Ice and Defenders: The New Age// Book 4 of the Frostbite Series

The Trip Back

Tony piloted the jet while Clint laid on a table with an IV in his arm. Natasha continuously checked his vitals while I held my hand to his forehead to keep his fever down, despite Clint's reassurances that he was fine. Bruce sat in the corner wearing headphones that played opera music. Natasha left Clint's side to talk to Bruce and Clint glanced up at me.

"Hey, you guys should have seen Ellie's telepathic ice trick, it was great."

"Thanks, Clint," I chuckled. 

"So, the training helped?" Steve asked.

"A lot," I nodded.

"Thor, report on the Hulk?" Natasha called out.

Thor turned away from the scepter with his hands on his hips. "The gates of hell are filled with the screams of his victims." 

I knew he was trying to help, but what he said came out way worse than he had intended and Bruce groaned in despair and dropped his head into his hands. 

Thor tried to correct himself. "Uh, but, not the screams of the dead, of course. No, uh, wounded screams, mainly whimpering, a great deal of complaining and tales of sprained deltoids and, and, uh, and gout-"

"Thor," I eyed him before turning to Bruce. "You helped a lot, Bruce. Thank you." Bruce lightly smiled and looked back down. 

"Hey Banner, Dr. Cho is on her way in from Seoul, is it okay if she sets up in your lab?" Tony spoke from the front of the jet.

"Uh, yeah, she knows her way around," Bruce replied.

"Thanks," Tony looked back to the front and spoke to JARVIS. "Tell her to prep everything, Barton's going to need the full treatment."

"Very good, sir," JARVIS replied.

"JARVIS, take the wheel." Tony stood up and walked towards the back of the jet to look at the scepter with Steve and Thor.

I was about to join but Clint grabbed my wrist. I turned and looked at him.

"Hey, no sudden movements you're gonna hurt yourself and freak me out," I said.

"Your hand feels nice on my forehead, though." Clint's eyes were closed as he spoke.

"Oh, I don't want to make Laura jealous." I teased quietly and Clint glared at me.

"You keep quiet." He pointed. 

Only Natasha and I knew about Clint's wife, Laura, who lived in a farm safe house with his two kids. Clint wanted his family to be kept a secret to keep them safe and to avoid any hassle from the rest of the Avengers. 

"Here," I grabbed a cloth and blew white vapor on it letting frost spread before folding it and setting it on Clint's forehead. "Now rest."

I joined Thor, Tony, and Steve in their conversation as Thor looked at the scepter.

"It feels good, yeah?" Tony asked Thor. "I mean, you've been after this thing since SHIELD collapsed. Not that I haven't enjoyed our little raiding parties, but..."

"No, but this, this brings it to a close," Thor replied.

"As soon as we find out what else with has been used for," Steve added. "I don't just mean weapons. Since when is Strucker capable of human enhancement?"

"And how many others are there?" I asked, gazing down at the blue orb glowing in the scepter's blade. "Steve, you said there was a second one, a girl?" 

"Yeah, she had some sort of telekinetic abilities. Not sure what, though." Steve answered. "I'm having Hill get some information on that."

"Banner and I'll give it the once over before it goes back to Asgard." Tony looked to Thor. "Is that cool with you?" Thor nodded in reply and Tony continued. "I mean, just a few days until the farewell party. You're staying right?"