In The Shadows | Loki

IS THIS GOING TO KILL ME?

"I'm so, so sorry." Julie whispers. My stomach rolls, and I feel my breath stutter. A cool hand rests on my back, and a glance to my left shows me Loki with a concerned look on his face. Before Julie can say anything else, an explosion rocks the building, including the jet. Several of us almost fall, but somehow we all manage to stay upright. 
        "Julie-" I begin, but she cuts me off. 
        "Ophelia, I'm sor-"
        "Is this going to kill me?" I cut her off. She stops, confused. "Is that," I point at the vial still in her hand, "going to kill me." She glances down before slowly shaking her head. 
        "No. It's- It's not a poison, but-"
        "Then right now, it doesn't matter." Julie blinks in surprise. "You can tell me when we're out of here, but right now, they need help out there." 
        "Love, you can't be serious." Loki interrupts, looking horrified. "You're in pain-" Another explosion, farther away this time, cuts him off. 
        "We don't have time to argue about this. They need help." I reply shortly, turning to Steve. "Can I borrow your shield?" He looks confused, but hands it over without question. I sling it onto my arm, walking up to one of the panels in the ship. I only hesitate a second before lifting the heavy shield and proceeding to slam it into the wall, causing the paneling to bend. I hit it again, until the dent is large enough that the corners are bent wide open, showing the internal wiring. I reach inside, grabbing the two cylindrical items I had hidden inside. 
        "Your swords?" Steve asks as I hand him back his shield. My stomach rolls again, but there's less pain this time. 
        "They're my old ones, before Tony made me new swords." I click the buttons on each, releasing the blades. "I used Kitty's powers to put them in the quin-jet for emergencies. I just figured I'd get them out the same way." I glance at the wall. "Guess not." I hear guns firing outside, and I frown. "Keep the kids safe?" I ask, and Steve nods. I begin my decent down the ramp, Loki by my side. I wasn't going to protest because I knew he wouldn't let me go alone, not to mention that having him next to me eased some of the nerves that were buzzing throughout my body. I twirl one of my swords, glancing down both hallways. 
        "Which-" Loki is cut off by more gunfire, and we both immediately head down the hallway straight ahead. Our pace quickens as the sounds of fighting get steadily louder, my swords raised and ready to cut through anyone who comes our way. I'm a little surprised when we get through several hallways before we encounter anyone, and it's only once we reach an open space, a gymnasium from how it was set up, do we see why. 
        Somehow several guards had gotten their hands on whatever gave them mutant abilities, and the room was in complete chaos. Someone with Kurt's power kept bouncing around the room, out of the way of Hogun's sword. Another was using what must have been one of the other children's powers to control the air around Tony, knocking his suit twelve different ways, hindering his flight.  Two in the corner were using identical abilities, what appeared to be a weaker form of telekinesis, to keep Thor back. Fandral, Clint, and Logan were all trying to deal with a guard that appeared to have acquired a plant based mutation, using thick vines to both keep the three at a safe distance and attack them. 
        I glance at Loki, realizing how over my head I likely was. "Help Thor, then whoever you can next. They've got to be clumsy, they aren't used to mutant abilities." I explain. "I'm going to go help those three. Be careful."
        "I should be the one telling you to be careful. You've been more trouble than me these past months." I shoot him a scowl at that comment, and he sends me a smirk in return before quickly following my orders without protest, much to my surprise. I make my way across the room, dodging projectiles, swords gripped tight in my hands. 
        I stop between Logan and Clint, barely dodging a thick, thorny vine that lashed out from the mass that surrounded the guard. Clint glances at me as I come to a stop, doing a double take when he realizes that it's me.
        "Are you okay? Who let you come fight?" Clint asks quickly, dodging a vine that was aimed at him.
        "I'm as fine as I can be right now, and you all are suffering in this fight." I reply quickly, slashing through a vine that attempted to knock my legs out from under me. Clint lets out a frustrated huff, dodging his own vine before attempting to fire an arrow through a gap in the vines. before it can hit the guard, a vine interrupts its path. 
        "One of your explosion arrows wouldn't work with everyone being in this enclosed space, right?" I ask, and Clint just nods. I glance at Logan and Fandral, noting that they were doing exactly what I was. Cutting through the vines that came at them. "Could you get the guard's attention?" I ask, and Clint looks confused, but nods again. "Have Fandral help you, Logan and I are going to try and get the jump on them around the side." Clint nods, sidestepping towards Fandral, murmuring the plan. A grunt of acknowledgement from Logan lets me know he had heard me, and I slowly back off, moving towards the right side of the mass of vines only once the weaponized vines focus on Clint and Fandral. 
        Logan and I exchange a look before charging forward, his claws in front of him, my swords in front of me. Both of us are able to slash through two layers of vines before the guard notices, but I had been right. He was too clumsy, too inexperienced, and he wasn't able to change his attack before Logan and I got through his protective layer. His eyes go wide the second before Logan slices through his stomach. As the light dies in his eyes, the vines die with him, falling to the floor. I look around the room, noting that Thor and Loki's guard was down as well, and both of them were helping the others take out their mutants. I make my way through the gym as the last two go down. 
        "We need to get out of here." 
        "Ophelia-"
        "Talk when we get out of here." I cut Thor off. I ignore the looks I know they're throwing behind my back. I needed to get out of here, or else I was going to loose it. Loki catches up, walking close to my side, brushing his hand across mine.  A silent reassurance that brought me a heartbeat of comfort. I retract my blades as I walk up the ramp, knowing the blood would scare the children. I collapse in one of the seats, dropping the cylinders in the seat next to me as I close my eyes, taking a deep breath. 
        Without my powers, I was already getting tired. The fight had worn me out, and it had only lasted a few minutes. No strength, no super senses, nothing. Loki sits next to me, and without hesitation I lean against his shoulder. I feel the jet begin to rise, and it feels like a wait lifts off my shoulders. 
        "Ophelia..." A quiet voice forces my eyes to open, and Julie is standing in front of me. She's still gripping the mostly empty dart, and the weight immediately returns. I sit back up, nodding. 
        "Tell me what was so dangerous in the mystery container."