Tony Stark

Alien after alien, hundreds now gather around Natasha, Steve, Tony and Thor. Banner still hidden safely away in the cockpit of the jet, seeming undisturbed by the aliens marching off to fight the Avengers.

"Where's Clint." Nat yells over the sound of Tony's lasers and Thor's lightening.

"I sent him after Peter." Steve says, smacking another Alien to the ground with his shield. Thor's hammer circling around the group and seeming to Knock an armies worth of aliens to the ground, but its no use. They just keep coming.

"On my way guys." Clint calls over the intercom, earpieces inside everyone's ears ringing with the sound of Clint's voice.

"Have you got Alex?" Stresses Tony, punching another alien away from Cap's back.

"Say Hi Alex." Clint says and sure enough in the background you can hear Alex calling out. "Hello everyone." She says. The sound of her voice making Tony feel better already.

"Banner, start the jet." Tony says. Charging his lasers inside his suit. "Everyone hit the ground!" Tony yells and sure enough everyone does. Lasers stream out from Tony's hands as hundreds of insect people hit the ground in all directions. All cooked from the inside out by the lasers heat.

Just then, like clockwork from the same entrance Peter ran into what seemed like a life time ago, runs out Clint, Peter and Alex. They sprint down the hanger. Jumping and leaping over cooked aliens as everyone runs towards them.

"Alex!" Tony calls and her face he would remember for the rest of his life. There she was, covered in muck and dust, her jeans and hoodie seeming stained and her hair a mess. With only one shoe on sprinting across a battle field. But her smile was something else. It was genuine, it was the same smile he remembered having all those years ago.

But just before she can make it to him, just before Tony can feel her in his arms, hold her tight. Promise nothing like this will ever happen again. The man Tony knew he couldn't leave without facing appears.

"Loki." Thor mutters, angry with his younger brother for doing all these horrible things, for kidnapping a child.

Loki is the definition of angry, he is the feeling himself. His face stone and his skin cold. He could kill with just a stare. And just as easy he scoops up Alex and holds his silver dagger to her throat. Sending Tony's mind into haywire, like a circuit board dropped in water.

"Did you really think it would be that easy?" Loki mocks, standing with a frightened Alex in his arms, her legs kicking and her arms clawing at him every chance she gets.

"Let her go." Shouts Tony serious. If Loki is the definition of angry, then Tony is the definition of furious.

"I will make this simple for you Stark." Loki says pressing the knife harder into Alex's skin, not hard enough to draw blood, but even the slightest more and it would slice her neck open. "You, for the girl." He says simply, giving the group one of his signature smiles.

"Fine. Done deal." Tony says stepping forward as his helmet retracts. "Now hand her over." He says offering his hands.

"Tony you can't." Steve says stepping forward. Steve's heart breaking for Alex and Tony, but mostly fearing his will break as well at the thought of Tony giving himself up. Not now, after all they have been through.

"Not now Rogers." Tony says not even glancing back.

And it was at that point, that everyone realised that Tony wasn't the selfish man the media and the rest of the world portrayed him as, he was caring and selfless. Even if he only let that side of him come out very rarely. It was there, and that was the Tony that Alex brought out in him.

"Brave sacrifice." Loki says, a pair of cuffs appearing in his hands, ones that not only bind your hands, but your feet and mouth as well. They look like a torture device. "You wouldn't mind." Says Loki, tossing the cuffs at Steve and gesturing to Tony.

Tony only nods and holds out his wrists to be cuffed, not taking off his suit however.

"Give us young Alex first." Thor says, walking up to his brother and facing him, the dagger still pressed against Alex's skin.

"I wouldn't do that brother." Loki threatens, clasping the dagger tighter. Thor sends a glare straight into this brothers' eyes. Alex seeing the lightening strike within Thor's blue pupils.

"Do as he says." Thor says, turning to face Steve and Tony. The rest of them merely watching not knowing what to do. Bruce watching from the entrance to the jet, the thrusters ready to take them home.

But behind the suspense and the fear running through everyone's veins, with a simple wink to Peter from Hawkeye, and his slow stealthy steps away from the group. A single arrow left and a motion to Peter. All hell was about to break loose.

By the time Steve has clamped the cuffs around Tony's wrists, his feet and mouth still to go, Clint has safely sneaked off behind Loki and hidden behind a pile of dead human-insect bodies. His last arrow aimed directly at Loki's head.

"Is everyone ready to run?" He whispers into the intercom in this earpiece, everyone surprised to hear Clint's voice but not being able to see him. But none of them flinch at the sound of his voice, none of them react. They all just make slight movements. Peter moves his hand side to side, pretending to have a nervous tick. Natasha taps her foot on the ground every few seconds and Steve rattles the chains of the cuffs while Tony coughs.

Clint's arrow launches itself into the air, aimed straight for Loki's head. But before it even comes into contact with his head, or merely disturbs his slick black hair. He grabs it, using now one arm to hold Alex and the knife against her neck, and his other to catch the long metal dart.

He then snaps it.

His glare moves into Clint's direction, but just as the arrow hits the ground, smoke leaks from the two broken ends. Filling the space around Alex and Loki.

"Now Peter." Clint yells and webs cover Loki's face and arm. Alex Biting his hand and pulling herself out of his grasp. But with webs around the gods ankles and Loki wanting to move, there would only be one outcome. Loki falls to the ground in a cloud of smoke, ripping himself free of the webs and racing after Alex.

Cap slamming his shield over and over onto the cuffs, finally weakening it enough for Tony to rip out of them.

But before Loki had a chance to teleport in front of Alex, and before Loki ever had a chance of grabbing her again. Thor's hammer was colliding with the gods small chest.

"Alex!" Tony shouts, as he watches her run out of the smoke and across the hanger with Natasha by her side. He flies over and scoops her up, holding her close to his chest as Natasha runs behind them followed by Steve, Peter and Clint.

"Don't you ever do that again." Tony whispers into Alex's ear as he holds her tight against his chest. "You promise me." He says holding her head in his hand.

"I promise." She says back, clinging to his chest as they land inside the jet, Bruce smacking away at all the controls.

"Are we all in?" He calls out as Clint runs into the jet and slumps himself down into one of the seats out of breath, while Peter runs in after him.

"What about Thor." Steve says, about to walk back out to find him.

"GO!" Thor yells, lightening appearing in the cloud of smoke from Clint's arrow. Tony nods to Bruce and pulls Steve back into the jet by his shoulder. As the god of thunder and the god of mischief battle it out.

But no pain from his brother could ever amount to the pain he knew Thanos would inflict on him, Loki knowing he failed and didn't deliver Tony Stark as promised.

"I'm so sorry." Alex says hugging her father, his suit not as stiff as she remembered.

"It's not your fault kid." Tony says hugging her back, holding her head hoping she wont cry as Bruce flies the jet out of the hanger and back towards earth.

FAVORITE - COMMENT