Still don't own anything recognizable.
Not much to say for reviews this time around other than me apologizing for the wait. Enjoy!
(Full Italics = Hari POV, Phrase Italics = language change, Single Word Italics = emphasis)
Ch. 12: The Battle of New York
The silence in the back of the jet is awkward for the non-magical members of the team. For Hari, it's mostly normal. She had that effect on people back home too. One of being sat in silence with others and them not knowing how to break it with her not caring.
"You ready for this?" Captain America asks, looking towards Phantom; an odd, almost nervous tone to his voice.
Phantom huffs a breath out through her nose, the distorted noise sounding odd and incredibly loud in the back of the jet, before answering, "Not my first time fighting an army." She pauses briefly, before continuing as if an afterthought, "Well… first time it's from outer space."
Natasha looks concerned at her friend – 'hopefully something more soon' her traitorous thoughts make themselves known in whispers – and wonders if she's referring to some of the situations she's found herself in as 'The Phantom' or if it's a reference to something back home.
Clint keeps his focus on the jet controls, not knowing how to apologize for the scene he made on the Helicarrier in the med bay. After hearing the raven-haired woman's questions, he felt sickened with himself for putting his friend and teammate through what he did. He could only hope to find out a good way to apologize and gain her friendship back; and hopefully before his wife finds out about it. 'She's gonna be furious with me for doing that to someone she took a real liking to after helping to protect them and giving us a way to see each other more,' he sighs internally. 'Hell, she'd probably shove me off to the couch if I'm lucky.'
Natasha watches as Phantom switches her eerie gaze from the spot of the jet's wall she was looking at to herself, the glowing orbs seeming to soften, before standing up and disappearing with a quiet 'Pop' that sounds like a cannon blast to the redhead.
She sees from the corner of her eye Clint stiffen slightly.
Hari appears in her apartment before removing her trunk from around her neck and opening it. Before summoning, and packing away, the few items left there that she doesn't want to try and replace should the alien attack bypass the wards she's put up around the place.
She looks out the windows and the glass door of the balcony as the trunk shuts itself with the items safely inside, seeing that she's only a few blocks away from Stark Tower. She opens the balcony door before changing into her Animagus form and flying off.
"Please tell me you're going to appeal to my humanity." Loki says with a slight smirk as Stark, sans Iron Man suit, walks down the stairs from the landing pad to the bar.
Tony looks at him before focusing his attention back on the bar and says, "Uhh… actually, I'm planning on threatening you."
"You should've left your armor on for that." Loki says, a sneer starting to form.
Tony waves a hand absently as he approaches the bar, "Yeah, but it's seen a bit of mileage. You've got the blue glowstick of destiny. Would you like a drink?" he asks as he grabs a bottle and tumbler.
"Stalling me won't change anything." Loki says calmly.
Tony looks at him strangely as he pours a drink, "No, no. Threatening, remember?" He pauses to take a sip, continuing, "No drink? You sure? It's good."
"The Chitauri are coming, nothing will change that. What do I have to fear?" Loki asks condescendingly.
Tony answers, "The Avengers." Seeing Loki's confused look, he explains, "It's what we call ourselves; sort of like a team. 'Earth's Mightiest Heroes' type of thing."
"Yes, I've met them." Loki sneers in response.
Tony smiles as he answers, "Yeah, might've taken a bit for us to get any traction, I'll give you that. But, let's do a head count here. Your brother, the demi-God; a super soldier; a living legend who kind of lives up to the legend; a man with breath-taking anger management issues; a couple master assassins. And you," he pauses, pointing to Loki, taking a sip, "big fella, you've managed to piss off every single one of them."
"That was the plan." Loki claims arrogantly.
Tony looks at him, slightly incredulously, and says, "Not a great plan really. When they come, and they will, they'll come for you."
"I have an army." Loki proclaims.
Tony easily counters, "We have a Hulk. Oh, and let's not forget. Most importantly, there's one other person you've pissed off. The spooky witch who seems to have kicked your ass and chained you up twice. The scary lady who will slice you up ten ways to Sunday if given half a chance. An-" he's cut off by Phantom walking down the same steps he used on his arrival.
"And you just gave me the perfect opportunity Laufeyson." Phantom's distorted voice cuts through the room, ice-cold tone coming through the voice modifiers clearly.
Loki's eyes widen at the way he's addressed.
"Oh yes. I know all about you, Silver Tongue." Phantom continues, giving Tony the perfect opportunity to slip on some bracelets to call a suit to him.
