Protection Squad

Loki escaped.

Of course, he escaped.

He should've not trust Natasha when she said she had a way to convince the God of Lies to release Clint mind control. Because she manipulated a lot of people before—including Tony—so she believed she could do the same to Loki. Actually, no, Tony never trusted the red-haired woman to hold a negotiation with the cunning man. But of course, she only needed Captain America permission. Even though the tower was basically his.

The man in spangles himself avoided Tony like plague. Maybe because whenever he came, one of his protective kids flocked around him, barricading him with their own body.

For Takashi, he'll sit near Tony and let Nyanko roamed his piercing gaze around the occupant who dare looking at the brunette weirdly (and it always made the victim of his stare felt weird. Because it was a cat. A cat should never be that scary), talking animatedly about his school life while Tony listened with full attention.

For Hanae and Haruitsuki—the first already told the latter about the confrontation of Steve and Tony. The blonde scowled at that. He relaxed after he watched the recording of Ichigo's dressing down the Captain though—they'll talk about their job and how they finished it, giving an aura that nobody should ever disturb their conversation. Romanova may understand what they were talking about. But if she didn't believe in the world of Youkai, she'll never understand their topic a single bit.

For Ichigo, he'll glare whenever Steve was in the room, leaking his Reiatsu just a little bit to give him an uncomfortable feeling. He'll keep doing that until the bulky man was out of his sight (Steve will never tell anyone, but this is the first time in his entire life that he was scared of someone). Or, if he was with his sisters, they'll joke around, playing games from Tony's hologram JARVIS provided.

For Danny, he'll bring the useless metal from Tony's lab and crack it in half with one hand, to shows the Captain that he was not as weak as he looks, just because his body was a little thin for a high-schooler; definitely using his Ghost Strenght there. Or, if he was with Tucker and Sam, they'll busy themselves with cleaning their ghost weapons, asking Tony here and there about what should they add to the power output so it'll be easier to take down the ghost.

That was one time when Steve braved himself and scolded them for wielding weapons in control area, you're still kids, you shouldn't be playing with that, plus with 'Tony, I'm so disappointed with you' face.

"Steve, it's okay," Bruce clasped his hand on his shoulder, stopping him from his tirade, "that weapons are safe for them."

"What do you mean 'safe', doctor?" he furrowed, "no weapons are safe. Especially when children wield it."

Sam looked like she wanted to murder him for that comment.

"No. It's not a normal weapon. It's an Anti-Ghost weapon," when he saw Captain's confused face, he sighed, "you didn't know about it, didn't you?"

"Of course he didn't, Mr. Bruce," Danny chirped, too gleeful for it to be an innocent expression, "I mean...he thought Tony is still a weapon designer, who sells his weapon to a terrorist. Even though it was practically not a secret to everyone who bothers to watch their news, that it was his Godfather who sold them. Of course, he will not know anything about the existence of ghosts."

Steve wilted. Bruce pinched the bridge of his nose. Tony's kids can be very vengeful sometimes, he mussed, that was one hell of a jab.

"In Amity Town, ghosts are a daily occurrence for the citizen living in there. Nobody knows why they came and why they terrorized that particular town, but they exist. They do, believe me. I saw one myself. There were not like ghosts you saw from fairy tale books. They were visible, glowing green and can hurt a person as much as a human could. They couldn't be hurt by normal weapons. They need a special one, called...an ecto-gun, correct?" Danny nodded, "it shoots some kind of laser beam that made of ectoplasm, Ghost essence, therefore it can hurt the ghosts, weaken them so they can capture them and throw them back inside their zone, as Danny's parents here built the portal to their world. The weapons are harmful to the ghosts but not to humans itself. The ectoplasm will just stick to us like a slime."

As a demonstration, Tucker shot the wrist ray gently to Tony's cheek. He yelped in surprise, yet otherwise fine; the green gunk stuck on his face, dripping slowly onto the glass table.

"I'll get you for that kid!"

Tucker laughed.

"Everyone who is smart enough will always bring one weapon with them," Sam scoffed, "or you'll die in a day. Ghosts in our town are malicious. Not all of them, but the malicious one always caused collateral damages, we practically have a small scale war every single day."

"So screw off," Steve gasped at the use of the swear words, "if you don't know anything, don't even try to scold us. Read your book, watch the news, then you finally have the right to give us some pointer."

The conversation was cut short when the halfa gave the doctor a friendly grin and asked him about anything that was too difficult for Steve to understand. And after that day, he never pestered the trio or Tony ever again.

