Natasha silently strapped on her armor, eyes hard as she pulled her hair back, snapped on her breastplate, her arm guards, her metal toes and heels. She paused, looking at her reflection in her blade, her face was thinner now, her hair longer, her skin darkened with the dirt of the battle field and the blood of the fallen. She could see why they called her the Red Death Angel, not very creative, but true. She had red hair and killed people. Lots and lots of people. She still didn't get the angel part, Steve figured it was because she brought hope.

Odd, she just killed, but then again that's a good thing during war. People want an out, and she might just get them closer to that. If King Loki and King Anthony weren't such idiots. Well, they were both brilliant, Loki and his magic, Anthony and his inventions, and they couldn't ever see eye to eye. Many rumors tried to explain that, sexual tension, technology vs magic, Anthony flirted with anything breathing and slightly resembling a human and offended Loki, etc.

Natasha was fairly certain sexual tension was pretty close. She shook her head, what was she doing? An army not bearing Anthony's colors had been sighted, as the champion of his army she should be preparing for battle, not thinking about her King's messy relationship.

She sighed, the sooner the war was over, the sooner she'd see Clint again. The sooner she'd stop wearing that stupid arrowhead of his around her neck. The sooner she could stop worrying he was dead.

Because while Natasha served King Anthony, Clint served King Loki. And their Kings were at war, why? Anthony's parents had died along with Loki's mother in Asgardian territory. Funny, the deaths of three people now caused the deaths of the people they sought to protect. War was ironic that way, you'd think a few little deaths wouldn't result in mass deaths, but it did. Natasha slips the blade into it's leather sheath, knives are tucked in her boots, poisoned needles line her waist like a corset, supplies bundled into a small pack on her back.

She was a maiden of death, war was her life now.

-(0)-

Steve sat on his horse like a war general, which was good, when Natasha had first met Steve she had been curious how long he'd manage to hold the army together, so meek and nice. Nice Steve disappeared after the first battle, Natasha supposed the saying, forged in the heat of battle, more like soaked in so much blood you can't scrub it off even with all the water in your canteen, and Steve didn't want that anymore, so he became a real general, he gave orders now, instead of asking questions, he was a soldier.

Natasha felt a little proud really, "How many?"

Steve didn't even look at her as he watched the soldiers assemble, "You'd know if you would read the report, you'd know if you listened during the meeting, why have you been so inattentive?" Natasha would flinch at his harsh, low voice if she had less of a spine.

"Steve, when does this war end?" And Steve actually looked at her.

"When we're all dead, now if the third regiment deviates from the battle plan without proper cause." Steve snarled. "Half rations for a week, no exceptions, lives won't be lost because they want to be heroes for one battle."

Natasha nods. "Yes Steve."

-(0)-

Natasha almost cries when the streak of flame goes over head, exploding behind her, a fire arrow, only one archer in the eight kingdoms can do something like that. "Clint."

He'd be with the normal archers, in the back, the back, Steve sent a few regiments to attack from behind to crush the enemy. Natasha normally didn't bring a horse into battle, if the enemy cut the animal out from under her she'd be an easy target and potentially crushed, but a horse was fast.

Natasha kicked the black thing into a gallop, running down row after row of soldiers, jumping over the front lines and racing across the dirt field under a rain of arrows from both sides. She ran in the war, and the war swelled around her, it was like riding through a river of swords, she kicked heads, and threw needles, her angry screams made heads turn, and her blade was red as death.

"Clint!" She screamed hoarsely as she plunged into the ranks of Loki's archers.

"Tasha?!" She grabbed him, "What are you doing here?!" He screamed, bow clenched in his hands.

"Saving your ass, wizard." She snapped.

"Hey, I'm an archer." He complained as they halted a couple hundred feet from the battle. "We talked about this, the bow is magical, wired to my brain, I don't have magic, that would be my King who thinks I am awesome and made me a magical play toy."

Natasha frowned as he jumped off the horse. "You're taking this quite well. Running from battle, quite dishonorable."

"Eh, technically I was kidnapped, and I haven't.. Um, seen you, you know, for over two years." He scratched his neck. "It's been two years, right? I tried to keep track but... My timekeeper got destroyed."

"I don't know. Oh, so, how's your army? Ration's any good?" Natasha grinned softly.

Clint sticks out his tongue, "Awful, insects got in the bread."

"Mmm, is the water better up stream?" Natasha counted her leftover needles. Over twenty. Enough poison for atleast sixty men. Knives all accounted for, she tightened her guards as Clint rambled about the food. Clint and his food. There was always something about the food when it came to Clint, and she still loved him.

