AN: WARNING! This story contains death (no major characters), tragedy and suicide attempts. If you feel such things would be detrimental to yourself or even if you don't like hearing about them it's best if you pick another story.

Thanks go to xanseviera on deviantart for use of the picture 'Avengers+team tessarect' as cover art.

Clint Barton never spoke of his time under Loki's control. It wasn't because he couldn't remember, he remembered almost everything. He had a very good memory. There were few moments of his life beyond early childhood that he couldn't remember.

It wasn't because it was horrible either. That infamous Jack Nicholson line was a massive cliche but so apt. They couldn't handle the truth.

The truth was Loki was kind. Sure he'd used the staff on him and forcibly changed his loyalties for a while but it wasn't something he'd had to endure it was... pleasant. He hadn't forced them to work themselves till they dropped. He hadn't hurt them or been cruel. He had been considerate. He had ensured they had all gotten adequate food and rest, even if Loki had to drag Selvig away from his work. The man had been a typical dedicated scientist.

There were some moments he couldn't recall from the first full day with him. Clint remembered Loki challenging his archery skills and he also remembered Loki catching every arrow he shot at him but there was some time between the two that was just blank. He recalled the moment he realized he was missing time and his own voice echoed in his mind as he sank into the memory.

"What happened yesterday?" Loki turned to the archer a question on his face and Clint continued. "I can't remember everything I did yesterday." Loki raised an eyebrow.

"Is that unusual for you Agent Barton?" His tone was calm and polite as usual. Barton nodded once.

"Yes sir, very." Loki sighed and stepped up to the shorter man, resting a hand on his shoulder gently.

"You are correct. Something did happen but I have blocked your access to the memory. It would only cause you pain. You did agree to this at the time and rest assured that, should you require it, I will release those memories for you."

Clint had accepted his words. Even now he believed him. Loki hadn't lied to him. Clint was his trusted lieutenant, the only one who learned the whole truth about the invasion. He'd seen the way those meditative communications had left him in pain. He'd been told about the coming 'allies' and knew more about Loki's plan then anyone and something hadn't fit.

It had taken him just under a day to work it out. Well just under a day to have suspicions. When Loki had told him about his memories, Clint felt trusted and secure enough to bring it up. So after requesting a private conversation and some subtle enquiries to ensure the Chitauri weren't listening in just then, he'd flat out asked Loki if he meant to fail.

The god had been surprised but after listening to Clint's reasoning he had caved. He'd told him about his fall from the bifrost, his landing among the Chitauri and their plans to attack Midgard at the behest of the mad titan. He told Clint about offering a quicker route to victory in an effort to save the whole planet at the cost of a few. He spoke of how Midgard needed a strong defense team, should the titan try to come anyway and how he hoped Fury's Avengers were up to the test he was throwing at them.

"I'm supposed to be on that team, and you could use someone working the other side." Barton said when Loki was silent for a few moments. The god smiled sadly.

"Your loyalty to me is only borrowed and while I have it they will not trust you. You cannot promise you will feel the same should you be recovered by them."

Barton thought about it. Loki came first. The staff had ensured that but SHIELD wasn't his first priority after him. People he cared about always came before that. The safety of the world sure as hell came before any loyalty to SHIELD. Clint was an assassin, he was no stranger to collateral damage and while it was sometimes tragic he knew well how important it was to focus on the needs of the many.

With his logic firmly worked out in his mind, Clint nodded and turned to the door. He heard Loki sigh behind him but his next move shocked the god. There was an audible click as Clint locked the door. He then moved passed his stunned superior to stand at the other end of the room. Loki now stood between him and the only way out of the underground room looking at him in confusion.

"Try me." Barton spread his arms, giving Loki free access to his chest. The god raised his eyebrows in surprise, contemplating the man in front of him, before raising the sceptre to his chest and withdrawing the power from the mortal. As he pulled the sceptre back Barton let out a breath.

"That is one weird ass rush." Clint took a moment to center himself before looking up at the man who had been his top priority moments ago and yet what he was truely trying to achieve still ranked higher than SHIELD. "This team Fury wants to put together has some big personalities in it. It's gonna take something special to bring 'em together more than physically." Loki smiled, pleasantly surprised.

