Author's Notes: As hoped, here is your New Year's Day edition. Happy 2013, everyone!

... ...

Steve handed Beth out of the limo and then reached in to take Dr. G from Clint Barton. She was trembling slightly, still holding the ice pack to her face. The bleeding had slowed, considerably, but hadn't stopped. "We'll be up to your suite in a minute," he assured her, though he wasn't sure that would help any.

"No. Take me to the testing room. I need to bleed off some of the energy or it's just going to get worse," she mumbled. Pulling the blood-stained towel away from her nose she frowned. "No pun intended."

Huh? "Uh, okay." He strode to the elevator, cradling her in his arms. "Jarvis, testing level, please," he ordered as the doors opened and they entered the elevator.

"Yes, Captain Rogers," Jarvis replied. "Master Archer, would you be available to take a call from Director Fury and Dr. Selvig?"

"Yeah, why not, that will just be the icing on the cake tonight," Barton muttered.

Steve grinned. "I'll get Dr. G situated and then meet you in the comm room." He looked at Beth. "Oh, um, I should have the driver take you home, I guess. I'm really sorry about this."

"It's okay. But maybe I can stay and help with Kara? I start my internship in May, so I do know a few things about being a medical doctor," she reminded him.

"Oh, yeah. But..." he trailed off, trying to find a tactful way to tell her that she didn't have clearance.

"Steve, really. I'll sign confidentiality paperwork, whatever you need. My dad was Secret Service, he was killed in the line of duty a while back, but I was old enough to know all about that kind of thing."

He shrugged. "Okay. Doc, that sound okay to you?"

"Yeah, sure. Probably a good idea."

They exited on the testing level leaving Barton to go back up to the communications level alone. The testing level was several stories underground which unnerved him a bit. He had an ongoing concern that if something went wrong down here it could take out the whole building. They'd all tried to explain to him why it couldn't, but it still bugged the heck out of him. "Okay, here we go," he said as Beth stepped ahead of him and held open the door that Jarvis had unlocked for them. "Where should I put you?"

"I can stand, you know," Dr. G told him, sounding irritated. He flushed and set her on her feet. "Beth, help me get out of this dress and then take it into that observation room over there. Normally what I do doesn't affect my clothing, but this is a designer original, and I really don't want to chance it considering how crappy I feel. Steve, show Beth how to secure the…are you blushing? Oh for God's sake, Steve. I've still got my underwear on."

"Sorry, I…uh, force of habit?"

"Jesus. Beth, you've got a lot of work to do with that man."

Beth giggled. "That's okay. I'm thinking he's worth it."

He fought back another blush. "Uh, thanks. Let me show you how to do the lock down in the observation room to keep you safe while Dr. G does her thing." He led the way into the reinforced and shielded room and then showed her the mechanism and explained the control panel. "If anything goes wrong, just call out to Jarvis, he's the computer system that runs the tower, and he'll get me or Clint, okay?"

"I've got it. Thanks for trusting me, Steve." She laid one hand on his chest and touched his tensed jaw with the other.

"No, thank you for helping, it means a lo…" Her lips reached his and he totally lost track of what he'd been trying to say. He gasped when she pulled back slightly, grinning mischievously. "Um. Wow."

She smiled. "I love it that you blush, I think it's really sweet. But you'd better go take that call from director whosits."

"Yeah, um…yeah. If you need anything…"

"I'll ask Jarvis, I've got this."

"Thanks." He leaned in and kissed her back, quickly, then headed for the elevator, fighting another blush. "Good thing she likes the blush," he muttered crossly as the elevator doors closed. "Doesn't look like I'm going to be able to stop doing it anytime soon."

… …

Beth finished locking down the room, then hit the intercom lever that Steve had shown her. "Okay, Kara. I'm all locked in." The redhead nodded and then turned to face what looked like dummies made of wrapped material. Beth gasped as three of them burst into flame. "Oh, wow. That's…awesome," she whispered.

Kara Gunnarssen looked over her shoulder at her. "It's freaky," she corrected.

"Oh, crap. Sorry, I forgot to turn off the intercom. But, you know, it really is awesome. I mean, yeah, Iron Man could do that, but only with tech. You don't need tech."

