Title: You Can't Take the Sky from Me

Chapter: The Ball

Summary: Fury has a job for the Avenger crew. But just going to secure it may cost one of them their lives.

A/N: This chapter is based on the Firefly episode "Shindig" by Jane Expenson. The idea for this crossover is by thefigment who suggested 98% of the recasting and who has made this chapter 100% better.

Yes I am still working on this story little by little, bit by bit, trying to make sure each chapter is worthy of the two properties it's based on. I apologize for the multi-month wait. I hope you enjoy it.

Loki, wearing the black cotton pajama pants the Captain gave him, wanders into the engine room where Tony is starting to patch up some wiring. "Hey there, Daffy," the engineer calls.

"My name is not Daffy. It's Loki."

"Well someone doesn't have a sense of humor."

Loki takes a closer look at the wiring and says, "I have a sense of humor. The name Daffy is simply unfunny."

"It is from where I am. Shouldn't you be in bed?" It's late or early depending on one's perspective, and everyone else is in their bunks.

Loki shrugs. "Do you need help?"

"Uh," Tony looks around and sees the tool he needs on the other side of the room. "Hand me that wire cutter."

The young man retrieves the needed item and puts it in the engineer's hand. He watches as Tony cuts one of the wires, strips it of a couple of centimeters of protective coating, cuts the edges again, then solders it back in, talking as he does.

"So how badly does the Alliance want you back?" the engineer asks.

"I don't know. Very, I suspect." He starts to rub his arms as though he were cold or nervous.

"Very? So is that 'very' as in they'll be actively hunting you down until you're caught or they'll be actively hunting you down for about a month then forget all about you?"

Loki understands. "I'm putting you in danger."

"Not just me, the entire crew."

He holds his arms tighter. "She thinks about you sometimes when she's trapped in her bed."

"Who?" Tony asks, stopping his work. He thinks he knows who but would like confirmation.

"You make her angry and sad."

"That describes a lot of people," Tony points out.

Loki thinks of the Captain. "I do not wish to put you in danger."

"Yeah? Well, you are. I'd just like to know how much." He leans back to get a better look at his work. "That should do it. Thanks for the assist."

Loki nods. "Why do you call her Pepper?"

Tony counts out the points on his fingers. "She's a redhead. She's fiery. She's hot. Any other questions?"

"Does she have a sense of humor?"

"She does."

"Natasha is more of a redhead than Ms. Potts."

"Pepper 's hotter."

Loki considers that for a moment then leaves.

"Bye," Tony calls after him.

The young man walks towards the front of the ship. Everything is quiet. The Galley, which is so full of life when they eat together, seems so empty. He brushes his fingers over the back of the Captain's chair and continues forward to the Bridge. It's empty. He turns around and goes to the door of the Captain's quarters.

His hand reaches out and touches the metal. He pushes in and climbs down the ladder, closing the door when he's through.

It's very dark. Loki waits for his eyes to adjust. They eventually do, but it's still difficult to see. He carefully walks to the bed and sits.

Steve is asleep on his back, looking peaceful with the covers pulled up to his chest and his arms above the covers.

If Loki could watch him, he would. But it's too dark. The Captain is barely more than an outline. Instead he reaches out and gently touches the Captain's arm. "You're real," he breathes. Then he lies down on top of the covers and looks at the man sleeping next to him. He can barely make out the features, but they are there.

The Captain's presence, the sound of his breathing, the warmth coming off of him all put Loki at ease. The green eyes grow heavy, opening less and less to look at the sleeping form in the darkness next to him. Sooner than Loki realizes, the eyes don't open at all.

xxx

Steve's arm is cold. Arm. Singular. The other one is warm with the weight of… Weight? He can hear someone else breathing. At this point some men might jump up and yell and turn on the light. Captain Steve Rogers opens his eyes to assess the situation.

He turns his head and tries to look at the person sharing his bed in the darkness. There is no smell of rank oil or flowery perfumes, just a light touch of tangy sweat. There are only two possibilities: Nat or Loki.

If it's Nat, then she and Clint would have had an argument. She would have woken him if that were the case. And Clint would have been right there with her to give his side of the story. The only other explanation for her to be there would be if Clint was seriously wounded. Steve knows he isn't. So not Nat.

Loki then. Which makes this his own fault. Great.

Part of him wants to let the guy sleep. He seems so peaceful.

The other part knows what Thor's reaction would be if he found them like this.

"Loki?" Steve says softly. Nothing happens. "Loki?" he tries again, this time moving his arm a bit.

The young man whimpers and holds his arm tighter.

"Shit." He tries to turn on the lamp, but it is of course out of reach. This time he uses a louder voice. "Loki?"

Nothing.

He tries to free his arm, but the sleeping man won't cooperate, snuggling closer instead of letting go.

The Captain runs his fingers through the dark hair. "Loki? I need you to wake up." He presses his nose to the cool forehead. "Did you hear me? Wake up."

"Is it morning?" a groggy voice asks.

"Most likely. You can't be here."

Green eyes open, afraid they've done something wrong. "You said I could come." His voice shakes slightly.

"I know I did. Didn't mean you could stay."

Loki curls in on himself but lets go of the arm. He starts to get up as Steve turns on the light.

The young man is shirtless and sitting on the edge of the bed facing away from the Captain. He's trying to adjust to the new brightness. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to trouble you."

"You aren't," Steve tells him. "It's just…If your brother were to find you here…"

Loki turns to look at him, his eyes wide and innocent. "I was above the covers." It is then that he realizes the Captain is wearing only boxer shorts.

The words are said so sincerely that Steve laughs. He immediately regrets it. "Hey, hey, I'm sorry." He climbs over the top of the bed and sits next to his visitor. His fingers again run through the dark hair. "You were above the covers, and I appreciate that. But I don't think Thor will care."

"I could explain," Loki offers.

Steve smiles at him. "We should get you back to your bed." He stands up and offers his hand. "Come on. I'll escort you."

Loki stands tall and princely, hurt in his eyes. "I can find my own way, thank you. My apologies. I'll not bother you again," he says as he walks proudly to the entrance. He's gone before Steve can stop him.

The Captain follows the young man out. Catching up to him in the Galley, he grabs the toned arm and forces the man around as gently as he can. "Loki…" And now he doesn't know what to say. The sight of the half-naked man standing in front of him takes his breath away. All he wants to do is draw him.

Green eyes look at the Captain with cold anger and hurt. The proud mouth remains closed as the nostrils flare. He has no intention of making this easy.

"I'm sorry," Steve finally says, cursing his own weakness. "If you want to come back and sleep, that's fine. You can go under the covers, and I'll stay on top."

"Why? You don't want me there."

"I want you wherever you feel most comfortable. Now I'm sure Thor would prefer that be in your bed by your lonesome. But if it's with me or him or," he shrugs and shakes his head, "then that's where you should be."

Loki touches Steve's cheek with a tentative hand, the anger seeping out of his eyes. "But Thor will be angry at you."

"We'll just explain that you…feel safe with me? And that he has nothing to worry about."

"With you two making goo-goo eyes at each other?" Tony says walking in from the aft hall. "Yeah. Nothing to worry about there."

The sudden change in mood makes Loki's teeth hurt.

"That's not...You're not helping," Steve tells him harshly.

"Not trying to." Tony passes them to get himself something to drink. "You should just kiss already and get it over with."

"Loki, come on. Let's get you back to your room," the Captain says as Loki walks up to the engineer.

Tony turns around to find Loki directly in front of him. Next thing he knows, he's being kissed by the young man. It's chaste but hard. By the time he realizes what's happening, it's over. "Ching-wah TSAO duh liou mahng. I meant him not me," he says pointing at the Captain.

Loki sticks his tongue out at him then leaves, heading back to his room. Hopefully the engineer will think twice about inserting himself into their business in future. Kiss and get it over with indeed. Sometimes a kiss can mean less than a touch on the cheek.

Steve presses his lips together to prevent himself from laughing. "You kind of asked for it."

"Did not. Shouldn't you be going after your special project?"

