Ok, he left two guards behind, meaning that I'm going to have to knock them out if I want to get out of here. I flick my wrist, summoning a butter knife from the kitchen, and then look around for something heavy to use when I knock out the guards. Lamp...toilet lid...bedside table. I guess I'll go with the toilet lid. I go in the bathroom and remove the top of the toilet, then bring it in my room and set it down right beside my door. I wedge the knife blade in between the wall and door handle, quietly forcing the lock to disengage. Then I stand up, sending the knife back to the kitchen, and grasp the toilet lid. I take a deep, calming breath, mentally planning my assault on the two agents outside the door. Ok. You can do this, Vikki. One, Two, Three!
I jerk the door open, surprising both agents, and immediately swing the toilet lid at the guy on my right. The lid connects solidly with his head, stunning him. I instantly turn on the other, kicking him where the sun don't shine, which causes him to hesitate with a gasp of pain. I swing the lid at his head, too, and luckily he goes out like a light. Unluckily, the lid breaks, rendering it useless. And the other man has recovered enough to yell for help.
"Hey! The prisoner is esca-"
My fist to his temple cuts him off, and he collapses at my feet. I stand there, breathing heavily and trying to sort out my feelings about what I just did. I shake my head. They aren't dead, they're just asleep. Now get them out of sight and leave! I shudder briefly, then take a deep breath, calming myself. Then I drag both of them into my room by their feet. One of the men starts to stir, so I punch him again, putting him back to sleep. I throw the broken pieces of the toilet lid in the room with the unconscious men, and then close the door, locking them inside. I massage my knuckles for a moment, and then straighten with another deep breath. Time to go.
Using my magic, I make myself invisible, and then jog down the hallway. Standing at the entrance, I look around at the underground hideout that has been my home for over a week. Something is missing...oh. The Tesseract container-thingy- sheesh, I need a better name for that thing- is gone. Wait, no, there it is. Some kind of forklift is being used to transport it out of the main area into a hallway. I look around once more, searching out other possible exits, and then make a quick decision. I take off after the forklift, following close behind.
The Tesseract container is taken through the hallway to another area that looks almost like a loading dock underground. It is taken straight to a semi truck that looks normal on the outside, but is state-of-the-art on the inside. I frown. This thing is headed to Stark Tower. I sigh, wishing I could do something to disable it, to stop it. But I can't, if I want the timeline to play out properly. I clench my fists. So many people will die today because of that thing. Surely there is something I can do...
I purse my lips, watching as the men load the Tesseract thing into the semi, and then put some other pieces of equipment inside as well. Dr. Selvig is standing nearby, directing the men and fussing at the scientists who are helping them. I need to get away from here, but my conscience won't let me leave. I've been taught all my life that if there is something you can do to help another, it's wrong to just walk away and leave them hanging. I grit my teeth. But I am bound by the words of Dr. Strange. I can't do anything to prevent this. Nothing. Not a single-
Suddenly, it hits me. How I can help, without revealing myself. Why didn't I think of this before?! I check to make sure I'm still invisible, and smile at the sight of my magic dancing across my skin. Then I climb into the semi unnoticed, and make my way to the back to sit down out of the way. It's probably going to be a long ride.
### ### ###
I was right. The ride was over an hour long and extremely uncomfortable, since I had no actual seat or seatbelt to keep me in one place as the driver hit literally every single pothole he could find and made every turn three times as fast as he should have. Not to mention slamming on brakes at every stoplight. And as a plus, using my magic for an hour straight was tiring. It didn't leech as much of my energy as I thought it would, thankfully, but I was still tired when we finally arrived at Stark Tower. I debate my next move as the scientists and I wait for the agents to eliminate any potential threats in Stark Tower. I try not to think about all the innocent workers about to die in there. Ok, so they are planning to take this straight to the top to set it up. I, on the other hand, need to hang around the Tower and wait for all hell to break loose so I can join the fight. I shake my head with a sigh. What a brilliant plan, Vikki. Let's hope you don't get yourself killed today.
