Special Agent Loki Laufeyson

Chapter 75

DiNozzo glanced back at Romanoff as she fiddled with the bomb she was building under the car's hood. He had taken cover behind another vehicle, shooting and throwing things at the Chitauri to keep their attention on him instead of on the redheaded assassin.

"Nat, you ready?" he called.

"Call me that again, this bomb will have a different target!"

"Okay, sweetheart."

"Do you want to blow up?"

DiNozzo chuckled, then ducked back as a blast of energy streaked past over his head, a little too close for comfort. "Seriously, though! You ready?"

"One second, Tony!"

Bishop was firing on the alien soldiers from behind another car, several ones over from Romanoff. Loki was still fighting with Leopard, although DiNozzo didn't know how much longer the woman could stand against the god. However, the Chitauri who weren't focusing on the NCIS agents were beginning to attack the Asgardian. Loki barely turned his attention away from Leopard to beat back their attacks, but eventually they had to get a hit in and break his concentration.

"Done!" Romanoff announced, slamming the hood and ducking down behind the car. "Tony! Cover me!"

"What do you think I've been doing?" DiNozzo grumbled as he dashed back over to the Russian agent. She opened the passenger door and he slipped inside, reaching for the ignition with the screwdriver and wrench he had pulled from one of the other parked cars. Jamming the screwdriver into the ignition, he secured the wrench around the handle and twisted.

The car started up and DiNozzo ducked out of the car, dusting his hands off and grinning. "All yours, Natasha."

Romanoff clambered into the car, settling into the driver's seat and releasing the parking brake. "Here goes!" she muttered, slamming her foot down on the gas and wrenching the wheel to the side, aiming the vehicle at the largest group of Chitauri warriors.

At the last second, Romanoff kicked the car door open and jumped out, rolling as she hit the pavement and flipping up onto all fours with her gun ready.

"Loki," DiNozzo said over the earpiece. "A bomb's about to explode!"

The car continued towards the Chitauri, who were too busy focusing on Loki to see the vehicle hurtling right for them. Romanoff pushed up onto her feet and sprinted away from the car, DiNozzo firing at any aliens who turned to shoot at the redheaded Avenger.

The bomb went off as the car reached the Chitauri, sending shrapnel and aliens flying. Romanoff dove forward, covering the last several feet in the air and crashing into DiNozzo, sending him sprawling to the ground.

"Whoa," DiNozzo said, looking up at her. "That was cool."

Romanoff smirked. "Of course it was."

****

Loki, at the last second, flipped away from Leopard, arcing through the air and landing behind a car just in time to avoid the worst of the shrapnel. What little he caught peppered off his jacket, only one piece grazing his face.

Landing in a crouch, Loki ignored the blood dripping down his face as he glanced up to see what had happened to Leopard. The woman had been thrown backwards by the shock wave, the scepter flying from her grasp as she slammed into the side of a car and hit the ground with a groan.

Loki's eyes traced the path of the scepter as it flew in his general direction. Springing up from his crouch, he calculated the scepter's trajectory and jumped to intercept it. He reached out his hand, his fingers straining for the weapon.