"He's not my special project," Steve replies then goes after Loki. The door is closed by the time he gets there. He knocks. "Loki? Can I come in?"

"No."

"Please?"

There is a pause before the passenger's voice says, "Fine."

Steve walks in and sees Loki lying with his back turned to the door. He sits on the bed and puts a hand on the young man's shoulder. "You're real," he says.

"Am I?"

"You feel real to me. Would you like me to stay with you?"

"No."

Steve is a little hurt by that. He knows he shouldn't be, but he is. "You sure?"

"I'm sure. Please leave, Captain." The voice is formal, distant.

"Okay. Sleep tight." He gets up and leaves the room, giving the resting form one last look before closing the door and heading back to his own quarters.

xxx

Virginia walks into the Galley and sees Tony wolfing down some food and licking his fingers. "Did you lose all your manners, or did you never have any in the first place?"

"Manners? What's that?" He gives her a teasing smile. "What's wrong? Don't like a man that licks his fingers? Not even after they've been in you?"

She gives him a disgusted look. "You're so crass."

"That's why you love me. You need a little crass in your life."

"Oh, please. I barely tolerate you." She gets herself a drink.

"More or less than the way you tolerate your clients?"

"At least my clients respect me," she counters.

"Is that what they're calling it now? I remember when they used to call it fucking."

Pepper scowls. "I think you have me confused with a common whore. Whores fuck. Companions share the sacred ritual of sex."

Tony laughs. "Sacred ritual of sex? Oh, please. That's just a fancy-schmancy way of saying fucking." He stands up and walks over to her, trapping her against the counter. "You think your fancy clients think of it as a ritual. Believe me, they don't."

She refuses to be intimidated. "Oh, you speak from experience do you?"

"Maybe."

Virginia takes a step forward, forcing him to step back. "Doubtful. Even if you could have ever afforded a Companion, I doubt one would have served someone as self-centered and egotistical as you." She takes another step forward. "And if by chance you managed to fool one of us into actually taking you on as a client, I highly doubt you would have been given repeat status."

"I've never had to pay for it, thank you very much," he says defensively.

"It's not about having to pay, tyen tsai. It's about status."

"Yeah well status is about trying to impress others. I don't need to pay for a woman to impress others. I don't need to impress others at all."

"Clearly," Virginia sneers then walks primly back to her shuttle.

Tony shakes his head and only then notices the Captain standing at the forward entrance. "How long have you been there?"

"Long enough to see you making goo-goo eyes at each other. You really should just kiss already and get it over with," Steve says. He walks in and gets something to eat.

"You're an ass."

"And you're a fool."

Clint walks in. Natasha is behind him. "I agree with both of those statements," the pilot says. "We still heading back to Kree? And do you plan on putting some clothes on? Because I'm feeling a little…what's the word?"

"Inadequate?" Nat offers.

"Yeah, that."

"Yes on both counts," Cap confirms. "Hoping we can find some work on Kree."

Natasha notes that the planet is starting to feel a little like home what with how often they've started to go there. "Is that wise?" she asks. "Considering what we brought on board last time."

Tony asks if that means she doesn't like their new passengers.

"They're fine. I'd just like to avoid picking up more fugitives and lawmen. We're running out of room."

"No passengers," Steve confirms. "Can't exactly pick anyone up with Asgard's most wanted on board."

Steve goes to put on some clothes, then they have breakfast, Bruce and the passengers eventually joining them. Loki is quiet and refuses to eat. Thor fusses over him but to no avail. Steve considers trying to help, but when he gets up he sees the green eyes looking at him angrily. Instead he puts his dishes away and heads to the Bridge.

"You must eat something, Brother."

Loki shakes his head. He doesn't feel like talking. He's not hungry. And he just wishes everyone would leave him alone. He finally just leaves and goes back to his room.

xxx

Virginia looks through the messages on her account. Once she learned they were returning to Kree, she submitted her information to be included in the notices. Now she has multiple messages from people, mostly men, wanting the pleasure of her company. A few she rejects immediately – mainly men whom she's been with before and did not like.

Just as she's about to view the message of one of the remaining candidates, a call comes through. It's Aldrich Killian, a very wealthy scientist. He is tan and blond and very handsome.

"Hello, Aldrich," she greets with a smile.

"Virginia, you look radiant as always. Did you get my invitation?"

"I did get it, but I have not viewed it. I was actually just about to do that when you called."

He smiles with his perfect white teeth. "Then I will save you the trouble. The Stan Lee Ball is tomorrow night. Be my guest for it and the entire weekend. Let me be the envy of every man in the room."

It is nice to hear a man flatter her instead of belittling her. But she can't be too easy. Otherwise she might lose some of her allure. "I had no idea my arrival coincided with emthe/em event of the season."

"Well it does. And I praise my luck for it. Will you join me? Please? I'll even take you on a tour of my lab. I know how you love that sort of thing."

She smiles. "I would be honored. Thank you, Aldrich."

"No, Virginia dear, thank you."

"Well didn't he look fancy," Tony says as he walks in.

The smile disappears. "I certainly hope you weren't eaves-dropping on my conversations. I'd hate to have to inform the Captain that my privacy is being violated."

Tony ignores her, instead leaning in close to the monitor. "Aldrich Killian. Sounds fancy."

"He is."

"Wait a minute. I know this guy." Aldrich had just started building his company when Tony did his disappearing act. Being from two different worlds (literally not figuratively), they never actually met. But Tony remembers hearing things about the guy. And when Killian and his company starting hitting the tech news, Tony's opinion of him didn't get any better. He was a wanna-be, someone who acquired companies rather than creating things on his own. The guy even tried to buy Stark Enterprises. Thankfully that didn't happen. "He's a quack."

"He's not a…Forget it," she says in frustration. "Did you need something?"

"Just wanted to let you know we land on Kree in a couple of hours. It'll be morning." Tony glances again at the picture. "So, how long did he book you for?"

"The entire weekend," she tells him proudly.

"Wow. He must be desperate. Good thing he's rich."

Pepper informs him that they will be attending the biggest party of the season. When he asks if all men are paying for their dates or if that was just Aldrich, she replies, "Not everyone there can attract a Companion."

"You mean pay. Can't help but feel sad for a guy who has to pay for his dates."

"At least Aldrich has a job that doesn't involve crime."

"Really? That's your big selling point? His job doesn't involve crime? Oh wait, I forgot about the fancy party he's taking you to. So two selling points."

"Are you done?"

"What is Aldrich's job exactly?" He knows; he just wants to hear her describe it.

She tells him that Aldrich owns his own technology company. Tony is unimpressed and tells her so. "Men who own companies generally have very little time for anything else," he tells her. Unless of course someone is running it for them and tells them nothing about it. He's not bitter. Okay, he's a little bitter. Maybe a lot bitter. At least here he gets to create things, and Cap generally leaves him alone as long as Avenger is working. "But I suppose as long as you get your money, it's probably better for you if you don't have to service him."

"For your information, Aldrich has quite the stamina. I seriously doubt you could keep up with him."

The taunting smile that had been on his face disappears. "Yeah, well, be sure to put on that extra special whoring make-up for your big date." He leaves her shuttle feeling like a complete ass.

xxx

The sun shines brightly on Kree. Everyone but Thor, Loki, and Virginia are out buying supplies, relishing the warmth of the natural light. The brothers do not want to risk being seen in case their pictures are still being circulated.

Virginia is in her shuttle flying to Aldrich's mansion. Tony had watched it fly away, telling himself he didn't care. Instead he continued to follow the others into the center of town. That was some time ago though. He's still thinking about it.

Now they are on their way back to the ship with several supplies – food mostly amongst other things. As they pass, a shop window catches Tony's eye. On display is a shiny grey three-piece suit with a black shirt and a grey tie with thin black stripes. "I could wear the hell out of that suit," he mutters, remembering when his wardrobe used to consist of clothes like that.

"You think?" Clint asks. "Seems a bit flashy."

"A bit?" Steve says, his eyebrows raised in disbelief. "If it were any flashier it could be seen from space."

