Author's Note:
Here's the next chapter. I was really able to write this with chapter 9 fixed. I'm hoping to have the next chapter up soon. Enjoy!
XXX
Chapter 10
Kai was scanning Iris' body. Iris was having a hard time staying still.
"You need to stay still." Kai told her.
"I know. I'm trying to." Iris replied. "I've got a lot on my mind."
"Okay." Kai responded back, putting the scanner down. "Tell me what's on your mind, so that I can have you be still long enough for me to finish this."
"I don't know. I just don't understand. How can I get energy from a Demi-God, and a calming feeling from a human?"
"Well, you're human and there's this thing call soulmate. I can't answer the energy one without finishing your body scan."
"Steve is not my soulmate and you know that I have problems believing in that kind of stuff. Let's finish this, so that we can just find Loki and leave."
"I agreed." Kai nodded, going back to redoing Iris' body scan.
Iris stayed still, but was getting bored. She and Kai had forgotten about Clint being in his nest. He heard their conversation, and probably was wondering what was going on. Kai was done a few minutes later, and was looking at both scans. Iris sat up on the table, and looked at them too.
"What do you mean you got energy from Thor?" Kai asked, curious.
"I don't mean a sexual charge." Iris answered. "Get you're mind out of the bedroom."
"You two talking about me?" Tony asked, walking over.
"When did Tony show up?" Kai asked, looking at Iris.
Iris shrugged. "You wish we were."
"That I do." Tony responded. "So do you have all the information you need?"
Kai noticed that Tony had stopped a bit too close to her. "Yes, I believe I do."
"You sure?" Tony asked.
Iris chuckled. "She doesn't need to scan you. Leave my friend alone, hunter."
"All right, fox." Tony smiled, backing up a few feet.
"Why are you here?" Kai asked, not exactly trusting him.
Tony grinned. "I wanted to make sure my favorite woman was all right. I just met you, so I don't exactly trust you."
"Well, I don't trust you either. Now, go away. She's fine." Kai replied, looking at both scans of Iris.
Clint was slightly smiling up in his nest. He was enjoying seeing Kai not flirting with Tony and being sort of distant. Though it caused him to wonder what changed.
"No." Tony responded.
Iris rolled her eyes and looked at her scans. As Kai and Tony started arguing about who Iris was safer with. Iris pulled up the scans they took of Loki's weapon, and began comparing them with her scans.
"Kai." Iris spoke.
"She's been with me for over three years. She's way safer with me than you." Kai argued back.
"Explain to me why that is." Tony insisted.
"You'd experiment on her. I don't mean sexually. She's an energy source, and I'm sure you'd love to use that energy for some of your stupid projects." Kai informed him.
"Coming from the woman who uses Iris for personal protection." Tony remarked.
"Excuse me!?" Kai asked.
"Guys, shut up. Both of you have issues, I get it." Iris yelled, then looked at Kai. "Kai, look at this."
Kai moved away from Tony, and took a look while Iris step between Kai and Tony.
"Don't get her upset. I need her here. She doesn't use me for protection, I use her for protection." Iris clarified.
"You can hold your own." Tony replied.
"I know. Now go away." Iris responded, waving her hand towards the door.
"Holy crackers." Kai spoke up.
"Did you come to the same conclusion I did?" Iris asked, turning to Kai.
"I believe so." Kai nodded. "What do you suggest we tell Director Fury?"
"Well, Bruce and Tony are the only ones who can jump to the same conclusion." Iris answered.
"Are you suggesting that we kill Tony and Bruce? Because Tony would be easy, Bruce won't." Kai asked, unsure.
"No, I'm saying that we don't tell him anything. The less he knows, the safer you and I are." Iris answered.
"Good plan." Kai agreed. "Just one problem."
"What?" Iris asked.
"Tony and lapdog are here." Kai answered, pointing to them both.
"Tony won't tell because he wants to live. Clint on the other hand, probably will tell us." Iris replied, trying to thinking of a way she could get Clint to not tell without revealing anything about Kai.
"Hawk, come down." Kai called.
Clint looked at her, surprised that she called him Hawk. He come down from his nest, and walked over. "What do you want?"
"Promise me that you won't tell on Iris and I. In return, I'll tell you anything you want about myself." Kai offered.
Iris grabbed Kai's arm. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"
"It's the only option we have." Kai answered.
"Don't know how that's the only option, but I agree to your terms." Clint accepted.
xxx
Meanwhile, somewhere in Europe...
Loki was hunting. He knew that the last location, where they first found the Tesseract would be a good place to start. Thing was the village had been destroyed. So there wasn't anyone to help him. He'd been looking through the rumble for anything. He knew it had to be here, somewhere. Finding it was proving to be more difficult then he thought.
xxx
On deck...
"Director, why do we need Iris and Kai?" Natasha asked.
Director Fury looked at her. "Because they have, we'll call them gifts. Which are very useful and Kai is here to help Iris. They won't cause trouble if that's what you're worried about."
"That's not what's bothering me." Natasha responded.
"Then what is?" Director Fury asked.
"I want to look at both of their files. I want to know exactly what their so called gifts are." Natasha answered, wanting to protect the Avengers.
"I probably shouldn't do this, but I'm going to. Their files are locked, so I'm going to have to tell you." Director Fury sighed.
"Go on." Natasha encouraged.
xxx
"Bruce, I've got a question for you." Steve began.
"If it's about Iris, there's not much I can tell you." Bruce replied, not looking up from his book.
"Well, I'm going to sask anyways because it's bothering me." Steve replied back. "Why does she distant herself from everyone? I get that she's sort of an energy source."
Bruce looked up at him. "I don't know why she does what she does. Why you ask?"
"I want to be her friend. She could use one." Steve answered, shrugging.
"Okay." Bruce replied, wondering if there was more to that.
"There you guys are." Thor spoke walking over to the table.
"Hello Thor." Steve greeted.
"Do you guys know what Iris and Kai's deal is?" Thor asked, taking a seat.
"What you mean their deal?" Bruce asked back, not sure what he was talking about.
"I know that they are friends, but that doesn't explain why Iris is willing to be locked up after the mission." Thor answered.
"So what you want to know is why Iris is protecting Kai?" Steve asked, trying to clarify what Thor was asking.
"Yes." Thor answered, as Bruce went back to his book.
"I don't know. Bruce, do you have any ideas?" Steve asked, looking at Bruce.
"No idea. It could be because Kai is like one of us or Iris is being a really good friend and doesn't want Kai to be recruited to SHIELD." Bruce answered, still reading.
"Those do make sense, but I don't know." Thor responded, still trying to figure it out.
"We don't know either of them very well. We just have to trust them, for now." Steve informed them.
Bruce and Thor nodded, but Bruce knew better. He just didn't want to get into even more trouble than he already was.