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The Avengers: Tainted Love	By : ParadoxdelaPaladino Category: Marvel Verse Movies > Avengers, The Views: 6390 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own the Fandom of Avengers or anything Marvel. I do not own the characters. I make no profit, money, etc. from it. I own nothing. :)

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Disclaimer: I do not own the Fandom of Avengers or anything Marvel. I do not own the characters. I make no profit, money, etc. from it. I own nothing. :)

Author’s Note: I apologize, readers. This chapter has been ready for a week but one of my beta readers didn’t have a chance to take a look at this chapter so it has been sitting on my laptop. I would like to thank AG for helping me with this chapter.

Please note that if my other beta reader does read this and make changes, then I will change this chapter. Thank you for your patience. Chapter 4 should be about by the beginning of next week.

~*~

“Shit, you’ve got to be kidding me!” Tony groaned as he saw the Hulk disappear.

Thor watched the scene from a few feet away. Instantly he knew that Loki was part of the chaos since he recognized his trademark hue. Although he was delighted that his brother was indeed alive and on Earth, he felt a sickening feeling brew in the pit of his stomach. Just as he was about to snap out of his reverie, he felt himself being pulled into a wormhole.

“Tony! Tony are you ok?” Pepper’s frantic voice yelled into his ear.

“Ouch. Yeah I’m fine. You don’t have to yell,” Tony answered with a wince. He began to survey the damage around him. He looked around for the man with the hammer but found no trace.

“What happened?”

“I’m not quite sure. I’m going to head home since my suit is all but smashed.”

“Ok, I will see you soon,” with that last remark Pepper hung up. Tony once again took to the air, carefully navigating his way home and hoping that his suit wouldn’t crash on the way over.

Meanwhile, Fury had heard from another agent that both the Hulk and Thor had vanished. Instantly, he had called Natasha to inform her of the situation before asking her to go to the headquarters and to send both Steve and Clint home until further notice.

Although the Hulk seemed to have been in the city, he knew there was something amiss. S.H.I.E.L.D. had been trying to find him for months and he had information that the Hulk had been hiding out in the Canadian wilderness. He furrowed his eyebrows at the possibility of two Hulks and put that thought in the back of his mind for later use.

~*~

A strong breeze breathed life into the trees that were quickly losing their leaves. Hues alternating between the deepest of reds and the brightest of yellows dotted the landscape. A lone man sat upon the withering grass taking in the view. He was sitting cross-legged and had been concentrating for hours on learning to unleash his inner green beast without losing control.

Bruce began to massage his temples as he lost his concentration on the task at hand. He could have sworn that he had been in New York recently, but when he woke up he was in his bed. Against his better instincts he decided to blame the events on a very vivid dream. He began to make his way back to his quiet dilapidated cabin in the hopes of catching some sleep before getting back to work.

He tossed and turned in his sleep and when he finally decided to give up sleeping altogether, he looked outside his window and notice that darkness had enveloped the swaying trees outside. As he made his way to his kitchen for a cup of coffee, his ears picked up subtle clicks outside.

~*~

Using his magic, Loki had effectively locked the energy signal and found its source. Loki was careful to watch his step since any mistakes on his part would throw him in the jagged ravine below. He briefly considered teleporting, but his target would probably not appreciate such an intrusion, so for his own safety he continued on foot.

He took in his surroundings and noted that his potential ally seemed to like isolated places just as much as he did. The mountain he had been scaling contained many caves and unless someone possessed either the magic that Loki had or some type of high-end technology, no one would ever be able to find this elusive man.

Entering the dark cave, Loki looked around cautiously and noted many weaker energy signals, which were probably lackeys burdened with security detail. However, if they thought he was a threat, they made no move to stop him from advancing towards their master. Loki stopped as soon as he was in front of a man, whose face was obscured by a green cape that hung loose around his shoulders.

“What business do you have here?” The voice boomed and ricocheted against the cave’s walls.

“I am seeking an ally to take part in my plans,” Loki smoothly stated. The man turned to face him. He was obviously wary of him, but Loki didn’t care. He only needed the man to trust him for enough time to further his plan.

