Disclaimer: I don't own Avengers, or Marvel.

Battle of New York

Sigyn gave up. The time for information hunting was done. She pulled out the small device Loki had given her on the ride here. It didn't look like the phones she'd remembered the last time they were here.

She dialed the first number out of two on the contact list.

"Where are you?" Loki's angry voice bounced out of the tiny speaker.

"I am 51 St. and 7 Ave. I was planning on heading back to the Tower. I wondered if you needed anything?"

"Is Barton with you?"

"No. He should be with you. I sent him back an hour ago."

There was tense silence over the phone. Sigyn could hear static as he took a deep breath into the receiver.

"He never came back."

"What do you want me to do?"

"Come back and guard the tesseract. I have a unwelcome visitor I have to deal with." Loki hung up without another word.

Sigyn sighed in frustration, and dialed the other number.

"Who is this?"

"Clint, it's Sigyn. Where are you?"

There was a pause. "Don't call this number again. Loki stabbed Natasha. As far as I'm concerned, we're done."

Sigyn lowered the phone slowly as the dial tone whined in her ear. Sigyn looked up in time to see cape of red fly through her peripheral vision.

AAAAA

Loki threw the phone away from him. His patience was wearing thin as he stalked up to the ledge, and watched the war he had created.

"Loki!"

It wasn't a greeting, and Loki decided to respond as such. Scepter first, questions later.

"Turn off the tesseract!"

Loki smiled as he tilted his head to the side. "No." Then he pounced.

To fight Thor was like a rehearsing a dance. The brothers had trained together, and honed their techniques together. Loki knew Thor's favorite maneuvers and his weaknesses like the back of his own hand.

Thor held Loki in a locked position.

"Look at what you've done."

Loki glanced at the skyline, and widened his eyes in disbelief. If Sigyn couldn't convince him to stop, Thor had no chance.

"It's too late."

"Perhaps if you were alone, but together we can fix this." Thor clasped Loki's cheek, his eyes betrayed his trust. They widened with pain when Loki stabbed him.

"Sentiment" Loki muttered as he stepped back. It was Thor's weakness, he still cared, and that was simple to manipulate. It was child's play.

Thor barrelled into Loki angrily, lifting him up and slamming him into the ground. Loki rolled off the roof without another thought, it was time for his exit. It was time to see his work first hand.

AAAAA

"We're done." Clint hung up as angrily as he could on a touch screen phone. It wasn't very satisfying.

"Clint?" A soft voice brought his focus back into the room.

"Hey, Nat." Clint sat beside Natasha's bed. They were in a white, sterile hospital room.

"You're you."

"Yeah, it's me." Clint smiled softly as he took her hands in his.

"What happened?"

"You gave me a shock big enough to reset my mind."

"No. Why am I in a hospital?"

"You lost a lot of blood. They gave you a blood transfusion, and bound your wound in something more professional than your torn uniform."

"I can't stay here."

"I know. My apartment is only a few blocks away. You can safely rest there while I clean up my mess."

"Clint" Natasha said slowly in a patronizing tone, "You know me too well for that."

"It was worth a try." Clint sighed as he threw Natasha's clothes at her. "Get changed."

Natasha got up, albeit a little shaky, she was fine. Clint turned around and faced the wall, though he didn't have to. He'd seen Natasha in plenty of compromising situations, not that he'd wanted to, but that's what came with the job when you're the eyes above. He was sure that on any other day Natasha would have made fun of his kind gesture, but not after what she'd admitted. Focus Barton, Clint thought sternly, forcing himself to give her an update.

"I've spoken to Fury. They don't know where Hulk is, but apparently Thor is alive. He was spotted flying in the direction of Stark Tower. Tony and the Captain are headed into the field right now."

"Good. We'll meet them there." Natasha's fingers trailed Clint's neck as she passed him. He couldn't help but shiver slightly. "Tell me you retrieved my weapons before they took my clothes."

"Do I look stupid?" Clint asked, holding up her pistols.

She took them, "Do you really want me to answer?"

"No."

"Do we have a plan?"

"There's a lift down the hall. It's away from most personnel, and opens up in the back. I figure we can knock anyone out if they get in the way.'

"We don't want that." Natasha muttered.

"Why?"

"I have a feeling this place is going to get a lot more traffic soon."

