Ice Maiden (A Loki Fanfic)

Searching

Loki stood, his eyes scanning the building in the half light, trying look for movement. There was none. Steve was beside him, Bruce in the jet. Tony was circling overhead looking for heat signatures.

There had been little time spent at the Campus, just enough to offload the files, brief Fury on the disaster and regroup for the rescue. Loki had wanted to leave immediately but the others had forced him to wait while they all - him included - rested and ate. They would be no use to anyone sleep deprived and weak. This was going to be a one shot chance. Hydra would move them - or worse - as soon as they realised there was a rescue underway. They had to get it right first time.

There was no pretence this time, the jet landed only a few hundred yards away from the building, depositing Loki and Steve. Clint would once again wait with the jet - he was the best pilot under pressure and Tony - or rather Iron Man - was somewhere in the air, scanning for their missing friends.

"Reindeer Games, Capsicle - you're on - I see them. Basement, three of them and 4 goons. Get going, I'll cause a distraction." The two of them looked at each other and nodded, slipping into a side door, immediately coming up behind two guards with machine pistols and grenades. Loki slipped a dagger into the back of one and Steve took care of the other. Relieving them of their weapons Loki and Steve made their way to the basement, descending a spiral staircase in front of them. As they got to the bottom, a few more Hydra soldiers milled about and were quickly despatched. What they didn't see was the one that took to his heels and fled to the inner chamber with a warning.

Suddenly an alarm went off and there was an explosion. Tony and his distraction. Steve shouted to Loki "Go - find the room - I can hold them here - GO!" for a second Loki paused then, realising Steve was more than capable of defending the corridor, sprinted for the inner chamber. The building rocked with more Stark firepower and Loki cursed loudly "Stark! If you make this fall before we get them, so help me..."

"Relax Mischief" came the response over the coms "Magic, daggers and looking moody is your thing , blowing things up in a spectacularly controlled way is mine!"

"Would you two just shut up and concentrate on finding our friends. You can mess about all you like when we're done!" Steve interrupted angrily. "GET THE HELL ON WITH IT"

"language Cap" was the parting shot from Iron Man as he buzzed the proverbial tower again.

Loki turned the corner and stopped short at a large metal door in front of him, reinforced with rivets and plating. Two guards were stationed but a single dagger to each soon neutralised them. To his annoyance, the door was barred from the inside and no external handle or lock to be seen. There must be a separate release. He scanned the brick wall, spotting a blank glass panel recessed to the right of the door. On closer inspection it was a palm print reader. Without pausing he grabbed of one of the dead guards and held his hand to the reader. The scanner ran up and down, the green band glowing over the palm.

"Access denied" he tried the other hand.

"Access denied"

He cursed and grabbed the other dead guard. The same. What now? To hell with it he thought, there wasn't time, Ali could be injured or.. he shook his head clearing the thought and blasted the crap out of it with his captured machine pistol. The panel exploded in a shower of sparks and the door popped open a couple of inches, hampered only by the bodies prone in front of it. Steve appeared at his back.

"What took you so long?" Loki said raising an eyebrow,

"Oh, just a little bit of hassle, all dealt with now" Steve countered with a brief smirk " you ready?"

"Never readier" Loki dragged the door open and they burst into the room, just in time to see Nat and Bucky be thrown across the room by two guards whom they quickly took care of. Checking on them briefly Steve could see they were still alive but drugged to the eyeballs. Loki on the other hand, turned in horror to see The Man hover over the body of a woman - HIS woman he realised with a sickening lurch- plunging a large knife into her abdomen. As he stood up, Loki blasted him with the full force of his magic, the green energy disintegrating the evil little figure to atoms. Now he could see her, dying before his very eyes.
"NOOOOOO!" He howled throwing himself across the room to her side.