Hello everyone, so, I've decided I'll try to update every weekend. This means that expect chapter seven next weekend, and the weekend after that chapter eight, and so on. So much thanks to Sabina Mohammad, DreamsAreMagical, nightmarehunter676, and UseAnotherName for your kind reviews!

So here's chapter six! Enjoy!

Chapter Six: Loki Mulls Things Over And I Go Shopping

"Alright, Loki," I say. "Here's our problem." I give a dramatic gesture towards the door. Wanda walks in with the other four still on her back.

"You have a small zoo," Loki notes. "How is this a problem? I'm sure there is an actual zoo somewhere that would be willing to take them."

Thor chuckles dryly. "They are the Avengers, not actual animals."

"An Avenger's Ark," Loki says. "You want to change your name to Noah?"
"This is hardly an ark," Thor says indignantly. "Can you change them back?"
"Who am I looking at, exactly?" Loki asks.

"Wanda is the polar bear," I say. "You probably don't know her. You don't know Bucky the cat or Sam the falcon, either. But Steve is the dog and Nat is the snake."
"I see," Loki smirks. "Hello, Captain. Black Widow."

Nat hisses and bares her fangs. Wanda yawns. Bucky jumps down and pads over to sit by me.

"Can he turn us back or not?" he meows.

"Can you turn them back or not?" I repeat.

"It's hard having the undesirable urge to sniff everything," Steve complains.

"Translate, please?" Loki asks.

"Can't you speak to animals?" Sam says.

"I can't speak to animals," Loki says, annoyed.

"Can you turn them back or should I stop wasting my time?" I ask him. "I have better things to be doing." Namely, catching up on sleep.

"That's a tricky question," Loki says. "It would be easier if I could communicate with them."

I sigh and take the bottle of pills out of my pocket. I turn to Thor and hold up one tiny white pill.
"How can I get this to him?" I ask.

"What is it?" Thor and Loki ask me in unison.

"It's a pill," I say. "That will make it so you're able to communicate with all animals. They-" I jerk my thumb towards the animal Avengers, "-all have one."

"How is it that he can't speak to animals but Thor can?" Bucky asks. "Thor understood me just fine."

"I'm not sure," Loki says, immediately giving himself away. He groans and slumps his head.

"What was your plan, brother? Get us to open your cell and then escape?" Thor demands.
"Actually, yes," Loki says. "But I'll be good, I promise."

"I don't trust him," Steve growls.

"None of usss do," Nat says. "Welcome to the club."

"Look, Loki, can you turn them back or not?" I repeat a third time.

"Eh," Loki says. "Depends."

"Depends on what?" I ask, exasperated.

"I'm actually not sure," he admits. "I could certainly try. I need materials."

"What materials?" Thor asks.

"I'll make a list," Loki says. "Come back in a few hours."

I groan. Now I have to get all five of them back to their rooms.
"Sam," I say. "Do you think you could carry Steve out the window and up to your balcony?"

Sam jumps to attention and digs his talons into Steve's back. "I can certainly try, dear sister."

"Great. Do that. Thor, keep an eye on them." Sam takes off, and thankfully he's able to make it.

"They are safe," Thor announces.
"Splendid. Go distract the others. Keep them away from the stairs and the residential hallway. Wanda, stay here. Bucky, Nat, you're coming with me." I scoop up Bucky and Nat slithers near my heels. I give Thor five minutes, then take off down the hall.

I get Bucky and Nat to their respective rooms within minutes. I do a quick check to make sure Sam and Steve are okay. Sam is playing Mario Kart while flapping his wings to keep himself in the air. Steve is taking a nap."
"Hey, Alli," Nat calls from her room. "Can you bring up a ton of food for each of usss? Like, enough to lassst a week or two?"
"I'll go to the store this afternoon," I promise. I rush to the training room. It probably wasn't a good idea to leave Wanda alone with Loki this long, because I'm not sure if she can still use her powers as a polar bear. We haven't tested it out yet.

