Disclaimer: I own nothing of Marvel/Disney. Anything else original is my own.

Authors Notes: Happy new year! Hope everyone had a safe and happy holiday. I am heading back to the midwest tomorrow and not looking forward to leaving the west coast sun.

This chapter is pretty serious, and one of my favorites to write.

Thank you to all who are sticking with me. Means a lot.

Don't Bet On It

The elevator opened and Kendra was finishing up a phone call, "I understand sir, I will see you tomorrow morning." She stepped out of the elevator and put her phone into her bra. She kept her pace slow as she walked down the hallway. Her body was still tender from fighting. When she finally got a look at herself, her leg was fresh with cuts and bruises from the glass. As well as her arms. Next time she goes to a party where a robot goes crazy she is wearing a pants suit.

Turning the corner she headed to the door of her apartment. She pressed their code into the panel and waited for it to slide open. Pulling her phone out she dropped it on the table and pressed some buttons into their security frame, it began to ding red to record. Reaching down, she pulled off her heels and kicked them by the door. Walking through the hallway into the living room, she saw Steve's jacket laid on the couch. Steve was through the kitchen and sitting at their dining room table, files and data pads spread over.

She picked up his jacket and walked through the Kitchen towards him, "Hey hon, I know you are mad, but I need to tell you something really important, and you can't get mad at this cause you are already mad about the whole Ultorn thing so if you could listen, I would greatly appreciate it."

Steve didn't look up, the only thing he said was, "Kendra. I think it's best if you stayed with Clint tonight. I have a lot of work to get done and you need to rest. We can talk in the morning in debrief."

Kendra stopped where she was and shook her head, clutching his jacket close, "No, no! That is ridiculous. I'm not going to stay with Clint. Look I know you're mad and that's understandable but if you just let me explain."

Steve slammed his fist into the table, shattering the legs, destroying it. All the files crashing to the floor. He didn't seem to notice because all he had in his sight was Kendra, she braced herself as he grabbed her by the arm and pushed her back into a wall.

"I'm not mad, I'm furious!" He hissed in her face, "Do you realize what you have done, what you and Stark did!"

"I know it looks bad," She started, "but you have to believe me, I never would have agreed to this if I knew what was going to happen, I made sure-"

"But you didn't know! Did you Kendra?" he mocked, "Tony Stark said jump and you once again said how high." Kendra snapped her attention up to Steve's face and looked him directly in the eyes as he continued, "God," He scoffed, "Will you ever say no to him? Is there anything Tony Stark can do that will make you say no ``What does it take!" He hissed, squeezing her arm so tight Kendra felt herself wincing, being dragged.

"Well for one, he's never put his hands on me." Kendra barked back struggling, "That makes a bit of a difference."

Steve immediately dropped his hands and Kendra didn't wait as she ducked under his arm and walked into their room.

Steve took a deep breath and composed himself for some moments before following and stopping in the doorway. Kendra had already changed out of her dress and into sweats. She was packing her things into her overnight bag.

"Kendra, wait. Stop." Steve pleaded walking towards her, "Put the bag away. You are right. This isn't how we do things. We talk it out."

Kendra shook her head, "Actually Steve, I think you are right this time. You have a lot of work to get done and after today I need to rest up and heal, I have a busy day tomorrow. I already let Clint know I'll be coming down to his quarters."

He sighed and shook his head looking away, "I didn't mean what I said. I know how important Tony is to you. I know that. Truly it's just that. Sometimes I think we have three people in this relationship"

Kendra tossed her toiletries into the bag and zipped it up hard before tossing it over her shoulder.

"That's funny," She whispered before looking at him with tears in her eyes, "This coming from the man who carries another woman's photo in his pocket."

Kendra pushed past Steve and waved her hand slamming the door to their bedroom so he couldn't follow.

.

..

…

Kenda sat in Clint's apartment watching him. Clint stood staring at his fireplace, keeping himself in check instead of rushing out of his apartment to give Cap a solid piece of his mind. He had spent the last hour cleaning her wounds, but the hand-shaped bruise was loudly visible and that made Clint even more angry.

"I'm fine," She insisted, "Really, I look much worse than I feel. Please sit." She pleaded, reaching her hand out to his own. He sat down on the sofa next to her.

"I don't like this. Not one bit. I don't care if he is Steve Rogers. He had no right-"

"It's not like he meant it," She whispered, interrupting him while looking down at her arm, "You know Steve would never hurt me intentionally."

Clint leaned back and draped his arm across the back of the couch, "Yet here we are."

She narrowed her eyes, "I distinctly remember you spent hours upon hours throwing knives and shooting arrows at me without asking,"

Clint raised his hands, "You were literally in training, Fury needed you prepared for anything."

