Shadow Butcher (LokixAvengersxOC)

Weak Barrier

"Finally some action." I grin and crack my knuckles.

Loki and I walk to the center to join the team in the middle of battling. As agreed in the plane, Loki and I merged our powers. He and I were fighting back against back, using his seidr and my shadow manipulation plus the absorbed infinity stones to blast the drones away.

A blur comes around as I get punched hard in my kidney. Through the hit, my shadows dissipate as I buckle down in pain and huff out a big breath.

Loki quickly bends down to help me steady myself as I try to contain the pain. "What happened? Are you alright?"

I nod, take a deep breath, and admit, "Yeah, I didn't see the boy coming."

And I was never so happy to see a kid go down when Cap hit him with his shield. "Stay down, kid!"

We hear Banner through the comms asking us if it's time for the Code Green yet as we still fight against these drones and Ultron himself. But something bothers me. I can't seem to find the girl. The girl who fought against us all along is now gone.

Somehow, Loki and I got carried away by fighting against our enemies. He was too far for me to mix our powers. Still possessing the power of the aether, at least this time I have full control over my abilities.

Graceful, determined, and strong, I tear the drones apart and disarm the thieves. Yet, if Loki and I emerged with our powers we would be stronger.

"Thor! Status?", Steve questions through his earpiece.

Immediately Thor answers, "The girl tried to warp my mind. Take special care, I doubt a human could keep her at bay. Fortunately, I am mighty."

The last part of his sentence made my neck hair go up. And I knew what that inkling was. The girl came up to me, using her powers on my depressed head.

Immediately I kicked her out before she could do more damage but she was gone in a blink of an eye. Most probably with the help of her twin brother.

With my back against the wall, I shut my eyes to focus back on the battle. Trying to stop the tickle in my brain. When I try to sneak around the corner, my breath gets caught in my throat as I realize where I'm stuck.

Behind bars, I grab the metal pole, trying to break free. Though nothing happens just like in the past when I was trapped in my broken mind.

Could it be possible that the cure of Banner and Stark didn't work on me and the teenage girl triggered my mind to become bad again?

Was this Ultron's plan to bring me up against the Avengers?

But why am I then in HYDRA's prison?

When did I return?

My train of thought gets interrupted when I hear him. A cold shiver runs down my spine, making me tense up and slowly back away.

I feel so small and paralyzed as Red Skull with his creepy face stands in front of me on the other side of my cell.

With a stern look on his face and with his hands clasped behind his back, he leans forward and asks with his German accent, "If this is not the so-called Goddess of Death."

I gulp because I can't remember any of that phrase from my past. Either it is real or a trick but I can't tell since it feels very real.

Red Skull starts to chuckle maniacally and grasps the bars with a roar. "Look behind you."

I did and I wish I didn't. My heart sinks to the floor when I see a loving figure scattered on the floor painted with bruises and blood. My feet drag me towards the unconscious Loki and I crouch down, taking his limp hands into mine.

"You brought me a gift. With two deities in my hold, HYDRA will rise. Only a shame you did not give birth to a third one."

A sob escapes my mouth when he mentions my aborted child. I bent down to lift Loki's head and lay it softly on my lap, caressing his cheek and brushing his raven hair out of his pale face.

"It was so easy to break the God of Mischief," he continues talking and I sniff, still caressing Loki's cheek with a trembling hand. "All I had to do is to mention he lost his child. Rubbing it under his nose. It was pure pleasure to see your prince charming crumbling down."

Pushing Loki softly away, I shout in anger and turn around. With all my might, all the absorbed powers, and my shadow manipulation, I blast into my torturer's direction.

No one hurts my friends. No one hurts my loved ones and no one ever hurts my Loki.

Panting, I stand on my feet, chest heaving. With a tilted head, I stare into a new place. The surrounding has changed. Perhaps my emotions took over the reality stone's ability to make my stay more bearable.

I crash down on my knees. My tears stream down my face as I cry out uncontrollably.

Everything was white and lonely. No Loki, no other living beings, or things. Just me.

A loud stomp makes me snap my head forward to see a shadow lingering, taking the shape of something familiar to me. The wrinkles on my forehead vanish as his voice roars the void, fulfilling my assumption.

"You should tell him the truth, little one."

After Amun, or Ra, the God of Creation and Sun, spoke, I kneeled before him. Never have I encountered him before but I've heard him talk to Anubis many times before.

I wanted to say something but I felt so weak and pathetic. I thought it would better be to remain silent and act on my behavior to show my respect.

The shadow dissipates as he talks further to me in a cryptic message, "I never foreseen Anubis's suspicion to come true one day. The future is near, the past has long been gone. Consider this as a new purpose for you, Shadow Butcher."

I wipe my tears away and stand up. I swallowed the thick lump in my throat because I wasn't sure if Amun was scolding me for not giving birth to a new deity. In the days of ancient Egypt, the woman was praised for giving a new life. And I didn't do anything to follow that kind of order.

"Do not fret about the unborn child. Your choice will always lead to the right decisions for this world."

"How-I-," I stutter. "Then what is my new purpose you're talking about, your highness?"

"This is not the place to speak about it. You have friends that can lead you to me."

I plummeted on my butt, someone holding me securely in his arms before I could hurt myself.

"The sun will shine on you again," The highest god of my pantheon words echo in the hall.

After that, everything goes dark and I'm in Loki's arms who hoist me up as he leads me back to the quinjet.

Iron Man and Bruce are missing. Clint looks worried at Natasha who shudders in the corner. Steve looks down at his compass, being sad and wanting to be isolated. And then there's Thor. Thor looks quite thoughtful for his usual as he zones out.

"The Maximoff girl warped your heads. Only Barton and I managed to not give in. You should rest, my love," Loki whispers and kisses my forehead.

I nodded and placed my head on his shoulder. Waiting for the time to go around.