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A. I. (Alternate Interests)

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Stark walked into the hospital looking nice with his usual indoor sunglasses on. He smirked at the receptionist, presenting his ID. "I was told to come consult on a problem today." He held up the file. She found the post-it with his name on it. "Thank you." He took it up to the right floor and the guard there signed him in. "I need the tools, Junior."

"We'll hold them for you, sir. We're not sure if he'll wake up and you might be in danger if he grabs them."

"Sure." He got led to the right room, which the guard checked before opening the door. Tony walked in and stared for a minute, taking off his sunglasses. "I know him."

"Let me get the agent in charge, sir. Don't touch the patient." He left with the tool kit.

Tony sat down, staring at him. He moved some of the hair off his face, nodding. "Shit, this is going to suck for a few people," he said quietly. The agent walked in. Tony waved him over. "Give me my phone. I need to access some classified files."

"The guard said you knew him."

"My father knew him. I've seen him in pictures." The guard handed over his phone. He dialed into JARVIS. "It's me, JARVIS. I need a picture of the HC back during the war. Circa '44 before the crashes." One popped up on his screen. "Earlier." One popped up. "Better view on right quadrant, not on Peggy." It shifted. He held it up.

The agent took it to compare to the man on the bed. "Who was he?"

"JARVIS, end magnification." The picture went back to normal.

The agent tilted the phone to the side to see it all when the orientation changed. "That's Captain America.... that's during the war?"

"And that is the only Howling Commando that died during the war," Tony said with a point. "Steve's over here. We can ask him to positively identify his best friend."

"He's an assassin."

Tony took his phone back, getting into another file. "This is one we have on another agent. I'm pretty sure from what's been described, they did the same thing to him." He let him see it.

He grimaced. "Brainwashing."

"Memory alteration as well from what I heard last night when I got handed the file." He took his phone back. "What did you want me to do?"

"Disable the arm."

"That would be cruel. Why don't we ask him things? Because from what little I can see of his shoulder joint, it's hardwired to his spine and probably his brain." The agent winced. "It could kill him, yes." He stood up. "Is he sedated?"

"No clue," the agent admitted.

"Okay. JARVIS, give me some standard wake up noises." The phone played some and the guy on the bed jumped at the alarm, looking around panting. "Easy, soldier." He put a hand on his chest. "You're resting here. You were injured. Do you know your name?"

"I am the asset," he said in English, staring at him. "Do I have a mission?"

"The ones who had you may have but their cell was deleted," Tony said, staring at him. The man laid back down. Then sat up and scooted back. "We need to know what your status is so we can decide where to put you so you can have more missions."

The asset nodded. "I am trained for long distance elimination but have done others."

"Do you remember any of them?" Tony asked. "Any particular assignment?"

"The asset is not to remember. It is too dangerous." He looked around. "No machine?" he asked.

"No. That's there. Do you need it?" The man on the bed shook his head quickly. "Do you feel pain?"

"The asset is in tolerable boundaries."

"Hungry?" the agent asked.

"The asset could use fuel for future missions."

"I can get him something to drink," the guard said quietly, leaning out to call that out to another guard. "Sir, can you see if his arm has a weapon?"

Tony nodded. "Let me see your arm. I'm not going to disable it, just see if it has any specialties like self repair."

"No, the tech team fixes any repairs before I'm frozen again," he said, sounding cold and clinical. "They refuel me, wipe me, and put me back under until my next mission."

Tony felt like an ass. He wanted to swear at those people. Or kill them. "Do you know your original name?"

"No."

"How long have you been an asset?"

"I do not know."

"How many missions have you had?"

"I do not know." He accepted the glass of protein shake, drinking it quickly and without question. "Thank you."

"Welcome," Stark said. He looked at the agent. "We're going to talk outside. I'll be right back." The man nodded, looking around. He let the guard stay in there but took his tool kit to put on a chair in the hallway. "Well?" he asked quietly.

"That's a huge nightmare."

"I can get Rogers here for a positive identification."

"Wouldn't his military file have it?"

"From back then? They burned off his fingerprints. We didn't do DNA back then."

"Crap." He pulled out his phone. "Let me call this in." He walked off talking to his superior, who swore by the wincing the agent was doing. He came back. "He said we can't get information from him, we can't really charge him with past missions if he doesn't remember, but we don't think it's safe to have him out of custody."

"We can arrange custody so he can come home once things are settled."

"That may be acceptable. I'm pretty sure a lot of higher ups are wincing in sympathy of what's going on." Tony nodded. "Is he functional?"

"I can check his arm. It looks like it is. I still have to tell Rogers."

"We can handle that."

"Thank you." He walked back in there. "Hey." The man looked up at him. Tony checked his arm over. "Wiggle your fingers for me please." The man did that and then made a fist, letting the plates shift. "Flex your bicep." He did. "Any problems you notice with your arm?" The man shook his head. "Are you fully operational?"

"Yes. Is my uniform here?"

"No. They didn't think to grab it when they found you. In the next few days, we'll figure out where we're going to have you resting. That way we can see if anything needs healed. The 'frozen' thing, we don't think it's healthy and we're not going to do it to you again."

"Thank you. I did not like it."

"I'm sure you didn't. For right now, you're going to be in this room for a bit until we can arrange a better one. Understood?" The man nodded. "Someone will be coming up to see you by tomorrow evening to identify who you were. You're allowed to talk to him. Let him or the agent watching over you know if you remember anything."

"Will it define my later missions?"

"Yes," Tony said. "Also future training." The man nodded. "Things have updated and we think you need some updating training. Let the agent ask you about your skills with things like computers."

"I am trained to integrate myself to find information."

"That's good." He patted him on the metal hand. "I'll probably see you with the other one tomorrow. All right?" The man nodded. "Good. Rest, eat as needed. If they're not feeding you enough, tell them."

"I can do that."

"Good." He stood up and put on his sunglasses. "We'll see you soon." He walked out with the agent. "Rogers eats about four thousand calories a day to not lose weight," he said quietly. "He's already a bit skinny."

"We can arrange for him to have better food, Mr. Stark. Is it important that you come back?"

"Yes. It is. Because I can find stuff in my father's files on him."

"That's reasonable. We'll talk to you tomorrow." He watched him take his tool kit and leave. The agent called that in. His boss agreed. It might lead to busting some evil of their own. He did get the poor man some food. When another agency came in to try to take him over, they got referred back to the higher ups. Who denied their urges.

***

Tony walked into the house. "Steve! Need you outside, now!"

"Son, they're going to try to take him into custody to reformat him," Howard called from the room he was in. "I tapped into their phones."

"Even better. We can fix that shit." Steve came out of the kitchen. "Put it down before you choke." Steve gave him an odd look but put the sandwich down. He pulled up the same picture and pointed. "We found a guy who looks just like him in HYDRA custody. Brainwashed, no memories of anything."

Steve blinked. "I saw him fall off a train, Stark!"

"Doesn't mean he didn't survive and maybe that's why they rebuilt his arm." He stared at him. "JARVIS, pull up the pictures you took." He showed him. Steve wobbled and Tony helped him sit down. "The Brits are going to try to confiscate him."

"No! Hell no." He stood up. "Can we go check on him?"

"Yes." Steve picked up his sandwich to eat on the way there. Stark got him up to the right section, nodding at the guard. Who winced. "Higher ups?"

"Tried, sir."

"We're the fix to that." They got buzzed in and the agent came out, giving him a grateful look. "Not like I let torturing bastards do things." He let Steve into the room.

Steve walked in and sat down, staring at him. "Bucky?"

He stared at him. "I know you."

"You do know me."

"Why do I know you?"

"It's a long story." He looked him over. "Are you in pain?" He shook his head. "Stark?"

"Arranging it." He was making calls. Most any government would love a weapon like that in their hands. So he started with an untraditional one. "Harris, Stark. Bit of a weird thing with the guy they rescued." He winced. "No, I wouldn't put him with the vulnerable girls. He has no memory and the girls might warp him." He smiled at the smart answer he got back. "We need somewhere *safe* to rest him. Is that really safe? Anywhere closer to the US?" He nodded. "Please. Tonight. Now if possible. That's even better. We can do that. Thank you." He looked in there. "Steve, we're moving him somewhere safer before idiots in charge decide he's useful."

"Where?"

"One of Harris' exes for the moment. Then to somewhere even safer. We'll work on that later."

"Agreed." He broke the handcuffs holding Bucky's normal arm to the bed and helped him up and into the bathrobe the agent got him. "Thank you," he said, staring at him.

"I'd hate to see what some of ours did to him to make him ours, sir."

"Me too." He walked out with Tony, meeting a limo outside. He didn't know this person. "He's got almost no memories," he told the man.

"I've seen others it was done to, Captain," he said with a Russian accent. Bucky said something in Russian, making him smile. "Xander trusts me and I would never hurt what is claimed as his protected one. Until he is better, he is under Xander's protection." Steve nodded. "You can come with us. See him settled in the safe room I have." They drove off and Stark went to be a distraction in case someone spotted the limo.

***

Natasha showed up that night, kissing the man on the cheek. "Good evening, William."

"Natalia, you have only grown prettier since we both left the service." He smiled. "He is upstairs with his friend."

"Good." She went up to help. She knocked before walking in. "Steve."

He looked up with a smile. "Natasha."

"Natalia," the man on the bed said quietly. "I remember you sparring."

"You did help train me," she said, coming over to touch his cheek. "You need a shave." He shrugged. She smiled. "It will get better. The headaches with the memories will get better."

"Thank you." He looked at Steve then at her. "You two know each other?" They recognized a fact finding mode and Bucky trying to slot this new information into place in his fractured mind. They didn't mind him asking questions.

"We work together for someone not Russian."