"Didn't realize you were the fashion police, Captain Tightpants," Tony says.

"I ain't. And if you got invited to fancy parties, it'd make sense for you to want it. But I don't see anyone handing you an envelope."

"You don't think I could get one?"

"I think even if you did Virginia wouldn't be impressed with flashy duds. She'd still see the real man beneath them."

"This isn't about Virginia," Tony says.

"Of course not," Cap replies sarcastically. "'Cause that there is perfectly acceptable attire to fix my engine."

Tony continues, "I also have it on good authority that Virginia Potts is very impressed by men in flashy duds."

"We aren't talking about men, Tony. We're talking about you."

Tony makes no reply, which is highly unusual for the engineer. Talking with Loki so recently about the foods he used eat and seeing Pepper sell herself to Aldrich Killian of all people has got him missing his old life pretty hard. He clenches his jaw and glares at the Captain.

"Cap," Bruce says sternly. "We'll see you on the ship."

Bruce's voice and Tony's face tell Steve he overstepped. "Tee wuh duh pee-goo," Cap says to himself as Bruce, Tony, and Coulson go on ahead with the supplies.

"That was…cruel," Natasha notes. When he says nothing in return she asks, "Everything okay, Cap?"

"Other than me being a complete idiot? Everything is peachy." And that's when the six men who have surrounded them raise their weapons and inform them that Fury would like a word.

Cap raises his hands and shakes his head. "This day just keeps getting better and better."

xxx

"Captain Rogers," Fury greets them with a large Cheshire-cat grin. "So happy to see you. Would you like some tea? Perhaps an apple? I'm sure Clint wants one." He throws a shiny red apple to the pilot.

Clint catches it and looks at it warily. "Is it poisoned?"

"Poisoned? Would I poison you?"

"Yes," all three of them reply.

Fury frowns in mock sadness. "That hurts my feelings. It really does."

All of this kindness is making Steve nervous. He looks around but doesn't see anything unusual. "What do you want, Fury?"

"Who says I want anything? Maybe I just want to have a nice chat with my old war buddies."

Natasha tilts her head and raises her eyebrow.

Fury examines his nails. "I may have a job that's right up your alley."

"A job?" Steve asks wondering what the catch is. "Anything like the last job you decided to hang us out to dry with?"

"No. This one's real easy. There's a supplier who needs to ship some goods off-world. He already has a buyer. He just needs transportation. And your ship is," he makes a face, "operational."

"What's wrong with the goods?" Cap asks.

"Nothing. It's just not strictly legal to sell them off-world."

"Sounds easy enough," Clint says.

"Oh, it is," Fury assures him. "Easy as pie."

Natasha asks the obvious question. "If it's so easy, why aren't you doing it?"

Fury scowls. "The supplier is a bit highfalutin. Thinks himself too important to deal with the likes of me. So I thought to myself, who else has an overinflated view of their morality. And well, Captain America immediately came to mind." He sees the unhappy look on Steve's face and smiles. "Yes yes. I know Captain America is dead and all that other bullshit you tell people. But admit it, you still think yourself the paragon of virtue, holding yourself to a higher standard than the rest of us mere mortals."

"What's the cut?" Steve asks. They are too desperate for money to turn down any jobs, even ones from Fury.

"I get a finders fee of 30%."

"Ten," Steve tells him.

"Twenty," Fury counters.

"Fifteen."

"Eighteen."

Natasha rolls her eyes. If Steve says 16 and a half, she may have to shoot both of them. Luckily, the Captain agrees to 18. "So how do we make contact?" she asks.

Fury opens a drawer and pulls out two tickets. "There is a ball tonight that the highest in society will be attending. You can be sure he'll be there. And I just happened to procure two tickets. The rest is up to you."

Clint asks how they'll know who he is.

"He'll be the white drunk guy in the hoverchair. Goes by the name Charles Xavier. Fancies himself a professor. Just get Black Widow a slinky dress, and you're all set."

"I uh," Clint begins. He's not sure he wants Natasha going to a fancy party in a slinky dress. But he also knows that telling that to Natasha might just guarantee she'll go. "Nevermind."

Steve takes the tickets and thanks Fury.

xxx

Tony is in the Engine Room tinkering with his Iron Man suit, his back to the entrance. He is wearing headphones with the music turned up really loud to drown out the noises that are both outside and in his head.

Steve knocks on the frame of the entrance and gets no reaction. "Tony," he calls out, shifting the box under his arm. Again no reaction. "Tony!"

The engineer's head comes up as though he heard something. But then he goes right back to what he was doing.

The Captain finally walks up and pulls up on one of the ear pieces. "Tony."

"Lao TYEN yeh! What?!" A box gets shoved in front of him. He opens it apprehensively and finds the grey suit from the window. He looks up at Steve for an explanation, taking off the headphones so that he can actually hear it.

"We got a job. Requires us to go to a ball. Figured you might know enough about that sort of thing to make us seem like we fit in. You up for it?"

"Uh, yeah." He looks down at the suit and feels the cloth. It's not the best made suit, but it's passable. More importantly, he knows this is Steve's way of apologizing.

"Good. We leave in just over four hours."

"Cap?" Tony calls, stopping Steve from leaving. "You're still an ass."

"Never said I wasn't. Also doesn't change the fact that you're more of an ass than I am."

"Agreed."

"Good." Steve hesitates. "Parties like this, do they have dancing?"

"Sure do. Why? You wanna take me for a spin on the dance floor?"

"No. It's just…Doesn't matter," Steve decides. "It's not like I'll be doing any dancing anyway." The only two people he'd want to dance with won't be there.

Tony smiles at him, pretending not to see the sadness in his eyes. "Tell you what, I'll do enough dancing for both of us."

xxx

The man in front of Aldrich Killian and Virginia Potts tries to sneak a gun into the ball. He fails thanks to a detection system that identifies and creates an image of any metal worn by people passing through. Once his gun is checked in, he and his wife are announced and enter the party.

Aldrich and Virginia pass through without incident. They are announced, and several people turn their heads to look at them. They see Aldrich in an elaborate black tuxedo with tails, a white shirt, and a red bow tie. Virginia is in a slinky blue backless gown. Her hair is up in intricate braids and curls. She glides elegantly down the stairs and across the floor.

"See?" Aldrich tells her. "You are the most beautiful woman here."

She smiles sweetly and thanks him. Then she says hello to several acquaintances, all of whom she knows by name. Some are genuinely kind. Others are only pretending. It doesn't upset her. She lives on a ship with Tony after all. If she can handle him, she can easily handle the passive-aggressive behavior of these people.

Aldrich takes two flutes of champagne from a passing waiter and hands one to his Companion. "To your beauty," he says.

"To your gallantry," she replies and clinks her glass against his. They drink.

"I hope my gallantry isn't the only thing about me you appreciate," he says.

"Not at all. You have many fine qualities."

"I'm very glad you think so, because I was hoping to convince you to remain here…permanently."

Virginia leans in conspiratorially. "I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure we'll need to leave the party eventually."

Aldrich chuckles. "I meant Kree."

"Oh, is that what you meant." It's obvious that she knew it all along. "Kree is nice, but I'm not sure there's enough business here for me. Besides, I rather like my shuttle and the chance to go to the outer worlds."

"You are far too beautiful to be wasting your talents on those gos se worlds."

"Aldrich," she chastises. "Language."

"What? Gos se? But those planets are gos se. They don't deserve you. You should remain here with me." He takes her hand. "Be my personal Companion. Let me take care of you."

There is some sort of kerfuffle at the entrance that they both ignore. It's amazing how many people try to bring in firearms when it has been clearly noted they are not allowed.

"Aldrich," Virginia begins, clearly about to say no.

"Virginia, at least think about it. I could give you a wonderful life."

"I know you could. And Kree is a beautiful place. But, and I know you may not believe me, I love my ship. I love the freedom it brings me."

He shakes his head. "A gos se ship taking you to gos se planets."

"That's unfair. The people on that ship are lovely. They may not be of the same social class as those here, but they have their own charms. If you met them, you'd see."

