Chapter 20: Avengers Reassembled

******Same Time and Place******

"Our sister has vowed to help Loki take back a kingdom," Buffy said sourly.

Thor blinked at the slayer's announcement. He glanced at Loki who looked as surprised as all of them. However, he quickly saw the calculated look that appeared in his brother's eyes.

"You are suggesting we help Loki take the throne of Jotunheim?" Thor asked, hoping he'd misunderstood.

"Is it not his birthright? Is he not Laufey's heir? Why should it not be his?" Dawn asked pointedly.

Loki smirked. "Yes, brother. Why should it not be mine?" Loki asked.

Thor looked at Atali and then glanced at her sister and boyfriend. They both were equally as horrified as he. "Giving Loki his own kingdom would seal our doom, sister. There is no way he would ever be satisfied with ruling the Frost Giants. The place is too desolate, too cold. Loki has grown up here in Asgard. It is Asgard he loves. It is Asgard he craves to rule," Thor said certainty.

Loki knew better than to argue at this point with Thor. Thor wasn't wrong. He did desire Asgard above all things, but he figured he had to start somewhere. However, he did not need both Thor and the slayer to combine their argument and align themselves against him so soon in front of Atali. Instead, he held out his arms. "Give me the binding bracelets. I will agree to the terms," he said.

Atali and Frigga shared relieved smiles. Frigga opened his cell and placed the bracelets around his wrists. "The All-Father says he will permanently strip you of your powers if you devise a way to get out of these," she warned.

"I give you my word that I will not," Loki vowed.

Atali was so pleased that she leaned up and planted a kiss on his cheek. "Thank you, Loki. We have a lot of catching up to do. I have to go home tomorrow, so I want to spend the day with you and Thor," she announced.

Frigga looked askance. "What? I do not understand. What do you mean that you have to go home? This is your home, Atali," she said.

Thor frowned and waited expectantly for Atali to explain further.

"Look, Mother. I'm very glad to finally know who I really am. It was a bit depressing to think I had always just been this great ball of energy. This key. Knowing that I am a daughter of Asgard gives me peace I didn't realize I was missing," Atali told them.

"She has a home," Buffy interjected. "With me."

"She was my sister for a millennium," Thor reminded her.

"It doesn't matter. I died for her. What have you done? Kidnapped her, frightened her, and then allowed your father to do a science experiment on her without even asking her if that's what she wanted!" Buffy said crossly, her anger building as she thought about it again. She took a stepped toward Thor, looking up at him. The man towered over her. That fact just served to piss her off even more. She was so tired of these giant, superior Asgards towering over her. She glanced at Frigga. Even the women were entirely too tall. "Dawn is mine! She has a life on earth. A life she wants to get back to. Neither you nor your high-handed father will keep her here against her will! Do I make myself clear?"

Before Thor could form a reply, Dawn grabbed her sister's arm and pulled her back. Xander smirked, secretly pleased that Buffy finally told off Dawn's so-called brother. The way they were all acting like it was no big deal what they did to Dawn really irked him. Even Buffy had seemed to calm about it all. Xander should've known she was just playing the long game. The rash, impulsive days of her youth were far behind her.

"Buffy, relax. I'll deal with my family. They're going to have to adjust to the changes in me just like you and Xander and Willow have to," Dawn said.

"I look forward to seeing you handle the All-Father," Loki said smugly. The human sister of Atali was bold and strangely not intimidated by his brother. Intriguing.

Dawn stepped forward and linked her arm through Loki's. "How about we take a walk and you tell me why you thought it was a good idea to invade earth and kill innocent Americans?" she asked pointedly.

Buffy watched her walk off, Frigga on Dawn's other side. Thor frowned after them.

"Jealous?" Xander asked hopefully. He'd been more than a little jealous since coming to this planet. The thought of the too perfect Thor having a similar insecurity was reassuring.

"Jealous of Loki?" Thor asked as if the thought had never occurred to him. He grinned and shook his head. "I'm not jealous. Atali has a big heart. There's room for both of us. But I am concerned. Loki is crafty. His genius is without equal. Although Atali is also brilliant, she is naïve, especially if she thinks it's a good idea to offer our brother his own kingdom."

"On that we can agree," Buffy said.

"I second that," Xander said. He watched Dawn get further away and grew anxious. "Shouldn't we follow them?"

"I don't think leaving Dawn alone with Loki is a good idea," Buffy said. She started to follow after them.

"Well, if you got Dawn duty, I'm going to go find Will. There's something I need to discuss with her," Xander said.

He walked determinedly back to the quarters they were assigned. He went to Willow's room. It was empty. He went to the dining area. There he found the gang. Spike was telling Clint a story while Captain America was chatting with Angel. Angel had a rare smile on his face. Xander blinked a moment to see it. Illyria was glowering at Natasha who was chatting up Willow. Xander snickered. It seems the missing Blue Man group didn't like to share. He didn't see Kennedy anywhere. Shrugging, he entered the room. She was probably scoping out the place, looking for weaknesses in their defenses. Xander knew Kennedy could take care of herself, so he wasn't too worried.

