Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Avengers 1. Chapter 1

"Look, I'm sorry team, but Fury assigned us with this task. All we have to do is take them to their mission location, and then drop them off at the nearest base when they're done. Knowing Barton and Romanoff, they'll get everything finished in a matter of hours. At most they'll be here two days," Coulson explained to his team.

Fitz and Simmons wore different expressions; Fitz looked annoyed; Simmons looked nervous. Agent May, as usual, looked like she could care less as long as no one bothered her. Ward wore a stunned look, torn between excitement, and anxiety. Skye was trying really hard not to scream.

"The Tony Stark, is coming here? Iron Man? Is coming here?" she breathed. Coulson smiled.

"Uh, sir? If it is only Agents Barton and Romanoff's mission, then why are the rest of the Avengers coming?" asked Fitz, clearly not looking forward to the arrival of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s most destructive team.

"They're all coming for back up, and to see me," explained Coulson, puffing his chest out slightly at the last words. "Now go get ready. They load in twenty minutes. I want all of you to go to the surveillance room and watch them load, and when they're each in their own room, you will go to your assigned Avenger and help them get comfortable, okay?"

Coulson's team nodded, and then slowly made their way to the surveillance room.

"So who'd everyone get?" Skye asked, settling herself in a chair in front of the video screen.

"I got Agent Barton," said Fitz, watching as a few stray agents wandered around the 'bus.'

"Hawkeye right?" Skye asked. Fitz nodded.

"I got Thor. I heard he is sometimes kind of clueless, but he has huge muscles, so I don't care. But do you think that he is dumb? I mean, he is the God of Thunder," Skye explained.

Fitz and Simmons shrugged.

"I received the name of Agent Romanoff, or better known as, The Black Widow," Simmons said aloud.

Ward snorted. Skye, Fitz, and Simmons turned to face him.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing, it's just that Barton and Romanoff are pretty dangerous. They can murder anyone with a thumbtack fifty different ways, and are practically killing machines. I don't know why Coulson stuck them with you."

"Well maybe it's because he knew your ego would make them want to kill you." Fitz and Simmons laughed at Skye's remark.

"Ward is just mad because he didn't get put with Agent Barton. Barton was, and still is, his idol," Agent May slipped in, speaking for the first time in hours.

Skye, Fitz and Simmons cracked up as Ward blushed and muttered "Is not."

"So who were you assigned to?" Skye asked him.

"Bruce Banner. Glad I got him; I heard he's the quiet one."

Simmons whispered something to Skye and Fitz, and all three of them began laughing hysterically. Ward silenced them with a look.

"So, Agent May, you either got The First Avenger, or the one and only, Tony Stark," stated Skye.

May shot her a stern look, but replied "Tony Stark."

Skye immediately began yelling "Oh, please, please, please switch with me! Please, May, please!"

May shared a grim look with Ward before saying "We have our orders and Coulson has his reasons; so, no."

"But," whimpered Skye.

"No," said Ward firmly.

Skye shrunk in her seat, glaring at Ward and May.

"Here they come!" yelled Fitz after several minutes of tense silence. All five of them looked up as the six Avengers boarded the plane.

"Holy crap, those are the Avengers!" squealed Skye.

Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton led the team, walking confidently side by side, having memorized the layout of the plane before arriving. Next came Coulson, chatting animatedly to Steve Rogers, who was trying his best not to look uncomfortable due to the fact that this man seemed to know everything about him. Bruce Banner walked in with his face buried in his latest research, looking up occasionally to make sure he wasn't going to run into anything. Finally, Tony Stark strutted in, a huge mischievous grin plastered on his face, with Thor beside him looking amused and stupefied.

"Wow," breathed Simmons, her eyes huge as she watched the super heroes entering the plane.


	2. Chapter 2

After watching Coulson assign each Avenger a room, the team got ready. They didn't know what to think, due to what they had just saw. No one except May had ever seen Coulson act the way he did; for each Avenger he wore a different face.

For Natasha, he was casual, friendly, and funny, sometimes acting like a 'mother hen.' With Clint, he was strict, but that was because Barton kept goofing off; he received at least six threats from Natasha and Coulson each as he unpacked. Sometimes Coulson and Clint would start cracking jokes at each other, and Natasha would wonder aloud if she was the only sane one in their relationship. Coulson did, however, 'baby' the two (as Clint put it) because he was their handler, and had been for the past eight years (for Clint even longer).

With Tony Stark, Coulson acted as though Tony was a young boy who acted immature and evil. He would occasionally be stern, but Tony wouldn't listen because 'Tony only listens to Pepper.' Tony also told Coulson to tell the Agent who was coming to debrief him that he doesn't like being handed things. Coulson asked him if he was drunk; he didn't get a straight answer. Before leaving to check on the next Avenger, Coulson emptied the room of all alcohol (which was about five and a half bottles of vodka).

Around Thor, Coulson was very patient, explaining to Thor in simple terms as to what was going on, and what was going to happen. Thor had a lot of questions about ordinary things, but his biggest inquiry was to how the plane worked. Coulson's reply was "There are these huge engines that turn the fans that lift the plane." Thor nodded enthusiastically, before going on and on about some boat/plane contraption he had on Asgard. After a while, the god requested poptarts. Coulson had expected this, and rolled in a huge platter of blueberry poptarts.

With Bruce, Coulson was his usual self, talking to Bruce about what was going to happen, explaining that someone was going to come in and debrief him. Bruce didn't really pay attention; he had just gotten the test results back for an experiment he had conducted with gamma rays, and he was absorbed in the new information. Coulson was fine with that; he was happy that Bruce had something to do that wouldn't make him bored out of his skull.

Coulson's final stop was Steve, and he tried his best not to fall to pieces. Steve gave him some Captain America trading cards that he had signed. Coulson smiled; there were dark red stains on the cards that used to be in mint condition, but he didn't mind. They talked about the mission; Steve wanted to go in and help Clint and Natasha, but Coulson advised him against it. He explained that when the two do missions, sometimes they communicate through their minds they're so in sync, which could lead to Steve getting left out of the equation. Also, the spies preferred just the two of them; less lives on the line. Coulson told Steve that he had to go, but that he would be back later; he was going to debrief Steve on the mission coming up.

Seeing Coulson's many sides isn't what fazed the team though; it was the Avengers themselves. By the time each Avenger was done unpacking, every person on the team was worried about their debriefing mission with the Avengers (except May, because she is fearless). Tony had managed to anger every single person on the Avenger team. He hadn't stayed in his room like he was supposed to; he did the exact opposite.

After Coulson had finished making his rounds, Tony had slipped out of his room, and proceeded to annoy everyone to the point of plotting Tony's mysterious disappearance. The billionaire was caught by Thor rigging a trap outside the god's door that would leave him dangling by the foot, and then the billionaire attempted to steal Thor's poptarts, earning him a good hit in the chest by Mjolnir.