The announcer's voice calls. "Captain Steve Rogers and Mr. Anthony Edward Howard."

Virginia's head whips around at the mention of the first name. "Gos se," she breathes when she sees the two men then immediately downs the rest of her champagne.

Tony is all smiles in his shimmery grey suit. He waves at the crowd. Steve is less comfortable in his blue pinstripe. They've just arrived and things have already been less than easy. The kerfuffle had been them trying to explain to Security that the metal the machine identified was part of Tony's chest and couldn't be removed…at least not without killing him.

The Captain looks over the room. "If I had known it was going to be such a pain in the ass to get you in, I would have asked Natasha."

"I love you, too, Cap."

"So is your last name really Howard?" Steve asks.

"Nope."

"Didn't think so. Keep an eye out for a drunk white guy in a hoverchair."

"I think I see him," Tony says immediately.

"Where?"

The engineer points, "Over by the cheese. The real cheese."

Steve looks over and only sees maybe four people, none of whom are in hoverchairs. "I'm pretty sure that's just the food buffet."

"Maybe I should check it out. Ooh. Don't look. Don't look. Don't look," Tony says rapidly turning around to face the opposite direction. "They have shrimp with dipping butter. Dipping butter," he repeats in a harsh, excited whisper.

"Fine," Steve says. "Go on. Just don't make yourself sick."

"I love my Captain," Tony says and kisses him on the cheek. Then he's off to the food buffet, grabbing champagne and winking at fellow party guests along the way.

Steve starts walking through the crowd, nodding every so often, trying to find his contact. He really doesn't like these things. And somehow the people who stare and smile at him only make it worse.

xxx

Phil Coulson has coerced Bruce and Thor into a game of cards. The bets are the various chores they have to perform - cooking, dishes, garbage, septic vac. Thor is dealing but ends up losing the hand to Coulson. The Shepherd takes the scraps of paper that are at the center of the table and moves them to him.

"Look at all these chores I don't have to do," Coulson says. Bruce and Thor exchange a look, the scientist blushing slightly before looking down and grabbing the cards.

Loki is looking through a box with some canned goods. He picks one up and stares at it before ripping the label off. "It's there. It's always there even if we can't see," he mumbles.

It's Bruce's deal.

"The party is most likely a buffet," Thor tells them. "Delectable food just laid out for you to partake in. And champagne. There is always champagne at those parties."

"Sounds like you miss it," Bruce says. He tries to imagine what Thor must have looked like all dressed up.

"The food? Yes. The people? I miss my friends and my parents. But other than that, I do not miss most of the people nor the protocols. There are societal rules around every aspect of a party like that. My friends and I used to attempt to sneak out about halfway through. It didn't always work."

"Yeah, well, I prefer the simple life," the Shepherd tells them. Give me a nice small party with good friends and good conversation."

"I agree," Bruce says. "Though I wouldn't mind some fresh food for a change."

"These are the ones," Loki says glaring at a package of crackers. "Looking so innocuous. But they're staring. Plotting and staring from the corners where the eye can't see. But I see you," he says squeezing the package until the crackers inside begin to break. "I see you with your teeth and your claws, trying to force me back. I won't go. Do you hear? I won't!"

"Loki?" Thor asks as his little brother becomes more animated. He gets up and goes to the young man. He puts his hand on the package of Dark Phoenix crackers. "Let it go, Brother. I am here," he says, laying his arm around him. "You are safe."

"There is no safety."

The hand moves, just happening to cover the label of the crackers. "Loki! Stop! For the love of Mother."

Green eyes look to see the source of the familiar voice. He loosens his grip on the package. "I'm sorry." His green eyes fill with tears. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry."

Thor pulls him into a hug. "I know. It's fine."

Coulson and Bruce look through the box of goods. "He didn't hurt anything," Coulson says. "We'll just have a few mystery meals." He holds up one of the cans that no longer has a label. "It'll make it more exciting."

Bruce notes that the crackers will taste just as good whether they are whole or smashed. "So no worries there either." He gives the brothers a small smile.

Loki nods and agrees to go back to his room with Thor.

xxx

Clint and Natasha are out of breath and sweaty. The sheets are tangled about them.

"You aren't upset Steve chose to take Tony instead of you?" Clint asks.

"Nope," Nat replies feeling wonderfully relaxed. She lays her head on his chest. "You?"

"Me? No. I like our parties better. I know everyone on the guest list, and I'm familiar with the dance."

"You certainly are," she replies as her eyes close.

"Although I am a little jealous about the food," he adds.

"There's a joke in there somewhere about you eating me, but I'm just too tired to find it."

"That's okay. You rest up. 'Cause I'm definitely going to want a round two."

"Mmm. I think we should try to break our old record."

"You sure you wanna do that? Could be dangerous."

"Just give me 15 minutes," she tells him. "Then I'm all yours."

Clint smiles. "Does this mean I get to be on top this time?"

"Maybe," she teases then kisses his chest.

"I promise I'll still respect you if you do."

"Or you could just flip me over instead of getting my permission."

"I could," Clint agrees. "But see the thing is I kinda want you to say no. It's easier when you do all the work."

"Oh, it is?" she says, lifting her head to look at him. "Well maybe I don't want to do all the work."

"You love doing all the work. Always have. And I love letting you do it. That's why we're so good together."

Nat smiles down at him. "I love you, you big lug."

"I love you, too, you badass."

She lies back down on his chest. "Twelve minutes," she mumbles.

"I'm going to ask."

"I'm going to say no."

"Good." He closes his eyes and immediately falls asleep knowing she'll wake him when she's ready.

xxx

Steve finally spots the guy. His hair is long, about to his jaw. He wears a powder blue suit, a beard, and a dour expression that only changes slightly when he spots a pretty girl. There's a drink in his hand that is exchanged at a frequency that reminds him of Tony, and he looks over the assemblage as though he doesn't want to be there.

Charles is talking to a man covered in blue fir. The Captain has never seen the like, and he's curious as all get-out. But talking to blue fir isn't the mission. He grabs some food and waits until Mr. Xavier is alone.

He catches sight of Tony dancing with a pretty girl, both holding champagne as he flashes her his best smile. Steve is glad the engineer is having fun.

Finally blue fur moves away, and Steve moves in. "Fine party," he says.

Charles looks up at the man who addressed him. "I suppose." There is something familiar about the tall blond man. "Do I know you?"

"Not as of yet. Captain Steve Rogers," he says holding out his hand. It's taken with some hesitation.

"Professor Charles Xavier. Your name sounds familiar, Captain Rogers." That makes him curious, cautious. He looks at the tall blond with even more interest and apprehension.

Steve swears he can feel someone in his head. "What…? Stop."

"Interesting. An associate of Nick Fury, and yet you dislike him so." He downs half his drink.

"Associate is a bit of an overstatement, and dislike doesn't nearly cover it. How much did you see?"

"Enough to not turn you away immediately, Captain America."

"Starting to think maybe I should walk away."

"You won't. You need the money too much."

Fuck. Steve wonders just how much this guy saw and if he's just put Thor and Loki in danger.

"You don't trust me," Charles notes. "I should apologize. I don't normally enter people's heads without permission or at all if I can help it. But you intrigued me."

"Remind me never to intrigue you again," Cap says. "So you know why I'm here. You willing to deal?"

"Are you always so direct?"

"Usually."

"Good. One of the things I can't stand about Fury are his little games."

Steve's brow furrows. "But you can see through them."

Charles gives him a tired smile. "He doesn't know that."

Tony walks up then. "Cap, you have to try the stuffed mushrooms," he says as he sticks a plate under Steve's nose. "Oh, hello."

"Hello," Charles replies.

"You must be the guy." He moves the plate away from Cap's nose.

"I am indeed. You look familiar."

Cap decides to prevent any more unwelcome intrusions. "You try to get in his head, we walk away."

"You're a telepath," Tony realizes, suddenly sober and alert.

"Among other things," Charles confirms. "Don't spread it around."