Phantom is now in between him at the bar and Loki.
Loki's face morphs into anger and hatred, before he sneers out through gritted teeth, "Ah, the sorceress. Hiding in shadows pretending to be intelligent. And to think I thought you had potential," he finishes with a scoff.
"Only one pretending here is you, you second rate stage magician." Phantom retorts.
Loki snarls out in rage, pointing at her with the scepter, "I'm a more powerful magical than you! ME!"
"You think he's compensating for something? That stick of his, the helmet, and his superiority complex." Tony snarks, entering himself back into the conversation.
He continues on, "You're missing the point anyway. There's no throne. There is no version of this where you come out on top. Maybe your army comes and maybe it's too much for us mortals. But it's all on you," he pauses before looking at Phantom, "and you."
He turns back to Loki, finishing in a tone of confidence and resolve, "But you should know, if we can't protect the Earth, you can be damned sure we'll avenge it."
Loki turns his attention from Tony to Phantom, before stalking closer to her, scepter poised, "You will all fall before me. And your friend will be fighting you, so you won't even be able to focus on me." He finishes, with the scepter hitting Phantom's chest.
Hari feels the scepter's presence again, but this time it's greatly diminished and easily ignored. The emerald orbs seem to burn brighter though at the idea he could put her mind under his control as she hisses a Parseltongue swear; and Loki notices.
He frowns, tapping the scepter to her chest again as Tony gets ready to call a suit. "This should work," he mutters.
Emerald flames lick at hidden eyebrows now, furious beyond words at the arrogance this 'God' keeps showing, a growl reminiscent of Padfoot coming from the depths of Phantom's chest; seemingly reverberating all through the penthouse; stopping Tony's joke about 'performance issues.'
Before she snarls out in anger herself, "Crucio," with her arm raised at Loki.
Loki howls in pain and he drops to a knee, face contorting in pain and rage, as a red beam hits him.
He barely manages to raise his scepter, then fires one of the most powerful beams he can out of it at the hooded sorceress; blasting her back through the window.
Stark calls out to Jarvis, "Gimme somethin buddy!" raising his arms so the sensors can latch onto the signals from the bracelets. As soon as he hears the panel opening to release the suit he runs toward the open window and jumps out, a new suit collecting him as he starts to fall.
Natasha and the others in the jet hear the whole conversation, thankfully Hari left her comms device in and active, and she gasps slightly as she hears the curse before Loki's screams.
She doesn't acknowledge the confused glances sent her way by everyone in the jet, Clint included – even as he has concern in his eyes – and focuses instead on what she can hear.
She hears glass breaking, the wind rushing past the mic; and can only hope that her friend has some magic trick up her sleeve to not die being flung from the penthouse of Stark Tower.
Hari huffs in annoyance as she falls through the air, activating the charms and runes she put into the new suit to allow flight; similar to her old Firebolt Golden – the third iteration of the Firebolt broom that was destroyed by the Hungarian Horntail in the Tri-Wizard Tournament, her first present from family that she remembers – and feels the runes and charms take hold as she continues her dive for a Wronski feint.
Just before a metal arm wraps around her torso, killing her momentum and probably bruising her ribs.
"That's gonna bruise a few ribs if you didn't fucking crack them." Phantom groans out.
She hears Stark snort and then his warbled, robotic voice snark, "A thank you would be nice."
"Fuck off." Phantom says back. Before she's wiggling out of his grip and as he moves to grab her again before she can fall to her death, she flies herself away to a lower roof. Leaving a thoroughly dumbfounded Iron Man behind.
Once Phantom reaches the nearby rooftop, she turns to look back at Stark tower and watches a beam of energy fly up into the sky. It creates a vortex in the air, before opening and she can see space and weird ships through it.
She hears Stark mutter through the comms link, "Right. Army."
The quinjet flies into the city, seeing a few buildings with damage and large numbers of police on the ground, looking skyward towards the alien ships flooding out of the portal.
"Stark, we're on your three; heading North-East." Natasha calls over the comms, continuing, "Rozi, break them."
Tony answers with a joke, "What? Did you stop for drive-thru? Swing up Park, I'm gonna lay em out for you."
Phantom doesn't answer and no one, minus Clint, know exactly what she said. They only recognize the grim tone Natasha spoke in.
Clint pilots the jet to Park and sees Iron Man fly out from the corner behind Stark Tower as Thor and Loki fight in the penthouse.
Iron Man flies low, going under the quinjet, and Natasha spins the gun up and shoots the following Chitarui down.
