My goodness, sorry about the length of time between this chapter and the last. Life, unfortunately, has gotten in the way (as it often does.) But this story is close to being done, just a few chapters to go, I think. There shouldn't be nearly as much between this update and the last.

For weaverofhopes, who asked.

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"Bruce?"

The wind rustled the leaves in the trees and Darcy thought she could hear music in the distance. The forest was by far the spookiest part of the labyrinth yet, and she wished she had someone, anyone, around to just be with her. She continued to call out for Bruce and Tony as she made her way through the twisting pathways full of gnarled trees. She could catch snatches of the midday sun from above but they were of little comfort to her.

She hadn't gone very far at all when she realized that every noise but the sound of her own steps had died away. There were no birds in the trees, no leaves on the wind. No wind anymore for that matter. An eerie, pregnant calm washed over the forest, and it sent a renewed thrill of fear through her that caused goosebumps to rise on her flash and panic to bubble in her stomach.

Darcy heard slight rustling in a bush nearby and she was off like a rabbit. Her feet pounded the patches of hard-packed earth and varying bits of stone on the forest floor and she didn't even care to look for the shining golden castle any longer; all she knew was that she wanted to be away from here as quickly as possible. She kept running until she came upon a high stone wall- there was no way she could climb it. Darcy's wild eyes darted around for something, anything that would help her get out of that forest, and her prayers were answered. She jumped, startled at the sound, when she heard her name suddenly called by a familiar voice.

"Darcy!"

"Tony? Is that you?"

"Catch!" she heard him say, and suddenly a rope ladder was thrown down the wall to her. She climbed out of those darkened trees faster than any rope challenge she had ever accomplished in gym class and breathed a sigh of relief when she finally collapsed atop the stone wall next to Tony.

"Thank god you found me. I had this overwhelming sense of panic and I just had to get the hell out of there," sighed Darcy as she sat up.

"It sounds like you just escaped a completely unnecessary musical number," said Tony.

"What?"

"Nothing," said Tony. He crossed his arms and looked down at her, the feeling of the peach in his pocket weighing down his soul and his mouth twisted into a grimace as he thought about what he must do. "We need to go," he said finally.

Darcy jumped up, happy to see the sunshine and a friend again.

"Tony! You've come to help me!" she said, and she wrapped her arms around him to give him a bear hug. Tony froze and it didn't go unnoticed, but she didn't care at all. She reached up on tip toes to peck his cheek and Tony recoiled.

"No! No, don't-"

As she landed a big kiss right on his cheek, they both felt the world fall out from underneath them in a very literal way- the floor on the high stone wall gave way and the pair tumbled down, down, down.

"No, no no nonononono!" Darcy heard Tony shout as they slid down the cold stone chute. They both clawed at whatever they could, their hands brushing over thin roots and twigs. Their fingers finally gained purchase on some precarious pieces of rebar that stuck out of the wall just before the chute ended. Darcy's arm cried out in a shock of pain as the force of her grip pulled her back to the wall, away from a fall that would have, at the very least, broken a bone or two.

Darcy's feet found some bricks jutting out of the stone wall and she stood, still gripping the rebar, and saw how long the drop down was. Below the stone wall was a small lake marsh of greenish-blackish ooze that churned and bubbled constantly. The view made her sick to her stomach-

-and then the smell hit her.

"My god," she said as her face scrunched in disgust, "What is it?"

"The Fen of Questionable Content," came Tony's voice. Darcy realized that he had grabbed hold of a stone slab that jutted out of the wall and was working his way down the stone wall to a patch of dirt below. Darcy was still frozen in horror at the stench that seemed to smother her. The ooze belched and heaved in an unnatural manner- although the fen had not the slightest breeze, the waves of muck in the fen moved and roiled. Darcy had to look away- if the smell didn't get her to toss her cookies, the fen itself would.

"I've never smelt anything like it," she said, "It's like… like…"

"It doesn't matter what it's like," said Tony, "It's the Fen of Questionable Content. Questionable. Meaning you're never going to peg it. We need to get down from here, sister. You need to move."

That jolted her. Darcy's hands and feet, almost of their own accord, began to look for new nooks and crannies in the face of the stone wall. Inch by inch she made her way to her left, getting closer and closer to the patch of dirt that Tony was near.

"What'd you do that for?" Tony asked. The fen belched and Darcy did her best to ignore it.

"Do what for? You mean rescue you?"

"What? No, you kissed me."

Darcy's face softened. "Don't pretend to be so hard. I know you came back to help me, and I know that you're my friend."

Darcy looked up at the sky rather than down at the revolting fen and found that it was actually easier to just pretend it wasn't there if she breathed through her mouth instead of her nose.

