Another chapter. I won't be writing anymore until next week after my first final. I have two back to back tests, so wish me luck everyone. I just had to get this out while it was eating at my brain.

As always, please review :)

Kate winced as she took the band out of her hair so that she could redo the messy bun since some bits of hair had fallen loose. Bucky instantly took notice.

"Are you hurt?" He asked scanning her, looking for blood.

"No." She said. "I'm just have a bruise on my back, just hurt for a second."

Bucky raised an eyebrow.

The minute she mentioned it she realized she shouldn't have unless she wanted to explain the position that she and Peter had landed in earlier when Barney was shooting arrows at them on the top floor. "I'm fine." She said sweeping her hair back up and twisting it into a bun again without any sign of pain. Bucky seemed content with this for now, so she turned her gaze to Chisolm. "Are you sick?"

Chisolm looked back at her. She could see him debating whether or not he was going to lie to her, but in the end, he seemed to settle on the truth. "I have cancer." He said. "They found it a few years ago."

Kate paused, evaluating his expression carefully. "What's the prognosis?" She asked quietly.

Chisolm shrugged. "We'll see how this day goes, okay?" He said.

Kate felt the tug on her heart as she looked at this man. She took a step forward, but Bucky's metal arm came out and blocked her from moving forward. She looked up at the Winter Soldier and his eyes held nothing but suspicion as he stared at Chisolm. She looked at the older man and then back at Bucky, moving a little closer to him. Maybe he was telling the truth, she remembered him as being nothing but nice and honest with her, but she hadn't seen or spoken to the man in a long time, maybe he was playing on that feeling.

Chisolm seemed more amused than anything by watching them. "You're finally learning." He said. "Never let sympathies compromise your judgement."

Kate furrowed her brow but didn't have time to ponder this. They had incoming.

…

Peter knew he was getting close when he could hear Thor taunting the enemies through the vents. He was one floor above them, so he sped up, kicking open the vent and dropping down to see the three that he was sent to find.

There was a room full of baddies, but they all seemed more scared of the irate thunder god than anything so really not much of a threat.

"Hey guys." Peter said as everyone stopped to look at him. Without pausing he immediately began mixing up his webshooter combinations until the baddies were all wrapped up and stuck to the walls. He looked at Thor, Loki, and Sam, who all seemed shocked, if a bit of grudging respect. "Sorry, I don't have a lot of time. Things are going down upstairs. Kate needs help."

…

Where are they all coming from? Kate had given up firing arrows when she saw how many were spilling into the room, converting her bow to a staff as Bucky and Chisolm engaged them in close combat alongside her.

She blocked a knife, twirling her staff to knock it away, she brought it back to connect with the gut of the man trying to come up behind her before planting it in the ground to ground her as she kicked up and connected her foot with the face of another attacker, feeling his nose and probably his cheekbone crunch beneath the bottom of her converse, blood staining the white on her shoe. Bringing her staff back up she connected with one guys balls, doubling him over before she smacked the guy behind him in the temple, knocking him out.

She felt the butt of a rifle connect with her chest before she could block it sending her back, crashing on top of the coffee table which collapsed from the force of her fall. She produced a small arrow and threw it, severing the Achilles tendon of the one who hit her before she flipped back onto her feel bringing her staff down onto his shoulder, breaking it. She kicked him in the chest sending him back into two of the guys coming up.

Running back up the sofa, jumping off the back, she landed in a more open area. It didn't take them long to try to surround her again.

Block, strike, block, strike, this pattern continued until she felt a strike connect with the back of her left knee causing it to buckle and she dropped, someone knocking her staff out of her hand. Drawing her knife, she stabbed it through one guy's foot, kicking up into one's jaw, ripping out the knife and rolling away before another could connect his rifle with her head.

A hand grabbed her arm and dragged her back and up to her feet as she saw a metal arm block an incoming strike. She moved so she was standing with Bucky and Chisolm facing the still very large crowd. Bucky spun his knife in his hand, Kate took her fallen staff that Chisolm handed her converting it back and notching two arrows in one motion, and Chisolm raised his own bow.

"Just give us the girl." One of the masked men said. "She's not worth dying over."

"I disagree."

Kate's heart leapt as she heard the voice, looking beyond the group to see Clint standing with Natasha and Steve. "Nice timing." She said.

Clint drew two arrows, Natasha raised her batons, electricity crackling through them and Steve gripped his shield, however, before the fight could even resume a roar echoed through the room. Kate felt a shiver go up her spine as she recognized the sound.

"Now look what you've done." Kate said as she watched the mercs look around with fear. "You've gone and angered the good doctor."

She watched the wall crash in from the opposite side and she stared with wide eyes at the Hulk in all his angry glory.

"Now," Clint quipped, grinning as he watched their enemies shake. "Who's dying?"

…

Peter and Sam paused as they approached the lounge room, three two floors below the top level. The doorway and wall were smashed in, the dust still not settled, but there was no commotion coming from inside. Thor and Loki had split off to get into position and thankfully there hadn't been any opposition on the way back up.

Going through the opening, they took in the sight of at least three dozen mercs either lying around the room. Hulk was standing by the window (which was amazing because Peter hadn't actually seen him in person yet), Bucky and Steve were conversing quietly and there was the guy from the roof that Natasha had called Chisolm, but Peter's eyes focused on Kate, who was currently sandwiched between the two assassins.

Kate had her arms wrapped around her brother, Natasha's arms were wrapped around her and Clint, and Clint had his arms wrapped around the both of them. It was a really rare moment that wasn't just the teasing and playfulness that he was used to seeing from the three.

"This is all very touching, but we need to get moving." Chisolm spoke gruffly, cutting into the moment.

Clint's arms dropped and he moved around the girls, his eyes reflecting murder. "I'm still thinking on sending you through that window, don't push your luck." He said.

Chisolm seemed unconcerned. "You still don't have what it takes to take me on kid." He said getting in Clint's face.

"Stop it." Kate said stepping forward, but Natasha held her back.

Clint's fingers twitched around his bow. "I don't know if you're really dying or if it's bullshit, but your sudden growth of a conscious doesn't change anything over the last ten years." He growled. "That doesn't go unanswered."

"Clint." Steve said firmly, voice breaking through the tension in the air. "No isn't the time. The real target is still out there."

Clint stepped back, nodding stiffly.

Sam cleared his throat, drawing attention to the two of them. "Well, this is all exciting, but what the hell do we do now?" He asked.

"We have to get ready before Barney radios Kate again." Steve said. "Where are Thor and Loki?"

"Should be in position." Sam said.

Peter walked over to Kate who wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. He returned it, too relieved that she was okay to notice the way most of the people in the room looked them.

Steve touch a hand to the comm in his ear. "Stark, are you ready?"

Just as he asked, the comm that Kate was carrying buzzed signaling someone on the other line. "What an exciting day this has been." This voice was different from the one that Kate had called Barney.

Peter felt Kate stiffen in his arms. The muscles in Clint's jaw twitched at the voice; Chisolm just looked resigned.

The man on the radio continued, a dangerous undertone to his voice. "It's been a very long time Clint, Katherine."