Every Judas Loved His Jesus
Chapter 14
Steve stared at himself in the mirror. It was only the fourth time he had worn his new uniform, and despite the testing and training he had been put through in it he still wasn't entirely accustomed to it yet. It fit him perfectly, moved with him effortlessly, and was bright and bold and patriotic just as his old uniform in the SSR had been. It should have imbued him with pride. He had earned the stars and stripes that crossed his torso, in every way that mattered to his country. But as he prepared for his suit's combat debut, he touched the emblem on his chest and felt only weight.
"I hope you're watching, Bucky," he murmured. "Because I could really use you on this one."
Clint poked his head around the corner. "Looking sharp, Cap. Ready?"
"Yeah." Steve hefted his shield and followed him out. As they made their way to the deck he caught Clint sending him sideways looks. "What is it?"
"You know there's been a lot of talk, right?" Clint said bluntly. "About you and Loki."
Steve stared straight ahead. "Say whatever you've got to say, Barton."
Clint obliged. "Is it true he was really that woman you were dating? Some girl you met in a club?"
"Yes."
"And you knocked boots? Bumped uglies? I don't know what they called it back-"
"Yes," said Steve. He climbed up one of the aft ladders onto the deck. "We slept together."
Clint climbed up behind him, and looked surprised when Steve offered him a hand. He hopped onto the deck and finally got to the point. "So was he a woman at the time?" he asked, boyishly curious. "Or a guy?"
"Does it matter?" Steve replied.
Clint blinked, as if it hadn't occurred to him that it might not. "No. I guess it doesn't." His expression hardened. "Except that he's our objective. The Director's given us permission to use deadly force on whatever we find in there."
"It doesn't change anything," said Steve. He turned toward the helicopter waiting for them, and Clint followed. "I'd rather bring them all in alive, but if that's not feasible, take whatever shot you can, Barton. I won't be holding back."
He nodded gravely. "I understand."
They boarded the helicopter and found Coulson waiting for them. "Captain," he greeted. "Agent Barton. The rest of the team will be meeting us on site." He smiled. "Let's keep this helicopter in better shape than the last one, okay?"
"No promises," said Clint dryly as he took his seat.
Steve settled in across from him. As the helicopter took off he closed his eyes, preparing himself for the long flight ahead. He only had a few hours to come up with some kind of plan, and he prayed it would be enough.
Hammer weaved through the throngs of soldiers, dodging out of the way of carelessly brandished weapons and passing ammunition. He was already breathing hard, sweat in his collar. The HYDRA agents sent him cold looks everywhere he went, all the way to Johanna's command unit on the top floor. She was standing in front of a collection of monitors, arms crossed, her most trusted soldiers at her side.
"Schmidt." Hammer huffed as he skidded to a halt next to her and had to lean against the back of a nearby chair. "The hell is taking so long? We need more weapons down there."
"You already have as many as I can spare," said Johanna. "Who would you give them to? The scientists?" she scoffed. "Besides, if they make it through us, more guns down there won't do anyone any good. Look."
She pointed to one of the monitors, which displayed a view from one of Hammer's security cameras. It had been hidden inside a barn at the nearest crossroads, pointing at what had once been an empty field. Now it was filled with three S.H.I.E.L.D. helicopters and what looked like a gunship. Agents in combat gear were setting up a camp, and among them Hammer spotted both Iron Men and a man in a cape.
"Holy shit," Hammer muttered.
"They know we're here." Johanna grabbed Hammer by his lapel. "And it's because you let that S.H.I.E.L.D. spy in here. This is your fault!"
"I told you they'd find us here eventually, didn't I?" Hammer swatted ineffectively at her hand. "I told you to find your supplies somewhere further away. Of course they were able to follow us home."
Johanna scowled and shoved him away. "Go back to your wife," she snapped. "And get him hooked back up to that thing as soon as possible. We need his magic to support us."
Hammer shook his head. "He can't - he's in labor." Even saying the words made him dizzy. "We have to wait until after she's born or it could hurt-"
"Then cut it out of him already." Johanna cursed in German. "This child nonsense has gone on long enough. Take care of it, or I'll come down there myself."
Hammer glared back and almost retorted, but he wasn't interested in another man-handling. "Yes ma'am," he said sardonically and then showed himself out.
The elevators had already been sealed, and the stairwells would be next. Hammer raced back to the bottom level of the facility and was by then gasping. "I'm not in good enough shape for this," he grumbled as he threw his tie and jacket into his suite. He rolled up his sleeves and let himself into the reactor chamber.
It looked like something out of the Pentagon. Every monitor was active, either with medical readouts or security camera views from around the facility. The scientists were running about all over the place, checking vitals and filling syringes and God only knew what else. Hammer dodged past them to the center of the room, where the bed from Loki's personal quarters had been pulled out in front of his throne. Loki was propped up against the headboard, naked but draped in fresh sheets. He was an even more bizarre sight than usual, sweat on his blue skin, his face twisted with strain. Before letting his presence be known, Hammer slipped over to Dr. Yeon.
"How's he doing?" he asked quietly. "Is he, you know?" He twirled his finger. "Dilated? More than before, anyway?"
"I don't know," she snapped. "He doesn't have a cervix."
Hammer looked inadvertently to the shape of Loki's thighs beneath the sheets. "But, wait. He did earlier. I saw it." He rubbed his face. "I didn't mean to, Jesus-"
"Well, it's gone now," Dr. Yeon said impatiently. "His anatomy keeps changing. You're going to have to convince him to let us operate, because at this rate-"
"Okay, okay." Hammer held up his hands. "I'll talk to him."
"I am not this kind of doctor, you know," she continued as he moved away. "None of us are. Next time you're going to kidnap doctors for your science projects, make sure they're-"
"All right!" Hammer shooed her away and continued to Loki's side. "Damn it."
He dropped onto a stool at the bed's side and reached out, brushing Loki's hair out of his face. "Hey," he said, his voice coming out thinner than he'd intended. He swallowed. "Hanging in there, big guy?"
Loki kept his eyes closed, breathing shallowly. "Put it back," he murmured. "Connect me to the Tesseract."
"I can't. I told you before." Hammer used his toe to snag a nearby crate full of bottled waters and drew it closer. "You can't have that needle sticking in you while you're having contractions. And besides, we can't get anywhere near you when you're hooked up."
Loki growled and tried to draw the sheets over him. "I do not need your help."
"I can see that." Hammer squeezed his shoulder. "Come on - take a drink. You're thirsty, aren't you?"
Loki opened his eyes. Without a word he reached out, and accepted Hammer's help in gulping down almost a full bottle of water. "There, that's better," said Hammer as Loki settled again. "But listen, there's one more thing. Dr. Yeon says-"
"No one is cutting me open," Loki hissed.
