The Unknown Variable

Go crawl in a hole if you think I own a thing.

"Keep it distracted," Lady Sif ordered as she turned away from the contraption.

"Are you sure it is wise to let the mortal fight with us?" the blonde one…Fandral, I now remembered, asked of Sif.

"I doubt what we say would change her mind." Sif called back before disappearing into the shadows.

"Aye," I stated, and once again was puzzled with my choice of words. Sometimes, it seemed that I wasn't even American. "Nothing would."

Hogun, the Asian looking man, and Volstagg, the large bearded one, looked to each before shrugged.

"Distracting it, we can do." Volstagg nodded.

He and the other two men stationed themselves in strategic positions on either side of the street as the mechanical thing stormed slowly down the street.

With a loud metallic grinding sound, and explosion of fire erupted from the thing's mouth, causing a nearby Seven-Eleven to blow up.

I stilled my sparks for just a moment as Fandral motioned to Volstagg, and he came running.

I grimaced as I saw their plan; they were going to throw the large man at the thing.

With a sigh I threw a shield up around him, just in time as he was swatted away like an insect.

"I don't think that worked!" I yelled to them as I dodged an explosive blast.

"What better idea do you have then?" Fandral asked, I saw Thor and the other scientists hiding behind a building at the end of the street, but paid them no mind.

I had more important…dangerous…things to worry about.

The thing stopped in front of where Volstagg landed, on a car, and opened its helmet and the chest started to glow, the sign that it was powering up a blast.

Just before a bolt could fly from my fingertips, Sif jumped from a nearby roof and slammed the long sword down through its neck until the tip hit the ground.

It fell slack for a moment, and I charged down. I walked carefully over; it seemed that Sif's blow had deactivated it.

That was, until with a creaking noise, the metal humanoid figure rotated its limbs and face, until Sif was kneeling on its chest.

Sif tried to pull her sword out, but she had to abandon it as the thing blasted fire into the air. I cursed under my breath as I cracked my neck and stalked forward. It was my turn.

It pulled itself forward, dislodging the sword from its neck but leaving it embedded in the ground.

It turned swiftly, and as Sif retreated quickly, I threw a shield up over our half of the street. Sadly, the buildings surrounding the street were not protected, and many were sliced in half.

The debris from the falling buildings sent Sif flying, and I knew she was out of the fight.

With a growl I stepped forward. Rage building in me, I wasn't sure why, but I was extremely protective of the Asgardians, it was another thing I could not understand.

"Miss Penny, I have finished my analysis of the alien devise, and am unable to suggest a way to defeat it." Jarvis relayed, sounding worried and concerned.

"Then we do this the old fashioned way." I stated as the Warriors Three, with Volstagg limping in-between his two friends, ran to Sif's side.

"Get her out of here." I shouted as they lifted their friend to her feet. "I'll take care of this."

"You are certain you do not wish assistance?" Hogun asked, he wasn't very talkative…at all.

"Go." I stated he nodded, and quickly led his friends away.

I rolled my shoulders as I dropped my shield, that the thing had been trying, and failing, to blast through.

"Oi, tall, metallic, and angry! I bet I know which green clad, horned helmeted God with Daddy issues is controlling you." I yelled, charging up my sparks but making them invisible.

The thing froze, and turned towards me slowly; I wasn't sure if it really was Loki behind all of this, but I had a gut feeling that it was the adopted trickster.

"Thor's not the only one with a thing for lightning!" I yelled, as my sparks flared to life around me, filling the air with a miniature static storm.

"AND YOU JUST PISSED ME OFF!" I yelled, throwing both of my arms out and two huge, bright blue bolts flew from my fingertips.

The thing didn't move it appeared that it thought my attack would be ineffective. It was wrong.

I smirked as the lightning hit it, causing it to be blasted backwards off of its feet and thrown a half a block back.

I stalked forward, my lips pressed in a firm line and a grim sense of dedication and determination coursing through my veins.

The thing was quick to get back on its feet, and soon, we were both walking towards each other. I flicked my wrist constantly, ball after Palladium ball falling into my hand. My sparks were alive around me, an electrical storm with me as its center and source. I directed large flows of sparks into my hands, and soon, there was a large Energy Ball, made up of lots of little Palladium balls floating around inside of the energy sphere.

I yelled as I threw the monster of a ball right at the thing, he opened his mouth, preparing a blast, and half of the resulting explosion happened while the flames where still within him.

My eyes widened as I discovered its weakness. Then I grinned, a large ferial grin that would send any sane person running in fear.

"It seems that any resulting explosion or attach from the inside will damage it." Jarvis intoned as I pulled out one of my knives.

"Time to get personal, then." I stated coldly.

Gripping the handle on the knife, and charging the blade full of energy I ran forward, I Flashed away from the spot as the road was consumed with flames from the monster machine. I reappeared on the things back, and after slamming the knife into the back of its head, I pulled out a handful of the exploding pellets and waited.

It was only an instant before the thing turned around, just like it had with Sif, but this time, as it charged up an attach I threw the handful of pellets down it's throat, and in the same instant, threw up a shield around myself.

The resulting explosion was extreme; I went flying through the air and crashed into a building. I vaguely recalled someone calling out to me in concern, but my vision was blurry and my head was spinning, so I wasn't able to identify the person.

I groaned as I slowly climbed out of the rubble. That, perhaps, hadn't been the best idea.

"May I suggest that you not go that again?" Jarvis asked sarcastically.

"No prob," I coughed as the HUD flickered.

I stepped back out onto the street, scanning the burning buildings and smoking road, trying to locate the terrorizer.

