b Date: 10/11/2039
Location: Asgard /b

I was totally and utterly exhausted. I don't think I've ever been this tired in my life. I found it amazing that I was still walking around without crashing into things and tripping over air.

After the battle had ended, Grace and Sarah had had us all transported to Asgard to get medical attention. My first stop however, was to check on my brother who, thank the God (s?) was conscious and recovering. While I was visiting him, Coulson came to take me to Fury, which is where I'm going now.

I have never been more excited…. sigh.

"Miss. Barton." Fury greeted.

"Fury." I nodded, noticing that Coulson and Hill were in the room with us.

"What you did was against protocol."

"As are most things I do."

"It was highly irresponsible."

"Saving your lives was irresponsible?"

"We could have been assisting you and your efforts to…"

"Just stop." He gave me a death glare, but I honestly didn't care, so I kept talking, "If I had let S.H.I.E.L.D stay, my efforts wouldn't have meant a dam thing. You would have kept us all locked in the shelter until you had gotten yourselves captured or, God forbid, killed! I had to keep you in Asgard because S.H.I.E.L.D is made up of a bunch of self sacrificing idiots, myself and my parents included."

"So you banished S.H.I.E.L.D to Asgard so you and your friends could play heroes?"

"No! Ugh, would you listen! I sent you up here because the world needed you up here. Because the Hellicarrier is a frickin huge target, because I couldn't stand by and watch more people I care about get murdered by power hungry Nazis. And most of all because if we succeeded, which we did by the way, the world is going to need help, major help, help that I can't give it. But S.H.I.E.L.D can! If I had left you down there, and you died, which you would have, no one would have been capable of rebuilding the world. So there would hardly even been a point to save it!"

"You realize you will no longer be an Agent…"

"Fine! Strip my agent status, I don't care! My team is safe, the World is safe and fudging S.H.I.E.L.D is going to be there to protect it! That was my plan Fury! That was my whole plan, and it worked, and that's all that matters! Not a number and a badge!"

"Then you are dismissed…"

"Wait." Coulson piped up.

"What?" Fury screamed. I had apparently agitated him, whoops.

"You cannot dismiss her."

"Why the hell not?"

"Because she is an Avenger. How are you planning on telling the press you fired an Avenger for saving the world?"

Fury gave him a look that said so many words that I don't want to repeat.

"There were civilians filming sir, they've seen her in action, they know she lived, if she doesn't come out with the team, you're screwed. And I will be sure to tell the press exactly why you fired her." He winked at me.

"Coulson..."

"And you'd have to strip my status too, because I think what she did was very brave, a little self-sacrificing, but very brave."

"Coulson…"

"The same for me sir." Hill agreed, though her death-glare at me said otherwise.

Fury shot me a look and I smirked and shrugged my shoulders, not like I asked for this.

He threw something at my head; I caught it and glanced at the piece of plastic, it was my agent card, "Fine!" he screamed and stormed out the door, probably to his quarters.

"I'll take that." Coulson said, plucking it from my hands.

"Hey!"

He handed me a new one, and on the top, a boldly printed "Level 10" immediately stood out. I looked at Coulson, wide-eyed. "Really sir?"

"If you don't mind. I promoted your brother too, Level 9."

"Uh no, I… I don't mind. Thanks sir."

"Well we have to have the leader of the Avengers in the loop huh?" he ruffled my hair.

"The Avengers?"

"Were you going to call yourselves something else?"

"Uh no, I just… we never… we haven't really thought that far ahead sir."

"Well it's about time you start." He walked to the door Fury stormed out, probably to go calm him down, or make fun of him, you never really know with Coulson, "And Artemis?"

"Yeah?"

"You did good."

"Thanks sir."

Hill walked out after him, with one look back at me, "Don't mess this up."

"Don't intend to Ms. Hill."

She glared at me, and then swiftly went out after Coulson.

I sighed, then opened the door I came in. Ethan and Bucky were outside.

"Well?" Ethan asked.

"I'm no longer a level 7 agent…"

"What?" Bucky yelled.

"I'm gonna kill Fury!" Ethan chimed in.

"Easy there big guy…" I put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it tightly, "I didn't get fired, I got promoted. I'm a Level 10 now."

"Really?" The boys asked, I showed them my badge, which Bucky took so he could drool over it."

"Yep. Coulson said that since I'm leading the Avengers now…"

"Is that what we're calling ourselves?" Ethan asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Apparently. Has a nice ring to it."

"You think?" He asked, putting an arm around me.

"A little. Reminds me of these cool people I used to know."

"Yeah?" he chuckled, pulling me into a hug, "me too."

He was just about to kiss me (which I seriously wanted), but then Grace came running down the hall.

"Artemis! My Uncle requested your presents in the…" She skidded to a stop as Ethan and I looked up at her, still hugging, faces so close to that kiss. Bucky looked up from examining my badge too. "Did I interrupt something?" she blushed.

Ethan and I pushed away from each other.

"No Grace." Ethan responded, voice laced with sarcasm, "Why would you think that?"

"Because you two looked like you were about to…"

"Gracie." I sighed, "He was being sarcastic." she stuck her tongue out at him, a gesture that he returned. "So what's this about your Uncle?"

"Oh!" Grace said, "He requests your presents in the throne room."

I sighed, "Great, maybe someday I'll be able to sit down."

"Have you been checked out by a Doctor…"

"Healer." Grace interrupted.

"Healer, yet" Ethan asked with an eye roll at Grace.

"Nope. But I don't feel anything broken and there's no blood seeping from anywhere. So… it can wait."

"Artemis…" he warned.

I grinned at him, "I'll be fine. Go spend time with your mom and sister. I'll talk to Loki, get checked out, see my brother and come find you. No fuss."