The agents quickly ran to the lift, close to the walls. They only had to duck once for a nurse, it was probably their easiest getaway yet. The lift was even there when they arrived. If this was a sanctioned mission, Clint would have worried that something was terribly wrong. Easy wasn't necessarily a good sign.

"So," Clint started as they stood silently in the lift, "Did you mean what you said back there?"

"Where?"

"At Stark Tower."

"Oh, that."

"Yeah. Do you think we should talk about that?"

Natasha looked up at Clint with an unreadable expression. Natasha hated weaknesses, Clint couldn't imagine what it must have taken for her to admit to one.

"I am not in the mood for an awkward elevator chat. If we get out of this alive, we'll talk."

"Deal."

The lift shuddered to a stop. Clint silently pulled the metal chain, lifting the door open. The outside world was utter chaos.

"Damn" Clint whispered.

AAAAA

Loki landed on a Chitauri aircraft. He swiveled the machine to the side, and scanned the ground below. He saw a circle forming in one of the main streets. Thor had joined Rogers, Natasha, and the Iron Man. Good, the monster wasn't there. Where was Clint?

Loki sped down the street, he cocked his head to the right, and snatched an arrow midair. He saw Clint's angry face, and couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. Clint should know out of all them that a mere arrow wouldn't fool him.

Then it exploded in his face.

Fantastic.

"This is so boring." Thor whispered. Loki nodded silently in assent. This lesson had been going on for too long. Loki knew all he needed to successfully invade any realm of his choice.

There was a moment of silence as their tutor cleared his throat obnoxiously, and then the droning of dull words continued on.

"Did you see Sigyn off earlier?"

"What?" Loki responded too loudly, earning a glare from the tutor.

"She's leaving today. I thought you would have said farewell before she left." Thor muttered quickly while looking straight ahead.

"I thought her mother was coming tomorrow to bring her home."

"No. I already said my farewells. All her things are packed, she might already be gone."

Loki stared at the wall as his mind raced. He wasn't ready for her to leave.

"I have to get out of here." Loki hurriedly whispered.

"We have another half hour of this to go."

"I need a distraction."

Thor turned and gave Loki a smug grin. "That is something I can do."

AAAAA

Loki laughed wildly as he ran away, rushing through the halls. He hadn't realized how good Thor was at making distractions, and making a fool of himself.

He took a breath, against a wall. The excitement of his escapee eased, allowing him to become serious. He couldn't mess this up. Not today.

Loki took one last deep breath before he continued to sneak through the halls.

AAAAA

Sigyn fidgeted uncomfortably as her mother spoke with the Queen. She really didn't want to go. Her things were all packed, and loaded in the carriage. She had already said goodbye to Thor and her other friends. But they weren't who she would miss the most.

"Sigyn."

Sigyn whirled around to see Loki's head pop from behind the wall, one finger on his lips, the other hand beckoned her to come.

Sigyn smiled and snuck behind the wall.

"I thought you weren't going to say goodbye."

"I wish I didn't have to." Loki whispered.

Sigyn looked away awkwardly. She didn't know what to expect.

The last few months had confused their friendship. They had kissed that one time in the library, and never talked about it again. Certainly there was hidden smiles and at times they touched more than was strictly necessary. But Sigyn wasn't a princess and Loki was a prince, a second prince for that matter. Thor had more freedom in regards to marriage and love, but Loki did not.

She knew she had to go. She knew nothing was going to happen.

Sigyn turned back to Loki, whose gaze had never left her face. He was clearly studying her, perhaps he was trying to memorize her features.

"I...I have to go Loki." Sigyn's voice faltered under his direct gaze.

Loki shifted his weight, pressing a hand on the wall behind Sigyn's head. "Promise you'll write."

"I promise."

Loki nodded silently, his eyes traversed her face. Sigyn couldn't tell if he knew how close he had gotten to her, and if he was aware of how his hot breath felt against her cheek.

"Loki?" She whispered.

His lips met hers, ending any previous thought. Sigyn shivered against the cool stones she was pressed upon, this was a new sensation. Loki tore himself away from her, and stalked off without another look.

Sigyn could hardly breath.

Sigyn warily stepped out of the elevator. The utter silence seemed to grow as she had left the street. She knew she was supposed to guard the tesseract, but that seemed futile.

The scientist stammered as she approached the tesseract. She swiftly tapped his forehead, and he slumped to the ground. Knocked out unconscious. Sigyn crouched by the machinery. It was clear that there was a force field of some sort around the device, therefore she didn't just reach out for it.

