Chapter 12

After lunch – which consisted of enough food to last me the rest of the day and me keeping my dad away from the mead – I took to wandering the halls, planning to check in on Clint before finding the library.

Pounding footsteps behind me make me spin around into an attack position and grab the knife under my cloak.

I relax once I realize the footsteps belong to a panting messenger, not an attacker.

"Milady…Lord Barton…awake…and fighting…screaming-"

I'm sprinting down the hallway before the messenger finishes his sentence.

I arrive in the healing room I left that morning, and once I tell people who I am, the crowd parts and I immediately start trying to calm Clint, whose arms and legs are flailing as he screams about Loki and blue and my name.

"Clint! Clint, sweetie, it's me, it's okay, I'm not dead." I reassure him as I run my fingers through his hair.

He stills for a moment. "Taylor? He didn't kill you?"

"Nope." I grin. "You don't get rid of me that easily."

Clint's grin lights up the room as I wave the crowd away. I lace my left hand through his left as Solskinn approaches. She grins at me before introducing herself to Clint and giving him the spiel on where we were and how we got there.

When she starts to go into his injuries, I sift uncomfortably in my seat, but Clint squeezes my hand and sends me a pleading glance, so I just lean back in my chair as I find out he's got a concussion, two ribs broken and another three bruised, and a broken ankle.

All in all, he fared pretty well.

He also wasn't Loki's plaything for four days, but…

Solskinn assures me I can stay, so I station myself next to Clint's bedside and use words to keep him company.

I talk about my arm, my reactor, Odin, Frigga, the palace, the War room, What Asgard looks like, Thor's gift, lunch, my adventures in keeping my dad at least five feet away from all Asgardian mead, what the library looks like, the spell put on our quivers – Clint beams at that – and the plans for when we leave tomorrow.

I keep his hand in mine the entire time, sporadically brushing a kiss against his cheek, forehead, or lips.

Eventually both our eyelids are drooping, so I give him one last kiss before standing, stretching, and drawing the curtain closed before settling into my own bed.

A~A~A

When morning comes, I've got a full night's sleep, a belly full of broth and bread, and the recipe for said broth and bread.

I slip on the black tunic and brown pants they gave me, as well as the boots from yesterday.

I'm hopping awkwardly around the room, struggling with my boot (what? You try putting on your right shoe with only your left hand) when Clint draws back the curtain between our beds.

He's dressed in a blue, tight-fitting tunic with a hood, a pair of navy leggings, and what I can assume are hunting boots.

I finally slip on the boot as Clint finishes lacing up his, and we both throw our cloaks over our shoulders and escort ourselves to the armory.

Clint claps with glee when he sees that his weapons are unaffected and in perfect condition. I laugh as I stash a knife beneath my cloak and another in my boot, securing my smallest pistol in the behind my back, in the waist of my pants.

Seeing as my dad brought my suit and I'm flying that home – with one arm and help from Jarvis – I lock up my bow and quiver inside my case.

Clint joins me with his vest – black with purple sides and an Avengers 'A' where the S.H.I.E.L.D. logo once sat -, boots, and cloak on.

As we head out to the meeting point, I stay silent as I watch him take in Asgard in all its grandeur. His boots pad silently – in true assassin fashion – against the marble floors as he cranes his neck to see the golden rafters. He's a little disappointed by the lack of vents, but, hey, golden rafters!

Once we emerge into the sunlight, we cut through the crowd of people to where our team is waiting.

Steve is smiling at the people – and Clint and I once he sees us – and waving to the crowds like the good little national icon he is.

Bruce looks really uncomfortable in the middle of the crowd, so I send a reassuring grin and a calming gesture his way, which he looks grateful for.

Natasha rushes up to give Clint and I hugs once she sees us up and moving about. She looks like she was born in the spotlight and made for this crowd, although with her line of work, you have to fit in or you're dead.

Thor is shaking hands and laughing and did he just kiss a baby? I can hear the sobs at his imminent departure from where I stand, about five feet away.

My dad – is nowhere to be found.

He had better not have gotten his hands on a) mead, or b) tools because Asgard was doomed by either choice, and I'd rather not spend the rest of my life as an intergalactic fugitive.

I give a weary sigh and I'm about to go hunt him down when I see him franticly running towards me.

"I'm – huff – here! You guys – puff – can't leave yet! Loki – pant – evil prick he is – escaped Asgard. He's headed for Earth but not attacking yet, but he does know where the Tower is, so we're heading for a house of mine in the-middle-of-nowhere, U.S.A."

"Um, where is that one again? Can't remember it by name."

My dad rolls his eyes at me as he hands Thor a piece of paper. "Tell your gatekeeper person that this is where we need to go."

Thor nods and runs off as the rest of the team does final weapons and belongings checks.

Knife? Check.

Other knife? Check.

Tiny gun? Check.

Bow case? Check.

Boyfriend? Check.

Clint catches me looking at him as he secures his bow and raises an eyebrow.

"You got everything you came with?"

Clint does a quick self-pat down before glancing back at me and nodding.

I turn back to the sleek black suitcase that is Beta II as press my foot to the top to unlatch it.

I automatically relax as metal encases me for the first time in weeks. The right arm of the suit is a little heavy without an actual arm to support it, but seeing as Jarvis will be controlling that arm anyways, I'll be okay.

My eyes widen as Thor returns and a bright light shines ahead of us, expanding to show the shining night sky of rural Earth.

I press a final button on my neck and feel my helmet fold around my head as Steve jumps through the portal shield-first followed by Natasha, Clint, and Bruce, with my dad and I making sure all Avengers make it through.

The cheers of the Asgardian crowd fade as I run towards the portal, and all falls silent as I jump.

And then I'm falling.