Shadow Butcher (LokixAvengersxOC)

The Afterworld

Gasping hard for air, I shoot back up from my seat. My chest heaving as I try to remember what has happened. But I feel different. More relaxed and free as if the weight on me got off. My head snaps towards the open hatch of the Quinjet as I hear some explosions.

"Is she awake yet?" I hear Stark talking through our comms. "Now is a good time to activate code green."

"Positive," Banner answers and offers me a hand to get me back on my feet. "Are you okay?"

"I uh." I stutter as I hear some roaring from the outside.

My eyes roam the jet to find anything I can take hold of of my memory and when I see the casket containing the aether everything comes back to my mind. The vaccination they put in me healed me from whatever HYDRA has put inside me to mind control me and they even extracted the aether out of me.

I look down at my hands since I feel much more myself. Nothing preventing me anymore from restraining my powers and nothing stopping me from losing control of it. So to test my theory, I concentrate on activating one power after the other. Starting with the shadow manipulation and ending up with the absorbed power from the aether which still floods in my system.

Although I'm smiling since I'm free, something still bothers me when I feel my tummy churn. I swallow my sour saliva and sit back down in my seat when my surroundings start to spin.

"What's wrong?" Bruce asks as he approaches me, probably seeing my smile faltering and my face whitening. "Tony, I don't think code gr-"

Bruce grimaces when I  interrupt him by pushing him aside and puking into a plastic bag I just grabbed in time. Panting heavily, I wipe off my mouth and glare at Banner.

"Don't you dare say a word about this, understood?", I demand. Bruce's eyes widen as he nods fastly. "Besides," I groan after I put the bag tied up on the floor and rise from my seat, "I'm fine and they need us. Must have been the small side effects of whatever you injected me without my consent."

His Adam's apple bobs up and down, clearly noticing that I'm feeling offended, and he scratches the back of his head. "Yeah, sorry about that."

I wave it off and adjust my suit. "Even though I least expected you to do that, just promise me you won't tell anyone about the incident a few seconds ago and I'll forgive you."

His brows narrow in suspicion and asks me carefully, "You say it as if it happened once or twice not long ago. Are you sure you're ready to accompany the mission? I can stay here, they are still capable of going without the Hulk."

Sighing in defeat, I pick up the vessel with the aether and then my finger pushes the button to open the hatch of the quinjet. I conjure a shadow creature that looks like the pharaoh hound and hand it the vessel before it goes back into the shadows taking the box with it.

"As I said, Banner. It stays between us," I explain without even answering him.

So when I teleport myself away, I leave Bruce alone with open questions. When my body turned into atoms, I tried to focus on where Loki was. I still feel him being connected with me. Maybe it is the relationship we had built up or him still using his seidr to check up on me. When I locate him, my cells regain their true form, rebuilding my body as I land behind the God of Mischief who fights alongside Clint against some soldiers in white camouflage uniforms.

As I throw a knife at one of our opponents, I groan out loud, since I'm still not fully recovered from the vaccine but at least still stronger than when the aether was eating me out alive. My lips twitch when I try to shake off the pain I just felt while fighting with so little effort.

Clint greets me and shoots an arrow to an enemy behind me and I nod a greeting and thanks in return. Loki notices me later, anger flashes in his eyes when a few other enemies try to shoot at me. With a growl, his hands light up with magic, and a huge blast gets sent off in their direction, knocking them down all at once.