"That's good. They used you wrong." She smiled. Steve relaxed some. "Are you here to take the watching hours?"

"Yes. I have pictures of the others who may show up so I can identify them to you and teach you about their weaknesses."

"Thank you."

"You are most welcome." She handed Steve her car keys. "I left the map machine on." He nodded and patted Bucky before leaving to talk to the man of the house then go back to Stark's present house. She settled in the same chair and looked him over. "Have you bathed?" He shook his head. "We will do that first." She got him up and helped him in there. He could walk and was steady but she knew how that could change when a memory decided to open up at the wrong moment. He gave her a look and she shrugged back. "I have been here myself." He nodded, getting into the shower. She had pajamas for him to put on instead. They could handle it tonight.

***

Stark and Steve walked into the lunch date together, looking relaxed. No reporters. By the time the got out, a lot of reporters. Stark looked around. "People, let's move away from the doorway so we can talk." They followed them up the street to a small park.

Steve looked around. "When someone found the HYDRA files, they told Stark, who told the rest of us to protect us while we started to work on it without tempting them to end game it."

One of the reporters raised a hand. "Then it was HYDRA, Captain?" He nodded. "We're sure?"

"We're certain," Stark agreed. "Someone found some stored files with some of my dad's stuff that those ones had taken. It had a file listing pay records." They groaned. "We found out later they had moved them to that cave because they had a fire in their storage facility." That got a bigger groan. "So when they found it and stuff from my father, they came to get me. Then I called people I mostly trusted to start handling it. Also Director Fury of SHIELD because it seemed to hinge around the bad agents there."

"When they told me, we started to plan raids but things were twisting worse when we found some politicians involved," Steve said. "We knew we'd have to remove ourselves to let the officials do it without trying to turn on us at the same time for finding this pit," Steve said. "It was the only way to protect some innocent beings from being persecuted for working somewhere."

"As proven by them trying to lock mine and the company's accounts," Stark said.

"Them going after the Council people because one of them found it," Steve added.

The reporter closest to Stark looked at him over the eyepiece of her camera. "Now what?"

"Now, we fight the remains that are left. We support the ones rebuilding. We make sure they can't sneak someone in to start it again so we don't have to do it again in twenty years. All the Avengers are just waiting for us to be needed for something."

"Are you all here?" one of them shouted.

"Yes," Tony said. "We all came over here to make sure all our people would be safe. We have agents we know we can trust and we've touched base with them to make sure it can't happen again and to help wherever we can."

"What about the senators who are calling you cowards for running?" one asked.

"We can't really do anything physical right now," Stark said. "It's best to be out of the way so no one has to worry about us. If we're needed back, we can hurry back. As for being cowards, I think you'll find that was one of the ones on the Council's list of those who sold part of themselves." The reporter closest to Tony lunged out with a knife but he blocked it and knocked her back. Steve snatched the knife and held her down until the officers watching them got her arrested. "Thanks," Stark said, smiling at her. "I needed to spar today. I haven't even boxed in a few days." She groaned. "Any others?" They all shook their heads, filming the arrest. He looked at Steve. "Next week?"

"If they're ready to have us back, yes."

"Good." He looked at the staring reporters. "If we won't be in the way next week, we'll go back to being the response team we are. And Barton's dog."

"The archer guy has a dog?" one asked with a smile.

"He rescued it from the Russian mob."

"Aww," a few said. "What's its name?"

"Lucky," Steve said with a smile. "He's great when you're worried. He even fetches for Clint." They smiled. "We would have stayed but we were truly in the way. It made people worry about what we might do. This way we can handle things and perhaps stop them from spreading unlegitimately. We've heard there's agents of HYDRA in other governments as well."

Stark nodded. "We've heard they got a few in Egypt the other day." The reporters nodded. "Anything else, people? We came out so you guys could get the questions out of the way. Before the brush fire of stupid conspiracy theories starts back up. Because the guy who thought I was in charge of HYDRA is a moron. You can quote me." He strolled off.

"Any idea who is in charge of it?" a reporter asked Steve.

"I've heard a name called Strucker noted a few times. Ask Mr. Pierce. He seems to be in charge of the US operations." He shrugged, putting his hands into his pockets as he walked off. "Sorry, I have to visit with someone who got injured in all this."

"An agent?"

"No comment for their own safety."

"I guess that's fine," one complained. They went off to make those reports. The guy 'Strucker' didn't put out anything so clearly no megalomaniacal complex in him. It was unfortunate.

***

Xander came back limping and with an arm in a cast. He nodded at his contact, sitting down across from him. "Which one of them is here?"

"Her."

"Great." He looked at the guard. "Can you tell Natasha I have information for her? We found the Russian branch of HYDRA." The guard nodded, going up there. He looked at his friend, shrugging some. "We know their top three people and two are connected."

"That's going to be a mess."

"Yes, it will be." He looked over at Natasha as she walked in. He repeated three names. "The three top heads in Russia. The second was the science head guy. The first was the one in charge of practical things and the other was in charge of the military corrupting. He's the only one that's not Russian mob affiliated." She winced. "Also, Baron Strucker laughed about the press conference. We had a short talk when he captured me but then I kinda called in my backup helpers and they blew the fuck out of his lab."

He grinned, pulling something from his pocket. The box grew. "The three subjects we found there are in a German hospital. It looks like they were back to breeding a better soldier. One has magic, one has super speed, and one's so screwed up she doesn't know who or when she is." She nodded, taking the box. "The commando team was to only find that and to get it out of there with any hostages. The demons helping us shrank the box so it was safely carried. The other stuff they found is waiting to be picked up by people they trust." He sighed and moved. "They've moved their operational base to Algeria as far as I know and have heard. That may be false info to draw people into a trap. Not sure."

"Still, it gives us a place to track them from," she said. "Are you all right?"

"Fractured wrist, pulled arm, twisted leg. They may have captured me for five minutes but it wasn't easy and I wasn't nice. They didn't try to take blood either. He just got in my face to sneer about daring to go against the great Baron Strucker."

"Hmm. Ego but not at a clinical level." Xander nodded. "The commando team?"

"I paid them from the stuff we looted from the first site." He smiled. "We found their operational office locally a few days back and raided it and their funds to pay for raiding the rest. It was nice they had payroll records for all the UK, all the empire really, and most of the European silent agents." She smirked. "They went to my contact in MI-5. I'm pretty sure he thinks all the money went bra and shoe shopping with the slayers. I've done that before when people pissed me off."

"Excellent work, Xander. Have you told anyone else?"

"No. Not yet. I left a taped report for my contact with his baby girl at daycare. They'll tuck it into her backpack." She smiled as she walked off calling the others. He looked at his friend. "I'm sorry the snakes drew you into their mess."

"As am I. Well, it may mean we creep higher in the list of people." Xander smiled. "Come, we will eat."

"I adore you for feeding me. I haven't eaten in two days." He followed him to the kitchen to get fed properly and then to a room to take a nap. Then he called in those he could trust to let them know about this. They had to protect themselves and the structure.

***

Xander woke up somewhere strange, blinking at the man staring at him. "I wasn't at your house when I fell asleep."

"They tried to bomb that house, Xander." The agent smiled at him. "Thank you for that tape and making sure they didn't know you gave it to her."

"I'd never endanger a kid. If I thought it was, I would've popped up next to you to hand it over." He blinked. "What happened?"

"One of the ones your ex told was loyal to the boss who was HYDRA. The one he is guarding is safe. I already made sure for you." Xander moaned, sitting up. "You good?"

"I got captured for about five minutes. They had eight of them so I'm not all that mad at myself."

"Poor thing." He helped him straighten up. "You're in a nice hospital and you can stay for a day or so. You're near the college."

Xander blinked hard, seeing the room ruined then looked at the guy next to him. "Something's going to happen." He started to seize, the vision being too strong. The agent got the nurse in to help him. When Xander came to, he blinked at the nurse. "Visions suck ass."

"I'm sure they do, sir. Do you often have visions?"

"I'm with the new Council, Nurse. Yes. Where is the guy who was here?"

"I don't know."

"Great." He sat up and swung his feet around. "My discharge papers?"

"No way in bloody hell," she said.

He stared up at her. "Now please. I'm not staying."

"We can have you committed for being a harm to yourself, sir. Lay back down."

"Lady, we're about to have a major problem coming down in your town in a few days." She snorted. He reached for the phone but she took it and unplugged it. "Fine." Nothing from the help tattoo. He smirked and called out for someone. The demon came, making the nurse shriek and run off. "Help me up and out."

"Some of us like the idea of the convergence."

"I don't care about the destruction. I just need to get the slayers out of the way before they invade Asgard to find boyfriends." Guards ran in with batons. "Dudes, just don't." The demon took him to Jane Foster. He blinked at her. "You're going to see your boyfriend soon." Her head lifted and she stared at him. He sat down. "There's some sort of all realm convergence coming soon."

"The electrical fields we've been finding," she said, sounding almost wooden. He nodded. "Oh, no."

"Oh, it'll be messy. Not as messy as New York but definitely messy. We're talking all nine realms and a bad guy." She groaned, calling Stark's phone. Xander went over what he had seen. Stark promised to tell Giles when he saw him in a few hours. Xander looked back as Darcy and Ian walked in. "Hey. Thor's coming."

"Great." She smiled. "Have we got it fixed?"

"No. The bad guys are going to take advantage of a mystical convergence."

"That sucks," Darcy said.

"Especially when it destroys part of a college." She groaned. "I've got to keep the slayers from invading Asgard during it to find boyfriends." She smiled and hugged him. "Ow. Sorry but ow."

She looked at him. "Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine. Just sore. I had to get a friend to help me get out of the hospital. The nurse threatened to confine me because she didn't like visions."

