A/N: So, got this chapter to you a little faster than the last one. Hope that earns me some brownie points. :)

On a side note, thanks to everyone who chipped in with the Marvel movie game. You had some great ones. Last night there was another one on TV here – Smoking Aces and that made me think of a few more...

Smoking Aces – Deadpool and Daredevil

The Town – Daredevil and Hawkeye

The Spirit – BW and Fury

I actually saw a preview for a movie where there were 3 Marvel actors in it, but dang, I can't remember the movie or which actors, so if anyone can come up with that one, I'd be mightily impressed. ;)

Okay, back on task.

This chapter has a lot of action, which you know I hate writing, so this one was a big effort for me... and the next one is going to be even worse. . Not looking forward to that. Ah well, I made my bed, I have to lie in it, I guess. LOL Hope this chapter answers the concern of why Tony didn't know Hammer was near Pepper for people. What else, let's see... hm, I guess there isn't too much more I want to say other than thanks for reading as always and I think one more chapter will have us through all this action stuff and onto the angsty fall out. Yay, something that isn't as much hard work for me – I'm all for it. :D

See you soonish...

Chapter Sixty-Six

Clint ducked behind the concrete wall to avoid a barrage of bullets and grimaced. "This would be a lot easier if we were able to actually hurt people," he commented, stringing another arrow to his bow. "Then they wouldn't keep getting up and chasing us."

Natasha was on the other side of the wall, guns drawn, but by her side. "You know we can't. That's just what Ghost wants."

Clint drew back his bow and quickly peeked around the corner and released his arrow at the line of soldiers. The soldiers had automatic weapons and they were closing in on them. "I know that," he said, "I was just making an observation." Clint fell back behind the wall and shouted to the soldiers. "We don't want to hurt anyone! We're not your enemy!" The arrow landed in the ground at the feet of the men in the front line and immediately dispersed a cloud of white gas into the air. The men coughed and spluttered, falling to the ground as the knock out gas took effect.

Clint and Natasha ran off down the corridor, wanting to get ahead of the men hot on their tails. They'd opted to go back into the laboratory building because it was a confined area which would make Clint's non-lethal arsenal the most effective and they wouldn't bring heavy armoury into a nuclear silo. Thor and Cap were outside, trying to keep the situation under control, but everyone knew things could go horribly wrong at any moment.

"We have to buy Fury some time," said Natasha as they ran along. "He said they were onto something to neutralise this. All we have to do is maintain the situation until he gets back to us." Two soldiers stepped out in front of them as they ran along. Natasha didn't miss a beat, dropping to her knees and sliding along until she was right up to them. She grabbed their guns from where she was kneeling and pulled on them, tumbling the men forwards. They landed on their stomachs on the ground, momentarily stunned. Natasha pulled out some wire and deftly wrapped the thin, but very strong, thread around there arms and legs, effectively hog tying them in seconds.

Clint blinked as even he was caught off-guard by the speed and dexterity of her moves. "Okay, that was impressive."

The two men struggled on the ground, but they'd been very effectively neutralised.

Natasha was already on the move again and Clint hastily broke into a run to catch up. They came to another corridor which intersected theirs and briefly stopped, assessing the situation. Natasha pulled out a mirror from her belt and looked either way down the corridor.

"It was the tumour, wasn't it?" Clint hadn't been able to let it go.

Natasha glanced over at him. "What?"

"It's why you weren't under the control of the nano-bots, wasn't it? Something about that thing in your head stopped them from taking control."

Natasha moved a little and didn't meet his gaze. "That's one possible theory."

"Do you know what I call that?"

"A subject for another day?"

"That's your silver lining," said Clint, undeterred. The sound of booted feet running up the corridor had him reaching for another arrow. In one fluid movement he moved out from behind the corner and shot another knock out gas at the ground before the on-coming soldiers. They all started to topple over. He was back, talking to Natasha. "If you didn't have that tumour, then a lot of people would be dead already, courtesy of the Avengers." He gave a lop-sided smile. "It's kinda crazy."

Natasha half-smiled. "The thought had occurred." She looked at his quiver. "How many more of those knock out arrows do you have?"

"Not enough," said Clint simply.