The pyrokinetic shrugged. "I need tech to protect myself from everything else. Tony's armor protects him. Steve can take hit after hit and keep on going. Bruce, hell, shoot Bruce and you get the Hulk spitting the bullets back out at you. Me, not so much."

Beth shrugged. "They'd have to see you coming, first." She frowned as a printer turned on and papers flowed out of it.

"Miss Anderson, please read and sign the confidentiality agreement. I am making a video record of you doing so in lieu of witnesses," the disembodied voice of the tower's computer system advised her.

"I can't witness, Jarvis?" Kara said from the other room.

"No, Dr. Gunnarssen. Verification independent of the Avengers is necessary. I'm sending a live feed to legal of the proceedings."

"Okay, just checking." She walked up to the viewport. "I'm done in here. Do you want to go up and get something to eat with me once you've read through that?"

Beth looked up from her reading. "Ah, sure. Let me get the door." She reached over and hit the disengage buttons for the lockdown. The hydraulics released the door with an audible hiss. "This might take a while," she continued, holding up the stack of papers.

"No problem. I'm going to go up to my suite, take a quick shower and then get some street clothes on." Beth felt her eyebrows lift as Kara looked her over critically. "You're about my size, give or take an inch here and there. I've got some clean workout clothes you can borrow if you want to get comfortable."

"Sure, that would be great."

"Jarvis, when Miss Anderson is done here, direct her to my suite."

"Yes, doctor."

"See you in a few," Kara told her with a tired smile as she picked up her dress and headed for the elevator.

"Okay." Beth slogged her way through the rest of the document. One thing her dad had always insisted on was that you read every page of a contract, regardless of how much you trust the people who have offered it. Finally reaching the end, she picked a pen from a cup of pens and pencils that sat on the room's desk and started to sign at the bottom.

"Miss Anderson. I apologize for the necessity, but you will first need to read the contract aloud and then indicate that you are signing it willingly and without coercion."

"Oh, okay. That makes sense." She sat back down and picked up the first page. "I, Bethany Margaret Carter Anderson, do hereby swear and affirm…"

… …

Clint looked up as Cap strode into the room. "What's up?" the still tuxedo-clad man asked.

"Something's going on with that freaking scepter. S.H.I.E.L.D. is in a panic and wants us to come guard it."

"Well, if we're not actually under attack, they've got to agree to the standard contracted rates," Steve said with a shrug, obviously trying to appear disinterested.

Fury sighed from the screen. "Yes, the contracts are signed and on their way to you. When can you get here?"

"Well, Clint and I can leave now. Tony can join us later. He's in the middle of his engagement ball and I'm not going to ask him to leave it if we don't have an actual attack ongoing."

"How's Kara?" Fury asked.

"Not sure, she was still blowing off some steam when I left them. Jarvis?"

"Yes, captain. Dr. Gunnarssen is headed to her suite for a shower and a change of clothing. She appears to be much improved."

"Fury, we'll check with her and see if she's up for it. She had another migraine tonight, so it's iffy right now."

"Understood. Keep me informed."

Fury signed off and Clint looked at Rogers. "I don't know if that's a good idea," he told Steve.

"Are you going to tell her she can't if she wants to? Or take off without her and deal with how upset she'll be later?"

"That would not just be no, but hell, no." Clint sighed. "Jarvis, open up a line to Dr. G's suite."

"Opened, Master Archer."

Rogers shook his head. "Are you never gonna get that fixed?"

He grinned. "Why? I kind of like it."

"It might bug Dr. G, considering who came up with it."

"Oh, shit. I never thought of that. Damn."

"It doesn't bother me, Clint," Dr. G's voice came over the line Clint had forgotten he'd asked for. "It makes me smile."

"Cool. Fury needs backup for guarding the scepter, something funky is going down with it and they're running around like chickens without heads."

"We going?"

He winced. "Ah, yeah, if you're up to it."

"No problem. Make me up a few fluffanutter sandwiches for the road, guys. I'm going to need the carbs and the protein and grab me a few cokes for the caffeine. I'll suit up and meet you near the helipad. Oh, Steve, I'll get Beth into some sweats, Jarvis said her paperwork is completed and he's left a message to that effect for Tony. She can wait in the game room for the others to get back, or Jarvis will order a car for her if she wants."

"Good deal."

