Barbara couldn’t imagine what was going on. Arrested? She’d been afraid that might happen, especially after the museum, but put on an aircraft, and taken to the largest ship she’d ever seen? By SHIELD?

Jim, what have you done?

The corridors were full of men, some armed, and Ophelia and Javier were looking nervous, Enrique fussing in his blanket.

And then they came to a conference room, and in it…

Doctors do not squeal like little girls, Barbara reminded herself. But when you came face to face with Captain America and Thor…

Part of her had wondered if they were being played up, but looking at them, she understood why half the girls at her son’s school had Thor posters.

He looked, well, like a god.

But he wasn't at the head of the table. A bald man with an eyepatch and a commanding presence was.

“Dr. Lake, Mr. And Mrs. Nunez, Mrs.Domzalski. I’m Director Fury,”

“Director, what is wrong? We were told it involved our children!” Ophelia said. “Where is Claire?”

“Right now, in the lab with Dr. Banner and Tony Stark. She’s okay, and just suffered some minor injuries when she and her friends fought the Avengers.”

Wait. What?

Fought the Avengers? This is a joke, this has to be a joke—

“You want to see if we know what our children were doing.” Ophelia was staring at Fury. “Well, I can tell you, that we have no idea why they’ve been behaving so oddly, but that joke wasn’t in good taste.”

“Not a joke, I’m afraid,” the lithe woman sitting next to Captain America said. “We have footage.”

The next several moments were more terrifying than anything Barbara had seen before. Her son. Her son in armor. Her son in armor next to a rock creature fighting Captain America.

Then Javier gasped as it cut to a wildly jittering image, possibly from some remote vehicle, showing a hole in space opening up over Iron Man, Claire coming out, trying to grab him, failing, and falling out of frame with a scream while Iron Man dove after her.

The short video ended with them clustered together, Jim looking terrified as the Black Widow helped to resocket Claire’s arm.

Barbara winced at that. Her doctor’s mind listed the number of bruises Claire and Jim had and came up very unhappy.

“Where was Tobypie?” Toby’s grandmother asked.

“Threatening to fight me,” Thor said. “Your grandson is a valiant warrior.”

“Why—why would they do this?” Ophelia asked. “What were those tools?”

“Well, about that,” Captain America said.

Five minutes later, Barbara was certain she was going to wake up. Jim was some mythical warrior? He’d almost been killed? He’d killed people? Claire had a magic staff? Toby a hammer? All the bruises, all the…

“He could have been killed,” Barbara softly said. “He could have been killed and I would never have known.” She felt herself breathing faster. Jim could have gone walking out the door like his father and never came back like his father. A casual farewell would have been the last words she had—or worse yet, her giving him the silent treatment could have been her last memory of her son. A prickling sensation ran up and down her spine, the lights started to fade out, as her breath started coming faster.

Panic attack. The thought was oddly calm. There were people talking to her, Ophelia and Javier, then someone in a uniform flashing a penlight in her eyes.

“I’m… I’m okay. I just, I just remembered when my husband vanished and…” Barbara brushed her eyes clear and leaned back. “I’m sorry.”

“No, Director Fury should have considered that before hitting you with this,” Captain America said. “But I’m afraid that this is… Well, we’re pressed for time.”

“So soon after the Chitauri, people could react poorly if news of this gets out before we’re prepared to confirm the situation is solved,” Fury said. “Especially given the number of American citizens who have been kidnapped.”

“Kidnapped? I would have known.” Ophelia fell silent. Everyone else was looking at her and Javier with deep sympathy.

“Ms. Nunez, could you put your child on the table?” Ophelia blinked and did so. Enrique giggled and waved a chubby hand. “Several of my agents suggested we do this the easy way, but I don’t have time, and I do have a Gaggletack. Also, your sister told us everything about you, NotEnrique. Do we need to bring out the magic?” For a moment the parents stared, confused, and then there was a flash, and in the place of the child was a hideous, green and blue… Thing.

Ophelia cried out, and stood up, Javier doing the same. For a moment the creature looked like it was about to flee, then looked around the room, specifically at Thor.

“Sis told you?”

“Yes.” Fury frowned. “And she told us that you were helping them. But you’re older, and I have to wonder—you had a pretty sweet gig, especially if everyone who knew died—”

“Don’t you even start!” The creature said. “Sis may be an annoying big-eyed know it all, but I wouldn’t hurt her!”

“Where is my baby!” Ophelia demanded, looking like she was about to launch herself at the small troll.

“Safe.” NotEnrique looked around. “Sleeping. Kiddos don’t age in the Darklands.”

“And that’s supposed to make me feel better!?” Ophelia said.

“Compared to the alternative? Yeah. Not all kids who go through a fetch end up as changelings. Sometimes Gunmar orders takeout. It’s not like I had a choice. Believe me, they’d kill me as soon as look at me.”

“I’m not feeling sympathetic,” Hawkeye said.

“My—how long?” Javier asked.

“About three months,” Notenrique said.

“How—my own child…” Ophelia was nearly as pale as Barbara had gone.

“Yeah, Sis said you’d respond like that. That’s why she never told you—cried a lot about it, though. You wouldn’t believe how many times I had to go and wake her up before she got into a screaming nightmare. She don’t deserve that.” The changeling sagged. “Look, we got a plan. It’s not a good plan, but it might work—”

“As in committing suicide?” Captain America asked. “I heard their plan. We’re changing it.” Enrique looked around, smiled.

“Yeah, that might be a better idea, now that you lot are here.”

“But that’s not the only problem. Your son…” Captain America looked directly at Barbara. “Doctor Lake, there’s no easy way of saying this, but Walter Stricklander is also a changeling. He’s been using you against your son.”

“That—are you certain?”

“Have you ever suffered any injuries you cannot explain, Lady Barbara?” Thor asked.

“A few bruises, papercuts and things like that, lately, but…”

“The foul changeling put a binding upon you to protect himself from your son. Whatever injuries he suffers, you suffer.” Thor’s voice had no amusement in it. “He has held your son prisoner through his fear for what might happen to you.”

Barbara closed her eyes, shook her head, as suddenly the pieces started falling into place. Innocent comments, Jim’s hostility, odd bruises…

“Sorry, Lady, but the big guy has it right,” NotEnrique said.

“God,” she whispered. “I tell Jim I trust him, I have trusted him for all of his life, and this—this last year I’ve been threatening him, criticizing him, angry with him and he was—THAT FUCKING BASTARD, I’LL KILL HIM. I’LL KILL HIM TWICE!” Barbara clenched her hands so tightly that she drew blood.

“And we are going to do exactly that,” Fury said.

“I bet you will,” Ophelia replied. She was still pale, but then looked up at Fury. “Do we pass?”

“What?” Barbara asked.

“I wouldn’t think the Avengers are cruel,” Ophelia said quietly, and then pointed at NotEnrique. “That was cruel—or you wanted to put us off balance so you could read us.”

“Your political record doesn’t do you justice,” Fury said. “But I can’t take chances in this situation. Literally millions of lives depend on it. Let’s finish up here, and we’ll go talk to your children.”