"And I blasted you once with a shockwave when I got mad." She said, slapping his arm. "I'm not trying to make excuses for Steve, for what he did, but I understand more than anyone getting caught up and people getting hurt."

"Yeah well," Clint sighed, "I still don't have to like it."

Kendra smiled and reached forward, she squeezed his leg, "I love that you think that. And I love that you helped me," She waved around her head bandage, "Can you imagine me trying to get myself cleaned up."

Clint chuckled dryly and scratched his head, "You were shit in the field for dressing." He gave a pause and gave her an inquisitive look, "Did you ever learn to tie a proper knot?"

Kendra threw her head back and burst out laughing, "Not a good one!" She instantly winced and cradled her head, "Damn it, stop making me laugh."

"Not in this lifetime darling," He muttered, shaking his head. Sighing he looked around the room finding the clock. "You best hit the hay, you got an early morning."

Kendra rolled her eyes, "I never thought I would find myself justifying the creation of a murder bot to congress. This is so much bigger than a whoops." She stood up and stretched, "Please try to keep your cool when you see Steve tomorrow."

"Don't bet on it." Clint answered, giving her a wide smile. She rolled her eyes and walked away, but not before briefing pausing at the hallway. Kendra turned to her friend one more time.

"Thank you Clint. For tonight, I mean. It means a lot."

"It's what we do for our family." He responded thoughtfully, "Hit the hay kid, you got a day."

Kendra gave him a salute and twirled her body off the wall walking away.

.

..

...

Making sure she had everything from her office, Kendra once again tossed her bag over her shoulder and walked through the door, locking it behind her. She looked down at the team beginning to assemble below. With a heavy sigh, she turned her body and began walking to the elevators. She needed to be out of there soon and Tony had the jet ready upstairs.

As she reached the elevator, she went to press open when a voice called behind her

"Cousin!" The voice cried out. Kendra turned to see Thor jogging over to meet her. She sighed and dropped her bag to the ground.

"Thor, I am so sorry. I wish I could explain to you the why and the how but right now I-" She didn't finish because Thor took her into his arms and engulfed her hard in a hug. Kendra blinked back tears and wrapped her arms around his waist pulling him close.

"One time. Years ago. Our borders were attacked. Breached. All I wanted to do was protect the people, at any cost." He whispered. His chest rumbling against her as he spoke. Kendra chuckled and squeezed him.

"What happened?"

"I started a war of course, without my fathers permission." He said matter of factly. Kendra laughed and felt herself being pulled back. Thor reached and wiped away a lone tear beginning to fall.

"Know this cousin, I know you would never deliberately put the ones you love in harm's way."

"I was just trying to make the world safe." She shrugged.

Thor smiled, "Maybe don't try as hard next time, or listen to Stark."

Kendra laughed and wiped her face. Thor frowned at the state of her injuries. Clint had wrapped her temple with fresh gauze, but there was still a pretty decent bruise along her cheek as well as a split lip.

"You are injured," he whispered.

Kendra shrugged, "I'll be fine in a few days, at least one thing dad's DNA is good for. I heal quickly." Her phone buzzed. She reached into her back pocket and pulled it out. The screen alerted her that the jet was ready.

"Well, that's my ride."

Thor looked at her bag behind her and shook his head, "You are leaving? Surely we can resolve this matter as a team. The people will understand. You don't need to go."

Kendra held up a hand to stop him, "Your job is to catch and destroy Ultron. My job is to keep the government off your back and let you do it. Just, try not to destroy anything else while I am there, I gotta report back to these people."

Thor chuckled and pulled her once again in for a hug, "You are a noble and worthy woman, Cousin. This realm is lucky to have you."

Kendra sighed dramatically, "God help us then."

Breaking away she turned and picked up her bag. Pressing the elevator open, she walked through the doors and waved her cousin goodbye. She was late for congress.

.

..

…

Maria and Steve exit the elevator at headquarters. Maria reads off her findings, "He's all over the globe. Robotics labs, weapons facilities, jet propulsion labs, reports of a metal man, or men, coming in and emptying the place."

Steve nodded while walking with her, "Fatalities?"

"Only when engaged. Mostly guys left in a fugue state going on about old memories, worst fears, and something too fast to see."

The duo turned the corner and began up the stairs. Steve shook his head, "Maximoffs." he huffed, "Well, that makes sense he'd go to them, they have someone in common."

Maria stopped him, "Not anymore." She hands Steve the tablet showing a photo of Strucker's dead body with the word PEACE written in blood on the wall next to him. He handed the tablet back to Maria who walked away.

Down the hall, Clint was on the phone. "That's a negative. I answer to you. Yes, ma'am."

"Barton," Steve interrupts, "We might have something."