But back to the main problem here, Loki escaped. Tony cursed, blaming himself for letting Romanova went inside the jail room and 'negotiate'. Now, he was stuck in this situation. Of Loki walking inside his tower leisurely like he owned the place, while Tony tried to calm his beating heart and strapped the Iron Man watch on his wrist as a precaution.

"You didn't work well with those buffoons," the God started. His green eyes shifted, taking everything within his sight as he hummed, "why did you insist on building a camaraderie relationship with them baffled me. You said it yourself that you're more of a solo player."

"Well, I didn't want to work with them either; except Brucie and maybe Point Break. I didn't have time to talk with Legolas, so I couldn't really give my opinion about him," he shrugged, looking nonchalant even though his heart was hammering like crazy inside his ribcage. He poured a drink into the clear glass, just so his hand had something to do and not shivering with fright, "I have my family to protect me anyway. I don't need them. But the world needs the Avenger."

"Family, huh," he mocked, scepter thunk noisily on the tiled floor, "do you know that one of you will die soon?"

Tony's brain went to a halt.

His family? One of them? Will die soon?

Who?

Takashi, because some mean Youkai decided to take revenge on him, thinking that he was his grandmother?

Hanae and Haruitsuki, because Haruitsuki past came to bite him and Hanae was just a casualty?

Ichigo, because he has to fight in another war? Were his sisters another casualty?

Danny, because one of the ghosts succeed in killing him or his parents finally captured him and dissected him? Tucker and Sam tried to protect him but was killed in the process?

Who? Who who who who—

(Oh God, please no. He is not ready. They are still too young to die!)

(It's his fault. For involving them in this superhero gig he lives in. It's my fault)

(My fault my fault my fau—)

"Because I smell death from you," Loki continued, ignorant of Tony's inner turmoil. And that sentence woke him up from his stupor, "it was so thick, I can practically smell it from miles away."

Tony's tensed shoulder sagged in relief as soon as it came. Oh, so he just guessed, no evidence or the power of seeing into the future like Clockwork, the ghost Danny said is his other-worldly godfather. He laughed weakly at that, worrying over nothing. Because he knew what smell he mentioned just now, basically the first thing Nyan-Nyan told him when they were first introduced. He turned and face the confused Loki (he just told them one of his family will die. Or the man himself will die, he amended. Why is he laughing?) and grinned cheekily, "oh don't worry about that, Reindeer Deer. It was not the smell of death you sniffed. It was the smell of the Death."

"What was so different about tha—"

But Loki didn't have any time to finish his words. When Tony felt the air behind his shoulder shimmered, warped and shifted. And he knew the Mistress of Death was here, wrapping her bony hand around his neck like always. Though his gaze was focused on the shocked face of Loki. His green eyes rooted not on Tony but—

"You can see her?" he was surprised, "but Thor couldn't! I mean...you were always clinging onto me wherever I go, I'm sure we met Thor several times already!"

"Tut tut, Tony. Who do you think I am?" he messed Tony's lock with affection, he squawked, "I'm always in Youkai mode, for the lack of better word, whenever I'm with you and the kids. Or Shinigami mode, whichever word you prefer to say. Only some particular people could see me, people who have the Sight. I'm merely turning off the invisible mode and use my real form to let Loki the God of Lies see me. We came from the same realm after all."

Tony hummed and nodded in understanding.

"You—how did you—" Loki run out of words, pointed his index finger to the brunette, disbelief was written so clearly on his pale complexion, "how did a mortal such as you be blessed by the mere presence of The Mistress? And talking with her so crudely too!"

"Hey, I resent that! I'm a gentleman, I talk to her just fine," he huffed. With the Mistress besides him, his racing heart started to thump at a normal pace. He knew she will teleport him to the save place if she thought Tony's life is in danger; no matter how many times she told him she wanted to see him die in a spectacular way, "besides, we already knew each other for two years. Of course, we're best bud now~"

"Two yea—" Loki choked.

"Loki Laufeyson," the Mistress' voice grew in tandem, thousands being echoed and coalesced into one, giving the scare of a lifetime to whoever heard it for the first time. He hasn't heard her using that voice for a while, "cease your attack and go back to your realm. I know Odin is wrong to hide your birthright, imprisoning you from your real family, making you killed them with your own hand. But that was not enough reason to doom another species to the same fate as Jotnar from the Jotunheim."