Tony shrugs. "Sure. Whatever. We've all got secrets."

Aldrich walks up to them, Virginia in tow. "Hello, Charles. I hope these…men aren't bothering you."

"Not at all, Aldrich," Charles says, his voice far more pleasant than his eyes.

Tony turns on his winning smile and looks at the man holding Pepper's hand. "So you're the infamous Aldrich Killian."

Aldrich smiles back uncertainly. "And you are?"

"A friend of Pepper's. Oh, sorry, Virginia." He turns to her, and his heart stops. She is the epitome of everything that's good in the 'verse. "Pepper, you're looking lovely."

"Thank you, Tony."

"You know this man?" Aldrich says with disgust.

Virginia smiles, hiding her nervousness very well. "I know both these men. This is Captain Rogers. He's the man I rent my shuttle from. And this is his engineer Tony."

"I'd say it was a pleasure," Tony begins, "but we'd both know that'd be a lie. You know Pepper, sorry Virginia is far too radiant for you to keep her all to yourself. Would you mind if I take her for a spin?" He pauses. "Only on the dance floor of course." He smiles and takes Pepper's free hand.

Charles smiles pleasantly, a glimmer of roguish flirtation coming into his eyes. "You do look radiant, Ms. Potts. Had I legs that could, I would have asked you to dance long ago. And not just on the dance floor," he adds with a wink. He turns to Aldrich expectantly. "Well, Aldrich? Will you allow her one dance away from you?"

"So long as you bring her back unsoiled," he tells Tony with a displeased smile.

"Wouldn't want to soil something you paid such good money for," Tony responds. He shoves his plate at Aldrich and walks Pepper to the dance floor.

"It seems you've lost your prize, Aldrich," Charles says as the man looks sourly at the retreating couple.

Steve can't let that slide. "Virginia is not a prize. She's a person."

"I think you mean she's a tenant," Aldrich replies. "But perhaps she won't be that for long."

Steve doesn't like how he said that, and he can't imagine Pepper leaving Avenger, not while Tony is still there.

xxx

"You're an ass," Pepper tells Tony as he guides her across the floor.

The dance is one of those old-fashioned ones where couples separate and come back together in a predefined series of steps. It's been a while, but his feet still remember the moves. "I just rescued you from a horrible, ugly person. How does that make me an ass?"

"Well, you insulted him. That doesn't help me any, just so you know."

They separate for a moment. When they are together again, Tony says, "Sorry but he doesn't deserve you. I don't care how much money he has." He looks at her with his soulful brown eyes and gives her a small smile. "You deserve better, Pepper. You deserve…"

This conversation is becoming much too heavy. Luckily they have to move apart again. Pepper speaks first when they re-join. "What are you and Steve doing here?" she asks to change the subject.

"Trying to get work. Wouldn't want to have to increase your rent. What do you know about Charles Xavier? Besides him being a telepath…supposedly."

Her eyes grow large at the question. "There had been rumors, but no ones been able to confirm it," she tells him. "He's intelligent, from old money, has a good reputation. Rumor has it he used to run a school, but there was a falling out or something with a former student." Pepper is happy for the distraction. Dancing with Tony makes it difficult to concentrate. They part for another moment. "Supposedly it had to do with the Alliance wanting to take the school over," she continues as though they had never been separated. "He was dead set against it. His former student was all for it. He ended up leaving the school and came here. Now he breeds cattle, very special cattle from what I understand."

"How so?"

"He's a geneticist. His cattle have the tenderest meat in all the known worlds. It's highly prized."

Tony nods, finding that very interesting. "So why aren't you with him instead of Aldrich?" He says the name like he's going to vomit on the A.

"Because Aldrich is the one who hired me, as you well know," she says as he expertly takes her through the dance, his hand against the small of her back just above the hem of her dress. It's more intoxicating than the champagne.

"I don't see what you see in him…besides the money."

Another separation, this one lasting only a moment.

"It isn't just about the money, Tony. So is Professor Xavier hiring you or what?"

"I hope Professor Xavier is hiring us. I assume Professor Xavier is hiring us. Honestly, I prefer to leave that part to Cap." He smiles at her as he twirls her around.

"That's enough," Aldrich says interrupting. He grabs Virginia's hand. "She's emmy/em Companion."

"Paying for her time doesn't make her yours," Tony points out.

"Actually, it does. And I'm going to have my way with her in every way possible." He gives a smug smile. "And do you want to know why? Because I can. Because this," Aldrich says moving his hand to her waist and pulling her roughly against him, "belongs to me."

Tony's fist makes contact with the asshole's nose before he even realizes it's happening. But damn it feels good.

"Tony!" Pepper cries as Aldrich remains on the floor stunned.

Cap is immediately by Tony's side. Xavier is there, too, more curious than anything.

He gets up and pulls down on his jacket. A couple of men surround him and brush him off. He smiles. "I accept."

"Good." Tony replies.

"Accept what?" Steve asks.

"His challenge," Aldrich replies.

Charles explains that by hitting Aldrich, Tony has challenged the man to a duel.

"Don't worry, Cap. I got this," Tony assures him.

"A duel," Steve repeats to ensure he heard correctly.

"Yes." The Professor continues, "They will meet at dawn and fight each other with swords until one of them is dead.

"Swords? Did you say swords?" Tony asks, concern on his face. "As in long pointy things?"

"Yes," Aldrich says happily.

"Swords," he wants to verify again. "Not guns." He had expected it to be guns. Why wouldn't it be guns? All the best duels were with guns. Every planet he's ever dueled on did it with guns. What the heck kind of backwards place is Kree anyway?

"Swords," Aldrich and Charles confirm.

Virginia sees the surprise and fear on the engineer's face. "Tony didn't know," she tells her date. "And obviously he's an idiot. Let's just pretend this didn't happen. Okay?"

"Pepper…" Steve corrects, "Virginia is right. There's no need for bloodshed."

"There is every need for bloodshed," Aldrich says. "Although I can understand why this peasant in a cheap suit would be too frightened to face me."

"I'm not frightened. Just name the time and place, and I'll be there," Tony tells him, his ego overriding his sense of self-preservation. How hard can swords be, right?

"Tomorrow. Dawn."

"He'll need a Second," Charles explains. "I'd offer my services but…" He gestures down to his legs. "Difficult to swordfight without legs," he says ruefully and drinks.

"What do I have to do?" Steve asks.

"Prepare him. Be there for him. If he doesn't show up, then you take his place. And at the end, you help bring his body back." Charles downs the rest of his drink and holds up the empty glass. It's quickly replaced.

"Don't worry," Aldrich tells Steve. "I'll put your friend up in my villa. Wouldn't want him to run away. I'll put you up, too, if you like."

Steve looks to Tony for some guidance but gets none. He can tell the engineer is just starting to process what is going on. "Okay, but I need to get something from my ship first. Change of clothes," he explains. "Some toiletries."

"The toiletries I can provide," their future host says. "I think it'd be best if you both head straight to the villa." Aldrich doesn't want them getting anything from the ship that may give Tony an advantage. "When you're ready to leave the party, my men will take you. Enjoy the rest of your evening." He wraps Virginia's arm around his and moves her away.

Pepper's eyes full of anger and concern remain on Tony as she's led to the other side of the room.

"Well that was ill-advised," Charles says with a chuckle. "Aldrich has been in several duels. Obviously he's never lost, most likely because he cheats."

"Great," Tony says.

"We'll figure something out," Steve assures him.

"You could always cheat back," Charles suggests.

"I need a drink," the engineer replies and walks away. If this could be his last night alive, he wants to get well and truly drunk.

Charles apologizes to the Captain. "If it's any consolation, I'd like you to ship my goods. We can discuss the particulars after the duel tomorrow morning."

"If it's all the same to you, I'd rather discuss it now."

xxx

Nick Fury is not happy. He was trying to be nice. He knew Steve and his crew were hurting for work. It's one of the reasons he decided to use Cap for the job. But leave it to that band of misfits to go muck it up. And now once again he has to clean up their mess.