~*~

“We’re in position,” Fury said into his S.H.I.E.L.D. communicator.

“Wait, Let me go in and try to talk to him first,” Natasha interjected.

“Are you serious? We’re talking about the Hulk here. The man can’t control himself once he transforms and you just want to waltz in there?”

Natasha shrugged.

“It might be better to give him some warning before we start attacking him. He might listen.”

Fury looked at her and contemplated whether she was serious. They engaged in a brief staring contest before Fury sighed in defeat.

“Fine. If we see anything, we’re going to shoot.”

Natasha smiled as she made her way through the multitudes of men holding their guns at attention, targeting a small house. The house could really be called a shack. It took even S.H.I.E.L.D. a few months to track Bruce Banner to this quiet place in the isolated Canadian wilderness. She didn’t know why but she knocked on the door before entering.

The house looked as dilapidated from the inside as it did from the outside. The only furniture seemed to be some antique chairs and a table and there seemed to be laundry all over the place. Natasha felt like they were searching for some infamous cat lady rather than the incredible Hulk. She looked around before she spotted him in a corner, studying her.

“Doctor, we need you to come in,” Natasha said, quick and to the point. Bruce seemed extremely wary of the whole situation.

“What if I say,” He paused as he continued to study her. “No?”

“I’ll persuade you,” Natasha gave him a brief smile. Even from inside the house, she heard men assuming their positions, poised to aim. She noted Bruce’s defensive stance and she knew he could hear their movements as well. Bruce seemed to be contemplating her statement as he looked distractedly around his humble abode.

“Why find me? I have caused no one any harm since I left,” he briefly thought of his vivid dream before dispelling it from his thoughts.

“Fury has been working within S.H.I.E.L.D. to start a new initiative called the Avengers,” Natasha almost beamed as she answered him, happy that the encounter might be solved through diplomatic means rather than a blood bath. He looked at her, his head cocked to the side as he waited for her to continue.

“The Avengers are a group of heroes. Not only would you be part of the team, but you would be permanently removed off of any wanted lists,” she hoped the last bit of information might change his mind. Bruce looked around again, processing the new information.

“I rather like it here. It’s peaceful and safe.”

“It’s not anyone’s intention to harm you,” her reply earned her an empty laugh.

“It’s not me I’m worried about,” Bruce’s mind once again drifted off towards his vivid dream.

“We have reason to believe that the Earth will soon be in great danger,” her voice trailed off into a soft whisper. Bruce’s eyes snapped to hers as he studied her.

“I can’t promise much, but people are in danger I will do all I can to help.”

Natasha smiled as she reached out her hand towards him. After a brief hesitation he took it and followed her outside.

~*~

Walking through the over crowded streets of New York City, a lone man dressed in a long green shirt and leather pants traveled undetected by the surrounding pedestrians. Each person he passed seemed to be drowning in their own thoughts and completely oblivious to his true nature. As he drew near his target, he effortlessly slipped out from the crowd, his anticipation quickening his steps. He approaches a large, gothic-style church, which he briefly stops and gazes at, admiring the one thing he thought humans created that was passable. He then vaulted over the adjacent blackened gates and landed among a sea of graves. His eyes quickly shift to an aged stone vault, sealed to the outside world.

After disappearing in jagged fumes of smoke, he suddenly reappeared inside the vault and moved towards a large stone coffin. With a wave of his hand the large stone coffin moved sideways and he entered the small, hollow tunnel. The grave is replaced in its rightful position with a hint of green. Within moments he is in a well-lit room, decorated with shelves embedded into the walls, full with books and scrolls. The final embers of the fire in a corner are slowly dying, which the man brings back to life with a wave of his hand. He walks toward a leather chair and falls into it before gazing at the giant oval mirror in front of him.

“What sort of fun will I have today?” The god of mischief asks the dank air as his eyes shine green and spark the mirror to life.

