The Seventh Avenger

Chapter 71: A Nice Chat

The moment that I turn down the street that leads to Stark Tower, my feet instantly push off from the ground. I fly up towards the incredibly tall building, and send large waves and balls of fire into every alien that I come across. The small aircraft that they're flying either go burning to the ground or crashing into the nearby buildings, leaving the civilians and officers below having to worry about one less violent extraterrestrial.

I don't know what it is that is driving me towards Tony's tower. But with Ava's face lurking deep in the corners of my mind, I can't help but feel as if she's the reason I am flying up there right now. Tony has been surprisingly quiet on the comms, occasionally calling out in warning to the others or I about oncoming alien attacks. But he has failed to mention our red-headed hacker at all, which unsettles me. One of the reasons behind him flying to face of Loki before the rest of us came was to ensure that Ava was safe. But minutes have passed, and he has failed to tell us her whereabouts. My fear of not knowing what has happened to her is enough to cause me to surge upwards through the smoke-filled air, and I hope that she will be at the top of the tower to greet me.

With no sign of the quinjet anywhere, I quickly deduce that Clint and the others haven't made it to the tower yet. Whether or not it is because they were busy dealing with some of the Chitauri I don't know. But it does mean that they haven't dealt with Loki yet, leaving him to roam free, and relish in the sight of his army destroying the city.

His form is the first thing that my eyes instantly spot when I reach the top of the tower, though he can't see me due to having his back to me. He is wearing the same green and golden armour that he had been wearing the other night in Germany, and his dark hair flows from beneath his helmet. I can't see his face, but I can almost guarantee that he wears a smirk of triumph on his face as he admires the destruction caused by the Chituari in the city below us.

I want nothing more than to punch it right off his stupid, smug face.

He hears the sound of my boots slamming against the hard concrete floor of the balcony as I drop down behind him, and he turns around to face me at the sound. The smirk disappears in a flash, and his lips curl into a snarl as I straighten up in front of him. "I should have known that you wouldn't be too far behind Stark."

"Where's Ava, you snivelling, evil piece of shit?"

"Sticks and stones, my dear," he tuts. "As for your friend, I have no clue as to her whereabouts. I have not seen her since your iron-clad friend attacked me moments before. She could still be in the tower or running about through the streets. If she hasn't managed to get herself killed, that is."

My heart sinks with dread at his words, but I try my best to conceal my new-found worry from him. If Ava wasn't here, then she could be anywhere, and possibly in even more danger. With aliens wreaking havoc in the city around us and with no way for her to protect herself, her chances of survival seemed slim to none. Knowing that there is a chance he is the last person to have seen her, I ask through the comms, "Tony, did you happen to find Ava?"

"What, the hacker? Last time I checked, she was heading up to the portal-"

I yelp in surprise as Loki sends a blue blast of energy from the tip of his sceptre my way, only just managing to throw myself to the side before it can hit me. The moment that I straighten up, Loki launches himself through the air towards me, with his weapon raised over his head. Knowing that he has every intention of trying to slam it against my skull, I step to the side at the last possible second and watch as it smashes against the ground that I had been standing on moments before. With his guard down, I don't hesitate to raise my arm and backhand Loki across the face.

His head whips to the side, but I know it's more from surprise than pain. Not allowing him anytime to recover, I raise the same fist and slam it into his cheek. This time he lets out a small grunt but manages to grab my hand with his free one, as I swing it towards his face once more. I hiss as he twists it sharply, forcing me to turn around and face away from him. Practically feeling his smug smirk radiating from behind me, a noise similar to a hiss of frustration escapes past my lips. In one swift motion, I click the fingers of the hand that he still has in a tight grip, and allow flames of fire to engulf it.