"I don't like the idea behind visions," Jane said. "But I'm guessing they're handy in your line of work." He grinned and nodded. "Is that why your eye is bloodshot?"

"Yup, sure is." He snapped his fingers and called his contact. "I hate visions. I really hate visions. No, Thor's coming with an enemy. There's a convergence that'll wreck a college. Portals to all the nine realms. Six weeks. Can you please go confiscate any and all blood samples they took from me? Oh, and I had to escape via poker buddy because they were threatening to lock me up for my own good for having a vision. Thanks, man. No, I'm going to curl into a bed and sleep. I need a nap." He yawned. "Anything I need to hear?" He smiled. "Killer, thanks. Sleep well." He hung up and leaned his head back to pop his neck then forward then to the sides to do it again. Darcy moved to work on it. "You're a saint."

"Not likely."

He grinned at her. "Saints aren't all pure. Some were downright nasty. That's why Saint Barbara is over artillery." She gave his head a nudge but fixed the pain in his neck. He sighed, looking back at her. "Let me get back to a comfy bed with a date." He stood up, bracing on the table, wincing at his wrist twinging. "I wonder who's in town." He hugged Darcy. "Thank you. Have fun and watch out for Mew-Mew when it's zipping around confused. I saw it nearly taking your head off, dear. Hate to lose you. You're one of the few women I know who have sense." He left, going outside. He found Natasha waiting by the car. "I'm not going to let you put me up. They might get mean to you."

"I'm taking you to one of your usual dates I trust not to be evil."

"My dates? Really?"

She smirked. "Smartass. Into the car." She walked around to get in. He slid into the passenger's seat, smiling at the dog that licked him. "Lucky wanted to ride around." Xander petted the dog, letting it and the ride lull him to sleep again. She parked in front of the hotel, and the guard came out to gather Xander. "He escaped the hospital after the nurses hated that he had a vision and a seizure. His wrist was fractured, his leg had a muscle tear, his shoulder was swollen. He said there were eight of them so he wasn't mad he lost that fight. Then in the hospital he had the seizure and a hard vision."

"Got it, ma'am. I'll let the boss know." He helped Xander up to the suite, letting his boss take her good time boy from him to put him to bed. He had seen her with Xander in the past so he wouldn't worry about him doing anything mean to her beyond making her have too much sex when he woke up. And if she got mad about the injuries they could handle him.

***

Xander walked up to an ex a few days later, shaking his head. "She only wants me for sex. It's sad, she didn't even want to feed me dinner." He pouted, sitting with him. "You might want to go on vacation."

"Why?"

"Because your house is going to be right next to the huge thing in five weeks."

"I'll check my insurance and then go on vacation with the children." Xander smiled. "Are you all right?"

"Exhausted. I was just out of the hospital and in pitiful shape and she still demanded sex instead of letting me sleep for four whole hours." The guy winced. "Maybe I need to give up women since they all treat me so poorly."

"Want lunch, Xander?"

"I need to go log in the vision and then make sure no one's trying the girls." He waved a hand. "I made her feed me breakfast or I wasn't going to give any more oral sex." His contact got him lunch and a soda. Xander smiled and they chatted about the upcoming thing. The ones who overheard, they could check their insurance and possibly take a nice trip during it too.

"How do we know when it'll start?"

"Dr. Selvig will be arrested putting up helpful things at Stonehenge that need to be put up elsewhere." He ate a bite.

"I'll keep track of the news." They dug into the nice lunch and talked about where Xander was going after this. Giles was being tetchy and irritated by all the girls in his house so it was best not to annoy him before Xander lost his job and had to go find other ways of getting into things.

***

Xander walked into Giles' house, heading for the office. He had written the vision out on the train ride up. He stared at Giles. "Could've used a ride."

"Sorry, I thought you were coming in a few days. What's going on now?"

"Formal copy of the vision." He handed it over. Giles read it and winced. "At least it's nowhere near here."

"No, thankfully not. You escaped from a hospital?"

"Yeah, I didn't want put on psych for having a vision." Giles grimaced but shook his head. "Frankly, if I wanted Nurse Ratchet to take care of me, I have a few ex's I'm no longer speaking to who fit the uniform better." Giles rolled his eyes. "I do."

"Some of your lovers and contacts do get us looked at oddly."

"Not like governments give us weapons to fight huge things with. You can tell anyone too nosy that I met them doing things like being captured by a pirate band in Africa." Giles sat up, staring at him. "They were nicely getting someone else out while I was getting free of my cell and stabbing the ones trying to stop me from getting free of my cell. For some reason they thought I was there to help put out aid shipments they wanted to confiscate." He shook his head but smirked at Buffy when she walked in. "The girls are not allowed to use the convergence to go to Asgard. I saw a few try it."

"Saw or saw?"

"Saw. Horrible vision. Had a seizure. Nearly got put onto the psych ward for it thanks to the mean nurse."

"We'd all like to not have to deal with visions but that's her thing that she didn't believe. We would've rescued you." He snorted, staring at her. "We would have."

"You didn't even visit when I was in there unconscious for three days."

"How do you know that?"

"My lover I rested with hacked the security footage to prove to me that all of you were bitches like her. And she was right." Buffy scowled. "You are."

"I am not."

"Really?" He stared at her. "I'd visit you." She huffed. "Anyway, six slayers have absolutely no sense." He handed her the vision. She groaned and sat down. "You have fun spanking them."

"Are you staying here as well?" Giles asked.

Xander looked at him. "No. I don't want to deal with the nagging that I get. It's better if I don't have to deal with nagging with the throbbing headache I still have." Giles huffed. "Still, yeah." He looked at Buffy again. "Thankfully I checked out of the hotel before I left for Germany. Did they tell you they found one they bred with magic?"

"No." She frowned. "Are you sick again?"

"Damn I hope not." She got up to test his forehead. He sighed but ducked away. "I'm fine."

"You're fevered."

"I'm fine."

"We can have the local doctor come see you," Giles said.

"With my luck, someone decided to test something on me while I was unconscious."

Willow appeared, nodding. "Rumors in the poker circuit said that agents did to see what made you so special. The fact you're not dead yet is amusing them."

"Hmm. Interesting. I need to bomb me a hospital and an agent or three then." He shrugged. "I've had worse and still went on patrol with some of the girls. Dengue sucked."

"We can find you a good hospital," Giles said.

Xander looked at him. "So they can do it again?"

"That's a thought I hadn't had."

"I'm obviously not expected to be contagious since the nurse wasn't in decontamination gear. Just regular scrubs. So I guess I can go sweat out the fever." He shrugged, walking off. "Let me find a cheap motel. I am still being paid, Giles? Because I wasn't the last two paychecks. Your assistant still thinks I'm horrible for not being female."

"I'll look into that, Xander. Let me call someone to see what it is?"

"What makes you think it's got a name?" he asked dryly. He looked back at him. "Not like they'd use something typical." Giles sighed. "At least it's nicer than the ones in Libya that tried to keep me from the slayer there tried." He walked off, heading out to hike to the train station. There's a nice motel near the train station and he can probably hover and fight off the fever there. It didn't look too horribly filled with bugs. It probably had showers so he could wash off the sweat. There was a small diner nearby so he could eat. Better than he usually got when he was sick. It sure beat a tent in the middle of the jungle so he didn't infect the locals.

***

Stark was there when Xander woke up the next time, with Banner bending over him. "Did I summon?" he joked weakly.

"No, Rosenburg asked when she heard what they tried to give you," Stark said.

Xander grimaced. "Probably something I've already had?"

"Yeah," Stark said with a nod. "They couldn't draw blood."

"Mystical protections very much nice."

"It's weird and probably dangerous," Bruce said.

Xander looked at him. "Not like I go to the hospital. I sweated out dengue in a tent in the jungle so I didn't infect my slayer's village. They insisted."

Bruce stared at him. "It's gotta be a young guy thing."

"It's more I'm there and things happen. Pirates are a good example of that."

"It's the fever, kid."

"Not really. Three different times." He smiled. "I got much better at dealing with things after my first six months in Africa. Especially after the Libyans."

Bruce checked Xander's fever again, nodding. "Not too high. Want to talk about that? No one seems to know what you did."

"That's probably a good thing so none of the girls bitch. The girls down there appreciate me a lot more and they promised to never tell Buffy or Willow so they wouldn't find me and beat me to death for being a guy who could handle stuff."

Bruce sighed. "Let me do some bloodwork?"

"Sure. If you must. Watch out for mermaid taint."

"I heard. Willow introduced us to the local poker circuit when we asked how the HYDRA ending was going," Stark said. Xander grinned. "The commando team you paid out of the raiding is good."

"Yes they are. Illegal, no longer employed by any government, say they're bored, but good. That's why I asked them." He winced as Bruce stuck him and drew blood. "I know I'm going to live. I have visions of me being places in six years or so. Even the PTB can't make that up. They hate me and wouldn't put me there unless they had to. So they can't kill me off unless they want to resurrect me. And they'd hate that."

Stark patted him on the arm. "You're really weird, kid."

Xander smiled. "It's being surrounded by girls all the time. Thankfully Miss Potts isn't as mean or as warping as Buffy and Willow are."

"Yeah, I'd hate to be that weird." He let Bruce take the car keys to go to the local hospital to run the blood samples. They had a local doc they were working with. Mr. Giles had not been happy to call in his old friend, who hated Xander because he had been part of the old Council and had tried to kill him. They were ignoring that before Xander killed him back. Xander drifted off again while Stark sick person sat. This was going to cause problems.