~*~

Weeks had passed since Tony’s encounter with both the Hulk and the man whom Fury had addressed as Thor. When he woke up this morning, the last call he expected to receive was from Fury, saying that he had located both the Hulk and Thor. Now that all the players had been informed, they were going to gather and meet each other for the first time.

Heaving a sigh, Tony entered the briefing room and inspected the mismatched group of people that were to make up the Avengers as they sat around a giant, oblong conference table. He recognized Natasha instantly. As he walked by, she caught his gaze, lifting her eyebrow in surprise. Tony gave her his infamous shit-eating grin as Natasha rolled her eyes.

Tony continued to scan the room – he would taunt Natasha later. A few seats away from her sat a man with short blonde hair who looked extremely clean-cut and almost too orderly for his taste. He looked like the man the “I want you for the US Army” poster hoped to enlist.

In the back of the table was another man, dressed in armor, which he recognized as the man who had hit him with his hammer. He looked a little confused and slightly wary as he distractedly looked around, shifting uncomfortably and crossing his arms in a defensive stance. In the corner stood another man who was absent-mindedly fiddling with his crossbow.

“Welcome,” Fury simply stated as he walked into the room. “I have gathered you because there was once an idea to bring together a group of remarkable people, so when we needed them, they could fight the battle we never could.”

“Each of you has a special skill that S.H.I.E.L.D. could utilize,” Fury continued. “This meeting will be the first of many. Over here is Natasha Romanoff, or as she is known, the Black Widow. She’s a very skilled assassin,” Fury gestured towards the red headed woman.

“To her right we have Steve Rogers, also known as Captain America, a man who led our troops into battle against the Nazis in World War II. Behind him is Clint Barton, known as Hawkeye, whose skill is tied to his bow. “Of course,” Fury paused as he regarded Tony, “as many of you know, Tony Stark, also called Ironman. Lastly we have Thor, who has recently joined us from his world of Asgard.”

“Wait - what? That sounds familiar,” Tony eyes widened, “Where have I heard that before –”

“You are to work together as a team,” Fury blatantly commanded, knocking Tony from his musings. Steve rose from his chair.

“I volunteer to be a leader. I have led many men during my service in the war and I believe that I have enough experience to warrant such a position,” He stated as he looked around the room. Tony inwardly scoffed and was instantly repelled by the man’s seemingly arrogant tone – or maybe that was just his own ego talking.

“Furthermore, I could lead us into battle against anyone we face because –”

“Since we’re working for the same goal,” Tony interjected as he turned to face Fury. “Isn’t it better if we lead ourselves but still work as part of a team?” Natasha’s eyes flashed with a glimmer of green as she turned her head towards Stark.

“Excuse me, but don’t you think that’s a little rude? I was talking, you know.”

“No offense, but I don’t play well with others,” Tony snapped. He regarded Steve with an air of haughtiness as Steve strode towards him.

“Big man in a suit of armor, take that away and what are you?” Steve sneered into Tony’s face.

“A genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist,” Tony quickly countered before putting on his best “Fuck you, I’m Tony Stark!” grin. From somewhere in the back, Tony heard Thor laughing.

“I’ve heard a lot about you, Stark. From what I understand, you’ve never led a team, so why do you think you’d be qualified to assume the position of leadership? I led a whole troop to vict–”

“What? Like seventy years ago? Oh yeah, that makes you really qualified to lead a team. How did you even find this place? The yellow pages?”

“Gentlemen! Enough!” Fury shouted above the two. “This was supposed to be a nice introductory session where you all meet your allies. No one is taking control,” He looked at Steve.

“And everyone should learn to be a little more cooperative,” he glared at Tony. “Do I make myself clear?” When no one answered, Fury took the answer as an affirmative.

“Tony,” Fury addressed the still-fuming man. “When you were in the hospital, you mentioned a man with green eyes.” Thor’s ears perked up.

“Yeah, he came to visit me later.”

“What?” Startled, Fury stared at Tony, awaiting a further explanation.

“He told me something about how he fell from some weird place and he was going to destroy the world or something,” Tony continued.

“This man you speak of, was he dressed in similar clothing to mine?” Thor eagerly asked.