"I did not, and I am not your friend. I just came back to warn you that Loki-"

"Ahhhhhhhh!" Darcy screamed and fell. In that moment she had never wished so hard for a miracle in her life, and in that panicked second all she could do was shut her eyes tight and wait for the disgusting splash to come-

-which never did. Instead, Darcy landed hard on Bruce who was standing on the patch of dirt below her. Tony jumped down from the stone wall a second later, landing beside Darcy who was brushing the dirt off of herself.

"Bruce! Where did you come from?"

"Same place that you did, actually. You two seemed to be having quite the conversation; I didn't want to interrupt. You guys obviously didn't notice me," said Bruce as he eyed Tony up and down, "This place stinks."

"No kidding," said Tony. The lake-like marsh heaved and belched again, letting loose another wave of nauseating stench into the air. Tony's face paled at the fresh stench, "Oh god."

"There's a bridge," said Darcy, and she stood up, pointing to the east. Not thirty feet away was a rickety wooden bridge that would allow them to pass over the fen unharmed, "Come on."

The trio headed for the bridge together.

"Watch it," said Tony, "You step in this stuff and you'll stink forever."

Tony physically jumped back when a red, white, and blue-spangled man jumped out of a tree in front of them, blocking their path to the bridge.

"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, what is it now?" Darcy said to no one in particular.

"Halt, citizens," said the man. His blonde boy scout hair was gelled and perfectly in place. He had no weapon to speak of, only a round red-and-white striped shield with a silver star in the center.

"We have to get across," said Darcy. She tried to step around him and he blocked her.

"Without my go-ahead, no one may cross, ma'am," the man answered.

"I don't have any time for this," said Darcy and she put her hands on her hips, but she did not try to step past him again.

"We have to get out of this stench," said Tony.

"It's terrible," agreed Bruce.

"What stench?" asked the man. His eyes misted over with something akin to love. "It smells like- freedom."

"I've never smelled freedom like this… what's your name?" asked Darcy.

"Captain Rogers, ma'am. You can call me Steve," said Steve, "I live by my senses and this is what liberation smells like. The air holds the promise of a barbecue, fireworks, the chance to become whatever you want to be in a land of opportunity."

Darcy, Tony, and Bruce all exchanged looks. "I think he's serious," Tony finally said.

"Affirmative. And I have my orders- none my pass without my go-ahead," said Steve. His stance changed slightly and he shifted his feet until they were shoulder-width apart, making this huge man seem all the more intimidating.

"It reeks out here, sir, and we need to get across," said Bruce.

"Get out of my way," said Tony, and true anger flashed in his face. Bruce started to step forward and Steve stepped in front of him easily, towering over the scientist. While Steve was busy with that maneuver, Tony took the opportunity to slip past him and he ran across the derelict bridge.

"Tony! What the hell?" Darcy called, but Tony just kept running.

"Let go of my shield!" Steve said, and to Darcy's horror she turned around to find that Bruce's eyes were turning green, his skin showing streaks of emerald. He was attempting to wrench the shiny metal shield away from the soldier and was beginning to succeed.

"No! Steve, no!" Darcy said, "When he gets mad like this, he can't control himself; he'll kill the both of us!"

"Ma'am, I think I can conquer this mountain," said Steve with a pirate smile. With that he reared back and punched Bruce square in the jaw.

Bruce didn't like that.

In seconds the scientist was gone, replaced with the enormous Hulk Darcy had met earlier. The Hulk threw down the shield, no longer interested in it.

"Steve! Get back!" Darcy shouted, and she backed away slowly herself. Hulk closed the distance between himself and Captain Rogers, his massive green fist missing the captain by an inch thanks to the captain's quick movements. Hulk tried striking him a few more times, and eventually Steve jumped onto Hulk's back in an attempt to lock the monster in a choke hold. Hulk lurched forward, throwing Steve to the ground. Hulk reared up to punch Steve where he lay, but Steve rolled away from the Hulk's fist in time.

"Haha! You'll have to do better than that!" said Steve. Darcy watched with a mix of horror and an almost-amusement; the captain was nimble on his feet, but the right blow from the Hulk would put the star-spangled soldier out of commission for sure.

Steve got to his shield and picked it up, throwing it at the Hulk and landing a hit in his chest, which didn't faze him in the slightest. The Hulk lumbered over to Steve once again.

"Had enough, have you?" said Steve. The Hulk lunged for him, which Steve avoided with an easy side-step, but a quick kick from the Hulk got Steve right in the stomach, knocking him backwards.

"Enough!" said Steve. Of course Hulk didn't care what Steve had to say and kept advancing on him.

"Bruce!" called Darcy. The Hulk stopped and turned toward her - for a panicked second, Darcy thought that he would start to come after her, but the recognition in the monster's eyes appeared, just as they had the first time they met. A glimpse of humanity was found.

"Bruce, you need to chill out, OK? Steve's had enough," pleaded Darcy, hoping against hope that it would work.

"Never before have I met my match in battle," said Steve as he stood, dusting himself off, "Yet this man fought me to a standstill."