Hiding his birthright? Imprisoning and killing his real family by the order of his father? Tony shrugged. Someone has a daddy issue as big as him it seems.

Loki, hearing his past was leaked that easily to one of his enemies, straightened. He sneered and spat, "never. I'll show that old cot Odin that I am a way better leader than that baboon. Thor is childish and stupid, he'll lead the race of Asgardian to ruin."

The Mistress sighed, she looked dejected. She waved his hand, doing something to Loki as he unconsciously cried in shock, and said, "be my guest then. But let me remind you that I already gave you the chance."

"What are you—"

Yet for the second time, he didn't get to finished his question. When suddenly, he snapped his attention to the left and brought the scepter to his face, blocking the sudden attack of a big, butcher knife at the very last second; the air crackled and gave a bright spark as their weapon met.

It was Ichigo, clad in his Shinigami outfit, face determined and orbs glinting. He pulled back and swung his Zanpakuto to the side of Loki's abdomen. The God moved from the attack range and tried to teleport out of the room. But with another single wave from the Mistress, a barrier was instantly built around the perimeter, Loki smacked his head at it because he was a tad bit too slow. Seeing the enemy was not going anywhere, Ichigo resumed his fierce assault, forcing Loki to defend himself.

At least Loki has a skill other than scepter-waving, Tony nodded. That was one fatal weakness of every mage. The author of Harry Potter really needs to included hand to hand combat if she wanted him to be alive at the end of the series. What if he loses his wand? It'll be the end of him!

"Wait," he narrowed his eyes, watching the fight from the safe distance—their weapons met again and were staying there for a while as Ichigo tried to overpower Loki, "you said you were in Shinigami mode whenever you were around me and my kids. Loki couldn't see you before you turned the mode off. So, why can he see Ichigo? He's in his Shinigami form right now."

"I lent him the Sight temporarily," she answered, flinging the debris away from their safe zone, "so Loki can fight with Kurosaki Ichigo in the same field."

Ichigo started, like he just heard something, and immediately stepped back. Loki was too slow and took the brunt of a green beam right on his chest, sending his whole body flying to the opposite wall. He couldn't see anyone, but Tony was sure that was Danny's ghost attack.

(And Tony also realized, wasn't that the Fenton Phone on his ear? Danny must've given Ichigo the instruction of his attack so the oldest senior could avoid it)

"But he couldn't see Danny-boy though."

"I said fighting with Kurosaki Ichigo in the same field. I never said it included Danny Fenton-Phantom," ooh that was so sneaky, Tony sniggered, "besides, you couldn't see him either when he used his invisibility skill."

Yes, it was something Tony whined at. The moment Danny knew the people who can See couldn't spot him when he was invisible, he decided it was the time for some prank. Sometimes, Takashi felt like someone was touching his shoulder but found nothing when he turned around. Sometimes, Haruitsuki staggered as he felt someone grabbed his ankle (Hanae just flat out fell to the ground, in which Danny laughed before he apologized. Hanae pouted). Sometimes, Ichigo found someone had stick several Iron Man stickers on his back without him noticing. They knew it was him, but they could do nothing to stop it because they didn't know when it will happen. As long as it was just harmless pranks, they didn't mind. Though Ichigo grumbled, pulling off all of these stickers were annoying and tedious as hell I'm gonna pay you for this, Danny just you wait!

Loki let out a wave of fire, forcing Ichigo to step back for a moment before he resumed. The God snarled in frustration, clearly started to get tired while the orange-haired teen in front of him didn't even sweat. It was such a humiliation for a higher being like him. He became more and more agitated because he needed to count on the invisible attacker he still couldn't pinpoint as well. He only nailed Danny twice, his magic sensed his aura; flickering and too dim for him to attack at the exact point-blank. The first was avoided easily, though Danny yelped in surprise and it disclosed his position. The second grazed Danny's shoulder, it made him lose control of his invisibility as he tried to reign his scream from coming out (Tony almost went away from the Mistress protection to help the halfa). Loki could only widen his eyes in shock—as he finally realized the other enemy was way younger than Ichigo, it hurt his pride—before Danny gave a weak cheeky grin and turned invisible again. Their combo attack continued.

It was laughably easy, Tony rose an eyebrow. For all he boasted about his superb in the art of magic, that he was the best mage in all Asgardian, he couldn't even overpower Ichigo. Granted, the senior himself has a rather large quantity of Reiatsu, giving him a boost in strength and stamina. Danny too, with his Ghost power. They have been doing an extreme work out tirelessly in their whole life of a teenager the moment they decided to be a Hero. So that must be the problem. And they fought over-powered villains one after the other without resting. So, as much as Tony regret that he couldn't make them stay away from the dark side of the world, these two kids of his has experienced.