"Okay - okay." Hammer wiped sweat off his forehead and drank the rest of the water down himself. "But then you've gotta do something else for me. You need to be...at least twenty percent more female than you are now. In fact, it'd probably be better if you were entirely female for this." He gave Loki's arm an encouraging rub. "Think you can manage that? Maybe if you go back to being Lori, it'd be easier."
Loki licked his lips. A shiver ran through him and pain furrowed his brow. He looked weaker than Hammer had ever seen him. After several deep breaths his body began to change: blue skin softened into warm, human flesh and a woman's gentle face. His body curved beneath the sheets.
"Good," Hammer encouraged him. "Good, that's good. Now just stay like that. Baby's gotta have somewhere to go, you know."
Loki groaned softly as he tried to stretch. "It's too soon," he said. "I thought I would have more time..."
Hammer tried not to make a face. "We told you not to over-exert yourself."
Loki grumbled something unintelligible and then asked, "Where's Steven?"
"Well..." Hammer glanced over his shoulder to the array of monitors, especially the few that displayed the exterior of the facility. One showed the field where S.H.I.E.L.D. was gathering, but he didn't see any particular sign of the captain yet. "He's on his way," he said. "But so is the rest of S.H.I.E.L.D., and they're not bringing cigars and balloons."
Loki's clarity seemed to return to him, and his eyes focused sharply on Hammer. "Thor is here."
"...Yeah."
Loki squirmed and arched his back. "How much time do I have?"
"I don't know," said Hammer. "Johanna's going to try to hold them off, but who knows for how long without your help. Not more than a few hours, I'm sure." He fidgeted. "What do you want me to do?"
"Stay." Loki slipped his hand out from under the sheets and fumbled at Hammer's knee. "Stay right where you are."
"Okay." Hammer took his hand and squeezed. "I'll stay."
He glanced up and noticed Synthia at the far end of the room, speaking to a pair of Johanna's soldiers. When she looked his way, he was at a loss to interpret her dead-eyed expression. With one last order to the soldiers she left the chamber.
Hammer frowned, but then Loki tensed with another contraction, and the distraction put it out of his mind.
"The current CEO of Hammer Industries gave us this," said Tony, standing at the head of a small assembly of agents and his Avenger peers. He indicated the screen projected behind him against the inside of one of the camp tents; it displayed blueprints for Hammer's Skanee facility. "They were using the facility for energy research up until a year ago. Place has been locked down ever since. But judging by S.H.I.E.L.D.'s satellite photos-" the image changed to a bright red and orange display "-the place is hopping now. Considering the energy readings we're getting off the thing, and the theft that took place in eastern Wisconsin last week, we're pretty darn sure this is where our multi-headed friends have been hiding."
"I had two agents stationed out here just after Hammer was sprung from prison," added Coulson. "They've reported in every day for the last several weeks." His expression darkened. "Their recently discovered corpses show they have been dead almost that entire time. We suspect that HYDRA found them early on and used Loki's gift for deception to falsify their reports."
Steve worked his jaws. He no longer felt any sliver of guilt for the dissolution of his truce with Loki.
"The bulk of the facility is underground," Tony continued. "There are four stories above ground, six below. The reactor is in the lowest level, here." He switched the display back to the blueprint in order to point it out. "With the way it's lit up, we assume this is where the Tesseract is, and how they're powering everything, since they're not sucking the juice out of every town within a hundred miles of here."
"What's that shaft?" Natasha asked, pointing. "It looks like a straight shot to the reactor."
"It is. Goes all the way through the building. Put simply, it's an exhaust shaft for the reactor."
"Then we can follow it all the way to Loki," said Thor.
Tony quickly shook his head. "It was built to funnel any excess energy out of the reactor and up, which means that at any moment HYDRA could overload that thing and boom, it becomes a canon. I don't know about you, but I'd rather not end up in the stratosphere."
"Captain Rogers," prompted Coulson. "Why don't you prep everyone on HYDRA's combat capabilities?"
Steve moved to the front, ignoring Thor's glare, while Tony stepped back. It had been a long time since he'd stood at the front of a war council, and it gave him a much needed boost of confidence. "HYDRA has had the Tesseract for several weeks now," he began. "We have to assume that they are at least as effective at using it as Johan Schmidt was in my time. That means that any of their weapons could be charged with the Tesseract's energy. Any shot from one of those things is lethal on contact, so we won't be taking any unnecessary risks."
"What's our point of entry?" asked Natasha.
Steve didn't hesitate. "The front door."
"Nothing unnecessary about that," Clint quipped.
"Satellite photos show there aren't any HYDRA soldiers stationed outside," Steve continued. "But chances are they know we're coming. We're going to use heavy artillery to blow open the front entrance and rear loading bay. Col. Rhodes will be leading a small team at the rear including Agents Romanoff and Barton, but I want you to hold your ground outside the facility until my order. Thor, Mr. Stark and I will attack from the front. Our objective is to take command of the upper level as quickly and efficiently as possible, targeting HYDRA's weapons. Once the upper level is secure, Coulson's agents will begin apprehending any enemy combatants. The rest of us will continue into the lower level, but again, Thor and I will take point."
Steve took in a deep breath. "We don't know where in the facility Loki will be," he said. "My gut tells me we'll find him in the lowest sub-basement, along with the Tesseract itself, but chances are he'll again use projections of himself to fight us the whole way. From what we can tell, a few shots of any kind will dispel these projections. If you find the real Loki, do not engage. Call for the rest of the team and get the hell out of his way. We've all seen what he can do."
His gaze slipped inadvertently to Tony, who was trying not to grimace. "Thor and I will handle Loki," Steve went on. "But you'll have to be careful not to get carried away down there, Thor. We're going to be several stories underground and we don't know the full structural limits of the facility."
"I have no intention of burying us," said Thor.
Steve nodded. Thor's eyes on him were still heavy, but he refused to let his focus waver. "Assuming HYDRA hasn't changed their ways since I knew them, they may have taken civilians captive to work for them. We expect that Dr. Patricia Yeon and her team are down there somewhere. Remember, this isn't war - we want to take as many alive as we can." He met Thor's gaze. "That includes Loki. There are still HYDRA operatives in hiding all over the world, and we need all the intel we can get. But I'm certain that HYDRA won't be nearly as considerate. We'll have to trust each other to use sound judgment once we're in there.
"Now." He looked to each of his soldiers. "Any questions?"
"What's our exit strategy if things go to hell?" asked Rhodes.
"If we need to regroup fast, we'll meet at the rear," said Steve. "Like I said before, we want to do this quick, but careful. Agent Coulson has ear pieces for all of us to wear so we can stay in contact. Those of us not in suits, anyway."
