Vertigo (Book Three of The Avengers Reports)

Chapter Thirteen (Picture of Nick Fury)

The Pentagon

Washington DC, Capitol of the United States of America

Natasha watched as Jane crumpled to the ground, Thanos standing over her. She glared at him in anger. "What the hell was that for?" she snapped, wanting to move forward.

Loki's hand clamped down on her wrist. She glared at him next, but he shook his head. "Not wise to get him angry," he advised.

Thanos just chuckled. "I am impressed that she managed to kill the Other."

Natasha cocked her head. "Who?"

"The Other," Loki supplied. "First lieutenant, right-hand Chitauri, and anything else that qualifies as his best . . . Chitauri."

Natasha folded her arms, her gaze burning into Thanos. "You still didn't have to knock her out."

It was then that she heard Loki's voice in her head. "Distract him."

"Already doing that, Halloween master," she retorted in her head.

"Would you rather seen me kill her?" Thanos asked, backing up towards the portal.

Natasha followed him. "I still don't get why you want Earth."

"Midgard?" Thanos snorted. "Pathetic. Weak. Scared. Need I say more?"

"You forgot one thing," Natasha replied.

Thanos cocked his head. "What?"

Natasha smiled. "You forgot the Avengers."

Thanos's smile disappeared, replaced by a snarl, and he jumped at her, but Loki's scepter came up and hit Thanos in the chest. A staff similar appeared in Thanos's hands, and he and Loki started fighting. While Loki had the magic, Thanos had the strength. Overall, they were pretty even matched.

Natasha watched the two go at it for a few minutes, then ran over to Jane. She shook her for a few seconds, then watched as Jane's eyes fluttered. "Jane," she whispered. "How do you collapse the portal?"

Jane whispered something, and Natasha leaned down to hear. "Tesseract . . . " she whispered again.

Natasha looked over at the portal, then saw the spinning blue cube in the center of the portal. Natasha looked over at Loki to see that he and Thanos were still going at it, and most they were most likely not going to stop soon.

That meant she had to do this.

She ran over towards a few boxes, looking through them. There weren't any gloves, and there weren't any spears or rods she could use.

She looked back over her shoulder at the Tesseract and made a decision. Before she could change her mind, she whipped both guns from their holsters and started firing at it.

Within four shots, the Tesseract - and the portal - exploded.

***

Gibbs heard the explosion from where he, Steve, and Freddie were fighting. Simultaneously, they all turned to where the smoke was coming from.

It was right over the Pentagon.

Gibbs's blood ran cold, and he raised a hand to his ear. "Sixteen!" he shouted.

"I'm fine," Abby's voice replied. She sounded a little shaky. "It came from the opposite side of the building."

"Sorry 'bout that," Natasha's voice came next. "Kinda had a cosmic cube explosion."

"The Tesseract?" Thor asked.

"The Tesseract," Natasha confirmed. "Loki was - is - kind of busy."