FDF Mercy Killing

A/N: Sorry this took so long, guys. With life getting in the way and a complete lack of inspiration, I still have no good excuses to give you. Thank you for being so patient and supportive.

While I know many of you wanted this story to continue, even with less details and even crappier content, a lot of you suggested I do what I thought would be best, both for myself and for the story. And that means a lot to me. Many of you know that since the beginning of this fanfic, I've lost my notes and rewritten them several times. This story has ended up causing me a lot of pain and stress, and I've become much more cautious about what I decide to start posting. I've decided to cut the story off here and write you one long chapter about what would have happened.

So here is that unfinished ending, lost to the depths of the universe:

Each character was meant to have their own arch, with Loki's story of healing unraveling as he got to know each of the Avengers and their own pain. Most of the beginning chapters were meant to set up the story and show you guys how everyone worked as a mismatched, patched up family, but I kinda got sidetracked with soccer games and Bucky.

The first arc is about Bruce. His father abused him and possibly experimented on him, until eventually the Hulk was born in a burst of gamma radiation and pain. While Bruce begins to heal as he is brought into the Avengers, it's little things like giving him a pair of glasses or buying him birthday presents that really make him feel part of the family. Unfortunately, none of this resolves the issues of the Hulk. Pushing down the Other Guy makes Bruce anxious and tense, and he starts to stray from his friends and family. Tony tries to bring him back in with science and open acceptance, but it's not enough. Bruce begins locking himself away, until finally the Hulk has had enough and wants to go on a rampage. While the adults try to calm him down and get him to revert back to Bruce, it's Loki whose words get through. He talks to the Hulk about how Odin hurt him, about how the Chitauri hurt him. He talks about how he's afraid and unhappy, and even angry sometimes. As Loki speaks, the Hulk and Bruce both realize that they are as alone and separated as they thought. The Hulk engages in some playtime, though he doesn't know how to control his strength, and eventually falls asleep, turning back into Bruce.

Steve's arc could have been next, though I'm still not sure on what order I would prefer these to be in. With Bucky's arrival, the Hulk's rampage, and Hydra possibly coming for them, Steve doesn't feel like his problems matter enough to bring to the others. He forces himself to play and watch movies with them; he goes to all the soccer games. But something inside him is hurting. Seeing Bucky again, as much as he hates it, brings back those memories of Peggy's death, of all the illness and pain from his past. The less his struggle is noticed, the more convinced he becomes that no one cares and he's been all alone since he woke up from the coma. He throws himself into his art, churning out sorrowful masterpiece after masterpiece. Loki is one of the few to recognize the emotions behind the pieces, and he is the only one to talk to Steve about it. At first Steve is defensive and walks away. But it's late at night, while Loki has just woken up from a nightmare and is staring at the ceiling, that Steve sneaks into his room to open up. They talk for hours, whispering until the sun has risen. They feel strung out and heavy after releasing so many emotions, but they feel better. It becomes a regular thing, until both of them begin to cheer up more and more. Steve shows Loki how to draw, Loki shows Steve his magic. Steve finally talks to Bucky, have a real conversation with him. They're both crying and hiccuping by the end, but they've finally reconnected. Bucky starts to come out of his shell and interact with the Avengers, though he mainly sticks to Steve, Loki, and surprisingly, Natasha and Tony. Tony does work on his arm for him, and Natasha is the only other one that speaks Russian, though Clint certainly tries.

Tony is next. With more warnings about Hydra and the possibility of his father's weapons being involved, he can feel the tension and painful memories looming over him like a tsunami. The adults constantly push him to do more searches, find out what Hydra has about them, find a way to stop them. Even though it reminds him of Obi, he knows it's his job to take care of his family. He takes the requests as orders and avoids eating, sleeping, or even taking breaks so he can help in every way he can. He finds himself constantly setting JARVIS to look through camera feeds, and the nine year old upgrades everyone's gear as much as he can. Does Clint's bow need the ability to turn into a knife? Probably not. Does Loki need another small arsenal of weaponry to tuck into his wheelchair? Not really, no. But Tony keeps building and pushing himself, until finally he collapses. He wakes up in the medical room with Pepper and some worried Avengers hovering around him, but he still tries to insist on doing more work. Bucky offers to sit on Tony to make him stay, and while everyone does dogpile on him, the tiny genius still tries to get back to work. Instead, Loki brings him a tablet so he can work from bed. Most of the people eventually leave to eat or do something other than watch Tony tap on said tablet. But after a few hours have passed and the room is quiet, Loki slowly pushed the pad down so he can meet Tony's eyes. While initially Tony guards himself with sarcasm and dry humor, he eventually admits to something happening with Obi. Loki shares his true heritage, that he's a 'Big Kid.' Tony is naturally kind of freaked out and fascinated by the chilly blue skin and blood red eyes, but Loki quickly changes back and explains that his really father abandoned him and Odin was cruel and abusive. Tony relates in most ways, but he covers up his feelings. It's after a long discussion alone with Pepper that Tony remembers how much his new family cares about him. How they weren't trying to use him.