Tony 'accidentally' sprayed Bruce with a fire extinguisher; Bruce wouldn't have minded (he was used to Tony's antics) if the spray hadn't gotten all over his research. As Bruce wiped his eyes clear of the white foam and picked up the now illegible paper, his skin became tinged with green, and his eyes flickered. Tony dropped the extinguisher and ran, slamming the door behind him. It took Bruce a while to calm himself down, but even then, every little problem caused him to close his eyes and take a few deep breaths before continuing on.

Tony strutted into Steve's room and called him a few words that made Steve stand up, his face burning red. Tony took a well-aimed punch to the gut, and then when he muttered something that sounded like 'Capsicle,' Steve threw Tony from his room with such force that it took Tony a few minutes to get to his feet.

His final target was Natasha and Clint. The two were having an intimate discussion on their mission which involved a weapons ring selling Chitauri guns, when Tony burst in and found Natasha in her tang top and shorts and Clint wearing only jeans (they were changing out of their S.H.I.E.L.D. attire and into more comfortable clothing for they didn't need to suit up until later that night). Tony took a quick glance between the two, and then ran away yelling 'clintasha' at the top of his voice. Natasha, who had instinctively grabbed a knife when the door was thrown unexpectedly open, moved forward, but Clint wrapped his arms around her and eased the knife from her grip.

"We'll get him tonight when everyone is asleep and the plane is in the air. That way no one will hear the screams, and his body can be easily disposed of," he murmured to her.

The actions and conversation between Clint and Natasha following the event of Tony barging in made Fitz and Simmons very nervous; they could handle Ward; assassins who could kill you in the blink of an eye they could not. Agent May studied Tony with a scowl on her face. Skye thought Tony was hilarious, but she was also worried about Thor; she didn't know if she had the patience to deal with him. Also, she couldn't understand him when he talked about things like Midgard, Asgard, or some person called Odin. Ward was slightly freaked about Bruce being able to change into the hulk at any moment, but he tried to keep his fears unknown.

As the team left the surveillance room, there was definitely tension in the air. Their job now was to debrief the Avengers, and stay with them until further instructions. As Coulson's team separated, they felt the 'bus' take flight. Coulson had a few S.H.I.E.L.D. agents fly the plane so Agent May could debrief one of the Avengers. Coulson claimed it was interdepartmental cooperation. May said it was payback for not wanting to get involved in field work. Fitz and Simmons continued down one of the small hallways that led to where Agents Barton and Romanoff were being held.

As Simmons reached her door, Fitz said "Don't make any sudden movements, Jemma. They can smell fear. Good luck."

Simmons gave a sarcastic smile, and then reached for the door knob, nearly shaking with fear. She turned it, and then walked inside.


	3. Chapter 3

At first Simmons didn't see anyone. There was a bed to her right, and a small closet on her left. There wasn't a window in the room, but there was a small escape hatch near the foot of the bed. The room was rather large, usually used as a storage room that had been turned into a bedroom for the arrival of the Avengers. Simmons was wondering if she was in the right room, and then she felt the cold blade at her throat.

She froze, stiff as a board. She stayed there for a few seconds until someone spoke. "Oh my god, I am SO sorry."

Natasha Romanoff came into view, her usual long, curly red hair pulled back into a sloppy bun on top of her head. Simmons released her breath and massaged her throat where the cold from the blade could still be felt.

"I thought you were Tony. I truly am sorry," Natasha kept repeating.

"It's quite alright, I just wasn't expecting it. I should have knocked first," Simmons stuttered out.

"Nahh, it's my fault. I just get paranoid in new places; and around new people. I'm Natasha. Clint calls me Nat, Tasha, Tash, Widow, or Romanoff, but I would prefer it if you didn't call me that. Clint does it to annoy me." Natasha stuck out her hand to a still shaking Simmons.

"I'm Jemma, but everyone calls me Simmons."

Natasha smiled. "Jemma is a pretty name. So, how is life with Coulson, the world's biggest surrogate mother?"

Simmons laughed. "He is quite an interesting character. I enjoy him though. I have to say that working with him has by far been the highlight of my career, and Fitz's as well I suppose."

"Fitz, Leo? Your lab partner since the training academy? Sorry, I kind of read your file with Clint on the way here, along with everyone else's."

Simmons didn't know whether or not to be uncomfortable about this or not. "Um, yes, Fitz is practically like a brother to me. We've been through everything together." Natasha smiled. It reminded her of a person that was so close to her that he felt like family.

"I understand completely. Do you mind if I do some homework during the debriefing? It's due Monday."

"Sure! I didn't know S.H.I.E.L.D. gave out homework. I thought your mission was the work," inquired Simmons.

"Well, usually, but I've been put on a cover in a training academy. Fury wants to know if the World Security Council is interfering with the students' way of learning, so what better way to learn about interference than stick an Agent into the academy? So now I'm taking Math, History, English, and a self defense class every Monday through Friday until June. Here is the fun part: I have to get good grades, not stick out, and I have to investigate if the Council is disrupting the academy."

"Does the Council know you're there?"

Natasha gave a grim smile. "Nope. I'm under an alias, and I wear a wig. They've got no clue."

Simmons studied the folder, while Natasha glanced at her math problems, her brow furrowed. "How the heck am I supposed to know how to find the difference of a monomial and a polynomial and then factor it? What does this have to do with shooting someone?" she mumbled, scratching through her problem with her lead pencil.

"Okay, so I'll get started shall I?" said Simmons as she looked up from the file. Natasha nodded, her eyes still glued to the paper.

"Are you familiar with the red room situation?" asked Simmons. Natasha froze.

"What?" she whispered, turning to face Simmons.

"The red room? Your task is to infiltrate one of their bases, correct?" Natasha slid off the bed and lightly took the folder from Simmons's hands.

"No," she murmured, scanning over the contents.

Natasha looked up. Her face was no longer that of Natasha; it was that of the Black Widow's. Her color was gone, replaced with cold fury, scary enough to bring a grown man to his knees, begging for mercy.

"Jemma." Simmons looked up, startled by the intensity in Natasha's voice, only to see her face filled with anger. Simmons shivered slightly.

"Listen to me carefully. Someone set this up. We're in danger. This isn't our mission. Do you know who the red room is?" Natasha asked, trying to see where Simmons stood. Simmons racked her brain. The name sounded familiar, but she couldn't place it. She shook her head.

"They brainwash children who have nowhere else to go, and turn them into monsters like me. They're the reason I am who I am today; they taught me my tricks. They taught me to kill, to be quieter than a mouse, and to seduce. Long story short, Clint freed me from their control. They've been wanting me back ever since. I was their everything. I was their top notch, star studded student. Without me, they faltered; Clint and I always try to destroy them whenever we meet, but they're resilient; they're Russian," Natasha explained to Simmons. Something clicked. Simmons had read over the brief summary of Natasha that Coulson had given her, and it had mentioned the red room.