Clint looks through the windows, trying to find a new target and swivels the jet to be facing more, as Natasha calls out, "I see them," right before spinning the gun up again.
Phantom finally calls back over the comms line, "Put the jet down before you get blasted out of the sky."
As soon as she finishes the line, Loki shoots a beam towards the jet that Clint narrowly avoids. He quickly follows the advice and finds a parking garage with an empty roof level and lands the jet, lowering the ramp before it's all the way down as Captain America stands ready near the exit with his shield and Natasha joining him after blasting a few more Chitauri.
As soon as the jet is close enough to the roof, the Captain jumps out; rolling as he lands, before he's up and running back towards Stark Tower. Natasha joining him shortly after; with Clint and Banner right behind her as the jet lands and shuts off.
The four quickly run the block or two to make it to a crossroad near Stark Tower.
The city pauses briefly as an unearthly roar of primal rage echoes across the sky before a large shadow covers many streets.
The four heroes look to the sky, out of their element and in disbelief at the large floating wormlike ship; holding hundreds of Chitauri soldiers on the side. Before watching them jump away from the obvious transport ship and clinging to the sides of buildings before sliding down, opening fire on anything and everything.
"Stark… you seeing this?" the Captain questions through his earpiece.
Stark answers back a beat later, disbelief heavy in his voice, "Seeing. Still working on believing. Banner's here right?"
"Yeah. Yeah, he's here." Rogers answers, tone still one of shock.
The others hear a sigh of relief, "Good. Good. Jarvis, find me a soft spot."
They suddenly see Loki flying by in a chariot with others around him, blasting the street; flipping and smashing cars, blasting people as he flies by.
Rogers grabs Banner and moves him to an alleyway as Clint and Natasha run behind an intact taxi in the middle of the street.
He raises his shield to block some debris before looking down the bridge they're near, seeing the civilians running towards them.
"Those people need assistance down there." Rogers calls to the other three, just as a group of Chitauri land near them and fire upon them with their energy rifles.
Natasha pulls out her guns and fires back as Clint looses a few arrows at them.
"We got this, it's good. Go!" Natasha answers as she fires.
Rogers hesitates briefly, before looking to Clint, "You think you can hold them off?" just as another group comes near.
"Captain, it'd be my genuine pleasure." Clint answers, just before letting an arrow fly into one of the creature's head, giving the Captain a few extra seconds to jump the railing of the bridge as an explosion in the arrowhead detonates.
Natasha takes aim to take out another Chitauri, as does Clint, before the whole group explodes into a weirdly colored mist; spraying the ground around where they were standing. The duo shifts their focus to see Phantom drop down and never thought the skeletal grin mask, correction the blood covered skeletal grin mask, more fitting than at that moment.
"What? What was that?!" Banner asks, sounding slightly panicked, awed, and sick all at once.
Phantom turns her head to him, and then answers in a grim tone, "Modified paint stripping charm," before she's gone again.
Natasha and Clint can't focus on it for too long though as a blast from a Chitauri rifle hits the taxi making them duck for cover as more jump towards them. They pop up in a pause of fire and return fire.
"Just like Budapest all over again." Natasha calls over the sound of fighting.
Clint gives her a side eyed look, before responding, "You and I remember Budapest very differently," as he shoots more arrows.
"I don't believe you," Natasha says as she reloads, continuing, "I'll just ask Rozi. This is like Budapest, right?"
The response greatly confuses Rogers, Stark, and Banner, brings a downward quirk of the lips from Natasha, and a grimace from Clint.
It comes in an extremely flat voice, "More important things to deal with right now Arachnid. Call me again when you've run close to five miles and I've got a hole in my stomach and a few in my legs and I'll agree with you."
Captain America jogs up to a group of cops and overhears a young officer call out over their gunfire at the chariots.
"We need to get out of here! They gotta bring in the National Guard!"
He sees an older officer, probably the sergeant, "National Guard? Does the Army even know what's happening here?"
"Do we?" the younger man asks back.
Rogers jumps onto the car in front of them, gaining a few funny looks at his uniform, and orders, "I need men in these buildings," pointing to a few nearby buildings. "There are people inside that can run into the line of fire. You take them through the basement or the subway. Keep them off the streets! I need a perimeter as far back as 39th."
The sergeant questions him in answer, "And why the hell should I take orders from you?"
Only for an explosion to happen behind Rogers. He swings his shield up and blocks a shot from a Chitauri before two of them charge him and the cops.
