The Ancient Sorceress ~Loki x Bucky AU~

Chapter 67

    It was almost like an eerie silence. Shadow and Tony were outside, looking for Banner. They had realized too late that Wanda was going after the Hulk. Even though Natasha was guarded and Shadow had pulled Steve and Thor out of their own heads, Wanda had left her mark. Clint was making his rounds checking on everyone, getting them back to the jet.

"Hulk is heading for the city. Witchling, I need you." Tony sped off, not waiting for a reply. Shadow stepped off the ground and flew swiftly in the air, right behind Tony. The minute she spotted the large green figure, she knew she had to divert the damage away from the city.

"Tony, I gotta protect the citizens. I'll create shields. You think you can hold him?" She asked landing in the middle of the street not far from where Hulk was smashing a car. She began to throw up shields, protecting fleeing people from Hulks projectiles.

"I'm calling in Veronica."

Shadow focused her skills, creating a large energy like dome shield. People were fleeing quickly and Hulk was bouncing back and forth within Shadow's boundaries. Once Tony was in his suit, him and the Hulk began fighting. It was almost an even match, yet Shadow had to concentrate to not let their fight bleed into the street.

Hulk was furious, and he picked up a stray car and threw it directly at Shadow. She shrieked, throwing one hand to the side to use her powers to change its direction. As she did that, she dropped her hold on one side of her shield. Hulk got away with Tony hot on his tail. They went crashing into a building, sending glass and beams falling rapidly to the ground. Shadow worked quickly to protect anyone in her sights.

"Tony...I've got an idea. Get him to the ground and I'll take over."

Tony grunted through the coms. "Alright."

Tony punched him hard in the face, sending him straight into the asphalt road. Hulk was about to shoot back up at him when Shadow encircled her hands, and closed them into tight fists. The ground around the Hulk moved to encase his limbs, trapping him within the Earth itself. Shadow knew the ground itself wouldn't hold him long, so she reinforced the earthly shackles with her powers, transparent like chains wrapping around his wrists and ankles.

"Hulk! Listen to me! Do not let Wanda control you like this!" Shadow yelled, floating just above the Hulk's body. He was roaring, trying to free himself from the bonds. Shadow grit her teeth, using a lot of force to hold the shackles tight. "You leave me no choice but to help you in this way."

Shadow floated herself above Hulk, just close enough to where she could touch his head to seep into his memories. It was more difficult than usual since she was using multiple powers at once. As she did this, she could see strobing flashes of what Wanda had placed in his head. She began to work on pulling the memory out, letting her magic calm him. She was pushing memories of Natasha in there, knowing that both Hulk and Banner had a good relationship with the assassin. The Hulk was beginning to calm down, allowing Shadow's magic to ease his worries.

Shadow staggered as she released her hold on his head. She stumbled on the rubble and moved away from Banner. Tony hopped out of the Veronica suit and gave Bruce clothes to throw over his form. Shadow's breathing was labored and her vision was spotty. She had just exerted a lot of energy at once. It was an exceptional amount considering she had to use it against the Hulk.

"Hey kid, are you alright?" Tony questioned as he picked up Banner.

Shadow cast a glance in his direction but barely moved a muscle. She gave him a small nod and began to force herself up. Flashes of purple eyes and rocks appeared before her vision. She was seeing flashes of each vision she helped extract from her teammates heads. A dull pain shot through her head, but she ignored it. She flew off behind Tony, allowing the breeze to blow through her messy hair.