While Simmons stood lost in thought, Natasha stepped lightly back to the bed where her phone lay charging. She typed in a few pass codes, and broke through a few security walls until she found what she was looking for. She cursed in Russian, just as the mirror behind her door let off a loud beep. It wasn't actually a mirror; it was a large computer pretending to be a mirror. It was used by S.H.I.E.L.D. to talk easily between agents on other sides of the compound. The computer showed what a mirror would when it was cut off, but if someone called in, it would show the agent who was calling's room, and the agent themselves, if they were standing in front of it. It was basically like Skype.

Agent Coulson popped up on the screen, and Natasha rushed to the mirror, her cold ferocity still there.

"Romanoff, they're on the plane."


	4. Chapter 4

Natasha's face, if possible, got even darker. It took all of her will power to not punch a hole in the wall. She knew just from looking in Coulson's eyes what had happened; the red room was on the bus, and they were taking over.

"Tell me everything sir."

Coulson nodded, then plunged right in.

"The pilots I asked to fly were apparently of red room origin. When they changed direction on us, I asked around to see what the others were doing, thinking May had gone and relieved the agents of their duties. Every single person was confused, rambling about 'some thing' called the red room. I didn't understand until Barton came pelting towards me and nearly tackled me. I knew then we were in trouble. I sent Ward to the cockpit to confront the pilots, but he found Ivan and a bunch of his buddies guarding the cockpit door."

Natasha flinched at the name Ivan, and Coulson paused. Natasha shook her head.

"Continue"

"Ward just got away; they didn't follow him, leading me to believe that they're pretty sure of themselves. And if Ivan is confident enough that he doesn't need to have every single one of us in his sight, especially you, well, I hate to say it, but it's time to drop everything and run."

Natasha swallowed, then folded her arms across her chest.

"What actions are going to be, or are being taken? And how's Clint?"

"Well, Clint was just as shaken as you are, but he doesn't have that much restraint; when I signed off just a few minutes ago, Fitz was huddled in a corner while Clint let off a few rounds of ammunition and arrows into the wall. So far, we're trying to find out how this could have happened. We think Ivan and his comrades were smuggled in when I left to get you. I had left the bus wide open, and I'm pretty sure everyone went out for a walk. Ivan hid in the cargo hold, right below the cockpit. We traced the new route the bus has been placed on; we're heading for an airport in Moscow. Said to be picking up a few people. Do you recall a blonde female? Nearly killed you two years ago?"

Natasha's eyes grew huge. "They wouldn't, would they? Is that even possible? I mean, it's perfectly possible, but they wouldn't... Or would they?" Natasha sounded like a broken record as she argued with herself, trying to come to some conclusion in her mind. Coulson didn't seem perturbed by his Agent's delirious state of mind. He watched with mild interest, then suddenly reached up and touched his ear.

"Ok, listen up Romanoff. I've just gotten feedback from the guys. Thor, Ward, May, and Steve are attempting to overthrow the pilots, while Bruce, Tony, and Skye are trying to do something techie to mechanically shut off the power to the bus, but leave on the generator, giving us just a small amount of power, so that the only thing they can do is land, or if the red room decides to, crash."

Simmons, who had been listening attentively from behind Natasha, spoke up. "Sir, what about Fitz, and this Agent Barton?"

Coulson smiled and tapped his earpiece. "You'll see soon enough. Romanoff, here's what I need from you. I need you to promise me that you are going to keep Jemma, and anyone else that I place into your care, safe. Don't give me that look. You're too involved, and we can't risk them triggering any old memories that will make you turn against us. Unfortunately, I feel that their grand plan is to either force you back into the red room program, or kill you. I'm not going to let that happen. Stay here, unless you hear otherwise. I will keep you updated, but until then, Stay. In. The. Room. We'll get this settled, Natasha. We always do."

Coulson signed off. Natasha breathed out slowly, fighting to stay calm. Simmons look up at her as she moved to her homework still laying out on her bed.

"Natasha, are you okay?"

Natasha paused, her back turned toward Simmons.

"I'm fine. Just really want to kill a few people that's all. Listen, it's almost night, so if Stark is able to cut power to the plane, it's going to get pretty dark. Plus, you don't have anything to sleep on. Give me ten minutes, then count to ten. If I'm not back by then, call Coulson, okay?"

Before Simmons could say another word, Natasha had strode across the room, pulled open the door, and slid out into the hallway, not making a single noise. Simmons sighed, then glanced at her watch, checking the time.

With two minutes left to spare, Simmons heard a squeaking in the hallway. Her immediate reaction was fear, but then she heard someone whisper "It's me!" Simmons walked to the door and eased it open. Natasha filed in, pulling two bed cots, four flashlights, a gallon of water, a liter of soda, a couple bags of chips, and a container of Oreos.

The first thing she said was "Man, you guys eat good here!"

Simmons laughed; Coulson always made sure they had what he called 'edible' food around to eat. Natasha pulled the two beds over to the corner, where she unfolded them and laid them out. She dumped the other supplies onto her bed, then tossed a bag of chips at Simmons.

"Realized we might need food. I can go back and get more if we need it. Sounded to me like we were going to have visitors, so I might want to. If Clint shows up, we're screwed. The only time I've ever seen him stop eating was when he cleaned out every drawer in Coulson's apartment."

Simmons laughed again, but her mind wasn't focused on the conversation at hand; it was on her partner and best friend. Where was he?

Just as Simmons was forming that question to ask, she heard a dull thud from overhead. Natasha did to; she picked up knife, slid it into her pocket, then grabbed her pistol. Simmons was vaguely aware that Natasha pushed her into the corner where she was protected by the cots. More sounds came from above, and Natasha positioned herself on the opposite side of the room from the air vent.

As the noises grew closer to the vent, the sounds got quieter. Eventually they faded all together, making Natasha's hairs on the back of her neck stand up; it was the calm before the storm. Suddenly there was a loud bang, and someone yelled 'shh!' Natasha watched as the grate to the air vent toggled slightly, then disappear into the vent. She tensed, ready to pounce. Simmons ducked her head. Time seemed to stop.

A dark figure lowered himself from the vent and into the room. Natasha was on him before he hit the ground.


	5. Chapter 5

In a flurry of kicks, punches, hair pulling, and biting, Simmons watched as Natasha attacked their invader. The man was tall, strong, and dressed all in black. He wore goggles on his face, but the rest was covered by a black cloth.

Natasha latched on to the man's wrist, twisting it away from her, for it held a rather dangerous looking knife. She flipped over his arm, straining to break it, but the man twisted with her, and met her face with an elbow.

