Special Agent Loki Laufeyson

Chapter 38

As Loki leapt in front of him to protect him, to take the bullet that would otherwise have ended his life, Gibbs could only think of one thing.

"Shooter!"

Agent Kate Todd threw herself in front of Gibbs as the gun fired, taking the bullet in her chest. As she collapsed to the ground, Gibbs and DiNozzo advanced on the shooter's position, firing until he tumbled out of his hiding spot, dead.

Turning back to Kate, Gibbs knelt beside her as Tony moved her onto her back, unzipping her jacket to locate the wound. They both breathed sighs of relief when they saw that she had been wearing a bulletproof vest, which was gripping the bullet tightly, preventing it from killing Kate.

"You okay?" Tony queried.

"Ow," Kate moaned. "I just got shot at pointblank range, DiNozzo. What do you think?"

As DiNozzo made a reply that Kate had just groaned at – most likely because of the bullet, the two agents helped her up.

"Protection detail's over, Kate," Gibbs rebuked.

"You did good," DiNozzo commented.

"For once, DiNozzo's right."

Kate laughed. "Wow. I thought I'd die before I ever heard –"

Her words were halted by the bullet that struck her forehead, exploding through her skull and sending her dropping to the floor in a shower of blood.

Now Loki lay on the ground, not moving, his chest burned by the explosive bullet of blue energy from the sniper. The resemblance between the two occasions was terrifying, even down to the weapon that had fired the bullet, both Marine snipers.

The woman, meanwhile, had settled her aim expertly back on Gibbs. But she didn't fire. Instead, she just stared at Gibbs as a light flashed in her eyes. Then her dark eyes reverted to their previous state of resolute darkness and her finger reached for the trigger.

The sound of a gun firing ricocheted around the room. But it hadn't come from the sniper rifle. Actually, the sniper fell back from the window and then dropped down out of sight in a way that announced she hadn't been fatally hit. Gibbs whirled around.

Vance stood there, holding his pistol aimed at the window. He lowered it as Gibbs dropped down to Loki's side.

"Alert security," Vance called out to his aide. Then, to Gibbs: "How is he?"

"I don't know," Gibbs muttered. Loki didn't seem to be breathing. Cobalt smoke curled up from his chest, licking hungrily at the air.

"He saved your life," Vance marveled, coming to stand behind Gibbs.

Gibbs looked up at him. "Yes, he saved my life, and yours, too. Even when you wouldn't save his."

Vance recoiled but didn't respond to the retort. "Who should I call?"

Gibbs honestly didn't know. "Dr. Mallard," he suggested. As Vance left to summon the medical examiner, he felt for Loki's pulse and was relieved to feel it faintly thumping beneath his fingers.

*****

Loki was standing before Thanos.

The Titan sat on his thick stone throne, staring down impassively at the god of mischief. There was silence for a long while before Loki realized that this was not a flashback.

"So," Thanos remarked. "Here you are, standing before me. A failure."

Loki met Thanos' eyes. He didn't know what to say. Technically, the Titan was correct.