… …

"Father!" Thor called out as he strode into the Valhöll. "Loki feels a gate opening, we must assemble the host!"

The eldest of the gods turned and frowned at him. "Yes, Thor, I have felt it as well." Odin looked beyond him. "Where is your brother?" he asked.

"Following behind with the horses. He sent me ahead with Mjölnir. We did not feel the news could wait." Thor looked around and noticed the scurrying of servants and warriors making preparations. "Father," he said softly. "Loki is…despondent. He feels that he has failed us."

The All-Father sighed. "I have been watching the two of you closely, as has Heimdall. Loki has done his utmost, in that we are agreed."

"Then?"

"It will count in his favor, should we all survive to bring him before the tribunal." Odin frowned at him again as he opened his mouth to speak. "Son, I know he did not willingly bring this upon us. But he has committed other crimes and he must be held responsible for them. I cannot simply accept an apology and slap him on the wrist, you know this. He nearly destroyed Jötunheim and killed many Midgardians."

"I know it, father. But I ache for him. Perhaps if I'd been a better brother, none of this would have happened."

"Or I a father? Yes, I know how my silence on his heritage affected him. I did not need your Midgardian healer to point it out. Think, my son. If Loki had not gone into the void, would these forces still covet Asgard and its treasures? I believe they would. At least now we know what they seek and can protect it at all costs, and if necessary send it far away to keep it from their master."

"The gauntlet Loki spoke of; the one he said I must never use, nor ever allow him to use, is this the treasure they seek?"

"If their master is the mad Titan as I suspect, then yes. And he must not have it, even if the Realm Eternal must meet its end to prevent it."

"I understand, father. But please, will you speak to Loki. Let him know his efforts are appreciated? It would give him heart for the battle to come."

Odin's sole eye looked off into the distance. "I will give him what encouragement I can."

… …

Kara paced in the open area between the main gates and the locked down building. Fort freaking Knox. Good grief. They'd stashed Doctors Foster and Selvig and the damned scepter in the middle of the nation's gold repository. Brilliant. Freaking idiots. The military personnel had been pulled from all but the outer walls and replaced with S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. That did not make her feel particularly secure. If she were called on to use her gifts fully, there would be too many damn witnesses happy to report back to their damned council, if not actually open fire on her if it scared them enough. If this wasn't all a wild-goose chase and she was going to go down, she was damned well going to take Nick Fury with her. "God, I hate this," she muttered.

"Take it easy, doc," Steve said over her earpiece. "This thing is really going crazy in here. This isn't a false alarm. Even with the new containment system the energy is flying all over the place."

"Have they come up with any idea as to what's causing it?" she asked.

"Jane Foster thinks a wormhole has opened somewhere…not here, though. Dr. Selvig is now reluctantly agreeing."

"Oh God. That's…really bad. Damn it, Steve, we just got Loki put back together, what if those bastards take him again?"

She could hear the soldier sigh. He sounded tired. "I-I know, doc…Kara. I'm sorry, I wish I had better news for you."

"It's okay, Steve. Thanks. Any word from Tony?"

"Hawkeye here," Clint's voice announced. "Iron Man is on his way. The others will follow as soon as transportation reaches them."

"Iron Man here…well, not there, but…hmm, looks like I'm still over Pennsylvania. I should be there in maybe a half-hour."

"Should we leave the tower empty?" she wondered aloud.

"Jarvis has it locked down tight. Pepper and Beth are there to keep us up to date if anything happens that needs a human decision. Well, Pepper is there to make the decision, and she's got Beth to keep her company," Tony said.

"That will have to do. We've really got to think about recruiting new members though, if this kind of crap is going to continue."

"No shit, kid. How's the armor feel?"

She moved around, stretching. "Comfortable. I can move pretty normally. I like what you did with the back of the knees and insides of the elbows. It's much more flexible."

"Cool beans. Okay, hang in there, team. Pepper just let me know that a Quinjet has arrived for Bruce and Natasha so they'll be about a half-hour behind me." She could hear his chuckle over the link. "Avengers Assemble and bill S.H.I.E.L.D. through the nose for this one."

"I just hope we don't have to earn it."

