Bend Around the Wind by Scyllaya

Chapter 77: Earth Day One

Chapter Seventy-Seven

Earth: Day 1

Milky Way Galaxy

Sol System

Nine Realms / Planet Earth

Juyu did not look around at first. She just moved to get in cover. It was something Loki told her many times, she needed to think about defence first and offense only after that. So she ran and plastered herself to the wall behind one of the giant rocks in the room. She usually thought that they were silly, because why would you use big rocks as decoration, but now she was more than happy about it. Stark ran in a different direction, obviously to take cover too.

Then smoke started filling up the room and Juyu had no time to warn Stark when more glass exploded. She wasn't even sure what it was, she just watched in shocked horror as Stark fell and landed on the floor with an unpleasant smack. She wanted to run to him right away, but then she finally noticed the intruders. They were all wearing black clothes, masks, helmets, they all looked the same, even their guns. She saw enough Earth films to recognize the gear. So they had to be human. She waited, her blood rushing in her ears, her heart up in her throat. She felt like she was breathing so loud that everyone in the room could easily hear it.

JARVIS was warning the intruders that the authorities were on their way, while Juyu's mind was racing with possibilities. She couldn't wait for help to come, not when Stark was down, not when the men were slowly walking closer to him through the thin veil of smoke. When she noticed the blood pooling next to Stark, she realized that there was no time to plan.

She jumped out from behind the rock as soon as some of them were close enough. Loki told her that fighting un-armed against multiple enemies was risky. If they had weapons the odds were even worse. It was not impossible though.

She had to be fast, she had to move constantly, and never give them an opening. The first man she reached was the easiest to take down, a kick to the lower ribs, then on the knees and he was down, a shout of pain coming from him. The second guy already turned towards her. Juyu elbowed him in the throat, then grabbed him around the neck and a tossed him over her shoulder.

She didn't dare think about her chances and how they were obviously shooting at her now that she lost the element of surprise. She moved between them, trying to put at least one of them in the way of the others so that they couldn't shoot her. She had to get to Stark and out of here.

She grabbed the arm of another one, twisting the gun out of his hand sharply, then kicking him in the back of his knees and hitting him in the head with the gun. Then she had to drop down, because she was open, nobody shielded her from the other assailants. She managed to roll over and scramble behind a sitting chair. The gun, well rifle, was a strange one, a lot thinner than what she saw in films and she had no idea what it could actually do.

She knew she couldn't hide there for long, but she did not know how many of them were left. The smoke helped them, but at least it helped her as well. Still, it wouldn't take long for them to find her again. She also only got a little closer to Stark. She was panting heavily, her heart still beating wildly in her chest and she wondered if these were the only intruders or if there were others.

She knew they were coming closer and she didn't know how much help the rifle would be, but she hung onto it. When one footstep was way too close to her liking she moved again. She felt a stab of pain in her side, but managed to move over to a hidden corner, while dodging. She looked down and saw a little silver cylinder standing out of her side. She yanked it out right away, finding a thick needle at the end of it. That wasn't good, not good at all.

One of the men got close to her again and Juyu jumped at him, slamming into him with her whole body. The impact made him lose his gun and they both landed on the floor with a heavy thud. It left her defenceless against the others. How many were there? Dammit.