"Then we have to keep moving."

oooOOOOooo

Thor glanced over his shoulder at the Defenders who were standing on a rocky outcrop, watching the battle below. He and Steve were both currently ducking and weaving between a barrage of tank shells and bullets. "Steve Rogers, why do the Defenders stand back? Why do they not fight against us?"

"Orders, I'm guessing," grunted Steve as he back-flipped away from a bazooka round and held up his shield to protect against the rain of bullets coming their way. "I'm thinking Ghost is going to let the army tire us out, knowing full well we're not going to hurt anyone, and then send in the Defenders to finish us off and claim all the glory."

"The blonde sorceress' evil knows no bounds," said Thor darkly.

"She's a piece of work alright," said Steve tightly as he tossed his shield at the group of men running towards him, weapons drawn. He'd aimed for their feet, knocking them all over as though they were bowling pins. The odd broken foot or leg was far better than the alternative.

Thor swung his hammer above his head, gaining power before slamming it down on the ground. The desert floor rippled with shockwaves, the earth opening up in places and toppling tanks over onto their side. The tactical onslaught was momentarily knocked off balance. Thor looked up as he heard the roar of engines above his head. "Behold," he said to Steve, "your metal winged carriers have arrived."

Steve looked up and blew out a frustrated breath as the fighter plans zoomed over head. "Fantastic, now we've got aerial attacks to deal with as well."

A tank shell whistled over Thor's head and impacted on the mountain behind him. Steve was standing nearby and was knocked off his feet by the blast. A huge piece of the mountain came loose and toppled to the ground.

"THOR!" Steve yelled at him, but by then it was too late. A piece of debris, at least the size of a car had fallen down onto Thor.

Thor managed to brace for the impact, the weight of the debris pinning him to the ground. It took him a split second to realise that he hadn't sustained any real injuries from the falling piece of the mountain. He was, however, stuck. Thor attempted to raise Mjölnir to break the rock into smaller pieces but found he didn't have enough room to swing his mighty hammer.

Steve's anxious voice came to him. "Thor, are you alright?"

"Aye, Steve Rogers," he replied. "I am unharmed, but trapped."

Thor saw Steve rush to his aid, grabbing one end of the huge piece of rock and attempting to move it. Thor used his shoulder to try and help him, but simply didn't have the right leverage. He looked over at the tank which had fired at him and now their cannon were pointed right at him. Thor realised they were about to fire on him. "Stand away, Steve Rogers!" he ordered the other man quickly. "Your life is in peril."

Steve looked over to the tank now and saw what was about to happen. He didn't leave though, just started pushing harder on the mammoth piece of rock. "I'm not leaving you," he grunted around his exertions.

"Your nobility is admirable, but there is no need for both of us to die this day. Away, Steve Rogers, save yourself."

"Not… gonna… happen," said a red-faced Steve who hadn't stopped trying to lift the rock the whole time.

Thor scowled, grateful for the man's loyalty but not wanting him to die with him. But then Thor understood the warrior's code. He only wished this was not how things should end for them. Suddenly a giant, green blur plummeted from the sky and landed squarely in front of the tank. The ground shook at the force of the impact. The Hulk snarled and grabbed the main gun of the tank and promptly started to swing it around and around, as though he was playing hammer throw with a tank. He eventually let go and the tank sailed off into the air.

Tony was dropping down by Thor's side. "Hey guys, sorry I'm late. Hope you don't mind, I brought a friend to this little shindig you're having. He's not completely house-trained, but he sure is a hell of a lot of fun at parties." Tony grabbed the Buick-sized piece of rock and lifted it effortlessly off Thor, throwing it to one side.

The Hulk was now running between all the soldiers, grabbing at the tanks and tearing them to pieces with his bare hands. The soldiers were fleeing from the ripped apart vehicles, as the Hulk made short work of their armour-plated shells.

Thor accepted Tony's help to stand up and shot a concerned look towards the rampaging Hulk. "Verily, Tony Stark, are you sure the Behemoth is required here? He could easily kill many people."

"But he won't," said a confident Tony. "Bruce chose the Hulk today and I think that is going to give him a control over Giant Green that he's never had before."

