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CAPTAIN KANGAROO!

Open :: AVENGERS ASSEMBLE

Pepper moaned.

"Tony?"

His side of the bed was empty. She rolled out of bed.

"Tony . . . ?"

Running footsteps came towards the bedroom. Tony poked his head in the doorway, grinning like the Cheshire.

"Honey, you gotta see this!"

He darted back off to the balcony before Pepper could even hold out his cell phone. She followed him out into the hallway where she was nearly blinded with blue light.

"Tony, what is that?!"

He laughed.

"I dunno, but isn't it pretty?" He took her empty hand and led her to the railing. "I thought we might have a moment . . ."

Pepper turned away from the light and faced him.

"Tony. It's three in the morning. I'm having negative three hundred percent of a moment right now." She handed him his phone. "That woke me up. I think they need Iron Man. Have fun, boss."

Nick Fury turned around as Clint and Natasha walked into the command room in uniform. They stared at the glass wall ahead of them through which the tower of light illuminated the entire west wing of S.H.E.I.L.D. HQ. Agent Hill handed them each a pair of sunglasses and they took them wordlessly.

"Director Fury?" Clint said. "What are we supposed to do about that?"

Fury sighed.

"Six hours ago, three teenagers reported seeing somebody fall out of the sky, out of a wormhole. They said that the person crashed straight through that cave," he said, pointing to the spire of lightning. "The ranger didn't believe them because they all had alcohol on their breath, but . . ." He shrugged. "It's the only credible explanation right now."

"Is it Thor again?" Natasha asked.

"No. We've made contact with Thor Odinson and Loki Laufeyson, and they're both present and accounted for. They're actually en route to the mountains as we speak to rendezvous Captain America, Iron Man, Dr. Banner and Agent Coulson."

"What are we supposed to do?"

Fury tilted his head.

"Agent Barton and Agent Romanoff, your orders are to rendezvous with the rest of the Avengers and find out if there is any truth to the report. In any event, stop that lighting: every airport within 250 miles is experiencing technical malfunctions because of it."

"And . . . if there is truth to the report, sir?" Natasha asked slowly.

"Then bring them here for questioning, debriefing, and tagging."

He turned back to the light.

"You're dismissed."

They turned and headed for the garages.

"What do you make of that, Nat?"

She shrugged.

"Wouldn't be the first time we've been sent out on a wild goose chase."

Clint nodded.

"But?"

"But if it were a wild goose chase . . . why is he sending in the Avengers?"