Thor helped me to my feet. I hissed in pain as I straightened. A jaggered shard of glass as big Thor's bicep was embedded into my side. His eyes flicked to it.
"We must get that out," he concluded.
The Helicarrier shuddered. A roar followed. The beast was unleashed. The Hulk was free.
"There's no time," I wheezed. "You're the only one strong enough to defeat the Hulk. You have to get down there."
"Are you—"
"Go!"
Thor didn't hesitate again, and dashed out of the destroyed lab.
Now, I'd experienced a lot of things regarding pain. I'd been shot, stabbed, tortured, starved, nearly drowned, nearly suffocated, stuck in explosions, and almost trampled by goats (don't ask about the last one; long story).
This pain was equally excruciating. I couldn't take out the shard in fear of the amount of blood that I'd lose. I'd help defend the Helicarrier before I'd help myself.
I stumbled out of the lab, pain bouncing around my body like a pinball in a pinball machine. With a hand gripping my side, I made my way to the bridge.
"Get her!"
As I turned, a rogue soldier slammed into me. That mingled with the pain in my side was absolute agony. As we fell, I rested my feet on his chest and pushed up, sending him flying over my head. I generated a portal underneath me and I fell through. I landed painfully on an enemy soldier in the bridge, knocking him out cold. I yelped as I rolled off the body. I felt the shard go deeper into my side.
"You okay, Andi?" Hill asked, lowering her weapon.
"Fine," I grumbled as I struggled to my feet. "Just peachy."
There was a sudden explosion, blowing up a computer station and sending agents over the railing. Another one followed. I watched as an arrow flew into a nearby station, embedding itself into it. The screens snapped to static.
The Helicarrier groaned. It began to dip. We were falling out of the sky! With the engines failing and Thor and Hulk smashing around in the hanger, we weren't going to stay in the air for much longer.
"Sir, we lost all power in Engine One!" Fury was informed.
"It's Barton! He took out our system!" Fury yelled to me and everyone over the line. "He's headed for the detention lab!"
"I'm on my way," I groaned.
"Andi," Hill began, "perhaps you should sit this one out." She pointed to the shard in my side. "We'll get that—"
"I'm fine," I growled through gritted teeth. "I'm going to the detention lab."
I took off stumbling through the maze of labyrinth-like hallways. My side felt numb. Dizziness struck me like a train. I stopped to catch my breath, laying a hand on the wall for balance. I grazed my fingers along my wound. I needed to take it out.
"No!"
I broke into a staggering run towards the detention lab. I peered around the corner to see Thor trapped in the prison. Loki stood in front of the control panel.
"Are you ever not going to fall for that?" Loki scoffed. "The humans think us immortal. Should we test that?"
"Move away, please." Agent Coulson appeared, holding a huge gun. Loki raised his hands and stepped away from the panel.
Coulson grinned. "Do you like this? We started working on the prototype after you sent the Destroyer. Even I don't know what it does." He powered it up. It hummed. "Do you wanna find out?"
Suddenly, Loki vanished; a mirage. He appeared behind Coulson and thrust the blade of the scepter through his chest.
"No!" Thor and I roared.
I leapt into the lab. I threw a ball of golden energy at the Asgardian, who dispelled it simply. As Coulson fell, Loki charged up to me and wrapped his hand around my throat, lifting me off the ground and shoving me into the wall. I clawed at his arm in a futile attempt of freeing myself, my legs flailing uselessly.
Loki shook his head in disappointment. "Oh, lovely Time Walker. It's a dear shame that you are unfit for a third round." He placed the scepter on the side of the shard in my side. He began to push, plunging it deeper and deeper into my side. I howled in agony.
"Stop it, Loki!" Thor snarled.
"Why? I am enjoying myself."
I gritted my teeth. "Do your worst, Asgardian."
"Very well."
He rammed it deeper into my side, and I wailed. I felt warm blood spill down my leg. Done with me, he tossed me aside like a ragdoll. I was fortunate to land on the side without the shard, but it hurt no less.
I gasped. My breaths were ragged. Black dots danced among my vision.
I watched, powerless, as Loki dropped the prison from the Helicarrier. The Asgardian dusted his hands as if what he did to his brother was nothing.
"You're gonna lose." Loki turned to Coulson on the floor. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. The weapon lay armed in his lap.
"Am I?" Loki mocked.
"It's in your nature," Coulson replied calmly.
"Your heroes are scattered, your floating fortress falls from the sky." Loki spread his arms to the sides. "Where is my disadvantage?"
"You lack conviction."
"I don't think I—"
Coulson fired the weapon. It hit Loki in the chest, sending him crashing through the far wall.
"So that's what it does," Coulson chuckled.
My agony was at its peak. I was consumed by it. My mind was going blank. My vision was blurring as tears lined my eyes. I tried to ignore everything and just focused on making my way to Phil's side.
I pulled myself into an upright position as I sat next to him. I pushed the gun off his lap and placed my hands over his wound. "Stay with me, Phil."
His eyes flicked from my face to my own injury. "You're hurt."
"I'll live. And so will you. You're not going anywhere, okay? If I'm not, you're not."
We sat there for what felt like ages, both of us fading and drifting in and out of unconsciousness. Phil rested his head on my shoulder. I felt the Helicarrier levelling out. Things were going to be okay.
Fury and a team of armed agents charged into the lab. Fury knelt in front of us. It was the first time I'd seen him show any emotion as he stared at Phil. Fury was pained and scared. He didn't want to lose his good friend.
"I'm sorry, Boss," Phil wheezed. "They got rabbited."
"Just stay awake," Fury ordered. He grabbed his chin to be in line with his eye. "Eyes on me."
"Don't go off on us, Phil," I sighed, feeling like I was myself.
"No, I'm clockin' out here."
"Not an option."
"It's okay, Boss." He sighed and closed his eyes. "This was never gonna work if they didn't have something to..."
He didn't speak again. He was gone.
My hands slipped from his chest. Blood covered my palms. I felt cold, like I was forever encased in ice, trapped with no way out. I felt so numb that I couldn't move. I couldn't feel my side. I could feel myself fading. I was next.
"This isn't over yet, Andi," Fury's voice echoed around me.
"But I'm so tired," I sighed.
"You are not going anywhere."
"Fury. I...I've been around for too long." I closed my eyes. "Maybe...it's time."
"Not yet, Andi. Not yet."
I was tumbling. I was falling into darkness. The last thing I heard was Fury's mourning voice.
"Agent Coulson is down. The medical team is here. They called it."
❈Author's Note: Noooo! No, Phil! You will be avenged! (See what I did there ;) aha!)
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