They watch in shock as he trades blows with them, quickly beating the soldiers with ease.
The sergeant turns and orders to his men and through his walkie, "I need men in those buildings."
Captain America jogs off, back toward the fight, not listening to the man repeat his orders.
Iron Man swerves through the air around a building and ends up facing the giant wormlike ship. He deploys a miniature rocket launcher from his shoulder and fires at the large living ship.
It roars at him.
"We got his attention. What the hell is step two?!" he questions Jarvis as he flies away.
Clint stabs a Chitauri in the neck with an arrow before nocking it and firing it at another down the street as Natasha picks up one of the rifles and uses it as a staff to fight a small group.
Captain America comes running back up to them and swings his shield into the face of another.
The three fight a group that doesn't seem to diminish any until a large blast of lightning rains down upon them, frying a large quantity of the group just before Thor drops down next to them.
A small crack sounds nearby before the remaining are suddenly blown up, cut down, or gain an extra hole – or three – in the head.
"What's the story upstairs?" Rogers asks.
Thor answers, "The powers surrounding the cube are impenetrable."
"Thor's right. We gotta deal with these guys." Stark's voice comes over the comms line.
Natasha questions, "How do we do this?"
"As a team." Rogers answers. "Speaking of, Banner?" he calls out, waiting just a moment for the mild-mannered man to approach from the alleyway.
Thor speaks as he joins, "I have unfinished business with Loki."
"Yeah, get in line." Clint growls out.
Phantom interrupts, "Save it. I want to kill him just as bad. But right now, we've got more important things to focus on."
"She's right." Rogers says with a nod towards her. "Loki's gonna keep this fight focused on us. That's what we need. Without him, these things could run wild."
Stark comes back into the conversation, "Tell Banner to suit up. I'm bringing the party to you."
The others see Iron Man fly around the corner of a building down the road with the large ship behind him.
"I-I don't see how that's a party." Natasha says. Earning a snort from Phantom.
Phantom speaks up, "Go ahead Doctor. Can you let the big guy out for a bit? I'll help after if needed."
"That's my secret." Banner responds, looking over his shoulder at her as he walks down the street. "I'm always ready for the big guy to come out." As soon as he faces forward again, his skin turns green and he grows a few feet and a lot of muscle.
He rears a fist back and punches the face of the large ship as it gets to him, flipping its lower half up and over the front. The armor plating began cracking and falling off.
Phantom raises a shield around the group still on the ground as Stark calls out, "Hold on," just before launching another rocket at the now exposed soft part of the ship.
"Leviathan down." Phantom mutters; but is heard by the team over the comms, as chunks of armor and flaming Leviathan rains down around them. A few of the Chitauri clinging to walls nearby shriek in what seems to be an attempt at a war cry but sounds truly pitiful.
Natasha is the first to speak up after the explosion, "Guys," looking up, seeing more Chitauri Leviathans coming out of the portal.
"Call it Cap." Stark says.
Rogers instantly falls back into his Captain America mode and orders, "Alright, listen up. Until we can close that portal up there, we're gonna use containment. Barton," pausing to look the man in the eye, "I want you on that roof; eyes on everything. Call out patterns, strays, anything you think will help."
He turns to Iron Man, "Stark, you're on perimeter. Anything gets more than three blocks out; you turn it back or you turn it to ash."
Clint turns to Iron Man, "Wanna give me a lift?"
"Right. Better clench up Legolas." Stark says as he hovers behind Clint; before grabbing him and flying off.
Rogers continues, "Thor, you've got to try and bottleneck that portal. Slow them down. You've got the lightning, light the bastards up."
Thor spins his hammer and flies off.
Rogers turns back to Natasha, "You and me, we stay here on the ground. Keep the fighting here." He turns to Phantom, "Be backup to who needs it. Fry them, slice and dice, whatever it takes to take them out of the fight."
Phantom gives a lazy two-finger salute before popping away.
He turns to the Hulk, "And Hulk," pausing as Hulk turns to look at him with a grunt, pointing a finger up, "Smash."
Hulk smiles a magnificent grin and grunts again before leaping up to the side of the building next to them, crushing a Chitauri as he lands. Before leaping off and smacking a few more in the air; landing next to another group on a different building. Getting a few blasts for his troubles before hitting them with a back fist into the building.
Clint fires his bow repeatedly; exploding arrowheads hitting target after target, bringing down multiple chariots. He fires one off to the side, not even turning his head, before calling out, "Stark, you got a lot of strings sticking to your tail."