Thankfully, Wanda and Loki are ignoring each other. "Hey," Wanda says. "Ready to get me back up to my room?"
"I wouldn't do that," Thor announces, bursting through the door. "I'm sorry, Alli, but Vision was inquiring. He is currently by the stairs and wants to know if Wanda is feeling better."

"Tell him she's fine," I say. Then I come up with a brilliant idea. I go to Thor and whisper it in his ear. He looks doubtful.

"Since he is a synthezoid…"

"Exactly," I say. "We're not sure. Please, Thor."
"Oh, alright," Thor says. "I admit I have been curious as well." Thor leaves, and I wait another minute or two before following, one hand resting on Wanda's furry back.

"Elevator," Wanda says. "Stairs are hard."

I nod, and we take the elevator up to the floor the rooms are on. We make it back to her room without encountering anyone. "Alright," I say. "I'll be back with food."

"Okay," I say. "See ya. Don't let Vision into your mind!"

"Got it," Wanda says, settling down and turning on the TV with one massive paw. I close her door and head to my room. I throw on a sweatshirt, sunglasses, and cap and make sure I'm disguised as good as possible. Then I go to Steve's room for the final touch to my disguise.
"Steve," I say. Steve's ears perk up, showing he isn't actually asleep. "Steve!"

"Yeah?" he says, jumping up.

"I'm going shopping. You wanna come?"
"Yes!" he cries. "Yes, yes, yes!"
"Great," I say. "Cause I have no idea what you guys eat. For now, your name is...Patriot. Yeah, Patriot. Sound good?"

"Yes! Yes, yes, yes!" Steve barks again.

"I'm going to have to put you on a leash," I say. His ears droop. "Sorry, buddy."

"Fine," he mumbles. Then he perks up. "I've been cramped in here all day. I want to get OOOOOUUUUUUUUUUT!" he howls the last word. Loudly.

"Shh!" I hiss. "Let's go. FRIDAY, get me a leash."

Oh, shit. FRIDAY. I had completely forgotten about her-what if she told the others?
"Don't worry, Miss Wilson," FRIDAY says. "I will not tell the others. I am assuming you do not want me to."

"That's correct," I say, sighing a huff of relief. "Thanks a million, FRIDAY."

"The leash will be up shortly."

"C'mon, Steve," I say. Steve is already out the door.

Halfway to the stairs, one of Tony's "Stark Butlers," as he calls them, meets us with a leash and collar that fit Steve perfectly. It even has a little key that says "Patriot" and fake vaccine information, as well as a seeing-eye dog harness so I can bring him into the store.
"Wow," I say as I equip Steve. "FRIDAY, you're amazing."

"Thank you, Miss Wilson."

Steve and I take the elevator downstairs. The others must still be in the kitchen-

Shit.

Sharon Carter, one of my best friends, walks into the building, while we're five feet from the door.

"Hey, Alli," she says cheerfully. Then she notices I'm not alone. "Who's this?"
"This is Patriot," I say with just as cheerful a tone. "He's one of my...friends. A stray."

"That's nice," Sharon says. Steve jumps up and puts his paws on her legs. She giggles and scritches him behind the ears. Oh, this is not good. Now Sharon kneels down. Steve licks her cheek.

"Come on, Patriot," I say, tugging at Steve's leash. "We have to go shopping."

"Bye, Alli," Sharon says, sounding a bit disappointed. She gives Steve one more pat on the head and walks to the elevator. I don't move until I hear the doors close.

"Whew," I say. "That was-"

"-Close," Steve finishes. "Did I do a good job acting like a normal dog?"
"Perfect," I say. "Let's go shopping."

Ten minutes later, we're walking into the supermarket.

"Hello," a young man greets us - well, me - cheerfully. "How may I help you today?" He looks me over once, noting the sunglasses and the dog.

"I should be good," I say, mimicking his cheerful tone. "Patriot, get me a basket." Steve walks over to the baskets and grabs one in his mouth. He drags it over to me and I bend down and grab it.

