What's Marvel without a little girl power? :3

A sweating brunette's eyes shut tight before opening again. Her heartbeat was quickening, pulse racing, and there was little she could do to stop it. "N-Natasha?"

Natasha opened her eyes, being brought out of her thoughts as she regarded her; she took the short silences and pauses they had to come up with a plan to get them out of there. "Hang in there, Betty."

"Hang in there?" Darcy repeated. "Oh yeah. Greeeeat advice there."

"Darce..." Jane said in warning.

Despite Darcy's snide comment and just about every woman in the room's urge to punch her in the throat, they knew she was right and were instantly reminded of their current uncomfortable state of being. Natasha Romanoff, Pepper Potts, Jane Foster, Darcy Lewis, Bobbi Morse, and Betty Ross were all hung by their wrists and ankles, bound to the empty walls of a HYDRA base that was located underground. Jane and Darcy wouldn't have gotten captured too if they had stayed in Asgard-like they were supposed to-but that's a different story.

"If we're making hanging puns-" Bobbi started playfully.

"Please don't," Pepper begged. "That just reminds me of the pain in my arms..."

"Sorry..." Bobbi apologized. "Just trying to lighten the mood here..."

"Yes, because hanging here and waiting to be tortured and put to death is a good way to go," an irritant Darcy said. She and Bobbi sent daggers at each other.

"Lewis, quiet!" Natasha hissed. "I'm trying to come up with a plan..."

"Well, could you do it a little faster, Natasha? Because I'm starting to lose the feeling in my arms," Jane asked as politely as she could.

"No pressure or anything," Darcy commented.

"How much duct tape do you think we have back at the Tower?" Bobbi asked Natasha.

"Look, Blondie-"

"You know what, Brownie, I've had enough of you and your bullsh-"

"Ladies, please!" Pepper cut in, raising her voice firmly. "If we're going to get out of here, we need to work together and not waist our energy fighting. Natasha isn't alone in this. We need to come up with a plan-as a team, remember?"

Natasha shot a thankful look in Pepper's direction, and the other women nodded and hung their heads.

"Pepper's right," Jane murmured, then asked the group, "Would the boys be this high-strung and crazy? No, they will stay calm, collected, and figure a meaningful way how to save us..."

"I WILL NOT STAY CALM AND COLLECTED, I WILL STRIKE DOWN THE ENTIRE FACILITY IF I HAVE TO."

"Thor, I need you to calm your godly tits and bare with me, buddy," said Tony.

Every male in the penthouse now was somewhat romantically involved with the women currently captured, respectfully, each trying to come up with a quick and clever tactic that will lead them to a hopefully happy reunion with their ladies. As soon as the kidnapping happened, Agent 13, otherwise known as Sharon Carter, and Agent Hill immediately reported to the Avengers. Now the two women paced along with the men, although their worry was nothing compared to the other six.

"Anger is fueled by negative emotions," Bruce added. "If we're to succeed, we need to be-"

"I say we kill them all," said Loki, his wrists and ankles locked firmly in chains and locks. He thought his resolution was simple, to say the least. At least to him of course.

"Again, who invited him here?" Clint demanded with narrowed eyes. "Why I outta-"

Steve put a hand to Clint's chest, holding his friend back. "Barton, restraint. It's HYDRA who has them." He looked up as the elevator opened. "So I called in someone who knows them best."

Sharon was the first to retreat back a step as Bucky Barnes, the Winter Soldier, solemnly walked in. She started for her gun, but Steve stilled her with a look.

"Capsicle..." Tony said slowly. "I think you have some explaining to do..."

"Yeah, 'cause having two psychos in one room reeeally takes a toll on the nerves," Clint added, practically jumping up and down.

Steve walked up to Bucky, giving his old friend's arm a warm squeeze before facing the others. "You may not know this, but I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Bucky. He saved my life that day," his eyes flickered to Sharon, who tilted her chin up. "So I know my friend is still in there. Whenever HYDRA gets a hold of him, they swipe his memories clean of anything he's close to remembering..."

