The Last Shifter (a Loki romance)

Chapter 121

Steve's POV

Clint caught Peggy's hand as it rose above the edge of the boat, and just in time because she went completely limp. With the help of a couple others, we were soon safely aboard. I laid Peggy down next to me and checked her pulse. It was strong, easy to locate, she'd just passed out. The black, leathery wings melted from her back as suddenly as they had appeared, the only evidence of them was the ripped back of her clothes. Far below us, the city had gone into full reverse. It was up to Thor and Tony now. I could hear them on the staticy coms, and when lightning came from the sky, I could only assume they'd begun. The city exploded in a brilliant flash of blue light not seconds later, and then the lifeboat turned to the Helicarrier. Vision dropped Wanda off with us, and then went out again.

"Only one Ultron remains now. I will take care of it."

Arista's POV

There was a steady beeping somewhere nearby, a soft surface beneath my body, and a bright light coming through my eyelids. From the smell, I knew I was on the Helicarrier with oxygen tubes sitting at my nose. The first thing I did was reach up and pull it over my head. Fortunately, unlike the last time I woke up on a medical bed, there was no IV in my arm and Steve and Thor were sitting calmly in chairs, not standing over me.

"Hey." They both gave me matching smiles, and Thor handed me a glass of water with a tablet fizzing away in it.

"Is that what I think it is?" Thor nodded.

"What is it?"

"Special nutrient mix, Asgardian grade." I sipped the sweet drink, and felt a burst of energy almost immediately.

"Wow! This is so much stronger than it was in Bor's time." I set the glass aside.

"What was it you wanted to tell me earlier?"

"Excuse me?"

"Before I left for the church. You wanted me to wait. Why?"

"I...." I glanced at Steve. He looked at me expectantly, "I'll tell you one day, but this is neither the time, nor the place." Steve looked down, with nothing but disappointment on his face. Thor looked at Steve.

"You know?"

"Not what you think I should know."

"So which one of us has she lied to?"

"She is sitting right here and she would rather not talk about anything while other eyes and ears and monitoring us." I pointed at the cameras in the four corners of the room and they both scowled, "Where are the others?"

"They're all here. Except for Banner. He kept the Quinjet on stealth mode and just flew off. We can't track him. Nat's taking it pretty hard."

"Are they...."

"They may have been, if he'd stayed." I whinged.

"And the city?"

"Safely vaporized, all the civilians are safe and the injured have been cared for and dropped back in what remains of Sokovia."

"Where are we?"

"Over the Atlantic. You slept about fourteen hours."

"What's the status of my arrest warrant?"

"In the air. The locals caught footage of what you did to protect them, and the American government has been petitioned to reconsider by quite a lot of people."

"Enough?"

"We'll see. Tony has also made some calls. We'll get it sorted, I promise."

"I believe you." And if they didn't, I would just return to Asgard. After I told them what was coming.