Loki Laufeyson - That Still only Counts as One!
Loki Laufeyson - That Still only Counts as One!
Natasha moved forward, her eyes narrowing as she whispered to Fury. "What have you done?"
Amelie's face was ghostly pale, her eyes wide with fear. In all the dangerous situations we’d found ourselves in, I’d never seen such a look on her face. A heavy ache settled in my stomach, the need to comfort her becoming almost painful. Peter, on the other hand, was surprisingly calm, his eyes locked onto Bucky and me as if he was trying to wordlessly work out our next move.
I hoped that we would make the right choice.
The tall man smirked at our response to Fury's arrival. "Well, well, well. A reunion of sorts, wouldn't you say? But where's the fun without a little unpredictability?"
"Unpredictability?” I laughed, low and dangerous. “I think you've greatly underestimated us.”
As I glared at him, the tall man's smirk only deepened. His eyes, a strangely pale grey colour that seemed to glow in the dim light, locked onto me for a moment before he continued.
"Indeed, there is always the possibility of surprise." He murmured. "But I assure you, it is we who hold all the cards here. You are much too eager to rush in, to seek revenge without truly understanding the situation at hand."
His words hung in the air, heavy with implication. The Avengers exchanged glances, their faces drawn tight with worry.
I tried to keep a calm façade. The bastard was toying with us.
"You know.” The tall man continued, his voice smooth like velvet. "You truly underestimate me. My motives are not what you think. I am not here for revenge, but to save a world that sees its own destruction. This is not a war between us, but a battle of ideologies. A question of who should wield the power to shape the future."
A fresh wave of blistering fury overtook me, igniting every nerve in my body and transforming my initial worry into a searing inferno. But before I could even make sense of it, Bucky unleashed a sharp, mocking laugh that sliced through the tension like a razor blade. His amusement felt like an insult to the intense atmosphere, and all eyes turned towards him in confusion and discomfort. The intimidating figure of the group’s leader frowned, his voice low and dangerous. "Do you find this amusing?"
The echo of Bucky's laughter still reverberated through the room, but there was no mirth in his eyes. They burned with a dangerous intensity, fueled by anger simmering just below the surface. He carried his rage like a loaded gun, ready to unleash it at any instant.
In this moment, it was clear that Bucky had reached his breaking point, and talking was no longer an option. He was ready for action. And with Bucky, action was usually messy.
The silence lingered as Bucky tilted his head to the side, the casual movement juxtaposed to the look of pure wrath in his eyes. “Whatever you’re planning, it won't save the world. With the people you’ve managed to piss off…” He gestured vaguely to the Avengers and me. “… you’ll be lucky if you can save yourself.”
I smirked, feeling oddly satisfied with his new strategy, quickly following suit. "I can't remember the last time I took someone out." I remarked. "Maybe it's been too long."
Bucky snorted. “Can’t relate. It’s been about 5 minutes.”
“Enough!” Tony bellowed, jostling Amelie as he strained to shout. “This isn’t the normal standoff where you try to psyche us out!”
"Aww, did the spotlight move away from you for a moment, Stark? Don't worry, it'll come back around eventually."
I couldn't help but laugh at Bucky's playful teasing, though the whiplash of the torrent of different emotions left me drained.
Fury’s lips pressed together, his eyes darting between us as he seemed to debate something.
"This... is not a standoff." He finally said, his voice low and grim. "This is a test of our capacities and a determination of a shared goal for the greater good. A test of trust between us and a chance for…”
“Oh my God.” Bucky’s head dropped back, his eyes on the ceiling. “We know you love to monologue but this is getting old.”
Fury paused, speechless.
I raised an eyebrow at him. "And Bucky here knows a thing or two about being old."
He shot back with a smirk, "Aren't you like a thousand?"
"And yet, still younger than you.”
“A thousand years not long enough for you to learn math, I see.”
“Call me when you need a mobility aid.”
“SHUT UP!” Tony roared, throwing his hands over his ears as he released his hold on Amelie.
The room went silent. Amelie looked to her uncle before turning to me, her eyes wide.
I swallowed quietly. “Now.”
In a flash of movement, Bucky lunged forward with the agility of a predator, launching himself onto the neck of one guard and bringing him crashing to the ground. With lightning reflexes, he delivered a bone-crushing blow to another, sending him hurtling into the back wall with a sickening thud.
A moment of confusion hung in the air, quickly overtaken by a sudden burst of chaos as the Avengers leapt into action. Thunder rolled and echoed through the chamber, causing the ground to tremble beneath our feet as Thor bellowed with all his might, summoning Mjölnir to his hand. From every corner of the room, guards materialized like ghosts, their weapons blazing and punctuating the air with deafening shots. The sound was overwhelming, like a symphony of chaos and danger. The deafening clang of Steve's shield resonated through the room, leaving a trail of carnage behind as it ricocheted from one body to another. With precise aim and swift movements, Cap followed suit, launching himself over the fallen bodies to eliminate any enemies that dared to escape his shield's deadly path of destruction.
The three leaders of the terrorist group dispersed, each one escaping through a different door, flanked by guards. The short, portly one grabbed Amelie with one hand, shoving Peter to the side with the other, before disappearing down the corridor as yet more guards closed in behind him.
Fury stayed rooted to the spot, seemingly entirely unphased by the chaos. Tony’s hands remained at his ears as he stared unmoving at the ground.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a guard begin to move towards me, his fist rising. I breathed out through my nose, my resolve solidifying. In one fluid motion, I spun, my daggers materialising into existence in my hands, glinting in the dim light as they sliced through the air and across his throat. Blood spurted out, splattering onto the ground before his attack could even land.
Bucky sauntered infront of me, his arms folded. “Welcome back.”
I raised a brow, unsure how to respond as he smirked at me.
I settled on a small grin before Clint and Natasha appeared on either side of us, her counting aloud.
“15, 16, 17, 18…”
Bucky and I exchanged a glance. “Uh, Ms. Romanov?”
Clint’s excited shout interrupted us before Natasha could answer me. “I’m on 12 already!”
“I’m on 20.” Natasha said with a sly smile.
“You’re counting your kills?” I said with a chuckle, shaking my head slightly.
Clint rolled his eyes. “You aren’t?”