Clint smiled for the cameras, but inside, he was fuming. He hated press conferences. They were so boring. He always ended up sore because Natasha would elbow him to make sure he stayed awake. Everyone else seemed to love the press conferences, or least they didn't care enough to make a fuss. Especially Tony.

Tony was the king of suave. He could have the press eating out of his hand at the drop of a hat. Clint mostly stayed quiet at the press conferences. Right now, he'd even rather be on Merlin's reconnaissance mission. But this conference, for some reason that Clint hadn't bothered to find out, had to have all the Avengers in attendance.

Merlin's recon missions had gotten old pretty quickly. Sure they made great stories, but it was tiring, going out every other day or so. Even SHIELD gave their agents at least two days between missions, unless there was an emergency.

Clint had been wondering if Merlin's vision had just been an exhaustion-induced nightmare. It was possible. The two-month limit had passed by a long time ago. Every mission Merlin had organized had been a complete disaster. Clint was very glad that Merlin had promised to drop the matter after this last mission.

Merlin was now almost a member of the team. Clint knew Merlin planned on moving back to one of his houses the next Saturday. Merlin had insisted that, while he had enjoyed his time with the Avengers, and planned to visit, whether they liked it or not, he preferred to stay out of the spotlight.

Merlin had already gotten a lot of media attention, people wondering who the Avengers' new buddy was. Somehow, almost like magic, Merlin had managed to avoid any and all pictures. Clint had bet Merlin a hundred bucks it was impossible, even with magic, to avoid the paparazzi altogether for more than three months.

Clint's wallet was now one hundred bucks lighter.

But other than the press conferences, all was right with the world. Clint was with his team, his other family. And the press conference only had ten minutes left. Clint shifted in his seat. And shifted again. He received a sharp elbow from Natasha. He thought about giving her an elbow back, but he decided that he didn't want to be murdered horribly in his sleep.

Clint was bored. There was no getting around it.

Time seemed to have ground to a halt. Until he heard a phone buzz. Glancing to his left, Clint saw Tony fish his wafer-thin phone out of his pocket. Tony tapped the screen a few times. A frown formed on his face. Tony unobtrusively peeked at his watch.

"What's up?" Clint mouthed, leaning as far as he dared over Natasha.

Tony tapped his phone again. Clint's phone vibrated. He pulled it out and read the message Tony had sent.

Merlin found something. Sent a vid. Discuss it at Tower.

Clint turned off his phone. Now he really wanted this stupid conference over with. Still eight more minutes….

As soon as Clint stepped into the armored limo, he plopped himself next to Tony. "Show me this video," he demanded.

Tony shook his head stiffly. "We'd better wait until the tower, so the whole team can see it at once."

Clint frowned. "I hate you."

"Love you too, Barton!"

The ten minute drive to the tower was going to take forever.

The team gathered in the living room, still dressed in their formal wear. They wanted to hear the news now.

Tony flicked his phone toward the TV. A shaky video played. In the video, two people argued in what appeared to be a crumbling wooden building. One lounged in a chair, the other was standing.

The figure in the chair spoke. It was a woman's voice, sharp and clear. I'm tired of this horrid place. We've been here for months. Have you finally finished your planning?

Oh, yes, the other figure said, a man judging by the voice. Tony frowned. That voice was familiar. Thor had gone whiter than a sheet. The figure on the screen continued. We've finished planning. That team of arrogant fools and their new little friend will be gone before the month is out.

The video ended abruptly, leaving the television screen black.

"Merlin took this video?" Steve asked, rubbing his chin. "Do we know where he is?"

"Not at this second," Tony said. "But I can find him. I installed trackers in all the Quin-Jets after Brucie stole one."

Natasha studied Thor. "What's wrong?" The demi-god was pale and breathing hard.

"That man," Thor said. "On the television. He…."

"Yeah, he sounded familiar," Tony said, scratching his carefully trimmed goatee. "I can't place him, but… oh…. Oh no."

Thor dragged a hand down his face. "Loki. My brother… it appears that he lives."

Silence ruled for a whole three seconds, before curses in various languages were spat. "I thought that we were done with that egotistical maniac!" Tony hissed. "How come he keeps trying to ruin my life?"

"More lives than just yours are in danger, Tony," Steve said tiredly. "We just need to find their hideout, and take them down, before they can put this plan into action."

"Excuse me." Wanda's thick accent cut through the chaos. "Who is Loki?"