"Gotta go." Clint spoke into the phone before hanging up.

"Who was that?" Steve probed.

Clint raised the closed phone, "Girlfriend."

Steve nodded and began to walk away, Clint jogged over, "Hey Cap." Steve stopped and turned to look at Clint. "Look, normally this wouldn't be my place-"

Steve clenched his jaw and knew what was coming, "It's not"

Clint shook his head and put his hands on his hips, "But you make it my place when you decide that you need a place to cast out your girlfriend for the night because you're mad."

Steve looked away, "Look it's not-"

Clint continued, "It also becomes my place when I have to patch up wounds and see what looks to be like someone putting their hands on my closest friends."

Steve froze and snapped his head at Clint, he started walking towards him, "Clint you know I would never-"

Clint stopped him, "You forget Cap, she was mine first remember," Steve narrowed his eyes at Clint who laughed and held up a hand, "Not like that. Please. I was her teacher from the very beginning and when I tell you the shit she got into, putting not only herself but others at risk. I could've killed her ten times over. "

Steve wasn't amused, "Is this supposed to make me feel better?"

Clint shook his head, "Kendra isn't like us, and I'm not talking about the demi god thing. Which is a whole other fish to fry. She grew up with nothing." He told Steve, "Lost everyone. The only one who cared enough to take her in, was Tony." Clint pointed to the man in the other room, "That man gave her a roof above her head and gave her a purpose. Which I am quite glad about because when SHIELD had me kidnap her at least I knew she was on some kind of good side considering she was working for him."

Steve sighed and looked down to the ground,"Clint, look I appreciate this, but it doesn't excuse what she did, what Tony and Bruce did."

Clint, "Kendra never meant for any of this to happen. She thought she was on her way to building a better life for the man she loves, which happened to be alongside the only one who has loved her from the start. It's a shame you couldn't see that. So next time you think about putting your hands on her, you'll get an arrow through your eye and then I'll hand you over to Tony.."

Finished, Clint walked around Steve and worked his way into the office.

The team was surveying the information they have been able to gather over the last 24 hours. Steve shows them the photo of Strucker's body. Thor took the tablet and smacked it against Tony's chest who looked at the screen. "What's this?" Tony asked.

"A message." Replied Steve, "Ultron killed Strucker."

"And he did a Banksy at the crime scene, just for us." Tony joked.

"This is a smokescreen" Natasha observed, "Why send a message when you've just given a speech?"

"Strucker knew something that Ultron wanted us to miss." Steve inferred.

She scoffed, "Yeah, I bet he.." Suddenly the computer begins to glitch, Natasha scans the computer monitor. "Yep. Everything we had on Strucker has been erased."

"Not everything." Tony acknowledged.

Steve nodded, "Well, Strucker had a lot of friends." He looked over to Tony, "I need Kendra up here. Get her started on Strucker's files. We need all the hands we can."

Tony cocked his head to the side, "Yeah, that's not going to happen."

Steve rolled his eyes, "Look we don't have time for this, I apologize later. Right now-"

"She's gone." Tony snapped at Steve, the room went quiet.

Steve shook his head confused, "What do you mean gone?"

Tony crossed his arms, "Well as you can imagine, after Rhodey called his people to alert them of this...event. They told the government, and as one would expect they weren't pleased."

Natasha looked up from her screen, "What does that have to do with Kendra?"

"She took one for the team." Tony announced, agitated towards everyone. "Because unlike some people in this room believe," He looked at Steve, "Kendra doesn't jump when I ask." He looked back to the team, "She calculates every scenario and makes sure it's executed correctly. She noted every piece of intel we discussed and what we did so that if things got out of hand like, possibly making a murder bot. She had the means to report it to the correct people. So yes, she's currently being investigated by congress so we can keep doing our job and beat this thing. Don't worry," Tony brought out his phone and pressed a couple buttons, a video appears of Maria hopping into a Helicopter, "Maria is picking her up."

Steve clenched his fist and walked towards him, "You let them arrest her, let her take the fall for what you did."

Tony rolled his eyes unamused, "She has the knowledge and the means to make sure the right people were told. She'll be fine. This is nothing like last time, a cake walk. She took the jet this morning herself. She's not even in handcuffs this time." That didn't seem to make Steve feel better, but Tony continued, "Besides, you would've known all of this if you let her explain what was happening."

Thor put a hand on Steve's shoulder, "I spoke to her this morning Brother," Thor told him,"She was not in distress. She will be fine, she is getting the job done."

Steve felt his anger pulling,"Yes but as what cost, she sacrificing her career-"

Tony scoffed, "Kendra knows what her job is right now, I suggest we do ours," Tony said with a stern warning to drop the conversation.

Natasha stood up from the computer, "So, guess we should start going through those files now."