Clint had gotten used to being, along with Natasha, the light weight in the group. Some people, he knew, expected him to try and show that he was just as good as Cap.

Well, he was, with an arrow. Better. But hand to hand? Cap was a legend for a reason. Thor was a god, Iron Man ran around with enough firepower to level a building, and Hulk… Well, Hulk was Hulk. Natasha and Clint’s skills ran in other directions.

Which is why they were back at the school, with Jim, Claire and Tony. The three had told them all about Stricklander’s secret office hideyhole, and his pet assassin—but Angor Rot couldn’t function in the daytime. Stricklander couldn’t pull out his troll form in daytime.

And they all had a place to be. Two subs, some kids and the whole school buzzing about the fireworks smugglers who blew up a truck. Fury was very good at running covers, especially short term ones, and now that everyone on the helicarrier had touched the gaggletack, they knew that they were secure.

Clint could have done without the kids being there, however. Jim, Claire and Toby were really pissed off at Stricklander, and they had direct, personal reasons to be. The fact that they knew that he was about to get his comeuppance might lead them to slip.

On the other hand, they’ve been pretty good up to date. Clint and Natasha had briefed them on what they were supposed to do, and they’d done it, having a screaming fight in the middle of PE. A fight that justified them, and Toby who had supposedly egged them on, being held after class.

Of course, let’s not get cocky. It wasn’t a normal snatch job when you absolutely could not risk hurting the target.

“Mr. Stricklander,” he said. “Thank heavens. I’m going to have to ask for your assistance!”

“We have substitutes to replace teachers,” Stricklander said, looking down at Clint with a frown. “I expect you to handle things by yourself.”

“It was a severe fight,” Clint said. “I really think Mr. Lake needs an authority figure he respects to discuss it.”

“Very well.” Stricklander sighed. “On the back field?”

“Yes. I didn’t feel bringing them into the building was appropriate in case they started arguing again.” And the field away from shade, so we neutralize your advantages, but you don’t need to know that. Clint carefully kept his face looking worried, but he wasn’t surprised when Stricklander followed him. The school was where he was in charge, and where Jim wouldn’t dare attack him, even ignoring his hold on Jim’s mother.

Being in a safe space was hell on your situational awareness.

Clint led the changeling out back. He paused. “Mary, Shannon, you need to get to the front of school for the bus.”

“But I was—”

“Now.” Mary pouted and left, no doubt letting everyone know about Claire and Jim’s fight.

Just as planned. Who needed to make stories up when the kids would do it for them? Even better, now they had an excuse as to why the three wouldn’t be interacting with their friends. Toby may have wanted “on the run from the Mafia” as a story, but “grounded forever” worked a lot better.

“You trashed my house!” Claire shouted, her face red.

“Yeah, well, I thought you said that was over, so why do you keep bringing it up!” Jim shouted back and his face was red.

Clint hoped that Stricklander didn’t notice is was from embarrassment, not rage.

“Young Atlas!” Stricklander shouted. “Stop this at once! Or what would your mother say—pardon me, what will she say when I drop by tonight?”

Okay, that’s twisting the knife. Enjoy it while you can, sucker.

“I…I can’t believe I ever liked you!” Claire said, “I should—”

“Don’t you talk to Jim like that!” Toby said.

“Hey!” Natasha said as Claire pulled her hand back for a slap. “That’s enough. Claire, come with me.”

“But he—”

“Now!” Claire’s shoulders slumped and she turned to walk back to the school with Natasha, the teen sniffling a little.

“Now, Young Atlas, what seems to be the problem?” Stricklander said.

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Oh, but we used to have such a close relationship. Still not upset about the fact that I am dating your mother? You honestly have enough issues with your behavior without adding that.”

“Yeah, actually I’m pretty upset at that,” Jim said and put one foot forward. “In fact…”

“Jim, remember where you are and who you are with—” Stricklander said, evidently wondering if Jim was about to call his armor.

And in that moment, when he was focused on Jim, a portal opened under his feet.

“Wha—” his word was cut off as he vanished. Behind them, next to Natasha, Claire stood with her staff extended and a feral grin on her face.

“And that’s why I got the lead role in the play!” she said in a clear voice.

Where am I—Walter hit a metal floor, hard. Not Trollmarket, then. But where else would they place him?

“No matter, I can call Angor,” he said, blinking and standing up. “And perhaps a discussion with Barbara about her son.”

“Oh, I’ve had that discussion, Walter.” The voice was colder than he’d ever heard before. Stricklander turned, noticing a thick clear partition between him and a corridor, a corridor that looked like he was on a ship. Standing before him was Barbara, fury on her face, several men he didn’t recognize and…

Thor. With that he realized who the other men were. The Avengers.

“Oh Dear,” he said softly.

“So good of you to decide to join us,” a tall African-American with an eyepatch said. “I have a great deal to discuss with you.”

“I assume you do,” Stricklander said. The Trollhunter has contacted the Avengers and Shield. Stricklander had many years of experience with curse words, but he couldn’t actually, now that the moment had come, find ones that properly described his predicament.

“How old are you, I wonder?” Nick Fury said.

Next to him, Barbara wished that they could open the cage so she could go in and pummel him. I don’t know what is worse—you had no idea, or you had every idea. After her husband had left her, it had been Jim and Barbara, against the world. Stricklander had made her doubt her son when before he’d come into her life, she’d have been more likely to doubt herself than Jim.

“Oh, quite old,” Stricklander said. “Why? Are you interested in such things?” When you had no other weapon, talk. Barbara knew some people like that. She didn’t think it would work on Fury.

“He’s been on earth since the 1800s,” Notenrique said.