***

Six days later, Xander walked up to an agent and pulled him up to kiss him. "For giving me dengue again, mother fucker," he said with a smile. "I really hate the hallucinations and you're a dick who owes part of the poker circuit. I'd run." He let him go and looked at another one he knew and usually liked working with. "Speaking of running." He strolled off. A few minutes later, demons invaded the café with the agents and went right for the ones that owed money. He grinned at the reporter staring in horrified awe. "They decided to infect me with something slightly contagious while I was recovering from a vision. Because, ya know, that's always a good idea when you've had a vision that gave you a seizure." The reporter shivered. "I don't take betrayal nicely. And hell, one was an ex who was mediocre in bed but nice at other times. Pity but damn! If they turn on me, what are they going to do to the slayers?"

"It was a contract!" someone shrieked. "They were going to pay us millions for him!"

Xander snorted, looking back there. "I've gotten better offers to strip, I'm sure as hell not going to be an *experiment*. You can tell the HYDRA guys that when you meet the ones who wanted to pay for me." He smiled and pulled up a site on his phone. "I'm right, HYDRA." He showed her. "Pity, but yay. I don't play that way." He walked off. "I'm sure the innocent ones will be fine."

The reporter was nearly crying as she called that in. Police showed up and the demons told them why they were gathering poker debts and how it had nearly gotten the city destroyed. Because demons would come for Xander if he was weak enough to be an easy target. One of them nicely even had the full file from the hospital, including how they had tried to dose him three times before it had taken. The officers arrested them and the demons pouted a bit but they had fun and it was a great way of Xander paying them for his losing last night. The demons fled when a slayer got there but she smiled and waved, thanking them for taking out threats to the other slayers. The officers gave her an odd look so she pointed out their liaison, who had a lot of nibbles. They decided it was evil and they could go under the jail today.

***

Xander made himself available later that night, nodding at the inspector who sat across from him in the hotel's lobby. "What's up?" he asked quietly, sipping his coffee.

"Sir, that was uncalled for. We could have arrested them." Xander pulled something out of the folder next to him to hand over. "Oh, I see you tried." He nodded, taking another sip. "Are you better?"

"It was my second time with dengue. I'm still at the tired and slightly shaky stage."

"That's good." He looked at the folder. "Is that all for me?"

"I didn't figure they'd send someone from Scotland Yard. I figured on an agent. That's mostly theirs." He handed it over. He spotted the agent staring at him and nodded. "You can come join us, Paul. Or are you Ringo today?"

"I'd never be a drummer. It's not really my type of beast," the agent shot back. He took the folder from the inspector, wincing. "Oh, crud."

"Exactly. Between that and the HYDRA stuff I'm helping end since I found it, I doubt it'll take me out. Others have tried and lost." The agent stared at him. He smiled and sipped his coffee. "They make excellent coffee here if you wanted to join me."

"No thank you. I had some earlier at a proper tea hour."

"I was napping then." He finished his coffee and put the cup down gently on the saucer. "They forgive me for it because I'm American and we have no class." The waiter coming to give him more coffee smiled at him for the joke. Xander paid and tipped him, making him happy. "Thank you." He looked at the agent then at the inspector. "I tried to be more subtle. I was sick then but I tried subtle. It's really not something I'm used to."

The agent cleared his throat and sat down. "We have no idea what you've done outside some fairly outrageous rumors, Mr. Harris."

Xander smiled. "Good! It kept it from the girls who nag."

"Yes, but we'd like to know."

"Then it'd get back to them and I'd have to run and hide behind you so you could fight off the nagging slayers." He sipped the coffee. It was helping him feel better, loosening up his chest.

"I can give you a head start. Even just a general few things?" Xander sighed and opened up his phone, getting into a file to let him see. A tumblr. "Interesting."

"Totally locked. I edited from that to send to Giles and that's not the full story because some things I didn't want to write down. I blatantly drank them away instead."

"I've had a few of those myself." He got into the oldest one, then went forward to when they heard he had went to Africa. He went back a few months. Someone needed to learn how to count dates in his office. He read and blinked. He looked at him. Xander looked over to look then shrugged. He viewed the others in that month and the next month's. He shuddered, handing it back. "Thank you."

Xander nodded. "All the really mind bending stuff came later. Including people who kept thinking I was an aid worker for being white and American." The agent shook his head with a sigh. Xander sipped the coffee. "The heat's helping the bit of chest congestion I got during the fever."

"If it's helping, I'm all for it," the inspector said. "Were they going to really rip those agents apart?"

"No." Xander smiled. "They don't tend to do more than nibble humans. It'd take thousands of them to eat a full person. It did what it was supposed to do, and it was fun. I paid off a poker debt I made on purpose for that."

The agent and inspector both blinked at him then nodded. "I hadn't even thought of that," the agent said. "So it was to make them confess?"

"Your people wouldn't do anything when an outsider told them that stuff. Therefore they had to tell you themselves."

"Agreed. Nicely planned as well. Thank you, Mr. Harris."

"Welcome. I'm here until the upcoming thing." He finished his coffee and stood up. "You guys have a nice day."

"What upcoming thing?" the inspector demanded.

Xander smiled. "You've got a month. Ask Giles. He's at home. He has a copy." He handed the waiter the coffee cup and saucer. "Thank you." He went back upstairs to his room. He had another appointment that night. His contact showed up about eight, when he expected him to. He let him in and pointed at the small bag. "The things I fall into holes and find," he complained.

"Cursed?"

"No. Lost. Stolen and then they arrested the guy but couldn't find them. It's been sixty years though. At the very least I'd like a reward. More if possible."

"I know ones who wouldn't care about their backgrounds," he admitted, settling at the desk to go over the stones. "I can see why they wanted these. Is this all there was?"

"No. There's a ton more." He pulled those bags out to hand over. "The pearls were gathered in there like someone had dropped them in later. Not sure about them." He shrugged and sat down next to the desk. "I know you're required to turn in stolen stuff. I just happened to fall into the hole. I told someone down there and they told me it was a myth and I should move on before they arrested me for being strange and white."

"I'm supposed to, yes. I can look that up." He looked in the other bag, shaking his head. "There's no way to tell if some of these were stolen." He looked at him. "You think I would do that to a client?"

"I know very well guys like you have to ride on the side of respectable. That's how you get good business from people like heirs who need to sell heirlooms. I'm not against that. Though I could use the money from a reward."

"There is one. Not all of these came from that. The rest I'm not sure where they came from." Xander nodded. "Is that why you tracked me down?"

"Yeah. I'm not going to go to the same guy drug lords go to. I'm too clean for that."

"Good." He smiled. "I did look into who you are." Xander grinned back. "You work with slayers?"

"All too often and they nag me. That's why I'm in the hotel."

"Why this hotel?"

"Someone nicely injected me with dengue while I was in the hospital after a vision. I'm just now recovering and I needed somewhere decent enough that had a doc on call. This one offered nice monthly rates since I'm here until a problem in four weeks."

"That's a good reason." He went over them again, then looked up the stolen gems. He sorted out what was in there. Only two others could be identified. The pearls weren't noted and hadn't been strung or used. He looked at him. "I can do both. There is a reward." Xander smiled. "The rest I can sell for you but it could take weeks."

"I'm not hard up for money. I'm not rich but I can easily swing a year here if I have to."

"That's good. If I may ask how?"

Xander grinned. "I ran into a group that kept thinking I was an aid worker for some strange reason. They claimed to be pirates. I got vindictive when I got myself free the second time. They nicely had some stuff I could use, including some money they didn't need."

"Ah. That's good of you."

"I split it with the other living captives. It fed some of the slayers I was working with. Giles had no head for how much it takes to actually do more than survive in Africa."

"Did they have gems?"

"No. They were looking to buy some weapons so they had cash on hand." He grinned. "And a few older weapons we used during a battle down there."

"An excellent thing. I will turn those in for you and sell the rest." Xander shook his hand and they parted ways. He knew he could not cross this one. He was intelligent and knew the underground's ways well enough to know if he was being double crossed. He had heard of him too, the avenger of the attacked.

Xander settled on his bed to watch some tv. He was still tired.

***

Mr. Giles lets the agent into his office, smiling politely. "Is there a problem with the slayers?"

"Not at this moment. A few other ones that are a bit weird." He sat down in front of the desk, the two files in his lap. "First, you have a vision for us that you have not shared?"

"I've set up a meeting with Scotland Yard tomorrow. That's how it's always been done." He found it and handed it over. "Xander's was the most clear."

"One of us talked to him yesterday." He read it over, grimacing. "That's going to be nasty to clean up. Can we stop it?"

"Unfortunately not. The convergence happens no matter if humans are evolved or not. Nothing can really stop the ones that happen due to alignment."

"Wonderful." He handed it back. "One of us will be at the meeting tomorrow to ask any pertinent questions. Though it does explain why some people we'd rather leave the country are taking a short vacation then."

"Xander has many unsavory contacts due to his time training in Africa and Central America. He makes some of the oddest friends but they tend to come in handy at times. Often it's how he's gotten help for larger battles down there."

"Yes, we've barely heard of those." He smiled and handed over a file. "We asked him and he provided us a locked tumblr address that we broke into and read over. It was his thinking journal as he put it. It didn't have everything, he admitted some things he drank away, but it was most ...amusing at times. The rest of us drank dinner."

Giles read over the selected entries, then sighed and got up to get some tea from the waiting pot. "I can see why he didn't admit to any of these in his reports." He sat back down. "Want some tea?"

"No thank you, Mr. Giles. Is he all right?"

"He'd never tell me if not because he knows I'd nag him."

"Yes, he said he was hiding it from the nagging women you lord over. We called down to talk to a slayer down there, who just had a problem with some of our agents nearby so it was a handy call to see what happened to them, as they can't speak at the moment. She admitted a lot about Xander that wasn't on the journal. Including that he apparently is quite strong willed when faced with, as she put it, stupid human things."