Loki sprawled on the floor, green orbs glinted maliciously with a tint of fear as Ichigo loomed over him, Zanpakutou pointed right on his throat. Danny, he turned himself visible and gave the God his cocky smirk, kicked the scepter away from him. Ichigo growled, brown eyes flashed, "you lose, Loki. Surrender now or I'll have to end you."

Ichigo will not. He's a protector and not a mindless killer. But let just made him believe that he will.

The God of Lies chuckled, rasped and patchy. He wheezed and said, "you're too naive, boy. I may lose to you, but my fleets will not."

Danny furrowed, "what fleets?"

"The fleets that I will ask Dr. Selvig to summon for me," he snapped his finger, "right at this instant."

Ichigo realized the implication a bit too late as he swirled, "Shit!"

But the Scepter was already gone.

"Tell me where you'll open the portal!" when Loki didn't speak, Ichigo stabbed the ground near his face—Loki flinced—and snarled, "tell me. Or I'll send you to the Gate of Hell."

He didn't know if that will even work on him, as he didn't come from this world. And a God too. But he knew the Gate of Hell was where one of the Mistress of Death's territory lay. He was sure she will have a good time punishing this pest.

Judging from the wince on Loki's face, he had the same thought as him (and realized that the boy in front of him was not a mere human but a Shinigami that work under the Mistress).

"Sir," JARVIS voice echoed inside the room, startling the occupant present, "doctor Selvig is on the roof of the tower. He told the Chitauri to guard the entrance and don't let anyone come in as he'll use the arc reactor as the energy to open the portal."

That was convenient, Tony sweatdropped.

"I got it!" Danny flew through the roof, turned invisible before he could smack himself on the ceiling.

It was silent for a couple of minutes that stretched like a couple of hours. Ichigo still didn't shift his penetrating gaze on Loki. While the man himself trying to look like he was not disturbed by the mere presence of Ichigo, though he was certainly failing. Tony stood awkwardly on the counter, felt bad he didn't have a place to help them fight the God. However, the Mistress hand still clasped tightly on his shoulder, forbidding him from moving away from the safe zone. It felt like an eternity, before the speaker inside the room crackled—the earphone on Ichigo's ear as well—then JARVIS obligingly opened the camera feed of the rooftop. It was...doctor Selvig?

But that grin, Tony realized, it was Danny's trademark grin.

Oh yeah. He was talking about his ghosts abilities before. In his repertoire of many, possession was one of them. Though he didn't really like using it because it brought back the bad memories when he was being controlled by the Ringmaster. Gave him a lot of trouble and bad reputation, it did.

"Sorry I couldn't stop him from opening the portal," Danny/Selvig scratched the back of his nape, scepter on his other hand, "but at least it's not widening? The Chitauri will have to take a turn coming into the earth. Like a conga line~"

"H-How?" Loki stammered, "Dr. Selvig is under my mind control!"

"How indeed?" Tony wondered, he started theorizing, "mind control versus possession...maybe because possession almost has the same effect as mind control? The difference of it that you have to be the one who uses the body while with mind control you just have to give him the order. So it negates each other and because Loki was not in possession of the scepter, he couldn't renew his mind control and—"

"Danny, can you try to close to portal now?" Ichigo spoke on his communication device, ignoring Tony's mumble.

"Let me think," he cupped his chin between his fingers, trying to dig inside the mind of the genius, "I think I do. Can't really throw all of this Chitauries that was already here through there tho'. But don't worry, I have an idea!" Danny/Selvig tap his Fenton phone and said, "Sam, Tucker, you ready?"

The said friends of his were out of the tower; Tucker on the front porch and Sam was on the other side of the building. On their hands were a big Fenton bazooka, perched cooly on their shoulder, "we're ready, Danny!"

With one thrust of the scepter, the portal slowly but surely close. Tucker and Sam started their role, shooting every Chitauri they met with the bazooka. But instead of a normal laser beam, it opened the man-made Ghost portal and sucked them inside.

They need to thank Wulf for letting Tucker collecting the data of how he created a natural ghost portal after this.

