Summary: Admittedly, there wasn't much that rattled Kagome Barton to her core. She's endured transcending time and fighting demons over some stupid magic marble. Her days time-hopping are over, but days of leisure are far from reach when she's recruited to the Avenger's Initiative following the appearance of Loki.

Pairing: Undecided

Disclaimer: I do not own either series. Each belongs to their rightful owners.

Note:
Flashbacks/Past are written in bulk Italics.

Chapter Six

In the aftermath of the attack, several things had gone wrong. Both Bruce and Thor had ended up getting lost, falling from the ship to who knew where. Loki had managed to escape, and there had been many casualties aboard the ship- not to mention the extensive damage done to the exterior and interior of the ship.

Kagome sat, absentmindedly petting Kirara as both Natasha and she sat waiting for her father to wake up. To be on the safe side, he'd been strapped down tight, just to be sure he couldn't move if the effect of Loki's control lingered over him.

Natasha looked at her from where she stood along the walk, arms folded stiffly over her chest. Kagome could feel the weight of her stare lingering on her, and she eventually sighed. The soft sound was the only noise in the room. A second later, she turned, sparing the other woman a confused glance.

"What's going on?" she asked once she finally had enough of her staring. "Why are you looking at me like that, Aunt Nat?"

Her voice pulled Natasha out of her stupor, and Kagome felt the slight flicker in her aura, even as she shook her head to shake off the question. "Nothing, kid," she said, turning away from her. Kagome pursed her lips and frowned.

"You do know I can tell when someone lies to me, right?" she asked softly.

She saw a soft hue of realization wash over Natasha, and she looked like she was busted for a moment. A second later, she sighed and came over to Kagome. Her thoughts swapped back to the conversation she had with Loki earlier, but she tried to push them out of focus as quickly as she could.

"It's nothing you need to worry about, you got it?" Natasha said softly as she rested a hand gently on the top of her head, letting slim fingers pat down the wild raven locks she had.

Kagome frowned and looked away from her. "Again, another lie," she said quietly. "You know I hate it when people lie to me."

"Kagome-"

"I'll stop asking, but only if you promise me something."

Her words caught Natasha's attention, and she nodded, despite knowing Kagome didn't see the gesture. "Anything."

"That you'll talk to me about it if it keeps giving you grief," Kagome said. Her answer wasn't what Natasha had expected, not by a long shot. Her eyes widened for a moment before her expression softened into a slight smile. "You see me as a kid, I know, but… I'm also wiser than most people my age. I think I can offer a listening ear to someone and help them, no matter the situation."

"You're right," Natasha said quietly. "You're wise, brave, and you're such a good person."

Kagome was confused by her statement, and she glanced back at her. Her confusion was evident in her eyes as she looked up at her.

"I'm so sorry I let you get swept up into this," she said then.

Kagome shook her head. "I'm not," she said, and Natasha let her focus shift back to the young girl. "I'm glad I'm able to be here, that I'm able to help." She paused and chuckled a second later. "I mean, what else am I gonna use my abilities for, if not to defend the world? Gotta put 'em to good use somewhere."

Natasha smiled down at her. She expected her to say that, but still… hearing those words come from her left her heart heavy. The silence between them was soon broken by a low groan, and instantly both girls turned to the man strapped to the bed.

Kagome stood up from her chair, Kirara clawing her way up onto her shoulder. "Dad? Are you okay?"

There was still a heavy, ominous aura that clung to her, and she frowned. She watched as his hands tightened and untightened repeatedly, her father shaking his head as he tried to clear his mind.

"Clint," Natasha came up beside her, setting a hand on the ravenette's shoulder. "It's gonna be alright. You're gonna be alright."

"You know that?" his strained voice was quieter than them, and he squeezed his eyes shut, nails digging into his palms. "You sure 'bout that?"

"Dad, I need you to focus," Kagome said softly, sinking down on the bed beside him. "Ignore everything else, just focus on my voice, please." She looked at his face, seeking out his gaze with her own. She saw as his expression softened a bit upon seeing her, and she offered him a smile.