Natasha kicked out at the man's knees, forcing him to the ground, but not for long. His free hand came out of nowhere and smacked her across the head. She bounced away, recovered in a split second, then using the wall, she lunged back, trying to put him in a thigh choke. He anticipated this move, and jumped away, but when Natasha pivoted, she was right back on top of him, punching as hard as she could.

Suddenly, the man dropped dead onto the floor. Natasha was momentarily stunned as she watched the man fall lifeless to her feet. Suspicion crept over her.

"Simmons, cover your mouth and nose!"

Just as suddenly as the man had dropped dead, another man fell from the air vents, his hands raised as if to surrender. Natasha showed no mercy. Not even bothering to see if he had a weapon on him, she sprang forward, adrenaline still pumping through her veins. After a few good punches to the stomach, the man called out "Tasha! It's me!"

Natasha froze, still holding her fist in the air above her. She whipped out a knife, just to be sure, then pulled back his hood. Clint Barton, bruised and battered, grinned sheepishly up at her. Her eyes darted from her partner, to the man on the ground, who she now realized had an arrow sticking out of his back.

"Clint! You idiot! I could have killed you! What are you doing here? What's going on? Where's Fitz?"

Comprehension dawned on Clint's face.

"Oh yeah. Fitz! Come on down, she's not in Widow mode at the moment. Throw down the bodies and my arrows and bow too."

Confused, Natasha and Simmons watched as two bodies fell through the vent with a thud, then as another man climbed through, a bow and a quiver of arrows slung over his back.

"Fitz!" Simmons screamed, rushing forward to her best friend. He held out his hand, and Simmons stopped, confused. Fitz placed the bow an arrows gently down onto the ground, then turned back to give Simmons a hug. Clint and Natasha smiled at the two scientists.

Natasha turned back to Clint.

"So what's up? These guys from Ivan's team?"

Clint nodded, running his sharp eyes over the dead men.

"You want to sit down? I've got a lot to tell you."

Before Natasha could agree, Clint was on the ground. Natasha glanced around, looking for the source of the cause, but no one was there except Simmons and Fitz who were completely unaware anything had happened. That's when Natasha saw the dry blood on Clint's shirt, hidden from first sight by his jacket.

"Hey guys, a little help?"

Simmons and Fitz glanced up, realizing what had happened.

"Oh yeah, I meant to tell you that Agent Barton seemed to be in mild pain when he came to get me. He took a jacket from his closet and covered a stain I thought to be blood on his side," explained Fitz.

"You're telling us that now?" exclaimed Simmons, helping Natasha pick Clint up and carry him to Natasha's bed. Natasha roughly threw all of the homework onto the ground, her assignments flying everywhere.

"It's fine, at least he noticed something. If Clint acted as if he were in mild pain, then it's probably serious. I've seen him take three bullets at the same time to his arm, leg, and chest, and not even whimper," Natasha said as she lightly pulled off his jacket and threw it aside.

Simmons handed Natasha a pair of scissors, and she cut through his shirt. There was a wad of towels taped messily over his abdomen, and fresh blood was oozing from the wound underneath. Fitz took one glance, then wavered slightly.

"I do not like blood," he murmured, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath.

Natasha gave a throaty laugh. "You're not the first person I've been around who hates blood. You should see Tony when we came back from a mission and I had a two inch gash across my arm. Pepper was helping me clean it up. Tony walked in and passed out right on the spot."

With the help of Simmons, Natasha carefully pulled makeshift bandage from the wound, exposing a deep knife wound about two and a half inches across. Natasha took a deep breath, her keen eyes examining the wound closely.

"Alright, screw Coulson's orders. Simmons, take Fitz, and go to wherever you keep your medical supplies. He's going to need stiches, along with a pretty good bandage. Bring back any pain killers you have, but not anything that will make him sleepy. Be quiet, and be careful. If you see or hear anything, come immediately back here. Fitz, look after her."

Fitz nodded as they left the room, closing the door behind them. Natasha turned back to Clint, whose breaths were coming in shallow, short bursts. Tiny pinpricks of sweat beads glistened at the archer's forehead, and his eyes were half open. Natasha dug through her bag, and found an old t-shirt that would have to be sacrificed. She took the jug of water and poured it onto the shirt, then placed the shirt over Clint's forehead. She used Clint's now useless shirt to help staunch the blood still pouring from the wound.

"Oh Clint," she whispered, her eyes scanning his face.

After a few minutes, the archer's eyes flickered open. He tried to sit up, but Natasha placed a firm hand on his shoulder.

"Don't you even dare," she growled.

Clint laid back down, looking sulkily up at Natasha, like a puppy that had just been punished.

"Way to go Clint. You had to go and get yourself stabbed, didn't you?"

Natasha's voice was stern, but joking, and a smile spread across both hers and Clint's face.

"It's what I do. Where'd the smart people go?" he asked, glancing around for Simmons and Fitz.

"I sent them off to get supplies to patch you up. Clint, who did this?"

When he avoided her eyes, Natasha knew exactly who.

"When?" was all she asked.

"An hour ago? It's a really big blur. Can I start from the beginning? I find it easier that way." Natasha nodded, then climbed up and sat on the very edge of the bed.

"When Fitz came in, I accidentally might have thrown a knife at him. I realized who it was at the last moment, and flicked it so it changed direction. He calmed down, and after a while, opened the folder to debrief me.

"He said 'You know about the red room yes?' Natasha, I nearly died. I knew then we were in some serious trouble. I ran out of the room, and literally ran into Coulson in the hallway. I tried to tell him, but he seemed to already understand. He told me to stay in my room, and that he would call me with information. I went back like a good boy, and tried to explain to Fitz what was going on. When Coulson called and told me Ivan was on board, I lost it, along with a round of ammo and a few arrows. Fitz was pretty wary of me for a while.

"Coulson told me Steve and Thor were going to go fight Ivan. I wanted in. Coulson told me to stay put, but nice Clint was gone. I told Fitz to stay in the room, and that if Coulson called, tell him I was in the bathroom. I caught up with Steve just in time, and we went to the cockpit.

"Ivan was waiting. I entered first, and sent an arrow straight for the place where his heart would be, if he had one. As usual, he blocked it, so I got pretty pissed and lunged at him. That's when hell broke loose. Everyone was fighting everyone, but all I knew was that it was me and Ivan. Everything else didn't matter. On a pretty stupid move of mine, Ivan saw my exposed side, and he took the chance. If I hadn't moved at the last second, I probably wouldn't be here right now.

"As I was going down, he said 'Tell Natalia I said hi, and that Yelena is eager to see her.' I kicked him in the shins, but he just laughed. He left me on the ground, then entered the cockpit. I saw a few men break away and climb into the vents. No one else saw; they were too busy. I grabbed the nearest material, taped up the knife wound, and climbed in after them. When I saw where they were heading, I decided I should get Fitz's help. I swung by to pick him up, then we climbed over to your vent opening. Two men were waiting in the vent, and I took them out in a few seconds. The one fighting you took me a while longer though. I didn't want to hit my favorite spider now did I?"