Danny flew out from Selvig's body—the old man fell down and looked around in confusion—and zoomed toward Sam, invisible. After hearing the instruction that the halfa was coming closer, the goth girl threw the portable Fenton bazooka into the air as Danny caught it. The fingerprint detector on the handle blipped, accepting the bearer and assembling the bazooka into its true form. Danny changed back to his human form (didn't want any media to record his appearance. It'll confuse people as of why the 'enemy' of Amity Town was in New York), doing a triple-somersault, landed on the wrecked ground gracefully, cocked the gun and smirked.

"It's time to rumble~"

After giving the Mistress his patent puppy-eyes, saying that he's the hero here, he needs to help his kids to battle the Chiaturi and come on, they looked like they were having fun with that gun I wanna try it myself!

Ichigo said that he wished to help, but he was busy with keeping an eye on the shocked God; still couldn't believe his invasion was utterly destroyed.

It ended as quickly as it comes. As the other Chitauri that were already on earth was defeated by the member of the Avenger, they only need to attack the one-that-just-came-out-from-the-small-portal. With one final shot from Danny, the battle was over.

"This prototype of yours is a massive success, guys!" Tony gleefully informed, inspecting the bazooka to the nook and cranny, "using the fingerprint detector to activate the gun. And will explode right in the face of someone that was not registered into the database. Very good, perfect score!"

"Tony!" he turned around, watching the other member of the Avenger coming toward their location, "what are you doi—did you really just asked the children to fight?"

"Uuh, hello. Remember where we are coming from?" Sam rolled her eyes, "Amity Park? A town that was terrorized by the ghost? Have a small-scale war every day?"

"Yes! But this is different!" the Captain knitted his eyebrows, disapproval clear on his battered face, "this is a full out battle, with aliens! You could've died! Tony, how could you allow them to do this?"

Tony shrugged, didn't feel any remorse watching that eyebrows united, "I'm not. They volunteered. If I couldn't stop them, better joined them"

"Besides," Danny smugly said, "we cause less collateral damages than you guys. Just shoot the beam to them and boom. They are now in the Ghost zone~"

The Captain flinched at that, Romanova bristled, while Thor, Bruce, and Clint felt guilty. It was true though. When the kids started shooting that green-laser beam on the Chitauri, no building was destroyed anymore. The citizen stopped panicking, be it from the alien trying to kill them or the debris that rained upon them because the Avenger throws the aliens, or the other way around, on the building they took a shelter of.

"By the way, where did that aliens arrive at, Tucker?" Danny asked.

"We sent...what? Twenty-eight? Thirty-two of them?" Tucker was doing the calculation on his PDA, "I tried to separate the quantity fairly and coordinated the portal into Princess Dora's and Skulker's lairs. I'm sure Dora will love having more servants on her castle and Skulker will be delighted to have another new species in his collections. I send a message to Skulker's PDA. Hope it'll keep him busy and will not bother Dani for a while."

True to his words, Princess Dorathea was happy to have other servants to help her take care of the castle. They tried to attack her at first, but with her changing into the dragon form, they cowered quickly enough.

While Skulker cackling like crazy, shooting his gun at the running Chitauri. He'll thank the halfa boy after this. And maybe stop hunting him.

Nah. Not happening, he caught the dead Chitauri and went for another one. Phantom will always be his primary target.

"Oh, by the way, Point Break," Tony hefted the bazooka on his shoulder, "Loki is in the kitchen. Better hurry up and restrained him before he regained his strength. Use the elevator this time, okay?"

"Really, Man of Iron?!" he exclaimed, surprise, "I thank you for your assistance in capturing my brother, then!"

"Eeh, I'm not helping that much. Danny and Ichigo do all the beating."

"Ichigo?" Thor tilted his head, "but he is just a human."

"A human with a black belt in Karate and 4-dan in Kendo?" Tony countered, he boasted with pride, "not gonna lie, Point Break. Your brother was proficient in his magic. And his hand-to-hand combat was not bad either. But Ichigo still came out on top," and that he's a half-shinigami, "give your thanks to Danny and him."

Thor nodded. He smiled his thousand-watt smile and patted Danny's back jovially, he almost stumbled, "thank you, young warrior! Now, excuse me as I'll apprehend my brother!"

Danny grumbled but smile nonetheless. As Thor ran into the tower, Tony turned, "now, do you want to stand around and keep doing your preach? Or do you wanna go inside and treat that wounds? And Brucie also needs his clothes. Must be freezing with only a boxer."