"I've given JARVIS a few upgrades since joining the team," added Tony, unable to keep a certain I-told-you-so charm out of his voice. "He'll have his eye on us while we're in there, in case we lose track of each other."
"Then if that's it, we're ready to go." Steve looked them over again, and when no one objected, he called the meeting to a close. "We move out at 0100."
As soon as everyone broke away to prepare, Thor set his sights on Steve. Steve had expected as much. He motioned for Thor to follow, and together they moved behind one of the dormant helicopters, out of earshot of most of the soldiers.
"What you said this morning," said Thor as soon as they were alone. "You were sincere?"
"I wouldn't joke about something like that," Steve replied.
"Then you, and my brother..." Thor rubbed his beard and looked downright squeamish. Steve couldn't blame him. "But he deceived you?" he asked carefully. "You said he took disguise."
Steve frowned, and in watching Thor's intense stare and furrowed brow it occurred to him what was really being asked of him. "Yes," he said, "he did. But I'm not going into this looking for some kind of revenge." His stomach tightened. "I want to get him out of this alive as much as you do. But if we're going to do that, we need to work together. And I need you to trust me."
Thor still looked apprehensive, but when Steve offered his hand, he took in a deep breath and accepted it.
At one in the morning, they moved out. Rather than take the road they trekked through the sparse forestry, while Thor, Tony, and Rhodes flew ahead. Though it made Steve anxious to be behind, he had Tony in his ear and he trusted Thor to honor their plans. As they moved through the underbrush, the quiet swish of foliage made him think of his commandoes at his back.
Steve separated from the rest of his team, circling around the clearing to the front where Tony and Thor were waiting for him. As he came to the tree line, he spotted the facility. Its exterior was unremarkable, unlike the grand HYDRA bases that Schmidt had personally designed and constructed with the support of the Nazi war effort. Steve scanned each visible window and doorway and saw nothing. Only tire tracks in the gravel gave any indication that it might be occupied.
"Looks pretty empty from here," said Tony as they grouped behind a collection of tall pines. "Not a sound and all the lights are out."
Thor shook his head. "My brother is in there. I can sense father's Tesseract."
Steve pressed his hand over his ear. "Team Bravo, are you in position?"
"In position and ready," replied Clint. "I can see movement on the fourth floor."
"He really does have eyes like a hawk," muttered Tony.
Steve squinted up at the fourth floor windows. He didn't see anything, either, but he trusted Clint's eyesight more than his own. Even more convincing was when he stepped out from behind cover and scraped his foot along the gravel driveway. The sound of it crunching under his boot was familiar. "We're in the right place," he said confidently. "Ready the heavy artillery and fire on my signal."
Tony stepped up next to him and lifted his arm. A hatch in his forearm opened, and from it a slender missile no more than six inches long whirred into position. "Ready," he said.
"Ready," said Rhodes.
"Fire."
The missile launched. It sped across the courtyard and buried itself in the front entrance of the facility with the dull clunk of a Fourth of July firework, and after a short pause exploded in devastating display. The entrance door was blown off its hinges, metal and glass spraying in all directions, fire scorching up the outside walls. Three seconds later another, larger explosion sounded from the rear, and dark smoke rose over the top of the building.
"Sounds like you've upgraded your Hammer tech from last time," Tony said.
"At some point, Tony, even you will get tired of saying 'I told you so,'" retorted Rhodes.
They waited for one full minute, but still nothing stirred within the facility. "We're sure this is the place, aren't we?" asked Natasha.
"It is a trap," declared Thor. "They mean to draw us in and attack from all sides." He snorted. "A coward's tactic." His fist clenched around Mjolnir's handle as he turned toward Steve. "Allow me to spring it."
Steve frowned, but having witnessed glimpses of Thor's battle with Loki just that morning, he trusted Thor's assessment of his own strength. He nodded. "We'll be behind you," he said.
Thor faced the building, his body lowering and tensing like a jungle cat preparing to pounce. When he charged it was so swift that even Steve had trouble following him with his eyes. He barreled through the opening in the front of the building like a rocket, and immediately from inside weapons discharged and lights flashed. Steve could only make out a flurry of red cape and blue-white energy, and then, above the cacophony of blasts and crashing, Thor bellowing with exuberant fury.
Steve motioned to Tony, and immediately Tony's boosters carried him into the battle. "Thor is in," Steve reported to the rest of his team as he sprinted across the courtyard. "Stark and I are joining him. Team Bravo, hold your ground."
Steve leapt through the shattered entrance and immediately had to block a shot from one of HYDRA's guns against his shield. It didn't stop his momentum. A second set of doors had been demolished by Thor and his hammer, and Steve passed through them into the facility's lobby. It was just as Thor had said; the lobby was open up through the third floor, and HYDRA's soldiers were lined on the upper levels, firing down at Thor and Tony from over the rails. Their strategy might have worked if not for the god of thunder. Thor had already soared up to the third floor and was ripping the railings off with his bare hands, sending the more eager of HYDRA's soldiers tumbling into a three-story drop.
More shots rang out from Steve's left, and he twisted, easily defending with his shield. HYDRA soldiers had taken refuge behind the overturned reception desk, but before Steve could retaliate, Tony's repulsors sent the furniture crashing into the wall, enemy combatants and all.
"Captain," said Natasha in Steve's ear. "I've spotted another point of entry. I think I can get directly to the third floor. Permission to proceed?"
"Granted," Steve replied. From the looks of things Thor and Tony would have no trouble securing the lower levels on their own, and so, remembering the blueprint layouts, he headed for the stairwell. "I'm heading up. Rhodes and Barton, cover Romanoff. We don't know the state of the fourth floor yet."
He received their affirmatives and continued on. A small group of soldiers had holed up in the stairwell entrance, but a swift thrust of Steve's shield smashed them into each other and rendered all but one unconscious. After dispatching the last, Steve took a moment to pull off one glove. He pressed his hand to the wall and felt the Tesseract's telltale vibration echoing up from the lowest levels of the facility. But as Hammer had said, there was something beneath it: tension and pain, like piano wires drawing tight behind the walls. He could almost feel it threading between his ribs.
"Loki." Steve shoved his glove back on and raced up the stairs. "I'm coming for you next."
Loki squeezed his eyes shut and tried to concentrate. It was nearly impossible, with so many voices in the room, so much noise from the monitors. Hammer was doing his best to maintain order, but his efforts were too frantic to be useful. Thor had not used his lightning, but his presence in the base was like a flare at the back of Loki's mind, blazing back and forth with every swing of his hammer. It was driving Loki mad.