“Yeah, it was some weird leather stuff.”

“Do you know him?” Fury addressed Thor.

“He might be my brother,” Thor answered, feeling the guilt well up within him as he remembered Loki’s fall from the Bifrost. He was still deciding whether or not to disclose the fact that the green glow which overtook the Hulk was probably his brother’s doing.

“I think he mentioned that Ass-gard place,” Tony looked back at Thor, who was deep in thought.

“Interesting. We must keep a watchful eye for this man. He might be dangerous,” Fury stated.

Thor looked worried. He did not want to fight his brother nor did he want any harm to come to him. Fury changed the topic and began talking about S.H.I.E.L.D. and what the protocols would be and everything that Tony didn’t have the faintest interest in. No one noticed Natasha or the small grin that had appeared on her face. Her eyes shone green before going back to their natural hue. She shook her head, confused.

~*~

Tony had just finished making himself a drink and walked over to one of the chairs on his veranda, with a breath-taking view of the ocean below. He let the wind ruffle his hair as the sun warmed him. Suddenly, he felt a tingling sensation on the back of his neck.

“There seems to be a lot of tension between you and your fellow comrades,” the softly whispered statement was so close to Tony’s ear that he could almost feel the lips that produced it. A jolt of both fear and excitement ran through him before he rose from his chair and turned around.

“What’s the matter? Don’t like taking orders?” Loki intently watched Tony’s reaction. A brief flash of anger flitted across his face.

“How do you know where I live?” Tony decided to change the topic.

“Not difficult to figure out, considering the fact that you are rather well known in this realm.” Tony took in the man’s appearance – the piercing green eyes, jet black hair and the strange fashion of his leather armor. The man looked like someone that could haunt your dreams as well as your nightmares. Suddenly, Tony remembered Thor and his concern over his fallen brother.

“You’re Thor’s brother, aren’t you?” Tony asked, deciding to take a stab in the dark. Loki visibly flinched at the statement.

“Brother is hardly the word I would use. Besides, our relationship is no concern of yours,” Loki snarled.

“Well aren’t we touchy? What’s the matter? Is there tension between you two,” Tony grinned as he watched Loki glare at him. He bent down to take his scotch and watched his scotch turn into garden snakes.

“What the–! Hey! I was drinking that!”

“Your tone displeased me, almost as much as it displeased your comrade – what was his name? Oh yes, Captain America,” Loki seamlessly reverted back to their previous topic.

“How would you even know? You weren’t there,” Tony answered as he began to ponder all the reasons as to why Loki seemed to take interest in his interactions with the others.

“Wasn’t I?” Loki gave an innocent smile. Tony studied the man intently, ignoring the snakes writhing at his feet.

“Why are you here? Want to pull another memory from my head or maybe you want to conjure a large green man?” Tony asked with exasperation as he made his way back to the bar to make himself another drink since his previous one now had a life of its own. Loki laughed.

“So you noticed?” Loki seemed slightly surprised that a mere human could make such a quick connection to him and his magic. “But no, I’m here for a far more interesting reason this time.”

“Yeah, like what?” As Tony looked up, he saw that Loki was nowhere to be seen.

Irate at the fact Loki had once again vanished, Tony downed the rest of his drink before he felt a sudden desire to drive to the Avenger’s HQ. At first he tried to shrug off the feeling, but when it wouldn’t go away he decided there would be no harm in driving over.

He finished his scotch before he went downstairs. After choosing one of his many cars, he got in and made took a nice leisurely drive towards the headquarters. Upon reaching his destination, he parked in his designated spot before walking in, greeting the assorted security personnel as he went. He made his way into the bowels of the headquarters and was surprised to find himself so sure of his steps as he made his way through the labyrinth that he had only seen once. Within moments, he had stopped before a vault and with nimble fingers entered in a code he knew he did not have access to. The door slid open to reveal a titanium briefcase. He took the briefcase before making his way back to his car.