… …

Loki sprawled on the manicured grounds outside of the building that was his target. Something had forced him to rebound from shifting himself directly to the scepter's location. "Damnation," he muttered as he climbed to his feet, glad that he'd worn his full armor. "That…hurt." He frowned and examined the energy that suffused the building. It was similar to the containment field they'd used previously, but was much refined. He could break through it, but it was going to…

"Loki? What are you doing here?"

He looked toward the familiar voice, one that he would, under normal circumstances, have been happy to hear. "Stand aside, Kara. I need that scepter," he ordered.

"I can't do that. Go away, Loki. You can't be here."

"Sweet lady, I don't want to hurt you, or anyone here, but I will take the scepter, I cannot leave without it."

"Damn it, Loki. I'm not kidding. We have sworn to protect the damn thing and I will drop you if you keep coming. Please don't make me do this," she asked.

He didn't have time for their petty concerns. "Your fire won't hurt me. I'll simply shift forms," he told her, preparing to do so.

"You don't know everything I can do. I'm sorry, Loki. I love you, but I have to stop you."

He smirked. How sweet, she actually thought she could stop…his eyes widened as he hit the ground, gasping for breath. A wave of anger, more powerful than he'd thought he could even imagine swept through him, immobilizing him with its intensity. Yes, he was angry at the delay, angry at the Chitauri's masters, angry at Odin, but this? This…was a lie. This…wasn't real. He shook his head, resolutely pushing the false feelings away and dragged himself back to his feet. Kara's faceplate was up and she was staring at him. "How did you do that?" he asked.

"I can do more, Loki. Stand down, please."

"I cannot." He took a few strides forward and found himself laughing. Doubling over with the strength of the absolute hilarity he felt, he found himself falling to the ground once more. This was so damned funny! The absolute ludicrousness of it all was amazing. He laughed, rolling on the ground until tears streamed down his face. Wait…what was funny? No…no, it was another lie! How in the nine? Shaking it off, he managed to stand again. "Interesting. But not enough to stop me, darling girl."

"Don't push me, I don't want to hurt you," she pleaded.

He smiled and took a step. The smile faltered as a wave of fear ran through him, giving him the chills. He looked around for the Other and his master. They weren't there, but surely they were close by? They would kill him this time…he had no defense, he could not talk, he could not plead his case…wait, he could, there was no muzzle this time…this time? The fear intensified and he cried out in terror. "No, make it stop, I cannot…I will not betray them! No!" He could not betray them, not again, he'd rather die. He searched desperately for his tormentors…no, wait. There were no…another, another lie. It was another damned lie! How embarrassing, he was the god of lies, damn it, a lie could not fell him. Loki struggled to stand and standing, took another step towards the figure that seemed enveloped by a golden metallic fire.

Kara. His Kara. Loki didn't realize he was falling again until his knees hit the ground. She was his, she would always be his; joy filled him at the realization. Kara understood. Kara knew the monster and loved it…and he loved her. Bliss poured through him at the thought. It didn't matter that she was mortal. It didn't matter that she would age and…it mattered. It would always matter. The joy diminished as the realization that he could never truly have her as his own permeated his joy-addled mind. "Oh, sweet love. I cannot lose you," he whispered.

… …

Tears were obscuring her vision. This was the worst thing she'd ever had to do. Ever. Loki was crawling back to his feet again. She didn't understand how he was managing to punch through her projections so easily. No one she'd tested it on had ever been able to break through it on their own, they'd either pass out or she'd release the projection and use her energy healing to clear out the remains. He stared at her, his expression resolute. "No, Loki. Please stop. I don't want to do this to you," she sobbed.

"I'm sorry, Kara. I must have it." She groaned at his words and hit him with the emotion she knew would likely cripple him as he'd barely pulled himself from the depths of the real thing. His lean features twisted into an expression of total despair as he fell to the ground once more. Long minutes passed as she continued to cry and amplify the emotion and force it into his energetic body. He was curled almost into a fetal position, tears running down his face, sobs wracking his body. She couldn't take much more of watching this.

He shuddered, then coughed and rolled to his knees. Kara felt the energy hit a wall and disperse yet again. Amazing. How he'd broken out of it, she didn't understand, but she was glad of it. Watching him suffer the weight of abject despair had been heartbreaking. "Oh, Loki, I'm so sorry. Please don't make me do this anymore. Please, you have to stop," she begged again.

