AN/: Alright, so here's a sort of explanation. Again, I know the way I'm writing this is pretty rushed, but it's the only way this story is ever going to get out and be completed. I'm still only about halfway through the next chapter, which is bad of me. So after this one it may be a while before the next one comes out. I've been writing another story, and it definitely will not be posted until it's finished, because I get caught up in other ideas and I never finish my stories. So, without further ado, and with a little warning. Here's the next installation.

Unknown Location

One Hour Later

Naruto was lying flat on her back in the middle of a circle of destruction. She'd had to let the energy out, and she was now breathing heavily, her blue-eyes watery.

Her satellite phone, which had been unsealed from one of her hidden scrolls, was laying not far from her. Waiting on the call for where Loki was, for where the final battle would be. She almost didn't think she'd need it. Eventually she would feel the energy from the ripping of a portal in the sky.

Her breathing slowed, and carefully, she pulled herself up into a sitting position, her blonde hair falling over her face. The satellite phone lit up, buzzing in the dirt.

Sending it a dark glare she reached over and lifted it to her ear after clicking the button to answer it.

"Uzumaki here."

"Naruto," Bruce's voice was almost pained, "New York."

"Understood," She looked over the destruction around her and winced, standing up. Not waiting to hear any more from Bruce she hung up the phone and flashed away.

When she reappeared, the portal had already been ripped open, Chitauri were flying overhead and blasting their lasers at civilians.

Naruto's eyes immediately flashed red and a cloak of red chakra bubbled around her. Her hands fell into her oldest technique.

"Tajiu Kage Bushin!"

Several hundred clones appeared, and she just nodded at them, they knew what she wanted. Looking around she could see Thor and Loki fighting atop Stark Tower.

Tony was flying overhead, leading one of the Leviathins towards the group of Avengers standing below. She saw Bruce easily twist into the transformation of the Hulk and growled low in her throat as he slammed the Leviathin into the ground before Tony blew it up.

Naruto chose that moment to appear, watching Loki above as he ordered the rest of the army to be sent through.

When Clint aimed an arrow at her she bared her fangs, but let the red shroud around her fall away. "I'm here to help," She growled out. Stepping closer, there was a look of distrust from Steve and she could feel the emotion rolling from Tony in his suit.

"Believe it or not. Just tell me what you want me to do."

"Call it out Cap."

"Until we can close that portal up there our priority is containment," He said, looking in the air as the sky filled with more Chitauri. "Barton, I want you on that roof. Eyes on everything, calling out patterns and taking down strays."

"Stark, you've got the perimeter. Anything gets more than three blocks out you turn it back or turn it to ash."

"Give me a lift?" Clint asked.

"Might want to clench up Legolas," Tony never did know how to be serious, but they rocketed up into the sky, Tony depositing Clint on a rooftop before taking off again.

"Thor, you gotta try and bottle neck that portal. Slow them down, you've got the lightning. Light the bastards up." Thor nodded his head, spinning his hammer before taking off into the sky.

"We'll stay on the ground," He spoke directly to Naruto and Natasha. "We'll keep the fighting here."

Naruto rolled her eyes, but nodded.

"And Hulk."

The green behemoth spun around.

"Smash."

A giant grin spread across its face. It raised a fist as if to strike Naruto. She hissed at him.

"The Chitauri!"

Hulk growled before leaping up to one of the buildings and ripping one of the Chitauri away.

Lightning screamed above them in the sky and the three looked up to see Thor driving some of the army back into the portal with his lightning.

As a group of Chitauri flew towards them Naruto reformed her favorite hand sign and a small army of clones popped into existence around her before shooting off.

Over her shoulder she shot Captain Rogers a look before leaping into the air.

"Uzumaki!"

"Yes?" A chorus of replies came from the clones fighting. One broke off, "If you have anything you need to relay to her, let any of us know and it'll get back to her."

Steve stared wide eyed. This was something way beyond him.

