A/N~ I'm sorry to say that a stomach bug is sucking the energy right out of me so the upcoming chapters in my stories may be delayed because of it. Bear with me and please enjoy. ~A

Hawk Down

The hooded woman was still holding Hawkeye's arm with the discomfited look on her face. Then she moves closer to him and says, "I would love to have a conversation about who and how this was accomplished but for now… Well there are other ways to remove an obstacle from your path."

Hawkeye felt the knife slice into his gut, it cut across his abdomen and his body went hot. He shoved the woman away from him, she fell against the side of the car with a soft grunt. Hulk who was the closest wasn't so gentle, he smacked the woman with the back of his hand. She went flying into a near by building and slid to the ground.

Steve and the others ran to their friend as his knees buckled under him, he was stopped from face planting by the Hulk who catches him and holds him up right until Steve arrives. He had some medic training during the war. Gently pushing Clint back into the waiting arms of Iron Man, the super soldier got his first look at the wound and felt his blood go cold. He looked up into the un-visored face of Tony Stark and saw the same sense of despair he felt. It was bad, very bad.

Looking around doubtfully, Steve makes a decision. The would be kidnappers aren't his priority anymore, his friend is. The former soldier finally yells, "Back to the pub," Hulk very carefully picks up Hawkeye and carries him back to the restaurant at a dead run. He holds the archer close to his chest to try and reduce the amount of jostling he may receive.

Meanwhile Thor picks up Trick. The pub owner is either dazed or under the woman's power. It was hard to tell at this point. Thor simply tossed the barkeep over his shoulder and situated him for a moment before setting Mjolinir in motion. The Captain is running along doing his best to keep up with the Hulk, while Tony was flying cover overhead.

Hulk pauses at the door lowering the wounded man to the ground carefully. By the time Steve has arrived the huge green anger ball has shrunk back down to Banner size. Working together the two carry their friend back inside the bar.

Stark and Thor are right behind, setting Trick in a chair right inside the main restaurant area. The pair quickly clear what they consider to be their table in front of the fireplace. The thunder god spreads out his own cloak, while Tony sets up a webcam looking device on the mantle.

Bruce heads into the kitchen. He is wearing a unitard made of material that Tony and Reed Richards have modified just for him. Material that stretches to accommodate the Hulk's transformations. He pulls the upper half of the unitard up over his torso. He hears Tony ask Jarvis for an assessment of Barton's condition.

When he hears Jarvis list off injuries, "Internal hemorrhage, perforated bowel, liver and lung damage as well as the nick to the descending aorta."

Then the AI confirms, "Unless immediate and intensive medical attention is administered to Agent Barton immediately he only has a nineteen percent chance of survival."

Bruce places his hands on the counter and lowers his head for a moment. Bruce believes in science but he has seen too many times where people have lived who should have died. Himself included in that statement. Looking up at the ceiling, he said quietly, "Annie, I don't know if you're an alien like Thor or demigod or an angel or something else…but if you can hear me… please, I could really use some help right now."

There is a golden flash from beside and behind him, Bruce turned to find Annie standing there holding her old fashioned doctor bag in both hands. The pair stare at each other thunderstruck. When suddenly she scowls and stomps her foot, "Oh no. No thank you very much. I am much too old to find my soul mate at this late date." she said making a shooing gesture at the doctor as she continued to rant.

"Yes you are very attractive and your other half is not without his charms, but no! I am much too old to be finding you now…" Bruce watches for a few seconds more as the woman continues to work herself up. He hasn't been involved with anyone since Betty and truthfully that's been a few years now. So no one is more surprised than him except Annie when he steps forward, pulls her close and kisses her passionately for several seconds.

When he pulls back her dazed and blushing face are both gratifying and arousing but he tamped down on his desire as he says earnestly, "I need your help." and then guides her into the dining room.

She sees the man on the table and pulls out what looks like some kind of bone carved into a curved shape with symbols carved onto its surface and places it gently onto his forehead. His body gradually over the course of several seconds becomes encased in what looks like ice but is neither cold or wet to the touch and is more creamy chips..

She turns back to speak to Bruce and that's when she sees Trick over the scientists shoulder. The Blood King is looking dazed and weaving ever so slightly like a branch moving in a wind only he can feel. She sighs heavily before she says, "Kenzi is going to kill me."

Thor and Tony being the only ones in the group with absolutely no medical training decide that the best ting they can probably do is get out of the way of the ones who do. To make themselves useful they go back to the intersection where they stopped the kidnapping. They are hoping to bring back the woman in the hood and her lackeys. Steve had zip tied the ones who had survived their interaction with the Avengers, including the large black man who had screamed like a little girl.

Unfortunately by the time they made it back to the intersection the hooded woman and all of the other kidnappers had escaped. The wrecked limo and the zip ties now cut in half were still there, left in the street. Nothing else was left behind to indicate who they were or why they had tried to kidnap Mr. Trick.

XXXXXXXXX

Kenzi wakes up to the feel of Dyson nuzzling her neck. They are back in the Den and she isn't really sure what time it is but she's fairly sure she could sleep for another day or so. Except of course for the pleasant rasp of Dyson's beard on the skin of her shoulder.