"You're really here…" he whispered in disbelief. "I thought it was my imagination."

She shook her head. "Nope, really here," she said. The next second, she reached out with both hands, resting her fingers at his temple. She knew her purification wouldn't fix everything, but she knew it'd be able to clear the fog from his brain and relinquish control back to him, and away from Loki. "You're gonna get a bit lightheaded, but it's okay," Kagome whispered. "Just let me work my magic."

A warm, soothing, pink light swelled around her deft fingers as she rested them on his temple, and a hue of pink began to seep into the blues of her eyes. A cleansing wave flowed into the room, forming from her peaceful aura.

After a few, silent moments, the glow around her hands faded, and she let them lower back down into her lap.

Natasha was the first to speak once Kagome moved. "How does it feel?"

"So much better." Clint dropped his head back, the weight and haze now completely wiped from his mind. Still, even if it was gone, his anger at Loki still remained.

"Good," Kagome smiled. She reached to undo the straps holding him down, and Clint sighed in relief when he was able to sit back up. Once he was, he draped an arm over her shoulder and pulled her into him. Kagome returned the hug without missing a beat, relief filling her as she pressed her head against his chest.

"Kagome… now tell me. What the hell do you think you're doing here?" Clint pulled back and glanced down at her.

"I brought her," Natasha said. Clint looked up at her upon hearing her claim. "I'm the whole reason she's here."

Kagome looked at Natasha for a moment, before looking back at Clint. Without saying a word, she got up from the bed and made for the door.

"Where are you going?" Natasha asked as she passed her. Kagome paused at the door and offered her a smile.

"I think now might be a good time for me to go check on the others. Or, well… at least the ones accounted for," she said. She could read the room easily, and she could tell they had something to talk about. Even though she knew the topic was about her, she decided it'd be best if she left so they could talk one-on-one.

She left the room before either of them could respond, and Natasha glanced back at Clint. A second later, she sat down next to him on the bed.

"Why'd you bring her into all of this?"

Natasha glanced away from the closed door and back to him at his question. "Clint…"

"She should be doing normal kid things, not fighting for her life."

Natasha nodded in agreement, yet her next words were the exact opposite of her agreement. "This… this is monsters and magic, and nothing we ever trained for. Kagome knows how to handle this stuff better than she knows math. She fell into place pretty quickly if you ask me. She's got it all under control."

Clint shook his head, sweeping one hand through his hair. He laughed dryly. "Yeah, no kidding." He exhaled, tense. "I don't like it. Not one bit, not for her."

Natasha nudged him a bit, a half-smile on her face. "You might not like it, but now might be a good time to let her roam free a bit. Let her follow her own choices. If she chooses to stay and stay involved after all this is said and done, I promise you that I'll look after her every step of the way."

Clint glanced at her, his expression unreadable. "Yeah, I know you will." His statement didn't give way to what he was feeling about the idea.

"Kagome's strong, smart, and brave. She's got a heart of gold and nerves of steel," Natasha said. "She's gonna give us a run for our money, I'm telling you now."

"Of course she will," Clint said as he stood up. "She's my daughter, isn't she?" He looked away from Natasha, his mind changing focus to their current situation. "Loki got away, didn't he?"

At the mention of the man that had once been their prisoner, Natasha glanced down. Memories flashed back, and she tightened her hands into fists as she clenched her jaw.

"Ah, yes the Priestess."

Natasha narrowed her eyes at Loki, folding her arms over her chest. "Her name is Kagome."

Loki chuckled, not even remotely afraid. "I knew I've seen her before. Agent Barton's daughter, isn't she? She's but a mere child still." He turned away from her, shrugging his shoulders. "Don't worry, I have special plans for her."

"I'm not going to let you lay a hand on her," Natasha said, her voice resolute.

"You assume I desire to harm a Priestess," Loki responded, turning just enough to look back at her. A second later he chuckled. "You truly think me to be so vile."

She shrugged. "How else am I supposed to see it?"

He chuckled again, turning on his heel. "No, no, harming her is not one of my goals, that I assure you."

