The Ancient Sorceress ~Loki x Bucky AU~

Chapter 71

Shadow found Ultron lying almost motionless in a beat up train car. Shadow was furious. Her powers reflected her anger. Her glowing eyes would've made any man tremble in their boots. She had ordered that Bucky make it back to the boats, leaving Wanda to cover the drill. All she was worried about, was the enemy that lay before her.

Ultron: Shadow...

    His eerie voice made her skin tingle with adrenaline. She stopped next to him, her eyes filled with hatred. Sparks danced across her hands and from her eyes. Flames grew from her fingertips and the ground rumbled beneath her feet.

Ultron: There isn't much on who you are but...I know we could've been a team.

    Shadow seethed at his words. "I would never fight with the likes of you. You went after my family. You sent to destroy the only good this world has offered me. You deserve to die."

    "She's right." Wanda's accented voice comes from behind her. Shadow doesn't move, her eyes stay pierced to Ultron's.

    Wanda kneels next to Ultron, her emotions reflecting that of Shadow's.

Ultron: Wanda. If you stay here you'll die.

    Wanda scoffed. "I almost did. You almost killed my brother. You almost killed two other people who meant something to me. Do you know what that feels like?"

    Wanda pushed out her hand, using her powers to pry free Ultron's metal heart. The mists of red consumed him and soon a metal ball sat in her palm.

    "Now you do." Wanda hissed, crushing it in her hand.

    A whirring sound could be heard towards the church. Shadow turned her head, making sure she heard correctly. She heard more movement and the sound of a clank...but it was too late.

    The rock began to fall, both Wanda and Shadow lost their footing to the gravity and force of bringing them back to Earth. Shadow knew she needed to slow it down, give Tony and Thor time to blow it up.

    "I have to stop the rock." Wanda looked at her with fearful eyes, tears prickling the edges of her lids. She nodded, sending Shadow on her way.

    Shadow flew to the underside of the rock, seeing Tony begin to struggle.

Tony: Thor, I need you at the church.

Shadow: Tony, I'm going to help slow it down.

Tony: What!? Are you crazy?

    Shadow laughed.

Shadow: Well, somebody has to challenge you somehow.

    Shadow began to fly underneath the plummeting rock. It was descending at a rapid pace, beginning to burn as it passed through different layers of the atmosphere. Shadow could see Tony struggling and she couldn't let her teammate down. She flew to the middle of the rock, not far from where he was and placed her hands against the hot ground. Her body absorbed the flames, only fueling her power. She let the pull of the minerals in the rock guide her, using her energy to slow it down. It began to push against her magic, but she pushed right back.

    Mixing her powers, she began to slow it down. Her eyes were clenched shut as her energy was being used up quickly. Tony was able to find the core, blasting it with his arc reactor.

Tony: Thor, on my mark.

    Shadow could feel lightning striking around her. Thor was channeling his powers, which was making her body tingle. She needed to let go of the rock the minute the core would be destroyed. She knew she had to help with the collateral damage.