Thor's arc follows soon after. It's a relatively short arc, because while he's got a big heart, he still feels very dumb. All the kids younger than him are smarter than him, and Loki helps him with his homework. Not only that, but when he is finally able to reconnect with Sif and his friends, they seemed to have learned and grown so much. Thor becomes snappy and starts to act arrogant, high and mighty again. The adults aren't sure what to do about the issue, and their frustration begins to affect others. Everything comes to a head when Thor gets the worst grade out of everyone on a test, and instead of what was predicted to be a sunny day, a fierce storm begins to rage outside. The wind beats at the windows, the rain hits the roof like bullets, and the thunder is starting to sound closer and closer. Everyone panics, and Loki is lost in the chaos. The storm gets worse with Thor's new worry, but he soon finds Loki as a bird, hiding in the sock drawer. The brothers have a heart to heart, and Loki confessed how inferior he feels to Thor most of the time. Thor is confused, because clearly Loki is much smarter, and more organized, and better. Fury and Phil reveal that their insecurities probably came from their father's emotionally abusive tendencies, and that they are both great in their own ways. Loki and Thor hug it out, and the world is restored to sunshine and rainbows once more.

Clint comes next, as seeing Thor and Loki acting like brothers has reminded him of his own brother and family. While many of his memories with his brother were painful or scary, there were also a lot of happy times. Since living on the streets never gave him much time to mourn his family, Clint still isn't sure how to deal with their deaths. His father was mean and hit him sometimes, and his brother mimicked their dad, but the happy memories convinced Clint that it couldn't have been all bad, right? His family still loved him- they did! They took him to the park, and Mom made his favorite dinner! Natasha notices Clint's emotional battle, though she doesn't know what it's about. Every time she tries to confront him, he insists that everything is fine. Loki is the one who drags Clint to Phil and forces them to talk. Phil helps Clint realize that it was still abuse, whether the boy was able to be happy at times or not. But Phil also helps Clint remember his new family and how much better everything has gotten. All of Clint's insecurities and emotional problems are not instantly resolved, but with time, he comes to terms with the truths of his life and his new family.

Bucky's arc deals mostly with Hydra's abuse. Bucky had no qualms selling out as many Hydra secrets as he can, but when it comes to his own healing, he doesn't even know where to begin. He shies away from the others for the most part, expect the previously mentioned Steve, Natasha, Loki, and Tony. But even with three of those four, he's distant and quiet. He barely eats and often forgets to take care of himself by showering or taking breaks during a workout. He sticks to Steve's side like glue, and when the adults finally get him to a therapist, he doesn't know how to open up. He admits in bits and pieces about what has happened to him, but he still feels terrible for all the things he did. Everything he did was to protect Steve, and after those first few months, Steve hadn't even been there to protect. He'd hurt people in so many ways, and for what? But as time goes on, each of the Avengers provide a grounding, loving presence. They remind him to take care of himself, and they drag him into group activities. His days get brighter, his opens up to the therapist, and though most days he feels emotionally flayed open, he's healing.

Natasha has the final character arc. Much like Bucky, she chooses to mainly interact with Clint. She treats the adults like they're her bosses, and she spends a lot of time practicing and sharpening her skills. With Bucky here, she finally has someone to talk to in Russian, and she practically secludes herself from the others. It's like she living as a Russian assassin again, and it worries everyone. Every time Fury tries to address it, she shuts down, and she's seen the effect Loki has had on people, so she avoids him too. Eventually, Clint corners her in the gym. They spar for hours, with Clint forcing himself up each time she beats him. Her heart seems to break each time she slams him on the mat, but she can't do that. Love is a weakness. Love is for children. And she is no child. Finally, Clint pins her to the mat. He holds her there, and forces her to listen as he talks about the Avengers. She's not in Russia anymore! She doesn't have to do any of that, because they're here for her, to help her and care for her. She can be anything she wants to be; she doesn't have to fight anymore! Natasha doesn't cry, though it's a near thing, instead hugging Clint so forcefully he almost passes out.

Amidst all the emotional turmoil of the character arcs, there are series of connected one-shots. One series is about Fury adding music lessons to the Avengers' schedules. Steve and Tony duke it out, with Tony on violin and Steve on piano. Bruce finds peace and relaxation in the drums. While Clint picks up the flute, Natasha chooses and electric guitar and they have a concert in the living room. Loki also chooses the piano, and when Bucky decides on a saxophone, they practice different jazz pieces together. Thor has a short one-shot all to himself about keeping everyone up at all hours of the night with his horrendous clarinet playing. All of the kids put together a recital for the adults and their friends.

