Avengers

Time of Destruction

    Natasha gasped as Hulk smashed the barrier into smithereens. The helicopter whirled wildly; it took all she had to not fall out the door. She watched her captors shoot desperately at the Hulk, but fortunately no shots landed on the tough green skin of her ally. She bit her lip to stop from crying out as a man grabbed her by her hair, and wrenched her to be feet. Natasha growled her warning: the man laughed and tugged her to the door of the helicopter. He smirked, pushing her forwards.
    "Hey, girly, let's see if you can fly?" he laughed. He shoved, she fell. The air rushed past her ears, screaming and whistling. Hulk leapt across, but realised that he was too late …

    "There! He's thrown her!" Rose screamed. In his suit, Stark's gaunt face muscles tensed as he made to catch Natasha. Suddenly, something bigger and much heavier than a cannonball collided with him. It was the Hulk, in the same frenzy to catch the flailing woman. Stark spiralled off course; Hulk grunted in pain. He fell towards the floor. Stark flew like a bullet. Metal grasped Natasha. She looked up to see Rose's pale face in the distance, and her saviour - Iron Man. She smiled gratefully. But Stark's eyes were somewhere else. His face, the mask up, paled. Natasha blinked. Then he let go.

    Loki smiled down at Stark. The man's face paled. Drop her, Loki willed. Drop her or you have betrayed your wife. Drop her otherwise Pepper Potts will leave you forever … 
    Stark let go. Rose let out a scream of fear. Natasha plummeted through the clouds. Hearing the yell, Rogers ran to the window. Stark, deliberately dropping Natasha.
    "The traitor!" Rogers roared, grabbing a jetpack and his shield. He launched himself from the open hatch, grabbing for the flailing Natasha. She slipped through his fingertips; a look of fear on her face. He swooped lower, and wrenched her into his grasp. He glared at Stark. The traitor! he thought.

    Stark grabbed Loki by the throat. "Say one more goddamn word and I will kill you," he snarled.
    Loki smiled, brandished his staff, and placed it against the arc reactor. Stark's eyes grew misty, pale blue. Rose was watching in growing terror. Stark leapt upon Rogers with a roar; they both tumbled through the air. Natasha screamed as they all collapsed onto the ship wing. The jetpack was torn from Rogers' back, broken, and cast over the shipside. Natasha went with it.