But none of it compared to the agony his own body was putting him through. The contractions were coming minutes apart, each one the jaws of a beast twisting through his abdomen and lower back. He had tried using his magic to quell them, but he was too fearful of the child's well-being to risk altering too much of himself. He told himself he had endured worse pain. He tried to remember falling through the universe, Heaven and Hell tearing at him from either side, but even that couldn't match the feeling of his own body helplessly beyond his control. Over and over the humans asked him questions, offered suggestion and orders, telling him to relax, to breathe, but all he wanted was to take each by the throat and squeeze until their breath rattled out of them. He wanted to rip through every ripe body in his path, to spill blood and bile, but most of all to share with every last man and woman the pain and terror consuming him.
"Help me," Loki whispered, turning his weary eyes on the reactor. "Help me."
The Tesseract hummed in answer. It reminded Loki of their reunion in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s base, and the power they had unleashed even before he fused them with science. He didn't need the Tesseract in his blood to command it. With a deep breath he let his mind drift away, up the floors of the facility and into the battlefield. The Tesseract's light saturated every metallic vein and appliance above, stretching out like Yggdrasil's branches waiting to be tapped.
Loki bared his teeth. All at once his projections sprang from every corner, every wall socket, every exposed wire. With the Tesseract pulsing beside him, he made an army of himself. A hundred snarling gods in horned armor swarmed into the lobby and set their eyes on Thor.
Thor had wreaked impressive devastation on HYDRA's advance force. He had finished securing the main entrance and was sweeping through the second floor when Loki's horde caught up to him. They snatched at his arms and legs and tore at his cloak, spurring on his already great momentum and propelling him clear through the rear wall of the building and into the loading bay.
"Loki?" Hammer asked from far away. "What is it now?"
Loki's eyelids fluttered. He channeled his fear and frustration into each snarling projection as they drove Thor into the harsh concrete. Thor was not stunned for long - even on his knees he was able to destroy the nearest projections with one swoop of Mjolnir. Just when he had nearly reclaimed his footing, Loki redoubled his efforts, his copies stabbing at Thor with their spears while reinforcements swirled overhead.
Gunfire erupted, shearing through the higher ranks of Loki's whirlwind. Loki tried to conjure more in order to combat Rhodes' artillery, but his weapons fired too swiftly, with too many bullets, for his shadows to get close. With Rhodes firing high and Thor pummeling from below, it wasn't long before Loki's numbers had been whittled down to one.
"You cannot win this, brother!" Thor hollered. "Surrender the Tesseract, or I will force it from you."
"Never," said Loki, though his words didn't make it past the scientists crowding around him. His lips pulled back in a grimace. "You mustn't see me like this."
Loki's army sprang into life again, this time through the floor, cracking concrete to snatch at Thor's and Rhodes' ankles. They clawed up the bodies of their adversaries, were shot and heaved down but were replaced two-fold for each one felled. Loki grinned in mad delight as he pried Rhodes' armor apart at the seams and ripped the emblems from Thor's chestplate. His body was anguish itself and he wanted them to feel it.
Their pain wasn't enough. The Tesseract was still urging him on, and with its power Loki sent more phantoms whirling through the interior of the facility. They quickly located Tony Stark, and though his repulsors and lasers had been upgraded and did no small damage, he was no match against dozens.
"Die," Loki hissed as his fingers wound in sweaty sheets. "I want all of you to die."
Steve had just plowed through another line of HYDRA soldiers when Tony began cursing in his ear.
"Rogers - there's too many. I'm pulling back."
A flash of lightning through the east window alerted Steve's attention. "Thor is with Rhodes at the rear," he said. "Get to them and hold your ground as long as you can. I'll be there soon."
The blueprints had indicated that the top floor of the facility was executive suites. Each room had only one entrance and was ideal for anyone holing up for a fight. Steve raced down the line of offices, his shield a battering ram as he incapacitated soldier after soldier. His heart was pounding in his ears and he could feel Loki raging all around him, but his momentum didn't falter. The last door had Hammer's name in the nameplate and he crashed through it into a firestorm.
Weapons discharged from all angles. Steve kept low as he heaved himself into the line of HYDRA's last resistance, unapologetic to the men and women caught in their own crossfire. As he made his way around the circular office-turned-command center, a blast of swirling blue and white rocketed past his fleeing back and disintegrated much of the wall in its path. Steve whirled, and hefted his shield in time to catch the second shot. The impact rocked even his vibranium, throwing him into a heavy cabinet. Wood cracked beneath his weight and then shattered completely when a third volley pounded him against it.
Steve peered out from around his shield long enough to spot his attacker: the shots were coming from a narrow-barreled canon mounted on a turning base. He only caught a glimpse of Johanna Schmidt's hard-featured face glaring at him from behind the controls. He tucked and rolled, dodging another series of shots, but she was swiftly able to anticipate his movements and managed to again send him flying into the walls of the room.
An arrow shot through the recently destroyed wall, striking precisely down the canon's barrel. There was no explosion, only a hiss and a pop, and when Johanna yanked on the trigger again nothing came out. Undeterred, she snatched up a rifle from the shelf behind her. She whirled on Steve, but by then he had already flung his shield. It struck her in the shoulder and spun her just enough that her first volley pulled far wide of her target, giving Steve the opportunity to all but fling himself across the office and into her.
His fist in Johanna's gut sent her sprawling, but she recovered far more quickly than he had expected, and her well-aimed punch to his throat reeled him. She pursued, a knife drawn from her belt. Steve twisted just in time to avoid being gutted; the blade skidded along his stripes, its serrations catching in the Kevlar. As they attacked and parried, Natasha glided into the office and began swiftly dispatching the remaining HYDRA soldiers. It wasn't long before only Johanna was left, her eyes wild with hate as she attacked Steve again and again. Her rage made her sloppy. Steve only had to retreat, and when her arm tired he struck, bending her wrist back until she released the knife. Two quick punches to her stomach and an ankle sweep later she was on the ground.
Johanna growled and cursed in German until it became clear that Steve had her pinned. "You are unworthy," she panted. "You are unworthy of the strength you were given!"
"Maybe," said Steve, catching his breath. "But your predecessor didn't do any better."
Johanna glared at him, but then a calm came over her features, and she laughed. "It doesn't matter." She spread her lips in a wide grin. "Cut off one-"
Steve shoved his gloved hand into her mouth. She gagged, struggling, but he had no trouble locating the one loose tooth. He pulled it free and tossed the cyanide capsule away long before she could use it. "Not this time," he said. "You're keeping your head."
Johanna only resumed her laughter. Steve leaned back, preparing to haul her upright, and noticed too late her hand moving toward her belt. "I am not the head," she said, pressing a button beneath her belt buckle.
The canon nearby began to bleat in warning, as did all the rifles and handguns strewn across the chamber. Steve released Johanna immediately and reeled back. "Take cover!" he shouted, snatching up his shield as he turned. Natasha was already diving beneath the desk, and with no time to make it through the open wall Steve slid into her. She curled as tight as she could and he did the same, protecting her with his body while his shield did the best it could for him. They had barely stopped moving when everything exploded.
