Love is For Fools // Loki Laufeyson

Part 28 - Time Stone

Natasha shakes her head as she looks at me. "I knew you couldn't be dead!" Natasha narrows her eyes at Loki, pointing her knife at him. "And I know that you faked her death so you could have SHIELD out of your business while forcing her to date you, you sick, disgusting little-"

"Natasha, that's not what's happening!" I interrupt.

She looks at me sadly. "I know, Loki's corrupted you, but I promise you we'll help you after I've killed this bastard." She turns her gaze to Loki as it hardens into a glare. "Now get out of my way."

I begin to panic as she takes off in a run. If Natasha wants Loki dead, he's dead. "Natasha, don't-" I gasp as I'm cut off by Loki sending a burst of magic my way, throwing me across the roof.

I roll across the ground and land against the wall of the roof adjacent to the one where Loki and I were standing. I pick myself up from the ground to see Loki pulling a dagger from his sleeve. My eyes go wide; he's planning on killing Natasha. As Natasha closes in the distance between her and Loki, it becomes clear that one of the two people I love the most is going to be dying unless I step in.

I quickly teleport to be in between Natasha and Loki as I throw out my arms, praying that I conjure the Mandalas in time. I turn to Loki just as his face contorts into shock, but his dagger is already on its way down. I turn to Natasha to see her in a very similar state as Loki, realizing that I'm in between her and Loki just as she's about to stab me.

I turn back to Loki just as his dagger contacts my stomach. However, my belt that the Ancient One gave me throws off a wave of yellow, and his dagger reflects off of it and goes flying across the roof. So that's what 'the belt to protect me from harmful forces' means.

Loki's face immediately lights up as he realizes he didn't stab me. "Oh my gods!" He shakes his head, clearly at a loss for words. "Scarlett, you almost gave me a heart attack."

I slowly reach towards Loki's shoulder to try to stabilize myself. "The belt only protects me from harmful forces," I mutter, collapsing against him.

A bewildered Loki catches me as he looks over at Natasha behind me. She's frozen, staring in shock at her own knife embedded in my back. She slowly sinks to her knees beside me while Loki lowers me to the ground. "No, no, no, no," she murmurs as she tears the knife out of my back and brings her hands to the wound.

"Talk about stabbing someone in the back," I attempt to tease Natasha. Due to the pain I'm in, it doesn't sound as light-hearted as I intended.

Natasha smiles sadly, tears in her eyes. "I wasn't supposed to remove the knife, was I?"

"No," I chuckle lightly, doing my best to not move more than necessary. "If it's any consolation, it's not like it would've made a difference. I wouldn't have made it to the medical wing anyway."

She chuckles bittersweetly as she shakes her head. "Damn you, Scarlett. You always have to get in the way."

Loki quickly presses his hand to my back. "No. I didn't get you back just to lose you. There's got to be some way."

As soon as Loki's words leave his mouth, I become aware of the weight of the Eye of Agamotto on my chest. "Actually, I have a slight idea," I mutter, using Loki's and Natasha's arms to attempt to prop myself up.

Loki and Natasha both get the message and help me get into a sitting position, using their arms to hold me up. Ignoring the agonizing pain in my back, I take the Eye of Agamotto in my hands. "I'm not really sure how to do this," I sigh. "We'll just hope that whatever the hell I'm doing works."

"And if not?" Loki questions.

"You have to get a new girlfriend," I joke.

Loki attempts to smile, clearly trying to entertain my jokes. "I'm afraid that's out of the picture."