Disclaimer: I don't own neither InuYasha or The Avengers.

One moment I was standing with Steve, staring at Kagura smirking at us from the other side of my barrier, the Saimyosho buzzing all around. The next my barrier was shattered as Kagura whipped out with the all too familiar fan.

I managed to throw myself out of the way before her wind could gather into silvery arcs intent on cutting down opponents. Quickly I stood, wishing I had my bow with me, and looked around for my comrade.

"Steve!" I shouted, dodging a Saimyosho and sprinting along the meat-clad wall. "Steve! Are you alright?"

It was chaos; wherever I looked all I saw was the bodies of hundreds of insects. Sometimes I thought I saw a glint of red, sometimes blue. Every time I did I ran in that direction, and every time I realized it was yet another piece of the metal behind the meat or some light shining up the horrible substance I faltered in my steps.

Where was he? Horror rose in my throat at the possibilities, images of what Kagura's wind could do.

"Ste-" I began, but stopped as the hairs on my neck raised to attention. I ducked just in time as a wind arc sliced through the air where my head had just been.

"Little miko," Kagura taunted. Her voice echoed in the space over the buzzing of the hell-insects – it was impossible to know where the wind-demon was. "How can you still be alive? Naraku is most curious about that fact."

She sounded bored, almost annoyed as she spoke. I tensed. "Naraku?" I shouted back, ducking behind a dentation in the floor.

A chuckle danced around me and I could hear her fan snapping closed. "Yes – Naraku." She was silent for a few seconds before she laughed, so loud and terrible that I cringed. "Oh! You thought he was dead? Little miko, Naraku cannot die."

My eyes widened, my body tensed. No. "You're lying!" I screamed, chancing a peek out of my cover before drawing back as some Saimyosho flew toward me. I gathered what energy I had left to my hands and flared it out, as if I was pushing someone away from me. The insects became dust at contact, but more just kept coming.

"Would I lie about something like that?" Her voice, directly in my ear and her breath dusting my cheek. I twirled, energy still gathered and intent in disintegrating her to oblivion, but there was no one there. She laughed again, echoing around me. A voice in the air as Saimyosho buzzed all around. "Don't you recognize this setting? Oh that's right – you weren't there. How silly of me to forget the moment Naraku killed your friends."

My heart wrenched. 'No, she's lying, you heard him on your way to the plane, InuYasha was there, he was alive, Souta said he was there.' I clenched both my teeth and my eyelids together. If he was alive, then why were I thinking of him in past tense?

I flexed my fingers, tried to force the familiar pink sparks to appear before my eyes – but all I managed to do were a dull light that sputtered and then dissipated.

"That the kitsune brat survived for so long were a surprise really. That the taijiya and monk didn't weren't." I heard the gentle tap of feet touching ground, and then the harsh clicking of heels heading in my direction. I peeked over the edge of my cover and watched horrified as the demoness sashayed closer. "Now I'm tired of this game of hide-and-seek, so be a good girl and-"

She broke of as an object whizzed by and nearly cut Kagura's head clean of had the demon not had such inhuman reflexes. The projectile continued onward, into the darkness, before it whizzed back the same way it came. The winddemon huffed in annoyance. "Humans – why must you always be such a nuisance?"

To my surprise and relief I saw Steve carefully approaching from deeper within the tunnel. "Stop where you are – you won't get away," he murmured stiffly. He held his hands up before him with his shield – the projectile, I realized – and his stance was so tense that I had no doubt he was used to fighting.

A cold imaginary hand pressed over my throat, hitching my breath. But he didn't know just who or what Kagura was. If he tried to attack her, then…

Against all my inner instincts I jumped out of my hiding place, using Kagura's momentary distraction as I ran toward Steve. I didn't look back at Kagura who no doubt had an eyebrow raised and a cold smirk on her features.

Steve didn't look at me as I came toward him. He kept his eyes on the threat should anything happen, and he didn't move a muscle, either to meet me or jump at Kagura. But as soon as I was within reach he grabbed my arm and shoved me behind his back, where I stood unsure of what had just happened.

Kagura snorted and let out a low cackle. "This is however a very reassuring image, isn't it Kagome? Another male, another time – but still so sure of themselves and adamant about protecting little poor you." Her red eyes narrowed and she smiled cunningly. "I wonder why that is? 'Tis remarkable how every human and demon with a y-chromosome is drawn to you."

