Clint stormed into Tony's lab, followed by a furious Black Widow, and a grim looking Iron Man.
"Find out if he's telling the truth," he ordered Tony.
Tony nodded, asked Natasha for a few details about the bus, and set to work with Jarvis. After half an hour of determined hard work, he spoke up again.
"Okay. I've triangulated an approximate area through average speeds against response times to incidents that Rhodey said the government had nothing to do with. And thanks to the files that Natasha dumped on the internet we have here," he said, moving his arms apart to maximise a map with several red dots on it. "A map of all the S.H.I.E.L.D safe houses in the area."
"Coulson wouldn't keep using somewhere that had already been comprimised," said Natasha.
"Exactly. And because everyone at S.H.I.E.L.D has reached new levels of paranoia, he wouldn't go within half a mile of those places," said Tony, and Jarvis took those areas off the map. "So Kimpossible, that's what's left. Any of those places scream Agent to you?"
"North West corner," Clint interrupted, before Natasha decided to take out her frustration on Tony. "Warehouses in large open fields, surrounded by forests. Sounds the perfect place to hide the Bus."
"Kay. Jarvis, give me all the surveillence on that spot. Satellites, pictures of the fields that hipsters snapchated, anything. I wanna know Legolas is right before we go charging in."
"Tony Stark planning? Well there really is a first time for everything," said Steve, as he walked in with Thor.
"Shut it gramps. My dad told me about some of the stunts you and the Howling Commandos pulled, and frankly I am a tactical genius compared to you. Well I am a genius so-"
"Do you have a lead on Coulson yet?" asked Steve, hoping to distract Tony before he got going on his tangent.
"We're just waiting for Jarvis to confirm Robin Hood's theory."
"Really? Robin Hood? That's the best you've got?" scoffed Clint.
Tony shrugged. "I was trying to use a reference the Capsicle might understand."
Fortunately Jarvis provided the distraction this time.
"Sir, there is nothing on the warehouses."
"Right. Fine. Okay Spy Kids, what else looks good?"
"No sir. No footage can be found of the area after last month. It is probably Coulson's location."
"Thanks Jarvis. Now we charge in like a bull in a china shop. Happy Cap?" Tony asked, his picture of innocence slightly marred by his evil grin.
"Just get on the Quinjet," Steve sighed, putting his helmet back on.
Tony's grin widened, and he snapped to attention and gave a mock salute before leading the others out. They all agreed it was best to leave Tom behind, fearing Coulson's reaction to the Avengers showing up at a supposed safe house, with what appeared to be Loki.
Strangely, and to Tony's jealousy, Bruce volunteered to be his baby sitter instantly. Fearing for his science Bro, Tony was going to press the point, but an impatient glare from Natasha silenced him. It also encouraged him to go a little faster than normal, and even Clint was impressed when they arrived in under an hour.
"Okay," said Steve, as they approached. "We don't know what defences they have, so I'll go down first, let them know we're coming, then contact you when it's safe to land," he said, before jumping out of the plane.
Fortunately he encountered Skye first, who was well aware of Coulson's Captain America obsession. Five minutes of Steve's best 'I'm older than you, I know best' act, and the Avengers were on the ground. Although Skye was slightly regretting her decision by the time Thor swept her up into a rib-crushing embrace.
"Thank you for allowing us safe entrance," he said, finally releasing her. It has long been a desire to see the Son of Coul safe and well, for both me and my frien-" he stopped suddenly at this point.
He had turned round to indicate his team, but a quick head count revealed two emotionally inept assassins were missing.
"Shit," said Tony, voicing the thoughts of everyone present.
The assassins in question were crawling through the vents, at Clint's insistance. Fortunately, and to both their surprise, they were relatively clean and spacious.
They found Coulson five minutes later, in an office, sitting at a desk, drowning in paperwork. He was rubbing his temples, clearly stressed, and he looked tired and worn out. The sight drew a little pity from the hardened killers. Just not enough to stop Clint's arrow aimed just next to his head.
Instantly the tired looking man was gone, replaced by a focused S.H.I.E.L.D agent. He took cover under a desk, a gun already in his hand. He flicked the safety back on though, when he saw the arrow.
"If I come out, are you going to shoot me? Because then I won't come out," he called up to Clint.
"I'm not going to shoot you," replied Clint, hopping down from the vents. "Apparently killing you doesn't work," he said, throwing Coulson a frown that came across as a pout.
"To be fair, I was actually dead for a while. Fury used a project meant to resurrect a fallen Avenger on me."
At this point his face lit up, brightening the whole room. "Fury called me an Avenger," he said excitedly, looking like a kid on Christmas.
Natasha and Clint exchanged a look when they saw Coulson bouncing up and down like an overgrown child; it was hard to stay mad at someone who so closely resembled a hyperactive puppy. Coulson saw their exchange, and sobered up a little.
"Please don't break my arm," he tol them, before wrapping them both in a hug. "I did miss you both, so much. You're like my children. I felt awful not being there to clean up your messes."
Natasha drew back a little at that point. "I do not make messes," she warned.
"Yeah, but I do," said Clint, pulling her back into the hug. "Remember the finger painting fiasco of 2009?"
Neither of the two would ever admit it to anyone, but they both thought of Coulson as their father figure. Coulson had backed Clint's decision to trust Natasha, despite her past, and for that both of them were eternally grateful. They'd never say as much, but Coulson could guess by the way he was still breathing after months of letting them think he was dead. Unfortunately, their private moment of reunion was ruined when Iron Man burst through door.
"Hey," he said, seemingly unfazed by the three weapons that had been instantly trained on him. "Jarvis just got in touch. Tom's gone, Loki's back, and Hulk's currently having a nostalgia tour of the first time he smashed him. Agent," he said, turning towards Coulson. "Wanna come watch?"
Coulson glanced a his two psuedo-children and smiled. "Watching him have a few bones broken would cheer me up a little," he said, taking both deadly assassins by the hand, and walking them out of the room, swinging their arms as he went. Leaving an open mouthed Tony to stare after them.