Hey guys. This chapter is really short, more of a teaser really, and I apologize profusely. I need some more time to work on the coming chapters, and I didn't want to leave you all hanging in the meantime. So have a giant cliffhanger instead! Vastly unhelpful, I know. (Can you imagine my wicked grin?) Sorry!

Enjoy!

K.S.

International Air Space

Two days later, Erian was contemplating the pros and cons of turning on autopilot and catching a quick nap. She hadn't been sleeping well since Peru. The last thing she needed now was to doze at the controls of the jet and cause an international incident.

Clint's voice made her jump, and she smiled a little as he asked, "Want some company? I brought chocolate."

Erian twisted around in her seat to look at him, brushing her hair out of her eyes. "How did you find the time to buy chocolate? We haven't been on the ground for more than four hours since the jungle."

Her partner shrugged, sprawling out in the copilot's chair and offering her a white box with a blue ribbon. "A regular man of mystery, that's me."

She grinned and lifted the lid off the box, carefully selecting a chocolate. "You've got a way with words, Clint. And chocolate." Erian sighed a little as she enjoyed the flavor. She hadn't been able to relax in what felt like years, but was likely only about a month. She'd finally consciously decided to trust Jaxxon, but forcing herself not to tense up when he walked past was still difficult.

Clint reached out and gently brushed a small smear of chocolate off the corner of her mouth. "Erian. You haven't been sleeping. Are you all right?"

She met his eyes openly, and her smile was real. "Yeah. I think I'm going to be."

A steady tone from the control panel sent Erian swiveling around to pull on her headset and flick a few controls. A dark screen on the panel lit up with numbers, and a familiar voice said, "Crap. I really hate pigeons."

Erian raised her eyebrows. "Stark? Is that you?"

There were a few moments of silence, punctuated by a rushing sound from the comm channel. Then –

"Yeah. It's me. Ross, we've got a problem. Is Barton there too?"

Clint leaned forward and said, "I'm here. What's wrong?"

"Income taxes, world hunger, and pigeons that won't get out of a man's way when he's flying someplace in hurry. But at the moment, our problem is that our big green friend picked up on something even bigger in Antarctica. Apparently there's this alien . . . thing that's been frozen under about a half mile of ice for several hundred years. And it's waking up."

Erian blinked once, and glanced at Clint. "That sounds like a problem. Why are you calling us?"

"Because Banner's so worried about this that he's doing the last thing I ever thought he'd do."

She made a face at the panel, and Clint grinned as he said, "That could be a lot of things, Stark. Which one are you talking about?"

"The Avengers, guys. Banner's calling in the Avengers."

Oh.

"And one more thing. Thor's out of town with problems of his own to handle, so we're one short of a full roster. I heard you've got a new guy working with you. What do you think? Is he good enough to bring along?"

She didn't have time to think about it. She had a potentially global threat that was extremely time-sensitive and a worried gaze from her partner.

No time at all.

Erian nodded firmly, knowing that Stark couldn't see her. "Yes. We'll bring him. Where do we meet you?"