Intertwine

109 - I've Killed Loki

Hey guys! Oh my god it's been a while! I have so much news!

I got into Cambridge!! Can you believe it?! I'm still pinching myself, I only found out last week!

Anyway we have about two chapters left (I think?) so enjoy!

TW: Reference to suicide.

ALINA

The first thing I knew when I came to was that my body felt heavy. Too heavy. As though every fibre of my being was crafted from concrete. As though gravity was dragging me down, down, down, into the pits of hell and then some.

My spine felt bruised, my skin itched like stinging nettles had covered me, it was almost hard to breathe.

I knew someone was carrying me because everywhere they touched me burned, but I didn't have the energy to call out, to tell them to put me down. I just had to wait it out.

I still couldn't comprehend what I'd just done. I had been...floating? In the air? And I had burst into light like some sort of explosive device. It wasn't possible. It shouldn't be possible. But it had happened.

The question still circulating my mind was how? I hadn't been trying turn my whole body into a light bulb, just trying to make the biggest orb of light between my hands that I could.

I didn't want to open my eyes but I knew I would have to. I forced open one eyelid, then the other. I had a good view of the ground as my body bobbed up and down in the rhythm of someone's walk. I knew that walk. The rhythm of it. The surity in it.

"Steve." I croaked. "Steve put me down. Steve, please."

He started upon hearing my voice and the jerk his body made sent searing pain through my limbs. A gutteral groan escaped me.

"Alina, you can't walk-"

"Put her down Cap." It was Tony's voice. "She asked you to put her down."

I didn't have it in me to say thank you, or even to look up, so I waited limply as Steve kneeled down and put me on the ground. The pain didn't go away, but it wasn't so bad. I was thirsty. I wanted to drink something.

"Water. Please."

Steve pressed a bottle to my lips, holding my head up so I could drink. I had no idea where he got it from. He kept glancing up at my face, and every so often I got glimpses of his eyes. He looked as though... well as though he was scared of me.

I felt better after drinking. A lot better.

"Where's Locke?" I asked finally.

"Vanished. Aditi and her big dog are looking for them." Tony crouched down in front of me. "Well kid, ya ruined my armour." He gestured to the suit fragments around the floor.

I opened my mouth to apologize but Tony stopped me, saying, "But I saved this for you." He pressed a chip into my hands with the name 'Cassidy' written onto it in my neat, all capital letter, handwriting.

"Tony I-"

"Don't thank me. Just shut up and build your own next time. And no more cheap spray paint, it's got no class."

I nodded and glanced up. Aditi was on the back of the wolf, Peter behind her, trying to tie up her hair as they went along.

I caught a glimpse of Roara and Loki, clearly having some sort of slightly insulting banter. I took a deep breath in, and grabbed onto Steve's shoulders, pulling myself to my feet.

I knew he was going to say something about needing to rest, so I gave him a look which said back off. He put his hands up in defeat.

I staggered towards the pair and before I knew it, Bucky and Nat were on either side of me, silently placing an arm under each shoulder, helping me walk.