Protector (EN)

Chapter 36

Tony sight

I slowly got up again, filled with pain. How many more opponents await us today. I guess the day will never end like this.

It was really hard to believe. You barely managed to eliminate one opponent and out of nowhere came the next.

The Pharaoh has already taken care of Thor and Steve, because they were also lying motionless on the ground.

Jonas was probably not our case. So not really an opponent for us. He just built these metal creatures and thought he could buy time with them. We're all screwed. Pretty much no one has any strength left to go up against Pharaoh now. But we had to save the world. I would have said July now, but it was probably too late for that.

A bit wobbly I stood on my feet. I tried to keep my balance, but it was not so easy. I looked down and found a metal rod. I could lean on it and fight against this man. I picked up this rod from the ground and took in my surroundings again. Smoke was rising into the sky. It was so dark here that I no longer knew whether it was day or night. I had also lost track of time.

Bracing myself against the staff, I walked slowly toward the man. He watched me, but did nothing. If I had a working suit now, I could fly to him and walking would no longer be a burden. I limped closer and closer to him. Jonas stood next to me and wanted to aim the gun at me, but Pharaoh apparently had other plans for me, because he lowered Jonas' arm. He just looked over at him in confusion. When I was finally close enough for us to talk normally, I started a conversation with him.

"Oh, Lord Pharaoh. Ruler of all worlds. What brings you here?" I began sarcastically. "Especially to that good-for-nothing there," pointing at Jonas.

Jonas started to freak out a bit and wanted to shoot at me with the gun, but Pharaoh said "Stop it", looked at Jonas and added "Especially you!".

He didn't sound very enthusiastic about Jonas.

"You ruined everything here. You promised me the arc reactor, but you can't even stretch your arm all the way out!" he continued to Jonas.

"But ..." stuttered Jonas.

"Nothing but. You're no help to me at all. Kidnapping his daughter didn't do you any good either. I seem like there's more revenge involved here than help. I couldn't use you at all, even though you swore your services to me. You're acting on your own head, even though I only gave you an assignment." He must have been pretty mad at Jonas. He looked angrily at Jonas for a moment and with his simple hand he poked Jonas's stomach and twisted all his intestines there. Bloody he took his hand out again. Jonas slumped to the floor, dead.

"Now we come to you. It shouldn't have come to this. Give me the arc reactor and I'll leave this place and go on the next quest" he then said to me.

"Why should I? I've already lost everything. Why don't you take a look around? You must also remember that you and that miserable bastard have my daughter's blood on them. And now you think I have a reason to give you everything you want?" I hissed at him.

"You are right. But do you know what the difference is between you and me?" he then asked much more menacingly, "I am far more powerful than you," and grabbed me by the neck with one hand so that my legs staggered in the air. I put my hands on his one hand and tried to push his hand away, but he was indeed very strong.

"And if you don't want to give me something willingly, I'll take it" he said dan with a grin on his face. With his other hand he took the arc reactor from me and dropped me on the floor. He examined the thing in his hand and disappeared before my eyes.

I was now lying there. Without the arc reactor, I was useless. I tried to gasp for air, but it seemed to be gone.

Loki's vision

I slowly came to consciousness. I wasn't dead after all. But that pain from the bullet burned inside me. I straightened up and could see that I was already outside against destroyed walls. But the walls offered their protection. If someone was hiding here, I actually wouldn't look. I left my hiding place and saw Tony lying on the ground with almost no life left in him. I could also see directly what was the cause in it. The arc reactor was no longer on his chest.

I rushed towards him and tried to help him. The only thing he could breathe to me was "Pharaoh" and "Arc-Reactor".

Pharaoh? I didn't quite understand. But wait a minute. Juli often brought me books to read and in one of the history books there was something about Pharaoh. But they only existed in Egypt.

Then the light went on for me. He certainly didn't mean Pharaoh himself. Maybe it had something to do with his appearance. I could remember how the Pharaoh was in the books and I once saw the movie the Mummy. There the villain looked like an acquaintance of mine.

It was Adrik from the planet Xin. I had a score to settle with him. But what was he doing here on Earth.

"Tony, I'll hurry. I know who he is" I told him quickly. I turned away from him and called into the air.

"Adrik, you dark one of Xin. Come to me. You fool. What have you done?" a few seconds later he appeared behind me without a word.

"Loki? You you?" he asked mockingly.

"What are you doing here? Is this all your doing?" I then asked him angrily.

"Well, let me put it this way. I had some help. From a human. So no. I didn't do anything here. Well except for this," pointing to Tony, who had already closed his eyes, but I could still tell he was still breathing very weakly.

"He's a friend. Give him back that arc reactor. He will die otherwise" I pleaded with him.

"I need it myself. And thanks to you, I can take the Chitauri technology right here" he enlightened me.

"Chitauri technology? Your people detest the Chitauri and everything that belongs to them. Why do you want it now?"

"Well, it probably hasn't escaped you that this is a powerful tool, has it? Do you know what you can do with it? Do you know how far I can take our people? We could spread out more in the universe."

"And what's the arc reactor for?" I then asked further.

"The arc reactor is a human invention, but is the key to everything. It is the key to power." he said somberly.

"Adrik, you will give him back the arc reactor or I will kill you myself" I threatened him. He just laughed evilly and raised his staff and flung me away.

I probably won't defeat him with human strength. I needed help and more power.