We're all headed down, down into the land of the Alternate Realityyyy~

Yes, it is I, the terribly inconsistent author who remains invisible to those who desire new chapters. I apologize deeply for my absence. Lots has been happening. Mostly adulating. Terrible business, that. But I have returned long enough to deposit a new chapter on your laps because I love you guys that much.

Summary:

Sesshoumaru finds his pack-mate Kagome in the present and decides that she will never be vulnerable again. The logical choice? Ship her off to America to be trained by a descendent of a hawk youkai and his mate in the art of assassination. Joke's on you, Sesshoumaru- you weren't expecting Gods to attack New York and enslave her trainer's mind. Now she's got to get him back- by any means possible. Because as much of a bastard as he is, he is pack. Gods damn it.

-;-

As Sesshoumaru had thought, it had not been "nothing" he had sensed. As soon as he had found an opportunity that the pup was off doing something to keep his mind busy, he got in touch with the spider. As he silently feared- and he would never in a million lifetimes admit that that was an emotion he could feel- something had happened to Kagome. Unfortunately, there was little he could do from where he was without drawing unwanted attention to himself, and so he could only draw a promise that the spider would not allow further harm to occur under her watch while the miko was recovering from her injuries.

And the hawk would definitely be having a long conversation with his alpha once he returned to Japan. That was something he would guarantee to be unpleasant, no matter whose influence his mind happened to be under. Though he supposed he had to give the hawk credit- he hadn't killed his pack-mate, despite the obvious influence from this third party. Some things seemed to be too strong even for his core values to be corrupted.

He had just finished his call with the spider when the pup returned from his errands, once again providing an often welcome distraction from the monotony of the day. Even the great and Noble House of the West needed an off day, after all.

"Everything okay, Alpha?" the kitsune inquired as he entered the room, a small bag tucked under one arm that was sure to include some form of food. "You have that look on your face again."

"Which look." He drawled, quirking a brow.

"The broody one. Y'know, the one when something doesn't really go your way, or when you're planning to eviscerate someone. You aren't planning on eviscerating anyone, right? It was kind of hard to explain that one last time to the diplomats." Shippo replied cheerfully, going about setting up their lunch as he had originally intended. "Besides, I just got back from that conference with Kouga. He just arrived in Japan. You have an appointment with him tomorrow morning at ten. And please try not to kill him, either. He's gotten better since the last time you two were in a room together."

"Hn." Sesshoumaru replied, accepting the cup of tea that was offered to him. "When did you become bossy, pup."

"Probably when I got my second tail. However I really think your influence is making it worse." The other male said with a grin and a wink.

"Hn." The white haired inu said again, taking a sip of his tea and suppressing the urge to smirk.

-;-

Despite everyone in the medical team attempting to keep the newest member of the Avengers from leaving the Med Bay, it was something of a losing war. Especially given that she and the Black Widow had teamed up. Within an hour of her waking, Miko had vanished from her bed and was wandering the corridors of the Helicarrier with the other female.

As to why-

"You and I are going to extract intel from Loki." The redhead said shortly in Japanese as the pair marched down the hall, the dark haired young woman noticeably limping next to her.

"How am I supposed to get anything out of him without killing him?" Kagome retorted. "He certainly seemed to have no qualms about trying it with me."

"He seems to respect you on some level. We can use that. Not to mention that he will think to manipulate us. We are women- inferior in his eyes. I've gathered that much by watching him." Natasha said shortly, brows furrowing slightly.

"You think he'll allow himself to be more open with us." Kagome narrowed her eyes in thought. "Should I be worried about him trying to use something against you? Us?"

"Most definitely. It's his play. He wants to cause unrest among us. It's that obvious and it has been this entire time. Now as to his endgame, I haven't been able to figure it out. Right now it seems like he just wanted something to use as a weapon, but now I'm not so sure."

Silence fell between them, their trip to the container Loki was being held in brief.

"So. They sent you." The silky voice drawled as they entered the large space, Loki's green and leather clad form standing in the middle of a very large container that appeared to be suspended above a door of some kind. "Oh, I know quite a bit about you two. The assassin and the pitiful excuse for a priestess. How quaint."

He turned on one heel smoothly, his eyes a sharp arctic blue. "I know quite a bit about you, Agent Romanova. Or is it Romanoff? Agent Barton's mind was never quite clear on that point. But you, little priestess, are something of an enigma. What I do know is that you are a lie. That and your precious mentors have been lying to you all this time."

"Cute." Kagome bit back, crossing her arms over her chest and cocking a hip. "Is there anything else you would like to inform me, or is that all you happen to have ready for us?"

"Red runs through her ledger, you pitiful creature. Both of your ledgers, I should say. No matter how badly you wish to cleanse yourselves of it, it will always be there, running off the pages and staining your fingers."

"Pretty poetry." Kagome drawled, her former feelings of rage and anger simmering beneath the surface of her skin. She was almost certain her miko aura was swelling around her. "Try something we don't know."

"Hn. I don't think so. Though you are most welcome to join me in here." The supposed god hummed. "I find it hard to believe that these quarters were prepared just for me, however. Tell me, who is it you're really trying to cage, Agents?"

