I Live!

Ahem... A lot has happened since my last chapter (Which has been mostly been written for a while) I had a summer job, I moved to a different place for Uni which was almost more effort than working and I had two weddings to go to.

I have my final year project this year so most of my effort will go into that, I will keep updating though, hopefully a bit more regularly.

So maybe spontaneous combustion was a bit too much. The overley dramatic monologue before that too. Maybe even the Macarena. But the job was done and Konoha was recovering again.

Max was finally getting to show her brother around her home, he was slowly getting used to people defying gravity as if the laws of physics were merely a suggestion.

"…and I thought the death note was a bit freaky," he was saying as they sat to have lunch.

"By the standards here it still is. People would go to war for it." Max didn't mention she still had hers. That would just cause unnecessary problems.

"So what's your plan now?"

"I was going to see how long until something bad happens so I can justify leaving again," Max deadpanned, she'd noticed Naruto hiding around to corner eavesdropping. As predicted she found herself tackled out of her chair by the blond.

"You only just got back!"

"Your hiding place was obvious."

"Did you say that just to get a reaction?" Max smirked, of course she had.

"I'm going to have to take Tony back at some point, no doubt there will be some dire emergency for me to diffuse again."

"Could you at least visit, I hate only being able to see you when you're too injured to be doing anything." In all fairness, Max didn't like being that injured either. It hurt.

"No promises kiddo."

It was named Valiant, Max stood on its deck as it descended, clearing away a cloud of gas with its propellers to reveal soldiers scurrying around like ants from her high view. In the briefing Max had half listened to the enemy weren't human, most of the details were unknown, which is why they wanted her, she was known for being able to react to any situation and come out on top.

When the flying aircraft carrier stopped its descent, instead of rappelling down like the soldiers Max jumped, apparating the part of the way and landing dramatically next to a certain time traveller.

"I think by now it's a safe bet that if there's trouble, one of us is bound to be here," Max commented as she dusted herself off. "I think both of us might be excessive though."

"We can use all the help we can get when it comes to global threats." Colonel Mace said sternly eyeing up Max.

"Are people really still this surprised when they see me?" Max muttered. The gaze focused sharply on her face.

"You're here for recon first, I want you to go in and report back on numbers, squad patterns and any other details that will give us the edge we need against these Sontarans."

"Recon? Seriously? That's like using a shovel to eat ice cream." Max grumbled as she shushined towards the factory. Exactly why were they having a problem with mutant human/baked potato hybrids? Next thing would be a problem with statues or little black cubes Max thought sarcastically as she snuck around.

Everyone thought the genius kid saved the day, sacrificing himself. Everyone seemed to forget Max could teleport. The kid was safely at the SGC where someone would send him somewhere useful. The problem with geniuses was always giving them enough to do, if left to their own devices then bad things often happened.

She would probably get shite for handing over a potential British asset to the Americans but first they would have to find out what she'd done.

Max was summoned into a sleek black car after she had rested enough to get back to England, cross-Atlantic trips were taxing for anyone. Mycroft was there, ready to debrief. As they talked Max wondered how long he would last before not using her unless there was no other option like her other handlers.

Max was getting dropped off when Mycroft received a text, he glimpsed at it then locked the door before Max could get out of the car.

"Looks like you're needed again Miss Hakie." No option given, he knew her answer would be yes.

She was taken to an airfield where a helicopter was waiting. Standing by it was Alex Rider, actually in a uniform for once, not one she recognised though. It was only once they were in the air he started to brief her.

"It was codenamed the Avengers Initiative. A couple of months ago the project was scrapped but due to new circumstances the Director has decided to reactivate it."

"Director of what?"

"S.H.I.E.L.D. Strategic homeland intervention, enforcement and logistic division."

"Good call on shortening it. Is it a boy band or something?"

"We protect the Earth from terrestrial and extra-terrestrial threats." Max assumed that by 'we' he meant he was currently employed by them, explaining the uniform.

"Like the SGC?"

"Sort of, only we don't go looking for trouble."

"Sounds boring, should have stuck with being a boy band. So, what current events are forcing you to reactivate this avengers thing?"

"That you'll be briefed about when we get to the helicarrier."

"Helicarrier?" Max deadpanned, Alex just smirked at her.

Three hours later they came into sight of an innocent looking aircraft carrier and landed. Alex escorted Max to the bridge where a bald man with an eyepatch stood watching over the crew.

"Director Fury?"

"Ah, Agent Rider, and Miss Hakie." Max got the feeling he called her that on purpose, there was no way he didn't know she was an agent. This was going to get interesting.

"That's Agent Hakie and you know it," Max muttered.

"I understand the two of you have worked as a team before so I'm assigning you as Rider's partner. Where he goes you go." Even Alex snorted at that.

"Why don't you show Miss Hakie around? Banner should be somewhere and Rodgers should be arriving imminently." Alex motion for her to follow and they found themselves outside watching people scurry about doing the jobs.

"Is it better here?"

"No life sucking space vampires. I count that as a bonus."

"Are they like every other intelligence agency?"

"We do get big guns sometimes but mostly the same. Ah, Doctor Banner." Max was lead over to a man looking very out of place. Max could feel something weird about the man, the seven-tailed wolf was growling in her mind. As she puzzled it over a weird aircraft landed nearby, it looked like a Chinook and one of the SGC's F302's had a one night stand and this was the result.

Out of the back a suit walked out followed by a man who looked like he'd just walked out of the 40s. A redhead intercepted the second man and brought him over. Max felt a bit out of the loop as Banner and the man clearly had heard of each other. The redhead was glaring at her while the men exchanged noble sounding pleasantries.