"Just try and keep them off the streets." Stark answers.
Clint informs him, "Well, they can't bank worth a damn. Find a tight corner."
"I will. Roger that." Stark replies.
Iron Man flies close to the next building, turning a sharp corner and jetting back down the street. A number of chariots crash into the building leaving just a few tails easily taken out by Clint's exploding arrows.
A few minutes of flying under bridges and through parking garages, Stark looks back to see none left on his tail.
"Nice call. What else you got?" Stark questions Clint flying back towards the fight.
Clint answers, sounding disinterested, "Well, Thor's taking on a squadron down on 6th."
"And he didn't invite me?" Stark questions, somewhat whiny tone.
Phantom appears at the corner of a building and sees a few civilians trapped inside.
She turns her head and sees a group of at least fifteen Chitauri moving towards the doorway. She sees another group of ten or so down the street further.
She stalks closer to them, intent on taking out her anger on the ugly creatures.
One of them sees her and raises a rifle to her, screeching at her; and fires.
Phantom snaps a shield into existence, absorbing the discharge of the weapon before sending it back at the sender with enough speed and force it whistles.
The energy burst collapses the torso of the alien, the head and arms of the Chitauri soldier falling to the ground; the legs standing on their own.
The rest of the soldiers look at the spot of their no longer existing comrade, then at Phantom, before screeching their pathetic war cry and moving to attack.
Phantom doesn't let them advance too much though.
In just a few waves of her hand, she conjures a few beasts solely focused on attacking the Chitauri. Polar bears, thestrals, lions, and a miniature basilisk forming from torn up asphalt, concrete, and brick.
Immediately after it's finished forming, the polar bears growl and set their eyes on some of the soldiers. They charge the group, running them down at first. A few soldiers falling to their weight and claws.
The thestrals follow after. Pointed beaks snap at the soldiers; going for throats, arms, or legs.
The Chitauri scream as they are attacked. Attracting the group down the street and some on the building above to drop down.
Hari grins wolfishly under the mask.
The lions combine the efforts of the polar bears and thestrals. Running the soldiers down but then leaping onto them, tearing into them with mighty jaws and slashes; ripping the soldiers apart.
Her polar bears move on from the initial group, charging down the street to the others. Rearing back once close enough to go for heavy, falling slashes.
The basilisk comes alive with an angry hiss, demanding to know who summoned it.
Phantom responds and orders it to attack the remaining soldiers that just landed.
The giant snake seems to laugh as it quickly bites one before moving on, listening to the pained screech of the fallen as its venom does the majority of the work.
Phantom sets a time delayed reversion on the conjured beasts before flying off, looking for the next group to be taken out, absently calling over the comms to let Captain America know about the civilians.
A few moments later, she lands on a roof next to a few soldiers that just landed.
One hand wave later, the first falls to a modified cutting spell. Making it look as if the soldier entered a fight with a blender.
Tilting her head to dodge an energy blast before raising her hand at the one who fired. She releases the same spell; this time cleaving the soldier in two. Head and one arm separated from their body.
Looking at the last, she throws a knife at them. Watching it land in the intended target of the creature's throat before grasping the handle with her magic and ripping it to the side before summoning it. Leaving the soldier to have half its neck cut open as it falls off the building.
She tilts her head to look at the side of a Leviathan as it comes flying by. Sighing, she flies off again.
Only to go in front of the Leviathan, raising both hands towards it and casting 'Fiendfyre.'
A large dragon made of flame bursts into existence out of her palms, flying back toward the Leviathan.
The numerous Chitauri soldiers onboard roasting to a crisp, screaming their displeasure and pain. Just as the large beast shudders and lets out a groaning noise before gliding down.
She forcefully recalls the flaming dragon before flying off herself.
Thor raises his hammer to the sky as he holds on the top of the Empire State building and calls a large charge of lightning to it and himself; using the massive spike on the top as a large lightning rod.
He raises Mjolnir after the lightning connects to it and aims to the portal; firing the large electrical discharge at the portal.
Frying the Chitauri flying out of the portal. They go flying down, convulsing before dropping dead to the ground.
A Leviathan also spasms before crashing towards Earth, clipping a building on its way down.
He spins his hammer and flies off again.
Natasha is tackled off her feet by a Chitauri soldier; tiredly, she cuts its throat before using its rifle as a crutch to stand back up. She tiredly slumps back to be by the Captain.
"Captain, none of this is gonna mean a damn thing if we don't close that portal," she says.
Rogers sighs, then replies, "Our biggest guns couldn't touch it."