"Natasha?"

She jerked some as Clint's voice tore through her thoughts, and she looked at him after a quick shake of her head. "Yeah, he got away," she finally said. "You wouldn't happen to know where, would you?"

Clint shook his head. "I never asked, didn't need to know." He stood up, Natasha following him up. "He's gonna make his play soon. Today."

Natasha nodded. "We need to stop him before that happens."

"Who's we?"

"Not sure," Natasha said. "Whoever's left." Her thoughts went to Kagome. "Maybe Kagome can ask for some help from her friends, too."

Clint nodded. "Well… I guess if I put an arrow through Loki's eye, maybe I'd sleep a bit better after all this."

Natasha offered him a smirk. "There we go. Now you're starting to sound like you again."

He looked back at her. "Yeah? But you don't," he said, and she felt her smirk fade at his observation. "Tasha, you're a spy, not a soldier. You're about to wade into a war, why? What did Loki do to you?'

"He didn't do anything," she responded, looking down. "Just…"

"Natasha?"

"I promised Kun-loon I wouldn't let anything happen to Kagome," she said. "As long as she's going, then so am I."

Kagome followed her way down to where she could feel the remaining few of the team congregated. A heavy silence was in the room the moment she walked in, one not even her aura could cheer up any.

"How's Agent Barton doing?" Fury asked, turning to the newest face upon her arrival. Kagome froze and looked at him. She moved again after a second, moving to join Steve and Tony at the table, sinking down into the empty seat between them.

"He's fine," Kagome said stiffly as she sat down. "Natasha is with him, and I was able to remove what remained of Loki's control."

"Good," Fury said. His tone told her that he needed at least one good thing to think about in light of the situation, and she was happy that she was able to offer it.

Silence reclaimed the area, and she was reminded all too clearly about the death of Phil. She knew it weighed heavily on everyone there. It impacted their auras, and she knew her own was affected, too.

"Agent Coulson is down."

Kagome felt her posture stiffen at those words, and she glanced at Natasha. She looked back at her

"Where's your location?" Kagome questioned.

"Detention Level, at the holding cell."

At his response, Kagome carefully shrugged her father off, and helped Natasha sit him back on the ground. She knew it'd be fine, and help was on the way to get him moved. Kagome stepped over him and started down the catwalk.

"On my way," she said before silencing herself entirely.

She rushed as fast as she could, trying her hardest to get there before it was too late. She arrived out of breath, and Fury looked up at her as she skidded to a halt next to him. He moved back and let her take his place, looking down and observing.

"Agent Coulson?" Kagome's whisper was quiet as she gently felt for a pulse on his neck. When she couldn't find one, she gripped his wrist and searched there.

She wasn't able to find one, and she tried to use her energy to heal him. Still, that did no good. She wasn't able to find any sign of life in him, and she slowly sank back.

"I-I'm sorry," she whispered. Those words weren't for him, but they were for Phil. Fury still heard them, and he tilted his head down. After a second, Kagome looked up at him, and he saw her tear-filled gaze. "I…. There's nothing I can do. I was too late."

It wasn't the first time she'd lost an ally, and she knew it probably wouldn't be the last. But... the sting of not being able to help him hurt, and she downcast her gaze to her lap, feeling tears begin to build up.

She'd been too late, and maybe if she'd gotten there a bit faster, then he'd still be here. He'd be severely injured probably and need a lot of recovery time, even with her healing, but he'd still be alive.

She heard Fury sigh, and he came closer to the table.

"These were in Coulson's jacket," he said. "I guess he never did get to have you sign them." Upon saying those words, he tossed a set of trading cards on the table, and they landed not far from where Steve's arms rested.

Upon their landing, Steve reached for them and slowly gathered them back up. Blood stuck to them, soaking them a sickening shade of crimson.

