"I got 'em." Stark declared, bursting into the common area, startling all those within it. Barton reached for his sidearm, Rogers jumped so badly he spilled coffee on himself, cursing as a result, Thor raised his arm to call for Mjölnir, and Beauty jumped to her feet, her teeth bared. "Okay, my bad." Tony raised his hands as he stared at the snarling dog.

"Them who?" Rogers asked, wiping down the coffee stain on his t-shirt. "Who have you been keeping tabs on now?"

"Those who broke in her a few weeks back, looking for Loki."

"You should have just left them take him." Barton grumbled.

"Not the point now Bull's-eye." Tony dismissed. "So, that little care package did what it was supposed to do, and I may have also snooped through SHIELD and found out a few things."

"Get to the point Tony." Rogers growled, his arms folded across his chest.

Tony looked at you. "I guess we all owe you an apology Kiddo, Cap, you first."

"What?" Barton stared at him open mouthed. "You mean?"

"Johnson himself threw that flash grenade, and then went into the lab in SHIELD and shot anything that moved." Tony informed them.

"You are certain?" Rogers asked.

"As I am that I am a genius."

"How are you so confident that what you say is true?" Thor asked, wanting everything to be explained fully.

"Well, you see, Johnson is not as smart as he thinks he is, because if he was, he would have remembered to not use his own gear when taking down his own co-workers."

"That's too simple." Romanov shook her head. "He would not have been so dumb."

"It is often the simplest things that are so easily overlooked." Thor pointed out. "Loki will be pleased with this."

"No one tell him, he will be insufferable." Tony pleaded.

"Tell me what?" They turned to see Loki entering the room, beaming brightly. "I have a feeling I am about to bask in my own greatness."

"They believe me now." You stated, your voice shaking slightly. "Tony proved what I said was true."

Loki's jaw clenched and his lip curled up in contempt and anger. "They were so close, and they could have been made pay."

The Avengers stared at him, looks of questioning and confusion on their faces as they looked between you, and the God. "No one knew."

"I did." You stated. "But I froze."

"You are not a solider, you were a scientist." Rogers pointed out.

"I was not aware my PhD was dependant on my sight." You commented. "What happens now?"

"We find them, and make them pay." Stark stated. "I swore it, didn't I?"

"Why did they do it though?" Roger's pondered aloud.

"To get whatever they wanted from the weapons depot." Barton stated. "They took some weapon."

"One in a trial phase though." Romanov stated. "Why a trial stage one, why not something more advanced, it's not like SHIELD doesn't have weapons to choose from."

"What was the purpose of these trial weapons?" Thor queried. The manner in which Romanov looked at him told him. "To stop me?"

"And him." Barton glared and indicated to Loki. "Can't really blame them when they fire assault weapons and you two don't even flinch."

"We cannot help if you pathetic beings are not impervious to tiny shard of low grade metals." Loki shrugged. "Though, I must ask, why would you have a weapons area so close to where your sciences are developed, that seems somewhat as though you are seeking for trouble."

"They were in two completely different parts of the complex." You responded.

"So it was a distraction?" Thor assumed.

"Both areas had entirely different security measures and teams; and in no way interlinked. They had their own response units."

"Now that makes even less sense." Tony commended. "Kiddo, was there anything of importance in the lab?"

"Just what we were working on. I am not sure what the other labs had though."

"They didn't attack other labs, just yours." Romanov informed you.

"Meaning?" Rogers looked at her curiously.

"Meaning they wanted the serum." You realised.

"What serum?"

"The one I created, it was almost ready, Dr Banner had agreed to test it." You explained.

"What was its purpose?" Thor asked.

"It could control the Hulk almost completely. Short of Dr Banner being in a life or death situation, it would contain him."

"That is one hell of a concept." Rogers commended.

"It wasn't just a concept, hence why he was willing to go through with the testing. I had it, I just needed the shipment of the last ingredient to come through and it would have been ready." You explained.

"So weapons to destroy the Hulk and super aliens were stolen by a rogue element of SHIELD, why?" Barton questioned. "SHIELD would have wanted those things tested and perfected ASAP."

"That is why it does not make sense." Rogers stated frustratedly.