"Well… not entirely. But maybe it's not about guns." Natasha responds, gesturing to the chariots.
Just then, Phantom pops back into existence, covered in an awful mix of Chitauri remains and blood. She throws an absentminded 'Reducto' at a Chitauri too close to Natasha for her comfort and looks at the two of them.
Immediately she shakes her head, saying, "Yeah, no. You're not doing that. Stay down here. I don't need you flying through the air on an alien craft."
She reaches into a pocket and pulls out two vials, tossing them to Rogers and Natasha. Ordering, "Drink up. A few extra hours of energy but tonight's sleep is gonna be like the dead."
The two of them eye the vials, before shrugging and uncorking them, downing the contents right after.
"The bastard's mine. Figure out the portal." Phantom continues, casting an ancient siege engine spell at a group of Chitauri running down the street, then a 'Confundus' on the pilot of a chariot, watching it fly into a building. She throws a decapitation curse at two more running from the opposite side of the street.
Natasha's voice cuts through her spell work, "Can't do that from down here."
She looks back at the redhead and nods, before saying, "I'll take you up there." She moves over and grabs the spider assassin, before looking back at the Captain, "Be back soon," then flying the two of them up to Stark Tower's roof.
Natasha lets go after her feet hit the roof and moves over to the Tesseract, investigating the control panel of the system. Phantom moves closer then immediately backs off from the opposing energy.
She turns and sees Selvig watching and sends a stunner at him with a timed 'Rennervate' to activate in a few minutes. 'Hopefully just knocking him out breaks the control… if not, he'll hit his head on the way down,' she thinks with an internal shrug before apparating away.
On the bridge of the Helicarrier, Fury stands in front of multiple monitors. Some screens showing the battle and others showing shadowed silhouettes of the World Security Council members.
"Director Fury, the Council has made a decision!" one of the shadows exclaims.
Fury responds, tone nearing condescending, "I recognize the Council has made a decision. But given that it's a stupid ass decision! I've elected to ignore it."
"Director, you're closer than any of our subs, you scramble that jet…" another shadow states, trailing off.
Fury responds, now angrier and truly condescending, "That is the island of Manhattan, Councilman. Until I am certain my team can't hold it, I will not order a nuclear strike against a civilian population."
"If we don't hold them in the air, we lose everything," the councilman finishes.
Fury counters, "I send that bird off, we already have," then closes the connection.
Natasha works on the control panel surrounding the Tesseract until she hears a groan from behind her. She turns around and sees Doctor Selvig seem to come out of a trance.
"Doctor," she speaks up, moving over towards him with her hand on her gun just in case.
Selvig mumbles, "Loki's scepter. The energy… the cube can't fight… You can't protect against yourself."
"It's not your fault. You didn't know what you were doing." Natasha says, hoping to keep him lucid and away from Loki's control.
Selvig counters, sounding far calmer and more collected than he should, "Well, actually I think I did. I built in a safety to cut the power source."
"Loki's scepter." Natasha realizes.
Selvig nods and responds, "It might be able to close the portal." He looks around briefly, before down and sees a gold gleam… attached to the scepter. "And I'm looking right at it."
Little did Natasha know but shortly before Hari flew them to the roof – and then left again – that Hulk had recently been through here with Loki. This being the reason they see the scepter on the balcony of the penthouse of Stark Tower.
Loki smirks smugly as he catches the arrow of the pathetic mortal he had controlled until recently. The man whose life he, hopefully, ruined.
Then suddenly, the arrow explodes throwing him through the windows where that sorceress had used an unknown spell on him and made him feel as if his every nerve was on fire as he was stabbed by thousands of tiny knives.
He rolls on the floor, not getting a chance to catch his breath as a furless, green troll comes leaping through the window.
The Hulk kicks Loki across the floor into the wall near the windows. The Hulk leaps at him ready to attack him again as he rolls to his feet with a flurry of broken glass.
He sneers at the pathetic creature punching the ground, snarling out, "ENOUGH! YOU, ALL OF YOU, ARE BENEATH ME! I AM A GOD, YOU DULL CREATURE, AND I WILL NOT BE BULLIED…"
Hulk grabs him by the legs and smashes him once into the floor, leaving a dent in the concrete. Before doing it again and again, swinging him in an arc across his head; leaving a large dent either side of him on the floor. Hulk finally stops and throws him into the crater.
"Puny God." Hulk taunts.
Loki whimpers in pain from his spot in the floor as Hulk jumps out the window.
