The Amazing Avenger.
Recap: Peter pays a visit to his aunt and confronts Loki in a one on one showdown, Bruce also visits Tony, who is feeding his concussion with alcohol, and Natasha tracks down Clint at his apartment. Now on to Chapter 11.
Chapter 11.
"Kid! Hey kid!"
Peter's eyes flutter open, his vision blurry before they adjust on a man staring down at him, his eyes scrunched up with confusion and concern.
"What in God's name happened to you, kid?" the man, who looked like a handyman, hissed at him as Peter groaned and slowly moved to sit up.
"Where am I?" he asked, his voice coming out in croaks as he moved his hand up to his throat. His neck was sore, and the side of his face throbbed. He couldn't see, but he knew he had a bruise there.
"You're on a roof, son." the man replied.
That's when it hit him. The roof. Peter shot up and looked around, much to the man's surprise. Loki had been there. They were fighting, Loki had hit him really hard and was choking him and-"
Peter looked up at the man. "Did you see another man up here with me?"
The man looked at him funny, then shook his head. "No, I barely found you here five minutes ago." He then looked Peter over, his gaze coming up to the side of his face. "Did someone do that to you?"
Peter looked around, confused himself, but shook his head at the man and pushed himself up off the ground. "Forget it."
He stood up and walked over to where the ladder was and started to climb down, seeing the man still looking at him. "Thanks." Peter told him and with that, he jumped off and landed on the ground on his hands and feet and with that, he began to run all the way to Stark Tower.
When he finally arrived, he entered and before he went up the stairs to where his room was, he stopped in front of a mirror that was in the hallway and looked at himself. The man on the roof had not been seeing things. He had a bluish black mark and a small gash along the side of his eye socket and the corner of his eye was bloodshot with a small blood splash filling up the area. He softly touched it, and winced at the sensitivity. Groaning, he lifted his head up to examine his sore throat. It wasn't bruised, but it was red. Cocking his head to the side, Peter could see an inking of what looked like fingertips on his skin.
He suddenly heard the sounds of voices and footsteps approaching, so Peter quickly pulled his hood over his head and was about to dart up the stairs when he heard the voice of Fury behind him.
"Parker."
Peter stopped and closed his eyes. Without turning to look at him, he answered, "Yeah?"
"We have been trying to reach you on your phone."
Peter scrunched his eyes. He patted down his pants and back pockets, along with his jacket pockets. He found his earbuds, but his phone was missing. He closed his eyes again. Great. It must've fallen out during the fight on the roof and he left it up there. Remembering the mass puddles that were there from the rain, it was probably damaged anyway by now.
He sighed and turned slightly, but not completely so Fury couldn't see his face. He was not in the mood to answer questions about what happened to him, or to tell them he went after Loki himself and didn't call them the moment he spotted him, which was what he had been instructed to do after the god's re-appearance.
"I'm sorry, I think I might've lost it." Peter said meekly.
Fury just glared for a moment before he spoke. "Well, there is a meeting in twenty minutes in the conference room. I suggest you be there."
"Ok." was Peter's quick reply before he darted upstairs perhaps a little too fast.
He got in his room and shut the door behind him. He immediately went into the bathroom and turned on the shower, setting the temperature as high as it would go. Despite how sore he felt, after the adrenaline died down, he couldn't shake the shivers of spending the night on the roof of a building unconscious in the cold all night. When the bathroom had steamed up, he peeled off his clothes and stepped in, letting the hot water hit his worn out body as he rested his forehead on the marble tile wall.
While the events of the night before had been a blur for him, one thing picked at his mind that he couldn't figure out. Why was he still alive? Loki had him, had him down and was choking the life out of him. He had seen it in his face, his eyes full of hate and seething anger, especially when Peter mentioned the Chitauri coming for him. Peter had thought for sure Loki would kill him, and he certainly felt like it when he was being strangled, but somehow, he was still alive. Had Loki mistaken him as being dead when he passed out? Or had he at the last moment allowed Peter to live? Peter wished he knew.
As Peter washed and got out, wrapping a towel around his waist, he felt his body working against him. He was exhausted and he ached all over, especially his back. He went to the mirror, turned around, and saw a large dark purple bruise splashed down the middle of his upper back. Peter figured it was the result of Loki's heavy boot planted on his back during their scuffle.
He went into his room and got out a bottle of asprin from his drawer. He popped four of them in his mouth and swallowed them as he went to get a fresh pair of clothes to put on.
Downtown New York was still reeling from the events of Loki's reappearance, but slowly, things had gotten back on track. The mess on the streets had been about cleaned up and businesses around the area were bustling with even more patrons who were there to see where the fight between Loki and the Avengers had taken place. The large cracks were still splayed in the street where Thor and Loki had fallen and cars were thrown and the large glass building's doors that Loki had thrown Thor through was draped over and in the process of being repaired.