I blushed angrily. "I can take care of myself! Had I only had my bow-"

"Which you don't," Steve interrupted quietly, completely catching me off-guard. For a brief second I wondered how he knew I used a bow, but discarded it as Steve lunged at Kagura.

"Don't-!" I shouted, but it was too late as he threw a punch at the demoness, who only laughed and was out of the way before the hit could land. But then both she and I dropped our jaws as he turned with the speed of lightning – suddenly matching the wind enchantress' speed.

Punch, punch, dodge, jump – a dance formed between them as I watched, mouth hanging loosely and eyes the size of plates. Their movements blurred to a canvas of blue, red and white, but either had yet to touch their opponent. Kagura made it even more difficult for Steve as she threw wind at him, knocking him back momentarily before he was on her heels again.

Then suddenly it was over as Kagura received a straight right punch to her jaw. Her eyes budged as she gasped and cradled the hurt, while Steve stood some meters away, he too breathing shallowly but nonetheless still standing threatingly.

"I don't normally punch women," he said between breaths. "But with some I must make an exception."

She huffed, flinched at the motion, then raised her fist. The air buzzed as the damned Saimyosho came back again, whirling around the demon. "This isn't over." She murmured over the noise within the cocoon of insects.

'Heard it all before,' I wanted to say, but as the air cleared and the buzzing along with the insects disappeared, Kagura was gone – thus unable to receive my words.

Steve relaxed somewhat and glanced over at me, eyes narrowed in concern. "Are you alright?"

I opened my mouth to answer, but a loud rumbling – and what I believed was metal groaning under pressure – sounded through the space. "What was that?" I asked, my voice strangely calm. Inside, I began to panic.

Steve looked around, his jaw tensing. "Our cue to leave. Fast."

He didn't say more before we were both running through the corridor.

-ooo-

"Now what?" I asked.

Steve looked up, down and forward. Then he pinched the bridge of his nose. "So cliché…" he murmured. Before I could ask, he continued, "I guess we jump."

I stared incredulously at him and then eyed the open space before our feet skeptically, the air howling as it traveled in and out of the now gone door. "And how are we surprised to survive?"

He shrugged. "Just hold onto me," he said. Then he grabbed my waist tightly and jumped.

Had it been InuYasha or Kirara, I would have felt safe – almost giddy over the height and the small dots of barely noticeable buildings below us, because I knew neither InuYasha nor Kirara would let me fall to my death.

With Steve, a man I only knew the name of and that he had a tendency of dressing in skintight clothing, I didn't feel as safe. Plus, he was human, as far as I could tell.

I screamed my lungs out, throwing my hands around his neck and desperately clinging onto him as we fell. He tried to murmur comforting things to me, I think – but I couldn't be sure as my hair whipped around us like giant batwings and my screams got caught in the roaring wind. I was pretty sure I was slightly strangling him as well, but I would deal with that later.

If later ever came, that is. I closed my eyes tightly and hid my face in Steve's neck as I settled for terrified whimpers instead.

Another sound came then, and a second later I and Steve weren't falling anymore. It didn't make me calm down however – we were flying even faster than when we had fallen and we were going sideways.

I only knew of one person who could go at this speed high up in the air.

Immediately I begun fighting the hold Steve had of me, kicking and punching around me. Instincts developed from being kidnapped from time to time again kicked in with vigor – literally, as my feet connected with different parts of Steve's body. Steve grunted as I managed to slam my fist against his cheek, but didn't berate me otherwise.

I desperately tried to call my miko powers forth, but couldn't feel them anywhere – other than a faint sputter in my mind, I was like the Bone Eater's well; completely depleted. Only adrenaline and fear had me going right now.

"Calm down, Kitten, it is a long fall if you make me lose my grip – I doubt even you would be able to land on your feet from this height."

I stilled, breathing slightly labored as adrenaline raced through my veins. "Tony?" I asked quietly. His voice sounded strange, but at the same time as something I had heard before.

He chuckled. "Who else would be there catching you as you fall, stray Kitten?"

I didn't quite understand what he meant, but found myself not caring. Warily I blinked my eyes open, still not completely convinced that Steve and I were out of danger. Red and gold filled my vision, along with blue and white; the latter colors I recognized as Steve's, but the formers…

"Robot!" I shouted, too tired to hold my thoughts to myself.

The robot's head turned towards me, its shining eyes glinting at me. It looked positively amused for some reason.

... well. I'm terribly sorry for this ridiculously late update. Life got in the way; school, sick grandma, wild cats running rampage in the house and, of course, life in general.

I can't promise the next chapter will be up faster, but I will do my best!