Wouldn't that be easy? Just to take the device, and hand it over to Thanos. No fuss, no muss. Easy only existed in her wildest dreams.

She stretched her magic out, and began to read the protective barrier.

"Sigyn?"

She paused quickly to find Loki entering the floor. She stood up.

"What are you doing?"

"Nothing, my dearest."

"That's a lie."

"Yes."

Loki walked out onto the porch, and eyed her carefully. Sigyn stood erect and gazed steadily at him.

The whoosh of machinery broke their eye contact.

"You have a visitor. I will wait." Sigyn smiled ruefully before turning invisible.

"You're a minx." Loki growled at the place where she should be standing. He looked up with slight disinterest, and followed the man of Iron into the building.

Sigyn glanced back at the tesseract. She had lowered it's forces significantly, but she couldn't do anymore with Loki so close. She tailed her husband quietly.

"Please don't tell me you're going to appeal to my humanity" Loki called out playfully.

"Uh actually I am kinda here to threaten you." Tony walked up behind the bar.

"Should've left your armor on for that." Loki looked to the side, Sigyn knew he was searching for her.

"Yeah. It's seen a bit of mileage, seeing that you have glow stick thingy. You like a drink?

"Stalling won't change anything."

"No. No, threatening. No drink? You sure? I'm having one."

"The chitauri are here. What do I have to fear?

"The Avengers….That's sorta what we call ourselves, it's like a team, Earth's mightiest heroes type of thing."

Sigyn sat down suddenly, and grasped at her head. Images flashed by too quickly to comprehend. Only one thing was clear, this man could help with her with a problem that she didn't know about yet.

"You're missing the point, there's no throne, there is no version of this where you come out on top

"How will your friends have time to fight me, when they're fighting you?" Sigyn watched groggily as Loki pressed his scepter against Tony's chest multiple times. "This usually works."

"Well, performance issues aren't unheard of, 1 out of 5-" Tony stopped as Loki took him by the mouth, dragging towards the window.

"You will all fall before me" Loki growled angrily.

"No, Wait!" Sigyn shouted too late, as Tony's faint voice yelled, "Jarvis! Jarvis, deploy!" as he fell.

"What did you do?!" Sigyn shouted, flickering into sight as she grasped Loki's collar.

"I threw a man out a window." Lok said in a matter of fact voice.

Sigyn was lost for words. She gave an exasperated sigh, and tore out of the building.

AAAAA

Loki was sick of being pushed around. First his father, and Thor, and now his wife was telling him what to do. They had no right! Well- Loki amended his thought- Sigyn had always been bossy, he didn't mind her.

Loki glanced out of the hole in the window, and his stomach twisted at the destruction he'd created. There was a time where he dreamed of creating a perfect kingdom, a time where he argued against wars opting for diplomacy or trickery.

As he looked down on this mess he'd created, he desperately wanted to feel satisfaction, but all he felt was tired.

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted something green.

AAAAA

Sigyn rushed into the onslaught of battle. A chitauri growled behind her, she quickly twisted his out stretched hand slamming him onto the ground and broke his neck. She didn't give it another glance. Her mind was on autopilot as she ran into the herd of people fleeing.

"Move move move" Sigyn muttered as she pushed past the innocents. Where was he?

There.

What was he doing with that artillery?

But, but that was a suicide mission. Sigyn couldn't afford to freeze, she couldn't let that happen.

She teleported to his side, grabbing his hand. "Stop!"

It was too late. He rocketed into the air, and somehow Sigyn found herself being dragged through the air at impossibly fast speeds.

Sigyn held tighter to the metal man, and closed her eyes. Fear coursed through her body, and pierced her soul.

And then the silence was deafening.

Her eyes fluttered open to watch as he pushed the bomb towards the battleships. Sigyn glanced downwards, and saw the portal closing.

She'd been taught as a child that every planet had some level of gravity, but space did not. One could float in space for eternity. They weren't going to make it. The portal was too far away, and there was about to be an explosion.

She'd never teleported anyone but herself. She didn't know if she could.

The bomb went off. There was a bright flash of light blinding Sigyn. She willed them to be at the portal with all her heart, mind, and soul. She knew it shouldn't be enough, but it was all she had left to give.

Sigyn slipped into the world of the unconscious around the same time Tony did. Little did they realize that they appeared on the other side of the portal right as it closed.