Bruce blushed in mortification but didn't disagree. Steve looked like he was really considering to continue his, what Tony called, preaching. Yet looking at the exhausted members—Clint's eyelids dropped before he shook himself awake and blinked rapidly—he shook his head. Besides, as much as it pained him to be told by the children, they were right. The battle had ended, the citizen was saved, and he should be thankful for that.

The moment Thor arrived at the kitchen, he was confused when he saw Loki just sprawled on the floor, glaring at nothing and didn't even try to stand up. Although, he concentrated, he felt a Death aura around the kitchen. But he shook his head and started speaking, "brother—"

"I'm not your brother, Thor!" he instantly sneered, like it was an automatic retort he prepared for that particular words.

"I'm sorry, Loki. I—"

"Save it," he spat. He slowly shifted his body, eyes still boring at the empty air, and sat at the cracked floor, "if you want to capture me and bring me back to that bastard Odin, just do it. I don't even care anymore."

When Thor, glumly but determinedly, strapped the shackles on his brother's wrist, Ichigo vanished his Zanpakuto back into his mind. He vaguely saw the Mistress watching from afar waved her hand and Loki's eyes widened. The green-orbs God swiveled his head right and left, Ichigo rose an eyebrow. Huh, he couldn't see him again, it seems. Then the botched invasion really was over if Death decided it was the right time to take back the Sight. Ichigo could finally sigh in relief.

He stepped out of the kitchen, intended to go back to his human body and check his sisters; Yuzu must be scared and restless right now. Karin too, whatever she said that she wasn't. And Hanae will walk around in a circle, trying to calm the girl but get worried himself. Haruitsuki then smacks him to stop fretting and Takashi laughing for their antics in the background. When he was out though, he saw the rest of the Avenger coming around toward the location. He nodded at his friends, receiving the subtle tilt of their head as the answer. As the Mistress of Death went back to her favorite perch though, he caught one of the member's eyes shifted.

Huh, Ichigo mussed, that was a surprise.

Tony must be happy to find another one then.

OMAKE

Just as he thought, the media wanted an answer. The other heroes were busy with the relief force, helping them on disposing the body of the alien that escaped Tony's and the trio's Fenton bazooka. So Tony decided to hold a press conference; and really, he didn't believe anyone other than him to answer those sharks that were called 'the Media'. Captain America, as much as he could shout propaganda and convinced people, was too hung up on the ideology of 'the world is black and white', the media will sure ask him something that he couldn't really answer and they'll twist his words into something terrible. Romanova will use her cunning skills to deceit them. And, with the Mistress warning about her, also his past with her, he couldn't trust her not to destroyed his images as it was. Clint was seeing a psychiatrist right now. He felt so bad he killed his own comrades even though he had done that under the mind control of the God. While Bruce...Tony didn't have the heart to force him to accompany him on the press. He was stressed enough with Ross breathing right at his neck, media's attention will only burden him more.

Here he was then, with his charming smile and black sunglasses, ready to answer their questions. What was those alien, he said it was Chitauri. Was that really Captain America, he said yes he was. Was that really an alien, he said yes it was please question me with something more intelligent. How did the portal closed and why did it opened in the first place, he said the villain mind controlled the good doctor he will not say his name and forced him to do his bidding and one of his employees succeed in stopping him before the portal was opened fully, again he will not say his name. Will you join the Avenger, he said nope.

That caught them off guard.

"I'm just a consultant, they said," he nonchalantly shrugged, "I love helping people as Iron Man. But I have my own company to be taken care of. I'm the main leader of R&D section. Can't be the man in charge if I was too busy being an Avenger, right?"

"Here is what I'm going to tell you," his brown eyes turned serious, the media straightened. They haven't seen that stare again, not after the moment he closed his weapon industry and telling the truth about his Godfather dark scheming, "I appreciate them trying to recruit me. I appreciate them creating the Avenger in the first place. What I don't appreciate was they were trying to be on my good side, dangling the carrot in front of me, using my resources to do their bidding and claiming it was for the sake of Justice. Agent Coulson was now gone. And, as much as I don't like him working for the Agency, he was a good person and I never wanted him to be dead. If this is what they called Justice, then fuck it. I'm not going to do it. I rather work solo and trying to save people as much as I could, apologize right on their family's face for those who I couldn't save—bowing my head if I have to—rather than justifying my failure as a 'casualty'"

The media was silent, even the camera stop snapping the pictures.

One of the brave reporters raised his hand. He was trembling though, "then...Mr. Stark. You'll not let them use your tower as their base?"