As I wait, I close my eyes and do my best to remember everything Loki taught me over the past week. Strategy, split-second decisions, attack and defense patterns, and any tricks I can think of are important skills in the hands of a warrior. I'll need everything I've got in order to survive the day. But my goal is not to kill Chitauri, since I know they'll all be dead by the end of the day anyway. Civilians will be my number one priority today, and I'll only use my powers—magic—if absolutely necessary. I don't want my face on any media stations; that could change the timeline, especially if they think I'm an Avenger.
Finally, the back doors open, and then men begin to unload the Tesseract container. I notice there are fewer men than before, and I can't help but feel a pang of regret. Stark's employees must have fought back, but despite their actions, I didn't want any of Loki's men to die. They were being controlled, even if they are enemies of SHIELD. I sigh, and as soon as they have Tesseract out of my way, I jump out of the truck and move away. I'm still invisible, so I make my way across the street from Stark Tower, follow several people inside of a nearby building, and enter the nearest restroom I can find since I know it won't have any cameras. Once inside, I make myself visible again, breathing a sigh of relief at the release. Ok. Now to wait.
I exit the building, and for the next few hours I casually walk the streets of New York, while keeping Stark Tower in my view. I can't help but feel an exhilaration at my freedom. Even if someone back at the compound noticed I was missing, they are much too busy to look for me now. I'm finally free, able to go where I want when I want, able to see the sky again, able to breathe freely without knowing someone is watching me. I am never taking my freedom for granted again, I think, breathing deeply of the fresh air.
Stopping at an intersection with several other people, I look at all the busyness around me. People rushing here and there, flagging down taxis, getting into buses, ignoring everyone around them as though their personal lives are more important than everyone else's. It's truly sad to see. But then I look closer, and I notice a wealthy woman giving money to a beggar, a young man helping an elderly man cross the street, and several other acts of kindness that surprise me. It makes me smile. The mixture of ignorance and kindness I see here is oddly representative of the human race. I suppose I can understand why Loki would think us-them-pitiful and weak at first glance. They don't seem all that impressive until you take a closer look. It's the hidden strength inside of them that makes them formidable.
I sigh and shake my head. I wish that I could show him the true strength of humans. For all their selfish weakness, they are a truly remarkable race, unlike any other. They evolve and adapt to literally any situation, and still manage to maintain dignity and strength. Just reading about WWII is enough to prove that. They are resilient and hard-working, and their variety of personality is something to behold. They may bicker and fight each other in times of peace, but in war, they pull together and refuse to back down. I smile, proud to say that I was raised among such creatures.
Suddenly, a loud boom interrupts my thoughts. I jump with surprise, spinning around. My eyes widen to three times their normal size when I see the one and only Iron Man flipping backwards in midair. He quickly rights himself, then slowly sets down on a platform at the top of his tower, disappearing from view. Everyone around me is murmuring with confusion at the spectacle, but I know exactly what has happened.
I look around, taking stock of my surroundings. How one person is going to make any difference in the destruction that is about to occur I have no idea, but I am determined to save as many lives as I can. Five minutes later, I hear the faint shattering of glass, and I raise my eyebrows to see Tony Stark hurtling towards the ground. A split second later, an Iron Man suit flies out the window after him, attaching itself to him just in time for him to survive the fall. He immediately rockets back up and hovers outside the broken window, then shoots at someone standing just inside, who I know from the movie to be Loki. But at the exact same moment, another loud boom echoes through the air, and a beam of blue light shoots up into the sky, opening a huge portal through which I can see a plethora of stars. Then the view is blocked by Chitauri ships, which immediately start pouring out of the gaping hole in the sky like bees out of a hive. I take a deep breath, clenching my fists.
So it begins.
Author's Note: I'm (not) sorry for giving you a cliffhanger. You'll just have to wait until next time I update. Ehehehe. I hope you enjoyed it, though! We've finally gotten to the action! I can hardly wait to write the next few chapters! I have a few surprises up my sleeve, though, so watch out. Loki is my favorite MCU character for a reason.
Anywho, thank you so much for reading! You guys are so precious to me, I hope you all know that! God bless you all!
Signing off, AuthorsDream.