Kidnapped|Book 4|A novel in the Blue Moon series| An Avengers fan fiction series|

59- The Throw

"Nobody will be able to stall Neidra," says Videl as he begins to stalk down the passageway, "If she's coming, then she's coming, and she's probably bringing her son too."

"Caomh?" asks Peter, who is the first person after Angelique to start following Videl.

"Him," says Videl.

"Trust me, you don't want him around either," says Angelique with a slight shiver, "He's as crazy as she is."

"What about Loki?" asks Max, "Where's he?"

"No idea," replies Videl, "The last time we saw him, he was in the Asgardian palace, where Neidra had chained him up. If he's alive now, then it's a miracle."

"Does Thea know this?" asks Bruce.

"More or less, yes," responds Videl, "But if Loki is alive, then he's going after Thea. Neidra's been playing with his brain."

"But he cares about her," pipes in Angelique, "He really does, you should have seen him when Neidra was torturing him, he loves her."

"Are you okay?" Bruce asks kindly, "Your arm is all cut up, it looks painful."

"I'm fine," says Angelique, brushing off his concern, "It doesn't even really hurt anymore."

They continue walking down the sloping, narrowing passageway. As they do so, they pass two dark openings that branch off the main path. These are undoubtedly the other secret paths scattered throughout the house. One of them is only a shallow opening comprised of a rickety ladder that scales upwards and then vanishes. When Jack reaches over curiously to touch it, it wobbles, and he jerks his hand back too late. The ladder goes crumbling down to the wet ground, throwing dust up in the boy's face.

Peter pats his shoulder, "Well done."

At one point, Videl hisses for them all to be quiet, and they stop suddenly, Angelique kicking up a small stream of water. Clearly, most of them are slightly irritated at Videl's sudden command, but Videl pays them no attention. Instead, he cocks his head, tilting it up towards the rocky ceiling.

Then, the others hear it too. The slow drone of footsteps above them. From the sound of it, there are about a dozen or so soldiers marching in the mansion's main level, sending bits of gravel falling from the ceiling.

A few minutes later, again, Videl signals them to stop moving, and again, they listen to him, although both Max and Jack look a little upset by listening to the Velah. Videl listens for several seconds, the light throwing his lean frame into a thousand tiny shadows, and then says in a voice so quiet, it's below a whisper. "Someone's in here."

Kyle arches his eyebrow.

Videl's face visibly relaxes in a few seconds, and in a few more, Natasha, Clint, and Steve turn the corner. This is all well and good except Natasha's loaded gun is now about two inches from Jack's nose.

With a yelp and a curse, Natasha yanks the gun away from Jack, pointing it down to the ground.

"Bloody hell!" whispers Jack, "You almost shot me!"

Briskly, Natasha fastens her weapon back in her belt, although admittedly, she does look mildly concerned about what has just happened. "Have you guys even been moving? We couldn't hear a thing."

"Videl heard you," says Max, "Where were you guys?"

"You. Almost. SHOT ME."

"Neidra's secret lab," replies Natasha calmly, not even looking at Jack.

"Youalmostshotme."

"Wrong lever Kronk," says Peter.

"Where's Thea?" asks Natasha.