Tony smiled, his goofy mask was back but the media was not fooled at all, "nope. They can stay at SHIELD base for all I care. They don't need my resources to 'save' the people after all. They have some people that they can sacrifice~"

That was...a morbid thought. The media decided not to open that can of worms

"What about the children?"

"What children?" ah, Christine Everhart. His 'arch-nemesis'. He smirked when the blonde gave him the Look. Man, she was always so intense with him. At least she was one of the media that colored him not with flowers or disaster, but with the truth and the only truth. It was so hard to find that kind of media in this day and ages, you know.

"The citizen said they saw children running around the town, shooting a bazooka and made the Chitauri disappear," she slowly started, "what do you say about this claim?"

"Like you said, it was only a claim. No evidence, not true~" it was a fact. The media didn't have any evidence on Danny and co. about their involvement in the fight, he made sure JARVIS erased every single bit of them. But rather than making them guess and print the entirely wrong information, better give them a half-truth, "they are not children. They are some expert I hired from Amity Town. You must've known what town that was."

They nodded in tandem. The ghosts in Amity Town were really famous, even the other country government ordered the anti-Ghosts shields from the Fenton family just in case, Danny told him before.

"The expert had an idea to send the Chitauri to the Ghost Zone to minimize the casualties. Right at Skulker's lair," the media went into crazy when they heard that. Of course, they also knew Skulker. He was one of the stubborn ghosts who loved to pick a fight with Phantom, the enemy of Amity Park and self-proclaim Hero (along with Box Ghost. But come on! Nobody took him seriously), "as you all know already, Skulker is a 'very skilled hunter'. He'll burn them dead, so you don't have to worry about them escaping the Zone~"

"Can you divulge us the identity of the ghosts expert you hired?" Christine never gives up, sheesh.

"Nope~" he smiled, eyes closed, "I love attention, but I don't want you, people, to hog them like the awesome me. Let them have their privacy, 'kay?"

After one heated glare, Christine relented. At least he didn't entirely deny the claim, so it was good enough.

It was a little difficult to tell the worried parents that their children are all fine. Touko-san and Shigeru-an almost cried in relief. Isshin actually cried, in which Ichigo snatched his phone from Tony's grip and yelled at him to stop being so immature. He didn't actually get a phone-call from Itsuki-chan's parents (and, he grimaced, did his parents even still alive? He never talked about them before and Tony didn't want to intrude. He knew how painful it was to lose your parents. Not that Tony thought Haruitsuki is an orphan. He just...never heard the blonde mentioned anything). Hanae already called his family so they didn't file any complain to Tony.

Speaking about complain, Sam's parents sure were exhausting. He told them that their girl is alright but they didn't want to hear anything and demanded him to fly her back to Amity. No wonder the feisty goth want nothing to do with them. Because despite Pepper, the sweetest woman ever, started to get fed up too. It was solved rather peacefully when Sam, following the step of Ichigo, snatched her phone back, screamed and told them not to baby her anymore.

This girl is going to be just fine in the future.

Danny's and Tucker's parents were the opposite of Sam's; with the first were happy their kid fight back like a true Fenton should be (definitely knew from the get-go who was the expert from Amity Tony told the media yesterday. Jazz, his sister still worried sick for her baby brother though) while the latter just shrugged their shoulders and said Tony is a superhero, they believed in the billionaire to protect them.

His heart swelled at that.

And if his smile was a little wide and expression serene, nobody said anything.

Clint hesitated, hand froze on the air, the other clutched the brown portfolio. He...didn't know why he decided to come to the Stark Tower. From the press three days ago, he didn't want any member of the Avenger to be inside his humble abode.

(Except Bruce. Although he was a special case as he never wanted to be an Avenger anyway. So the moment the battle end, he refused the offer. Though when the man tried to run away again, Tony halted him and bribed him with the awesomeness of his science lab. He considered to refused anyway, but the puppy-eyes of Tony Stark and Danny Fenton were too powerful. He couldn't help but agree)

Speaking about that press, Steve patented the usual 'I'm disappointed with you' expression. Romanova was fuming with silent anger. While Director Fury just sighed, he mumbled 'of course he'll see through the ruse easily. He's Tony Stark'. But the brunette just waved cheekily as he basically kicked them out of his tower.

So, why did he come here again?

(Maybe because he couldn't bear the stare. Couldn't bear the guilt)

He was alone in the guest area, waiting for the employee to call Stark. As he pondered in silent, the door open and the orange-haired teen he saw before was walking out from the elevator. His eyes didn't look hostile, but he didn't smile either, "Clint Barton, right?" Clint nodded, "I'm Ichigo Kurosaki. Just call me Ichigo."