"Director Fury is no longer in command. Override order, 7 Alpha 11." A voice cuts across a pilot's thoughts as he sits in the cockpit on the deck of the Helicarrier.
The pilot sits straighter and answers, "7 Alpha 11, confirmed. Prepare to takeoff," before igniting his engines.
Agent Maria Hill sees the notification of the bird preparing to leave and calls out to Fury, "Sir, we have a bird in motion! Anyone on the deck, we have a rogue bird! We need to shut it down. Repeat, take off is not authorized!"
She doesn't see Fury and looks back to the screen, seeing him rush across the deck holding a rocket launcher.
He fires and takes the tail of the jet out, leaving the jet to slide towards the edge with the pilot safe. Suddenly, another jet flies off. He stands there, knowing he can do nothing about it.
He activates his comm to talk to the team, "Stark, you hearing me? We have a missile headed straight for the city."
"How long?" Stark questions.
Fury answers, tone grim, "Three minutes, at best. Stay low and wipe out the missile."
Natasha's back on the roof with the scepter, having not seen Loki when she retrieved it, and sees a chariot with Loki flying as passenger and calls out, "I have eyes on Loki. Anyone copy? Eyes on Loki."
As soon as she finishes the transmission, Phantom pops into existence next to her. The hooded woman follows her line of sight and nods before vanishing again.
Phantom appears next to Loki with nary a sound to be heard over the rushing wind and immediately starts to fight him in hand to hand. She strikes out with jabs to his head and neck. The quick repetitive blows hit him as he doesn't even try to dodge.
Loki doesn't react beyond a snarl of rage and hate as he gets hit by the strikes. A scream of anger as he lashes out at Phantom with a rifle, wielding it like a staff.
Phantom blocks the wild swings, taking a single step back before launching a cutting spell at his arm. Only for Loki to dodge and it go past him to the chariot's controller and cleaving them in two; along with destroying the control module.
She turns her focus back to Loki only to hear an inhuman screech as a large shadow covers them, she turns just in time to see a building collide with the chariot.
She braces for the impact, not having enough time to apparate away or jump off to fly, before being flung into the building at an incredibly high speed.
She crashes through walls, desks, and glass repeatedly before sliding to a stop in a staircase wall – a piece of rebar acting as her sudden brake.
She looks back the way she came and sees Loki drop an illusion and become a Chitauri soldier again.
"Ah… the inhuman shriek," she realizes with a tired groan, before she blacks out.
I regain consciousness quickly. I look around in confusion, wondering why this time I don't have to wait any length of time to move freely.
Only to realize that I'm not impaled on rebar or even in my Phantom suit at all…
And I'm outside a comfortable sitting area in a hallway I recognize immediately.
I'm at… I'm outside the private floo reception of Padfoot's Pad. The small home I had inherited from Siri when he died.
I crumple to my knees on the floor with watery eyes. Wondering why I'm here now. Why not ever before when I've been hurt?
So lost in my thoughts, that I don't realize the sound of soft laughter for a few minutes. Once I finally register it, I look to the seats in shock.
Smiling at me, sitting around the room comfortably – fire crackling softly – is my family. My parents, Siri… my sweet Nym.
"You've been so brave sweetheart," Mum says, an outstretched arm reaching for me as she stands from the couch.
My eyes tear up more as I stand on wobbly legs, stumbling further into the room towards her; pondering the serious case of deja vu.
Raising a shaky hand, my hand connects with solid flesh and muscle.
I can't suppress my gasp before I surge forward and tackle my mum back onto the couch, hugging her tight.
"Shh. Shh. It's okay sweetheart." Mum whispers soothingly into my hair, a slight laugh still in her voice.
Dad speaks up from behind me, wrapping his arms around us, "Your team did it Princess."
I cry harder hearing the pride in his voice, feeling his arms around me for once I can remember.
I hear a faint whisper through my sobs and Mum's soothing words.
'… nuke … incoming… just where … '
I turn to look around; the room is exactly as I left it before leaving home. And smiling softly at me with pride and love in his grey eyes is Sirius.
I nod to him and he gets up, joining the large hug, muttering near my ear, "I've missed you pup. But this isn't permanent."
A few minutes of hugging my parents and godfather before I run out of tears and free a hand to wipe my face and separate from the hug, sitting next to Mum.
Before I can speak up, I hear another whisper; 'Son of … made it.'
I clear my throat and ask, "Where'd Nym go?"