Yeah, okay, so maybe he didn't help with their last mess. But those protein bars were too hot for him to fence. Besides, he knew they could handle it.

He walks up the cargo ramp with his top four associates: Maria Hill, Melinda May, Victoria Hand, and Felix Blake. When he gets to the communication controls, he turns on the internal speakers and says, "Attention Avengers crew, please get your butts to the cargo area. Thank you." Then he shuts it off and waits.

Natasha is the first to appear. "Fury? What's happened?" Her eyes are full of concern. She rushes down the stairs, Clint right behind her.

Bruce, Thor, and Coulson appear next coming out of the door nearest the infirmary. Loki is in the guest quarters. Thor told him to remain there until he is retrieved.

"Well, well, well," Fury says, the slightest flicker of recognition appearing when he sees Sheppard Coulson. "I heard you added to your ranks," he continues, turning towards Natasha.

"What is it, Fury?" she asks again.

"It seems your boys got themselves in a bit of a pickle." He explains how Tony is now scheduled to duel with Aldrich Killian and that the Captain and the mechanic are currently guests of Mr. Killian.

"And you came here with your muscle to tell us this why?" Clint asks.

"So we wouldn't interfere," Natasha reasons.

"Wrong. I'm here to ensure that you do." Fury can see the skepticism in their eyes. "Aldrich Killian has a bit of a reputation. Word is, he's never lost a duel. His secret, according to my sources, something called Extremis."

"Extremis?" Natasha repeats.

"There's no such thing," Bruce says. "It's a myth, a lie." He can see the question in everyone's eyes. "It's nanite technology that was being developed during the war after Cap switched sides. With Erskine dead, they couldn't recreate the super soldier serum that was used on Steve. So they created nanites that could be injected into the body and repair any damage that was sustained. It also gave the recipient healing abilities and super strength among other things."

"You just said it was a myth," Natasha points out.

"That's because they were never able to stabilize it. The first test subjects spontaneously combusted, took a lot of people out with them."

"Well that little problem has been fixed," Fury tells them. "And Killian has those nanites in his system. It kinda gives him an unfair advantage, don't you think? And I thought you being so into fairness and all would want to give Tony a fighting chance."

"By doing what?" Natasha asks. She doesn't have high hopes for his answer.

"By providing him with his suit," Fury explains.

"Or," Clint adds, "we could pick up Cap and Tony and boogie off this planet."

"No," Fury disagrees. "You really couldn't." He makes a small hand gesture that causes his muscle to point their weapons at the crew.

"Geez, okay, fine. It was just a suggestion."

Black Widow scowls at Hill and May, women she had admired back in the day, before turning her attention back to Fury. She asks for the particulars, squeezing every last piece of information from her old boss.

The Sheppard listens intently. When he thinks Natasha is done, he says, "So you're proposing that one of us goes to the site of the duel and, what, hands Tony his suit? Won't that be a bit obvious?"

"Doctor?" Fury says, turning to Bruce.

"Tony has a suit that looks like a briefcase. We could take that one to him without anyone being the wiser."

"How do we know this man tells the truth?" Thor asks.

"Because it's just like him," Natasha says. "Tony is compulsive, self-destructive, narcissistic."

"Because it's Pepper," Bruce explains. "He was defending Pepper."

Nick's eyebrow rises. "I'm not sure defending is the right word."

"Why are you helping us?" Clint asks. His arms are crossed in front of his chest.

"I have a vested interest. I know Tony is a big reason this hunk of crap is still flying. And if this deal is to go through, I need this boat to keep flying."

xxx

Steve is trying to help Tony practice, but the engineer doesn't seem like he's even trying. "This is to the death, Tony. Do you understand that?"

"Yeah, geez. I get it. It's not like it's my first duel." He sees the angry question in the blue eyes. "I thought it'd be with guns, okay?"

"Stupid," Steve mutters under his breath. He has half a mind to return to his room. It's the only place he can go, since their rooms are adjoining and the doors to the hallway are locked. He takes a breath. "Well it's not with guns, Tony. It's with swords. And if you don't concentrate, one of these pointy things is going to be the thing that kills you."

"I know that." He pours himself another drink and smiles. "Don't worry, Cap. I've got this. I've survived this far." The alcohol is warm as it slips down his throat.

It's false bravado, and Steve knows it. "Tony, you're the smartest man I know. But sometimes you are such an idiot."

"Now you sound like Pepper."

The door to Tony's room opens, and Virginia steps inside holding a doorknob in one hand and a sword in the other.

"Speak of the devil," Tony mutters. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be servicing your client?"

She pretends not to hear the venom in his voice. "Aldrich had to go to bed early. He has a big day tomorrow that starts with killing you. Or have you forgotten."

"I'll be fine," he mutters.

Steve tells the Companion that they've been practicing.

"And how's that going?" she asks as she puts the doorknob on the short bookcase next to the door.

Both men shrug. Neither one looks happy.

Virginia places a hand on Steve's arm and tells him to go to bed. She'll take it from here. "Go," she says, shooing him off with a gesture towards his room.

"Good luck," he tells her then disappears into his room.

"Alone at last," Tony says with a smirk.

She turns to face the engineer. "You know, if you weren't already scheduled to die tomorrow morning, I'd kill you."

"I'd rather you do it than him."

Pepper can see the vulnerability in his eyes, that part of him he usually keeps hidden so well. She raises her sword. "Too bad. Now let's see what we're working with." She gets into a defensive stance and waits.

Tony sighs. He downs the rest of his drink before setting down the tumbler then raises his sword. He sways a little.

"Are you drunk?" she asks in disbelief.

"Maybe a little," he admits. "Just enough to take the edge off."

Two seconds later, he's disarmed and has her sword at his throat.

"You need your edge," she tells him. Virginia takes a step back. "Again."

"Geez. What are you my mother?"

"I'm the person trying to keep you alive."

"And why would you do that?"

"Because apparently you don't care enough to do it yourself," she tells him. "Why, Tony? Why did you have to hit Aldrich?"

"Because he deserved it. He disrespected you."

"So?" she responds. "You disrespect me all the time."

Tony shakes his head. "No. I disrespect what you do. He disrespects you."

"It's the same thing, Tony."

"No, it isn't. You…You could be doing so much more. You're smart, beautiful, gracious. You can handle people with remarkable ease. You should be running your own company or running a government not taking money from men so they can use you." His hand is reaching out to her but never makes contact.

"He wants me to stay here," she confesses.

"What? Who?"

"Aldrich. He wants me to be his personal Companion."

Tony looks like he's about to loose his best friend. "You can't. Promise me, Pepp. Promise me you won't end up with him." He's pleading with his eyes. "If he kills me tomorrow, fine he kills me. I won't be happy about it, but…" He shrugs and shakes his head. "He can't win you, too. He can't…Please, Pepper. No matter what happens to me, promise me you won't leave Avenger."

"Tony…"

"I know it's not the life you deserve, but they need you. You're the only bit of class aboard her. Promise me, Pepper. I'll practice and do whatever you want the rest of the night. Just promise me."

She nods, not quite able to speak yet. Then she holds up a finger as her resolve hardens. "No more drinking," she tells him. "And you do exactly what I tell you."

"Yes, Mistress Virginia," he says with a smirk. And just like that, the dangerous moment passes.

"Shut up and raise your sword."

Virginia works with him all night. Even so, she has to leave earlier than she'd like. She knows Aldrich will be up early to prepare for the duel.

Tony thanks her, assures her he'll win. She gives him a reassuring smile and leaves.

xxx

Fury goes with Bruce to get Tony's briefcase suit, the Mark V. "I don't need an escort," Bruce tells him.

"I know. I just wanted a tour of the ship. You may want to grab your doctor bag. Odds are, Tony'll need some medical care, assuming he survives."

Bruce really hopes Loki is still in his room and stays there. They go down to the Infirmary so that the doctor can get a few things. He does it quickly, throwing the items into a small bag. Then he picks it and the Mark V up and leaves, leading the way back to the Cargo area.

"Who's that?" Maria asks when they get there, gesturing behind them.