Dyson pushed back slightly to sit with his back against the headboard, he pulled Kenzi upward to sit in his lap. He whispered in her ear, "I'm worried about you lass." the wolf said with a little trepidation in his voice, "You should be resting. The Coronaton is only weeks away and all of this seems aimed at putting you off kilter."

Kenzi opens her mouth to argue but then pauses a moment before agreeing, "I can see that but they also seem to be doing it carefully. Instead of going after me, they're going after the pack, our extended family. "She makes an odd face and continues, I think my inner wolf is overreacting a bit to having a rather large extended pack all of a sudden after a long time of it just being me and then me and Bo for a while."

Dyson hums an agreement as he continues to nuzzle her neck and stroke her arms soothingly. The young fae admits, "Now that I have a family, I would do just about anything to help or protect them…including nearly myself to keep them healthy or alive."

The detective pulled back to say, "I know what you mean. After being a lone wolf for so long, the sense of pack, of family is heady stuff." he says seriously before adding with a mischievous glint in his eyes, "Rather like you, very heady stuff here." he adds with a grin. Before they can degenerate into another session of heavy petting. He tells he in a more serious tone, "I will always put you before the pack, when it comes to your safety."

He sees her about to argue the point and decides to distract her in the best way he knows how. He leans in and kisses her with, drugging, gentle, intense kisses. Then the light butterfly like kisses traced about her face as he efficiently removes what few clothes they have left.

His hands move up her sides, noting every dip and curve along her ribs. The back of his mind making a note she needed to eat more to keep up with her increasing wolf metabolism. Then even that small rational part of his brain is distracted by the feel of Kenzi' body wiggling against his won as he reaches that tiny spot just below where her arm met her torso. Her giggles were a balm to him and he began to laugh as she babbles at him and tried to find his ticklish spots.

When she actually found a spot that he hadn't known existed he nearly bucker her off the bed. The tickle fight/make out session that followed both players would call a win Or they would have if not for the sudden flash of golden light followed by a feminine yelp of, "eep!"

"Nonni!" Kenzi yelped falling off of Dyson's torso to try and wrap the sheet around herself. While the supremely confident detective merely pulled the sheet up over his lower half.

Meanwhile Ennoi was apologizing as she went around retrieving clothes from the floor and bed and tossing them to the pair on the bed. "Sorry, sorry cub. Normally I wouldn't do this but I need your help. Both of you."

Kenzi grabs for the clothes and starts putting them on distractedly. Her adoptive grandmother explaining her rusty knowledge of human anatomy and so forth, as well as the problem with Trick. Dyson also begins to put on his clothes a little more carefully and accurately than Kenzi.

Kenzi tossed her corset aside with a frustrated curse as her grandmother explained the magic she would need. The usually shy Elder turned to face her grandmother bare breasted and explained, "There is no way I can do that, Nonni. My battery is dead."

Dyson came up behind Kenzi and quickly slid a button up white shirt over her arms. He then stood in between her and the goddess buttoning her into his shirt. The goddess contemplates for a moment before saying, "I still need you at the Dahl sweet. Thornwood use your motorcycle, break the speed limit."

Then there is another flash of light and she is gone. Leaving Kenzi to lay her face against the chest of her lover and groan protractedly.

XXXXXXXXX

Vex was standing in his kitchen in his pajama bottoms drinking a glass of milk. His ladies were still in the healing semi-coma that Kenzi put them in. The Mesmer was beginning to wish he had let the younger fae put him in one too. Unfortunately after being under the control of others for so long he doesn't like to loose that kind of control, except maybe around the pair sleeping in his bed.

At the moment he's trying to figure out who might be behind their many recent troubles. Although he was certain the Morrigan had a hand in some of the trouble, she was not the fae behind the hood.

A stray thought enters his head that a year ago he wouldn't have really cared who was behind the trouble the Elder and her group had been having of late. Even though he had considered Kenzi entertaining at the time, but back then he would have had a party to celebrate probably. A lot could change in such a short time.

XXX Flashback begins XXX

"I'm so sorry, I should have noticed the Spirit Tiger was missing," Kenzi had mentioned, obviously feeling guilty for not noticing.

Vex waves away her concern, until she adds, If I had realized the Tiger was missing, I would have figured that you were in trouble and come to find you guys and helped you get out of the dungeon."

That did make him pause as an alien sensation had warmed him. It was what he would have imagined family might feel like.

XXX Flashback Ends XXX

It wasn't just Kenzi though, it was the whole group. He felt he should do something to repay all this group had done to help him.

"That's the point little Mesmer, repayment isn't really needed or counted among family." said a voice in his head he was becoming increasingly familiar with. He didn't stiffen as he might have in the past. Simply set down his glass and turned to face his visitor out of respect.

"That being said," Ennoi continued with an affectionate if slightly stressed smile, "I need your help."

"Anything you ask, my goddess," opting due to his injuries not to bow merely lower his head respectfully.

The redhead smiled and reached forward to touch his uninjured arm saying, "I like that answer." The Mesmer felt icy fingers and a head swimming dizziness, before his eyes cleared and he found himself in the Dahl Riata.