"Yo, Will. Gotta a sec?" Xander inquired.

Willow nodded and stepped toward him. Naturally, Spike and Angel followed her, assuming as always that everything was their business. Xander sighed. He was loathe to admit that in this case, he was glad to have some support.

They walked a few feet away from the Avengers. "Will, I think you should run a DNA test on Dawn. Snatch some hair from Thor. If they're blood relatives—cousins—the DNA should show, right?" he asked.

Willow was caught off guard by the request. "Well, sure. Hold on a minute. What? I mean, you think that maybe it's a lie? You think that it's not true?" Willow asked, the shock of the thought slowing her thinking process.

"Look, I don't know what to think, but I know that these demi-gods can do just about anything. Who's to say that this entire thing wasn't just wishful thinking on their part? What if they implanted the memories? Why should we take their word for it?" Xander said.

"That's a good point!" Spike agreed. "You should definitely do that!"

"I guess with power like theirs it's possible," Angel added, frowning.

Illyria had come upon them, listening attentively. She stepped closer and interjected, "The All-Father would not stoop to such deception."

"Well, I'm not going to believe it until I have something besides their word and Dawn's memories as proof," Xander said stubbornly.

Willow nodded. "Okay. I guess we can do that. Should we tell them what we're doing?" she wondered.

"What fun is that?" Spike asked with a cheeky grin. "Angel and I will go to Thor's room and get a hair sample." He gave Angel, who looked resigned, a challenging look.

"I'll go to our room and get one from Dawn's hairbrush," Xander said, glad they so easily went along with it.

When the three men left, Illyria looked curiously at Willow. "Why do you humor them?" she asked.

Willow sighed. "Xander is terrified he's losing the woman he loves. He's trying to hold onto the woman he fell in love with," Willow explained.

Illyria frowned. "Dawn is me but not. She will not lose herself to Atali because they are the same person. Whereas I and Winifred are not. She bleeds into me from time to time, but we are not one. Surely, he can see that Dawn is still there because they are one?" Illyria inquired.

"I hope you are right. I hope that Dawn is related to Thor because if not, I shudder to think of the hell Buffy will unleash on this place if otherwise," Willow said warily.

Natasha, Clint, and Steve joined them. "What's going on?" Natasha asked her.

"Xander wants proof that Dawn is really related to Thor. He wants me to do a DNA test," Willow shared.

Steve looked shocked. "You think we have been deceived?" he asked.

Willow shrugged. "I hope not. Illyria says the All-Father would not stoop so low, but it's better to be safe than sorry," she said.

"True," Natasha said.

"How will you get a DNA test done here?" Clint wondered.

Willow thought a moment. Then she looked at Illyria. "Do you think you could take the samples to Tony? He could run the tests easily enough," she said.

"Of course," Illyria said.

"We should check in with Fury," Clint said.

Natasha agreed. She looked at Steve. "I think you should stay here. You're the strongest of us, so if there's trouble, you can help," Natasha agreed.

"Fury ordered us to not align ourselves against the Asgards," Steve reminded her.

Willow was not happy to hear that. "Oh really? Is that so?" she asked with an arch of her eyebrow.

"Don't be mad. That's just Fury. He's always looking at the big picture. The Asgards are our alien allies. We need them," Natasha said. "But you know we have your back. Didn't we prove that already?"

"Shall I slay them for their insolence?" Illyria asked Willow, glaring coldly at the Avengers, offended by the implication that they may not guard their backs against the Asgards.

Clint and Steve immediately braced themselves for an attack. The woman may look somewhat human, but the eyes told a completely different tale. When you looked at her, it was apparent than she was most definitely not human.

"Not necessary," Willow said, giving her a wink. "They have a job. They've only saved the world once, so they're still newbies. We got to cut them some slack." She snickered at the look on their faces.

"Gee, thanks," Clint dryly.

Willow grinned. "Why don't one of you tell Spike to meet up in my room? I'll go get Xander. Illyria will open a portal back to New York and whoever wants to go home can," she said. She grimaced. "I can't be gone much longer from work. Make sure you tell Tony I hope to be back tomorrow. I think that's when Dawnie said she wanted to go home. She's got class."

"She's got class?" Steve asked in bemusement.

"Yes, she's still in college. Becoming an Asgard hasn't changed her goals," Willow said smugly.

"Oh, she's planning on going to college still?" Clint asked with a hint of mockery in his voice.

"We're wasting time," Willow said. "Why don't you go get Spike? We'll get this show on the road!"

Less than ten minutes later Xander and Spike were in her room with the rest of the honorary Scoobies.

"So give these two samples to Tony and tell him to run a DNA analysis," Willow said.

"We can do it," Clint said.

"No offense, but I trust Tony more than your agency," Willow said apologetically.

"So what are you going to do if it comes that she is Thor's family?" Steve asked.

"We'll deal," Willow said.

"Speak for yourself," Xander said, his arms crossed.

"Hey, she's still Dawn. She's just more!" Willow said, forcing a bright smile.

"Are you ready?" Illyria said, having grown bored with the inactivity.

