A Shot Through The Heart (Book 1 of Love, Monsters and Magic.)

Chapter 36

Natasha

The repulsor beam from Tony's infamous Iron Man suit shot straight into Loki, sending him propelling through the air and landing some distance away, landing with a thud on the ground and letting out a low groan. Tony slammed down against the concrete beside me, punching downwards before returning his normal stature and holding a hand out to me to help me up. Taking his hand he pulled me to my feet. His helmet slid up his face.

“Are you okay? We heard a gunshot.” He asked looking me over. I nodded.

“I'm fine, he's not.” I replied, and then continued in a lower voice. “He has bullet wound in his side, my doing and he's working alone. We've got our job cut out for us.” I chimed. I glanced over in Loki's direction to see that the space that he was occupied was now vacant. He wasn't anywhere around.

“Where is he?” Tony asked, looking around.

“Who? Me?” A mischievous laugh came from behind us and before Tony got the chance to turn to face Loki a blue burst of light sent Tony flying forward. Loki was in his full Asgardian garb now. He had conjured his gold horned helmet and his staff, and he leant lazily against a nearby tree holding his side.

“Give up, Loki.” I snarled through clenched teeth.

“Haven't you mortals learned anything about me? I do not succumb.”

“Then you choose the hard way.” I fire off a few rounds in Loki's direction; most of the bullets missing him but a one grazed his upper arm and another, his cheek. The skin on his cheek was torn back slightly, exposing raw flesh and blood trickled freely down from the gash. He wiped away the blood shamelessly using the back of his hand and began shooting my direction. I avoided the shots with ease, twisting around the blue orbs in a series of rolls and flips before I landed in front of Loki. My hand gun was out of ammunition but it didn't stop be from smashing the handle of the gun against his face. I punched his gut, grazing my knuckles as they collided with the metal buckles and the tough leather of his garb, and twisted into a roundhouse. He stumbled as I kept on with my attack, kicking at his side to cause more pain to his wound. Cap's shield knocked into his legs, taking him down like bowling pins and he pulled me down as he fell. We landed in a tangled heap of limbs. His elbow whacked sharply into my chest taking the air from my lungs. I gasped for breath as Loki forced his forearm down on my neck. I clawed at his face, but to no avail. My eyesight went blurry and my head began to feel light due to the lack of air. Loki laughed hysterically in my face.

“Do you still think that I am on the losing team, sweet Natasha? I think the tables have turned.” A huge green blur passed by my line of sight and Loki was ripped clean from my body. Sucking in short gasps of air, I pulled myself to my feet to see Bruce, the Hulk, throw Loki around the park like a rag doll, slamming him into the hard trunks of neighbouring trees and running his face along the tarmac path. Launching him one final time, Loki landed harshly on the ground, looking tired and broken as he ever had, but there was still a small ounce of life in him yet. Bruce managed to steady himself, calm his breathing and gradually his skin turned past to its normal gentle peachy colour and his body shrunk down, leaving him wearing nothing but tattered pants. Loki fumbled to his feet, shaking and swaying once he reached an upright position. His staff had been forced from his hands during his run in with the Hulk so he stood defenceless, or so I thought. I ran towards him and he threw a few feeble punches my way which I narrowly avoided, batting them off before returning the gesture. With a silver blade in his hand, he lunged forward at me, catching my arm in the action and slicing open the skin of my arm. The wound wasn't deep but it was enough to draw blood. His face was pale and streaked with a mixture of blood and dirt but a smile still managed to grace his faded red lips. He tried to let out a laugh but it came out strained and hoarse. Pulling a knife from my boot, I wedged it into his stomach, twisting my wrist around slowly. Loki's eyes rolled back and a hoarse cry escaped his lips.

“How does it feel,” I continued twisting the blade in his stomach, his blood leaking out and covering my hands. “To be stabbed with your own knife?” I hissed in his face, our faces inches apart. Somewhere behind me, I heard Tony cheer. Loki looked down at the dark obsidian blade stuck deep into his gut. “You. Lose.” I snarled, pushing him back and letting go of the blade as he crumpled into a heap of tattered limps, blood, sweat and bitter failure. Thor rushed in to Loki's aid but not before cuffing his hands and placing a metal clamp over his mouth that he was only to familiar with from his first attempt to rule over New York with his formidable Chitauri army. Thor slung his injured brother over his shoulder and we all made haste back to the ship. As Thor walked past me I heard Loki choke something out between raspy breaths, his voice dripping with malice before he slipped into unconsciousness.

“No, my dear Natasha, you lose.”