Chapter 17

Thor had yet to move from his spot, Jane clung to his cape in fear, his blue eyes took in the ever multiplying enemy, at first there had been a handful but now there were many. Far too many, where were they coming from?

He glanced at his brother and saw a frown on his lips. He was no doubt thinking the same thing, his strength was that of wit and words not of the sword or brawn. So as he watched his brother tear down anything that got close to his wife he had to frown.

When had he become the onlooker and his brother the swift blade?

Before he could ponder any more the enemy finally decided to make an attack on him, viewing his immobility as a sign of weakness, how wrong they were. A broad grin bloomed on his face as he swung his hammer, throwing them away from his person, like they were but mere leaves in the wind.

Kagome frowned as she reached back for another arrow only to find one last fathered shaft. She had not noticed she was low on arrows, far too concentrated on the thrill of battle. A thrill she had not felt in so long it hurt.

"Shit." The foul word tumbled from her lips as she notched her arrow but did not let it fly, she would have to choose wisely when and on whom she used it.

Loki smirked as he moved to stand beside her, their enemy pulling back just enough to give them some breathing room, the thought of being turned to ash making them think twice about attacking head on. He used the lapse in attack to survey the enemy, they flowed around them like a never ending sea of darkness, yet he knew there had to be one directing their flow.

With the eyes of a hawk he picked him out, he stood tall and proud as he watched his army surround them, his stance cocky. He nudged his sister in law, as she was referred to in midgard, and nodded in his direction.

"He is their leader, if we can injure him they might fall like a puppet's stings who have been served."

Dark blue eyes followed Loki's gaze and she nodded, with practiced ease she spun on her foot, aimed and fired. She had shoved as much energy into the bow she could without risk of it dispersing from the pressure.

If it did that her powers would implode in on themselves, it had happened a few times before. It was a horrid side effect of having so much raw power attached to a single physical object, once the physical object was gone so did her power flicker out. Had she her bow with her, her one true bow, she would have no need for physical arrows, her powers would flow in the bow itself and be released as a streak of raw power, nothing holding them back or restricting them.

Sadly she had not seen her bow since her time in the void.

Luckily her arrow was holding strong.

It tore through the mass of dark bodies, making its way towards their leader. He merely met her gaze and gave a dark smile that reminded her of Naraku.

She shivered as he let the arrow hit his shoulder, burning away at his armor and flesh yet did no more damage.

He gave a sadistic grin as he pulled the arrow from his shoulder and let it fall to the ground with a dealing clank.

"Shit." Loki could only mentally agree as the dark sea parted for its master as he made his way towards them.

Thor, upset that the leader had not even spared him a glance, had enough of being an onlooker and ran at him, his hammer swinging. Pure power surrounded his mighty hammer as he stuck, the mere shock waves resounding through the battlefield throwing others back.

Jane quivered as she stood there watching Thor attack the obvious leader of the army that surrounded them. How she wished he had agreed to let Sif and the warriors three accompany them instead of waving them off with a grin.

His arrogance was biting them in the ass now.

Yet instead of just standing there gawking like some awe struck fool she quickly ran from the battle and hid herself among the foliage that surrounded them. She was no fool, there was no way she could do anything but be a hindrance in this battle and it angered and upset her.

While she could not physically fight she wouldn't let herself become some bargaining chip or damsel in distress, she quickly pulled her cell phone from her pocket and dialed a number that had been forcibly programmed into it after her relationship to Thor had been made public knowledge. It rang twice before someone picked up. "We need backup, now."

Thor grunted as his attacks were met blow for blow, taking satisfaction only in the fact that anyone who tried to aid his foe was turned to dust from the raw power of his hammer. He had worried for Jane yet was glad to see she had moved herself out of harm's way. He knew it was foolish to leave her unprotected during such a battle but his warriors' pride would not take such blatant disrespect.

Kagome bit her lip, upset that her arrow had done so little, and had she had her true bow she knew, just knew, it would have done so much more. With a grunt she turned from Thor and his assault on their enemies leader and glanced at the tree Jane had decided to hide behind. A small flare of self satisfaction welled in her, watching her hide behind a tree in fear, unable to help or do anything. Yet she quickly shoved it down, had she not been in the same position once upon a time?

With guilt racking her body she glanced at Loki, who was once again tearing through enemies and jerked her head in Jane's direction. He gave her a cold steely glance but nodded. He would distract those around him long enough for her to get to the mewling quim.

He had no doubt should she fall here that his brother would not only take it out on him but find a way to blame Kagome for it and that would not do.

Kagome had just barely made it over to Jane, using hand to hand combat learned from various teachers to defend herself, her dress was now a torn and dirty mess, when she felt a ripple in the air. She shivered as she turned her eyes back to Thor and his opponent only to see Thor standing there alone, eyes wide. Her eyes widened in shock as she took in the sight of the man Thor had been fighting not even seconds before, no more than twenty feet away, making his way towards her, a wicked grin on his face.

Thor opened his mouth, fear seizing his heart as he watched his opponent run towards the only two women in his life he could not lose, both for very different reasons. The name that tumbled from his lips seemed to echo around the battlefield. "Jane!"