The conversation stopped. "Did you never hear about the Chituari Incident?" Steve asked. In the corner of his vision, Tony twitched, blinking away visions of wormholes and nukes. Clint winced, thinking of blue magic and thoughts not his own.

"Bits and pieces," Wanda explained, shrugging. She'd been quite a bit younger when it happened. And living in a HYDRA lab. "What does this Loki have to do with that?"

"He's Thor's adopted, megalomaniacal brother, and he planned out the Chitauri attack from beginning to end," Tony said flatly.

Wanda said nothing, just nodded. She took Vision's hand. "Who is the woman?" Vision asked. "And did not Merlin say that he witnessed three beings in his vision?"

Natasha nodded. "That's what he said. And if Loki's involved, we need to get there as soon as possible."

"Yup," Tony said, stripping off his suit jacket and flinging it onto the couch. "Loki is not low-key."

"Suit up," Steve called, heading for the elevator. "Tony, figure out where Merlin is. We'll prep the Quin-Jet."

Tony stripped off his formal clothes on his way to his Iron Closet, as the Avengers had dubbed it, where he kept all his suits. Tony could wear normal clothes under his armor, but it was more comfortable with his specially-made jumpsuit. Nothing rubbing in weird places. He yanked his feet into the fibrous material, wiggling his toes into the feet.

"FRIDAY, get the latest suit ready for me, will you? And track that Quin-Jet that Magic Man took." Tony swallowed water from a pre-chilled bottle.

"Already done, Boss," FRIDAY said. "Mark XVI is ready for take-off. Tracking the Quin-Jet now.

"Perfect," Tony grunted, shoving his hand into the waiting metal gauntlet. The armor crawled up his arm, forming around his body comfortably. Tony heard the hiss as the arc reactor clicked into place. It was nice not having that hunk of metal in his chest anymore. There was a sharp clank as the helmet sealed shut.

"Systems operating at one hundred percent capacity," FRIDAY's cool voice informed Tony as he took. "Merlin's Quin-Jet is currently located near Lake Tahoe, in California. I'm putting up the coordinates now."

"Good," Tony said as the coordinates flashed on the HUD. "Send 'em to Cap, too. They're following in the Quin-Jet. Let's see if we can beat them there."

The team joined on the edge of the glittering blue lake. The sun was just setting, casting long shadows over the gravel and sand of the beach.

"There's the Quin-Jet that Merlin took," Clint said, pointing with an arrow. "Let's check inside, shall we?"

The team tromped over the sand to Merlin's borrowed jet. "FRIDAY," Tony said. "Open 'er up. Let's see what we can find."

The bay doors opened. Clint clambered inside and made a quick search. "Nothing," he said, jumping back into the sand. "It's empty."

"Well then," Wanda said. "Let's follow those footprints." She pointed to a line of divots in the sand, leading to the beach, then into the trees.

"I can fly recon," Tony offered, hovering a foot or two above the sand. The heat of the repulsors left little blobs of half-formed, crude glass in the sand.

Steve shook his head. "No," he said quietly. "I have a bad feeling about this place. We should stick together." The air seemed cold and much too still. Steve rubbed his finger along the edge of his shield.

Studies Merlin had conducted had proved that vibranium was effective against magic and magical shields. Merlin had insisted on adding vibranium tips to Clint's arrows, Natasha's knives and Sam's wings. He had even designed special vibranium-capped explosives for Tony.

The team moved slowly toward the trees, desperately hoping for Merlin to pop out of the woods and tell them everything was fine. Nat led the way, picking her way through the pines, following tracks that only she could see.

Finally, she held up a fist, the signal to stop. The team halted. "There's a clearing up there," she breathed. "There's a building in the clearing. Be on the lookout. Tony, Vision, hover, be ready to shoot. Sam, you're with Wanda. Go left. Thor, go right with Cap. Clint and I will go from here."

Everyone nodded, following their various partners into the darkening trees. Tony and Vision rose into the twilight air, hovering like waiting vultures.

Steve could hear the quiet breathing of his companions through his com-link. Somewhere ahead, Steve faintly heard voices, three different ones, if his hearing was correct. Two women and a man. Accented. Loki and his companions. Steve's breath caught. This had suddenly gotten a thousand times more real.

The trees opened, giving Steve a view of the ramshackle hut. The voices seemed angry and leering. There was a muffled reply. It seemed to be a different voice, and familiar.

Steve could see his teammates closing in on the building. "Widow, check it out," Steve said, whisper just loud enough to be heard. "I think there're four people in there."