"You're betting a lot of lives on that hunch," Steve cautioned him.

"Bruce has made his play," said Tony determinedly, "and I'm going to back it, all the way."

oooOOOOooo

"Agent Coulson, report." Fury's voice was its usual no nonsense self.

Coulson braced himself against the car dash as it sped along towards their destination, the Agent behind the wheel confidently navigating the streets. "ETA less than three minutes, sir," he replied. "We're almost there."

"You need to lock this down, Agent Coulson," Fury ordered him. "The Avengers can't hold back the military for much longer, not without lives being lost."

"I'm on it, sir," said Coulson calmly. "You'll hear from me in a few minutes."

Coulson knew what he had to do and nothing and no one was going to stop him.

oooOOOOooo

Tony shot up into the air and honed in on the fighter jet which had been laying down ground fire at the others. He popped up in front of the pilots cock pit and shook his head at him. "And that's enough from you, I think." Tony zoomed in and tore guns from the wings of the yet and bent over the metal where the bombs could be dropped from. The multi-million dollar fighter yet was now completely harmless. Tony zipped up in the pilot's view again and gave a little mock salute before heading off to the next jet to give it the same treatment. The other jets were firing on him now, so he had to skilfully manoeuvre between the blasts of bullets. Even so, Tony was used to multi-skilling. "Jarvis, dial up Pepper, I want to check if she's still okay."

"Now, sir?"

Tony narrowly missed being struck by a barrage of bullets. "Yes, now." He barrel rolled to safety and landed on the jet, pulling off its guns.

"Very good, sir." There was a pause and then Jarvis spoke again. "Sir, Ms. Potts isn't answering her phone."

Tony frowned as he was being chased down by two more fighter jets. "Why?"

"It is beyond my capabilities to answer that, sir."

Tony continued to dismantle the jets' weapons but he was vaguely distracted. "Can you locate her?"

"No, sir," said Jarvis apologetically. "The data from Ms. Potts' implanted tracking device was routed through the Avengers' Tower and I'm continuing to have no relay into that system."

Tony's frown deepened. "Still? I thought when the nano-bots lost control of us, you might be able to regain control of the Tower."

"Regretfully, sir, that has not been the case... and you have a Sidewinder missile on your tail."

"I see it," said Tony, now shooting straight up into the sky and making the missile follow him. "Just keep trying Pepper's number."

"Do you believe something to be amiss, sir?"

Tony hesitated. He had no reason to believe Pepper was anything but safely sipping coffee in a restaurant but he couldn't shake this sudden feeling of unease. "I don't know. All I know is that I'm going to feel better when I hear her voice." Tony always felt better when he could hear Pepper's voice.

"I'll continue to attempt to make a connection, sir."

oooOOOOooo

Jerry hovered over the computer screen and reached for his bottle of Mylanta. How could he have stomach ulcers at twenty-three? He glanced over at the large man sitting in the corner, gun in his lap. Oh yeah, that's right. He just wanted today to be over, preferably with him still being alive. Was that too much to ask?

"Hey, four eyes, you got any food?"

The voice of his frightening minder came from behind him and Jerry didn't bother to turn around. "There is pizza in the fridge." Jerry concentrated on his computer screen for a minute. "Did you find it?" When there was no answer he turned around and started violently. His minder was unconscious on the floor and the room had three men in dark suits standing in it, all with their guns drawn.

The man in the middle walked towards him, gun pointed at his head. "Jeremiah Weems?"

Jerry forced out a croaky reply with a throat constricted with fear. "Don't kill me," he whimpered.

"Keep your hands where I can see them," the man ordered him.

Jerry stuck his hands up in the air, face pale with fear. "I'm not armed, I promise. Please don't kill me."

"If you want to stay alive, then you better do everything I say, exactly the way I say to do it."

Jerry's head bobbed up and down. "Yes, sir."

"Are you Jeremiah Weems?"

"Yes, sir."

"Who do you work for?"

Jerry hesitated, not sure how to answer that in light of the events of today.

The man with the neatly combed brown hair, took a step closer. "We don't have time for any misplaced loyalties, Mr. Weems. Answer the question."