"Yes, he can be. He's done that a few times that I've known him. He faced down a master vampire in a hospital to protect Buffy once." He took a drink of tea and went back to his reading. He grimaced. "He fell into a hole with gems?" He looked up.

"He got around to finally telling someone about them last night. We know the high end jewel dealer is handling it for him. He admitted he found them and where and that half of them had probably been stolen about sixty years earlier by what he had found out. The gem dealer is handing those back for the reward, and is selling the others, including some pearls found there."

"Charming. Is he without funds?"

"No. He figured showing us that meant we'd find the others and ask him. This way no one has to ask him to turn them over."

"Did you ask him how many weapons he's storing?"

"No. We're a bit scared to and as long as they're used against demons or huge things like that vision, we don't care. Like the last Council, we'd like to mostly ignore you. Even though you did bring a lot of girls who like to bound around your yard in bikinis. The neighbors are almost horrified but the husband has been watching from their roof." Giles shook his head with a sigh, taking some tea in. "I personally salute you for being able to handle so many young women and mostly make them sensible."

"I tend to leave that to the older girls. I don't understand teenage girls and I didn't really understand my slayer when she was a teenage girl." He sighed. "I'll talk to them about the bikinis however."

"Your girls are probably the most amusement that the village has had since the wars."

"Probably, yes." He finished his cup of tea. "What's in the other folder?"

"More on some of his contacts." He let him see them.

Giles marked out a few. "He's complained recently about them. They treated him horribly when you people made him sick." He handed it back with a look. "We're all very lucky he decided not to retaliate more than he did."

"We are. By the way, I'm the new liaison officer if I hadn't mentioned it." He smiled. "That one wanted the rather nice sum HYDRA was offering for him to be brought to them. Which is reasonable since his daughter has to go to college and all that." He crossed his feet. "How can we help you calm him down?"

"I haven't managed that since I met him when he was almost sixteen." The agent winced. "He's actually calmed quite a bit. Tragedy and battles do it to one."

"I remember my own time as a Para." Giles nodded at that information. "Will he talk to us without trying to play cutesy or protective of himself?"

"Probably not, though I've never taken him as cutesy."

"He does tend to lead to a point that we have to cover ourselves instead of just blatantly telling us things."

"Yes, you tend to yell when he just outright tells you. The same as you do to us."

"Point, I hadn't considered that." He shifted. "I'll talk to him later if he's still at the hotel. At least he's staying somewhere nice."

"On his salary?"

"He told the gem dealer he had been taken by pirates a few times and the second time he had gotten huffy and looted."

"He used to pickpocket the vampires he was staking so he had some spending cash since he didn't have time for an after school job any longer." He frowned but let it clear up. "Were there many of those?"

"No clue."

"Oh, dear. I do try to pay him what novice watchers get."

"He's still considered a novice after eleven years of fighting with your slayer?" Giles winced. "Beyond that, novice pay should have went up since minimum wage did a few times. We can look into that for you if you'd like."

"Not really. I hadn't even considered that."

"Hmm. He managed and the looting apparently paid to keep some of the slayers eating." Giles nodded. "He's not exactly a problem but he's not exactly a good thing to the empire."

"He'll probably be going back to the US with us after that incident. We're not sure how much demonic rising up activity will pop up thanks to the convergence and all the attacks on Asgard."

"I saw the slayers sneaking over note."

"I've had a long talk with them. They know it shall not happen. I've wisely threatened them with Xander paddling them after he finds them."

"I can see how that would help." He stood up. "I'll see you tomorrow, Mr. Giles. I'll try to talk to your trainer later to make sure he's staying calm. He hasn't called on any of his ex's recently and we're not sure if that's a bad thing or not."

"It is," he said. "They would usually make him feel better." He called him. "Are you all right? I've been told that you've not called in any friends recently." He listened. "Yes, that is dreadful treatment of you in such a vulnerable state. Oh, many of them decided it was reasonable. No, I'm sorry you lost them, Xander. I'm sure the agents wouldn't want you to pick up another one right now. No, they could be the meaner sort and we'd hate to see you injured. Also, I'm told I'm underpaying you. Well, that is what I made.

"Yes, minimum wage has went up in the last forty years," he agreed. "It's how much in the US? That's rather high. I'll look at that later, Xander. Including warning my assistant off again. Do you need anything at this moment? I'll be in tomorrow for the meeting with Scotland Yard. No, not over your paramours, over the convergence. That's fine. Have a good rest." He hung up. "They treated him horribly when he was ill and needing a bit babied. One even tried not to let him sleep and eat."

"I'd dump lovers for that. I'll see you tomorrow. One?"

"One thirty." The agent nodded and left. Giles sat back with a sigh, looking over those. He heard Willow and Buffy arguing so he locked them in a drawer. Telling Willow Xander had to hurt people in Africa would make her get extremely huffy and go yell at him. The hotel didn't need destroyed thanks to Willow and he didn't want to pay to replace it.

***

Xander looked up as Stark showed up at the hotel for tea. He nodded at him and pointed at the table, getting a nod. "I'm not doing anything and you're better than a book any day, Mr. Stark. How are things?"

Tony sat down. "Not bad. He's healing."

"That's great news." He smiled. "We did show you that vision, right?"

"I have gotten a copy and we're all a bit horrified."

"We'll have some demon uprising moments during it." He shrugged and let the waiter pour them tea and hand them a tiered tray of tidbits. Xander selected a sandwich and nibbled politely. "Thank you for helping me when I was so ill," he said quietly.

"That was a dirty trick."

"I found out someone had a price on me." He smiled. "Apparently the same one who had me for all of five minutes felt thwarted."

Stark stared at him over the top of his sunglasses. "Really?" Xander nodded. "Still in effect?"

"No one else is going to try it." He smiled. "I got a bit peeved and made my feelings known. It was probably on the news. And if you pull your phone out they'll get huffy," he said quietly. Stark nodded he'd look it up later. They ate and let Steve join them when he got there. "So far nothing huge is going on for the next week that I know of. So unless it's an immediate incident we should all have some quiet for a few weeks."

"That'd be nice," Steve agreed. "What happens then?"

"You'll get to see Thor again." He smiled. "I thought we told Jane."

"You did," Stark agreed. "We've been looking stuff up about it with her." He looked at Steve. "I haven't told you guys?" Steve shook his head. "I meant to. I'll brief everyone when we get home." He let Steve pick out a cookie to nibble on while they had tea. It was relaxing and the reporters outside were nearly drooling by then. Stark walked out nibbling a cookie, smiling at them. "Yes, people? Out of the doorway. You know places hate that."

"In for tea?" one called.

"That and to check on someone," Steve agreed, smiling at them. One made mouth motions so he licked over his teeth to get something off them. He grinned at her. "It's all okay for the next four weeks."

"There's a thing coming? A demonic battle?" one demanded. "We saw officers and agents talking to Mr. Harris but not arresting him for dating."

"Might have a few problems because the mystical alignment is important to some of them," Stark said. "Mostly it'll be the alignment messing with stuff." They all nodded. "In about four weeks." That got another nod.

Xander came out and walked over, handing one of the reporters a folded paper then went back inside.

"He's here to rest up for it," Stark said. He looked at that reporter, who had looked at the note. "Something huge?"

"My sister sent a letter from Brazil. She's helping the house down there." Steve smiled at her. "She said they're all insane and nagging."

"The kid said the same thing," Stark agreed. He saw an agent walk in and head up to the elevator. He looked at Steve then at them. Two police inspectors. Three uniforms. All went upstairs. The woman they pulled out was screeching about not being evil and she'd pay Xander back for that.

Xander walked out. "Even if you only consider me a good time, you were so insensitive that you wouldn't let me sleep when I had the beginnings of dengue. You wouldn't even let me eat for your sex needs. Even good time boys need food and sleep between rounds." He waved. "Even Anya was nicer to me than that. I don't need people who disrespect me that much. Beyond that, not the one that turned you in, Hilary. One of your guards turned you in for what you do for money. He just arranged it to be here so the local guys could get all huffy about me having relations with arms dealers again."

He smiled and waved. "You have a great night. Next time I see you, I'll find a better dealer probably. The slayers need better suppliers than those who treat us like we're paid when we're not." He strolled off. "I didn't invite her up," he told the manager when he got scowled at. "She showed up to get sex. I told her I wasn't going to because she treated me very wrong. I may need the stress relief of something easy but I still require at least sensible treatment. Not being forced into sex without sleep or food for hours on end." He went back up to his room.

Stark nodded. "We heard he dated people like her." He smirked when they all stared at him. "Not like I need her services, guys." They smirked and got her into the car. "Xander said earlier some of his other dates agreed with her disrespect so he's looking for someone better. He's not going to date here because the last time he dated they tried to drug him and castrate him so he couldn't leave them. So if you guys know any nice dangerous sorts, introduce him." He and Steve walked off.

"Is Dr. Banner local?" one of the reporters called.

"No comment," Steve said. "He asked us not to."

"That's fine. Is the rest of the team here?" Steve smiled and nodded. "That's nice." The others waited to get anyone else of importance who might be in the hotel. They knew a movie star from Bollywood was staying there. They had no idea about the guy from the Council. Or that he knew Avengers.

***

Thor landed next to where his lady and her assistant were, nodding at Darcy. Who smiled and punched him on the arm. He noticed some help there. "Tony Stark, why are you here?"

"Bruce and I are both here." He smiled. "A seer foresaw the convergence having a problem and we're on vacation from a problem in the US that nearly blew up the whole country."

"A battle that big?" he asked, frowning.

"No. Hidden things in the government that nearly got it shut down. It led to the explosion of a few other governments. Let's just say it was bad and leave it there."

"Of course. Are we in trouble?"

"No, we're staying out of the way so they can fix themselves. When half of SHIELD ends up being in the employ of the bad guys, it's best to get out of the way."

