Chapter Four

Steve and Bruce had stolen one of Tony's cars, Bruce picking a black sports car and Steve electing to drive it. Bruce didn't like to drive, or rather he didn't like having other people's lives depend on his skills.

Tony had been the one to insist Steve learned to drive, calling it un-American to not have license. Steve finally gave in when Tony left him in the middle of no where with no way to civilization except for one of his least favorite prized cars and the keys.

While the first ten minutes of the drive to SHIELD headquarters was silent, Bruce finally broke the calm by announcing the elephant in the room.

"So uh," the doctor ran his fingers through his hair nervously, looking towards Steve. "How exactly are we going to break into headquarters?" He shuffled in his seat. "It's not like the big guy can help, and no offense Cap, but one super soldier isn't enough to bring down all the SHIELD agents that cross our path."

Steve drummed his fingers on the steering wheel while he thought over Bruce's statement. He sighed deeply before he finally answered. "Honestly, I have no idea." Bruce rolled his eyes.

"Very helpful."

Steve grinned shyly. "I'm not a mastermind or anything. Tony could easily come up with some half backed plan that would probably work, but apparently he's too busy typing in code."

Bruce scoffed before opening his mouth to respond back, but before he could get any words out, the cars speakers started ringing like they were getting a phone call.

Steve swerved a bit, jumping at the noise and looking around in a mad search for the source. Bruce, after recovering from his own initial shock, reached towards the built in screen in the dash of the black interior.

"Hey Tony, whatcha got for us?" Bruce smiled at Steve's obvious shock. On the other end of the line, Tony could be heard moving something around. "Tony?"

"Bruce!" Tony almost shouted from his end. "Bruce, buddy, we've got a problem," Bruce frowned when Tony let out a startled shriek, apparently falling over somewhere in his workshop. Bruce could hear tools clattering to the ground and Tony cursing in the background.

"You alright Tony?" Steve asked, looking concerned in the drivers seat as he leaned over to peer at the screen. Bruce snapped his fingers and pointed to the road, mouthing at the Super soldier to keep his eyes in the highway.

Tony didn't answer, instead going silent. Bruce glanced at Steve. "Tony, what's going on? Why'd you call us?"

Tony grunted from his side. "I decrypted more of those files, and I'm on my way to meet you guys at the headquarters in a second. I just need to - whoah!" Bruce knit his eyebrows together as they heard Tony fall again, yelling out curses as he went that made Steve wince.

"Language, Tony," Steve muttered as he tried to keep his attention on the road in front of him.

"My suits being stubborn. I can't get the gauntlets on, and one of my boots don't fit." Tony sounded exasperated while he apparently fumbled with the stubborn suit.

"Have you tried calming down?" Bruce shook his head. "Or sobering up? How many bears have you downed since we left?" Bruce didn't expect an answer from the struggling scientist, but he could have sworn he heard Tony mutter, a few, under his breath.

"Look, I'll leave any minute and meet you guys there to help out. How close are you right now?" Tony sighed. Bruce could almost picture the scientist, sitting in his workshop chair with an annoyed scowl on his face.

Steve slammed his hands against the steering wheel. "Tony! What did you find? Why did you call us!" There was silence for a moment.

"Fury's questioning Loki. As of a year ago, Loki was taken to his own interrogation room and Fury's been trying to get information out of him." Tony sounded somber, and Bruce had to fight not to ask him to elaborate.

Steve had apparently come to the same conclusion, and he changed the subject. "Were about an hour away. Do you have a plan?"

"Yeah, of course I have a plan. I always have a plan. I can't tell you the plan, but I do have one." Tony stopped talking for a moment before he suddenly shouted. "I got the boot on! As soon as I get the gauntlets on, I'll head your way." Tony hung up the call before either Bruce or Steve could say anything.

Bruce and Tony didn't say anything else for the rest of the drive.

Each had their own thoughts going, both about whatever Tony had seen in those files, and what Fury was doing doing with Loki.

They met up with Tony a block from SHIELD, Tony arriving almost a half hour before Bruce and Steve.

"Alright. So, here's the plan," Tony wasted no time getting to the point as Steve and Bruce pulled into the parking lot he was standing in.