Another series of one-shots, though shorter, is about each of the kids doing physical activities "to stay healthy," Fury says, though he really wants to wear them out so he doesn't have to deal with so much chaos. Bruce leads a yoga session every Monday night. Clint and Natasha train the others in soccer. Bucky teaches the young ones self-defense. Thor and Loki practice throwing knifes, boxing, or dancing, depending on their mood. Steve acts like a PE teacher and has them run laps or do jumping jacks. Tony makes sure everyone has what they need so the group can go swimming at the community pool.

There's more fluff to be had related to everyone's power. Thor tries to get everyone out of school by creating a snow day. The Hulk needs playtime, which Loki and Tony happily provide. Natasha, Clint, and Bucky play an assassin's game of hide and seek. Steve starts a game of Extreme Frisbee. Loki tries to teach the others magic. Tony creates a robot that dispenses snacks, but it gets loose and starts a food fight. Clint wins every game of "I Spy" in a row.

Unfortunately, even through the healing and the fluff, Hydra is still on the move. Other SHIELD orphanages have received warnings or even been attacked. There have been reports of stalkers, predators, and a near-kidnapping. Though Bucky has spilled many secrets and Tony still is constantly monitoring everything, Hydra's presence looms over everyone. When Fury decides to take everyone to the park again, Loki and Tony are followed around and almost taken. Someone sends them a package full of poisons. A creepy figure is seen lurking around the edges of the backyard.

Even as Loki renews the barrier as often as possible, the time finally comes when Hydra launches a full frontal attack. They bring way too many gang members, and more than enough guns. The force field is cracking under the attacks. Fury and Phil guide everyone into the safe room, while Maria tries to keep Bruce calm. Just before they close the door, Loki scuttles out and speeds down the hall. His wheelchair drifts around the corner and he screeches through the front door. The barrier is clearly visible now, while it's under attack. Loki throws his hands up, pushing his magic into keeping his new family safe. The defense strengthens, but that's when the gang brings out the machine guns. The weapons act almost like a battering ram, and Loki is screaming out as he tries to keep the barrier in place. Instead, the barrier begins to shrink, closing in on him and the other Avengers.

In the safe room, Tony is frantically trying to open the door. Bruce takes deep, measured breaths, but his skin and eyes are radiating green. Thor paces, occasionally slamming his fist again a wall. Clint is near tears and clings to Phil's pant leg, while Natasha sits on Phil's other side and sharpens her knives. Bucky leans against the corner, scowling at everything with blank eyes, and Steve desperately pleads with Fury to unlock the door. With an excited cry from Tony, the door swings open. Fury tries to hold them back, but the Avengers have run to their rooms, grabbing weapons and defensive clothing.

The Hulk lets out a mighty roar and demolishes the front of the building as he crashes outside. He stops and watches in awe as Loki uses all of his strength, drawing from the very life of the earth, to push the barrier back again. Subconsciously, the seven year old stands from his wheelchair, sending the barrier forward with a full body physical motion and sheer determination. The Hulk roars again in triumph this time and charges forward. Hydra's attack has lessened, and Loki collapses back into his chair at the same time the barrier shatters.

The Hulk crashes though and begins smashing Hydra goons left and right. Thor follows quickly behind him, striking down enemies with hammer and lightning alike. Tony has created some sort of makeshift stun-gun, but the arrows that Clint shoots are very real. Steve and Bucky fight with good, old-fashioned punching and kicking. Natasha glides through the battlefield with the force of an angel, but her attack are quick and smooth as a demon. No one is killed, but when the police finally arrive, all Hydra members have been incapacitated. A large portion of the gang is arrested, and the police are able to quickly weed out the rest.

With Hydra gone, Loki and friends are able to reflect back on how they've grown with each other. Individually, they all come to the conclusion that they are a truly a family, one of happy choice. They still have music lessons, still goof off during Phil's teaching, still play soccer games and go to the park. But when times get hard, they have people to back them up. They have people who love them.

A/N: To be honest, if I actually wrote this, I may have come up with even more chapters and arcs along the way, and that's a large part of why I just couldn't continue this. If anyone wants to pick this up where I left off or write their own version, or anything like that, please message me! I'm always happy to hear from you guys.

QUESTION OF THE UPDATE: Do any of you play instruments, and if so, what's your favorite song to play? I was raised on several different instruments (piano, violin, guitar, trumpet, flute, drums, snare, and the list goes on!). My favorite song to play on violin is Sakura Kiss, the Ouran Host Club theme. On piano, the Narnia theme is the best!