Everyone turns to see a young man with dark hair, beige skin, and green eyes standing in the doorway.

Sheppard Coulson puts a hand on Thor's arm, a silent warning not to do anything to arouse suspicions.

"Good question," Fury asks. "And who might you be?" he asks the stranger.

"Wouldn't you like to know," Loki answers in an accent and tone that sound more like Virginia's than his own.

"I would."

"Life is full of disappointment. But you already know that don't you." He gives a small smile as he walks forward.

"Anyone who doesn't is either blind or lying to themselves."

Loki runs a finger along the stranger's jaw below the eyepatch. "Well you're halfway to being blind. So there's that."

"What's your name, kid?" Seems funny to call this guy kid considering how tall he is.

"What's it matter?" He runs a hand up and down the lapel of the black jacket. "My name's not who I am any more than your reputation is you. So high and mighty until you learn the truth, pretend it doesn't tear you apart." His words are soft, the tone almost sweet. "Staying in the shadows, manipulating everything. You create your mighty boot," he says, puckering his lips, "stomping on your enemies like ants."

Loki softly strokes Fury's bottom lip with the tip of his finger and asks, "You wanna know who I am?" He steps back, his eyes hardening. "I'm a boot. And you and your entourage, you're not even big enough to be ants." He turns around and starts walking back to his room. "Let me know if anyone interesting arrives." Thor and the Captain are not in danger. That's all he cares about. The rest will handle itself. He disappears back into the interior of the ship.

Nick Fury is speechless. All he can do is look at the space where the young man had been and search through his mind for clues as to what the hell just happened.

Natasha can practically see the gears turning Fury's head. The last thing they need is Nick Fury figuring out that they are keeping known fugitives. "So what do you think of Cap's new boy toy?"

"Boy toy?" He looks over at Natasha. That's not like the Captain, but he can certainly understand how the boy might have seduced the soldier.

"Yeah. We picked 'im up on New Berlin just before the Chitauri hit. He's a might forward, but you kind of have to be to get Cap's attention."

The kid is Steve's type physically. And it probably would take someone coming on like a freight train to get the soldier's attention. Fury smiles. "And Captain Rogers really went for it? Good for Cap. He did seem like less of a tightass this time. Guess what he needed was a tight ass that wasn't his own." He smiles at his own joke, his white teeth almost glowing with mirth.

Thor's hands clench into fists, and he stares daggers at the one-eyed man.

"Looks like somebody's jealous," Nick notes. "What happened there, Big Guy? Cap's boy toy choose him over you?"

"No need to rub it in," Clint tells him.

Melinda May checks her watch. "Banner should go," she tells Fury.

Fury nods and takes the map from Hill before handing it over to Bruce. He shows the doctor where the duel is going to be held then sends him on his way.

Natasha glares at Fury. "You can go now. We don't need you to babysit us."

"Sorry. Best way to ensure you don't try to rescue Tony is to stay here and make sure you don't." Then he gives them a smile.

xxx

The morning is crisp in the forest clearing. Aldrich looks confident, like he is ready to take on the world. Tony looks like he didn't get any sleep. Probably because he didn't. He's also feeling slightly hung over. He takes off his jacket and rolls up the sleeves of his black shirt.

Steve is there being supportive but with a stern look in his eyes. Virginia is there holding on to Aldrich's arm, which only makes things worse. Charles Xavier is there, too. Tony isn't sure why, but it would take too many brain cells to try to figure it out.

Aldrich is all smiles, looking far too peppy for this early in the morning. "What a beautiful morning for a duel," he says happily.

Three swords are presented to the combatants. Tony picks first and swishes it around a few times. Aldrich selects next. He lifts up the sword and examines the blade glinting in the sunlight.

They get into position and face each other.

"Begin!" Aldrich's man yells.

Tony strikes first, going immediately on the offensive. Aldrich just smiles and blocks each lunge. "What's wrong, Killian? I'm better than you expected?"

Aldrich just smiles as Virginia groans from the sidelines. "He's toying with you, stupid," she tells him.

Killian waits for Tony to drop his guard then slices the clothes and skin over the engineer's heart. Tony winces and takes a step back. Blood drips from the wound and onto the black shirt. Aldrich begins his attack in earnest, and it's all Tony can do to block the strikes.

The guy is strong, really strong.

Finally Tony gets in a strike of his own. He watches in disbelief as the cut heals immediately. "What the…?" He doesn't have time to finish the sentence, because Aldrich is attacking again. It's all he can do to stay upright.

"Tony!"

Tony turns and sees Bruce holding a satchel and his Mark V.

"He's using Extremis," the doctor explains.

Aldrich slices Tony's arm, the sixth cut he's received. It gets the engineer's attention again. And when Tony looks into the man's eyes, he knows it's true. "How did you stabilize it?"

"Wouldn't you like to know."

Steve gives Bruce a questioning look and gets the answer, "Fury sent me."

"Bruce?" Tony calls. "Now!" He pushes Aldrich away with all of his strength.

Bruce slides the Mark V to his friend.

The engineer steps on the activation switch that opens the case. He put his hands in and turns the levers that assemble the suit around his body. "Now let's play," the mechanized voice says.

He's too focused on the man in front of him to notice the skirmish that's erupted on the sidelines.

Aldrich smiles wider, happy to no longer have to hide it.

Virginia's eyes go big. "What's going on? What does this mean?" Bruce does his best to explain it to her as Cap knocks out the last of Aldrich's men. The soldier nods to Charles, silently thanking him for the assist. It's the only explanation for why half the men suddenly fell unconscious. Charles nods back.

"Tony?" Steve calls.

"I got it, Cap. Duel, remember? I gotta finish it on my own."

Iron Man shoots his repulsor beams at his opponent. Aldrich stumbles back before rushing forward and grabbing the steel-covered arm. His hand heats up and begins to melt Tony's suit. A metal elbow to the stomach barely has any effect. Aldrich begins to glow an orange-red. He grabs the faceplate and starts to melt it, pressing Tony's metal-encased body down, heating up the suit and shorting the repulsor beams.

"Aldrich! Stop!" Virginia yells, tears in her eyes. "I'll stay with you. I'll be your personal Companion. Please. Just stop," she begs.

He looks at her, a triumphant gleam in his eye.

It's all the distraction Tony needs. "JARVIS, coolant. Now." He blasts it out of his chest and his free hand.

Aldrich stumbles back, his limbs stiff from the sudden cold. He falls on his ass and sees the metal man standing above him, his handprint visible on the face of the helmet.

"Don't do it, Killian," Iron Man says. "Or I will give you another blast of cold and smash your sorry ass to pieces."

He laughs and starts to get up. "Do you really believe that could hurt me? I'm beyond that. There is no scenario in which you survive this."

Iron Man can see that he really believes it. He shoots more coolant, this time in Killian's face. "Bruce? Any way to neutralize the nanites?"

"No clue. Best chance is to either cool or overheat."

"Great," Iron Man replies as JARVIS tells him he's running out of coolant.

"You could try knocking him out," Steve suggests, wanting to go into the fight but knowing he can't until Tony asks. Instead he busies himself with securing Aldrich's men.

Iron Man starts punching Aldrich in the stomach and the head. His other arm is grabbed this time and begins to be heated up. He fires a normal repulsor beam at Killian's head. It's enough to make the guy lose concentration and let go of his arm.

He tells JARVIS to increase the power to the repulsors by 50% then sends another blast to Aldrich's head. The guy flies back and hits a tree. A moment later, he is getting up and preparing to run at Iron Man again.

"Got a sedative in that bag of yours?" Iron Man asks Bruce.

The doctor prepares a syringe very quickly. He tosses it to his friend as soon as it's done.

Iron Man plucks it out of the sky and forces the needle into his opponent before pushing down on the plunger. The chemical doesn't work as quickly as Tony had hoped. And another series of blows are exchanged.

Aldrich's men begin to regain consciousness only to find themselves tied up using strips of blue pinstripe cloth from the jacket of Cap's suit.