Natasha Romanov, the redhead who Alex named for her, suggested they went inside, the group only actually moving when the aircraft carrier started taking off. Max could see the proud look on the two agents face at the surprise displayed by the men.

"For the record, this is a stupid idea for a base," she grumbled as they headed to the bridge, dropping back from the older people.

"You didn't seem even slightly impressed."

"I was on the Valiant about a week ago. I thought it was stupid then too. What makes those two special anyway. I feel left out."

"Doctor Banner had an a accident with gamma radiation a few years back and now when angry he transforms into the hulk, that's not why he's here, or at least Fury says that. The other is Steve Rogers, otherwise known as Captain America, he was found frozen a few months back and we thawed him out."

"So why is there a super soldier and a scientist here? You still haven't told me." He didn't get the chance to as Max was waylaid by Romanov and the Captain heading past on a mission. Max dragged Alex with her if only to play nice for the moment.

When Max saw they would be going in the weird hybrid thing she asked for the coordinates instead and apparated straight there with Alex an unlucky passenger. Since she still hadn't been told what was up she decided to scope out the area. She was in Stuttgart, Germany, that much she knew. Some fancy event was going on inside the building so she snuck in, henged to fit in looking somewhat similar to when she was in Monaco. As an afterthought she projected a henge at Alex giving him a bit of a Bond look and dragged him inside so they could mingle.

It was quiet until she noticed someone making a dramatic entrance. She hadn't seen Loki in a while, and even then it wasn't on the best of terms. She wondered why he was on Earth anyway. She had to admit he looked good in Earth clothes. The tall god dragged a man over to the middle of the room and pulled something out of his jacket. Now that looked horrific. Max slipped through the crowd to get a closer look, she warned Alex not to make contact.

She needed to wait for him to leave the building, taking him on in such a densely populated room was not good. He wasn't likely to react well to seeing her among normal people. There was a chance he would see through her disguise.

It wasn't long to wait as the guests ran out screaming. Loki followed at a calm pace, a henge slowly fell revealing armour in his usual colours. Max couldn't help but giggle over the helmet, the Asgardians loved their ridiculously ornate headgear. She followed in the shadows, ready to intervene if needed, she wanted to learn more about this situation. Loki wasn't a bad guy, not normally, just a bit of an angsty teen with a 'me against the world' attitude.

The crowd was rounded up by his clones, Max was impressed, he really had thrown himself into the illusions she had shown him as a child. The dramatics might have been something learnt off her too.

Just as he was about to smite the old guy Max dashed past as a blur pushing his aim upwards as Captain America arrived to protect the man and deliver his own speech.

It was kind of funny watching someone fight with only a shield and fists. With his speed and agility the Captain could probably pass for a genin without chakra. Loki really must have practiced fighting with a cape to make it look that effortless. Alex giggled a bit when she voiced that thought.

After Iron Man tipped the scales against Loki they piled onto the weird hybrid jet, Max kept up her henge as Loki didn't seem to notice her through it even after the few curious looks. Stark also gave her a few looks, recognising her disguise.

There seemed to be a bit of tension in the jet, Loki seemed to be completely relaxed and that was putting the others on edge. That was until a bolt of lightning lit up the enclosed space.

"Afraid of lightning?" Stark mocked.

"I'm not overly fond of what follows." It took Max a few seconds to catch on.

"We have company," she declared seconds before something landed on top of the aircraft. Thor entered the back and shoved anyone who dared get in his way aside before dragging his brother out. Max vaguely heard the Captain say they should make a plan as she dived out of the aircraft after the Asguardians.

As she was freefalling she idly wondered if she should have dragged Alex along. Twisting a bit she saw two other people emerge from the back of the jet. Iron Man was a bit obvious with the glowing thrusters. Max really hoped Star Spangled Spandex had grabbed a parachute.

The events that followed made Max certain that Loki had planned to be caught, during the whole Shakespeare rumble Loki had just sat there and watched. He hadn't made pot shots at the others with his throwing knives that she knew he still had. Against Iron Man they might be a bit useless but there were two other targets. He also hadn't run, well, gracefully sauntered, Loki rarely ran unless there was an actual need for it. Max made her clone appear perched on a rock just on the corner of Loki's eye.

The reaction was fast, a throwing knife thrown at the clone which was promptly dodged.

"Silfr Freki?" Max's clone smirked.

"You're a long way from home Loki."

"Did Odin send you?" Loki asked with contempt, looking away from the clone to hide the unwelcome emotions on his face. Max took that opportunity to dissipate her clone. The goal of this meeting wasn't to chat, but to build up for later.

In the end the team did get Loki to the base, it was amusing to watch him escorted by a dozen redshirt equivalents. The path took him past the lab where Max had gone. Through the gaps in the blinds Max caught his eye and waved, enjoying his menacing look falter.

"You know him?" Banner asked. Before Max could answer they were summoned to the bridge.

Just as they got there Max saw someone familiar leaving and pinged FA.

"Huh, you got my partner here too?"

"Uchiha-san is here to keep an eye on Loki."

"Of course he is. And if anything else happened not related to Loki he would just sit by and watch?" Max asked. Agencies like this had a habit of adding to missions even after the original goal was finished. Her question gained the director some icy looks and an 'are you crazy' one from Banner.

"Agent Romanov tells me you've had dealings with Loki." His timing was spot on as Thor was lead into the room and immediately noticed the shortest person in the room. Max.

"Silfr Freki." Thor dropped to one knee and bowed his head. Max motioned for him to get up, even if it had felt nice.

"I babysat for both Thor and Loki a few times, then almost destroyed Asgard."

I have been wanting to add an Avengers crossover since I saw it.

There is likely to be a lot of drama coming up in the next few chapters.

I have plans...