It might even last longer then I estimate considering how strong it is!"
"I haven't seen you this excited in a long time," Bruce's voice held something akin to pride, "I told you…you would do great things."
"I'm a enginer, a math wiz, doctor," she shook her head, "and someone with one of the most deadly gift known to mutants and humans alike."
"And you have a…"
Bruce's voice was cut off by the stready sound of a metal thunk, heavy footsteps toward the tent, and then wind. Lots of wind as Bruce and Alex jumped to their feet. So strong that the tent seemed to be close to being pulled up by the metal posts that held it fast. Another landing sounded, the landing of a plane right in front of the tents.
"Big guy," the voice from right outside the tent asked, knocking open the door with a red armored arm, "long time no see."
"Tony," Bruce almost laughed at the shock, "or should I say Iron Man?"
"Doctor Banner," Steve's voice followed Tony into the tent, the man and the rest of the team following.
"This tent is getting crowded guys," Tony complained, though none of them moved.
"Avengers thing? Or is this a socail visit?" Bruce asked, watching Alex from the corner of his eyes shift from foot to foot uncomfortably.
"We need your friend," Natasha answered bluntly, pointing to Alex, "you can come with us or you can stay in the wind, but I would suggest moving because S.H.I.E.L.D. has been following her."
"You were right," Bruce said in Alex's very stiff body direction, "Someone was following us, I thought that they were after me but I guess…I was wrong. Sorry."
"Told you," she answered making Natasha and Clint stiffen, the others as well but they were more controlled.
"That's a great way to react to her," Bruce scoffed, "She can control her power."
"Their cation is for good reason," Loki announced, walking to the front of the tent sided with Logan.
"Shut up," Alex snapped without thinking, and her lack of control was almost comedic when the look upon Loki's face when he couldn't open his mouth…except it wasn't, to most of the others anyway.
"I've been trying to do that for months and she does it with two words," Tony laughed aloud, moving forward to clap his hand on her shoulder. "By the way Brucey you said you were camping out with a Mathmatian the was working on a product that could treat most of the water in third world countries. Instead I find you here with a babe feeding each other fruit."
"She is a mathmatian, she finished the machine by the way, just needs my calabrations for the chemicals," Bruce denied.
"It'll be good for at least twenty six years," she added, "I've never seen the metal at work in water but the strength is the best in the world."
"Hot and smart, Pepper and Jane will be excited that we have found another one of you, right Nathasha?" Tony barked out between laughs.
"He has no sense of self preservernce does he?" Clint asked, watching as Tony threw his arm around both Bruce's and Alex's shoulders.
"So are you going to come or not kid?" Logan snapped, glaring at the group.
"She's thirty seven," Bruce smiled, if any of them had known better they would've swore that their was something cocky in his face.
"That's not…" Clint spoke, before shaking his head, "another mutation?"
"Things…don't kill me that are supposed to," she shrugged, "I guess that included age? Because I stopped at twenty something."
"There you go Logan, guess when we all die you won't be completely alone, if you make friends," Clint sighed, trying to ignore the fact that Alex practically cringed at the thought.
"So are you going to come with us nicely?" Natasha broke into the line of civil conversation with the complete bluntness she was known for.
Bruce moved from under Tony's arm and stood in front of Alex, shocking the team for a second, "You don't seem to be giving much of a choice Tasha," Bruce said calmly.
"Doctor Banner, it's fine," Alex smiled tightly, "I'll go with them, you stay here, work on those chemicals for me."
"Bruce we aren't doing this because we can," Steve added calmly, "Loki said there is another war coming…they will come for her because they don't want a fight."
"They want complete submission," Alex whispered, holding her hand to her lips.
"Exactly," Clint nodded, "S.H.I.E.L.D. only is going to keep you until we can stop the threat, then you can follow Banner into the wind."
"I doubt that," she smiled at him, "but I'll play along."
"I'm coming too," Bruce announced, "I need to make sure the chemicals fit with the design and all."
"Then let's get moving," Tony smiled, taking him under his arm again.