Running Through the Stars (Book One of the Bad Wolf Chronicles)

Chapter Eight: Father's Day

Trigger warning: language.

***

"Yeah?" the Doctor replied, looking up.

Jessie swallowed. "I was wondering . . . "

"A dangerous pastime," the Doctor warned her, but he nodded encouragingly.

"Um . . . " She took a deep breath. "Coulson . . . when he died. Can we go see it?"

The Doctor blinked, leaning forward. "What brought this up?"

You weren't there. No one was. She bit her lip, getting the voice away. "No one was there for him," she replied. "Only Thor, locked in a glass trap. Loki doesn't count. If if breaks the laws of time or something, we don't have to," she quickly added.

"It's not that," he assured her, walking to the console. "I can do it. I'm just more worried about you."

Worthless.

Don't let anyone tell you you're not important.

"I have to," she whispered.

He nodded his understanding. "What's the day?" he asked.

"May 4, 2007."

***

The Helicarrier was rumbling as Jessie stepped out of the TARDIS. "Tony told me all about it," she whispered, walking through the halls, heading for where she knew Loki would be. "They were arguing . . . and in the middle of it all - "

An explosion ripped through the Helicarrier, and the Doctor's arms were suddenly around her waist and pulling her under a shelf as debris began falling. She coughed as smoke filled the air. "That?" the Doctor asked.

"Yeah . . . that."

"Engine three is down!" Maria Hill's voice announced over the intercom. "Engine three is down!"

A few moments later, the Hulk's roar echoed.

"Thor fought the Hulk, saved Nat's life," Jessie continued, standing shakily. She walked on autopilot through the halls, stopping when she found a doorway to Loki's cell. She swallowed. "And then he ran here."

As if on cue, Thor appeared in the opposite doorway as Loki - his apparition, Jessie knew now - exited the cell. "No!" Thor cried, running towards him.

Loki got into a fighting stance, then vanished when Thor was about to hit him. Thor fell into the cage, which locked behind him. The real Loki smirked as possessed SHIELD agents appeared behind him. "Are you ever not going to fall for that?"

"Sounds British," the Doctor muttered.

"Then Thor tried to get out . . . " Jessie watched him try. "Then Loki threatened to let the cage drop. And then . . . "

One of the agents dropped dead, and Coulson stepped up, holding a Phase 2 prototype gun. "Move away, please."

"Oh, God," Jessie whispered, squeezing her eyes shut.

Terrified.

Scared.

Coward.

The Doctor's arms came around her, and she leaned into his touch, still watching in the shadows as Coulson continued. "You like this?" He nodded to the gun as Loki raised his hands warily. "We started working on the prototype after you sent the Destroyer. Even I don't know what it does." He did something, and the gun began glowing yellow orange. "Do you wanna find out?"

Jessie knew what was coming, but she forced herself to watch. She felt the Doctor stiffen when Loki reappeared behind Coulson, scepter in hand, and stabbed him from behind.