The Last Shifter (a Loki romance)

Chapter 146

Thanks to the fact that I used energy directly from the Space Stone and not just juice I'd stored in my ring, the Bifrost I summoned worked much more efficiently than the last time I'd used it myself. However, it still wasn't fast enough to get us to Earth ahead of Thanos' strike force.

Loki and I landed in the middle of a panicked New York City.

Traffic in the streets was all but stopped, and people were running in the same general direction. Wind whistled in the air, kicking up litter and dirt, blowing my hair up off my shoulders. When I looked at Loki, to reassure myself that he'd made it here, his eyes were fixed on something above the rooftops.

Following his gaze, I saw a massive, donut-shaped ship hovering too close to the ground for my taste. The lowest point looked like it was only a couple blocks away.

"Come on!" I grabbed Loki's wrists and we started running against the stream of panicked people. If I was right about which part of the city we were in, then Doctor Strange was in danger.

Before long, we rounded a corner and I spotted three familiar figures and a fourth unfamiliar one. Tony, Strange, and Bruce! For some reason and against all odds, the Hulk had backed down. The fourth person was dressed in robes similar to Strange. Several yards off, in the middle of the street, stood Ebony Maw and the Black Dwarf.

"I'm sorry, Earth is closed today. You better pack it up and get outta here."

"Tony!" As glad as I was to see him heading off the attack force, but I still couldn't forget all that he did. The Accords he supported, and the teenager he'd pulled into this mess. Iron Man whirled around at the sound of my voice. We ran up behind them.

"Arista! Reindeer Games! Hella good timing you two have!"

"Ah, the Failed Child." Maw's eyes were locked on me.

"I wasn't sure you remembered." I spat.

"You know this freak?!"

"You caused me quite a bit of pain that day." Maw ignored Tony's comment, "Father was never quite the same."

"After he slaughtered my people and I clawed up his face? I should hope not! My only regret that day is failing to kill him! Now. This planet is under my protection. Get. Off. My. Lawn."

"Stonekeeper. Does this chattering animal and this old relic speak for you?"

"Old relic–?"

"Certainly not, I speak for myself." Strange summoned a pair of orange-gold circles to his fists, "You're trespassing in this city and on this planet." The person I didn't know took up a similar defensive stance.

"It means get lost, Squidward!"

"He exhausts me." Maw was finally irritated and I felt a prickle of smugness, "Bring me the Stones." The Black Dwarf growled and brandished his hammer and started forward.

"Banner, you want a piece?"

"Tony, wait–"

"No, but when do I ever get what I want?"

"That's right." Bruce widened his stance, but I grabbed his shoulder.

"You don't have to do this. It's a miracle that you're you again at all."

"We can worry about that later." He closed his eyes ad clenched his fists, but he didn't transform. The only thing that happened was the veins in his neck turning Hulk-green.

"Been awhile. Good to have you back, buddy. You two too." He added as a bit of an afterthought.

"I just...I need to concentrate here for one second." Bruce sounded winded, "Come on, come on man."