The young man nods. I catch him watching me curiously but don't say anything. He snags a microphone pinned on his shirt, easily mistaken for talking to other store workers. I recognize the mark on the side as the same symbol on the machine that turned half the Avengers into animals.
"He's one of them," I mutter to Steve. "Act natural. If they come, aim for biting the soft spots. Barrel them down if you have to."

"Got it," Steve growls, 'guiding' me towards the meat section. He takes what he wants and puts it in the basket, I'm not paying attention. I'm scanning the aisles for other soldiers of the mark - you know, I think I'm just going to call it that. The Mark. I don't know what it's actually called, no one does, but it's not HYDRA. I glance down as a heavy weight is added to the basket. But Steve is nowhere to be found -

"Everybody RUN!" I scream as what's been placed in my basket blinks faster. Steve jumps to attention, dropping the steak he was carrying in his mouth. Thank god I have a bulletproof vest on.

"It's a bomb!" someone yells.
"Steve, go!" I scream, dropping the leash. I morph into a bear and pray my poofy fur will cover the bomb. I drop over it and squeeze my eyes shut. I hear patrons running, screaming, Steve barking. The bomb explodes.

I groan and open my eyes. I'm human again, sitting a few feet away from the remains of my basket and the bomb. A few people are picking themselves up off the ground, but no one is injured. Steve licks my face.

"You okay?" he mutters.
"Fine," I groan. I look around. My hat and sunglasses have been blown off, and people are pointing towards me. I look around, see the man that greeted us and another man that must have stuck the bomb in my basket running away.
"Get back to Stark Towers," I tell Steve. "Hide out in the alleys near it. Do not come after me."

"What are you-"

I get up and run after them, shifting into a tiger mid-stride. People scream and jump out of the way, and I don't stop chasing after them. With one more stride I've taken the slower one, the young 'greeter' down. I shift into human form and aim my fist at his face. I swear under my breath as the other one runs out the supermarket door.

"Don't let him escape," I say to the shoppers standing around us. They let me out and form a tight circle, and I shift back into a tiger. As I take off, I hear people muttering. 'That's the Shifter!' Yes, I know very well I'm the Shifter, thanks.

I pump my legs faster. I've almost caught up with him-

And he dives into a waiting van. I shift to human form, stumbling, and whip my phone out my pocket. I barely manage to snap a picture of the back of the van. I zoom in on the license plate and send it to Tony.

"Enemy soldiers. Send help."

I quickly shift into a hawk and spot a golden retriever running in the direction of Stark Tower. I grin to myself and fly faster after the van.

We're almost out of urban Manhattan when I spot a comforting sight. Three people are flying towards me, two suits and a man.

Iron Man, War Machine, and Vision nearly collide into me.

"Alli?" Vision asks, pausing as Iron Man and War Machine continue. I morph into human form and he catches me.

"Yeah," I say.

"You look terrible."

"Bomb," I say vaguely. "I blocked it. Go after them-stop the van. At least two people. They were the ones-" that turned the others into animals. But I can't say that.
"The ones that had the machine," I say. "That blew up."

"Alright," Vision says. "You'd better get back to Stark Tower. Shall I alert medical?"
"No," I say. "I'm fine." I pause, thinking of what to say. "Thanks."

"My pleasure," he says. I note with satisfaction that he called me Alli earlier and not Miss Wilson. I shift back into hawk form and Vis and I part ways.

I fly as fast as I can back to Stark Tower, shifting into human form feet from the ground and landing gracefully. A few people mutter and point, and a golden retriever jumps up from out of the shadows.

"They're on it," I whisper into Steve's ear as I bend down to 'pet' him. He gives a huff of relief as we hurry inside.

"I take it your shopping trip didn't go very well, then," Thor greets us.

I groan. "I completely forgot about the food. I have five animals counting on me here."