"The common enemy." Barton shook his head.

"Even with an adversary of your caliber it's not going to be enough. Rogers is a born leader and Stark is an arrogant ass. They're going to butt heads. Banner is practically a pacifist unless you get him angry and while Thor is on Fury's wishlist he's not here. Nat and I have experience working off others but if you want a coordinated team it's gonna take more."

"You surprise me Agent Barton. You have quite the strategic mind and the local understanding that I lack. I suppose you have some suggestions?" Loki had underestimated the archer but he wouldn't do it again. Barton crossed his arms as his brow furrowed in thought.

"Getting them to fight shouldn't be too hard. Rogers will fight because it's what he does. Hit Stark in his ego and he'll fight too. Nat's a spy, she might not be up to fighting a war but if you make it personal she'll go for it. Banner is all about preserving life so if you threaten civilians he might join in, though you may want to piss off the Hulk as well. Getting them to coordinate will need a common purpose for a common reason..." Barton trailed off, frowning at the floor and Loki could tell he'd had an idea he wasn't sure if he wanted to share.

"Barton?" Loki's tone was firm but not unkind and Clint looked up at him with a wince before running his hands through his hair, hesitating a moment longer before he continued painfully.

"Coulson. He's... He has this way of getting under your skin, in a good way. He's always calm and friendly. Killing him would be... To the people that know him it would be as bad as killing a child. He becomes important to a person really fast... He's important to me." Barton's voice dropped to a whisper at the last point and Loki noted the look of distress on his face.

"You do not believe an injury will suffice." Barton closed his eyes and sighed.

"It kills me to say it but no." The god of mischief nodded, half-formed plots already filling his mind.

"If I can find a way to spare him, I will." Clint nodded, grateful but still afraid it may not be possible. He cleared his throat and changed the subject.

"So they're gonna need to 'recover' me at some point. The sceptre works with the brain, right?" Loki nodded and Clint continued. "Would a blow to the head shake it loose?" Loki considered the sceptre in his hand for a moment.

"Probably. Why?" Barton smirked.

"Because if I know Natasha that'll be the first thing she'll try."

They had continued planning a while longer and when Loki had returned the staff to Barton's chest, Clint had been surprised. He didn't feel his priorities shift as he had the last time and Loki explained he'd only used enough of the sceptre's power to make it look like he was under Loki's control. He'd also formed a mental link between the two of them.

Any thoughts Clint consciously directed to Loki would be heard by him and vice versa. He'd gotten the hang of it rather quickly. It had been Clint who suggested he use Stark tower in New York as an opening point… while Loki had been in a different room.

/What is special about it? Why there?/ Loki spoke in his mind curiously.

\\It's perfect for several reasons.\\ Clint returned looking down at the page he was preparing. \\It will serve as the blow to Stark's ego to get him invested. It's powered by its own reactor which we can use to jump-start the portal and it's in the middle of a city. The threat to civilians would get Banner involved but the extensive subway system would give people an easy escape route, especially if you can keep the Chitauri above ground.\\ He placed the sheet of paper covered in binary code into a simple manila folder and headed to where he knew Loki was.

/Hmm. Why do I sense a 'but'.../ Loki sent and Clint smiled slightly as he approached the god.

\\Not a 'but'... a 'however'. You'll need this.\\ Clint handed the folder to Loki who opened it before looking towards his retreating back in confusion.

/Is this some form of code?/ Loki sent to him as Clint busied himself supervising Loki's other minions.

\\Of a sorts. It's binary. A language made for computers. Stark's tower is operated by an artificial intelligence so advanced it has a degree of autonomy. That page translates to 'It is vital the Avengers do not know but I plan to fail. The alternative is an ELE. I am here to prevent it. Please signal you understand by dimming the lights.' The tower is full of cameras the AI has access to. You only need to lay it flat in full view of one of these cameras.\\

/What is an ELE?/ Loki looked over the page once more, as if he could decipher the words if he stared hard enough.

