NOTE* I apologize for how long it has been since my last update. Life right now is hectic and I don't have much time for writing. I will try not to wait so long for the next chapter, but no promises. I hope you enjoy this chapter, please let me know what you think. Thanks for your understanding and support, it means a lot!

Chapter Sixteen:

Extremis Pt. 3

Steve paced the cell he was in, walking to and fro, side to side. Sitting on the bunk of the cell, heavily drugged yet still conscious and watching the pacing man was Bruce Banner. He couldn't remember hardly anything from his time as the hulk when he had been drugged, but he knew it had been bad. It bothered him that people would use his monster for their advantage and that he was helpless to stop it.

Since they had been thrown in together, Steve hadn't stopped pacing. He was no doubt anxious about Toni, just as Bruce was, but the man showed it through his actions rather than his words.

"Toni?"

Bruce snapped his head up at the confused tone. He looked around for any sign of his teammate and sister, but he saw nothing. Steve however had an odd look on his face, one that unsettled Bruce a bit. It was as though the man was concentrating on something only he could see.

"Toni is coming", Steve stated, his eyes blinking rapidly as though waking from a dream.

Bruce furrowed his brow, not sure he had heard the man correctly.

"I'm sorry, but did you just say Toni is coming?"

"That's what I said", he nodded, though even he looked a little confused at his own statement.

"Steve, what just happened?" Bruce questioned.

"I honestly don't know. I think Modok injected Toni with Extremis and it…"

"What?!" Bruce yelled, standing upright, "He injected her with it?!"

"Yeah, she…"

"And she is still alive?"

"Yes Bruce. She said she is coming and…"

"You spoke to her?"

Steve sighed, a little annoyed he kept getting interrupted, but he knew the doctor was highly drugged. It was doubtful he was thinking clearly enough to put two and two together.

"Bruce, she is alive and coming towards us. She has the others with her, but she isn't herself. I am not sure what it did to her, but something is off about how she spoke. It was like… like she was there and yet, it sounded as though she were merely on autopilot."

Bruce's concern grew for his science sister. He knew from his own research into Extremis that it was highly unpredictable. He could only imagine what side effects might come with the injection. Obviously, one such side effect was telepathy. He could only marvel at what else might occur because of it.

"So what do we do now?" Bruce asked, settling back down on the cot.

Steve sighed, rubbing his forehead. He wished he could do more, but at the moment, there wasn't much he could do within a prison cell.

"Sit and wait, I guess", he replied, "but when the moment comes that we can act, be ready Bruce. I won't let Toni do all the fighting. I promised I would protect her and that is what I intend to do."

Bruce couldn't have agreed more.

AVNGRS

Clint, Natasha, Thor, Hammer, and the Baron walked in silence behind Toni as she led the way through the base. It wasn't because they were trying to be silent and not attract attention, oh no, but it was because they were in shock at the mass chaos around them. With wave after wave of guards that seemed to show, Toni would merely raise her hand, her eyes glowing gold, and the guards would fall to the ground unconscious.

Clint sighed in relief every time he checked one of the guards, finding them merely sleeping rather than dead. That first scene, when she had shed so much blood, it still didn't seem real. Toni didn't kill and the fact that she had, it didn't sit well with him or the others. He had luckily convinced her of the necessity to keep them alive and it seemed for at least the moment, she was following such a method. He still wondered though what might trigger her to turn as rapidly as she had with the first batch of guards.

The Toni he knew was one of gentle, yet arrogant smirks. A woman full of curiosity and mischievous imaginative plans. The Toni here and now, standing in front of him, could only be described as unemotional, robotic, and perhaps even dead. There was no life behind the eyes, merely a glowing gold that never seemed to see anything and yet, he had the feeling she could see everything at the same time.

'Clint' a voice whispered into his head.

He snapped his head up, peering at Toni thinking she had spoken to him, but she didn't stop walking and she didn't even turn to peer at him.

'Clint' the voice said again.

He knew it was Toni's voice he was hearing.

'Toni?' he whispered back.

'Yeah it's me' came the voice, 'Clint, I need your help.'

Clint blinked, noticing none of the others seemed to hear the voice, or at least were not reacting to it. As though reading his mind, Toni spoke again.

'Only you can hear me. Well, you and Steve,' she whispered, 'I need your help.'

'You said that already. Toni, what is going on?'

The voice was silent for a moment.

