V I G I L A N C E ~ (MCU) ~

C H A P T E R 7_

I run forward as well towards him and when I get to him he wraps his arms around me in a relieved way. I think he's still shocked by what just happened. But he has also never not proven to be a caring and good man.

I huge him back tightly and then give him a once-over before asking, "Are you ok? You look kind of battered up."

"So do you," he says glancing down then back up, his hand still at my cheek from parting from the hug.

"Thanks." I say with a small laugh before looking over at the fallen tower. "It's so strange. Just a while ago, I was in there and it was perfectly fine. Now it's completely demolished."

Steve looks where I do, completely heartbroken at this tragedy.

Thor walks up to us quietly, his expression hard but in a saddened way. "Have you checked for survivors?"

"...Yeah..." Steve says quietly with no hope in his voice...

"If there were, there wouldn't have been many," I say in a monotone as I stare at the flames that continue to devour the tower.

I hear a distant crash and I look to my left, watching Stark still in his suit, throwing chunks of metal out of the way to see if anyone in the ship is still living... but it's hardly even in a condition where that would even be possible. Yet he still looks...

Thor glances down and walks slowly from us, still unsure what to do now...

Steve stares at the remains of buildings in front of us with a dry and miserable look in his eyes...

I realize just then that "no survivors" means Director Fury, Agent Hill, and any others in our flying base are dead...

I swallow from this and try to keep from tearing up... But this sudden event has struck everyone and millions have just died in a mere few minutes... I shut my eyes and breathe.

When I open them they look around but I can't find anyone with the familiar long black hair. I frown and search harder but Loki is no where in sight. I move from my spot and my head turns all directions to try and spot him... and I finally do. Not too far away he stands staring at something close to the ground but I don't know what it is from here.

I cock my head to the side in curiosity before I walk over to where he stands. Once I reach him, I look down at what is on the ground.

To my horror, I see that it's a mother holding her baby girl but both are burned severely... and dead. The woman's arms are still holding tightly to her child that might be only a year or two old... The sight is nothing if not completely tragic and utterly heartbreaking, besides it being horrific.

I press a fist to my mouth as I try to hold in a sob, but that doesn't work. I can feel tears leak from my eyes.

Loki is standing there staring blankly at it, his face trying harder than it ever has to hold back emotion...

I say in a shaky voice that is thick with tears, "Oh God." I turn around, not being able to bear the sight of the charred flesh of the mother and child.

Loki is silent... until he swallows and can't take it anymore. He leaves me there and walks around the broken building out of sight from me and others.

I wipe my tears and sniff. I follow quickly and quietly after Loki, not wanting him to hear me.

He is in a huge abandoned room, the grey light shining in through the dirty air, there being so ceiling after all.