\\Extinction Level Event. Something that has the potential to wipe out all life on the planet.\\ Barton paused while his focus was drawn outwards to answer someone's random question. \\Don't forget to destroy it after you get the signal. I wouldn't be surprised if Stark could read it straight off the page.\\

Loki had praised his idea and tucked the file away safely. Loki had told him he could easily entice Thor to Earth by revealing himself to Heimdall and putting on a bit more of an act about ruling Midgard and the Allfather was bound to send his precious heir to stop him. Clint heard the bitterness in his tone but didn't pry. Every family had issues of some kind.

Clint pointed out that if Thor did come and Loki did manage to fail that he would most likely be taken back to Asgard. Loki said he wasn't worried about that and promised to prepare something that would allow Clint to summon him from his imprisonment should it be needed. Barton told Loki about one of his personal safe houses that SHIELD didn't know about where he could put it.

Clint had advised Loki to include an off switch for the portal and the god of mischief had managed to manipulate Selvig into adding one while thinking it had been his idea. As the machine got closer to completion and Selvig told Barton he need iridium, Loki spoke into Clint's mind that it was time for the real acting to begin. The invasion was drawing closer and the Chitauri would be watching more often and he was about to reveal himself to Heimdall.

Loki made a song and dance about ruling not hiding and Clint voiced an idea to get himself captured by SHIELD. They spoke about the raid in Germany before Loki made a show of pausing before looking up and calling for everyone to pack up and prepare to move tesseract before shielding himself from Heimdall again to give the Asgardian the impression the spell had simply slipped from Loki's focus momentarily.

The raid had gone well. Although Clint had nearly lost composure and laughed out loud when Loki spoke in his mind as the eye scanner received the data from Loki's transmitter.

/Everyone is running away screaming. Do you think they'll realize where I am?/ Loki's tone was amused and Clint could practically see the mischievous and probably slightly feral smile he wore. Knowing the man Loki was currently assaulting would suffer only brief pain and temporary blindness, the tone Clint replied in was equally amused.

\\They probably picked you up as soon as you appeared on a security camera, though depending on where they are it could take a while to get there. You may want to put on a show about ruling Earth if you need to delay.\\

/Oh this will be fun./

Safely back in their stolen quinjet Clint had allowed himself to smile at the trickster's comment. The other minions probably just thought it was about a successful mission Clint didn't correct them. He was really coming to like the guy. Clint understood why he'd been named the god of mischief. The way he seemed to revel in acting the villain while cracking jokes in his head told Clint he didn't get much opportunity to play like this often.

Outwardly he seemed cruel and cold but the unspoken communication between them revealed the depths of emotion Loki was capable of. He tried to hide it and Clint didn't give him any indication he'd noticed but there was a layer of hurt under his playfulness.

Clint was alone, resting in a room of their new base when Loki's sarcastic tone drifted into his mind.

/Oh joy. Thor's here./ What Clint sent back wasn't words but a sense of curiosity. He'd seen Thor briefly when he'd been trying to recover his hammer and he was curious about him. Sensing his friend's curiosity, (Friend? When had that happened?) Loki opened the connection between them a bit wider and allowed Clint to view what he was seeing.

Clint watched as Thor pulled Loki out of the quinjet and slammed him into the ground. He felt an echo of the pain that went through Loki and he couldn't help but crack a joke to try to ease his suffering.

\\Is that how he says hello to everyone? 'Cos I'm not sure I want to meet him if it is.\\ Loki couldn't suppress the surprised chuckle that erupted from him. Clint smiled to himself for making him laugh and continued to watch the encounter.

His smile faded into a frown as he heard Loki weave truth and lies in order to manipulate the god of thunder into joining the fight. He could practically feel the emotional pain Loki was doing his best to hide. Loki could tell that Clint noticed but somehow he didn't mind. He didn't sense any judgement or pity coming from the archer.

"You give up the tesseract, give up this poisonous dream! You come home." Thor's voice had softened and Clint spoke gently to Loki.

\\He sounds really worried about you.\\ Barton felt Loki's surprise at his observation and he worried he'd crossed the line. Were they friendly enough that he could say something like that without offending him?

It was at that moment when Loki turned back to his conversation with Thor that Clint realized that Loki was a lot like Coulson. When you knew the real him he could become important to you really quickly. The difference was Loki took great efforts to hide away his true self. Clint didn't understand why he'd never really done that with him.