The facility rocked. Even six stories below Hammer felt the vibration, and he watched nervously as several of the security monitors turned to static. Everyone in the room stopped what they were doing to stare at each other, and a murmur rose between them.
"That's it," said one man. "It's over - Schmidt's lost."
"If HYDRA's finished, there's no reason for us to stay here."
Their mumblings were interrupted by Loki jerking on the bed, and his voice piercing the chamber in a wail of agony. His hands flew to his eyes but not soon enough to hide his tears. He was sweating and shaking, and the Tesseract throbbed with him, saturating every molecule of air with tense reverberations.
Hammer waved frantically at the scientists. "Hey - don't get any ideas. There are still soldiers out there. Some of you have been with HYDRA all along! Get back here and help me deliver this baby for Christ's sake!"
"We don't work for you," snapped Dr. Yeon. "We're prisoners. And if Schmidt is dead, I'm getting the hell out of here."
Several of her colleagues joined in, but the moment she turned away from the bed, a gunshot rang out. The bullet hit her in the temple and sprayed her brain matter out the other side; she dropped to the ground in a heap and twitched momentarily before falling still and dead.
The remaining scientists reeled back and quickly located her killer: Synthia, standing between them and the exit. Her eyes were cold as she motioned them back to work with the barrel of her gun. "Deliver the baby," she ordered. "If anyone tries to leave I'll kill them myself."
Even Hammer shrank back. Without further complaint the scientists and doctors returned to work, crowding around Loki and his monitors. Slowly their chatter resumed, but Hammer cast Synthia one last, incredulous look before turning back to Loki.
"Lord Loki." Hammer touched his shoulder and leaned in close. "You're out of time, buddy."
"Get it out," Loki whimpered. "Get this thing out of me!"
"I know, I know." Hammer glanced to the doctors as they helped reposition Loki's knees wider. "It's time to start pushing. You just gotta...you know, keep breathing."
"Curse you, Steven Rogers," Loki growled, his face winding tight. "I curse you. I curse you to the icy hell of Jotunheim!"
Another contraction rolled into him, and he bore down, groaning through clenched jaws. Hammer held his breath as he watched Loki writhe and gasp. It was surreal and he was desperately glad that Loki had become fully female for it. "You're all right," he said, taking Loki's hand when there was a moment of rest. "You're doing great, really. I'm sure it won't be long-"
Loki's hand seized around his, and Hammer was too slow to withdraw. Five slender fingers crushed his palm with a snap of bone and arm-numbing pain. Hammer choked on his own outcry and pawed at Loki's vice-liked grip, but Loki was senseless and growling, refusing to let go. "Loki!" Hammer croaked as feeling left his fingers. He soon realized that fighting was only grinding his already mangled bones together, and he stopped, cowering at Loki's bedside as sweat poured down his face.
"Okay," he squeaked. His glasses slid down his nose and he finally just shook them off. "Okay, I'm here. You've got me." He gulped. "Let's have this baby."
The doctors ordered Loki to push again. He arched against the headboard and cried.
Steve waited until the room had settled before uncurling. Fire and debris had scored his uniform, leaving streaks of burning welts down his calves and one nasty bump at the back of his head, but he was otherwise uninjured. As he pulled himself out from under the desk he glanced over Natasha and was relieved to find her with barely a scratch on her. "You all right?" he asked anyway.
"Fine." Natasha brushed herself off, and together they surveyed the room.
Every weapon had detonated. The searing energy of the Tesseract in each one had made for an impressive explosion, blowing out every window and chunks of the walls in many places. Much of the furniture had been scorched black. There was barely any trace of HYDRA. The dispersing energy had disintegrated their bodies, leaving only boots and a few patches of blood behind. Steve moved to the space Johanna had occupied and found that only her false tooth remained, its cyanide sizzling against the floor.
"Everyone, report," he said into his earpiece.
"Stark here," came Tony's response first. "I'm with Rhodes and Thor in the rear garage. We're banged up but okay."
"What's your situation?" Steve asked as he and Natasha passed through the shattered wall.
"Pretty neutral, at the moment. Looks like most of HYDRA's weapons self destructed. Took all the damn Lokis with them."
Steve removed his glove and pressed it to the wall. He could still feel the tension emanating from deep within the facility, even stronger than before. Somewhere below, Loki was terrified. It put a tremor in his gut. "Barton? What about you?"
"Oh," said Clint. "I'm just...hanging out."
They found Clint's bow wedged in an open window, and Clint clinging to it, his body dangling outside the building. After helping him in, the three of them regrouped with their peers in the lobby. Though both Iron Man armors were scorched and Rhodes' was loose in places, all of them seemed no worse for wear and agreed they were able to continue.
"Agent Coulson, the four levels above ground are secure," reported Steve. "Looks like only a handful of HYDRA soldiers survived, but you might as well round them up."
"Affirmative, Captain."
Coulson and his agents entered through the front. With the help of Steve and his companions they collected the survivors and secured them with hand and ankle cuffs. Once the majority had been handled, Steve became anxious to continue.
"Rhodes and Barton will stay up top," he said. "Stay with Coulson and keep an eye out, just in case there are stragglers or if Loki shows back up. The rest of us are going under. There are six levels - Stark and Romanoff will take the odd floors, Thor and I will take evens. Clean up whoever you find and make sure the level is secure before continuing, so we don't get pinned down there. Once you two finish level five, wait. Do not proceed to six unless I ask you to."
Everyone agreed. Following his memory of his first visit, Steve counted the steps through the first floor, down a short set of stairs, and through another door into the elevator vestibule. The stairwells had been welded shut but Thor's hammer made quick work of that. They split up, Natasha and Tony exiting at the first sub-basement as Steve and Thor headed to the second.
"There is something wrong with Loki," Thor said as they reached the door. "I can feel him screaming all through the walls."
"I know - I feel it, too." Steve swallowed. "But we still have to do this right. Let's be quick."
Loki pushed for what felt like hours. He pushed until it felt like his body was tearing itself apart, until every tendon and ligament threatened to snap. He barely registered the scientists blithering all around, their hands prodding, Hammer's whimpered "Oh God," constantly at his ear. The world smeared into blaring lights and agony until finally, blissfully, something gave way and the child was out. Loki collapsed against the bed, his relief so profound he almost gagged on it. His every breath was a sob. Emotion coursed through him waves, and it wasn't until Hammer pried his hand free that Loki remembered he had been holding it at all.
"Good God!" Hammer moaned, slumping away from the bed. Loki could feel him shaking.
Loki forced his eyes open, but they were blurred with tears and he could only make out smears in the too-bright lights. "Is she... Where is she?"
