Chapter 6- Black Eyes


Kurt awoke sluggishly, the cold air wrapping around him tightly. He wasn't aware of where he was, but he knew that space was limited. Kurt wasn't claustrophobic by any means, but that didn't mean he wasn't petrified. He still didn't know who had taken him; there had been no signs or clues as to who was responsible. His first slightly irrational thought was the guy who had attacked him both times that Steve had come to his rescue. Kurt thought that he might have been quite annoyed that he had not been successful in his efforts.

But he was soon aware that this was not the case.

"Hello, Kurt."

Kurt frowned at the voice, seeing a face that he thought he recognised, but it turned out that he didn't. He knew that that was a strange fact about the human brain; when someone wanted to recognise somebody else, they morphed slightly into someone they knew that they could identify. But Kurt realised that he had never seen the face before. Or heard the voice.

And that was the troubling part. Maybe nobody would never know who had taken him. If Kurt even made it out alive.

"Who are you?" Kurt wanted to roll his eyes at how cliché he was being, but decided against it. He needed to know who he was up against and the only way he knew how to glean that information was to ask. It didn't necessarily mean that he was going to get an answer, but it was worth a try.

Kurt realised that he had something that could really help him. His phone. His hands were bound, an inconvenience that he could have definitely done without. His phone was in his front left pocket of his jeans and the man in front of him had known that.

"Looking for this?" He teased, wiggling Kurt's cell in his hand. "I don't think you'll be needing that anytime soon. I wanted to take some time to talk to you before anything else happens."

Kurt scowled, glaring darkly at the man in front of him. There had to be something notable about him. The accent wasn't common in Kurt's experience of New York so far and he had only heard it a handful of times. "I don't believe I have anything to say. Though you've got some explaining to do. And you'd best start before…"

"Before what? Before your boyfriend comes to your rescue? His friends, perhaps? Steve isn't coming, Kurt, not yet. In time, it will all make sense to you. For now, let's just have a chat, you and me, okay?"

"What do you want with me?"

The man sighed. "It's not about you, Kurt. You're just an important cog in the mechanics of this plan."

Kurt frowned. "So, basically, I'm bait? Bait for who?"

"I think you know. You don't have to disclose that information, Kurt, I already know everything about you. If you don't play along, I wonder what Miss Santana Lopez would think if you didn't return home. Would she continue with her television show, I wonder? Or would she pursue a relentless search for you in a vain hope that you are actually somewhere alive?"

"Have you been spying on me?"

"Not me personally," the man shrugged.

"Great," Kurt rolled his eyes, "much better."

"I have a little confession to make. I hope you won't be angry with me. I faked that phone call to you from the lovely Miss Potts."

Kurt feigned surprise. "Oh, really? I would never have guessed that." Even though he had put the puzzle pieces together, Kurt took a minute to be thankful that Steve was in fact okay and not at all hurt. Still, it didn't really help the position he was in.

"Sarcasm becomes you, Mr. Hummel. You're a rather collected young man considering the position that you are currently in. I can see why the nation's most patriotic hero is interested in you. How is that going?"

"You lied to me, manipulated me and abducted me and you want to gossip about my personal life? Oh, who I am kidding? You probably know about my personal life anyway. You're just trying to use small talk to pass the time before you do whatever it is that you do."

The man hummed to himself. "You have sharp instincts, Kurt, but you're a little off. The timing is obsolete. I can continue whenever I like but I'm just fascinated by you."

Kurt smirked. "That's great, you know, for nobody but you. Don't you think I deserve your name considering the predicament you've shoved me into?"

"I think the look on your face will be more fun when the reunion happens." The man took Kurt's phone and dialled a number, a wide smirk stretching across his face.

Kurt heard a faint greeting from the other end of the phone as the man smiled.

"No, not at the moment. Though he is here." The man held the phone closer to Kurt. Kurt wanted nothing more than to just reach out and grab it and run far away from the situation.

"Where exactly is 'here'?"

"Why don't you ask Jarvis?"

Kurt quickly realised that this man had knowledge of pretty much everything involving Kurt and the residents of Stark Tower.

"Put Kurt on the phone, right now!"

The man groaned and held the phone to Kurt's ear.

"Kurt?"

"Steve! I'm so sorry, I got a call saying you were hurt so I ran right over but it was a trick. Don't find me, it's a setup. I'm not the one he wants."

"I'm not going to leave you there, Kurt! Just hang on!"

The man snatched his arm back and turned his back to Kurt.

Before he hung up, he smiled. "Send my regards to my brother for me."


Steve snapped the old flip phone down and growled. The other five of them were assembled in the main living area, all baffled by the nature of Steve's tone during the phone call.

"Steve?" Natasha called as the man turned around.

"He has Kurt. He's using Kurt as bait…for one of us. Or all of us."

"Who?" Bruce enquired curiously.

"I can't be sure. But he said to send regards to his brother."

Thor grunted deeply. "It's Loki. It has to be. He's the most manipulative person I know. We have to go and save Kurt."

Steve nodded. "Thor, Nat, would you come with me?" He gestured to Tony, Bruce and Clint. "You guys stay here in case this is worse than we thought. We might need you later on."