"Hang in there kiddo, I'm almost there." Fresh tears, this time of relief, welled up. Surely Loki would back down once Tony arrived. He had to.

She frowned as he started to lunge forward towards his goal and searched frantically for something else to throw at him so that she would not have to use her fire. Maybe…? Lust wasn't an emotion, exactly, but it should work the same way, shouldn't it? "Last chance, Loki. Please stop, we can talk about this."

"No time, Kara. I must…" he broke off and hit his knees again. She gasped as he looked up at her from under his helmet, his eyes burning. "Oh, my lady. That was a mistake." Loki bounded to his feet and lunged forward again, sweeping her into his arms. His lips crushed hers as he took them in a searing kiss. "Oh, sweet Kara, how I have missed you," he said, his voice sounding…tender.

"I don't understand," she whispered, touching his cheek. "That barely slowed you down."

Loki chuckled. "Darling girl. Love will always overpower lust." She frowned at him, totally confused. "Kara, I love you. Lust for you is always with me, but my love for you controls it."

"You…oh, Loki." She threw her arms around his neck and pressed her face into his chest. In her heightened state, she was wide open to everything he was feeling, and it was no lie. He did love her. "I'm so sorry," she mumbled.

"It's all right, love. Now stand aside, I have to get the scepter."

… …

"Let the woman go, or I'll fire," a vaguely familiar metallic edged voice commanded.

How tiresome. "Anthony, I'm not hurting her. I need the damned scepter."

The billionaire landed his suit in front of them and flipped back his face plate. "What the hell happened to calling me Tony?" he asked.

Loki sighed. "You threatened me, it seemed appropriate."

"Well, Christ, ice man. You come here, trying to take an artifact your brother insisted we protect, then you've got your hands all over my honorary sister, what the hell did you expect?"

"Don't be more of an ass than you must, Stark. I need the bloody scepter. A gate has been opened in Asgard, Chitauri are pouring through, and it must be closed. The energy feels identical to that of the gate Selvig helped build, so the scepter should likely close it."

"Loki!" Kara snapped at him. "Why didn't you just say that?"

He rolled his eyes. "I'm in a damned hurry. Now give me the scepter, I must take it to Asgard."

"Yeah, sorry, bud, but no can do," Stark said.

"What? I see, you don't trust me."

"Loki, I trust you, but I can't give it to you either. We and S.H.I.E.L.D. promised Thor we'd turn it over to no one but him. Why didn't he come for it?"

"I-I don't know. He never mentioned anything to me about such a promise. Damnation, that idiot. He's in the front lines, battling the Chitauri. Odin is concentrating his power on holding them back, and I'm the only one who can travel between the realms without it."

"Okay, now what do we do?" Stark asked.

Loki frowned as a door opened in the building and Rogers and Barton emerged. "The scepter's going crazy," Barton said. "You know anything about that?"

"Gods. It means the All-Father's power is no longer sufficient to hold the gate to a minimal size. It must be opening larger which means they'll be able to send their leviathans through now." He looked at the Avengers speculatively. "Wait, you promised Thor you would not give the scepter to anyone. Did you promise not to take it anywhere?"

Stark looked thoughtful. "Um, no. No, we didn't."

"Good. I can carry one of you, well, one of them," he corrected, pointing at Barton and Rogers, "with me back to Asgard. You can keep your promise, and we can get the scepter where it needs to be to save the realm."

"Why not me?" Stark and Kara asked in unison.

"He's too heavy in his armor, and I am not going to risk your life in that battle," he told Kara. "You need to stay safe, I could not bear it were you to fall to those creatures."

"Well, that's very sweet, but I'm a hell of a lot deadlier than either Steve or Clint. Bruce isn't here, or I'd say take him, so I'm the best choice."

"Absolutely not."

"Take all of them," an annoyingly familiar voice suggested. He looked up as Nick Fury emerged from the building.

"I cannot, there is a limit to how much weight that my power can manage."

"Not a problem. Dr. Foster can piggyback on the gate open in Asgard to open one here. If the scepter is going with them, she can send them and you, using your affinity to the place to draw you there. She won't be able to bring anyone back, but when you win, your people can handle that, am I right?"

"If we win."

"I'm willing to bet on the Avengers. They won't let any of us down," the one-eyed man said with a grim smile.