Bend Around the Wind by Scyllaya

Chapter 86: Liberate Part 1

Chapter Eighty-Six

Liberate Part I

Milky Way Galaxy

Sol System

Nine Realms / Planet Earth

Stark, Hatchet and Juyu stood on the bridge of the Iron Mage, but they could do nothing else but stare at the Other's ship and the dome of energy over San Diego. Stark was clenching his fists way too many times, his body rigid and tense. Hatchet was a big bowl of nervous and furious energy next to him. It wasn't helping anyone really. The whole thing was nerve-wrecking.

'We shouldn't have let him do this,' Hatchet said... again.

'Yeah, cause Loki needs permission from either of us to do anything,' Stark told him. There was no talking Loki out of this, it was obvious to everyone. It could have been about San Diego, but Juyu was not sure she believed that. It had to be about the Other. Loki might've tried to make it sound like he was only looking out for Earth, but there was a sharp, almost eager glint in his eyes when he dropped Hatchet and Bee off at the Iron Mage. Juyu rarely saw that particular look on his face, but she knew it well enough anyway. He wanted revenge for what has been done to him and Stark.

'You could've stopped him,' Hatchet said, his mind was probably going in loops about this. 'If you really wanted to.'

Stark sighed. 'Yeah, maybe,' he agreed. 'But I'm not a big fan of the whole passive-aggressive guilt-tripping or manipulation game. He would've been really fucking pissed at me if I had tried anything like that.'

'Understatement,' Juyu agreed. Loki would have been ballistic. He would not have taken it well had anyone tried to deny him this opportunity. Juyu understood it a little too well. What it was like when you were not allowed to fight your own battles. When you could not have the chance to make those who hurt you pay. So, probably not even Stark himself could've stopped him.

'He would be safe though,' Hatchet told them quietly.

'Look, I'm not happy about this either, okay?' Stark turned to look at him. 'But Loki does what Loki wants, so we're stuck here waiting until we can go and help him.'

Hatchet clenched his jaw, but then nodded, his eyes still locked on the screens.

'Don't you want to join the others down at the cargo hold?' Stark asked them.

Bee and Drongo were already down by the Drake. They were all waiting for the dome to fall or weaken enough. They were here, the Avengers gathered on the Helicarrier. Hatchet, Juyu, Bee and Drongo intended fly down to the city with the Drake while Stark stayed on the Iron Mage. They were going to need the extra fire-power only the ship could provide, so while it would have been good to have Stark with them down on the ground, he was more useful if he remained on-board. Juyu still didn't feel that good about their odds. Sure, Stark finished a bunch of weapons and armour for them all before they came to confront SHIELD, but it was not really the battle on the ground Juyu was worried about. The Iron Mage was still a cargo ship, not designed for battle, not something that was meant to hold out against the giant monstrosity that was the Other's battleship. Unfortunately, it was still the best they had.

Hatchet didn't move. His arms were crossed over his own chest so tightly, that it looked like he was squeezing the air out of himself. He's been edgy since the attack on Stark's house. Not knowing what was going on with Loki certainly did nothing good to his state of mind.

'It's not like you can see more from here,' Stark told him.

'He's right, come on.' Juyu lightly punched the elf in the shoulder. 'Let's get ready to kick some ass.'