"Bruce is going to wait at the car, Cap is going to distract the agents, and I'm going after Loki." Bruce and Steve bot balked at the idea of Tony going alone, but Bruce was more than happy to stay in the car.

Steve tried to argue with Tony while Bruce settled himself back into the passenger seat of the black sports car.

"You can't go after him alone, the guys dangerous!" Steve almost yelled at Tony, who stood where he was looking bored.

"Loki isn't a threat right now, I promise." Tony started to make his way to the headquarters, but Steve grabbed the shoulder of suit and pulled him back around to face him.

"What do you mean he's not a threat? The guy nearly destroyed the city a little over a year ago, of course he's dangerous!" Tony rolled his eyes before shrugging Steve off and starting forward again.

"You didn't see the footage. Trust me Cap, I'll be fine." Steve threw his hands up in annoyance, but he followed after Tony anyways.

The three teammates had mics on, Tony's own design for the Avengers. Bruce pulled his over his head and turned it on, wincing as he heard Steve and Tony arguing.

Well, Steve was arguing. Tony was mostly silent.

"Guys, shut up." Bruce sighed as he slid down in his seat, rubbing his forehead. Honestly, the scientist and super soldier shouldn't ever be left alone for the sake of the sanity of those around them.

Steve did a sort of irritated growl into his mic before he obediently stopped trying to argue with Tony.

"Thank you." Bruce restated himself, sitting up straighter.

"Were almost at the headquarters Bruce, so pretty soon were gonna have to focus and we won't be able to talk." Bruce nodded, forgetting the others couldn't see the action.

"This shouldn't take long," Tony started. "It's going to be an in and out mission, I know where Loki is."

"You're positive you want to do this Tony?" Steve asked in and last and tempt to dissuade Tony from his current plan.

"I got this Stevie." Tony answered quickly. "Split up."

Steve charged towards the SHIELD agents already in the lobby, distracting them while Tony shot around him and disappeared into some hallway.

Steve knocked out the first three agents with a simple flick of the wrist, sending his shield through the air with careful accuracy. The next two that rushed him, Steve put down easily, one with a swift roundhouse kick and the other with a quick headbutt.

He was too focused on the ever-growing swarm of agents to listen to the mic, dropping agents left and right while being careful not to inure anyone more than required.

Tony flew as fast and as silent as he could towards the room he knew Loki was being held in.

He had hacked SHIELDS active cameras and searched the live feed to try anyone pinpoint Loki's position. What he'd seen had sobered him instantly, the effects of the numerous beers he'd downed after Bruce and Steve had left leaving him sick.

He avoided the agents in the halls as best he could, only knocking out the ones that got in his way. He could hear Steve working on his own task, and Bruce was remaining silent so as not to distract the other two.

Tony landed gracefully as he finally approached the unguarded door he knew Loki was being held behind. Bracing himself, he shot off the lock on the interrogation room door and carefully made his way into the dark room

"Alright cap, I've got the god, now let's get out of here." Steve let out a relieved sigh as he forced his way towards the door, sprinting past the SHIELD agents and making his way out the door just as Tony flew out behind him with something Steve couldn't make out.

As his feet hit the sidewalk, Steve heard an alarm scream out from the building behind him. Tony was already at the car, waiting for Steve while he anxiously shifted from one foot to the other.

Steve's eyes widened as he took in the still, bloody form hanging limply in Tony's arms. He could see Bruce's ghostly white face in the passenger seat, and he prayed that Bruce could control his temper. Now was not the time to hulk out.

"I'll meet you guys at the tower." Tony nodded quickly to Steve before taking off, leaving the shocked teammate alone.

Steve shook his head, trying to focus while he climbed into the drivers seat.

SHIELD agents appeared around the corner, guns at the ready as Steve punched the gas.

Bruce sat silently in the passenger seat, still white faced. Steve glanced at him quickly while he speed down the road.

"I'm sure there's a good explanation, well figure this out at the tower." He tried to reassure the doctor, who gave him a curt nod without looking away from the road in front of them.

Steve turned his own attention forward, trying to quiet the ideas and concerns his mind seemed to fire off.

It would be a long two hours home.