He looked down, "Fine" he sounded defeated.

"Hey" I whispered, "Don't be so grumpy," I kissed him quickly on the lips, ignoring Bucky's "eeewww" in the background, "We just won!"

"Yeah." A smile graced his face, "I know."

"Good. Now take this punk," I grabbed my new badge from Bucky, pushing him towards Ethan, "and go see your families."

"Yes mom." he teased.

I rolled my eyes, "Scram, both of you."

They ran off laughing. My job was done. I turned to Grace, "Well, let's not keep the man with the magical powers waiting."

"Right!" she beamed, linking our arms and running off down the hall.

She lead me to a large door. "He's in there."

"Kinda figured."

"Don't forget to bow when you see him."

"Thought he wasn't technically the King?"

"Well since my Father and Grandfather are deceased, then he is next in line. Then me then Sarah."

"Great. Is he better or worse than Fury?"

A voice boomed from inside the room, "If you would quit whispering out there and come inside, you may find out."

Grace blushed, "I'll wait for you out here."

"Thanks." I smiled, also blushing. I grabbed the freakishly large door handle and pulled, it was not as heavy as I thought, still heavy, but not as heavy as I thought. I walked down towards the throne at the front of this giant room. I was nervous because, this was Loki! I don't think my parents hated anyone in the universe as much as they hated him. But I bowed anyway, because, God, he scared me!

"My name is…"

"I know who you are Artemis Barton."

"Right…" I got up and looked at him, not in the eye though, cause, I really didn't want to. "Grace said you wanted to talk to me?"

"You lead the battle?"

"Yes sir."

"There were no causalities."

"No sir."

"Was it a success?"

"Yes, I'd like to think so."

"You look far too young to lead a battle that great. How old are you?"

"16."

"That's younger than Grace-Ann."

"Yeah…"

"Well. Kneel down."

"Excuse me?"

"On one knee. Come on now."

"Uh, I kneel to no one."

He sighed, with an eye roll, "This is not about power, this is about you proving yourself to be a true warrior. True warriors must be knighted."

I was shocked, definitely not expecting that one. So I kneeled down, but I was totally ready to get up if this was a power thing.

But then he knighted me, kinda like the movies, it was awesome.

"Rise."

I rose.

"I present you this on behalf of Asgard. Consider it a thanks for protecting my nieces and our warriors. And for avenging my brother."

I swore he looked sad when he said that last one. But then I looked at what he presented me with. A bow and a set of arrows.

"They are magic." He gestured to the arrows, "There are 27, use them wisely."

"I will."

"Good. Asgard is forever indebted to you are your valiant team or warriors. You may call on us if you are ever in need of assistance."

"Thank you sir."

"Just do me one favor Miss. Barton."

"Yes?"

"Never bring Nick Fury back to Asgard."

"I think that can be arranged, though I can't say I want him on Earth."

"He is truly a strange specimen."

"Yeah, he rubs a lot of people the wrong way."

"Including you?"

I laughed, "Are you kidding, he tried to strip my Agent status because I saved the world!"

"Very strange indeed."

"I'll say."

"Well you are dismissed. Once your team is healed, Heimdell will send you all back to Midgard on that ship of yours, what do you call it?"

"The Hellicarrier. And thank you for your hospitality."

"It is our honor."

I smiled, and walked back out of the room.

Once the doors closed, Grace squealed, asking, "He knighted you?"

The voice from the other side of the door boomed, "Grace-Ann, I can still hear you."

"Sorry Uncle!" She yelled, then grabbed my hand and led me down to the healers.

I was totally fine. There were things that should have been bandaged earlier. But really, I was fine. So I went to check on my brother. The rest of my team was already with their mothers and I figured, why ruin their moment. I asked around and found he had been moved to his own quarters. So a nurse lead me down a hallway, gave me some Asgardian sleepwear to change into, and bid me goodnight. I changed in the bathroom, desperate to get out of my battle suit, then knocked on my brother's door.

"Who is it?"

"The boogeyman."

"Aw dang it, I thought I ditched you."

I pushed the door open and leaned against the door frame, "No one can ditch the boogeyman!"

"Guess I'm stuck with you then."

"Fraid so."

He smiled at me, "Asgard sure knows how to be accommodating huh?"

I scanned the room, "I'll say."

"So what's all that?" he gestured to the crap in my hands.

"My hydra-blood covered suit, and the weapon and magic arrows presented to me by the king of Asgard when I was knighted."

"You were knighted?"

"Coulson also promoted me to level 10."

"Well aren't you successful today?"

I threw his new badge at him, "You did too. Level 9, congratulations." I put my stuff down on a chair and sat on his bed.

"So you get level 10, and I only get level 9?"

"Well I did come up with the plan to save the free world. And I'm the leader of the Avengers. Besides, I bet you can guilt trip Coulson into moving you up."

"True." he coughed.

"You all right?"

"Yes mom."

I raised an eyebrow at him, he looked paler than normal, a little red on the cheeks.

"You sick?"

"Nothing I can't handle."

I put a hand to his forehead, not to warm, but not normal either. I pulled my hand away, seconds away from declaring it a "mom problem" and going to get her. But I stopped myself. Because I couldn't do that anymore. So instead I rolled my eyes and said, "scoot over you jerk."

"Whatever butthead." and he complied.

We laid there, both of us on our backs staring up at the gorgeous Asgardian ceiling, "Everything's gonna be different now huh?" my brother asked.

"Yeah. I suppose so."

"Got a plan yet Artie?"

"What makes you think I have a plan?"

"You always have a plan."

Months ago I would have disagreed with that, but I can't help but to think he might be right.

But that doesn't mean having a plan had to be a bad thing.