I look a few more steps out, unsure of where it had gone. Surely it didn't get destroyed…did it?

"BEHIND YOU!" I heard Jane yelled, and I barely had time to turn my head before large metal arms grabbed me by my legs and lifted me from the ground.

"Bugger!" I yelled as the other hand wrapped around my hood and started to pull.

"…internal….unable….disengage…commended…" I heard Jarvis mutter as the HUD flickered and died. I was clawing at the hand holding my head, as the metal enforced fabric started twisting and reshaping, cutting into my skin.

"Gah!" I yelled, as my fingers clicked the release, and with a surge of electricity, the thing threw me away, while my hood went flying.

I landed hard on my back, and I hissed in pain as I lifted my head. My hair was flared around me, and I thought I heard someone gasp in surprise.

"Hologram has… failed, systems are…failing…" I heard Jarvis state through my com. I took the hissing devise out of my ear and threw it into nearby flames.

I didn't need to look at the mirror to know that now not only was my face revealed, but so was my horrible appearance.

My eyes widened as I saw the thing, which I noticed was damaged, some small bits of metal were twisted and warped, step forward and a beam blasted towards of me.

I flung out my arms, and a small shield appeared in front of me just as the blast erupted around me.

I closed my eyes as the powerful blast heated the air around me. The shield bent under the pressure, but I pushed more and more power into it, as the blast steadily became more and more intense.

Pain erupted from my chest, and the sparks practically burnt me as they surged into the shield, taking a deep breath, I pushed back on the shield, as it slowly began to dent.

I wasn't sure what happened, one moment, I was focusing on not letting my shield cave in, the next moment, my Core flared violently, and the next, I felt the fire double back on itself.

Had the shield rebounded the attack?

I wasn't sure, and I didn't notice when I was thrown into the air by the resulting explosion. However, I sure the hell noticed when I slammed back into the ground violently, only a few feet from where Thor, the Warriors Three, and my friends were taking refuge.

"You have to get out of here!" Thor yelled, as he tried to push the humans to a building farther down the road.

"Penny!" Jane yelled as I slowly got to my feet.

I coughed harshly, and blood splattered the ground beneath me. I frowned as I felt something running down my face, and when I brought my fingers to my lips, I saw more blood. It seemed that the pressure of holding up the shield had caused a nose bleed.

"Get out of here!" I yelled as I saw the thing slowly get back to its feet farther down the road.

"We're not leaving you!" Darcy yelled as Selvig and Thor lifted me up and started to retreat.

"You look awful." Selvig stated, "You should have told us!"

"Is now really the time?" Darcy asked, as another nearby building exploded.

I shook my head and pushed the two men away, swaying unsteadily on my feet.

"Look," I stated, throwing up a weak shield between us and the monster machine. "I should have told you a lot of things, alright? But we don't have time."

I swayed as my chest flared in pain and my vision blurred. I felt like crap again, shit, using my powers must have shorted the effects of the purple drink.

I was right, for Mortem appeared right then, looking extremely worried.

"I don't have much time." I stated, and took a deep breathe against the pain. I turned back towards the thing as it stood there staring at my shield, waiting, obviously, for one of us to confront him.

I knew Thor was standing behind me, and I glanced at him and said, "Do you know the Lady Hel?"

I knew that all of the Asgardians flinched at her name; the Aesir didn't like her much after all.

"Aye," Thor stated very confused. "She is my niece."

I turned slightly to face him as I continued, "When you see her, thank her for her gift….though I might see her sooner myself."

Thor's hand grasped my shoulder and I looked up at the God turned Human as he said, "This is not your battle, you do not have to continue."

My eyebrows narrowed, I couldn't even think of leaving. I didn't know why…but for some reason….I couldn't walk away.

Something inside of me would let me.

"I can't…that thing…its'….disrupted something…and I can't let it continue." I stated as I shrugged off Thor's hand.

I stepped forward slowly, my sparks dancing across my skin, and my blue eyes shining with power.

A cold hand grabbed my wrist, and I turned to see Mortem there his eyes hard as he signed, please, don't.

I sighed and spoke softly, "I'm sorry…I just can't."

Mortem stepped back as I stepped forward and drew every drop of my sparks to me. My skin felt alive, and my very being felt as if it was burning, as the huge amount of energy swirled beneath my skin.

"I'm sorry." I stated, glancing back at the others to see tears running down my face.

I closed my eyes as a tear slipped down my face somehow…I just knew this was the end.

The thing stopped as it was only a few feet in front of me, and the shield was the only thing standing between us.

My sparks were spinning around me like a tornado and I sighed as I let the shield fall.

The blast came as my sparks flared brightly through the air, and the fiery explosion threw me into the air.

I sighed as my world burned brightly before fading, and for an instant, a sweet, blissful instant, there was nothing.

No pain, no suffering, no worries, nothing. There was peace, quiet, a feeling of success, and then, everything just stopped.

And I knew no more.

….I can't believe I just did that…:'(

Part of me wants to cry and the other part is grinning evilly at all of the horrified reviews I just know I will get.

And just to clear things up, yes. That is the last chapter with Penny…alive...from her perspective anyway…:3

*evil grin* my foster sister, who recently has become obsessed with this, (even though she hasn't caught up to the rest of you yet) is literally about to throttle me for killing Pen…but oh well…it's fun teasing her.

Thanks to all of you for sticking with me, and my two betas Expecto Prongs, and Aqua Are.

DO NOT PANIC, THIS IS NOT THE END. OR IS IT? -.0

*more evil grinning.*

Cp