"You would think that, but no." Tony grinned, going to the counter and pouring himself a scotch "If there is one thing America is renowned for, what is it?" He asked as he was about to take a drink.

"Starting wars for profit." You answered immediately.

"Spot on." He acknowledged. "Johnson and his boys, they were being paid a hefty sum for those things, and why, may you ask. Well it has not escaped some people's notice that these two." He pointed to Thor and Loki. "Don some seriously fancy metals, and guess what some idiot wants to do."

"Wait, are you saying there is someone out there that is going to pick a bone with Asgard?" Romanov stared in terror.

"Kill the princes of the realm, and you have Daddy and his golden army down here. Mass produce those weapons and you have a way to at least help even the odds, and with no way to control the Hulk, hence, steal Kiddo's formula, destroy her lab and kill all the scientists in it, the Hulk has shown it is stronger than the strongest Asgardian and well, whatever you are." He indicated to Loki, who glared at him.

"But they didn't kill all the scientists; they left the most superior of them." Thor pointed to you.

"Tony calls me Kiddo because I am a decade younger than anyone else in those labs, but I was the lead scientist." You explained.

"And everyone in the lab has a pretty little 'Dr' on their badge, so if you were to walk in there, the last person you are going to assume to be in charge is the baby of the group. They hadn't time to check name tags, and you lying face down, shot in the back and eyes clouded meant they had no idea you were alive. They still don't actually."

"So they are not looking for me?"

"Not at present." Tony stated, eyeing you carefully.

"What are you looking at me like that for."

"Can you remember that formula?" He asked cautiously.

"I can remember the formula yes, I am the one who created it, but to actually recreate it, I don't think I can, I did not write the most of it down. I did most of it from assessment as I went."

"That's not scientifically the best way to do something, is it?" Rogers commented.

"Tell you what steroids, when you create something that negates the Hulk, you write a four hundred page essay if you want, I did what worked for me, and it is a good thing I did, because with them not knowing what it was I was waiting on, they cannot finish it, and anything they took won't have it either."

"'Steroids', brilliant." Stark chuckled to himself. "You are second only to me in thinking of good nicknames."

"I'm not sure you want to know what I call you pending the situation." You snarked.

"I can only imagine."

"So, how will we stop them, surely they are scattered by now?" Romanov asked, not wanting to get sidetracked.

"That's the thing with people who come into a lot of money who are not used to it; they don't tend to be so good at hiding it." Tony grinned wolfishly as he spoke. "Who is up for a little trip?" He looked at the other Avengers.

"I can't say no to a good mystery. It adds a little flavour to the work, don't you think?" She turned, smiling at Barton.

"Hey, I love a challenge as much as the next guy, but this isn't just some idiots in a cave thinking they will take down Western society, this is an elite unit of SHIELD, there are serious risks in that." Barton looked at her in concern. "Nat, there is no guarantee we will all come back from this."

"We are going to pick them off safely, in ones and twos, and not a killing way, just a 'we are taking you in and your buddies can't help you' way." Stark informed him.

"And if they realise that the Tower is not manned?" Thor asked, looking at you in concern.

"If they do come, if they realise Kiddo survived…" Tony stared fearfully at you. "I need to get the system heightened immediately.

"Thor." The Thunderer looked at the other God and nodded slightly.

"What are you two up to?" Romanov did not like the manner they were looking at one another.

"Loki will be here, as he is supposed to be. He will ensure none enter the Tower."

"I am not buying it." Stark commented.

"Well I am permitting him his throwing knives." Thor stated authoritively.

"Absolutely not."

"Definitely not."

"Not a hope in hell!"

"Just no."

"Yes, please." The room stared at you. "Thank you." You hoped you were looking at the Mischief God as you spoke.

"Kiddo." Stark commented warily.

"He saved my life before, giving him weapons will make sure he is successful again." You explained; turning to where you thought Loki to be. "Thank you."

"So that is that sorted." Thor clapped his hands together. "Let us get these despicable creatures."

"You sure you're okay with this?" Romanov double checked.

"Yes, I am, and I have Beauty to help too if needed."

Tony began to chuckle. "This is hilarious, you're going to be protected by Beauty." He pointed to the dog. "And the Beast." He stated, pointing at Loki.