"Yes it would be," Darcy agreed. She punched Thor on the arm again. "How's space?"

He smiled at her. "Space is fine." He walked over to talk to Jane and Bruce. She told him more about what was known thanks to seers. He had no idea there were seers down here. They told him about the slayers too when two bounced in to try to drag Darcy off to do something. Then one's phone rang with a simple text message of 'stop it' so they huffed and asked instead. Jane sent her off. The younger slayers needed good female role models.

Stark and Banner shared a smirk behind the lovebirds' backs. They were so gooingly in love it was too sweet to watch. Thankfully they had science to do.

***

Xander looked up from his lunch when Darcy sighed, flopping down across from him. "Are you okay?" he asked, handing her half his sandwich.

"The slayers are bouncy."

"They get that way before battles. They also usually go shopping for *the* outfit to wear and something to encourage them to not be in casts afterward. I have no idea how it got started but I think I can probably blame Kennedy or Buffy."

"Which one is Kennedy?"

"Dead."

"Oh. Sorry."

"She hated me. She was Willow's last girlfriend and jealous."

"I guess that happens with a huge group of young women." Xander nodded, going back to his eating. "Are you better?"

"I'm pretty good so far this week. All healed up." She grinned back and dug in to her snack. They talked about the science of portals. Xander knew a bit more than she did about them but he clearly wasn't into science the way Jane or the Science Bros were. It was nice talking to a normal guy who didn't want in her panties or into Jane's work.

When he escorted Darcy back, he nodded at Jane. "She had some food."

"That's good of you, Xander. Thank you for having her on a not-date again."

Xander grinned. "She's not nearly dangerous enough for me, Dr. Foster. She doesn't even like knives." He looked at Thor. "We've warned the slayers not to take advantage of the portals to go kidnap warriors for boyfriends." Thor gave him a strange look. He held out a hand. "Xander Harris, trainer for the slayers and one of the ones that had the vision."

"Ah!" He shook his hand. Xander yelped and held his head. "Oh, you are afflicted." Xander nodded, then sighed and straightened up. "Problems?"

Xander looked at him. "How much do you love your mother?" Thor glared. "Because they're going to target her during the invasion." Thor winced. "Find some way to warn her? Before you both go nuts?"

"I shall. Thank you for the warning, Seer."

"It's cool, Thor. Usually I'm called a knight and if you have a mom you like, you should want to guard her." He looked at Darcy. "You, please stay safe? I saw it trying to take off your head again as it flew off looking for him." She nodded, giving him a hug. Then he left to go back to his room. The desk attendant had a message for him so he left to go talk to Stark. He ran into him outside and they went up to Xander's room to talk. "Hi," he said with a grin. "Huge problems?"

"You okay? Your eye's bloodshot."

"I shook Thor's hand and saw the dark elves taking out his mom."

"Ow. That's going to suck." Xander nodded. "You okay?"

"I'm fine. It wasn't a harsh vision. So, problems?"

"Two things. A certain person got loose."

"He's in the bathroom the last I knew." Stark went to look and grinned at him. He grinned back. "He yelled and came at me with a knife. Thankfully I used a demon snot dart. He'll probably be out until tomorrow or so."

"That's good. The second, someone raided the HYDRA base you helped bust for their money stash and made a victim's fund."

"Hmm, imagine that," Xander said dryly.

Stark smiled. "Thanks. Two of them are still around."

"The other one got taken in by a demon clan who had the same sort of gifts. They're not harming her, though they're probably not real nice since she was human, but they'll train it so she's not a danger that'll get the slayers thinking it was them."

"That's even better. The other two?"

"Know how to harness their gifts. They helped in their own rescues and I told them who I could trust to help them when people started to show up. They each, including the one with the demon clan and the tied up assassin in there, have enough to set up nicely somewhere and hide for a really long time."

"That's a good thing. Did you get any other files?"

"The commando team got them and they said they gave them to Fury."

"Great." Xander nodded. "Okay, we can work around that. Any ideas about when or where?"

"Near the convergence. It's seen as a good omen. It'll probably be off the college but there's a few demon enclaves near there and a few points where groups like the demonic mafia run poker halls. I'm hoping they keep it to those but a few are meat eaters and may try to take out humans. If they're going to fight each other, me and the slayers need to step in to help the peaceful species and to stop it from spreading." Stark nodded. They heard a groan from the bathroom. Xander checked his watch. "He has accelerated healing."

"Interesting." He called Steve. "He's tied up in Xander's bathroom at the hotel thanks to a demon snot dart." He hung up. He looked at Xander. "What are your battle plans?"

"This time? We're letting the locals work the containment area. We've told the college so they can cancel classes and clear the buildings we saw affected. The demon areas are known to the local officers so they know where the problems are going to hit. The girls and I are going to be lounging near there having ice cream or something. We'll hop in when things start to go wrong and keep them contained and down."

"That's a good plan," Stark agreed. "Leaving us and Thor to handle the huge stuff."

"The guy has a hard-on for Thor's people. They got their ass whooped by the Asgard forces the last time and the head guy had them suicide play to try to win. This is a last ditch, there's almost no one left, plan of his." Stark nodded. "He probably won't care too much about anyone in his way but he'll definitely be concerned about other stuff. Did he get Jane infected with the whatever that was? The glowy, lava looking snot field of energy?"

"Yeah. Darcy let us know when she disappeared."

"Okay. So it's on." Stark nodded. Someone knocked and Xander got up to answer it, smiling at the guard. "It's okay. He's here to pick up his friend who drank too much and crashed last night. He's still trying to sleep it off."

"That's fine, Mr. Harris. The problem they're talking about?"

"I'll be checking out after a few days of healing time," he said with a grin. "It'll be on the other side of the city." The guard smiled and nodded, leaving to tell the manager that. Xander closed the door after Steve stepped in. He pointed.

"What's a snot dart?" Steve asked.

Xander smiled. "I've learned, thanks to kitten poker, how to boil down or just use certain demon byproducts. Things like fyarl snot, which is a paralytic, works really well. I dip a dart in it and when it dries it tends to knock a person out for about two and a half days. The paralytic is over with after about three hours."

"That's neat," Stark said. "Is there a book on that?"

"I wrote recipes but not a book. They're mostly so I can't forget a step." He got into his suitcase, pulling out his journal. He pulled out the tiny spiral notebook from the back. "I need that back."

Stark nodded, looking through it. "Huh. Romanoff would probably like these."

Xander grinned. "I've given her a few to use."

Stark put the notebook into his pocket and made sure it was secure. "Give me a few days to copy it."

"Copy center downstairs," Xander offered. "I need to make some more tonight."

"I can do that." He helped Steve got Bucky down to the car and paused to copy that then sent the book back upstairs to Xander. He could understand being paranoid about those sort of things.

***

After all the battle, Stark winced as he took off his newest suit. He looked at the others who were coming in to destress and check in. "We all good?"

"I've been happier," Clint said. "The slayers are hell in a battle. Harris did good making sure they knew what they would have to deal with." The others nodded.

Bruce tried not to smile. "Two of them gave me a hug for stopping the car for them." They all smiled at him. "They're mostly nice girls, who I heard nagging?"

"Xander got a cut," Stark said.

"They are nagging at times," Natasha said. "He usually hides from that."

"Me too," Bruce said. "Gentle worrying is good. Fussing is okay. Nagging like you're their wife is a bit much." Clint nodded quickly, petting his dog when he ran in. Lucky checked everyone then came back to his human for petting.

Steve stretched out, sighing in pleasure. "I'm glad we could help make the mess less. Some of those college kids have no sense. They were staring at the window at the battle that was coming toward them."

"We had that in New York too," Stark said. "Think Thor's okay back at home?"

"No clue," Bruce admitted. "Is his mom okay?" Stark nodded. "Good." He popped his neck. "So back to New York?"

Bucky walked in and stared at Steve. "I could have helped. I may not remember much of anything but I can help instead of a bunch of girls."

"You probably could have helped but they're slayers and that's their duty," Steve said. "If I was sure you'd be okay I would've let you help." Bucky huffed. Stark nudged Bucky and handed him a book. "On slayers?"

"The one I borrowed from Mr. Giles." Bucky sat down beside Steve's chair to read the book. He was scowling and looking up at Steve. "It wasn't our call, Barnes. That was started back before writing and now we're helping them last longer and live better lives. The guy with them does that." Bucky nodded, still scowling but reading. "Anyone think they'd mind if I brought Jane Foster and her nagging assistant home so they're protected?"

"She might like that," Steve said. "Not real sure."

"I'll ask her tomorrow then. Let her calm down and miss Thor for a bit." Everyone nodded. "Anything we have to hear tonight?"

"The slayers saved an egg depository the demonic mafia was going to destroy," Natasha said. "I helped them remove one of the bad ones to protect the eggs." Steve smiled at her. "I'm guessing it could have been a lot worse."

"There were a few smaller battles in other spots but the local PD handled most of them and got a few of the slayers from the main battle to handle it. Buffy got to save Harrod's."

"Maybe they'll reward her so she can get tastefully fashionable clothes," Bruce said. "Her skirt yesterday was really short."

"She borrowed from her younger sister," Natasha said. She rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Any word on when we can go back?"

"Few days," Stark said. He looked at Steve and nodded at Bucky, getting a nod back. "It'll all be fixed up for everyone and all the arrests have finally stopped. So have the riots and the protests." Everyone nodded. "We could probably sneak back tonight if you guys wanted to go back first. I'll stay to talk Jane back with us. All your rooms are cleaned up and ready for you."

"Thanks," Bruce said. Tony smiled but shrugged a bit. Willow appeared, making them all stare at her. "Miss Rosenburg."

She scowled at them. "We had it but thank you for stepping in."