"We're dead in the air here," Fury said. No one looked to him as he spoke, and he glanced down at the ground. "Our communications, the location of the cube, Banner, Thor. I've got nothing to give you. I even lost my one good eye, but… maybe I had that coming after all." He looked up from the ground, letting his gaze swap over the room as he began to walk. "Yes," he said eventually. "We had plans to build an arsenal with the Tesseract," he said, telling the truth at last. "I never invested all my chips on that plan, though, because I had an even riskier play in mind," he admitted. "We had an idea, and Stark knows about this."

Kagome glanced at Tony, who was facing away from the room in his chair, his attention placed on the wall in the distance.

"It was called the Avengers Initiative," Fury continued. "The idea was to bring together a group of remarkable people, to see if they could become something greater than on their own. To see if they could work together as a team when we needed their help so they could fight the battles we never could hope to." Fury came to a halt behind Tony's seat, setting a hand on the top of it. "Phil died still believing in that notion. He died believing in the possibility of heroes."

Kagome felt the flare in Tony's aura before he moved, but she didn't try to say anything to stop him as he got up and left. She let her gaze follow him as he left, not giving the people in the room a second glance as he did.

Kagome heard Fury sigh, and she looked over to him.

"Well, I guess it might be an old-fashioned notion," he said after a brief pause.

It was quiet as he stepped away, and Kagome rose to her feet a second later. Steve followed her as she did, watching as she walked out the same way Tony had before he ultimately followed as well, leaving Fury and Hill behind.

"What are you planning?"

Kagome came to a halt at Steve's question, and she glanced over her shoulder. "I-I don't know. I have to do something," she said. "We've lost Thor and Bruce- God knows where they are right now, or if they're even okay, and we have to find Loki. We have to find a way to stop him and his army."

Kirara sat up on her shoulder and stretched. Kagome silenced herself and lifted a hand to let her leap into her palm, and Kagome pulled her into her chest.

"We're going to," Steve said, his tone resolute. "We're going to do it, together, I promise you."

She sighed, her shoulders slumping some. "Right," she said after a moment. "First things first, Loki's location."

With those words, she turned on her heel and led the way for Steve to follow her. She walked down a familiar path, down to where Loki's holding cell had previously been. Once there, they came across Tony, but she already knew he'd be there. She'd followed his aura down.

It was silent as they joined him, and he didn't look up when they showed. Eventually, Steve broke the silence.

"Was he married?"

Tony shook his head, lips flattened into a thin line. "No," he said after a second or two. "I think there was a cellist…?"

Steve nodded and folded his arms over his chest as he leaned into the wall behind him. "I'm sorry. He seemed like a good man."

Tony moved, turning to face him with a dry, short chuckle. "No, he was an idiot."

Kagome frowned, keen to notice the heavy feel in Tony's aura. Though he didn't show it clearly, she could tell it was weighing heavy on him. She couldn't blame him any, either.

"Why?" Steve countered. "For believing?"

"For taking on Loki on his own," Tony responded.

"He was doing his job," Steve said.

Tony scoffed as he moved from where he stood, walking around to where Kagome and Steve were. "He was out of his league," he said. "He should've waited, he should've…"

"There isn't always a way out, Tony," Steve said, and his words seemed to irk Tony some.

"Oh, yeah, heard that one before," he said as he walked past Steve.

"Is this the first time you've lost a soldier?" Steve asked, and his words made Tony's spine straighten.

"We are not soldiers!" He bit out sharply. "I am not marching to Fury's fife!"

"Neither am I!" Steve responded. "As far as I'm concerned, he's got the same blood on his hands as Loki."

"Good. We're on the same page," Kagome said, folding her arms over her chest. "Time to put it aside, and focus on what matters."

"Right," Steve nodded, "and that is finding and taking care of Loki. He needs a power source. If we can put together a list-"

"He made it personal," Tony said abruptly, momentarily silencing Steve.

"That's not the point," Steve said.

"Yes, it is," Tony responded. "That's the point. That is Loki's entire point. Why?"

"To tear us apart," Steve said.

"Dividing his enemies is a good idea and all, but it takes more than that to reign victorious," Kagome said, and Tony looked at her, nodding. "It makes for a half-baked plan at best."

