Perfect Storm I Loki

Twenty-One

"I don't-"

Layla stopped herself when she realized Loki wasn't standing across from her anymore. She got up on her knees and looked around.

"Loki? Loki!"

He was just there a moment ago, where could he have gone? Had he teleported away? What caused him to go? Was he okay?

"Loki!" She yelled again, trying to see where he went. Why wasn't he answering?

"Layla!" Sam said, emerging from the bushes. "Are you alright?"

Barnes was on his trail and they helped her get up. "I think so. You?" she asked.

"Fine," Sam replied just as Barnes nodded.

"What the hell is going on?" Barnes muttered.

"I was just about to ask the same thing," King T'Challa said, walking up to them slowly with the walking tree by his side. "What happened? Where is everyone?"

Layla gulped. "I-I saw Thanos snapping his fingers. And Thor. He was yelling at him. Asking him what he had done. And then Thanos was gone and now everyone's gone,"

"I am Groot," the tree said. They all looked at the tree, confused.

"Nice to meet you. Anyway, do you think--" Sam started but he got cut off by a scream. It sounded like Wanda.

Layla started running toward the source and soon saw Wanda on her knees, crying out loud. The sound of her crying was painful.

She knelt next to her and wrapped her arms around Wanda. "He's gone, he killed him, he killed him!"

"Wanda, Wanda, look at me," Layla said, "Look at me," she said while trying to comfort her friend. Wanda was crying it out in her arms.

"I'm sorry, I really am, we should have done a better job," Layla said bitterly. Wanda let out another sob.

"He's dead," Wanda said slowly, her voice breaking.

"Whoa-whoa," Layla heard Sam say and she turned around.

There was an orange circle to their right and someone stepped out of it. "Get ready, we are needed," the man said.

"Who are you?" Barnes said.

The man looked at Barnes with a fed-up look. "I don't have time to explain. It's been five years, okay? And the rest needs us, so, get up and get ready,"

Five years?

It had been five years? How could it have been five years when Loki was next to her a minute ago?

The man turned to T'Challa. "Your people are waiting for you, King. Save the hugs for later,"

T'Challa raised his arm. "Okoye. Shuri," he started and then started speaking in a language she couldn't understand.

"Come on," she said to Wanda and helped her get up.

"What do you mean it's been five years?" Sam asked the man.

"What part of we don't have the time you don't understand?" the man spat, holding out his hands and rolling them just as orange light was coming around it.

Layla felt the chill of magic go through her. "You are doing magic," she said.

"Yes, I am trying to open a portal," the man replied. "We need to get there fast, your friend doesn't last much of a chance if we're late anymore,"

"Who?" Layla asked.

"Steve Rogers," the man said and then took a step back as a portal opened up. "Let's go," he said. One by one, they all went through.