Universal Chaos

Chapter 10

Khan let out a guttural cry as the phaser beam bit into his side. He stumbled and his grip on Sutton tightened. His weight made her fumble with the phaser as she desperately tried to keep her balance. Something on the weapon moved and it made a noise as she steadied her grip.

She pulled the trigger again. He let go and staggered down to his knees. He was breathing heavily and his eyes were going a bit glassy. Sutton tore away and put some distance between him and herself. He clutched his side, panting, and glared at her. She shook, arms trembling and fingers feeling stiff, as she kept the phaser pointed at him and watched him a moment. His leg twitched and she jumped. Fired again.

Khan fell to the pavement.

For a moment she didn't move. Just stared wildly down at him to reassure herself he wasn't stirring. Wasn't faking it.

The phaser had been set to kill. She looked down. The color on the phaser wasn't red now, but blue. So, at least the first shot had been set to kill. And he may be still breathing, just barely, but even his body could only take so much. He was still mortal.

Sutton shoved the phaser deep into the pocket of his jacket and tried to move quickly. His unconscious body would draw attention if it hadn't already. She had to get away from it. Get away from him.

She felt lightheaded now on top of everything else. Dizzy with adrenaline and a clawing exhaustion. But she moved; because she had to.

A phone. She needed a phone.

She needed to call Tony and beg him to come get her.

It was darker now. The dusk had sunk down and the sky was dim. The dark jacket she still wore helped her blend in. But she didn't know where she was. Her left leg was giving her more trouble and it was hard to read street signs.

"Well, you finally managed to do something right."

Sutton's diaphragm seized and she tripped as she whirled around. She landed on her rear with a painful grunt and immediately scrambled to dig into the pocket for the phaser.

She pointed it up, finally looking, and froze.

"Loki."

He stood over her. Tall and dark. Sutton cringed and looked away from a moment. Reminded herself to breathe again. Different face. He had a different face.

But he was no less deadly.

She rushed to scoot backwards and rise to her feet again. Loki merely watched.

"So wonderful to find you still have your sharp wit about you," he drawled. Sutton shot him a glare as she continued to move back. Loki followed lazily.

She'd long suspected that he hadn't actually died like Jane Foster had said. The nightmare she'd had a year ago had made her wonder. But to see him in person. To have it confirmed was something else entirely.

And he was in front of her.

Yet, there was something else. Something off.

"This isn't the first time I've seen you."

Loki smirked.

"You seemed desperate for me back in that vault."

The memory flashed briefly, though it was frightening how fuzzy it was for her. Part of her had known it was Loki, and yet at the same time it was as if she hadn't quite realized who it was. It had been a person not Khan, and she had reacted. Sutton stared at the ground a moment, as she continued to limp backwards. Her lips tugged down in thought.

"That-that wasn't the first time either, was it?"
He leaned forward then and grabbed her by the arm, bringing her closer to himself. Sutton tried pulling away, but it was useless.