Well this has been an exciting time, between looking for a job, preparing for the convention next week, my girlfriend moving in with me and my mom and brother, and working on selling the family home I have managed to find time to write this insanely difficult chapter. Please enjoy!
I groaned loudly, rolling myself over onto my side. My head reeled, a large bump forming on the back of my skull. Cracking my eyes open, the world spun around me.
"Tony…?" I whimpered softly, my voice cracking with pain, "Are you there?" I heard someone swearing in a Scandinavian language of some sort. Loki. I planted my palm firmly on the tile, fighting dizziness and needle like pain. My chest stung and my lungs ached. Coughing hoarsely, I managed to somehow make it to my feet.
"Jacqueline," Loki said in a commanding tone, "The invasion has begun. Come watch with me!" Why is he commanding me? OH! Oh, right. The spell. The spell? I clenched my fist, feeling the pain of my nails in my palm. The spell was broken. How? Mentally shaking the questions from my head, I limped carefully to Loki's side. He doesn't know I'm not under his control anymore, which is a good thing for me.
I peered cautiously through the broken glass, upward at the sky. A large hole had opened up right above the tower; the cosmos clear as day within. Small metallic dots began to pour out. What had Loki called them? The Chitauri? That was it. They'd arrived. My heart sank into the pit of my stomach as the explosions began. The screams of humanity were faint, far away. Please Tony, stay safe.
Pulling my eyes away from the space invaders and the war, I side-eyed glanced at Loki. He was grinning like a child who finally had his way. I needed to stop him. Reaching out with my magic, I found the still running faucet and pulled. I chanced a look behind me while Loki was distracted by the arrival of his army. The silent stream of water oozing into the room was forming a very large puddle. Ice hadn't worked before, but maybe gel? Perhaps combined with heat? If I could just get that spear away from him….
"What are you doing?" Loki inquired, his voice flat and irritated. I stiffened.
"Testing my abilities," I choked out in a false calm, "I may have sustained a concussion and I don't know if it affected my magic." Loki smiled and I relaxed, he must have believed it. The next thing I knew I was on the floor with a stinging cheek.
"Liar!" the god hissed, towering above me. He gripped the back of my shirt and lifted me effortlessly off the floor like a kitten. "Foolish whore, you thought I wouldn't notice?"
Tired, in pain, and ultimately pissed off I lashed out with my hand, gripping his face. Meeting his eyes, I lifted my other hand and made the proper motion to control my magic. Loki screamed as the skin beneath my palm heated to boiling in a flash and dropped me to the tiles. My ankles rolled a little as I landed, but I was able catch myself and retreat to safe distance. That's when I saw the damage my power had dealt.
Loki's cheek was as red as a well-cooked lobster, the skin blistered and covered in small bubbles. In fact, much of his face was red too. He reeled in shock and agony as the heat my magic had formed in his skin continued to burn and boil. He was still screaming. Seeing the suffering I'd caused myself with my own hands made me feel sick, hearing the pain in his voice made me feel worse.
I reached out with my magic again and grabbed the growing puddle of water from the floor, pulling it into a tentacle shape. Taking aim, I lashed out with it, striking the other side of Loki's face. That shut him up, the cold probably also gave him some relief. I let the water drop and froze the thin coat of water on his skin. Small pieces of ice fell off his blistered skin and he turned towards me, the definition of rage incarnate.
"You-!" He snarled. Before the god could start verbally assaulting me again, I heard the whirring of engines. Loki's grip on his stave tightened. A large hover jet rose to meet us, facing the window. I threw up a shield of ice between the window and myself as the jet's machine guns hummed into action. With Loki's attention off of me, I fled the room while his magic blew up one of the propellers.
Desperately, I camouflaged myself while ducking down a hall to a spare elevator. I jammed the button, breathing hard and glancing over my shoulder for the furious, and extremely powerful, god. Jarvis was, thankfully, aware of my situation and put the lift in overdrive to get it to me on time.
Unfortunately, the whine of the strained machine also attracted Loki's attention. The doors opened just in time for me to hear the click of his shoes on the linoleum tiles. Sparing a look in the direction I'd come, I saw him storm into the corridor.
"Jarvis!" I shrieked frantically, pressing the close door button, "Get me out of here!" There was an explosion of blue magic in between the doors as they closed, washing over my forearms when I raised them defensively to cover my face. I screamed and dropped to my knees as the elevator began to drop gently.
"Miss Thompson, are you alright?" the AI chimed in over the P.A. "How badly are you injured?" Tears blurred my vision as I lowered my arms. I gingerly flexed my hand, tearing up afresh as my magic-burned skin stung.
"It-", my voice cracked. I swallowed and tried again, "It hurts… He burned my arms with magic…" I timidly squeezed a hand into a fist, drawing on my own power to cool the moisture left in my brittle, blistered skin. I managed a chuckle, "It looks like he got me back… Where did Pendragon go?"
"He has gone outside the tower. I do not know where he is now." My stomach turned. That's where the aliens were.
"Take me to the ground level, I need to find him!"
"I would not advise that course of action, though I doubt you would listen to me. Mr. Stark would not be happy if you joined the fight in your injured state-"
"I can still fight!" I shouted, wincing as I clenched my hands into fists. The AI was silent for a moment, "Please…" I stood up carefully as the elevator descended in silence.
As it slowed to a stop, Jarvis came back to me on the PA system, "We have reached the ground floor… Do be careful." I smiled as my eyes watered in pain.
"I will Jarvis, thank you…"