"Guess so," Clint said with a shrug. He looked at Steve. "Try to keep the peace as best you can."

"Tell Tony to put a rush on it," Xander said to him.

"Will do," Clint said.

"Be careful," Willow said to Illyria.

Illyria scoffed like the caution offended her. "I will not break so easily," she said haughtily.

The portal opened. Willow grinned. "I know, Ria. I was just showing my concern for your safety. It's what friends do," she informed her.

Clint stepped through the portal. Natasha stepped up and hugged Willow. "Take care of yourself. I'm not sure I'll be allowed to return, so watch your back," Natasha said.

Illyria observed their interaction carefully. Willow seemed happy to have the Black Widow's concern. She walked through the portal. Willow stepped forward and squeezed Illyria's hand. "Thanks for everything," she told Illyria, smiling warmly at her.

"You are welcome. I will be most displeased if you get yourself broken before I return," Illyria said haltingly.

"Ah, that's sweet!" Willow said with a grin. "I love you, too!"

Illyria looked startled at her words and quickly jumped through the portal. Then she was back in Willow's lab. Two lab techs were cowering in the corner. One of them stepped forward. "That's it! I can't take it! No job is worth putting up with this freak show!" the girl shrieked. "I quit!"

They watched the woman stomp out of the room. "I guess twice in one week was too much for her," Natasha said with a snicker. "Willow's going to be disappointed. She had high hopes for her."

Clint laughed. A voice came over the intercom. "Mr. Stark has been informed of your arrival. He is expecting you in his office," the voice said.

"Thanks, Jarvis," Natasha said.

"You're welcome, Ms. Romanoff. It's lovely to see you again," Jarvis said.

As they headed out the door, Clint said, "You know he's not real, right? He's just a computer program Tony created."

"Jarvis is much more than that," Natasha said in amusement. "He's an extension of Tony in a way only someone as intelligent as Tony could create."

Clint just shook his head dismissively. "Hey, you did call him a "he", she reminded him with a smirk. Clint opened his mouth to reply but decided by her amusement it wasn't worth it.

A few minutes later, they were in Tony's office. He was standing with Pepper and Bruce. They both looked up when the door opened.

"Guys, you're back!" Tony said with a grin, opening his arms. He looked to see if anyone else was behind them. "Where's Buffy and Willow? Where's Xander? You didn't let my new sidekick get hurt, did you?"

"They didn't come with us, but everyone is fine. Willow wants you to run a DNA analysis on this sample. Xander's not convinced Dawn is Thor's sister," Natasha explained. Clint pulled out the samples.

"There's real doubt?" Tony inquired.

"I don't know. Xander's just freaked. Buffy's sister literally changed in a completely different person in front of our eyes," Natasha said.

"She is Atali," Illyria interjected.

"So her highness claims," Clint said, rolling his eyes. The former Old One's attitude was getting on his nerves.

"Are you guys going back?" Bruce inquired.

"We have to report to Fury. Illyria can take the results back," Clint said. "We'll come back by and fill you in on what you missed."

"By the way, Buffy's sister convinced the All-Father to release Loki," Natasha said over her shoulders.

"What?" Tony demanded.

"No worries. He's been neutered!" she called out as she walked out of the door. They could hear her laughter as she walked down the hall.

Bruce and Tony looked expectantly at Illyria. "What the hell went on up there?" Tony demanded.

"The Slayer's sister insisted that her brother be let out. The All-Father fashioned something to suppress his powers," Illyria offered.

"Like that's enough to stop a power-hungry egotist like Loki," Bruce said.

"Is Buffy and Willow all right?" Pepper interjected.

"Yes. They remain unharmed," Illyria said. "I'd like to return to them before that changes. The Slayer is prone to violence when threatened. The sister wants to leave and return to school. They may not let her."

"You anticipate problems?" Tony asked.

"I always anticipate problems," Illyria said.

"We've got to go back them up," Tony said to Bruce. "They need us."

"Tony.."

"Pepper, I can't leave them to fight this alone!" Tony said.

"I'll go, too," Bruce said in resignation.

Pepper could tell by the resolved look on Tony's face that she would lose this argument, so she didn't try. "Fine. Promise me you will be careful. Take one of your suits you've been tinkering with. Or the half suit. I don't want anything to happen to you," Pepper said. The fact that Clint and Natasha had returned unharmed relieved her mind, but she would still worry. Tony was, at times, entirely too reckless.

"Okay, I'll get started on this analysis and then go suit up," Tony said, rubbing his hands together excitedly. When he was a little boy, he wanted to be an astronaut. Now he was going to another planted. He was beyond excited.

"I'll do the analysis. You get your stuff," Bruce said. He wasn't worried about the Big Guy. Willow could work her mojo if he came out and got out of hand. If things got dicey, they may actually need him.

The two men looked at each other and grinned. They were going to have so much fun!

******Chapter End*******

I hope you missed Tony as much as I did. I am very glad I figured out a logical way to bring him back into the story. If you liked this chapter, please review! If there's something you want to see happen, suggest it. I may use your idea if I can. Go vote if you want to keep or tear apart Dawnder! :) Thanks!