It's hard for Steve to say, and even harder for Bucky to fight the memories he did have. The nightmares. Steve is the only person that mattered to him now; the one person that was able to pull him back, even by a little.

I'm with you 'til the end of the line.

With a little nod from the blonde soldier, Bucky spoke.

"I know where they are. And I'm gonna help you find them."

Time was running out on Betty's control. And it was getting close to that time for HYDRA members to come in and have their way with them, whether that was physical or psychological torture.

"Get ready," Natasha said in a low voice, hearing footsteps coming down the hall.

Betty gasped.

"Betty, remember what I told you?"

"Y-Yes..."

Pepper, who had her hands yanked back and in an awaiting position above her head (but really, where else could she put them?), could be heard quietly counting back from one hundred. Jane and Darcy braced themselves, leaning against each other as much as they could muster. Bobbi's eyes were on the door, occasionally flickering between Pepper and Betty every now and then.

"Three...two...-" Pepper and the girls looked up as the glass window suddenly shattered, Jane and Darcy jumping and avoiding the falling debris. "There we go."

Pieces of the Iron Lady suit came in one by one, the arm piece colliding with her arm first and sending her back. Pepper was the first to break free, jumping down to her feet, and by then her entire arm was covered in armor.

"What was that?" a voice said from outside the door, and it opened.

"I apologize in advance," Pepper said, arm outstretched, and knocked out the oncoming threat with a repulsor.

"Was it really necessary to play nice?" Natasha said.

"It never hurts to be polite..." Pepper answered, and went to go free Natasha first. Once the spy was free, they separated, Pepper going for Bobbi and Natasha the other two.

There was a sudden guttural roar. Natasha yanked Jane and Darcy to the side safely, the alarms blaring. Betty's body fell to the floor, breaking free of her restraints. Her body was now increasing in size, her struggling breaths becoming heavier and raspy, and when she looked up, they saw her eyes flash red.

"What's going on in-?"

Several HYDRA members bounded in the room at once, but stopped short when they saw the hugest woman they've ever seen slowly stand up from the floor, her clothes ripped and tattered along her red, muscular body, her gaze on them menacing, teeth gritted. The other women stood around her, but they didn't seem to fear her.

Red She-Hulk roared at them in warning, and half of them panicked and started running for the door. She lunged, breaking the door off of its hinges, and the women followed. The red monstress was fast, but Pepper was able to keep up as she flew, suit now fully assembled. Natasha, Jane, and Darcy stuck to running.

More HYDRAs filed out, armed, and began shooting. The bullets, nearly harmless to Betty's rage, were repelled and she had enough control to protect Darcy and Jane. Pepper shot powerful beams of light; Natasha and Bobbi, who were experienced in these kind of situations, took out anyone and everyone in their reach to gain a weapon.

Jane didn't like feeling helpless. She wanted to be able to do something. Her brown eyes dart from corner, to enemy, to ceiling, as if anything would give her a hint or assist her. She knew there were more coming, and she had to act fast.

Someone was now pointing his weapon at Darcy.

"Darcy!"

"Wah!" Darcy's automatic reflex was to bring her elbow up and whirl-

And it...worked?

Despite the burning pain in her elbow, Darcy turned around in shock to see the wimp writhing on the floor, blood leaking from his mouth and nose.

"Uh...sorry?" She wasn't that sorry.

Jane ran over to her, taking one look at the man, and kicked him in the face. Hard.

"Are you okay?" Jane asked sincerely.

"Yeah. Good footwork, boss lady," Darcy complimented, and Jane smiled sheepishly.

"Foster, Lewis, get back!"

Back to back to back, the six women prepared themselves for what was to come.

"...They're here," Bucky pointed to the holographic screen.

"How do you know?" said Sharon.