The doctors gasped and murmured to each other, and Loki squirmed with apprehension. "Where is my child?" he demanded. "Is she well?" He clawed at the bed. "Let me see her!"
"She's all right, sir," said a man, though his voice was weak. "She's fine - she's breathing."
A soft cry rose in the tense room. Loki's breath left him, and he sagged again onto the mattress. He had done it. He didn't know if he could call it pride that overflowed him then, but it was blazing and it was his to savor. His child was in the world. He shuddered.
"Now hold on," said one of the doctors. "You're not quite finished yet. There's still-"
Loki closed his eyes, and with a moan his transformation fell away. For the first time in almost three months his body became fully his again, from his face to his limbs to his organs. It was so gratifying to be himself that fresh tears rolled down his flush cheeks. He touched his flat stomach and laughed.
The doctor sighed. "Well, never mind, then."
"Justin," said Loki, waving blindly. "Where are you?"
"I'm still here," Hammer wheezed.
Loki looked at him. Hammer's face was clammy with sweat and almost white, and he was cradling his right hand against his chest. It was swollen and purple. Loki frowned. "What happened to your hand?"
Hammer gulped and managed a frail smile. "Uh, nothing. I'm fine. How about you?" He scraped his sleeve across his forehead. "You did it, big guy, you really did. Congratulations."
Loki smiled, but hollowness crept into his stomach as he gradually remembered where he was and what was happening. He pushed his hair back and wiped his face. They were coming.
"Do you want to see her?" Hammer offered.
Something rattled far above them. Everyone looked to the ceiling, but Loki needed only to close his eyes to feel his brother wreaking havoc in the upper floors. Rather than cold panic, however, his nerves steeled. "Prepare the cradle," Loki said. He pushed himself higher up the headboard and groaned. "Just as we discussed."
"But if we remove the Tesseract now-"
"The facility is lost." Loki motioned to someone next to him and was handed a bottle of water. "Only the child matters now. Make sure she's taken care of."
"Okay." Hammer shuffled away. "Okay."
The scientists went back to work. Loki watched as they wheeled the cradle over: it was made of metal and glass, with soft blankets laid out along its bottom, yet more monitors attached to one side. One of the doctors leaned over it and gently placed the cloth-wrapped baby inside. Loki's heart leapt into his throat but he held himself back. She would wait for him.
Hammer punched a sequence into the main computer, and the reactor powered down. The light faded from the lattice of wires and tubes that stretched overhead, and one by one the monitors blinked off, leaving the chamber momentarily in total darkness. Seconds later, the emergency generators kicked in. The monitors and tubes remained dormant, but soft, yellow lights blinked overhead, just enough for everyone to see and work by.
The side port of the reactor opened. Synthia strode toward it, and with thick gloves and a long, metallic catch tool she removed the Tesseract from within. The cube gleamed and hummed as she carried it away from the reactor and settled it carefully in a waiting receptacle mounted on one side of the cradle. Blue light filled the glass enclosure, and as Loki watched, the clothed bundle squirming inside fell happily still.
Loki sighed and closed his eyes. He was exhausted, but he had no choice but to try and rally his strength back to him. Thor was coming - Steve was coming. He had no idea yet how he would face them, but surrender was inconceivable. He licked his lips, still debating over his options, when another gunshot split the air.
Another scientist fell dead, and Synthia turned her gun on the next, shooting her twice in the chest. The remaining men and women screamed and ran for the exit, but Synthia continued to fire until her magazine was emptied. Four more dropped to the ground, and the rest fled into the hallway, some of them clutching wounds. Loki watched without interfering. "Get behind me," he said, only to realize that Hammer was already cowering behind the headboard.
Synthia slid the empty magazine out and loaded a fresh one. Gone were all traces of her skittish shyness as she leveled the gun at Loki and fired again.
Loki tried to call on his magic, but he was depleted, and he managed to only barley slow the bullet's momentum. It pierced his splayed palm and bored into his chest, hitting and cracking his sternum. He didn't cry out. The pain barely registered even as he clutched the bleeding wound. Only anger pulsed through him as he glared Synthia down, waiting for another shot.
"The hell are you doing?" Hammer cried from behind the bed. "Some of those were your scientists!"
"And they'll soon be S.H.I.E.L.D.'s prisoners," said Synthia. She waited a moment longer, but when Loki only continued to stare heatedly back, she lowered the gun. "They have orders to kill themselves to avoid capture regardless. I was only helping the cowardly along."
Loki dug his fingers into his chest, groaning under his breath as he tried to pry the bullet fragments out of his bones. "You," he panted. "You think you can betray me?"
"I know that's not enough to kill you." Synthia slipped the gun into a holster at her waist; it wasn't until then that Loki noticed the combat attire beneath her white lab coat. "S.H.I.E.L.D. can have you for all I care," she said as he pressed several buttons on the side of the cradle. "You promised us domination, and you failed. So it's time to cut HYDRA's losses and move on."
Hammer peered carefully over the top of the bed. "But Schmidt is dead. All your soldiers up there are dead or captured - HYDRA has nothing, now."
Synthia passed her hand over the gun, and Hammer ducked back again. "Margot is dead," she said, with regret that could have passed for sincere. "And her loss is a great one. But the Schmidt line is as strong as ever." She pulled open one side of her lab coat and revealed a row of test tubes bearing a bright blue fluid. "Dr. Yeon's serum is not as elegant as Dr. Erskine's, but she very nearly succeeded. There are others in the world that can finish her work, and I'll have what I really came for. And, of course, there's this."
The cradle hissed, and the receptacle bearing the Tesseract released into her hand. Immediately the light from the cradle faded. Loki gripped the mattress and yanked himself forward, crawling weakly to the end of the bed. "Don't you dare," he hissed.
"With the serum and the Tesseract, HYDRA can be rebuilt," Synthia continued. She stepped back and freed the handgun from its holster again. "The line of Schmidt will rule the earth someday." Her lip curled. "I hope that you'll be able to see it from your prison in heaven, Loki."
"So it was you." Loki coughed as he reached the end of the mattress, but when he tried to stand, his legs gave out and he dropped to the floor. He moaned. "Johanna was your shield - you are Schmidt's heir."
Synthia curtsied as she backed away. "You finally noticed."
Hammer started to creep out from behind the bed, but a shot from the gun drove him back again. "Don't make me kill you, Hammer," Synthia taunted. "I'd much rather see you rot in prison."
"My child..." Loki coughed as he gripped the bedpost and tried to use it to stand. "My child requires the Tesseract."
Synthia shook her head. "That's a shame," she said, and she turned to leave.