Stark Tower

Crashing just outside the penthouse after Hawkeye had shot one of his exploding arrows at him, Loki steadily climbed back onto his feet.

Only to go crashing back through the window as the Hulk tackled him.

The Hulk moved slowly, but definitely agitated towards Loki, who stood with a scream.

"Enough! All of you are beneath me! I am a god you dull creature! And I will not be bullied by-"

The Hulk grabbed Loki by the leg and began slamming him back and forth into the ground in Tony's penthouse apartment.

Finally left grounded in a crater the beast turned muttering "Puny God."

Naruto entered just as the Hulk left, unseen. "I really wish I wasn't going to have to do this to you a second time Lok," She whispered kneeling down. Running through a several hand seals she pressed her hands to Loki's face, knocking him out and sealing away all of his magic.

One of her clones dispelled.

"There's a nuke headed our way. Stark's taking it up into the portal. Natasha is going to close it once Tony's out or we can wait no longer."

Naruto growled low and eyeballed the unconscious Asgardian at her feet. Lifting him onto her shoulders she flashed to her symbol closest to Steve.

He and Thor were surrounded by a number of Chitauri who dropped like puppets with their strings cut once Tony entered the portal. She could see Steve holding his abdomen and Thor looked worn for the first time since she'd met him. They were both staring up at the sky where Tony had disappeared with the nuke.

"Come on Stark!"

They still couldn't see anything, so Steve made the call. Pressing his hand to his ear, "Close it."

And the portal began to disappear, just as it winked out of existence, Tony's falling form was spotted.

"Well I'll be damned," Steve muttered.

"He's not slowing down!" Thor hollered, spinning his hammer to move towards Tony. The Hulk beat him to it.

They crash landed and one of them, Naruto couldn't remember who, ripped the mask from Tony's suit. He didn't seem to be breathing. The group looked over him in silent shock for a moment before the Hulk let out a furious roar.

Tony jerked up in surprise, "What the hell!?" He shouted looking around as the Hulk released another yell of celebration. "What just happened?" Tony asked in disbelief, "Please tell me nobody kissed me," He caught sight of Naruto, "Nobody but her anyways."

Steve leaned back, breathing a heavy sigh of relief. "We won," He choked out, disbelief etched onto his features.

"Alright," Tony breathed, laying his head back on the ground, "Yay, let's just not come in tomorrow guys. Just take a day. Have you ever tried Schwarma?" He asked.

Steve and Naruto let out a laugh.

"There's a schwarma joint two blocks from here, I don't know what it is, but I want to try it."

"We're not finished yet," Thor replied.

"Then schwarma after?"

Another bubble of laughter escaped Naruto. "Sure Stark."

Loki awoke, covered in dirt in the middle of a destroyed street, the weapon of essentially every Avenger was pointed at him.

He raised his hands, looking at Naruto as he felt the lack of his magic flowing though his veins.

"If it's all the same to you, I'll have that drink now."

A glare met his words.

"Or…not."

Thor hoisted the man up to his feet. Naruto took a step closer to him and heard the Hulk growl at her. She sent it a scowl, "Would you like your ass handed to you again dear? I have a perfectly destroyed mountain that I'd be happy to throw you around in."

"Are you two really going to fight now?" Tony groaned. "Can't you just kiss and make up?"

Loki and Thor both made a face at that.

"Nope," Naruto replied, popping the 'p' without looking away from the Hulk. "Bruce and I have a score to settle, so I'll flash back here once he's grown the fuck up."

Without waiting for an answer she grabbed the Hulk's arm and disappeared again.

"How the hell does she do that? I really want to do that." Tony looked at Thor and Loki, hoping for an answer.

Loki looked smug and opened his mouth but Thor beat him to it. "Her father's technique, she uses a combination of her energy and a special seal array to transport herself. It is," He paused and shivered, "Very disorienting."