"Are you all right, Bruce?" Darcy asked. Hulk was confused, his brain attempting to reconcile the conflict of Hulk's rage with Bruce's need for peace. Bruce forced the Hulk to take a breath, and soon Hulk was shrinking back down to the size of a normal man once more.

"Well that's convenient," Darcy said, glad for the fact that this time Bruce wasn't nearly as naked as he was the last time they had met. His shirt didn't make it through the change, but his pants mysteriously stayed intact just enough to keep him covered. This is a PG scene, folks.

"My god, it still smells out here even when I'm the other guy," said Bruce.

"Mister Bruce, I, Captain Rogers, yield. Come, let's be comrades in arms from here on in, and fight the forces of evil as one," said Steve, holding out his hand for a hearty handshake. Bruce looked at him quizzically for only a moment before extending his own hand.

"Just Bruce is fine. Can't say I've ever had a comrade before."

"Sweet, let's go," said Darcy, and she started toward the bridge once more, but was shocked when Steve stepped in front of her again, blocking her path.

"You forget my orders, ma'am. I can't let you pass," said Steve.

Darcy paused, her brows knitting together in confusion. "But you said Bruce was your comrade, your match in battle," she said flatly.

Steve gave her a solemn nod. "I have to follow my orders."

Bruce looked like he was ready to pass out. "But the smell!"

Darcy took a deep breath and squared her shoulders, thinking. "Let's handle this logically," she said, "What, exactly, are your orders?"

"My orders are that I defend this bridge from any harm, and that none, not one being may pass this bridge without my go-ahead," Steve replied, with one solid nod as though that sealed everything.

Darcy cocked her head to the side. "Well, then… can we have your go-ahead?"

Steve opened his mouth as if to speak, and shut it again. He was clearly going through some internal struggle, seeking out any loophole or accidental disobedience of his order that allowing his new friends to pass would cause. He found none.

"…yes?" Steve said, and Darcy broke out in a grin while Bruce gave a noise of delight.

"Thank you," Darcy said, and she strode past him, "Why don't you come along with us? That seems to be what all the cool kids are doing these days."

Darcy approached the bridge and, upon closer inspection of it, she realized that it was more derelict than it had looked from 30 feet away. She hesitated.

"No need to fear, ma'am. This bridge has lasted for over a thousand years," said Steve, and with that assurance, Darcy began to cross the bridge with tentative steps. She got to the halfway mark when Steve rested a hand on one of the poles that held the ropes tight. The pole collapsed and the bridge began to crumble. Darcy let out a shriek and looked up, finding the branches of a deadening tree hanging low enough for her to take hold. She grabbed the branches just in time for the bridge to give way beneath her feet, splashing into the greenish smelly murk below.

Steve paled and looked down at where the pole had been in his hand. Bruce started pacing around, looking wild-eyed all over.

"Help!" Darcy screamed.

"Ma'am! We'll save you! Somehow…" Steve's voice trailed off. Tony came running from the right side of the fen, his eyes widening when he saw Darcy's situation.

"Tony! Help!"

Steve looked back at Bruce, who was still pacing like a madman. "Bruce! Are you just gonna pace around when she needs your help? We have to think of something!"

"I got it," Bruce said suddenly, looking at the tree that Darcy was holding onto. "Those roots look pretty dead, right? I bet you and I could push it over. Hey Darcy! I need you to try to climb up those branches! Can you get up to one of the more solid ones?"

Darcy glanced up, finding a sturdier branch to hold onto.

"I don't know if I can climb up into it completely!" she called.

"That's OK, you just have to have a heavy branch to hold onto. We're going to push this tree over. Tony, you catch her!" Bruce called, and he and Steve positioned themselves against the truck of the tree. Darcy climbed higher on the branch until she was able to grab onto a heavier tree limb, heaving herself up as high as she could and wrapping both her arms and her legas around the heavy limb. Tony positioned himself to where Darcy would be coming down when the tree fell.

"Ready?" Bruce called.

"Do it already!" Darcy shouted. The disgusting water gurgled beneath her.

"One, two, three!" Bruce shouted. Darcy held onto the heavy tree limb as tightly as she could and she felt the tree sway, then begin to fall. Her stomach lurched and all was a blur of branches and her own hair getting into her eyes as she fell.

As soon as it began it was over.

Tony was able to catch her without her hitting the ground, but she did get smacked in the arms by some rogue branches. Steve and Bruce cheered and crossed the fallen tree over the fen, making it to the other side with no problems while Tony set Darcy down.

"Tony, I'm too happy to see you to be mad right now, but don't do that again," said Darcy, "Let's get out of here."

Steve, Bruce, and Darcy began to leave, none of them noticing that Tony wasn't right behind them. Tony slipped the peach out of the pouch on his side and looked warily into the Fen of Questionable Content, looking from right to left to make sure he was alone. Just as he was about to toss the peach into the fen, he heard a Loki's voice.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

When Tony whirled around, no one was there.

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