Disclaimer: I own nothing owned by someone else.

AN: Thank you all for reading. I hope you enjoy chapter fifteen of the story.

"Clint, I'd like you to come to Avengers tower. We need to talk." Steve said it in a nervous yet stern voice. Was he afraid of Clint or something? Ha— no, but maybe he was just uncomfortable with the conflict they would have to deal with. Maybe Steve's arguments with Tony finally got to him and now Steve felt nervous because he had a gnawing feeling that the other person would win every time he got in an argument.

It was then that Clint realized suddenly that he was rambling in his head and Steve was standing on the other end of the line waiting for him to answer like a soldier waits for orders, patient and calm and he felt a twinge of guilt about making him wait.

"…Okay." Clint said, wondering for a moment if Steve had hung up before checking his phone to see that no, no he didn't.

"Sure, what's going on?" Clint asked, now waiting for Steve to answer.

"We can talk about it when you get here." Steve said. "It's… kind of complicated. I don't want to tell you this over the phone."

Steve hung up and Barton sighed, a worry coming over him, that worry one gets when they suddenly wonder if they left the oven heating or left the front doors unlocked. It was a cautious feeling, one he didn't have all that often. He usually just did things without thinking, it gave him more time and he was good at improvising, but now he was left to think and it made him more… Nervous he supposed. He hoped nothing besides an angry row would occur, but at the same time he could somehow tell, from the way Steve spoke and how he sounded over the phone, that something else was up.

Well, as he had speculated before, Clinton F. Barton wasn't one for too much speculation, it could lead to procrastination and not getting things done. Natasha always was better at it than him, though she too often thrived on impulse and improvising.

So, with one swift step out the apartment building, Barton was done making conversation with himself in his mind and ready to face Steve and probably the rest of the crew head on. He could not and would not dwell with silly worries rather than face his former teammates and possibly, but hopefully not, brand new enemies.

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They had been walking for quite a while now, well, at least from their perspective, but it gave Natasha ease when she remembered they had plenty of time. She felt a large weight lift over her shoulders every time she let her mind drift to this. They had plenty of time and, as long as they kept walking and were careful, this whole thing would be finished in no time at all.

To ease her mind a little more from her fears of a 'monster' appearing out of nowhere and ripping them both to shreds, she decided she would try to make conversion with Thor who was now walking in a steady pace beside her.

"Why does Loki hate you so much?" Natasha found herself asking aloud. She felt a little regret, but Thor didn't look angry as he glanced at her a moment before looking forward again, instead his face grew rather sad and melancholic.

"Because he thinks I hate him." Thor said, honestly. He smiled a little, bitterly, and his eyes were shining just a little brighter and not in a good way.

"Why does he think that?" She asked.

"I don't know, I never hated him… well… I only hate him sometimes, I suppose." Thor chuckled a little. "He can be a bit of a problem sometimes."

"Yes." Natasha said. "Yes, he can." She said. "But the word 'Problem' seems like a bit of an understatement."

"Sometimes I wonder if only I had been a better brother to him," Thor said, suddenly. "He mightn't have made any of the terrible mistakes he made at all and we might both be at peace in Asgard, as brothers and friends… and family."

"Thor, maybe you did influence Loki's actions a little, but that doesn't change that they were his actions, not yours, and you shouldn't feel guilty for his mistakes." Natasha said, firmly.

Thor looked downcast, "Thank you, Lady Natasha, but my regret for Loki hardly wavers, regardless of your kind words of encouragement. I know I could have done something, I could have been a better brother, more interested in his pursuits and interests, but I was foolish and only cared for my own interests. I wanted to hunt and swordfight and battle deadly foes and be reckless for the sake of glory and he wanted to master sorcery and learn knowledge and create an uproar in the kingdom just because he could. He is mischievous and cunning and subtle and I am loud and rash and bold… I just wish I could find a way to relate to him, understand him, I wish I could have found that a long time ago." Thor said.

"But you both can be a bit reckless at times…" Natasha said after a moment of thought.

Thor snorted. "I suppose so…" he said. His eyes looked rather far away now, as though he were remembering something.

He sighed a sort of bittersweet sounding sigh, filled with subtle yet so unsubtle emotion. It made Natasha's breath hitch a little and she didn't know why.

"I wish I could fix him, save him from himself, but I don't think I'm capable, I fear I only make it worse." Thor started. "I wonder if he'll ever become my little brother again, innocent, jesting, he was always there to help me even when my friends were not; he was my best friend. I know it's silly, but I hope he will find some form of redemption… maybe someday."

Natasha thought about what he said, "I think it's possible…"

"But you— you do?" Thor said, a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

Natasha nodded slowly, "Yeah… I mean, who am I to talk anyway? I'm not fit to judge anyone, I'm no Disney princess. I still have my own problems I've been trying to work out. I've made mistakes, we all make mistakes, Loki's mistakes being particularly big, but still I can't say he can't redeem himself… It would take a long time for him to fully redeem himself and none of the lives he destroyed would ever be forgotten, but that doesn't mean he can't move forward and become a better person from thereon and maybe someday I'll forgive him. I mean, I'm not saying it's likely that he could change, because his pride is a huge factor in the matter and pride has stopped many people from changing to one thing or another and I'm not a starry eyed optimist at all, I'm a realist, but it's still not 'impossible', I think…" Natasha said.

Thor gave her a mesmerized and happy look, as though she were a saint, "Thank you…" Thor said, and he had such a thankful look on his face, Natasha thought he might tear up a little. She hadn't realized until just then, but they had stopped walking at some point in their conversation. She shrugged a little, awkwardly, about to start walking again when Thor suddenly crushed her with perhaps the greatest bear-hug she had ever had. If there were bear-hugging competitions he would win every one of them without effort. "Thank you…" he said again, "For having faith in my brother, if only a little… It gives me more hope than you could possibly imagine." Natasha patted him on the back. She didn't really know how to respond, other than hugging him back. She could feel a tear from his eyes drop on her own cheek.

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"Mr. Barton would like to see you." The receptionist said on the phone. Barton rolled his eyes a little at this. Right, he couldn't wait to get pounded by a bunch of superheroes, namely Thor. She was using the word "like" just a bit too freely. Okay maybe he was over exaggerating a little, but he knew he'd get a bit of a pounding from them and he didn't want to know how much a bit of a pounding could be. At best, they'll scream in his ears until he goes deaf.

"Okay. Gain him access." He heard Tony say in his regular Tony voice. He took a deep exhale.

After the receptionist gave him details about where the Avengers were, he left in a hurry. He wanted to come and leave this place as soon as possible.

..::..::..::..::..::..::..::..

They had stopped hugging a while ago and were walking again. They hadn't spoken since then and Natasha thought it was rather pleasant, peaceful. She liked this. She hadn't realized this before, but it really wasn't all that often that she got to just have a nice quiet, tranquil, walk.

After a while, she could see something in the short distance. They had found a more open room in the maze and there it was, the potion. She and Thor both sighed a sigh that probably neither of them knew they had been holding and Thor rushed passed Natasha in a hurry, a genuine grin on both their faces, when suddenly— it appeared out of nowhere, it's sharp teeth dripping with something that looked like a venom of sorts and it's empty eyeballs staring into her soul, it was the statues head in full form and alive, perhaps twelve feet tall. The grin quickly swept away from both of their faces as they saw the toothy grin on the monsters face staring right at them. It was guarding the doorway to the potion. Natasha felt the peaceful atmosphere around them that she had so enjoyed vanish in an instant, left with fear, nothing but fear.

Thanks for reading everyone. I hope you all enjoyed and until next time,

P.H.