Destroyed Mountain Top

Naruto released the Hulk who shook off the after effects of the teleportation in a matter of seconds. He roared at Naruto who stood still on the mountain top. Her eyes were clear blue and full of emotion beyond the Hulk's ability to understand.

She let the wind whip through her hair, pulling it from the braid she'd worn throughout the battle. "You want to fight big guy? Well come on then! Give me everything you've got!"

A smirk spread across the green giant's face as it lifted a fist and punched her across the valley where an entire mountain used to be. It continued like that, she never lifted her hand to him, except to dodge or keep her neck from snapping.

After throwing her around for about thirty minutes the Hulk grew bored and lifted her by the throat, growling right in her face.

"Try it," She hissed with the little air she had, "If anyone could kill me it'd be you."

The Hulk's hand tightened before dropping her to the ground and turning away. "Stupid girl."

Collapsed against the stone and rubble of their fight Naruto laughed hysterically. "Only stupid for loving you."

The Hulk had shrunk away back to Bruce, who, while disoriented, knew what had happened.

"I never thought you'd meet Loki," Naruto breathed, watching the clouds above her float peacefully by. "If I had any notion that you would, I never would have started anything with you. Or I would have at least told you about him."

"You married a monster Naruto."

"I am a monster Bruce," She laughed, "Loki was being controlled by that fucking scepter. Your smashing the shit out of him made him slip it," Naruto lifted her head up to look at him. "If anyone married a monster it was Loki."

She let her head fall back to the ground and Bruce took a step towards her.

"You know how you tried to kill yourself that one time?"

He froze.

"You're what, a little over forty? You hit that point just a little after Harlem, and just a little before we met. Imagine Bruce," Her voice cracked, filled with pain, and carrying the weight of every day, of every year she'd lived. "Imagine living that a thousand times over. I can't even begin to count the times or the ways I tried to kill myself. You have it so easy."

The clouds really did look beautiful.

"I out lived every person I ever loved. I will continue to outlive every person I love, including you, and Thor, and Loki, and Tony, and Steve, and even Natasha," she breathed and looked over at him in his tattered pants with such a heavy sadness it made Bruce ill. "Do you understand how much pain I'm in Bruce?''

He stared, took a few more steps forward. He'd known in theory, that she would outlive him, that she'd lived for nine thousand years and that her existence wasn't about to stop anytime soon. But it had never truly hit him how much it must hurt her to love someone with as feeble an existence as his.

"I…" He hit his knees next to her. Saw the tears flowing down her face, "I'm sorry."

She closed her eyes, "I never planned on falling in love with you Bruce," She whispered, "But that first day we met, you were in so much pain, and so fearful that I was going to leave you. I saw myself. I saw my best friend, and the first man I loved. It scared me, but you were the first person in so long that I was drawn to, it was selfish of me, but I couldn't let you go."

She was nearly sobbing now, and Bruce felt terrible. He pulled her up by the shoulders and hugged her tightly. "I never knew Naruto," he breathed sorrowfully in her ear, he pressed a kiss into her hair as she cried into his shoulder.

They sat like that for what felt like hours, but was really only a few minutes before Naruto pulled herself together and pulled away from Bruce.

He grabbed her face between his two large hands and rested his forehead against hers. "I love you," he whispered.

She shook her head, as much as she could with her face still held between his hands. "You turned your back on me Bruce."

"I know that, and I'm so sorry," He pressed a kiss to her cheek. "I was selfish, and sometimes I forget just how powerful you are, and how long you've lived. You've always been such a free spirit."

He pulled back a little and wiped the tears off her face with the pads of his thumbs. She stared at him for a long while before she finally sighed and leaned in close to him.

"You do realize I have to go with Thor and Loki, if only for a little while?"

Bruce hummed, "Why?"

"I sealed away all of Loki's powers. It will last, but it will damage him. And someone needs to explain to Frigga and Odin what happened to him," Her voice was soft, "I know you don't like him, but the Loki you've met is not the Loki I know."