'It is hard to explain Clint. When Modok injected me with Extremis, the entity took over my body to protect my mind. I am within her, but I can't…I can't yet take control. I am too weak.'

Clint furrowed his brow.

'Are you hurt?'

The voice chuckled a bit weakly.

'I suppose that is one way to say it. Clint, Extremis killed me…'

'Wha..!'

'But then it revived me,' she quickly continued, interrupting his sudden anxiety, 'It…accepted me. I don't know how else to say it, but it is trying to safe guard my mind and body.'

'Will you be able to come back?'

'Yes, in time. I talked to Steve. I know where he is. Extremis is leading us there, but… We need to hurry Clint. I don't know how long my body will last. It is weak, very weak. The de-aging process occurred at the same time as Extremis' take over and it didn't react well together. It put a lot of pressure on my body and while Extremis is trying to heal it, I cannot say for certain whether it can completely before it fully gives out and will be unable to move. I… I need your help.'

'What can I do?'

'When Extremis finally leads us out of this place, I need you to fly one of the ships exactly where I tell you and when we arrived, be prepared to support my body.'

'What do you mean Toni? What are you planning?'

'…A breakout Clint. I am planning to free our friends and at the same time, blow that base of Hydra's to kingdom come, but it will push me to my limit. No doubt, my body will collapse during that time and I may need some…emergency assistance.'

Clint didn't like the sound of this plan, but they didn't have a lot of options at the moment.

'Alright, just tell me when and where.'

'Good. Prepare yourself Clint, the fun begins now.'

Clint wasn't sure what to think of that statement, but as the doors ahead of them were blasted open by Toni's new superhuman ability to seemingly perform telekinesis, he knew it was the start of her less than perfect plan. Sighing, he took off running behind them, straight for the enemy ship that waited in the distance.

'Get aboard and into the cockpit, I will guide you from there. The enemy base where Steve and Bruce are being held is not far away. Hurry, you have very little time before more enemies will arrive.'

Clint didn't question her as he sped ahead of the others. He had been on a flying ship like it before and knew how to open the door. He waited impatiently as the ramp lowered and once low enough, he jumped into the back and raced to the cockpit, starting it up.

'Hurry Clint!'

He glanced back and noticed the swarm of AIM guards racing towards them. He also noticed that while Thor and Natasha stood at the ready, Toni stood ahead of them, staring into the mass and he knew if they didn't take off now, blood would be shed. He didn't want that, because he knew Toni didn't want that.

'Hang on tight Toni,' he warned in his mind, before whispering out loud, "Here goes nothing."

As the engines roared to life, the ramp continued to remain down, allowing the Avengers to see the guards turning into small ants below where they had just been located. Natasha and Thor each lowered their guard as Toni turned, her skin much more pale and clammy looking then it had been, but her eyes remained glowing a vibrant gold.

"Clint, where are we going?" Natasha asked, sliding into the seat beside her partner.

"No idea Nat, but Toni knows."

Natasha frowned.

"How do you…"

Clint held up a hand, glancing at his friend before focusing back on the clouds.

"Don't ask Nat, seriously. I can't explain, but I am betting Bruce will be able to when we find him."

Natasha wisely let the subject drop as she noted Toni had stepped closer to them. Thor stood a little ways away, his hands gripping his hammer as he watched the scene and listened to their words with concern. He was afraid for the woman of Iron and he was afraid for his friends who were still missing.

'We have arrived', Toni whispered into Clint's mind.

Clint glared at the small fort like building that appeared in the windshield as he lowered their altitude closer to the ground. He could see the place was heavily guarded and he was concerned about how well this rescue mission might go.

'Do not be afraid' Toni stated, her words almost a gentle caress within his mind, 'Steve is ready and waiting for us and Hydra has not yet seen us. I will remain aboard the ship, accessing the building from here and I will guide you through the halls the best I can, away from enemy soldiers.'

Clint turned to look at her and noted her slight sway.

'Are you sure? Didn't you say it would put a toll on your body?'

'It will, but this must be done. I trust you to do it. Please Clint…' the voice begged, 'Save Steve and Bruce. I will take care of the rest.'

Clint didn't need to be told twice as he grabbed his bow and arrows and raced to the ramp, the others right behind him. Just as he began to step off the ship where he had parked it in the forest a mile away from the fort, he turned to look back at Toni. Her golden eyes gazed back at him, but for a moment, just a mere moment, he could have sworn he saw her chocolate brown ones flash at him.

'I will be back' he promised.

'And I will be waiting for your return.'