Steve continued to approach, slowly, slowly, watching as the piece of shadow that was Natasha slip up to a crack in the building. The way her body tensed, Steve could tell it was bad. She seemed to be communicating, making hand motions and nodding her head.

"Merlin." Natasha's voice was so quiet in the com-link, Steve had to wonder if he'd even heard it. "Sitting in a chair. Vibranium cuffs. Three distracted hostiles, arguing. Two females, one male. One is Loki."

Steve could almost hear his teeth creaking, with how hard he was clenching his jaw. He'd thought the trouble with Loki had been over. Thor had told them that Loki had died to save him. It looked like that wasn't the case.

"We go in all at once," Steve whispered into his com, listening carefully incase the trio in the building stopped talking. "Flight team, come through the roof. Everyone else, bust down the walls. Nat, get Merlin out so he can help us."

Quiet affirmatives could be heard, from every team member.

"Go! Now!"

Tony and Vision blasted through the roof, sending bits of rotting wood everywhere. Inside, Merlin was tied to a steel care, silvery handcuffs clipping his wrists to the edges. He was paler than normal and he looked terrified. Standing in front of him, glaring at the intruders, stood Loki, long cloak billowing, though he was without his headgear.

Beside Loki, stood two women. Both had long, dark hair, and pale skin. One of the women was rather tall. Her hair tumbled down her back in tangled curls. She had a cold, regal face, and blazing green eyes. She was clothed in an elegant black mourning gown.

The other woman wore bright burgundy. She was smaller than the other woman, but the fire in her brilliant sapphire eyes was just as bright. Her lips were a prefect shade of red. Both women were gorgeous.

Matching scowls appeared on all three hostile faces.

The Avengers burst into the shack, more holes and splinters appearing. It was a wonder the building didn't fall down. Instantly, blasts of magic, bullets, arrows and punches were flying.

"Nice to see you," Merlin grunted as Natasha picked the complicated lock on his handcuffs.

"You too," Natasha said. She dropped the cuffs to the dirt floor. "Come on. You can help."

"Wait!" Merlin croaked, voice suddenly dry. "Can I have a gun?"

Natasha raised an eyebrow, but didn't question it. There were more important things to be doing at the moment, like not dying. She pressed a pair of pistols into Merlin's pale fingers. Merlin had no idea where Natasha had been keeping them in her skintight jumpsuit. He decided that he didn't want to know.

The noise of the battle was deafening. Somehow, the three sorcerers, for the women had started throwing spells around as well as Loki, were managing to keep the Avengers back, but only just. They looked stretched to the point of breaking.

Gun shots rang out over the clamor as Merlin coolly fired the gun at the green-eyed woman. The bullets slammed against an energy shield, ricocheting, and nearly hitting Natasha. One bullet finally broke through, as the woman's energy shield was smashed to pieces by the strikes of the Avengers. The bullet skimmed the woman's side, tearing her dress, and just brushing the woman's skin.

She hissed, though how Merlin heard it above the clamor, he didn't know. Her angry green eyes met his, and darkened even further. The woman blasted a lightning ball at Merlin, then whirled, and grabbed her companions by the arms, shouting above the chaos.

There was a flash of wind and light, and the trio was gone.

The Avengers, super soldiers, demi-gods and all were panting heavily. "Who knew that three people could be so troublesome?" Clint asked, wiping dirt from his sweaty forehead.

"They're skilled sorcerers," Merlin coughed, throat dry and scratchy. "They've been practicing. At least, Morgana and Nimeuh have."

"Those are Loki's female companions?" Vision asked, brushing dirt off his cape.

Merlin nodded, dropping to his butt on the dirt. He ached, everywhere, deep into his bones. He felt dryer than a desert. Hope was trickling out of him like water out of a cracked glass.

Natasha stalked over, and stood in front of the supine Merlin. The rest of the Avengers gathered around as well.

Natasha folded her arms tightly. "Why didn't you use your magic?" she asked. "And don't even think about lying. I will know."

Merlin shivered, rubbing his arms. "I…."

Tony's faceplate folded away. "Come on, man. You look like crap. Spit it out, so we can get you into medical and fix whatever those creeps might've done to you."

"There is nothing physically wrong with me," Merlin gritted out. Was this what it had felt like? It had seemed so long ago—scratch that, it was so long ago—that it had happened. He had been sure that he would never forget it.

"Nothing physically?" Sam and Clint asked at the same time. "What does that mean?"

Merlin took a deep breath. "My magic…. I can't feel it. They did something to my magic."