"You never miss," whispered Natasha.

"Except with you and Ivan, but with anyone else? I wasn't about to start. You had him in a good hold, so I let it fly. Now here we are." Clint finished his story, and closed his eyes, a fresh wave of pain seeping over him.

"Clint, hang on. They'll be back in a few minutes. Just hang in there."

Natasha placed a gentle hand on his head, then ran her fingers through his short, brownish blonde hair.

"They're stopping to pick up Yelena. Nat, they want to kill you. I'm not going to let that happen."

Natasha smiled, though a small bubble of fear was growing in her stomach.

"We've taken her on before. We'll do it again. Though this time, she's going to end up dead on the ground with a bullet in her brain."

"Or an arrow. Whichever one works."

Natasha punched Clint roughly in the shoulder. Clint opened his mouth to pretend gasp in pain, but there was a sudden popping noise, then a loud explosion.

That's when the lights went out.


	6. Chapter 6

**For the other languages, I used Google Translate, so I'm very sorry if the translations aren't correct! English translation is in parenthesis.**

* * *

Natasha heard a faint scream, and she tensed up, reaching for a knife she had hidden under the mattress. Clint pressed the shirt to his stomach, and sat up, realizing Natasha wasn't watching him.

"Jemma? Fitz?"

No answer.

"What's going on?" Natasha said aloud, more to herself than Clint.

Sensing danger, Natasha stood up, moving to the door. It was stuck, so she tried to kick it open. Nothing happened.

"Nat, wait!"

Clint tried to get up and stand, but nearly toppled to the ground. Natasha rushed to him, catching him just in time.

"Hawk, I hate to tell you this, but you can't come. Clint, you're too hurt. You might give away our location."

Clint looked into Natasha's eyes, barely visible in the inky darkness.

"I'm coming with you. Besides, you need my help to open that door."

"No, you're not, and I can open it myself."

Natasha's voice was bitter cold, but Clint didn't care; she wasn't facing this alone. Natasha had her arms under Clint to keep him steady, and she could feel the tenseness in his muscles; he wasn't going to sit this out. Natasha sighed.

"Fine, but let me fix up that wound as best I can so you won't bleed out on me."

"Tasha, there isn't enough time. We need to get Fitz and Simmons."

"Barton, they're strong enough to hold on while I make sure you don't die."

Knowing he couldn't argue because she was letting him go, Clint sat back down on the bed.

Natasha grabbed a flashlight, some athletic tape from her bag, searched around another old t-shirt, then neatly placed it over the wound, taping it in place.

The whole time Natasha was patching him up, Clint had his eyes trained on her, looking for any signs that she was hurting inside. The flashlight cast shadows on her face, but he could still see the fear in her eyes.

"Tasha."

Natasha looked up, startled by how soft he had said her name.

"It's going to be okay. I promise. Nat, they won't hurt you again."

She gave a weak smile, then wound her arms around Clint's bare back.

"They already have," she mumbled into his shoulder.

Clint sighed, then kissed her head.

A sudden, high pitched scream reached their ears, causing Natasha to jump away and take up a gun, and Clint to roll to the floor and grab his bow.

"Jemma," Natasha whispered.

By the light of the flashlight, Clint and Natasha locked eyes, signaling silently that they needed to get to Fitz and Simmons as quick as possible, and that they were to do anything physically possible to keep the scientists safe.

Clint shot an arrow at the door, and as it exploded, he grabbed his jacket from the ground and slipped it on, acting as though he wasn't even aware the door just blew up. Natasha slipped on her S.H.I.E.L.D. suit, and clipped her multiple guns and knives to her belt. She turned back to Clint, who was examining his arrow tips.

"Have any idea what this is all about?"

Natasha wracked her brains. She remembered her conversation with Coulson.

"Tony, Bruce, and the hacker girl, Skye, were going to try to shut off the plane's power to make Ivan land early. Then Steve, Thor, Calvary and Ward were going to go and jump Ivan. Seems like at least one part of the plan is working."

Clint nodded, following Natasha as she stepped over the remaining fragments of the door, out into the dark hallway. Natasha held the flashlight in her hand with her gun, while Clint clicked a few buttons on his bow, turning on the built in flashlights.

"Where are the closest medical supplies?"

"Two hallways over. Six rooms down. Remember? It's the largest on board, besides the infirmary near the lab, but that's too far away. I really hope they didn't try to go that far. They would have surely ran into some problems."

Clint nodded, pivoting to his left as they passed a hallway that branched off from their current path so that he could make sure there was no threat waiting for them. Natasha passed by him, scanning her brain, trying to remember the path she needed to take.

As they neared the hallway where they were supposed to turn off of, Natasha heard voices floating through the dark corridor. She turned to Clint and made a signal that someone was up ahead.

Clint nodded, then jabbed his thumb upwards. Natasha looked up, then grinned.

It was an air vent.

* * *

"Мы должны уезжать скоро, да?" **(We should be landing soon, yes?)**

"Я, конечно, надеюсь на это. Эти S.H.I.E.L.D. агенты вызывают больше проблем, чем мы первоначально думали." **(I certainly hope so. These S.H.I.E.L.D. agents** **are causing more trouble than we originally thought.)**

Two men ambled down the dark hallway Natasha and Clint had been in seconds before. They had guns drawn, and were surveying the area, looking for anyone who was doing something they shouldn't be.

"Агенты и Мстители. Они все проблемы."** (The agents, and the Avengers. They are all trouble.)**

Above them, Natasha and Clint held their breath in the vents. As the two Russian men walked directly beneath the vent, Natasha kicked open the vent, then landed on top of one, while Clint jumped the other.

Within seconds, both Russians were knocked unconscious on the floor.

"Для России" **(For Russia)** Natasha mumbled, kicking one man with her boot. Clint put a finger to his lips, signaling Natasha to be quiet. He pointed down the hallway, opposite from where the men had come.

Natasha listened, and then understood.

Small, faint noises could be heard coming from the dark hallway, causing Natasha to pull out a gun. She was ready to take down anyone she saw.

Clint grabbed her hand, pressing the gun down.

"It might be Jemma," he mouthed.

Natasha glared at him, the flashlight making her look scarier than she actually was. Realizing he might be right, Natasha holstered the gun, and pulled out a knife instead.

Clint raised an eyebrow at her, and she just stared back. He shook his head, letting out a small laugh, before turning his head to the dark path before them.

Quietly and carefully, the crept along. They heard occasional noises, but they weren't very loud.

"Nat, is that... light?"

Natasha looked up, then turned off her flashlight. Sure enough, a bright yellow light was shining beneath a door off of the hallway. The noises were coming from within, now mixing with low voices.

Natasha nodded to Clint and pulled out her gun while Clint knocked an arrow. Clint nodded back, took a deep breath, then kicked open the door.

