Percy sat behind Bruce watching as the director argued with his uncle. Though he wouldn't call it arguing, more name-calling and teasing, like how little kids fight. But either way, Percy didn't like it.

Slowly the tension rose in the room. Tony and Fury were still head butting each other, Thor and Natasha were disagreeing about something, Percy couldn't hear what they were talking about, and Steve was going against Bruce. It was all too much for the ten-year-old. Computer systems going haywire and people fighting, and the small black shape rising ever so ominously in the bridge window in the level below the lab. No matter how loud he yelled, the preoccupied adults paid no attention to him, like he just disappeared from their minds.

A soft blue light grows the more they fight, illuminating the white countertop a beautiful azure color. "Tony, the scepter's glowing."

It fell on deaf ears as they continued to talk, Tony stands up to Steve anger in his eyes, " You're a lab rat, Rogers. Everything special about you came out of a bottle!"

"Put on the suit, let's go a few rounds," Steve looks down on him. Tension so thick a knife couldn't cut through it.

"Agent Romanoff, could you escort Dr. Banner back to his--" Fury looked to the redhead.

"Where? You rented my room."

"The cell was just in case..."

"In case you needed to kill me, but you can't! I know! I've tried!" The room silences quickly. A moment of realization etched on everyone's faces as they look to the reserved man in the back. "I got low. I didn't see an end, so I put a bullet in my mouth and the other guy spit it out! I forced on helping other people. I was good until you dragged me back into the freak show and put everyone here at risk!" Bruce motioned behind him, there, sat Percy on the stool hands covering his ears. "You put me in the same room as a child!"

He continued his decent backward till his hand grasped the golden scepter, but he didn't know that. His mind had not registered that he had it. "You wanna know my secret, Agent Romanoff? You wanna know how I stay calm? "

"Doctor Banner..."Steve interjects as he watches from his peripheral vision as the two SHIELD workers reach for their weapons. "Put down the spear."

It seemed as if it went in slow motion.

An explosion rang through the air and glass shattered as the hacked quinjet shot at them. The rumble from the bomb threw Natasha, Percy, and Bruce down into the lower levels of the hellicarrier. One moment they were arguing once more and the next Percy was falling with Natasha holding him, making sure she had gotten the brunt of the impact. Her leg ached from the pain, and her head and shoulder throbbed, but she sat up and examined Percy for injury. A simple scratch along his arm and a bruised chin, she could've done better.

She was taken out of her trance as a bang of metal echoed behind her. Panicked, Natasha looks around for the threat and sees Bruce a couple of meters away. His hands gripped his hair in pain as he fought with himself, only to be futile. Rage filled his eyes as they turned from dark brown to a bright green, caramel skin soon following. The man that was no longer Bruce swelled up with muscle and ran away at the sight of Natasha covering Percy as much she could being trapped under metal. 

Natasha pushed the metal off her leg and looked to Percy, "We're okay, right?" No response, but his breathing let her know he was somewhat alright. 

With great difficulty, she picked herself up and carried Percy on her back, making sure that he didn't slip off of her as she ran to get help. The voices of two maintenance guys were faintly heard in the distance. An appropriately placed catwalk staircase was nearby, and seeing as how that was the only exit she could take with Percy, she began the long trek to the catwalk far above her. 

Explosions and alarms blared all over the helicarrier, cutting the orders that Fury was sending into bits, Natasha couldn't tell what he was saying. Maybe something about the damages done to the ship, or about the intruders, but the higher she got the quieter the alarms were. "It's Barton, he took out our systems. Does anyone copy?"

Finally able to hear him, and understand whats going on, she responded, "This is Agent Romanoff. I copy." 

"N'tasha?" Percy mumbled, barely coming to from behind her. "Wha happen?"

"I'll tell you later, rest, for now, okay?" She smiled and looked back to the child clinging around her neck. "I'm gonna get you to the med bay, soon. Don't worry."

"M'kay," he said and closed his eyes again, tucking his head into her neck, falling back asleep.

Once she reached a crossroads in the catwalk, she saw him. Walking away from her towards other control panels probably. Carefully and quietly, she took Percy off her back and sat him down against the railing, now ready to pursue her best friend. The pain in her leg subsided a bit, the adrenaline blocking her brian from recognizing it. Once she got closer, Clint turned and engaged. Two skilled agents battling head to head in a narrow walkway.  A quick shot to the stomach sent Barton back a bit before he swung his bow at her, in which she backflipped back, kicking it out of his hands behind her. 

Percy was barely coming back when he saw Natasha and Clint fighting. He got worried and wanted to help, but he knew he couldn't. But he had to try. Carefully and slowly, he gripped the rail and lifted himself up. His head hurt and his back ached. But Natasha as fighting still in pain, so he knew he could do the same. He made his way down the catwalk quietly, pausing to rest and to grab the discarded bow. And with a loud battle cry, he ran to Natasha's aid behind Clint hitting him in the head with the bow hard, sending him to hit his head against the railing, knocking him out.