"It wasn't just your battle and we were there to back up Thor," Tony said. "Most groups would be a lot happier and not nag. You're not our mom, Rosenburg." She glared. He stared back. "Do others let you get away with that? We actually get paid to be heros." He waved. "You're trespassing." She huffed but left. "Now I know why the kid hides from her. I'd hide and never date another woman again too." Steve smiled but nodded. "Okay, you guys start taking people back."

"Coulson's team is here looking for Asgardian leftovers and bits," Natasha said.

Clint grimaced. "That's going to suck. Poor geeks." He frowned. "I think they're going to have problems. Something about a staff." He rubbed his forehead. "What did I get exposed to since I don't get visions?"

"The green darts can temporarily activate visions by the notes. Sorry, Arrow Boy," Stark said.

Clint waved a hand. "I'm glad I don't have them like Harris." He called Coulson. "I touched a dart that gave me visions. Find the staff the Aryan Norse people are going for. It makes you really angry. It's in three parts. One's with an Asgardian in hiding in Spain." He hung up.

***

Across town, Coulson hung up. "Asgardian staff," he said. He called Xander, that's what he did with mystical weapons. "Asgardian staff that makes you extremely mad?" He listened. "Where are the pieces?" He nodded. "Okay. We can do that. Have the girl down there gather that one for me. We need to finish finding the pieces of leftover Asgardian metal here. We need to find their God of Cleaning Up. True, probably a goddess. Please. Thank you, Xander." He hung up and sighed. "Three staff parts," he told the staring team. Skye started to look it up online while they searched for any little bits of leftover alien metal.

***

Later that day in Spain, the local slayer strolled in with a smile. "Professor?" He looked up and smiled politely at her. She closed his office door then walked over. "Professor, I'm the Slayer Kinetta." He sat up suddenly, staring at her. "Someone's searching for your staff, Professor," she said quietly. "We heard there's some Aryan Norse gang people who are coming for it." He groaned. "We can take it into slayer custody and our vault. Or you can trust a few *we* trust in SHIELD who got warned and warned us. But we gotta move it today please."

"I..." He sighed. "That's problematic."

She smiled. "That's why they sent me instead of someone less able to handle big, bad things. I'm a senior slayer in charge of this region. I've seen worse than mystically hyped white bread sorts. If I could survive the LA invasion with a broken leg, I can help handle this." He smiled. "Now, let's go get the part that's local so it's safe." He got up to help her grab it. When someone tried to interrupt Kinetta beat him half to death and walked over him to go grab the staff. She nodded, then sighed. "That's sweet but the slayer spirit inhabiting us is nicer." She tucked it into her pack and walked off. "Thanks, Professor. Am I going to see you during my classes?"

"Only if you're in the humanities, young lady."

She smirked, shaking her head. "Theoretical math." She walked off, heading out. The few gang members who were still there got knocked out and she checked to make sure she had it. She called the coven. "It's Kinetta. I found part of an artifact that's *majorly* powerful. I need brought to London to hand it over. Thank you." She hung up and held onto the staff through the bag, landing in London. She walked down to the Tube and paid her fare to go where she needed to go. She came up at the college, nodding at the SHIELD agents. "Guys, I'm the Slayer Kinetta. I need to see Coulson in private, now please." They sneered. She sighed and knocked them out then walked around them. "Not in the mood for you. I have PMS and you're keeping me from candy, boys. Pity." She strolled in, nodding at Maria Hill. "Bitch in charge, I need to see Coulson. Xander referred me to him about the artifact."

"He's upstairs, Kinetta." She always ignored the girls treating her like she was a mean bitch. She could be and the girls knew she wanted to have a firm hand with their wildness when SHIELD ran into them.

"Thank you. Sorry about your toys but they're keeping me from candy and I have PMS." She strolled up the stairs, tossing the bag at Skye. "Don't physically touch the artifact. Let him. It's an aggression problem and taking you down would leave you too unpretty to date anyone, sweetie." She looked at Coulson, smiling and hugging him. "I'm glad you're not dead. Though it means I'll have to wait on you so we can play rummy in heaven."

He smiled. "Thank you, Kinetta. I'm sure I'll still make it there before you. You're due for a long life."

"Actually, I'm kinda not." She grimaced. "Found a problem recently. Treatment sucks ass." He patted her on the arm. "Go ahead. You can probably hold the aggression."

He pulled out the staff part, sucking in a breath as the aggression hit him. He carefully put it back and nodded, stepping back. "I'll have someone hide it."

"You or us."

"You. Xander thinks the professor prompted them to gather it for him." She smiled and took the bag back then hugged him again and strolled off to find Xander. He put it into the Council vault under the Bank of England. It had the same sort of security that the crown jewels did. They locked it in together and left to make notes on the journal kept in the bank deposit box. Xander had sent someone to find the other parts. She went home to her pudding and fudge and wondering about how bad her treatments were going to get.

***

Steve got off the quin jet and nodded. "C'mon, Bucky."

"What's this place?"

"It's Avengers tower." He led him to his room. He put his hand on the keypad. "It's all locked to you and me." He put his hand on the same place. The door opened. "This is your place."

He looked around. "Must I live here?"

"It's here or a hospital until you're healed."

"Here's better." He frowned, prowling around. "I'm confined to here?"

"No. You're confined to this floor at the moment. Lower ones are things like Tony's lab and no one goes in there." He led him out to show him around. "This is the communal kitchen and the communal living room. We all have tv's in the suites but this is all ours for things like movie night. The infirmary is down this hall," he said with a point. "The doctors are grumpy so we only go down there when we have to." He smiled. "We can order groceries in so we don't have to deal with people, or we can go out a few blocks away." Bucky nodded. "I'll show you around until you get used to things."

He looks out the window. "We're in New York. I'm not supposed to be in New York. The higher ups will not be pleased. They said I'm not supposed to be here, it will cause problems."

Steve rubbed a hand up Bucky's natural arm. "I said you're supposed to be here. They didn't want you to be here because you're from here."

"I am?" he asked, frowning at him. Steve nodded. "Are you?"

"Yes. We grew up near here." He looked around. "JARVIS, can we have a map of the boroughs?"

"Of course, sir," the AI said. He projected one.

Steve walked Bucky over. "We're here," he said with a point. "We grew up here." He looked at Bucky. "There's a few ways there and when you want we can go walk around. It's not the same but it's not bad."

"We can do that," he agreed quietly, staring at the map. He looked around. "So I'm confined up here?"

"It's not confining you but it's protecting you from the others. Tony's lab often has explosions and bad things. It's safer if you don't wander around until you meet the people there. Some of them don't really recognize that other people are real and there sometimes."

Bucky frowned. "How?"

"They're in deep with their science. Tony sometimes doesn't come out of his lab for days on end, including not eating for days on end. Science is apparently worse than opium."

Bucky frowned. "That's weird."

"It is," Steve agreed. "That's why it's safer if you don't sneak around to look at things until you're used to stuff." He walked him to the kitchen to make a snack. "Hungry?"

"Please."

Steve made him a few sandwiches and gave him an apple too. "Thank you for ordering groceries, JARVIS."

"You're welcome. Are the others coming?"

"Tony's staying over to talk Jane Foster and her assistant into coming over." He ate a bite. "That's JARVIS. He's the artificial intelligence that watches over the tower. Tony built him," he explained. "You can ask him to do a lot of stuff. Including playing music or pulling up things on the computer for you if you can't find it. He can adjust the temperature in your rooms or even watch the oven for you. I ask him to do that so I don't burn stuff while I'm drawing."

Bucky nodded, eating another bite of food. "That's nice."

"He can pull up the grocery sites so you can order what you want. You can cook in your suite or out here. You don't have to stay in there. We don't usually sit around most of the day but you can come out to catch up to modern life."

Bucky nodded while chewing. He went back to looking around. The deck was a pretty space with a pool up the stairs. He came back to look around his apartment. "Towels and sheets?"

"I haven't ordered any," the AI admitted. "I can do that and have them delivered within hours. What sort of pattern do you want?"

"Pattern?" he asked. He gave Steve a confused look. A virtual screen popped up to show him all the sheet options. "Solid colors would be easier to clean." The view switched to those. "That's nice," he said with a point at one. The view enlarged. "That's nice too. Thank you, JARVIS." He nodded. "Those?" he asked Steve.

Steve grinned. "They're your sheets."

"Point. I..."

Steve backed it up to show him a few things after selecting the higher thread count. It showed him how to sort things. "Softer sheets that won't irritate your arm."

"That's nice too. The house there had very soft sheets." He looked. "Why is that one different?"

"It's t-shirt cotton, which is nice when you sweat a lot," the AI said. "They come in a few colors and patterns." He pulled those up. "Any of those are easily ordered but the white ones are on back order so I'd get you a colored set until they could come in."

Bucky rubbed his t-shirt then nodded, pointing at a few. "Those are nice colors. Will they be good?"

"I can order you a set of each," JARVIS said. "Your bed is a queen size. Is that big enough?"

"It was good, thank you," Bucky said. Steve patted him on the back and sat down. Bucky looked up then sat down. The virtual screen followed. "That's really amazing."

JARVIS chuckled. "I'm trained to be a fully functional butler for the tower, sir. If you need something you need to let me know."

"I can do that. Thank you."

"You're welcome. The sheets have been ordered and will be here in a matter of hours. If you're tired and need to rest now, I suggest the other couch is more comfortable. It's a bit softer and Mr. Stark likes napping on it better."

"I'm good. Do I have groceries?"

"I have not ordered you any. What did you need?"

"Can I cook?" he asked Steve.

"You and I can both kind of cook. You're pretty good at a few things but we can let you watch cooking shows or we can get you cookbooks if you want. The city still has a huge library."