* * *

Confusion.

That's the first thing Natasha registered.


	7. Chapter 7

"What in the world?"

Steve, Thor, Ward, May, Simmons, and Fitz were all tied up to a column in the center of the room, their arms wrapped around with a thick rope. They were all gagged, and Steve, Thor, Ward and May showed signs of recent battle. A radio sat playing in the corner. Clint shot it with an arrow, silencing it. He then moved forward to untie his teammates, while Natasha surveyed the room for any guards. They were all unconscious, so when Clint untied them, they fell forwards or slipped sideways into their neighbor's lap. Clint leaned forward and smelled Steve's face.

"Chloroform," he mumbled, standing up straight again.

Natasha nodded, then pointed to the rags and white bottle in the corner.

"The guards that were walking away, I bet they captured them, found that we were still wandering around, and went to find us. I wonder if Tony and Bruce know," said Natasha, locking the door just in case.

"We need to find them. It's time we regrouped. We need to get everyone organized to take down Ivan. You think we're still going to land?"

Natasha nodded. "I count on it. If Ivan has enough power to get to wherever he is going, then he'll do everything he can to get there. I only hope we don't keep Yelena waiting too long."

She let out a dark laugh. Clint shook his head.

"That's not funny."

Natasha shrugged. "First things first, we need to get them up." She gestured to her lethargic teammates and friends. "Maybe one of them knows where Bruce, Stark, and Skye are."

Clint eyed the unconscious bodies. "Anyone in particular you want up first? No offense, but I don't really fancy waking up the Calvary. Or the specialist for that matter."

Natasha scoffed at Clint, then moved towards Simmons. She nudged her shoulder softly.

"Jemma? Come on, wake up. Jemma, wake up, please. Come on."

Simmons's eyes fluttered open, glancing around in fear before focusing in on Natasha. Her eyes grew large, and she breathed in quickly.

"Natasha! I'm so sorry! Fitz and I were trying to get to the medical supplies, and we ran into May and Ward, who were with Thor and the Captain, but there were these really buff Russian guys, with like, really huge muscles, and Ward and Thor went after them, and we, May, Fitz and the Captain, tried to get around them, but then them jumped at us and everything went black, and I'm pretty sure we were doused with trichloromethane, or at least the rags were, but still-"

Natasha grabbed Simmons's shoulders and smiled. "Jemma, breathe. You're alright, you all are. Come on, help me with the others."

Natasha helped Simmons to her feet, who went immediately to Fitz. Natasha looked up to find Clint slapping Thor, trying to get him to wake up. She caught his eye, and raised an eyebrow.

"What? During the car ride here he woke me up when he started yelling about that pop tart museum Tony told him about. You know, I bet that doesn't even exist. Either way, he owes me a nap."

Natasha shook her head as Clint slugged Thor in the shoulder, jolting the God awake.

"FOR ASGARD!" Thor yelled, jumping up and knocking Clint to the ground.

Thor looked around, trying to find out what was going on, the realized he had sent his fellow teammate to the ground. He reached a hand down to the angry archer, who took it while muttering under his breath about stupid Norse Gods. Natasha glanced at the door, fearing Thor's angry outburst had gotten a guard's attention, but no one had come barging in- yet.

"Thor, you don't happen to know where Bruce and Tony are, do you?" Clint heard Natasha ask as he turned to Steve, prodding him gently; he wasn't going to take his chances with Steve, and besides, the Star Spangled Man with a plan hadn't done anything to annoy him, at least not to the point of slapping him awake.

"The last I knew, the man of Iron was with the angry green one, and the one named Skye were in the lab, hacking into this plane's wiring," Thor replied.

Simmons joined Natasha's side, with Fitz hovering behind her. Natasha turned to them while Thor helped Steve to his feet.

"Well, Jemma tried to explain to me what had happened, but she said it so fast I didn't catch a word. What happened?"

"Well, we met up with Steve, Thor, May, and Ward, who were looking for us. Apparently Coulson is with Tony, Bruce, and Skye in the lab, and they thought it was time to regroup. They said we needed a 'game plan' for taking down the idiots running this plane," explained Fitz.

"But shortly after we were reunited, a few of the said idiots came out of nowhere and attacked us. Ward and Thor tried to hold them off, but they were both hurt from earlier, so we were overpowered. The last thing I remember was having my mouth covered by a rag with a sickeningly sweet smell, which makes me think chloroform, yes?" Simmons said.

Natasha nodded, then gestured to the rags and white bottle in the corner. Simmons gave a meaningful nod, then turned to Fitz and started speaking in sciency terms that made Natasha's head hurt, so she turned to Clint, who now had everyone up but May. No one seemed to want to wake her up.

"Are you guys really that weak? She can't be any worse than Coulson you guys."

All of the men looked around at each other, none of them daring to be the volunteer. Natasha sighed, then moved over towards May.

"Hey, May. Wake up. Come on, Coulson needs us in the lab. Wake up Calvary."

May's eyes flashed open, and she shot her hands towards Natasha, but Natasha countered, and grabbed her wrists.

"We're on your side May. Come on, Coulson's waiting."

May blinked, then stood up, assessing her injuries and taking in the surroundings. All of the guys stared at Natasha. Even Fitz and Simmons gaped at her.

"What? You act like you've never seen someone wake up a spy and not get injured."

May smirked, and Natasha gave her sly smile. They winked at each other, then got back into their own mindset.

"Alright, we need to get going. Coulson is waiting for us in the lab, right? So lets go join him."

Natasha moved towards the door, and Clint came up by her side. Steve and Thor fell in behind them, then Fitz and Simmons, and finally Ward and May. Just in case, Simmons grabbed the medical supplies from the wall.

Clint moved to the door, but it fell open before he even touched it. In fell two bodies, unconscious, and possibly dead.

"Remind me to teach you how to properly disable a gun next time Bruce."

"Don't waste your breath Stark."

* * *

**Sorry guys! My computer is seriously screwed up, and it won't let me publish anything! It will only let me correct the stuff I've already written. I just wanted to let you guys know so that you didn't think that I abandoned you! I'm really, really, sorry, and I promise to write more as soon as we get the computer fixed!**


	8. Chapter 8

Tony sauntered into the room, closely followed by Skye, and a very annoyed looking Bruce. The billionaire was holding some sort of gun, but it looked modified in some way. Natasha squinted at it.

"It's the Night Night gun, or the Icer, whichever you prefer," Fitz whispered to her, before moving forward to greet Skye. Simmons too rushed forward to greet their friend, followed by Ward and May, while Tony and Bruce moved around to talk to Natasha, Clint, Steve and Thor.

"Rough day Natasha?" asked Tony with a sly grin. He dodged her punch, but received the full kick to the shins.

"You could say so," she hissed, straightening up. She watched with pride at Tony practically doubled over.

Bruce looked Clint over. "You alright there?" he asked, taking in his weak posture.