"Exactly," Tony said. "In order to win, he's gotta take us out in the end. That's exactly what he wants. Loki wants to beat us, and he wants all eyes on him as he does it. He needs an audience to watch his master plan unravel."

"Right," Steve nodded. "He had the same act back in Stuttgart."

Tony nodded as he walked past the pair with him. "That was only the preview, and this- this is opening night to him. He's a full-tilt diva," Tony said, tossing his hands up at his side. "He wants flowers, parades, an audience watching his every move. He wants a monument built to the skies with his name-!" Tony paused mid-sentence as his words finally dawned on him. He turned back to the pair. "Son of a bitch!"

"What?" Kagome arched a brow.

"I know exactly where he is," Tony said. "Stark Tower."

"Then that's where we go," Steve said, and Tony moved, already on his way out.

"I'm going ahead. Rally up the rest. Meet me there."

As he left, Steve glanced down at Kagome and motioned for her to follow him. "Let's go."

She shook her head and went in the opposite direction. "I'll meet you guys there," she said, turning halfway and looking back at him with a small smile.

"Where are you going?"

"Well, it's looking like this is gonna be a little messy," she said. "Lucky for us, I have just the friends from my days of fighting to help take care of it." She reached up and scratched Kirara behind her ear. "The others are down in the infirmary. Let them know I went to rally up some allies. They'll know who I mean."

With those words she turned to leave, only to pause when she heard Steve again.

"How do you plan to get to where you need?"

Kagome peeked over her shoulder and winked at him. "Trust me, I have my ways~!"

"Alright," Steve relented then. "Meet you there."

This time she really left, and he followed her example as he went to regroup with Clint and Natasha.

He found his way down to the infirmary, locating the room where the other two were. Without waiting, Steve walked in, and Natasha looked up, a bit startled.

"Time to go," Steve said, and Natasha got up from her seat.

"Where are we going?"

"I'll explain on the way," Steve responded. "You know how to fly one of those jets?"

"I do," Clint walked out of the bathroom, and Steve turned his focus to him.

"You got a suit?" Steve asked, and when he nodded, he continued, "then suit up. We don't have much time."

"Where's Kagome?" Clint asked. Steve turned back to him.

"She said she was going to round up some more allies," Steve said, and Clint nodded. The next second, he looked at Natasha.

"That's just what we needed," Natasha said.

"She's your apprentice, right?" Steve asked, looking directly at Clint.

For a moment, Clint was dumbstruck by the question, even if it didn't show on his expression. He cut his eyes to Natasha, whose lips quirked ever-so-slightly. Without missing a beat, he nodded. "Uh, yeah, she is. Great, isn't she?"

Steve smiled and nodded, "that she is."

After Steve turned, Clint looked at Natasha. "Why the hell does he think she's my apprentice?" he asked once he was out of the room.

"A wrong assumption that she never bothered to correct," Natasha explained. "Now she wants to see how long it'll be before they figure it out for themselves. We actually have a bet going. Want a piece of the action?"

Clint smirked and bit down on his laugh before it could escape. "Oh, of course."

C.R: Done and done with this update! A bit shorter than the last update, but At this point, it really just depends on cut-off point, and what feels right for chapter length.

Anyway, there was a bit of hinting to eventual future plans for Kagome following the end of this section of the story, during Clint and Natasha's chat. (which will lead her to meeting a few others- *cough*Sam&Bucky*cough* Although, as the Winter Soldier the latter will definitely be a bigger problem for her. Or will he? Who knows what effect a Miko will have on him...) Ahhh...! I'm so excited to get past this point in the timeline.

So, for the next chapter, expect Sesshoumaru to reappear. Not just him, but expect Inuyasha to come in, as well! Maybe a few others, too?

Anyway, thank you all for reading, and I hope you enjoyed this update! Hopefully I caught all the errors before posting but if not sorry.

Please remember to Review&Favorite&Follow, thank you! (A big thank you for 200 whole follows on this story! That makes it my most-followed story!) It seriously means so much. I'm so happy so many people like this story as much as I enjoy writing it.

Bye for now~