Special Agent Loki Laufeyson

Chapter 70

Leopard swung the scepter up before her as she stepped forward, eyes pinned on Loki. Loki began to move faster, swinging his spear up in front of him as she suddenly launched herself towards him. Her scepter blade clanged against his spear shaft and he shoved the weapon up, pushing her back. Off-balance, Leopard stumbled back but quickly regained her footing.

Bishop brought her gun up to fire at Leopard as soon as she was no longer near Loki but the scientist noticed the movement and brought her scepter up, aiming the tip at the agent. And Loki was already moving toward Leopard. His forward momentum hindered him as he tried to adjust his course.

The blue blast struck Bishop before he could get there.

"No!" Loki screamed, stumbling to a halt as the blonde agent was hurled backward into a building. "Ellie!"

DiNozzo turned from where he was aiming at the Chitauri and raced to Bishop's side. "Loki, take Leopard!" he shouted. "I've got Bishop!"

Loki ducked in time to avoid the second blast, feeling the power against his face as it flew over him. He threw himself towards Leopard, his anger surging up in him as he brought his spear down over her head.

She barely blocked it and whirled back, bringing the scepter up before her. Loki attacked again, faking a jab at her midsection and then twisting the weapon to strike her in the leg with the shaft.

Leopard stumbled back and fired another shot at him, the recoil jerking her off balance. Loki blocked the blast on his spear shaft without halting his forward movement and for the first time he saw fear in Leopard's face.

****

DiNozzo slid to his knees beside Bishop. Romanoff had also fallen back with him and was firing now at the Chitauri, having taken cover behind a car.

"Hurry!" she yelled.

DiNozzo assessed the damage. Her vest had taken most of the blow and blue tinged smoke rose from the scorch mark on her chest. But he had to make sure. Unzipping the vest, he noticed there were no marks on her shirt. The vest had taken the entirety of the blow, although she would be bruised and sore.

"Thank you, Stark," he breathed. "You may be annoying, but you sure are useful."

Bishop groaned quietly and her eyes fluttered, which made DiNozzo jump. He had thought she had been knocked unconscious.

"Hey, hey," he said. "Can you hear me?"

"Ouch," Bishop groaned.

"That's an understatement," DiNozzo said. He looked up and saw her gun, lying a few feet away from her. Getting to his feet, he darted over and grabbed it. Returning to her side, he pressed it into her hand. "You okay?"

Bishop cocked an eyebrow at him, which let him know she was okay. "What do you think?"

"DiNozzo!" Romanoff yelled. "Any time now!"

"Right," DiNozzo responded. "Bishop, you take cover and shoot the Chitauri."

"But Loki," she protested, struggling to sit up.

"I think he's got this," DiNozzo said, looking over at the Asgardian.

Bishop looked over and saw Loki bashing his spear against Leopard's scepter, driving the mortal woman back. Her eyes widened. DiNozzo himself was astonished at the ferocity of Loki's attack. The god of mischief spun, jabbed, blocked, and struck, his moves graceful yet powerful and his strikes filled with finesse.

"Whoa," Bishop said.

"I've got to say," Romanoff said. "I didn't appreciate his skills the first time I met him, but now? He's got a mean swing."

"Agreed," DiNozzo said. "As someone who has gotten punched by him, I agree."

Bishop pushed herself to her feet, and wrapped both of her hands around her gun. She nodded to DiNozzo's questioning look. "I'm good. You go."

As Bishop ducked back against a building, aiming her gun at the Chitauri, DiNozzo ran crouching back to Romanoff's side, dodging the energy blasts from the aliens' weapons.

Romanoff popped up to fire at a Chitauri, then ducked down as DiNozzo reached her. "There's too many of them," she said.

"We got to take them out," DiNozzo said. "Remember, no survivors."

Romanoff rolled her eyes at him. "I know that. I was saying we need an alternate plan of attack."

DiNozzo narrowed his eyes at her. "Oh? Like what?"

Romanoff smiled at him and DiNozzo suddenly was very glad she was on their side. "Like an up close attack."