Clint nodded, motioning that he would tell him later. Bruce squinted his eyes, but dropped it.

"So, where is Coulson? We need to regroup," said Steve, taking action as usual. Bruce and Tony shared a confused look.

"What do you mean? He didn't come find you?"

They, meaning Thor, Steve, Natasha and Clint, shook their heads, confused. Bruce and Tony suddenly looked worried.

"He said that he would find you all and get the location, then message us back as to where you were."

"Well, he isn't here. Shouldn't that have been your first clue?"

"Well, Mr. Red White and Blue, I thought that he might have left to go check on his office. He said something about being able to get into contact with Fury."

"Stark, that's not funny."

"You need to stop being so uptight."

"You need to be more serious about the mission at hand!"

"I am being serious! How else do you think We're still alive?"

"What do you mean, still alive?"

"Bruce, that amazing chick Skye, and I shut off the power forcing them to land. They had to go down before they got to their location, smarty pants."

Steve's face turned slightly red, and he muttered an almost inaudible "Thank you."

Natasha, however, looked slightly confused.

"Bruce, you said that Phil would tell you once he got our location. How'd did you know to get here... unless..."

Natasha locked eyes with Clint, and then turned to find the door being kicked open. Three Russian agents entered the room, and Fitz and Simmons yelled out as they too realized what had happened.

Ivan had listened into Tony, Bruce, Skye, and Coulson in the lab, figured out the plan, captured Coulson, and sent the location to Tony. Now they were all together, and all trapped.

The three agents quickly took down May and Ward, knocked out Steve and Thor, confiscated the Icers from Tony, Bruce, and Skye, then turned to the only threats left. Natasha and Clint stood side to side, guns and bow at the ready. Natasha's eyes were filled with something Tony had never seen before, but realized that it was a hatred that burned with unending fire and Natasha started on the first agent advancing towards her.

Clint too was showing a ferocity unlike his usual self, and seemed merciless against the men. Skye and Tony made weak attempts to help, but they were quickly stopped. The men didn't even bother with the others, sensing them below their level.

Natasha and Clint fought for their lives as they kicked, punched, and shot at the three men, moving in such coordination, Simmons thought that it was rather like a dance. They moved together, and seemed to read each other's minds. As one kicked off the wall to get momentum, the other would turn just enough to give them the extra push, all while avoiding the lightening fast movements of the oncoming fists.

The battle ended after five minutes though, when Natasha sent a bullet through one guy's arm. She hadn't been paying attention to the third man, and Clint was busy dealing with the other. Simmons and Skye screamed out together to watch out, but it was too late.

The man grabbed her from behind, and produced a knife from thin air. He placed it roughly onto her neck, then turned to face Clint, who had just sent and arrow into his target's face.

Clint froze, horror rising in his eyes. He lowered his bow, but the man just smiled, and pulled the knife into Natasha skin, drawing a small amount of blood. Clint choked, trying to say no, but he couldn't speak. He couldn't even breathe. He just stared straight into Natasha's eyes, and was startled to find her oddly relaxed. She was watching him, as if to say, 'What are you going to do now, Clint?'

He was going to save his partner. That's what he was going to do.

He pulled a knife from his pocket, turned, and nailed the guy in the leg. The man instinctively released Natasha, and she grabbed the knife that was in his hand, the stabbed it into his heart.

Natasha stood up, panting. Clint ran to her, hugging her, and making sure she was alright. The tension broke in the room, and Fitz turned to Simmons and they wrapped their arms around each other, thankful that they were still alive.

Tony and Bruce just shook their heads, then moved to wake up Thor and Steve, who were out cold. May was just getting up as Skye ran to Ward, nearly tackling him.

The whole room just stayed that way until things got awkward, and they regrouped in the center.

Natasha spoke first, using her sleeve to stop the blood at her throat. "We have to find Coulson."

"What we need is to get back to the lab," demanded Ward.

Natasha gave him a look. "Weren't you listening? That's how they knew the plan. That's why Coulson is no where to be found. That's why someone almost stabbed me!" Her voice began to rise, and Clint slipped an arm around her. Tony smirked and opened his mouth, but Steve elbowed him.

"Fine, but where else do you expect to find medical supplies for all of us, as well as more weapons? We need supplies if we're going to take down the remaining people on this plane."

May looked over Ward, then turned to FitzSimmons. "Don't you have something that will block out all radio devices in a room?"

"Yes, but it's in the lab. We can't get there without being overheard."

"Just don't say anything revealing when you get in there. Find the device, then turn it on. Simple as that," said Ward.

"But we need to let him know we're there, at that we're apparently unharmed and ready to take him on. That way he'll be too scared to come after us," suggested Steve.

Everyone looked to Natasha, and she nodded. "I like that idea, Steve. FitzSimmons, do you think that you could handle that?"

Fitz and Simmons shared a glance, but before they could say anything, Ward spoke up. "I think it would be safer if someone else went. FitzSimmons isn't exactly good with the whole undercover thing."

Fitz glared at him, but one look from Simmons told him to stand down. He shrugged.

"I know what you're talking about. I was in the lab. On the left under the beakers, right?" asked Tony. Fitz nodded.

"Good. I can go, but Bruce. You want to come?"

Bruce looked up, for he had been watching Clint closely. The archer was deteriorating quickly. "Uh, you know, I think I might hang back and see what I can do about helping with some of these wounds."

Clint saw Bruce pretend to look over May and Ward's minor cuts, but he knew that Bruce wanted to look at him.

"Fine. Point Break? Rogers? Either of you wanna go?"

They both shook their heads, Thor knowing that he wouldn't be good undercover, and Steve not wanting to go because it was Tony. Tony shook his head, then landed his eyes on Skye. She lit up like a Christmas tree.

"How about you, sweet stuff?"

Skye could have melted on the spot. She nodded her head dreamily, her brown eyes out of focus. Ward, however, stepped forward.

"Uh, are you sure that's a good idea? What if someone has infiltrated the lab?"

Tony shot him a look. "Honestly, make up your mind, will you? First you want to go to the lab, then you don't. What's your problem?"

Ward just gave Tony an icy glare before moving away from him. Tony smiled evilly.

"Alright then. Miss Skye and I will go the lab and turn on the device. Come down in about, what? 15 minutes? Yep. Sounds good. Be careful, and don't miss me too much!"

Tony swaggered out of the room, Skye falling in place behind him. Steve shook his head, and then him and Thor took a seat on the ground. May and Ward sat down next to them, Ward still wearing a grumpy expression.

Natasha and Clint huddled together in a nearby corner, trying to calm themselves down. Fitz wanted to join them, but Simmons held back.

"Give them their space," she whispered, before settling down not far from May.

Bruce studied the assassin and the archer, before making a conclusion and walking over to them.

"Barton, shirt up, and let me look at that wound before Natasha forcefully knocks you out."