"Tasha." Clint suddenly whispered. "What do we do now?"

"I don't know." Natasha admit, crossing her arms. "Run?"

-(0)-

"This is not running Clint." Natasha growled, glancing back at Clint and their... victim? What do you call the person you kidnap?

"Um, it's running, just not away, this is running into the crazy." Clint grinned, sliding an arm back to make sure victim was still there. "War has to end someday, this is to end it. And guess what!"

Natasha pinched the bridge of her nose, let go, and took a few deep breaths, she'd done things that should have resulted in death, this not only did that, but it just seemed stupid, then again it was Clint's idea, as much as she loved him, she should be the only one making the plans around here. "What now?"

Clint rode up to her side, "That house we passed? I bought it! It's perfect, in between both Kingdoms, escape routes and don't lie. You liked it."

"You bought a house?" Natasha frowned, she'd never really owned a house...

"For us." Clint added.

Victim moaned something like 'Bang already'. Natasha whacked him over the head, "Even gagged and kidnapped, you are still vulgar your Majesty." Victim sat up straighter.

-(0)-

Loki's eyebrows almost made it to his hairline, his arms crossed, legs apart as he stood by his throne, staring at Clint like he was more stupid than Loki had assumed. "You abandon my army," He drawled, "And come to me demanding I end the war?"

Clint nodded, and then remember victim, grabbed him from Natasha and pushed him towards Loki. "And, as he'd say, bang him already."

Loki went twelve shades of pale horror and seven of red embarrassment while victim stumbled around. Natasha sighed, walked over and tore off the hood. "King Anthony, who also wishes to end the war." She undid the gag.

"I do not!" Tony spluttered. "My parents fricking died because of you!"

Loki froze before showing an ugly smile, "Because of me? My mother died as well, and if you dare to suggest again that I killed her to make it all look like an accident I swear I will-"

"My mother had a letter on her, from you," Tony hisses, "You want to know what was on that letter? Loki? It told her to meet you with my dad at the place and time she was killed, explain that!"

Loki took a few steps back, paler than the frost he normally conjured. "I..." Loki sighs, and Clint clears his throat as if to say today please. "I may or may not have asked your parents to meet me to discuss a very delicate, important, personal," Loki pauses again, have running out of adjectives, "Topic." His voice hits an interesting pitch as he rubs his throat like someone had just choked him, "My mother went to meet them, and be there as support..."

"Oh yeah, and I totally believe you, oh wait, no I don't, that doesn't cut it Loki." Tony snarls, stabbing Loki in the chest with his pointer finger angrily. "My fricking parents died because of you and you don't have anymore decency than to send back the bodies with no explanation, you wouldn't respond to letters, ambassadors, nothing, I get pissed when you ignore me and you know that. I.. I'm so mad at you. I trusted you and now my parents are dead and there's this war..." Tony sort of sags, his arms drop to the side. "Could you at least say something? Or are you just going to ignore me some more?" Loki mumbles something, "Huh?"

"IwasgoingtoaskforyourhandinmarriagebutsomedarkelvesattackedandmotherportaledmeawaybecauseI'mthesoleheirtothethronenowthatthorhasrejectedit." Loki finished flushing, and Natasha wasn't quite sure what he had said but she heard something about marriage and reasoning.

Tony scratches his neck meekly. "Oh."

"Mmm," Loki sort of echoes, staring at his feet, fingers clenched together in front of him.

"Ahh, so... Are you going to get down on your knees or am I?" Tony splays his hands out and Loki stares at him. "I'll take that as 'You Tony, you dumbass, of course the eternal enemies of the eight kingdoms assassinated my mom and your parents, now propose or I'll freeze you'." And with that Tony dropped down on one knee with a wobbly smile. "So, um, it sucks that our parents died and I'm still kind of mad at lack of communication, I regret agreeing with the people, revenger war sucks, and I propose we end the war, get married, and... Um, yeah, that's it, say something, literally, I can only ramble for so long."

Loki nods, blinking a few times. "Ah, yes."

Tony nods over and over, then frowns. "Crap, I don't have a ring."

"You don't." Loki frowns to, sighs, and fishes a necklace out from under his tunic, pulling it over his head. "Well, I do. Hand." Tony stuck his out. "Wrong hand Tony." Tony sticks out the other hand. Loki pushes the ring over his finger. "How did you even manage to run a war?"

Tony shrugs, getting up, "Steve."

Natasha coughs, "So, the war is over, may Clint and I have leave of the army?"

Loki nods, and Tony smirks, "I expect a redhead in three years."

R and R! (Cause you still secretly love me)