Loki hissed, clawing at his wounded chest. Once he had managed to pry the last chunk of metal loose his body swiftly closed over, and he dragged himself to his feet. "Synthia-"
Synthia whipped around. Her finger curled over the trigger, but before she could pull it, a fresh burst of light poured from the container at her side. The Tesseract's energy swelled within the metal and soared through the cracks, ripping up Synthia's arm and over her head. She screamed, dropping the container and her weapon as white-hot light seared her face and hair. In a panic she fled, through the exit and down the hallway.
As soon as she was gone Loki dropped to all fours and crawled to the Tesseract. He cradled its container against his chest, letting the soothing energy sweep through him. "I knew you had chosen me," he murmured, absorbing what he could from it. It swelled into him, softening the edges of his exhaustion and pain. When he had the strength, he stumbled back to the cradle and fit the receptacle back into place. It filled the cradle again with warmth and light.
"Loki!" Hammer rushed to his side, and was just in time to support him in his fall back to his knees. "Jesus. Are you all right?" He felt out the partially-healed chest wound. "I can't believe it. All this time... damn." He looked to the door. "But I'm sure S.H.I.E.L.D. will get her too, now, unless she kills herself first."
"I'll kill her," Loki muttered, leaning wearily against Hammer's shoulder. "I'll kill her!"
Something banged ominously from the far end of the hallway. Loki and Hammer both turned to stare, breathlessly waiting. Something was clanging down the stairwell. Cold panic again crept into Loki's heart, and his breath came fast. His time was up.
"Justin." Loki took Hammer's hand in both of his and used what magic he had to reset and repair the shattered bones beneath. "Remain here."
Hammer grimaced and squirmed until his hand was fully healed. "Wait," he said. "Are you going out there? Loki, it's over."
"I must fight." Loki pushed against Hammer's shoulder and at last made it to his feet. He swayed, but pure determination propelled him back to his throne. He yanked free his dark green robes and wrapped himself up. "I will not surrender to Thor, not now or ever. Remain here." His steps were halting as he headed for the door. "Guard the child."
Hammer stood. "Loki, wait," he said. "You're in no condition to fight." He hurried closer as Loki crouched down and retrieved Synthia's handgun. "Come on - you gotta know when to give it a rest. This isn't going to-"
"Justin Hammer." Loki grabbed the hand he had just repaired and pressed Synthia's gun into it. "You will protect my child," he said firmly. "With your life, if necessary. Do you understand?"
Hammer gulped, but as Loki held his gaze, his resolve wavered - or hardened. Perhaps both. His fingers curled around the handle of the weapon, and he nodded. "All right," he said. He took a deep breath. "I understand. Good luck."
Loki let him go, and with a deep breath of his own he continued out of the chamber.
Thor smashed open the final door. As the metal sailed into the hallway, Steve stood back and touched his earpiece. "Thor and I have reached level six," he reported. "Levels two and four are secure."
"So are levels one and three," reported Natasha. "We're just getting through level five."
"Acknowledged. Standby." Steve hopped down the last two steps and joined Thor in the doorway. "Ready?" Thor nodded, and together they stepped into the hallway.
The emergency generators did a poor job of lighting the lowest level. The bulbs flickered insipidly, and many of the once sealed doors had released without power to the electronic locks. Steve gazed up and down the line of doors and heard what sounded like pained whimpers and groans coming from one of the rooms. He started forward, Thor at his side, but both stopped when a figure emerged from the far door.
Loki stepped into the hall. He was draped in long, dark robes, hastily clasped around his otherwise bare figure. He looked haggard. His face was visibly pale even in the dim light, his long hair sticking to the sweat on his cheeks, forehead, and neck. Each breath was a deep gasp, and when he pulled the door shut behind him, he wavered on his feet from the effort. With one hand bracing him against the wall, he stared his adversaries down with steady, but pained attention.
"Thor," he said. His lips pulled back in a sneer. "You said you wanted to see me face to face. I am here."
"Loki..." Mjolnir hung loose in Thor's grip as he stared back at his disheveled brother. "What's happened to you?"
Steve's gaze flicked between the blood staining Loki's hands, chest, and, more disturbingly, the insides of his legs. It occurred to him a moment later that Loki's abdomen was strikingly flat. A knot in his chest made it difficult to breathe. "Loki..."
"Well?" Loki's elbow bent more and more as he slumped gradually into the wall at his side. "State your business."
Steve swallowed. "We're here to take you with us, Loki," he said. "You, and the Tesseract. Where is it?"
"Safe." Loki's expression tightened. "You cannot have it."
Thor took a step forward. "Brother, whatever has happened to you...let us end it now. Come with me. There's no need for us to fight."
"I am not leaving," Loki replied. "And if you try to take me, I will kill you."
"You do not have a choice," said Thor, his voice tipping with frustration. "You must return with me to Asgard. Father will be-"
"I have no father!" Loki snarled. "Get out!"
He slapped the wall, and up and down its copper lengths the walls began to twist inward. Metal groaned as it curled, shrinking down like a fist around a soda can. Thor charged. With Mjolnir brandished at his side he flashed down the corridor, but then Loki moved as well in a blur of rippling fabric. Just before collision Thor screeched to a halt and swung his hammer in a smooth arc. Steve tensed, expecting the blow to connect, but Loki was faster than Thor had anticipated. He snatched Thor's wrist with both hands and twisted, putting his back to Thor's chest. Using Thor's own momentum he spun and sent his brother crashing through one of the partially open doors.
Loki dropped to his hand and knees. As he gasped and gagged, Steve approached, shield ready but not poised yet. "Loki," Steve said as he stopped just out of reach. "Have you really thought about what I said?"
Loki leaned back on his heels, his arms stretched in front of him, prostrate and shaking. "If you try to take me from here," he said, "I will kill you, too."
Steve's eyes narrowed. "No, you won't."
Loki stared up at him through his unkempt hair, and in his eyes betrayed the truth - he wouldn't. He attacked regardless, his clawing hands raking down Steve's shield. Steve batted him aside, but before he could form a plan, Thor barreled back into the hallway. His broad bicep caught Loki full in the stomach and together they tumbled through an opposite door an out of sight.
Steve pursued. They had smashed into the server room, with tall black cabinets like monoliths lined in all directions. Loki darted between them on bare feet, weaving back and forth in the maze of electronics with Thor just behind. Steve tried to head them off, but Thor again reached Loki first, and the two of them grappled and cursed in the narrow space.
"I don't want to hurt you," Thor growled, "but I will if I have to, Loki!"
"Then hurt me!" Loki hollered.
Loki's palms lit with incoming magic. A blast of ice struck Thor directly in the chest, and he was thrown into the wall. The impact shattered several concrete bricks, and when Loki fired again, Thor was tossed cleanly through.
