Chapter 10 ~ Clint's POV:

I wake strapped to a medical cot and my head is pounding.

I will find you, Barton. I will kill you, that pretty wife of yours, and those little kids too. I will make you watch as I destroy them slowly, painfully…

I clinch my hands into fists straining against the restraints and shake my head trying to flush Loki out of my head.

"Clint, you're going to be alright." Natasha's voice breaks through my evil thoughts towards Loki and sounds like an angel saving me yet again.

"You know that? Is that what you know? I got...I have to go in though. I have to flush him out." I say leaning my head back trying to fight the evil god whispering things in my ear. I know she'll understand what I have to do because we've both have had to flush out our minds from others and our past.

"We don't have that long, it's going to take time." Nat says standing to pour a glass of water beside me.

"I don't understand. Have you ever had someone take your brain and play? Pull you out and send something else in? Do you know what it's like to be unmade?" I mutter staring at the ceiling knowing she understands exactly what I mean.

"You know that I do." She answers sadly sitting by my legs.

"Why am I back? How did you get him out?" I ask lifting my head to look at her.

"Cognitive recalibration. I hit you really hard in the head." Nat answers with a smirk I recognize.

"Thanks." I say and watch as Natasha unfastens the restraints on my wrists. I swallow thinking of what Loki made me do. "Tasha, how many agents?"

Nat looks at me and shake her head. "Don't. Don't do that to yourself, Clint. This is Loki. This is monsters and magic and nothing we were ever trained for."

"Loki, he got away?" I ask already knowing the answer.

"Yeah. I don't suppose you know where?" Nat asks and stands looking out the small door window.

"I didn't need to know. I didn't ask. He's going to make his play soon though. Today." I say sitting up taking a drink looking down having so many questions to ask her.

"We have to stop him." She says and nods to herself knowing that she is thinking of our kid's safety and everyone else's.

"Yeah? Who's we?" I look up at her thinking that there isn't many left after what I did.

"I don't know. Who's ever left." She turns around shrugging.

"Well, if I put an arrow in Loki's eye socket, I'd sleep better I suppose." I say bitterly and put the cup back on the table.

"Now you sound like you." Natasha smiles a bit and sits next to me on the cot.

"But you don't. You're a spy, not a soldier. Now you want to wade into a war. Why? What did Loki do to you?" I ask now worried that Loki actually did something about the threats he always whispered in my head.

"He didn't, I just..." She pauses and looks down with sad eyes.

"Natasha…" I say taking her hands giving them a reassuring squeeze.

"I've been compromised. I got red in my ledger. I'd like to wipe it out." She eventually says and looks up at me.

"Not this again, Tasha…" I sigh and lace our fingers gently. "I've told you over and over, you have wiped it out. You became an agent here and help people on our missions. You're a good person at heart and I'm not the only one who sees it. Our kids see it more than anyone. Wait! Our kids, Lucas and Aliyah! Where are they? Are they safe?"

Nat lets my hands go and takes my face in her hands. "Relax…they're fine. I called Barney the second after Coulson called me about you. You know he will keep them just as safe as we would."

I sigh in relief and lean my forehead on hers pulling her into my arms. "H-He threatened them over and over and I couldn't do anything to protect them."

"Shhhh…you did protect them, Clint. You and I both would have Loki's head on a platter before anything could even happen to our babies. They mean the world to us and I know you would never let Loki near them, mind control or not." She says soothingly and runs her fingers through my hair hugging me and presses a kiss to my jaw.

I sigh and rest my head on her shoulder as her legs slip between mine like always when we sit together on the couch. I kiss her softly and cup her face looking in her eyes. "I'm sorry I left you."

Nat tears up and kisses me deeply before hitting the back of my head roughly. "Don't you dare scare me like that again! I'm not going to be a widow yet and I sure as hell am not raising our kids by myself!"

I chuckle softly and tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. "I swear, no matter what I would've found my way back to you eventually."

"I know, my hawk…" She whispers and strokes my jaw gently. "We can't live without each other. We've learned that the hard way."

I kiss her forehead and hug her to my chest rubbing her back gently. "We sure have, baby. Too many times."

Nat nods, sits up wiping her tears and I can practically see her change into her code name again. We call this mission mode and often have to slip into it when thinking about the kids or something that make us vulnerable to enemies.

"Go get cleaned up." She orders sounding like the demanding partner and wife I know too well.

I nod and we both stand still clutching hands. I look at her and she wraps her arms around my middle breathing me in like she always does. I kiss the top of her head and hold her close to me.

"You won't let me call Barney, will you?" I ask and rub her back.

"No, it will get you out of focus and we can't afford that right now." She answers and looks at me as I frown. "As soon as this is all over we will got get them and take a nice long vacation."

"Sounds like a plan, Tash." I grin and kiss her head one last time before going to the adjoining bathroom.

I wash my hands and hear someone come in the medical room.

"Time to go." A male voice says and I frown unsure of who it is.

"Go where?" I hear Nat ask with confusion in her voice.

"I'll tell you on the way. Can you fly one of those jets?" The male says quickly. I grab a blue towel and step out seeing Captain Steve Rogers in all his red, white and blue glory.

"I can." I say wiping my hands dry and Rogers look at Nat for reassurance about me. Nat nods once and I smirk knowing she'd tell anyone to trust me just as I would her.

"You got a suit?" The Captain ask not questioning her judgment.

"Yeah." I answer with a nod and throw the towel down on the sink.

"Then suit up." Rogers orders sound like the man in charge and turns leaving.

Finally got this chapter written out from my head! Don't know how if I will write all the fighting or skip it and go into other stuff. Might be awhile before I update again! REVIEW!