"That might be nice," he agreed quietly. He looked around again then looked at Steve. "Where is your room?"

"Mine is the other one up here. Tony's got an apartment two floors down next to Bruce. The one between is split between Clint and Natasha. There's a gym below the lab and I'll get you logged in there tomorrow so you can workout or beat the punching bag like I do." Bucky nodded. He stood up. "Come see my rooms." He took him to show him his rooms and it was nice. It had some art on the walls. He noticed one was an older looking portrait of him. Bucky stared at it then looked at Steve. Steve smiled a bit sadly. "The day you came home in your uniform, right before you shipped out."

"Oh. That's... I looked nice."

"You did in everything you owned. Back then I was skinny and scrawny." He pointed at the only photograph in there. "We splurged." He cleared his throat. "That's my Ma behind us. Your mother's off to the side." He let Bucky pick up the precious ancient photograph. "I had it restored and have a few copies of it saved just in case." Bucky smiled at him, putting it down. "I miss our mothers. They were great ladies and I learned a lot from them. Including not putting up with anything from anyone." He led him to look around the apartment. They went out to get the delivery when it came. The delivery driver smiled and blushed at Steve but that was nice of him. They took things to Bucky's apartment to set him up. Steve showed him where the washer was and all the other little hidden things like the dishwasher and hot water heater in case he wanted to look at them. Bucky laid down and Steve went to wait on the others.

***

Tony Stark showed up at Jane Foster's door with fudge, because two women and Erik Selvig would probably like fudge. He knocked and got let in by Thor. "You're back?"

"I decided to stay for a while," he said. "Why are you here?"

"I came to offer Jane room in my labs in Avenger Tower so she's protected."

Thor smiled. "That is very kind of you."

Tony smiled at the ladies. "Fudge? Organic sourced." Darcy smiled and took it to unwrap. Jane ate a bite and smiled at them. "I come bearing a lab offering, Dr. Foster, and you can bring all your puppies with you. That way you're more protected against the guys who'd hate Thor and you for being smart. You'd have full lab space, an apartment for each of you, though I'd expect you'd probably just park in Thor's apartment." She nodded. "Full lab access for your lab. All the wackiness you could want when you're tired of working. The only warning I'd have to give is Barton tends to walk around barefoot and Steve just found a former friend who was brainwashed so we're helping him heal."

Jane blinked a few times. "From when he woke up?"

"No. From way back when. HYDRA and the Soviets had him." She winced. "He's doing okay so far. Each of the apartments locks by handprint. The tower has a full AI overseeing it. We can get you moved this week."

"I..." She looked at Darcy and Thor. Thor shrugged but smiled.

"That'd be nice, Mr. Stark," Dr. Selvig said. "What did you want in return?"

"Dr. Selvig, I'm Iron Man and a billionaire scientist. What would I need? I'm protecting those that are important to my teammates. I've got plenty of room and open labs. It's no problem to me to do this. I can even find a way to pay your intern." Darcy hugged him. He gave her a squeeze. "You're good from what I hear."

"I am the reason Jane's never starved to death." She looked at Jane. "Well?"

"I.... Thor?"

"I find it a good idea," he said. "You would be safer and have a lab at hand for me to find you in and distract you." She blushed but nodded. He looked at Tony. "Thank thee, Brother Tony."

"Welcome, Thor." He pulled out an envelope stuffed with papers. "A set for you and Darcy and if Dr. Selvig wants to come, since I wasn't sure if he was still here, I'll get him a set. Standard non-disclosure, property rights for your work, and terms of the security agreement and your apartments." They settled in to look them over. "Thor, I'll have your apartment moved to a different floor with theirs. That way they don't have to wander too far to talk. We do have a communal living room and kitchen if you want to use them instead of your apartment's. We won't mind and any arguing about movies you can probably duck if you want to." Darcy grinned. He pulled out his phone. "J, set up the plans for Dr. Foster, her assistant, and possibly Dr. Selvig to join us."

"Yes, sir, the apartments were already being moved. That puts Thor on the area by the pool and Miss Lewis can have the tiny apartment next to it or one closer to the labs. That would put her near the bottom."

"We have that whole unused floor," Tony said. "It's in apartments."

"Yes, sir. That's what I was thinking. There's three on that floor that are ready to be used. All single bedroom as opposed to the Avengers one that has a second bedroom in case they needed something like an office or a studio. The three apartments are all neutrally painted and have minimal furniture."

"Thanks, J. Thor's?"

"He'll have an easier time to land when he's been flying around," the AI said. "Shall I make a lab for your father's AI, sir?"

"Please and he's not allowed to interfere in my lab without permission."

"I can arrange that, sir. The moving team you have for the scientists you have can move them in two weeks. They're open all week to move them."

"That's great. Thanks, J." He hung up and smiled. "My AI."

"That's seriously cool," Darcy said. "But your dad?"

"I found out HYDRA did it to him before they killed him. He's presently complaining about modern computer things." Darcy winced. "So he can have his own lab." She patted him on the arm and offered him a piece of fudge. He shook his head with a smile. "No thanks. I had a half-pound for lunch while being nagged by Pepper." She laughed. "She's in and out but she's cool." He looked at Jane. Who signed things and handed them over. Darcy did the same thing. "Wonderful. See you in a few weeks. We'll call to give you a firm date and email an identity file so you know they're there to move you and not steal you to some stupid area that's never allowed science before."

"Thank you," Jane said.

"You're welcome. See you in a few weeks, Thor." He nodded. "Dr. Selvig, just let me know if you want to come with them. I'll fax over the paperwork as soon as I hear."

"I'll consider it. Thank you, Mr. Stark."

"Welcome." He shook their hands and left.

***

Bucky woke up and wandered out to the communal areas, staring at Natasha and the guy he had barely met. "Evening," he said.

She smiled. "I made stew in the crock pot. There's still some that Barton hasn't inhaled." He smiled slightly, going in there to get some stew. He came out with a bowl and some bread. "Drink?" she suggested. He went to get some water and came back. She got him a bottle of water. "Never drink the city water. It's foul. It comes from the river and is supposedly cleaned up." He grimaced, taking the bottle of water. "Eat, you need to eat."

"Thank you. And for cooking." He dug in, glancing at Barton.

"It's cool, Bucky. I'm a sniper myself and we're all a bit weird here. Pretty soon we'll have Thor joining us too."

"He seemed strong during that battle."

"He is, but he's also a bit goofy and loud," Natasha said. "But pleasant." Bucky nodded, digging in again. "Barton, turn on the tv. You have the remote. Not the news." He turned on the tv, making Bucky flinch at the loud noise. He turned it down and let Natasha pick. "Ancient warriors." He turned it onto the warriors in history fighting against each other show and let them all relax to the noise.

Bucky snorted. "You can't do that."

Natasha shrugged. "History is subjective and they think the modern body is much better trained when that is not always the case."

He nodded. "True. We were trained harder." She nodded. Barton was looking at him. "I remember sparring with her."

She laid a hand on Clint's arm. "He helped train me for a while." Clint nodded, eating more stew. They ate and watched what modern man thought ancient warriors did. When Steve came out she pointed at the kitchen. "Possibly some stew left."

"I left some," Bucky said.

"Thanks," Steve said with a grin. He went to get dinner and came back out. "JARVIS told me he's moving Thor upstairs so he has the landing deck when I asked why the robots were so loud up there. So we're probably getting his girlfriend at least."

The AI cleared his throat. "Mr. Stark has signed both Dr. Foster and her assistant Miss Lewis. He's offered a position to Dr. Selvig."

"The naked guy at Stonehenge?" Bucky asked.

"He's a well known scientist but he had an...incident that was much like yours. Loki, Thor's brother, took over his mind to make him a minion. You usually need a lot of help getting back to normal after such incidences."

Bucky nodded. "I can see why."

"If you want, I'll help you find someone to talk to," Steve said quietly. Bucky shook his head with a scowl. "Okay, let me know. We can find whoever you need to help you get back onto a firm footing."

Bucky nodded, going back to eating and watching the strange show. He was still trying figure things out. This was weird and it didn't seem like these ones wanted to use him for missions. When Steve went to do dishes, he followed. "Am I doing training for new missions?"

"No," Steve said. "Not until you have more of your memories back." Bucky stared at him. "When you do, you'll have a choice. We're not like your last handlers. We need you to be healed enough to make logical decisions and know who you are. Including your actual name."

"Is that important for missions?"

"Yes, it is. Around here, it is important. You can't make good decisions if you don't know yourself."

Bucky nodded. "I'll work harder."

"You can't work any harder than you are, Bucky. You can't force them to pop back up. They're coming up as soon as they can." Bucky nodded. Steve patted him on the arm. "As you get healthier and more of your memories back, we'll deal with things. For now, just relax, don't try to force the memories, and let us know if you need things to help you. As you get more healthy more options come open."

"If I don't?"

"Then you'll be safe here with me."

Bucky nodded, going back to the living room to stare at the tv. He looked at Natasha. "Do you have training modules?"

"I read because I want to, not because I have to. I have books you can study on modern political thought and other matters." She stood up, nodding. He followed her to her apartment, letting him see her shelves. "I would encourage this history series. It's fairly accurate and less tilted toward a point of view." She handed it over. "I would also suggest that if you want to, you should ask JARVIS about teaching you some modern computer programs so you can use the standard things."

He nodded. "Thank you."

"Welcome." She smiled, patting him on the cheek. "You will heal eventually. Even if it is not fully healed you will heal and it will be fine. Steve would never harm you."

"I somehow know that, even though I barely remember him."

She smiled. "Steve's complex like that sometimes." She led him back to the living room. He settled in to read the first history book. He hadn't seen much of this between freezings and missions.

Steve smiled at Natasha, who tipped her head slightly back.
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