“Turning on your own?” Stricklander said. “How… Expected. What did they promise you? Safety?”

“More’n you could have,” Notenrique said.

“I presume that this is about Ms. Nunez’s child?” Stricklander asked. He walked up and lightly brushed the glass as Ophelia surged forward, prevented from hitting the glass by her own husband. “But without the bridge, you cannot reach the children, and I cannot help you with that. Only the trollhunter can open the Bridge and it is no longer intact.” Stricklander paused. “Or rather, the trolls have it, and I expect they won’t react well to asking to open it to Gunmar and his hordes for one small child.” He smirked. “It appears that this has been a wasted trip, especially since you cannot hurt me…”

Barbara growled. For the first time in her life, she growled.

“Really, troll?” Thor asked. “Have you forgotten who I am? It may be that Lady Barbara and you would have to be taken to Asgard, but do you think your petty magic could gainsay the word of Odin? He would protect the Lady Barbara, but as for you…” Thor looked at him like he was a particularly odious bug. “Those who would hide behind a warrior’s mother to protect themselves merit no such attention.”

“We are making our own plans to get the kids,” Tony said. “We don’t need you.”

“But what we do need you for is to tell us about your Janus order, and of course your pet assassin.” Fury nodded at his ring. He smiled. “Nice jewelry.”

The mockery set Walter off. In a flash he turned to his troll form, roaring in fury and slashing his claws against the glass. Barbara stepped back, as did Javier and Ophelia, but the others remained still as the troll struck the glass.

To no avail.

“That cage is designed to hold the Big Guy,” Bruce said, peering at Walter through his glasses. “I don’t think you’re getting through it.”

“Then kill me and be done with it! But I can give Angor orders through this ring, and Arcadia will be full of bodies by next morning!”

“Maybe. But then I’ll have no reason to make a deal with you,” Fury said. “We’re getting the kids, all of them. And what does that mean for your order?” His smile was cold.

And suddenly Walter was absolutely still.

Babara knew why. According to Jim, most of the changelings lived out in the open, some of them living with mortal families who weren’t aware of their nature, trusting in their disguise. If that changed…

You’d be outed as monsters, even if you weren’t killed by the sun.

“Then why are you talking to me!” Walter snarled, and for the first time, Barbara felt she was hearing the real emotion he was feeling.

Despair.

She might even feel sorry for him, we’re it not for what he had done to her and Jim.

“Because I have a problem,” Fury said, pacing around the cage. “The world is on edge, especially after the invasion of New York. People all over the world, turning into monsters? Especially people in positions of power, because I expect you’ve not been focusing on infiltrating the local book club… Well, that would create chaos and I don’t like chaos.”

“And how can I prevent this chaos?”

“Help us get the identity of all the changelings,” Captain America said. “We’ll take them into custody before the recovery operation. SHIELD can work up believable stories.”

“Go from servants of trolls who hate us, to imprisoned animals. Tell me, Director Fury, do you have a zoo picked out?”

“For you I might,” Fury said. “I’d have a sign—Dangerous, do not feed—on the cage. Your people have spent God knows how many years infiltrating us, and unlike… another case, you’re not running. Tell me, how many wars did you spark? How many people did you kill to keep your cover?”

“I—”

“The security guard at the Museum went missing several months ago, right before the capture of Killahead Bridge by the trollhunter,” Captain America said. “Was your boss hungry?”

There was a silence. “Yes. And a hungry Bular would have been dangerous to me.”

Barbara gasped, putting her hand to her mouth. She felt her gorge rise. He sat there and wooed me and he had killed… She’d seen the guard once, one a trip with Jim. She barely remembered his face.

And he’d been killed and eaten.

And the way Walter said it, without even a hint of concern… The guard hadn’t been the first. Walter didn’t even have the excuse of hating him. It had just been… convenient.

Oh, God, Jim… Barbara knew now, that if it had ever been a choice between Walter’s life and hers, he would have killed her without hesitation. And her son had been forced to live with that terror, knowing who Barbara was with, but unable to warn her. Or rather, he’d tried to warn her, and she’d been angry with him for it.

“We don’t even let humans who murder wander around loose,” Tony said.

“But perhaps you’ll make an exception for me? After all, Odin is not here right now, is he?” Walter smiled, and then slashed a claw down his arm. Barbara gasped in pain as a deep gash opened up on her forearm, blood dripping down it. “As a troll, I’m far more resistant to damage, and I can do a great deal short of killing Young Atlas’ mother. Forgive me Barbara, I am fond of you, but given that my survival is at stake… Now, shall we discuss a… mutually acceptable deal?”

Ophelia was holding Barbara, but she shook her free and walked up to the glass, holding her wounded arm with her free hand, blood welling up between her fingers. That’s going to require stitches…

“My labor when Jim was born was 12 hours. When I was 22 I broke my arm and fractured two ribs in an auto accident.” She stared up at the… thing her heart had once thrilled to see. Am I that bad at choosing men? “I’ve had pain. But sure, you can torture me, I bet you can drive me mad.” Then she turned to Nick Fury. “Director Fury. This is my verbal medical directive, being of sound mind and body. You are to make no deals with Walter to prevent him from harming me. None. Ophelia, Javier, if Walter kills me or renders me… unfit, will you care for Jim?”

“We will,” the two adults spoke almost in unison, their faces ashen. She bet they were also remembering that their daughter had fought this… changeling.

Then Barbara spun back around to face Walter. “You can hurt me, drive me insane, even kill me. But one thing you will never do again is use me against my son. So do it now, or do what Director Fury wants, but stop wasting my time!” With that, Doctor Barbara Lake turned to walk back to the others, waiting for the agony that she knew was coming.

But it didn’t.