He tossed the briefcase in the passenger’s seat as he drove home, enjoying the wind in his hair and deciding that his new convertible might replace his precious Audi. His mind instantly began creating schematics as he remembered an upgrade that he had meaning to do on his suit.

As he was driving, he had the sudden urge to throw the briefcase over the side of the highway and into the sea below. Keeping one hand on the steering wheel, he reached to his side and caught the handle of the briefcase. With one swift movement he threw it over the side of the highway before continuing on his way home, shaking his head in order to dispel a strange sense of nausea.

As soon as he got home, the first thing Tony did was head upstairs for his medicine cabinet. He took a few pills before drowning them in scotch. He made his way to his couch, deciding that a quick nap would settle his mind. Although hours had passed, Tony felt as if he had only been dozing a few minutes before he heard Jarvis. He pretended to ignore him, but the persistent AI seemed hell-bent on pestering him.

“Sir?”

“Yes, Jarvis. What is it?” With irritation clearly evident in his voice, Tony kept his arm over his eyes in an attempt to shield any light. He was still in the process of trying to go back to sleep and hoped that Jarvis would be brief.

“Director Fury is at your doorstep.”

Tony’s eyes flew open. His mind raced with all the possible reason why Fury would show up and he remembered his earlier trip to the headquarters. He had taken some kind of briefcase that had obviously been locked up with extremely tight security and had hurled it into the ocean. Worry left his mind as he remembered that he had the technology to go scouring for it in the ocean. At the same time, his mind was reeling with a valid explanation as to why he had attained the briefcase in the first place. He got up and made his way to the door and was surprised to find not only Fury, but a few more agents, with guns pointed at him. Before he could say another word, Fury answered all his questions with one statement.

“Mr. Stark, you’re under arrest.”

Tony’s eyes went wide as the information began to slowly sink in. He looked at Fury, hoping that the man had attained a sense of humor and was merely joking with him, but his cold stare told him otherwise.

“I have reviewed the surveillance tapes and I saw that you have taken something very precious to S.H.I.E.L.D.”

“What was it?”

This time, Fury looked surprised and he studied Tony, trying to decide if the man was serious or not.

“You don’t know?”

“I . . . no.”

“Then why take it?”

“I . . . I don’t know. I just felt like it, I guess.”

Fury looked at him for a while, trying to make sense of the situation. He remembered the other strange instances of the doppelgangers and wondered if all of this was related. Unfortunately, due to the evidence, Fury knew he had to arrest Stark until some other explanation would present itself.

“Sorry to do this to you, Mr. Stark. But under the circumstances, we have to place you under arrest.”

He was filled with a sickening feeling as he stood there immobile and allowed men to strap him into a pair of handcuffs before they shoved him into a car. The whole ride over, Tony’s hazy mind reeled as it tried to piece together fragments of the strange past few weeks. As they neared the headquarters, one of the men placed a blindfold over his eyes.

“Kinky,” Tony smiled, hoping to somehow alleviate the tension that was quickly encompassing the area around him. The only answer he received was a rough shove out of the car before he felt two men on either side of him grab his arms and practically drag him into the Avenger’s headquarters.

Knowing where he was brought no comfort to Tony, since the blindfold prevented him from fully taking in his surroundings. When the blindfold was finally taken off, the guards pushed him into a room and bolted the door behind him. Tony look around to see that he was in a room with mirrors and cameras carefully imbedded into the corners of the high ceiling. There was a small bed in the corner and a toilet in another, but other than that the room had no other furnishings.

“Feeding to my narcissism, I see,” Tony said to no one in particular, although he knew the men behind the other side of the camera lens were carefully monitoring his every movement. He sat down on the bed and realization struck him like a bolt of lightning. Now that he finally had a moment to himself, he knew who was behind all of this. However, he had yet to figure out the how and most importantly the why.

He felt a migraine appearing at the base of his skull and since he had nothing better to do, he lay down on his bed and decided to continue his rudely interrupted nap.

~*~

Author’s Note: Reviews, as always, are extremely welcome! I love to know how I’m doing and any concrete criticisms if you have any. :)
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The Avengers: Tainted Love