Pictures were taken and tourists were flocking the area. News casts were still displayed over all the TV's in the surrounding businesses, especially a small bar that was busier than usual with the presence of the tourists. The counter was lined up full of people who had been watching the big screen TV plastered behind the bartenders that had commentators discussing whether the Avengers were able to handle the job any longer and that there were fears discussed of a possible repeat of events that occurred two years prior. There were discussions among the patrons as well, some backing the actions of the superhero team and some who were convinced that they had lost it.
Most of the arguments were halted when they noticed a rather strikingly beautiful woman with long golden blond hair and emerald green eyes dressed in black walk into the dimly lit establishment. Within ten seconds, you could hear a pen drop when about every male in the place had their jaws dropped at the sight and women were having to avert their husbands or boyfriends' eyes as they all gawked. The woman paid no attention, however, as her eyes stayed planted on the TV as the news ran a surveillance video of the incident of Stuttgart, where Loki had dominated over a group of people at a charity event, changing from his formal attire to his leather and metal suit with his horned helmet instantly after killing a man by gouging his eye out. The video also showed when Loki had shot a blast at an approaching German police car, sending it flying and flipping through the air before it came crashing down.
As the cameras showed Loki standing among the people, forced to kneel before him, smiling darkly and arms spread as he softly spoke of humans' "natural" state of being dominated, the woman made her way to the bar where the patrons had quickly moved to allow her access to a stool. She sat down silently as she kept her gaze at the screen. She smiled and her eyes sparkled as Loki's image was displayed, naming him basically the most wanted man in the world at that point.
"You an admirer of his?" a man asked, leaning up against the bar beside her.
The woman's eyes shifted to the direction of the man, but she stared back at the TV a couple seconds later.
"You could say that." she replied.
The man scoffed at this. "What's to admire about him? He tried taking over the planet for God sake and it seems like he's back to do it again."
The woman raised her eyebrow, but didn't look at him.
"So I take it you got a thing for the bad boys?" he asked her, chuckling to his friends behind him.
The woman only smiled. "You have no idea."
The man then looked her over, from her feet up to her long, blond hair. "Well, I can be bad, too, sweetheart." He then rose up a little to take a glance at her slightly open cleavage. "As bad as you want."
The woman turned and stared up at the man. He was good looking, with straight, jet black hair and matching eyes. His build was sturdy and lean and he sported a black leather jacket. She watched him as he pulled a cigarette out and lit it up. "What'd you say I buy you a drink and we go get to know each other better?"
The woman looked him up and down this time and a smile displayed across her striking features. "What'd you say we skip the drink?" she asked, her voice as smooth as silk that made the cigarette the man was dangling from his lips almost fall out.
The man gazed upon her, his eyes glazed with desire as he eagerly nodded at her. "Ok."
The woman smiled as she calmly walked ahead of him, gesturing for him to follow as they made their way toward the back of the bar. People were gawking and a few even giving the man a thumbs up as they passed. The woman led him into a dark, secluded area and without a word, she pulled the cigarette from his lips, placed it on the edge of the table, pressed him up against the wall and kissed him full on the mouth, her hands running up and down his chest. As his hand came up to touch her breasts, she firmly slapped it away. The man broke the kiss. "A little late to be playing hard to get, don't you think?"
"Oh I'm not playing." the woman coolly retorted and before the man could speak again, she resumed the kiss, only this time, she raised her hand up and with a soft green glow coming from her fingertips, she ran it down the sides of his face and in an instant, the man began choking.
The woman stepped back calmly as the man's face began to turn blue and then pale white as he looked at the smirking woman with wide eyes. She watched as he stood, literally frozen because he physically couldn't move, his face becoming more and more white before he went silent, and then slumped to the floor, dead.
The woman smiled and turned around, picked up the still-lit cigarette and knelt down next to the man's body. "Here, you don't want to forget this." she said and with that, she pressed it against the man's forehead, watching it burn into his skin until it stuck.
She smiled again, running her hand along the side of his face and then stood up and with a flip of her hair, she walked out and back into the crowded area of the bar. As she made her way to the door, she stopped when the TV had ran Loki's picture once again as the reporter warned the public that the suspect was armed and completely dangerous and should anyone see him, they are urged to contact authorities immediately.
The woman paid no mind to what the reporter was saying, only the frozen still of the man she once knew.
"I'm coming, darling."
A/N-I'm sorry for the awfully short chapter this time, but I felt I should get something out to you guys before I had to be off to work once again, (working two jobs sucks) considering how I left the last chapter. I promise to get a better one out to you guys as soon as possible. Again, I apologize. But as usual, thanks again to all my lovely readers.
Coming up next chapter: Steve comes to terms with his emotions and makes a long awaited phone call, the team must pick up the pieces and work together to find Loki, who is visited by a woman from his past.
Stay tuned.