"I'll handle it," Thor says. He glances at the cell phone in his hand. "I never have gotten the hang of these," he muses. "Perhaps…"

"FRIDAY," I say. "Get enough food to last all five animal Avengers at least two weeks. If we have extra, the rest of us can always eat it."
"Yes, Miss Wilson," FRIDAY says. "Enough food for a dog, cat, snake, polar bear, and falcon to eat for two weeks has just been ordered. It will be delivered to each of their rooms shortly."
"Thanks a gajillion, FRIDAY," I huff.

"I have heard that term," Thor says, confused. "It puzzles me. I don't think gajillion is a real number."
"It's not," Steve barks. "It's an expression."
"It means thanks a lot," I say.

Thor nods in understanding.

"Any progress with Loki?" I ask.

"He has made a list of materials," Thor says. "The invisible woman ordered everything."
"FRIDAY," FRIDAY says. "My name is FRIDAY, and technically I'm a computer system. Like JARVIS."
"Yes," Thor says. "I remember JARVIS."

"What materials does he need?" I ask. "Nothing that he could get out using. And one of us has to be monitoring him at all times while he's making it."
"Don't worry, Alli," Thor says. "It's all been taken care of. But you need to rest. You look dead on your feet."
"You really do," Steve barks. It's only then that I realize how tired I am. The adrenaline rush has faded, leaving me totally exhausted.

"I think the stress is getting to me," I say grimly.

"The stress of what?" Thor asks.
"Keeping this a secret."

Thor nods again. "Steve, make sure she gets to bed."
"It's only, like, three!" I protest.
"Perfect, you'll be up for dinner," Steve barks. "Come on, Alli. Or I'll get Sam."
"Fine," I grumble. "I'm-" pause for a huge yawn "-coming."
As soon as we make it upstairs, though, which takes Steve and I a good five minutes, there's a huge crash from the first floor. We both freeze, our heads turning slowly towards the lower floors. We glance at each other and Bucky comes tearing out of his room.

"Downstairs," Bucky hisses.
I turn towards the stairs. Steve shoves himself in front of the door.

"Oh, no," he says. "We're taking the elevator."

I glare at him and go to the elevator. Nobody is on the bottom floor.

"Med ward," Bucky suggests. I push the button for the infirmary floor, which is (not - surprisingly) very large.

Vision and Thor are hovering near the door uncertainly. I jog over, the cat and dog in my wake. I haven't seen Sharon since Steve and I left, which is probably for the better. She's just another person to keep a secret from. Actually, she might be the only person I could tell that wouldn't blow my face off.

"Who's the dog?" Vision asks.
"Patriot," I respond. "Another friend. Where are Rhodey and Tony?"
Vision points across the room towards two occupied beds. I groan when I see them - Rhodey is sitting up and sipping water, but Tony is out cold. The three of us (plus two animals) hurry over.

"What happened?" I ask, crouching down by Rhodey's bed.

"We got 'em," Rhodey says hoarsely. "They had machine guns. Shot Tony down. I got him and Vis blew up the van."
"Good," I nod. I turn to Tony's bed. Dr. Helen Cho is taking his vitals.

"He'll be fine," she announces. "Just air pressure."

The room lets out a bated breath. We're all good.

"Now I really must insist you get to bed," Thor says, clearing his throat at me. "Patriot, Pig, make sure she gets up there."

"Will do, boss," Pig - er, Bucky - meows sarcastically. I make it up to my room no problem, and open the door to Wanda, Nat, and Sam in my room again.

"You've got to be kidding me," I sigh. But I'm too tired to argue, and simply strip off my sweatshirt and bulletproof jacket and flop onto the bed. Everyone resumes the same positions they were in last night, Sam pressed against my face, Nat curled at the end of the bed, Wanda on one arm and Steve on the other, and Bucky on my stomach. Within seconds, I plunge into a nightmare-filled sleep.

Again, thanks so much to everyone for reading! Review, follow, favorite, and I should have the next chapter up by next weekend!

Actually, I wrote the first AN while school was still going and forgot completely about summer vacation. So probably next weekend, but maybe a little sooner!