Thor and Natasha stood up, game faces on and ready for action. "We're with you, Cap."

There wasn't time for Steve to don the whole suit, so he quickly grasped his jacket and his shield and they were on the way out. Natasha got the co-ordinates from Jarvis while he did. Natasha and Thor were already sufficiently attired for a mission, they always were. Thor didn't really mind too much about what he wore, as long as he had Mjolnir in his hands.

"Make sure Clint doesn't eat my pie!" Steve called back as the trio sprinted out the door.

Tony and Bruce nodded, smiling, as Clint pouted. No matter what was going on, some things would never change.


If Kurt was counting, he would have realised that it had taken Steve only nine minutes to reach him. He was counting the times that Steve had had to come to his rescue, though, and that stood at a firm 'three'. He felt pretty pathetic having to be rescued by his new boyfriend, but when said boyfriend is a famous superhero, it pretty much comes with the territory.

Natasha reached the warehouse first, slipping in through a slightly ajar window. She landed firmly and zipped over the railing, walking towards Kurt and Loki.

"Ah, the lovely Miss Romanoff! I have to say, I was expecting the Captain."

Almost as if on cue, Steve dropped in from behind Kurt. He quickly raced down to the ground, Thor using the front door as though it was already open and not tightly shut. Asgardian strength really did come in handy sometimes.

"Now it's a party!"

"Brother," Thor barked, "what are you doing? Why have you come to Midgard?"

"Fun," Loki shrugged, "things aren't quite the same on Asgard. It's a whole big story I don't want to get into right now."

"Wait, he's your brother, Thor?" Kurt gasped.

Thor nodded. "Technically, yes. I apologise on his behalf, Kurt. You should never have been put in this position by him."

Those words resonated with Steve more than the others. He pushed them away, though, and concentrated on untying the knots binding Kurt's hands. Natasha quickly realised she was more competent with them and took over, nudging Steve out of the way. Steve paused.

"You're just letting us untie him?"

Loki grinned. "Well, he's certainly not coming with me. Although, I must say, I have had worse company."

"Oh, I'm charmed," Kurt drawled.

Thor shook his head. "Loki, you need to stop this. Ever since you found out the truth about Father, you've been unravelling."

"This isn't about your Father! This is about me! You don't understand, dear brother, you've always been the one with the expectations and the mighty hammer of virtue you have with you. Well, now it's my turn to feel powerful!"

Loki smirked at them all and dissolved into the air, disappearing before anybody could even raise an arm to stop him. Natasha finished the last knot and Steve held his boyfriend tightly against him.

Thor sighed. "Again, I apologise, Kurt. I shall go and search for my brother and put an end to his insanity."

Natasha sensed the tension and leapt onto the railing, exiting through the smashed window that Steve broke on his way into the building.

"I'm very glad that you are safe, Kurt," Steve said, kissing the top of Kurt's head abundantly.

"I was so worried. I realise now that Loki must have mimicked Pepper's voice. I thought you were close to death. That's why I ran, because I was manipulated into doing so. I didn't want you to be hurt."

"I didn't want you to be hurt. Thor was right, you shouldn't have been in this position."

Kurt sighed. "I know where you're going with this. Look, I know we only kissed for the first time yesterday, but this feeling is unlike any other I've had. You're something special and that doesn't come around very often for me.

"None of this is your fault. You couldn't stop it. Loki did this, Steve, not you."

Steve fidgeted. "I can't keep putting you in danger. It sounds like Loki is only just getting started. This was his opening statement. What if something really happens to you? I couldn't live with myself if I was the one who caused it to happen."

"To do what I know you're thinking of doing would hurt me. Be selfish, Steve. Think of your own feelings. Do you, without any threat of danger, want to leave me? Do you want what we've only just discovered to be over?"

Steve shook his head. "I've never felt like this."

"Give in to yourself, Steve, please. Because you can't keep thinking about the next bad scenario that's going to be put into motion. I know you're wired to save people from danger, but I need you to let go of that for just a minute."

"Move into Stark Tower with me."

Kurt blanked. "What?"

"You and Santana. You could move into the Tower. There's plenty of room, you could each have your own floor and there would still be surplus. Think about it, I could protect you whenever I'm there. I seldom leave it besides patrol and certain S.H.I.E.L.D missions. Loki wouldn't be able to enter unless one of us authorised it. It's the only solution that'll ensure your protection."

"I can't just…move in like that."

"Why not?"

"I have a loft. I have my job."

"You can still go to work, Kurt. I haven't figured out the whole driving thing yet, but Natasha or Clint or Tony or Bruce could take you. Even Bucky knows how to drive. They all love you already and they'll want to help you, I know it. Please, Kurt, think about it at least."

"I'll talk to Santana. But if she's not okay with it, then I won't leave her."

Steve smiled warmly. "And that's one of the things I very much like about you."

"Tell me another?"

Steve's lips locked with Kurt's own in a passionate kiss that sent Kurt's head spinning around. "Does that about clear it up?"

"I think so," Kurt grinned, "though I might need you to say that again."