One look at Natasha told Clint that she was actually going to back Bruce up. He sighed and shook his head, but pulled his shirt up anyways.

* * *

**Please don't be mad! School is INSANE but I've only got 5 weeks left! Hopefully I can write more, but finals are coming up so ehh... but please stick with me people, the big finally is near!**


	9. Chapter 9

"Ow! Could you not push so hard? It kind of hurts."

"If you would have gotten this taken care of properly and rested for a while, then you wouldn't be in so much pain."

"The power cut off, Bruce, and I wasn't about to be left alone in the dark."

"Yeah, yeah, excuses, excuses. Keep that shirt up. Simmons, hand me the scissors."

After examining Clint's wound, Bruce had concluded that it needed serious medical attention. He had called over Jemma to help, and now the two of them were stitching up Clint's wound. Fitz hovered behind them, a little squeamish, but wanting to help. Natasha sat cradling Clint's head in her lap, while holding tight to his hand.

It had almost been ten minutes, so May was starting to get fidgety.

"We should get ready to leave. We have five minutes left."

Natasha looked up. "Okay. Just let us finish up here." She turned to Bruce. "Make it snappy. Tony might need our help."

Bruce gave her a glare, but cut the thread to the stitches. "That should hold for a while, but after we get somewhere more secure, I'd like to take a closer look at it."

Natasha nodded, then helped the sore Clint to his feet. Jemma and Bruce packed up the supplies, and May walked over to Steve, Thor, and Ward, telling them that it was almost time to go. In about three minutes, they were all standing in the center of the room, prepared to leave.

"How should we do this?" asked Steve.

"I'll lead. Clint can come behind me. I want Jemma and Fitz in the middle of the group. They'll be safest there," stated Natasha.

"Thor and I can can cover the sides. Bruce, you stay in the middle with them, alright? We know you're a threat, but hulking out right now wouldn't be our best option."

Bruce grinned, and nodded at Steve's request.

"I think Clint should cover the back with May. He's injured. We can't afford to get taken down at this point. Plus, I know my way around the plane better," argued Ward.

Clint shook his head and mumbled something like, "You should not have said that."

Natasha turned an icy gaze upon Ward. "Clint stays with me."

"Whatever, it's just that I think we'd be safer if-"

Natasha took a step towards Ward, causing him to take a step back.

"Clint. Stays. With. Me," she hissed.

Clint gave Ward an 'I told you so' look.

Ward glared back at Natasha, but stiffly nodded. He wasn't about to pick a serious fight with the Black Widow. May checked her watch, and announced that it was time to leave. They all fell into formation, Natasha and Clint leading.

* * *

"So, Skye. Never thought that you'd be saving the day with Tony Stark, did you?"

Skye grinned at Tony's mischievous face. "To be honest, no. I did not."

Tony's smirk grew wider, and they turned a corner, clearing it before walking down the dark hallway.

"So, what's the plan?" Skye asked after a few minutes.

"We get in there, talk about how awesome I am, then cut on the device. After that, we wait for the arrival of our teams."

Skye nodded, then lapsed back into silence. She had no idea what to talk about, now that she was in the presence of her favorite super hero.

They safely reached the lab, and Skye entered her code to get inside. Tony walked in, with Skye on his heels. Once inside, they leaned comfortably on a counter, and began the game.

"Where did I put it?" Tony mumbled, sounding worried.

"Put what?" asked Skye, playing along.

"The night night gun. I swear I left it in here."

"I don't know, but we need to find it. Natasha emptied the last of her bullets on those guards who attacked us in the room, remember? She needs a weapon."

"True, but honestly, Natasha's whole body is a weapon. I'm pretty sure that her left pinkie has killed at least ten people."

Skye wanted to laugh, but she held it in. "She sounds like May. Now that the two of them have teamed up, all we really have to do is sit back, and watch the bad guys fall."

Tony winked, and gave Skye a thumbs up. She was doing great. "And Barton. Don't forget Barton. That guy can shoot a fly from ten miles away. It's kind of creepy."

"Don't leave out Ward. He's been known to take out a whole hallway full of threats in just a few minutes."

Tony and Skye locked eyes, simultaneously thinking the same thing.

"And Coulson. Don't forget Coulson," they said at the same time.

Tony grinned, then leaned past Skye to activate the device. A whirring noise filled the air, followed by silence.

"Well, that was fun, Agent Skye."

Skye grinned. "I'm not an official agent."

Tony raised an eyebrow. "Really? Well, you should be. What, are you labeled as a consultant?"

Skye nodded, and Tony smiled.

"You know, that's what I am. A consultant."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously. You would think though, that after saving the world from an alien invasion that you would get a SHIELD badge, but apparently not."

Tony and Skye locked eyes, then burst out laughing, just as Natasha and Clint led the way into the room. Everyone squeezed into the lab, the Avengers taking one side, Coulson's team on the other. As the two teams studied the other, they both thought about the one link that brought them together.

"We need to save him," stated May, breaking the silence.

"I agree. But first, we need to take care of some of these wounds. May, you're left arm is dripping blood. Steve, you've got a nice bruise over your left eye. We can't take on Ivan like this. He'll wipe us all out."

"But Coulson-"

"Coulson, is strong enough to hold Ivan off on his own. Besides, he won't do anything to him until I'm there to watch. Therefore, I think that we need to rest up just for a little bit," Natasha cut into Ward.

They both glared at each other, sizing one another up.

Skye was a little timid, but spoke up anyways. "I think that Natasha is right. Coulson will be fine, but if we don't take care of ourselves, then we aren't going to be doing him any good."

Natasha looked at her gratefully, while Fitz and Simmons just nodded. Bruce glanced over those with injuries, then turned to Simmons.

"We can set up a standard medical facility. One at a time. You said that you have more supplies here?"

Simmons nodded, then led Bruce over to the infirmary, Fitz falling in step behind.

Natasha turned to May. "Do you have the layout of the plane here?"

May nodded, then turned to the holo-table behind them. She tried to get it to turn on, but it was being rather difficult. Tony just smirked, waved his hands over the sensor, and brought the table to life. May rolled her eyes, then brought up the layout of the plane.

For the next twenty minutes, Bruce, Fitz, and Simmons tended to the injured, while anyone who wasn't being taken care of helped construct a plan for taking Ivan down.

Natasha was in the middle of a very wordy shouting match with Ward, when she heard someone coming towards the lab.

"Shut up!" she hissed at him, then grabbed her gun off of the table. Clint followed her to the doors, and then positioned themselves on either side. The person who was approaching the lab stopped, and entered a code.

The doors slid open, and Phil Coulson limped in. His face was bloody, and his ankle was swollen. He glanced around, found Natasha's face, and shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Natasha. I'm so sorry. Yelena is on the plane."


End file.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Avengers, Hurt-Comfort, Suspense