Ah, this is Tony's kids that helped Danny capture Loki then.

"Why are you here?" he folded his arms in front of his chest, "I thought Tony clearly said he didn't want any member of Avenger to be here."

Clint smirked, though it was weak, "I'm not Avenger. I'm not even SHIELD member anymore," Ichigo rose one of his eyebrows at that, "they didn't want me there, you know. Sure, Loki mind controlled me. But that doesn't mean it was not my hand that killed them. The police said they died in the crossfire, basically a 'casualty'" he spat that word with venom, "so they didn't really imprison me. Just a probation for one and a half year. I chose to quit."

"Then...why are you here?"

"I want to apply for a job. I can be a guard or a chauffeur or whatever. I brought my files," he said, showing him the portfolio he brought, "I know it was too much to ask but...SHIELD erased my identity. They worried I'll leak some important information, even though my rank was not high enough to know that many secrets. After the invasion, my face was known. I couldn't use any names from my aliases to apply for other jobs."

"So you decided to come to Tony."

Clint nodded.

"You know, it was a right thing for you to quit that agency. Our trusted informant told us to take everything SHIELD said with a grain of salt. Guess even one of their member realized that," he snorted, "but tell me the truth here. Why do you want to open the new leaf?"

Huh, he realized. Looked like Tony's kids was as genius as him, "I want to protect my family," Ichigo was startled at that, "I have a wife and two children, the third is still inside the womb. SHIELD dismissed Coulson's death just like that, without a funeral and using it entirely to make us Avenger united. He was our friend, you know. What if they decided it was okay to sacrifice my family too?!"

(Laura cried when he arrived at home after the battle. Cried for the lost life of Coulson. Cried for the horrible thing Clint had to go through when Loki mind controlled him)

(I can't take this anymore. Please, I don't want you to work with them again. Please, Clint)

(And the next day, Clint gave Director Fury his resignation form)

"That's good at least. You still have your heart in a right place," he saw Ichigo grinned at him. The piercing glare he sent him lessened and he looked more relaxed now, "keep that promise of yours close and we will accept you."

Clint didn't know he held his breath until he finally let out a long sigh. He never had any job interview before. The only place he worked before was the circus and SHIELD; the agency was also the one who recruited him, not the other way around. He smirked, now a lot more genuine, "thanks. I owe you one."

"By the way," Clint started to open another conversation, "you're a Japanese?"

"Yeah, how did you know that?" Ichigo asked back, "I'm sure my accent was gone by now by speaking the language often enough."

"Your name is a little odd for an American," he snorted when Ichigo huffed and mumbled something like 'at least he didn't call me a Strawberry', "and you're wearing a black hakama right now. I heard you're 4-Dan in Kendo, Tony said before? That must be the uniform from your dojo then and—"

"Yo, Legolas! Nice seeing you here~" the said billionaire suddenly came and cut their conversation short, however. Tony's eyes shifted to Ichigo for a split second but he didn't react—in which Clint thought was weird. Maybe they have an argument? He was worried for the kid because he jumped into the fight himself and didn't let the professionals do their job? Tony sounded proud when Ichigo defeat Loki though—he grinned wide and said, "sorry I'm late. Hope you're not bored and ragged yourself tired."

"Oh, it's okay. I should be the one apologizing for barging into your place without informing first," he smiled and waved at Ichigo, "besides, Ichigo here kept me busy enough with our conversation."

The second that words came out from his mouth, however, he knew he did something wrong. As Tony's eyes widened and jaw hung open. He pointed to Ichigo, then to Clint, "wait. You can see him?!"

"Huh?"

"Then can you see her too?!" he said, ignoring the archer confused gaze and pointed his finger at the skeleton girl that hugged Tony from behind, giggling. Clint stared at her, absorbing her feature, trying to be subtle yet Tony saw that movement anyway, "you can! Oh my god, you can see Them!"

"...huh?"

Clint saw Tony's joyous expression.

He saw the skeleton shrugged her shoulder.

And he saw Ichigo smirked knowingly.

.

.

"WAIT A SEC! YOU'RE A GHOST?!"

"Danny bet you'll freak out after seeing the Mistress and not me if you really can See," Ichigo chuckled, "he owes me a bottle of juice and two days without pranking after this~"

This is my fanart for Protection Squad