Worthy

Part 27 - Another One?

*4 hours earlier*

While you and Tony are chatting in the meeting room, the rest of the team are milling around the compound, trying to shake off the tension from the day. First your sudden and tearful arrival from Asgard, to the conflict with Fury. All of them with questions; none of them daring to ask them though. "Some day huh?" Steve asks Nat as he joins her in the kitchen.

"Never a dull moment around here Cap!" She half laughs, leaning against the counter.

"You agree with Tony on this? That we should keep Kate in the loop on everything?"

"Definitely." She nods. "You know how quick she works, and now she has a point to prove to Fury, she'll double down on it. We'll get somewhere with these stones." She rubs his arm before continuing to make her coffee. "Besides, she needs the distraction right now."

Steve simply nods, but still as always, a little doubt in the back of his mind. "I've never seen her like that, have you?" He thinks back to how upset you were, how he had to practically drag you to Tony's lab.

"Not since what happened in New York." Nat replies, referring to what had happened to Thor. She stops what she's doing as she has a realisation. "In fact, I've only ever saw her upset when it has anything to do with Thor. Normally she's harder to crack."

"Exactly. And this is more of his territory, so if we stand a chance they need to work together." Steve sighs, "I'm just not sure we should push it, push her. Plus there's something else going on here. You heard Fury right? About the group therapy thing?" Nat nods.

"Can you guys please stop talking about her?" Peter shouts from the kitchen door, shocking both of them. "She doesn't need this, people questioning her."

"Peter, it's not like that. We're just worried..." Nat starts.

"Well be her friends then, not talking about her behind her back." Peter storms out, almost running straight into Tony.

"What's going on in here?" Tony asks, raised eyebrow, looking between Peter's shocked expression, and Nat and Steve.

"They don't trust Kate," Peter spits out, still angry.

"No," Steve shakes his head. "We never said that Tony, but we are worried about her."

"Don't be," Tony snaps but not quite as angry as Peter was expecting. "She'll be knee deep in research by now," he quickly looks at his watch. "And unlikely to resurface any time soon, which is perfect!" He snaps his fingers, walking around the room. "

"I don't like this," Nat half laughs. "What you got going on in that crazy skull of yours now Stark?"

"A party," Tony sighs. "More specifically a birthday party!"

"For who?" Peter asks, looking confused, while Nat puts her head down and Steve sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Wow, call yourself friends!" Tony half laughs, before looking more disappointed at Peter. "For Kate dummy, who else?"

"But her birthday isn't till..." he starts, before he realises. "Oh my god, I can't believe I forgot!"

"Well we have a couple of days," Tony starts, "But I'm thinking after the last few days, maybe we ALL take a break and have the party earlier, like maybe tomorrow? Then it could be an actual surprise."

"This doesn't make sense, Kate hates parties Tony." Steve sighs.

"Which is why it isn't going to be a party!" He points at Steve. "I say we turn the training centre into a laser-tag arena." He looks directly at Peter who nods enthusiastically.

"Mr Stark that's brilliant!" He claps his hands and jumps up. Even Nat agrees, while Steve looks on confused. "Kate came and picked me up from one of those last year," Peter cuts in, talking at twice the normal speed. "We were still playing and she just jumped in and took us all out, especially this kid Flash who was..."

"Take a breath kid," Tony taps his shoulders. Peter just nods, still far too excited. "Look, maybe it is a bit much, but she needs something to get back to herself. And maybe I wanna do something a little different that the usual. So you guys in?"

"Definitely!" Nat nods, grabbing her mug and walking over to Tony. Steve half smiles, still concerned about everything going on - Infinity Stones, the Children of Thanos - was now really the time to be fooling around? But having never been to one, and heard the kid talk about it incessantly, he thinks why not? He nods.

"Great," Tony starts. "Now, all we need to do is make sure Kate stays in her room the rest of the night. Especially when Banner and Thor get back."

"You sure you're going to want Thor around, after everything?" Steve asks, looking at the slight bruise that had started to appear on the side of Tony's neck.

"If she wants him there, he's there." Tony shrugs, "I may still need to have a few words with the guy, but he can do all the heavy lifting. Save me the temptation of kicking his ass if I don't have to wear a suit," He half smiles. "But like I was saying I need someone to make sure she won't come out..."

"I'm on it!" Peter shouts excitedly. "I can keep her distracted long enough to set everything up." Looking slightly concerned, Tony raises an eyebrow before thinking about it.

"Ok kid, but draft in some help, just in case. She'll figure something is up so you'll have to play the long game." Tony starts to rattle off movies that he knows you'll love. "Star Wars, Disney, almost anything from the 90s." He stops and has a think. "You know what, start with something like Who Framed Roger Rabbit, or The Goonies, those ought to reel her in." He pats Peter on the shoulder and walks off with Nat and Steve, leaving Peter completely confused.

Walking away, he decides to take Tony's advice. Pulling out his phone, he dials the one other person guaranteed to be able to keep Kate away for now. "Happy. Hey, yeah, I need another favour... Well it's not so much for me, but for Tony. Actually Kate. Cool.... OK, well how quickly do you think you can find a movie about a guy called Roger Rabbit?"

A burst of light once again floods the grounds of the compound, making everyone stop and run to the lawn outside. Tony constantly keeping an eye out in case you leave your room, but your too wrapped up right now to notice.

Surprisingly they're met with the lonely figure of Bruce, constantly looking behind him, as the Bifrost remains open. "Uh, guys?" He asks nervously. "We might have a problem?"

"Another one?" Nat asks, giving him a small hug as he joins her side.

"Where's Thor?" demands Tony, still aggravated from their earlier row. "If he's just going to mess with her head again I swear..."

"Relax Tony," Bruce sighs, giving the Bifrost another look. "He's not the problem."

As the team looks over two figures appear in the Bifrost, before only one of them starts walking towards the compound. "I'm sorry. It wasn't my idea..." Thor starts to talk, directly to Steve. But all eyes are on the figure starting to take a small walk towards them; one they only start to notice more about once the Bifrost closes. A look of awe, anger and confusion setting on almost the entire team as Loki struts forward.

"Well," he grins. "Aren't you pleased to see me?"