People shrieked from within the adjoining room. Thor did not stay in it long; he vaulted again to his feet and charged, throwing Loki up against one of the servers. It cracked with the impact and dropped to the floor with a heavy thud. As Loki and Thor continued to heave each other across the room, Steve investigated the room that they had briefly intruded upon and spotted half a dozen men and women in lab coats cowering within Hammer's suite.
"There are civilians down here," Steve said into his earpiece as gods warred on behind him. "Stark, Romanoff, come and get them, but keep your eyes open. It's not a pretty fight."
"Affirmative," said Natasha.
Steve left the hostages and headed back into the server room, and had to fling himself out of the way of Mjolnir whipping through the open air. He rolled onto his back and watched in frustration as the hammer pounded into Loki's chest and sent him flying through three rows of servers.
Loki smacked against the far wall and dropped like a stone. For several seconds he lay motionless, and then jerked with a sudden intake of breath. When he tried to get his arms beneath him, he couldn't. With a pained groan he slumped onto his side and vomited bile.
Mjolnir snapped back into Thor's hand, but before he could continue, Steve motioned him back. "Wait," he said. "Please. Trust me." Thor set his jaw, but he stepped back.
Steve hurried forward. When Loki finally was able to sit upright Steve was there, cradling him with one arm. "Loki, enough," he said quietly. "It's over."
Loki sagged against Steve's shoulder. "No," he whispered. "No, I cannot..."
"Shh. I know." Mindful of the many ears in his, Steve licked his lips and asked, "Where is she?"
Loki shivered, but he looked about to answer until he heard Thor's boots scuffling closer through the shattered room. With a look of panic his hand shot out, and from each fingertip sprang a dagger of sharpened ice. Three shattered against Thor's armor but two sank into the flesh of his bare arms, and Thor bellowed angrily. As he yanked the shards from his skin, Loki pounced, grabbing Thor by the throat and carrying them both to the floor.
Thor readied Mjolnir, but Steve got there first. He grabbed Loki by the back of his robes and heaved him off his brother, flinging him again into the wall. Loki crumbled but Steve pursed anyway, using the width of his shield to pin Loki up against the concrete bricks. As Loki cursed and wailed Steve swung his fist and winced when Loki jerked with the blow. Still Loki fought, bruising his fingers against the edge of Steve's shield, and Steve had no choice but to hit him again. Finally, thankfully, Loki collapsed, and Steve let his shield drop as he collected battered Loki in his arms and lowered them both to the floor.
"Where is she?" Steve asked again, keeping Loki clasped against his chest in case any more fits of stubbornness followed. "Loki, please." But when he eased Loki back to hear his answer, Loki only drooped into his lap, unconscious.
Thor stepped forward, Mjolnir loose in his hand as he watched the pair from beneath heavy eyelids. "Let me take him," he said.
Steve hesitated, but when Thor fastened Mjolnir to his belt and crouched down, he couldn't bring himself to refuse. He eased Loki into Thor's arms and grimaced at the bloody spectacle he made. "I'm sorry," he said, not knowing what else to offer.
"I will take him to the surface," Thor said quietly. "So he can be tended and properly restrained."
"Yes." Steve recalled his wits. "Go ahead. I'll help the others clear out the hostages and see if we can find the Tesseract. We'll be up soon."
Thor nodded, and without another word he pushed to his feet and carried Loki swiftly out of the room.
Steve took a moment longer to catch his breath and stop his hands from shaking. "It's over," he told himself firmly as he pushed to his feet. "It's over."
Out in the hallway, he immediately ran into Tony and Natasha herding the frightened and wounded doctors toward the stairwell. "We're bringing the civilians up," Natasha was reported to Coulson above. "Make sure they're all detained. We're not sure yet which ones are HYDRAs and which are victims."
"Good work, team," said Coulson. "Any sign of the Tesseract?"
"Negative," said Steve. "Stark and I are heading for the reactor chamber. Stand by."
Natasha joined the civilians, and as Steve and Tony headed to the far end of the hall, Tony's mask clanged open and he gave Steve a long look. "Hanging in there, Rogers?" he asked, just lightly enough that Steve could brush his concern aside if he wanted to.
Which he did. "I'm fine," he said. "Let's just finish this."
Steve pried the door open, and squinted into the darkened chamber. Even the emergency lights inside had been doused, leaving only a faint blue glow at the far corner. Steve stepped inside first. Even with the faint light he could just barely make out the outline of Loki's throne in front of the reactor, and the bed strewn with equipment and soiled sheets. Both men winced as they came forward.
"The hell is that smell?" Tony grumbled as they scanned the silent room.
Steve's heart pounded. As they continued forward his foot ran into something soft and heavy, and he prodded it with his toe. It was a body. "Stark," he said, "wait, I think-"
A gun fired. Several bullets crushed themselves against Steve's shield, and then the spray veered off, ricocheting off of Tony's armor and the protective covering of his core. Tony's mask clanged shut and he lifted both hands, firing his repulsors into the darkness.
Someone cried out, followed by the sound of a body tumbling through machinery and a sharp, sickening gurgle. When no retaliation followed Steve and Tony hurried forward, tracing wet, ragged breath. With Tony increasing the light from his reactor and repulsors, they at last found and identified their fallen attacker.
Hammer had landed on his back amidst a tangle of wires and tubes. There was blood in his mouth and his hands pawed at his chest, but it took Steve several seconds to realize where and how he was injured; he recognized one of the tubes stretching out from under Hammer's back as the reactor's umbilical. Even in the faint light Steve could make out very dark blood seeping out from underneath him.
"Hammer," Tony said incredulously. His mask opened again and he yanked the gun out of Hammer's hand, casting it aside. "What the hell did you think you were doing?" he demanded. "You stupid..."
Hammer quaked between them, but when he tried to speak, only more blood splattered over his lips. His eyes welled with pained and frightened tears as he grasped at Tony's armor. His chest heaved with every futile attempt to breathe, his heels scraped the floor, but all Steve and Tony could do was stare helplessly back as his struggles quickly grew weak. Gagging and panicked, Hammer kept one hand curled violently over Tony's arc reactor as the other went back to pawing at his vest. A quiet sob that might have been a plea split his lips, and then he sagged, gone.
Tony leaned back. Hammer's blood smeared down the front of his reactor as his hand fell, tainting the light red. As Tony sat staring at the body, Steve reached down and gently closed Hammer's eyes. He didn't have the strength to say "I told you so" to a corpse.
A quiet noise rippled out of the darkness beyond, one that spread goose bumps up Steve's back. Abandoning his shield, he pushed to his feet and followed the tiny cry toward a blue glow at the back of the chamber. The closer he drew, the harder his heart beat, until he feared it would pound straight out of him. By the time he recognized the aquarium-shaped apparatus for what it truly was, his steps had grown heavy and his head was spinning dizzily off his shoulders.
Steve leaned over the cradle, and at the first glimpse of its contents, he passed out.