Finally, Aldrich begins to slow down. Next thing they know, the guy is on the ground, his eyes barely open. He can see Iron Man above him, watches as the mask retracts revealing the brown eyes and intricate beard of the engineer. The metal arm is extended and pointed towards his chest.

"You're supposed to kill him," Charles says. "To not do so would bring dishonor on him, his family, his lineage, blah blah blah." He shrugs. "It's basically a huge slap in the face if you don't."

"Letting him survive shows you're the better man," Steve tells him.

It's like a devil and an angel trying to tell him what to do, only the devil isn't trying that hard. Tony looks down on Aldrich and decides. His arm drops. "I want you to remember today as the day a better man took you down." Then he shoots a repulsor beam at Aldrich's stomach. "Better but not Cap material."

The Companion walks over and takes Tony's arm. "I know it's a day early, Aldrich, but I'm ending our contract. I'll reimburse you for the time missed."

"Bitch. You'll never work again," he tells her in an angry slur.

"Wrong. That's not how it works, Aldrich. You don't blacklist me. I blacklist you. And that's exactly what I'm going to do. No Companion will ever come near you again."

Those are the last words Aldrich remembers before everything goes dark.

When he regains consciousness, Aldrich's body has been purged of Extremis. Charles Xavier is there to greet him, letting him know that he deserves everything that's happening in his life right now. "Perhaps next time you might try not acting like a complete ass," the Professor suggests. "Though honestly I don't expect you to actually accomplish it."

"Virginia was mine."

"Virginia was never yours. The fact that you can't see that is so much of what is wrong with you. Cheers," he says with a perky smile as he raises his tumbler in the air. He downs his drink in one gulp.

xxx

The cargo hold is full of steer, and it is glorious. Loki is sitting on one length of catwalk, listening to the sounds below. Every so often he moos back at them.

Steve sits next to him. "Talkin' to the steer?"

"Cattle can't talk," Loki informs him.

"You sure about that? They sound like they're talking to me."

"Cattle can't talk," Loki repeats.

"Didn't I hear you saying moo?" When Loki nods as though ashamed of it, Steve looks down at the herd below and says, "Moo," in his best impression of a steer. That brings a smile to Loki's face, so he does it again. This time the god laughs.

Steve bumps his shoulder against that of the man sitting beside him. "I'm still real in case you were wondering." Loki hadn't touched him since their argument the morning before, and Steve kind of missed it. "Bruce told me you kept your cool around Fury. Said you even sounded different."

"Moo," Loki says to the cows, sounding much more like a steer than Steve did.

"If he comes again, just try to avoid him. He has a tendency to ask a lot of questions, and we want to keep you safe. Okay?"

Loki looks over at the Captain. "Am I your toy?"

"What? No."

"Would you play with me if I were?"

Steve swallows and looks intently at the steer. He can feel a blush heating his face. Not for the first time does he wonder if Loki understands how sexual what he's saying sounds. "Heard you had an altercation with some crackers," he says instead.

"Some things should remain dead," Loki replies.

"I'm not mad," the Captain tells him. "Crackers whole or broken taste the same."

"You lose bits of the broken ones, crumbs that scatter in the wind, lost forever."

Steve puts an arm around him, feels him tense at the touch at first. But then the head leans against the Captain's shoulder. "Can you forgive me?" Steve asks.

"Will they be slaughtered?"

"The steer? Probably. Feed a lot of people when they are. That's good eatin' right there. You ever eat steak? What am I saying. You're a Prince. Of course you have."

"They weren't asked to be sacrificed," Loki notes.

"True. Doesn't make it any less sacred."

"Or stinky," he replies, wrinkling his nose.

"Or stinky," Steve agrees.

"Stinky is an understatement," Tony says as he limps past them on his way to Virginia's shuttle, tapping Cap's head as he passes. The engineer is bruised and sore, and it's taking more strength than he anticipated to make the trip.

When he gets to the shuttle door, Tony knocks. Virginia is surprised to see him standing there in his red jumpsuit. "Tony. Are you okay?"

"Fine. A few bumps and bruises, but Bruce says they'll heal."

She steps out onto the catwalk and leans back against the railing. "Well, I'm glad you didn't die."

"That makes two of us," he says, giving her a half smile. "I'm glad you stayed…with us."

"Well, after Aldrich's behavior…"

"You were really going to stay with him to save me?" His deep brown eyes can't hide the importance of the question.

"I would have done it for any of you," she replies. "Cap. Bruce. Nat. Anyone," she says, looking at her hands.

"Oh. Right."

"Glad I didn't have to, though. Someone has to look after Bruce," she reasons.

"Right. Bruce," Tony repeats as he leans forward on the railing and looks down at the steer. His voice reveals a twinge of disappointment.

Virginia wonders if she made the right decision. Whatever this is with Tony, it feels dangerous, something she could drown in if she lets herself. She vows not to let herself. She turns around and leans forward on the railing, too. Her eyes are drawn to Cap and Loki. It seems odd but sweet, and she's glad Steve has someone to care about. She just wishes it was someone less…unstable.

"In case you were wondering, Killian won't be a threat anymore," Tony tells her. "Bruce and I neutralized the Extremis nanites. We destroyed all of his notes concerning it, and Professor Xavier erased the memory of it from his mind. So hopefully that's the end of that. Hopefully."

"Won't that damage his brain? Is that even legal?" she asks.

"No and Kree's laws don't cover telepathic invasion. Alliance laws, however, could be a problem. But Charles said he can handle it."

Virginia nods, not feeling particularly comfortable about any of it. Her eyes return to Cap and Loki. "Think Cap can?"

"Cap's busy with his special project. Plus, he knows how dangerous Extremis is, especially in the hands of someone like Killian. And he certainly doesn't want the Alliance to get it."

It makes sense. The greater good and all that.

"Sorry I defended your honor," Tony says. "I promise it won't happen again."

"I'm surprised it happened the first time."

Tony shrugs. "I blame the food. And the champagne. Damn that food was good."

Virginia smiles. This is more like it. This is the Tony she knows and…she knows and expects. "I've had better," she teases.

"I bet you have."

"Company wasn't as good, though. I'll take Bruce over any of those people any day."

"I'll be sure to let him know. You do realize Cap and I were two of those people."

"Yes. I know," she replies.

"Just making sure."

xxx

Steve wakes up content. They are running a job, a good job, one they're getting paid for. His family is all back on the ship, and maybe, just maybe Tony and Pepper will admit they love each other. Maybe. He doubts it.

He stretches then gets up, turning on the light. First thing is to empty the bladder which he does with relish. As he washes his hands his door opens, and Loki comes down the ladder. The young man turns and stops in stunned silence when he sees the Captain wearing only light blue boxer shorts.

"Good morning, Loki," Steve says as he dries his hands and walks to stand in front of him.

A tentative hand reaches out, the palm finally coming to rest over the Captain's heart. He looks up into the earnest blue eyes as the heartbeat pulses against his palm. "You're real," he breathes.

Steve puts his hand over the one on his chest and runs his thumb slowly back and forth over the fingers there. "So are you." He sees the handsome face flush before the young man turns to leave. "Stay," he says, not letting go of the hand.

Loki turns back around. "You said not to."

"I was wrong." Steve leads the young man to the bed and settles him between the sheets. He goes to the other side, all plans of heading to the bridge to draw gone from his mind. He lies on top of the covers and takes Loki's hand in his. Then he shuts off the light. His hand gets a squeeze. He squeezes it back.

"Thor," Loki's voice says in the darkness.

"I'm on top of the covers," Steve says. "And we'll tell him you sleep better this way. Do you…sleep better this way?" He hears Loki shift before he feels the body curl around his arm, the head rest against his shoulder.

"Yes."

Steve takes slow, deliberate breaths trying to get his heart under control. He shouldn't be feeling like this. He needs to stay in control. Loki needs him to stay in control, to not push, to just be there. So that's what he's going to do.

He can feel Loki's heartbeat against his arm now that his own has steadied. He can hear Loki's breath deepen. That's when he realizes how truly fucked he is.