Kagome and Natasha shot one another looks, realization setting in.

"You go find Doctor Banner. I'll stay here." Kagome shot off in Japanese. "My leg's not at one hundred percent."

"Fine." Natasha bit back, looking mildly displeased as she signed a quick, Be careful.

I will. Be quick.

The assassin nodded before jogging off, taking the stairs a couple at a time as she got onto her earpiece to transmit the information.

"And now it is you and I, priestess." Loki chuckled, shaking his head. "Such a sad little creature. The blond oaf claiming to be my kin tells me that you are to be revered, worshipped even. And yet you are trapped in this form. Tiny, frail, and weak. Hardly worthy of the praise that is given to your kind."

"I could say the same about you." Kagome shot back. "You think you're a god when you're more like a child who hasn't gotten his way. What, did someone take away your toys when you were little? Make fun of you? How tragic."

For the briefest of moments, Loki's features twisted into something that could have been disgust before they were carefully rearranged into an arrogant sneer.

"Rather, you should pay attention more, priestess." He hissed. "One never knows when you will be knocked off of the pedestal you think yourself on."

Kagome frowned at the tone, something about it causing the warning bells in her head to begin ringing.

"Tell me, priestess, how is your family these days?" Loki bared his teeth in a savage grin. "Wouldn't it be a shame if something were to happen to them?"

"You stay away from them." She hissed, stepping up so that she was nearly touching the glass of the container.

"Oh, I don't think so. You see, your Agent Barton knows far more about you than you think. All it took was a little touch here, and all I needed to know was given to me. Your family is dead thanks to you, little priestess, and there is nothing that you can do."

-;-

Natasha walked into the middle of a verbal war between the men of the team and no one other than the Director. Regardless of the situation, she growled and let out a shrill whistle in an attempt to gain their attention, wondering how on earth she was supposed to survive this job without killing everyone in sight.

"Loki's after the Hulk." She said simply. "And he's going to make sure that it happens, one way or another."

"How do you know this." Thor demanded, taking a step forward, his features set into a scowl. "Loki is not in his right mind."

"You're right." Natasha agreed sharply. "He isn't. Regardless of that fact, this entire ship is in danger because of him, and we need to get Doctor Banner somewhere safe."

"Where? You seem to have rented out my room." The doctor drawled, sarcasm thick.

"It was only ever a precaution." Director Fury attempted to soothe.

And there it went again, this time Natasha getting dragged into the mess. In fact, if she were anyone else, she would not have noticed that the doctor was edging back towards the sceptre that Loki had had in his possession when they had captured him. It was only another nail in the coffin, in her eyes. Loki had somehow managed to get to the doctor, and if no one did anything, it was going to get much, much worse very quickly.

She opened her mouth, about to say something to Banner, when the entire ship lurched sharply to the right, a loud rumbling through the floor alerting all of them that something was very wrong.

Being the closest to Banner, Natasha was thrown back against the wall, the man doing the same as a hole opened up in the floor beneath them. Dropping, the pair found themselves landing heavily in one of the maintenance halls that ran throughout the Helicarrier, a heavy pipe landing on Natasha's leg and pinning her there.

"Banner?" she grunted, the wind knocked out of her lungs for a moment.

A low moan was her only answer.

Natasha silently cursed as she realized the position she was in. This was exactly the sort of situation that the man had been trying to avoid and now they were trapped down in a maintenance area that only a few people used these days.

"Hey, are you alright?" a couple of agents asked, causing the woman to growl and wave them away.

"Banner, are you alright?" she asked again, wriggling in an attempt to free herself. This was bad. Very bad. But she had had worse, and she would figure something out.

Another moan, this time lower.

Fuck.

-;-

Kagome wasn't entirely sure what had just happened, being thrown against the unforgiving metal of the room's walls, but when she managed to haul herself off of the floor Loki had somehow managed to free himself from the large container and was staring down at her with an amused smirk.

"My, my, how the tables have turned, little priestess." He chuckled, throwing knives appearing in his hands as he shook out his shoulders with ease. "Care to try your hand against me?"

Kagome growled as she pushed herself to her feet, her miko aura roiling around her.

Remember everything they've taught you. She thought to herself as she moved forward, dodging the first thrown blade by turning her head to one side. Remember that you can use everything around you to fight an opponent. There's no such thing as a fair fight.

This time she didn't allow herself to be careful like she had been with Clint. She went against Loki with a solid hit that was backed up by an infusion of her miko aura. It was enough to throw him off balance, and before he could gain his bearings again she bore down on him, this time with a wave of miko aura.

He snarled as it washed over him, half in pain and half in anger that she had managed to get the first blow. As she came after him again, this time with a fist, he caught the blow before it could land on him, rising to his feet smoothly and sneering.

"You should not have done that." He said smoothly before three hits all collided with her wounded leg, her stomach and finally her jaw. She reeled back, stunned, and he followed, his features dark.

"I underestimated you. Perhaps you will be of use to me after all." He said before everything went black.