Protector (EN)

Chapter 29

Loki's view
The last location Mr. Fury gave me was under the city. In the sewers. Great. Now I still had to smell human shit. But since I wasn't there yet, but already on my way there, I felt like I was being followed the whole time. Only by whom was not clear to me. When I was in the city, I hid at the next left turn and waited for someone I knew to walk past me. I waited a few minutes but no one came. As I was about to turn left, I was startled.
"Where are you going?" Dr. Strange asked me.
I took a deep breath before answering him. "I'm looking for someone who might lead a trail to Juli."
"Maybe? If you don't know for sure, I wouldn't waste my time on it." He then said.
"Maybe is better than nothing. Through that maybe, I can find her after all."
"Wait a minute! You don't like her very much!" he remarked. For one thing, he wasn't all that wrong about her to begin with. I try not to blush, because some things in life change. Even the feelings towards another person.

"Is it important to find her now, or is it?" I then asked. He was silent and then nodded at me.

"Fine, I'll help you find the someone. Where were you going to start your search?" he then asked with interest.

"In the sewers" I replied with amusement. Dr. Strange looked at me expressionlessly. Surely he was used to working in such places. I could tell anything else from his facial expression.

"Well then, let's get going right away." he then ordered me.

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Finally arriving in the sewers, we found the last location of Agent Jack Smith.

"Okay. I'm not sure what you want us to analyze here in more detail? Or do you know something Loki?" asked Dr. Strange.

I looked around a bit and eventually could see some damage on the wall.

"Let me guess. No one from S.C.H.I.E.L.D. had actually been here" I then stated. There was no way to miss this abraded area, for one thing, and for another, this damage couldn't have happened so easily.

"What makes you think that?" Dr. Strange then asked me a bit puzzled. "I thought every member was important to S.C.H.I.E.L.D."

"Not important enough to go after them personally. I don't think they really put much stock in looking for anyone like that. Their area of expertise is more in the filed systems." I then answered him. He looked at me a bit surprised.

"And you can say something like that? I thought you didn't know anything about the human world."

"Look at this damage on the wall. That could hardly have happened just like that" I indicated to him. He then looked at the wall and realized what I meant.

"That's right" he gasped in amazement and felt the spot on the wall. "It seems like something very hard flew at it." He then looked around again and then stated "but there's nothing here where I could tell what it was exactly." He then looked at me enigmatically.

"We have to walk further along here. Maybe we'll find something else conspicuous here," I told him to follow me. In the dark we brave further, until we then came to a crossroads. We then looked around in both directions until I noticed again, but several damage to the wall. I nudged Dr. Strange with my elbows and then pointed him in the appropriate direction.

We walked in that one direction for quite a while and found nothing more noticeable.

"There's no such thing. I mean...we've been walking in the same direction the whole time, but no more tracks show up!" complained Dr. Strange. Then he paused for a moment and looked up. I did the same. "There's our other lead." he then said a little more happily. Above us were several barred drain grates. I'm a little surprised we didn't notice them sooner. Some sunlight was coming in through these grates into the darkness. Dr. Strange was able to banish a path with his ability, so that we got directly out of the sewers into the open.

We looked around a bit here as well. We were now in a remote and abandoned industrial area. This industrial area may have seemed abandoned, but everything around us in terms of machinery still seemed to be in motion and in good working order. Something was 100 percent wrong here. Dr. Strange grabbed me by my right shoulder and then said to me some more "Thank you Loki for your help. But we'll take it from here." I looked at him irritated and already he created a portal and made us disappear back into Stark Tower.

Not a second passed and we were actually back in Stark Tower.

"Are you kidding me?" i yelled at him. I was so mad at him right now, I just couldn't believe it.

"Loki ... this isn't your thing at all. This isn't your thing at all. You might as well be the Viper. You can't be trusted after all this. Remember the last time you were here on Earth. You tried to destroy the world. And the fact that you are now suddenly going to search for Juli just seems so unrealistic to me. Think about how you stuck a knife in her and she could have died because of it. You'd better stay here and serve your sentence," he said to me, a bit angry. He created another portal and transformed before my eyes.

He was right. I was a bad person in this world without my abilities. If only I had known then that I would feel this way about Juli one day, I would have left the world alone for her sake and never hurt her. He was right. There was nothing good in me and perhaps it was my punishment that Juli was in a bad way and I knew it, but could do nothing.

Tony's view

A portal opened before my eyes and out came an excited Dr. Strange.

"Guys, we may have found July. Loki and I were searching for a missing agent of S.C.H.I.E.L.D. and we got on a hot lead!" he explained to us very excitedly.

"Loki?" I inquired, startled.

"Forget about him. He's the one I've taken care of. Hopefully he won't be in our way anymore" the doctor reassured me.

"Where could she be?" I continued to probe.

"In a remote industrial area. It would be too dangerous to go there alone." he enlightened me.

"Round up everyone. We have to rescue my daughter. But before that, I have to clear something with Loki." I ordered him.

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I was on my way to Loki. When I arrived at his place, I walked straight towards him. He was sitting on the armchair, resting his head on his hands. I was very angry with him. I clenched my fist and through my fantastic invention, the right metal arm from my suit built up on my arm. I grabbed Loki by his shoulder and pulled him up. As he stood on his feet I didn't fully activate the Palm Repulsor, but aimed it at Loki.

"If I find out that you would harm my daughter in any way, I will kill you. In return, you'll get a free taste" and hit his face with my metal arm. He flew a few feet against the counter between the kitchen and living room. A bloody wound formed under his left eye. He looked at me a little startled, but didn't shy away from getting back up.

"I forbade you to leave Stark Tower, as you remember. Why don't you follow my instructions? If I even find out that you had anything to do with my daughter's kidnapping, I will finish you off" I threatened him.

"Tony, if I wanted to harm your daughter, I certainly wouldn't go looking for her" he tried to reassure me.

"I'm sure you're the last thing Juli wants to see. If you show up to me today unwanted, I will double your punishment and believe me ... you certainly don't want that" I threatened him hopefully for the last time today. Loki remained silent and said nothing more. I turned around and went back to the elevator. I made my way to the lobby where the other Avengers were waiting for me.