A/N: The response for the last few chapters was over-whelming and greatly appreciated! This story wouldn't be able to continue without your constant response. Here's another chapter and as always, please enjoy and review!

XXXX

Tony had just finished off the last of a few SHIELD agents who tried to oppose him when suddenly a new batch appeared. Sighing internally, Tony began another assault when Jarvis's voice announced through the suit, "Sir, Director Fury has a sort of proposal for you."

"What does he want?"

"He says that he is willing to hand Loki over to you under your control if you could supply him with information as to how Loki's magic works."

"Fat chance," Tony scoffed as he blasted an agent down the stairs. "He would just find a way to use Loki's magic against SHIELD's enemies, and that's something I really couldn't deal with."

"Perhaps if you let Director Fury believe you will assist him but in actuality you deceive him..."

"Jarvis, are you suggesting I lie to Fury? I can't believe you!" Tony cried dramatically as he took on another agent. "Besides, he would only use my lie against me somehow. He's clever that way, I'll give him that."

"Sir, there's no possible way you can hope to retrieve Loki without accepting Director Fury's terms to a certain extent," Jarvis tried to reason. "My calculations show -"

"Forget your calculations," Tony said darkly. "Tell Fury he's not getting anything from me or Loki and if he wants to end this in a civilized manner, he's going to have to give control of Loki's situation over to me willingly, no strings attached, or we have no deal."

"Very good, sir. But you may want to watch yourself."

"Why is that?"

"Because Agent Barton is on his way to you as we speak, sir."

"Let him come," Tony muttered as he finished off the agents and raised the power on his blasters.

Mercy wasn't in his vocabulary.

XXXX

Steve knew he shouldn't feel this tired but damn, Natasha was fast. The two had sparred before, and Steve knew one good blow would be enough to knock her down for the count...if only he could hit her. But she twisted around his body like a snake and couldn't be touched. Of course any blows she inflicted on him had hardly any effect, but Steve was getting dizzy from all her movements. Thor, who had finished off the agents with relative ease, had gone off to see if Stark or Banner needed aid. Now it was just Tasha and Spangles in the gym.

"This whole thing seems all too familiar," Steve grinned, fighting off the slight wheeze in his voice. "Us sparring in this gym...it feels like just another training exercise."

"Only we're on opposite sides of the spectrum this time," Natasha half-smiled in response.

Steve nodded as he stood up to his full height, raising his shield.

"You know, when I first met you, I knew you were a woman to be reckoned with. I haven't seen such a fighting spirit in a lady since my time."

"I'm nothing like Peggy," Natasha remarked point-blank, her voice emotionless.

"No, you're much worse," Steve shot back as she attacked him.

XXXX

Bruce could feel the sweat on the back of his neck as he worked. He could faintly hear the sounds of fighting going on outside, but he asked Jarvis to turn up some music to block them out. With the delicate hands of a surgeon, Bruce gingerly began stitching up the wounds, applying bandaging where necessary and every now and then checking Loki's pulse while he worked. With the loss of bleeding having stopped thanks to the bandaging, it was now just a matter of patching up the god as much as possible and making sure he was going to live.

Just as Bruce finished applying the bandages on the wound on the god's leg, green sparks began dancing across the bandages, making them glow. Bruce watched in awe as Loki's body suddenly glowed green.

"Jarvis...what's happening...?"

"Mr. Loki's body is using the last drips of his magic to keep him alive."

"What happens when the magic runs out?"

"According to my calculations, Mr. Loki may die unless he can find an ample substitute for his magic to keep his body intact."

"Shit," Bruce cussed as he looked around the lab quickly. "Tell Tony to hurry things up or we won't be able to save him in time."

XXXX

"Running out of time, are we?" Clint sneered.

Ignoring the bubbling anger in his chest, Tony tried to use Clint's mind against him.

"Say, how's Natasha doing? You know, given that she's a cold-blooded killer and all. You two haven't exactly been getting along lately, have you?"

"What are you talking about?" Clint asked as he nocked another arrow.

"I looked up your records together while you were both staying here. Seems to me like you two haven't really seen much of each other lately, and it has nothing to do with missions. Had a falling out, did you?"

"Something along those lines," Clint replied as he began firing arrows, which Tony brushed away or dodged easily. Given that they were fighting on a staircase, there wasn't much room for movement. However, Tony's suit had sparred against Clint's arrows before, and he knew the only ones that could do any real danger were the explode-y ones used against Loki all those months ago.

"Did you call her a mewling quim? Because I think we both know how that could end up," Tony smirked but his eyes were cold. There was something off about Clint. He had vaguely been aware of it when they had been on the roof together, but he had mistaken it for anger. There was a deeper issue here.

"Just shut up," Clint spat as he grabbed a different set of arrows.

Tony tried firing his blasters, but Clint dodged the blast with remarkable speed as the archer ran along the wall (literally, he was moving horizontally to vertical Tony) and kicked Tony before the hero could move fast enough. As Tony was knocked to the floor, Clint stood above him, arrow pointed at his face. But Tony swept the archer's feet out from under him and moved so that he was half-straddling Clint, blaster pointed at the archer's face and arrow aimed at Tony's head. It was then, as Tony stared into Clint's face that he realized what was wrong.

"Jarvis, pull up a closer view of Clint's eyes."

Jarvis did as he was told and Tony was stricken with shock at what he saw.

Deep in the irises of Clint's eyes were traces of a very bright, very distinct blue.

Before Tony could react however, the arrow was fired and knocked him backward, down the stairs. As Tony's head tried to clear itself, he was vaguely aware of Clint nocking another explosive arrow before a blur of gray suddenly shot somewhere off to the side and hurled Clint into the opposite wall.

Tony shakily stood to his feet, looking around and seeing Thor standing at the top of the stairs where Clint had stood only moments ago.

"Jarvis, patch me through to Fury. Immediately."

"Right away, sir."

XXXX

Steve paused in his assault as Natasha's body flew through the air, hitting the ropes of the boxing ring and falling to the mat below. It had taken roughly a half hour of fighting, but he had finally been able to score a good punch. As Natasha struggled to sit up, Steve held up his shield.

"Tired yet?" Steve called out.

Natasha opened her mouth to give a witty response when suddenly a call over her phone made her hesitate. Quickly lifting the device to her ear without looking at the caller, she asked, "Yes?"

Steve watched as a dark expression clouded her face as she gave a quick response and hung up.

"What was that about?"

Natasha looked up at him wearily before rising to her feet.

"Barton's been compromised...again."