Both Bucky and Steve looked at her, Steve holding more sympathy and patience in his blue eyes. With the exception of Tony, everyone was suited up and bent over to look at the holographic display.

"...Never mind then." Sharon ducked her head.

"This is hours away, we'll never make it in time..."

"Oh, the optimist."

"Not unless you know someone who can somehow get us there in a matter of sec-"

Everyone looked at the God of Mischief, some more reluctant than others.

Loki smirked, holding out his hands expectantly to his brother. "I'm going to need my hands."

"Natasha!"

The spy saw red, white, and blue out of the corner of her eye, turning around just as Steve's shield knocked out the last enemy, falling to the floor by her feet with a clang. Alarmed, Natasha dropped her gun as Steve and the others rushed up to them.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Natasha demanded hotly. "I had it all under con-!"

His lips silenced hers, and the stiffness in her body slackened. Steve didn't care that she was angry with him, hell he didn't blame her; he blamed himself for letting her out of his sight...But the moment he saw her, the world was forgotten, and he bounded across the space between them-they had been separated long enough-took her face in his hands and kissed her so passionately that if the world ended right then, he wouldn't have noticed. All that mattered to him now was the spy in his arms.

Screw concealing the most tender of emotions. She slowly began to kiss him back, each time getting stronger and fiercer, her arms twining around his neck, fingers gripping and running through his golden locks as she leaned up on her tiptoes. His scent filled her nostrils, their bodies flushed together, and she didn't know how much she missed him until at that moment.

He pulled back to gaze deeply into her green eyes and said softly, "You scared the hell out of me..." He refused, absolutely refused, to remove his arms from their rightful place...around her waist.

Knowing he was about as out of breath as she was, she brushed her lips against his and whispered, "I'm sorry..."

They kissed again a few more times, as soft as their hushed tones, before finally parting, but not fully; their arms brushed against each other shamelessly, Steve's eyes appraising the scene before him.

Bruce, who had hulked out beforehand, was now comforting Betty, cradling her in his arms from their position on the floor. Soft words of comfort and reassurance was exchanged between the two.

Thor lifted Jane up into his arms, the bottom of her shoes and dress and cape pooling on his feet as he set her down. "Are you alright, Jane? Did they hurt you at all?" he would ask repeatedly, showering her in kisses. She'd shake her head, and return his affections.

"What is this?" Loki grasped Darcy by the arm, pulling her closer to him. Blue and green eyes fell on the bloody scab that was her elbow.

"It's nothin', Mischief," Darcy said. "Dude tried to sneak up on me and well-" She shrugged, even if it still stung. "Let's just say he's gonna need a dentist. And maybe a surgeon."

"You inflicted harm on yourself in defense?" She nodded mutely.

Sighing, Loki ran his hand from her elbow to her forearm, healing the curvy brunette in the process. Darcy admired her arm then did the unexpected and glomped him, arms wrapped around his torso. Awkwardly, but gradually, he returned the embrace with some reluctance.

Tony and Pepper ditched their suits to properly hold each other. The genius billionaire playboy philanthropist was telling the strawberry blonde how proud he was of her, running his fingers through her hair and kissing the small cut on her cheek.

The second Bobbi saw Clint, she was in his arms, embracing the archer in enthusiasm.

"Hey," Clint chuckled.

"Hey yourself." Bobbi smiled, and he held her tighter, swinging them back and forth a few times.

Natasha turned to Steve and he looked down at her. "How did you-?"

Steve smiled. "Bucky."

Natasha softly smiled too. Other than Steve, she and Bucky maintained a somewhat stable alliance. When the Winter Soldier approached them with Sharon on the sidelines looking wary, Natasha approached him; Bucky was surprised when she kissed him on the cheek and thanked him in Russian. He mumbled out a raspy, "Don't mention it."

Before she walked away, he grasped her arm and said even with the ghost of a teasing smirk, "Seriously, don't. It'll ruin my reputation."