"I don't have loyalties," he assured him hastily. "It's-it's just that I'm having trouble thinking with guns pointed at me."

The man lowered his gun and nodded at the men behind him to do the same. He turned his attention back to Jerry. "Mr. Weems, my name is Agent Coulson and I work for SHIELD. You are currently in a very precarious predicament as my men have this building surrounded and the only way you're getting out of here in one piece is if I say so. Do I make myself clear?"

Was there no end to the number of times his life was going to be threatened today? "Yes, sir," said Jerry unevenly.

"Who do you work for?" The man's tone brooked no further stalling.

"I did work for Justin Hammer but now I think I'm working for Ghost," said Jerry quickly. "I think there was a coup." He pulled a face. "I'm guessing it wasn't a bloodless one."

"Who is Ghost?"

"I have no idea but she really, really scares me."

Agent Coulson scanned all the hardware and computer screens around him. "And you're the one behind the scenes making their little power plays possible?"

"I guess," said Jerry unhappily. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen. I don't want anyone to get hurt."

"In that case, I have a job for you," said Agent Coulson. "Stand up."

"Wh-what are you going to do to me?" he asked shakily.

"I'm going to give you a chance to make some amends," came the stern reply. "You've put a lot of lives in danger today and now you can play your part in fixing that." Agent Coulson spoke into his comlink. "Sir, we've secured Weems and he's willing to testify."

"You're arresting me?" Jerry was devastated, but he guessed that made sense. He just knew he wasn't going to do well in prison. He was going to be some guy named Bubba's plaything by the end of the week. God, this was a disaster and there was no way out. Chase Cavanaugh, international playboy and devil may care man of fortune, would think of a way out of this situation, but Jerry Weems was just rooted to the spot in fear.

"Eventually, but first you're going to tell your story to the people that matter." Agent Coulson took out a disk from his coat pocket and laid it on the console.

Immediately the holographic image of President Lee, flanked by two grey-haired men in General's uniforms was in front of Jerry's eyes. He blinked, overcome. "President Lee," he gasped. Jerry looked at Agent Coulson. "Can he see me?"

"I can see and hear you, son," replied the President, his face set in stern seriousness. "Director Fury informs us you have some information about the situation unfolding in Los Alamos. Speak up, son, lives are at stake."

Jerry opened his mouth and just blurted out the truth, all of it. From being recruited by Hammer and the man's insane plans to make Tony Stark pay, to his plans to seize power from the government. Jerry told them all about the recruitment of the Defenders and how they were designed to take down the Avengers after Hammer had finished framing them. He then rushed on to tell them about Ghost and how her plans seemed to be even more destructive and dangerous then Hammers. When he was done, Jerry was breathless. He looked uncertainly at the grim-faced President. "I'm sorry, sir, I didn't want to do any of this, but they were going to kill me if I didn't co-operate."

"So, you put your life above millions of Americans?" replied President Lee sharply.

Jerry felt sick to his stomach. "Yes, sir, and I feel real bad about that."

"What you've done is treason, Mr. Weems and we don't take that lightly." The President sat back in his chair. "But we'll deal with you another day. Right now, we have to call off the attack on the Avengers. They're the innocent victims in all of this."

Another man's voice could be heard in the room. "Agent Coulson is uploading all the information stored on Weems' computer system. You'll have all the concrete evidence of this conspiracy plot in your hands in moments, Mr. President."

"I'm ordering the military to stand down, Director Fury," answered President Lee, "and I will apologise to them personally for what has happened today. I'm very glad to know that we are, as we have always been, on the same side."

"And always will be, sir. Agent Coulson?"

'

"Sir?"

"Secure the prisoner and all of his equipment and bring it all back to the heli-carrier."

"Yes, sir."

"And Agent Coulson, good work. You've saved a lot of lives today."

"No, sir, the Avengers did that, I just provided ground support. That's my job."

oooOOOOooo

Steve, Thor and the Hulk stood and watched as the army fell back, all of them sharing a huge sense of relief. Steve felt some of the tension leave his body. It had gone against every instinct he had to fight against men wearing US military uniforms and he was glad no one had lost their lives. Clint and Natasha emerged from the LANL building and came to stand with them as Tony dropped from the sky.