Loki and Clint had continued their mental planning session as Loki sat in the cell he would have no trouble escaping. They planned for an attack on the helicarrier, both to put the carrier out of commission and out of the way of the coming battle and as an initial team builder for the Avengers.

Clint marveled at the elegant complexities of Loki's planning and the god himself appreciated Barton's strategic input. They really seemed to work well off each other and they shared a similar, slightly dark, sense of humor.

When Loki had suddenly paused and told Clint that Romanov was there Barton told him if he mentioned Dreykov's daughter, Sao Paulo and the hospital fire she would think Loki had all sorts of details about her past. Clint told him to really get her on board he would have to terrorize her. He needed to personally offend her but let her think she had conned some sort of information from him. He suggested threatening him.

Loki had told Clint he thought her acting was exceptional. He may have even believed her if he hadn't been doing the same sort of thing for centuries. When Loki repeated the threat he'd given to her over their mental link Clint had just laughed and pointed out that since Loki never intended to harm him it wasn't actually a lie.

The attack on the helicarrier went well. Hulk was unleashed which was a bit scary but also served to let Banner's green alter ego know a serious fight was coming. Clint knocked out the security cameras and one of the engines before escaping into the air ducts he knew like the back of his hand. He had paused in an alcove when Loki told him Coulson was there. He waited with baited breath for Loki to tell him how it went down.

/A non-fatal stab wound and a slow paralyzing spell. In a few minutes it will fully activate, slowing his heart rate to four beats per minute. The spell should wear off in a couple of days. Heal the stab wound and he will recover./ Loki reported to Clint and the archer let out a breath of relief.

\\Thank you.\\ In reply to Clint's heartfelt gratitude he cracked a joke.

/When you see him again tell him that weapon of his rather stings./ Clint smiled.

\\Sure thing. Now if you'll excuse me I have a date with a concussion.\\

Getting the energy drawn out by the scepter had felt like a brief adrenaline rush. Having it shaken loose by a blow to the head felt different. As the energy dissipated it felt like he was coming down off a bad high. He played up his discomfort to make more of a show of 'coming to his senses.'

Normally he wouldn't be able to lie so convincingly to Natasha. She knew him too well but she didn't know Loki. She assumed he had been cruel and unkind and hell bent on taking over the planet. If she were right then there was no way Clint would have helped him but she wasn't. Her wrong assumption let her believe his story.

He told her he didn't know where Loki was headed. He'd asked Loki to drop hints for him so he could play up the mindless drone soldier part. He hoped he wouldn't have to try dropping a few of his own. Thankfully it wasn't long until Rogers was calling them to action.

The battle itself had been intense. He remembered flying to Stark tower and his sharp eyes had noted that the top floor lights were slightly dimmer and he smiled to himself. His favorite moment had to be when Nat had called for his assistance because Loki was on her tail. Clint could tell the god of mischief was deliberately letting his shots go slightly wide, same as he'd done when he'd shot an arrow at her. Clint dialed up an explosive tip knowing it wouldn't really hurt Loki, just surprise him. He smiled as he lined up the shot. He knew Loki would catch it but with their connection now broken he couldn't know of the prank Clint was about to play in the heat of battle.

He kept with the lie after the battle, after Loki and Thor returned to Asgard, even now more than two months later he still hadn't told anyone the truth. Clint looked to a specific drawer in his room. A couple of weeks after the invasion he'd gone to his safe house to retrieve what Loki had left for him. He'd found a box with seven crystals and instructions on how to summon him directly from where he was probably imprisoned in Asgard. Loki's note had warned him to only do it if truly necessary because it would only work once.

After returning with it to the newly remodeled Avengers tower he'd shown the box to Nat and made her swear never to look inside but he told her if ever he went missing to check the box. If it was gone as well she should head to central park, alone, to the same spot they'd seen Thor off from. He asked her not to tell anyone else. He had been so serious about it so she had promised.

He didn't know why he felt compelled to tell Nat but somehow he knew that whatever the circumstances that necessitated Loki, he would want her there too. Something told him that whatever memory Loki had hidden from him couldn't be good.

Clint was pulled from his reminiscing by a loud alarm that seemed to echo throughout the entire tower. The call to assemble.