Fickleness of Fate | Loki Laufeyson

Chapter Twelve

Harry had caught final glances of her colleagues being blasted in different directions, sailing through the air on a lethal current. All of their arms had flung out in a futile attempt to slow their momentum, sharpened pieces of debris shooting past them narrowly missing vital organs.

But it was the two people that began to fall through the gaping hole in the floor with her that she worried for the most.

As if in slow motion, she watched as Romanoff and Banner's faces morphed into confusion, then dread as they all fell through the looming space that had opened its wide jaws beneath them. Over the years Harry had grown accustomed to falling, either from Quidditch, dragon back or numerous wayward missions that led to an escape off of a perilous cliff face. So, inevitably she had learnt to slow herself in time before she hit the unforgiving earth, encasing her body with a protective shield.

This time, though, she had additional company along for the ride.

Her magic on instinct flew out towards them, cocooning their bodies in with her raw power with the hope of minimising their injuries. The rational part of her brain argued that protecting Banner was the priority. Loki's end goal was to set the Hulk loose among the ship, and she'd hate to serve him right.

She caught sight of the lower equipment room, but it was approaching too fast to halt them all completely before they collided. She grunted heavily, not yet at a complete loss, as she cast a wandless Arresto Momentum.

Four metres to the ground.

Three metres.

Two metres.

They all slowed to the pace of a feather falling through the sky.

One.

They plunked onto the ground with a soft clunk against the metal grate beneath them. Debris rained down on them from above, large pieces of the helicarrier threatening to crush them. Harry twisted onto her back in an instant, throwing out her hands to erect a weak shield that would allow the falling pieces of equipment to slide around them.

She heard Romanoff's deep breathing, alongside Banner's curses and growls. But she did not dare look away, to divert her concentration from the spell at hand. She internally vented at her superior officers; this spell would have been simple to cast with her wand, not even breaking a sweat. She could have even apparated them out of here to a safer location. Could have performed a simple Legilimens on Loki to spy his plans on a deeper level.

The debris at last halted its shower. A distinct circle of broken equipment surrounded them from where Harry had placed her shield.

"Nice save," Romanoff coughed, pushing to her feet. She wobbled slightly but gracefully caught herself.

"Thanks," Harry replied, willing to rise to her own feet. Unlike the master assassin, she was not so fluid in her movements.

"Romanoff?" Fury called wildly through their comms. "Do you copy?"

"Yeah," she responded quickly, gaze sweeping over the area to assess. "We're okay."

Banner's breathing increased, becoming hard pants. His hands curl around the grated metal floor, his arms straining with his muscled strength.

"We're okay, right?" Romanoff asked more to herself.

His eyes snapped towards them, lined with fury and rage, green streaks starting to appear over his skin. But Harry's gaze had lowered to focus purely on the red blood that was seeping through the doctor's buttoned t-shirt. She might have lessened the impact from the fall, but the original explosion must have sent a piece of shrapnel barrelling towards the man. And now that he was hurt, bleeding and in pain. . .