"Score one for Agent Coulson," noted Tony as he watched the army retreat. "I didn't want that to go on for much longer because someone was going to get hurt."

Before Steve could agree, Ghost walked out confidently from the other side of the LANL building, flanked by the Defenders. "Day isn't over yet," she informed them coolly.

The Hulk made a low, threatening growl, his eyes narrowing when he saw her.

"Looks like the Hulk remembers you," said Tony. "That's not good news for you."

Ghost looked unfazed. "Do I look worried?"

"Give it up, lady," said Steve sharply. "You're plans are ruined. We've defeated you at every turn and this is the end of the road."

Ghost arched a white-blonde eyebrow at him. "On the contrary, Captain, this is only the beginning of the road." She held up a black control box in her hand as she walked over to him. "Do you really think I'd leave something this big to chance?" She glanced at the control box in her hand. "This is the control box which enables me to remotely detonate the explosives I've planted in the nuclear weapons silo. I press a button and America gets a new coast line."

"You're bluffing," Tony challenged her. "Press that button and you're as dead as we are."

"You're not going to take the risk I'm crazy enough to do it," said Ghost confidently. "There are too many lives on the line."

Steve's jaw hardened as he took a step towards her, rage filling him that anyone could be that cavalier about so many people's lives. His hands curled into fists as he fought against the impulse to do the woman some real damage.

Ghost smirked. "Come now, you wouldn't hit a woman, would you? Not the overly moral Captain America." Suddenly Ghosts' face dissolved and her blonde hair was replaced by brunette as she underwent a startling metamorphosis before their very eyes. Maggie's face, or rather Peggy's face, stared back at him challengingly. "Particularly a woman you love."

Steve felt like he'd been punched in the stomach as he realised the depth of the woman's deception and how he'd played so willingly into her hands. While Steve was still reeling, Natasha stepped past him and in one swift move, punched Ghost hard in the face, crumpling the other woman to the ground.

"I don't have a problem with it," Natasha assured them all.

Natasha had moved so quickly, even the Defenders were caught off guard. Ghost held up an imperious hand as they moved to attack. "Stand down!" she ordered them as blood trickled from her split lip.

The control device had been knocked out of Ghost's hand and it rolled to a stop in front of the Hulk.

"Hulk, quickly, smash," said Tony.

The Hulk bent down and picked up the box, which looked tiny in his giant hands. He threw it into his mouth and chomped down on the metal and wires.

"Man," noted Tony as he watched the Hulk happily chewing away, "I'm pretty sure Bruce is going to regret you doing that in twenty-four hours, big guy."

"Is it just me, or did that feel anti-climatic to anyone else?" Clint asked of no one in particular.

Natasha stood over Ghost, giving her a cold look. "I believe there was some talk of this being the end of the road for you?"

Ghost just smiled and wiped the trickle of blood from the corner of her mouth as she looked up at Natasha. "And I believe I told you this was only the beginning." Around her wrist was a metal bracelet with a series of buttons. Before anyone could stop her, Ghost pressed one of the buttons.

Steve tensed, half-expecting for the nuclear weapons to be detonated but something else happened instead. He looked down as the earth beneath his feet started to rumble and shake. Steve looked up to see the other Avengers similarly confused.

"Avengers," said Thor, looking around, "what causes the ground to behave this way?"

"Earthquake?" suggested Clint, but didn't look convinced.

Steve had a bad feeling about this.

Ghost was smirking now. "You'll wish it was an earthquake," she predicted. "This day is far from over."

Steve squinted as he looked off into the distance. Something black was starting to colour the desert floor. "What is that?" The mass continued to get bigger and was drawing closer and soon Steve had the answer to his own question. "Is that, are they spiders?"

From beneath the ground was erupting hordes of metal spiders, each one about six feet tall. The black shapes with their scurrying metal legs were bearing down on them all, overtaking the retreated army in a deadly swarm. There seemed to be thousands upon thousands of them. They must have all been lying dormant in the underground catacombs of the Los Alamos desert, waiting to be called upon. Ghost seemed to have a never ending bag of dirty tricks to delve into and this one looked like it was going to be the worst of all of them.