The adrenaline rush soon left him, the bow falling out of his hand. Natasha quickly grabbed Percy, "Woah, careful."

"I did it!" He smiled.

"Did what Perce?"

"I save you!" 

She smiled and hugged him tighter. "Thank you, you saved me."

~

Percy sat next to Tony, his head wrapped once again with bandages, but this time he had more around his wrist. When he got back from the deck below he went straight to the med bay. The nice lady, Miss Delia, smirked and patted the examination table. He knew what she meant and hopped on top of it waiting to be wrapped up in bandaids. "You have to be more careful, Percy. I don't think I'll have enough bandaids to fix you up next time."

"I know, but it's not my fault stuff happens." He jumped down and made his way to the lollipop jar on her desk. "Can I have one?"

"Sure, but when you leave, go to the bridge," She smiled to him. "Your uncle is worried about you." 

He quickly grabbed two lollipops and ran out of the room, not wanting to make Tony more worried than he probably already is. Agents ran about holding equipment or things to fix the hellicarrier. It wasn't important. The door to the bridge opened up as he got closer, "Tony?"

No one answered and so he called again, "Uncle Tony?"

"Percy!" Arms grabbed him from behind and hugged him tight before placing him back down on the ground. "Are you okay? Broken? Bleeding? Bruised?"

Percy cringed as Tony moved his head and limbs around looking for injuries. "Bruised, yes. Broken and bleeding, no." 

"You had me worried." Tony sighed and hugged him again.

"I'm sorry," Percy apologized. "But Aunt Tasha was there to save me, and then I saved her when I hit Clint in the head with his bow!"

"Cool, but still, be more careful," Tony said. "Promise me you'll be more careful?"

"I promise." Percy hugged Tony once more and followed him to the table. The rest of the team gathered around there too, all looking worse for wear. Steve looked sadly at the Captain America trading cards scattered with blood. He felt like he failed the team, maybe this wouldn't have happened if he didn't pick a fight with Tony earlier. Then he could've seen the attack coming, seen the enemy plane and took it down before to much damage happened. And Fury's speech was just salt in an open wound. 

~

Clint awoke suddenly. His head swirled and colors changed the world around him. His own limbs looked to be as if they were moving, as well as the walls and the person next to him. He couldn't tell who it was, his mind still trying to come back to normal.  A hand on his stabilized him slightly, "Clint, you're gonna be alright." 

He exhaled deeply as if a great pain was eased, "You know that? Is that what you know?" He shook his head hoping to make the dizziness and pain go away. "I gotta flush him out."

"You gotta level out, it's gonna take time." The voice said. He still couldn't tell who was talking, it was just a voice that was fading in and out as he fought the control Loki had over him. 

"You don't understand." He groaned. "Have you ever had someone take your brain and play with it? Pull you out and put something else in? How it feels to be unmade?"

The hand on his tightened. "You know that I do."

As he talked more he realized it made it go away, the discombobulation, the confusion. It was an anchor that he tied to the voice next to him and the hand on his, "Why am I back? How did you get me back?"

The voice laughed and he noticed who it was immediately by their soft chuckles, the most they'll do. Natasha. "Cognitive recalibration. Percy hit you really hard in the head." 

"He did?" He asked and looked to the right. Short cut and wavy red hair became more and more clear the more he focused, and soon everything went away. "How?"

"With your own weapon." She smiled. 

Their conversation continued as Clint took off the restraints around him. He knew he did something bad when he was under, but did he want to know? If he asked, Natasha wouldn't answer him. But if she did would he accept what she said? But he was trying to remain strong, and the casual banter/conversation they were having grounded him. "Well, if I put an arrow through Loki's eye socket I'd sleep better I suppose."

"Now you sound like you," Natasha said.

"But you don't." Clint cut her off. "You're a spy, not a soldier. And now you want to wade into a war. Why? What did Loki do to you?"

Natasha didn't respond but got up and walked to the other side of the room. "I've been compromised." She fiddled with the edge of her sleeve. "I got red in my ledger. I'd like to wipe it out."

Clint stood up from the bed and placed a hand on her shoulder. A simple and supportive gesture. She smiled and placed her hand on his. Natasha turned and hugged him as a thank you, but let go when he said he needed to use the restroom. The vase of water stood untouched next to the head of the bed, her throat begged for it after the last short battle but she didn't know if she would get the chance to drink again. She sat on the bed Clint was just in and reached for the cup. 

The door slid open and there stood Steve, armed and ready for another fight. "Time to go."

"Go where," Natasha stood up from the bed.

"I'll tell you on the way. Can you fly one of those jets?" Steve asked and looked to the restroom door that Clint opened. "I can."

"Got a suit?" Cap asked. He nodded. "Then suit up.

A/N 

Sorry this took long. I hope that during the quarantine I can update more, so I hope you enjoy this chapter. The first Avengers movie is almost nearing the end, I'll try to milk this as much as I can but it also means that Age of Ultron is gonna start soon!

Hope you enjoyed the chapter!

~Kitty