Chapter 3
The Green giant was having a hard time holding on. Hulk was on the fringe, grasping at the loose metal plate on the back of the giant caterpillar-like creature that continued to writhe in pain. It made sense that the creature was in pain with a shard of metal stabbed into its segmented fat.
Hulk was proud of his work, but the constant slamming into a tall building was annoying.
He let go abruptly and let himself fall to the ground, shattering concrete under his weight. Immediately, surrounding Chituri launched on to his back, ready to gorge him of his own green skin. Hulk swung his fists and launched them across into an empty building. They didn't move.
Hulk shrugged and marched on. He needed a bigger fight.
Above Hulk, Hawkeye shot an arrow after an arrow, showering them down repeatedly as far as his eyes could see. For a moment, he saw a sagging figure that came out of the alley. But the figure disappeared as quickly as it came. He wondered who that was but the thought was snatched away as soon as he landed his eyes on the next prey for his arrow to land on. Behind Hawkeye, Black Widow watched his back and tasered couple Chiteri that found their way up to the building. Flawlessly, they moved with fluid coordination without missing a single beat.
Across the building and on the ground was Thor and Captain America. Captain America was ushering people to safety while Thor threw lightning to prevent Chituries from climbing up the building where Hawkeye made it his nest. The brief storm of thunder and lightning clashed in a small street and bounced off the buildings in echos.
Loki was on top of Stark's building. He looked up at the immense portal that was bleeding black against the crystal blue sky. The professor was at his position alone, staring up in awe.
Abruptly, the professor tore his gaze away from the portal and stared at Loki. Maddeningly, his smile stretched ears to ears.
"Loki! I understand now. I understand what you are doing. It's amazing! This is amazing." The professor stood up and gratefully grabbed Loki's hands and shook them together excessively. Loki's insides churned and he grimaced. He shook off the man's advance and turned to the portal device.
"How do you turn this off, mortal?" Loki shouted over the loud humming noise of the machine. It made his entire vibrate just by being near the objects.
Professor Selvig craned his ears. "What did you say?"
"Turn it off!" Loki yelled, facing the man this time. Suddenly, Professor Selvig froze as if the time stood still. Then, his facial shifted into menacing anger and horror.
He sneered. "This is the greatest invention of all time and you want to turn it off?" He hardened his expression with a determination in his eyes. "I won't let you turn it off." Selvig grabbed the scepter that has been hiding at the corner of the device and swung wildly. Loki ducked and stepped backward. He glanced at the massive energy being produced by the stone at the corner of his eyes. He was running out of time. Sooner or later, it would be impossible to close the portal because of the damage to the fabric of space and reality. So he made a judgment call. He grabbed the scepter, ripped it out of the man's grip, and hurled the professor across the floor. The professor hit the concrete floor face first and grimaced in pain.
With the scepter in his hand, Loki looked for a clue, any clue he could find. Suddenly, he saw it. A written encrypted language of the device. An emergency closure.
He didn't have time to think. Above the skyline and behind the portal, he sensed an immense amount of slithering life forces.
He thrust the sceptre into the beaming flow energy and his world was shattered into kaleidoscopic colours.
Ironman carried nuclear missile on his back.
No biggie he thought briefly. It would be a great story to tell to kids one day.
His rocket thrusters on max, he shot through the winds and up toward where the only dumping ground he could think of the nuclear missile which would have decimated the whole new York city cleanly.
Up to the portal.
Nothing else mattered.
He climbed up, putting everything into the thrusters with determination and arrogant grit. He felt the atmosphere resistance pressing against his bone.
Then, absent hollow darkness.
He let go of the missile and floated. He didn't notice the tint of frost forming on his screen or the rapid drop of body temperature. His eyes drifted to sleep and his ears failed to catch a voice reporting loss of energy. See, he thought vaguely, everything works out.
Then, he no longer thought of anything.