A/N: I'm starting to think the longest chapter in this fic will always be the first one. Another short chapter, not worth the wait, sorry. This is one of the first major conflicts in the story, one where incredibly bad consequences hang in the balance!

Also, I can not write Nick Fury for the life of me.

[Chapter 14- Fury]

"Sir, I regret to inform you that you have a visitor," JARVIS spoke quietly into the workshop. Tony stopped explaining his project to Loki and glanced at the security feed that had come up.

"Tell Nicky we don't need him right now. The helicarrier upgrades are almost finished, and he can have the next armor design when it's done," Tony waved his hand and turned back to Loki.

After a moment, JARVIS once again called through, "My protocols are being overridden. Mr. Fury is on his way up."

"I wanna know what's been going on in this tower, Stark!" Fury's voice echoed.

"Sh-Crap!" Tony whirled around to the little ears next to him. He quickly scooped up the boy and brought him to Loki's room.

"Daddy?" Loki whispered anxiously.

"Not good, not good. Okay, so remember how older you is not so nice and kinda tried to take over the world?"

"Yeah?"

"That's the guy that made us stop him."

"Oh. Oh no."

"STARK!"

"Quick, hide in the wardrobe!" Tony mumbled, patting Loki's back. "Remember, you can open the door at any time. If you feel too scared, go in the bathroom and lock the door. Or even better, hide under the bed." A tiny mew at his side drew his attention. "Oh look! You can even have Merlin with you! Stay safe!"

Tony hurried out to stand with the other Avengers in front of the elevator door.

"So, what brings you here, Oh Furious Man?" The billionaire jeered.

"For the past eight months, there has always been at least one Avenger in the tower. I've seen and heard reports of odd purchases and all of you with the same, oddly familiar child. So either one of you is going to tell me what you're hiding, or my agents are going to come in here and tear this place apart until we find it," Fury intoned briskly.

"You can't do that! That goes against the Fourth Amendment!" Steve snapped.

"Except I have a warrant," the bald man held out a piece of paper.

"Hard copy? Honestly, that's so two decades ago," Tony mocked, heart racing.

"So, what'll it be? The easy way? Or the hard way?" The director questioned.

"You can search," Clint declared suddenly, arms crossed, "but I don't want your men messing up my stuff. Just you."

Fury eyed him for a moment before he relented.

"Alright. I won't call them up. But if I find anything- anything!- I will take it, and I will make sure it is not dangerous to civilians or to you," Fury warned. He set off with a dramatic twirl of his leather coat.

As soon as he was out of earshot, Clint leaned over to Tony and harshly whispered, "You actually hid him, right?"

"Of course! I'm not an idiot!" The brunette hissed back. "JARVIS, keep an eye on Fury's progress, okay?"

"Of course, Sir."

Fury wove his way around the floor, from the common area to each of the bedrooms. The way he wove brought him to Loki's room much nearer to the end than any of them expected.

That's when the Avengers realized Loki's room still looked like he lived in it.

Fury pushed open the door, and everyone held their breath. Loki's artwork was plastered across the walls, his costumes and stuffed animals neatly placed around the furniture, his books scattered on every available surface, and Merlin's kitty supplies in the Cat Corner.

The director stopped for a moment, just staring. He slowly turned around with one eyebrow raised.

"Did you think I was too stupid to notice this? Or were you fools stupid enough to hope I would just pass over it? There's obviously a child living with you!" He barked.

"We- We-" Steve stuttered, face red at their failure to hide Loki's presence.

"What I don't understand is why it's so important to hide the kid! If he's one of yours, just say so! Romanov! Why didn't I hear about this in any of your reports over the last eight months!" A few accusing glares turned her way, but she didn't even shift under the pressure.

"It's exactly as you said, sir. I deemed it unimportant," she stated.

"Well... Something!" The man threw his hands up in the air. "At least mention it! What if SHEILD needs to evac the area! What if they're taken for ransom! This is at least something we should be aware of! AT THE LEAST! You could have saved all of us a lot of trouble! I wouldn't have had to come all the way down here, search through your whole house, and probably scare the wits out of the kid if I had known it was just some kid!"

The room was silent for a moment as Fury recollected himself and ran a hand over his weary face.

"Just... Just let me see the kid. I have to file an official report about this to explain the breech of your home-"

"No," Tony growled. Fury eyed him.

"I guess we know who the father is," he snapped, irritated with the whole situation. "We all know about your sleeping around-"

"Sir!" Clint cried angrily.

"-so it really shouldn't be such a surprise, but this is just another thing to put in your file- OW!"

"Stop being mean to Daddy!" Loki shouted, kicking Fury in the shin once more.

"Mother-" Fury growled and grabbed the seven year old's forearm. Steve, Tony, and Natasha immediately took a step forward. Thor rumbled as thunder cracked just outside the window. Merlin darted from the wardrobe to bit Fury as hard as he could. The man cried out in pain again, tightening his grip on the boy's arm. Loki cried out softly and tried to pull away.

"Everyone stop!" Bruce ordered. His eyes were a brilliant, toxic green, but he seemed perfectly in control. Everyone stuttered to a halt. "Let go of him." As soon as Loki was free, he darted behind Bruce, sensing he was the safest at the moment. "We're all going to take a deep breath and step back."

"Stark needs to keep a lid on that brat!" Fury snapped.

"Shut it!" Bruce retaliated. He just breathed for a moment before he turned to the child clutching at his pant legs. "Are you alright?"

"Just scared," Loki put a hand on his heart and scowled. "Older me didn't like him either."

"Older him?" Fury blanked. "What does he mean?" He looked around for an answer.

Surprisingly, it was Tony that stepped forward. His arms were crossed defensively, his weight shifted on to one side. His glare was dark and promised a long, painful death if Fury didn't control himself.

"Fury, meet Loki. He's seven, and we're watching him until further notice," the genius, billionaire, and former Merchant of Death explained. Fury looked back and forth between the child and the other Avengers.

"I am so mother-"

"Language," Steve bit out. He gave a meaningful glance to Loki, making Fury drag a hand over his face.

"Fine. I am so done with all of your... problems. You want to help a super-villain? Fine. You want to raise an alien child? Have at it. But just know, if this ends up poorly, if any civilians are hurt or he tries to take over the world again, I will not be able to help you. You're on your own."

The director left the building.

A/N: Sometimes I think I just wanted Loki to kick Fury in the shin.

QUESTION OF THE UPDATE: If you could build a birdhouse, what would it look like? You can send me a link or just write a description, but I think it's an interesting question that doesn't get asked enough. My birdhouse would be round (think can of soup) with a cone on top as the roof. The house itself would be pale yellow with little white flowers painted on it, and the roof would be a nice, deep shade of green. :) I am a dork.