"Can you tell me about him?"

Naruto chuckled and nodded, "Yes, would you do me a favor though?"

"Yes."

"Braid my hair? I can never seem to get it as nice as you do."

Bruce chuckled, "Ok." He kissed her lips once, chastely, before she turned away and he began threading his fingers through her hair.

"Loki when I first met him; was an arrogant ass," She began with a light laugh, "Thor was no better. I'd been staying with some Vikings then, so I was with the group they first met.

"I didn't want anything to do with either of them, but they were quite persistent. They could tell that there was something different about me. Thor was more interested in me than Loki was on the surface. However, he didn't capture my attention like Loki did.

"I was a serious prankster in my youth, and still am as you've seen. Well," She paused and Bruce could feel the smile on her face as he worked his way through the tangle that was her hair. "Loki managed to prank me. I'm still not sure exactly how he managed to do it, but he managed to fool me into beating the shit out of Thor for an imagined slight.

"We had a small war after that, and when Thor left, Loki stayed behind. He didn't get the title of 'Wordsmith' for nothing."

She paused, thinking.

"We had a great many of adventures to share with each other, so we would talk for many nights about trivial things that happened in our lives. And for the first time in such a long time, I didn't feel alone."

Bruce let his fingers slide through the blonde locks, removing the final tangle. He wrapped his arms around her for a moment while she thought before moving back to his task.

"Of course, he had to go back to Asgard eventually, and it was a decade or so before I saw him again. But when he came back he came straight to me.

"He spent an entire year here with me. I took him to my favorite places in the world. Mountaintops and hidden falls, deep caverns, and even the place that used to be my home."

Naruto chuckled, "It astounded him, he loved the beauty that was my home. I put the earth into a new light for him. And when he returned to Asgard it was only for a few weeks before he was back and asking me to marry him.

"That was the first time I went to Asgard."

Bruce nodded, focused on each strand of hair as he moved it. Of course Naruto knew that these kinds of activities kept him calm.

The woman pushed forward in her narrative with a shaky voice, "I wasn't welcome there. Odin, while old and powerful, was not as old, nor as powerful as I was. It made him incredibly nervous. I tried to make my best impressions, but there was nothing I could do to prove I was no danger to him," She sighed sadly. "I couldn't even stay on Asgard for long. Even though I'm immortal my body is still mostly human. I heal faster than I can truly die, but Asgardian atmosphere does things to me. I proved my worth as Loki's wife, and we wed on Asgard before I returned to Earth. Loki stayed for another year or two before he was called back.

"Slowly his visits became less frequent. Visitors from other realms brought me news of his trysts with others. Men and women alike," Her voice cracked. "But he was the only one I loved. I'd found a few people I came close to, a few I could have even loved, but Loki was my husband, and I hadn't found any worth betraying that bond for.

"Sometimes a century would go by, sometimes more, before I would see him. And he used his gift as a wordsmith to woo me back to him, even if he only stayed for a few weeks or even days. It would usually tide me over till his next visit.

"Sometimes, I grew so tired of wandering. So tired of waiting for Loki to seek me out, I would sleep away years. Or I would try new, creative ways of ending my existence here." She let out a shaky breath.

"I'd just woken from one of those when I found you."

Bruce hummed as he tied a final knot in her freshly braided hair.

She turned around fully and he caught all the emotion flickering in her eyes.

So he kissed her.

They tumbled in the dirt, Naruto quickly popping off her bone plated armor before Bruce began ripping at the rest of her clothes and tossing them off to the side. The tattered rags that covered his legs from the transformation fell apart as Naruto gave one swift tug.

They came together in that moment, relieving the remaining tension as their bodies moved together.

After, Bruce heard Naruto give an annoyed groan, "All that hard work on the braid gone to waste."

Bruce buried his face in the blonde's shoulder and laughed.