A soft pair of arms wrap around me from behind, a bit of pink hair pops into the side of my vision, and a pair of soft lips kiss my cheek before a whispered, "Wotcher love!" tickles my ear.
I jump up, out of the arms, before turning around and seeing those vibrant eyes I fell in love with oh so long ago shining at me with love and mirth. Turns out I'm not yet out of tears as my eyes water again.
I jump over the couch and into her arms, pulling her as tight as I can against me; one arm around her waist, the other cupping the back of her head as she tucks her head under my chin and wraps her arms around my waist. I dimly realize I'm taller than her right now.
A few moments pass before she pulls back, just enough to tilt her head and kiss my chin and jaw. She pulls back after a few to say something, but I don't let her.
I claim her lips in a searing kiss as I've wanted to do for so long. Ever since the Battle, I just wanted one more kiss from her.
She pulls back with a laugh and says, "Now then Baby Girl. You think you can try again?"
"I-I don't know if I can Nym." I say, looking at her before quickly looking away. "I'm broken." I mumble.
She tilts my head back to look in her eyes, shifting colors slightly but still so full of love, and says softly, "You are not broken. You are human. And you are wonderful."
I look at her, slightly incredulous, and ask dumbly, "I-I can try again? You wouldn't be mad?"
I never was very good at knowing when to shut up around her; I either babble incoherently or go down a spiral.
My spunky auror sighs in exasperation, the same as she always did, before answering, "Of course I won't be mad. You should take this chance to be happy."
She pauses for a moment, glancing to my parents and Siri – receiving nods from them – before continuing, "Merlin knows you deserve it."
"You're sure?" I ask. Still not believing her.
She answers, tone slightly exhausted and extra exasperated, "I know I've had this conversation with you before Baby Girl. Yes! You deserve to be happy. Just know I love you, always. Okay?"
"I love you too Angel." I say, teary eyed again, before kissing her once more before pulling her around the couch and falling down onto it, then her down onto my lap.
I peak around her to look at Siri and ask, "You said this isn't permanent?" My tone sad, petulant.
Siri smiles and chuckles at my tone, before answering, "That's right. You've still got more to do in this world."
I sigh tiredly, silently wondering why me. Before I nod sadly and speak up, "Will I be able to come back here and see you guys again? Talking with you all again has been wonderful but I want to hug you guys and interact with you."
Mum answers me, "Of course sweetheart. You just have to consciously find the path to get back here."
Before she can say more, the unholy beautiful voice of Death interrupts, "Lily Potter is correct Little One. You need only find the pathway back here. But I am here for a different reason. It is almost time for you to return."
I nod tiredly, still hugging Nym to me, and state, "I figured as much."
"I still have more I need to say to you though before you can return." Death continues, as if I hadn't spoken. "I know previously I have mentioned my minor chosen in this realm and I believe you are smart enough you've worked out who they are."
I nod, having pieced together who it could possibly be. Especially with my employment at Shield and the beings I've recently met through them.
Death doesn't seem to care about my response as they continue, "You will meet them again, I can tell you that. But it will have to wait until the time is right. They did, however, ask me to pass along a message shortly before I came to see you. They said, 'I don't like him, but he is still family. Probably more than the others.' I presume you know who they speak of?"
I nod again, speaking up, "I believe so." I hear another whisper in the background before Death speaks again, '… not … down.'
"Good. That makes it easier in some ways. We must hurry, you will soon be needed. Walk with me Little One." Death commands, before turning and leaving the room.
I kiss Nym on the cheek and hug her, before saying one more time, "I love you Angel."
I hug my parents tight and say softly, "Thank you for everything you gave up for me. I love you Mum, Dad."
I hug Siri as he leaps off the couch, transforming into Padfoot, slobbering dog kisses over my face, I tilt my head up and say, with a laugh, "Yes, yes. I love you too you old mutt."
He lolls his tongue out in a canine grin before barking questioningly twice, I laugh again as I stand and answer, "I'll see what she thinks of the idea. As for the second, no. Absolutely not."
I walk out of the room, waving over my shoulder to them, before finding Death looking at the scene we had made, a soft smile on their face.
"I did good in choosing you Mistress." They say, fondness evident in their voice. Continuing, "Know that I will pop in from time to time to see how my Chosen is doing.Now, it's time for you to go back."
My world fades to black again before I feel the metal of the rebar stuck through me, the cuts of the glass and debris, and the overall ache of my body before I lose conscious thought.
AN:
Hope I captured Hari well here. Let me know what you think!
Nat/Hari will happen next chapter, 100%.