Gloom and Doom

Chapter Five

Bruce's P. o. V:

What happens next shocks me. A green burst of energy erupts from Loki's stomach, knocking Thanos down. Loki collapses onto the ground, shaking. Clint comes rushing in, bow and arrow raised. Before Thanos has time to get up, Clint puts an arrow between his eyes. The creature's body thumps against the ground, then melts away into the shadows. I rush over to Loki. "Are you okay? Talk to me!" I demand. Loki's eyes are rolled back into his head, and his body is convulsing. I check on Emaralyn, but she seems calm. At last, Loki collapses to the floor. I scoop him up and place him on the bed. His eyes crack open. "Are you okay?"

"Never better," Loki groans, massaging his belly. "What happened?"

"Thanos was going to attack you, but a green energy erupted from your body, and Thanos collapsed. Clint shot him, and he melted into the darkness. Does that mean he's dead?" Loki shakes his head.

"He is not dead, only removed. He will not be back for a while. You guys did well. I owe my life to you," Loki says. I go sit on the bed next to him. He has a cut on his forehead. Gently, I wipe away the blood that is trickling down his face. He puts his hand up to the wound to assess the damage. Suddenly, green sparks flicker from his fingers and wrap around the wound. Within seconds, it looks as if the blood trickle had no source. A look of awe dawns on Loki's face. "Emaralyn has magic!" he gasps happily. Tony walks in.

"Oh great, just what we need. Another psychopath with magic," Tony snorts. Loki and I both growl at the same time. Tony raises his hands defensively. "Sorry, didn't mean to insult you. I'm going to go downstairs..." Tony trails off, disappearing down the stairs. Loki and I look at each other, then burst out laughing.

"I never thought if see the day when Tony was at a loss for words!" I crow. Loki chuckles.

"He's not so tough without his suit and all of his gadgets!" We all laugh together.

"So, can you use your magic now?" I wonder. Loki shakes his head.

"Emaralyn has the magic. She can choose when to let me channel the magic, as she did now. For that, I am thankful. I can only hope that she can learn to control her temper as well. She packs one helluva kick!" Loki groans, massaging his stomach. I laugh, glad that the horror of the moment is gone. Natasha and Pepper walk in.

"How're you doing?" Natasha wonders. Loki shrugs.

"I've been better, but I'm not complaining. I'm alive, and that's all that matters. I owe my life to Emaralyn, Clint, and Bruce. Without them, I would be dead." Thor decides to join the group gathered around Loki's bed. He tenderly caresses Loki's face, letting us all see the bond he truly has with his adopted brother. Finally, Steve and Tony enter the room. Tony has his crash bracelets on, and I chuckle at the sight. Loki sees them as well.

"What? I'd rather not be thrown out the window, but if I am, I'm ready!" Tony smirks, back to his old, cocky self. Loki laughs.

"I only throw people out windows if they deserve it. Besides, I knew you had the bracelets on. Even though Thanos was controlling me, I was still able to control part of my brain occasionally." Tony looks disgruntled.

"So, would you have still thrown me out the window if I wasn't wearing the crash bracelets?" Tony wonders. Loki shrugs.

"I can't be sure. It depends on how long I could have controlled my mind. If I was in my right mind, I probably would have just slammed you into the wall," Loki smirks, eyes shining with amusement. Tony glares at him.

"That's reassuring, Reindeer Games," he scowls. Loki shoots him a look of amusement.

"Again, with the nicknames. Why?" Tony shrugs.

"They get a rise out of you. It's pretty funny, actually."

"It's pretty funny until someone you nickname gets mad and throws you out a window." Tony looks startled, then checks his bracelets to make sure that they are both fully functioning when he thinks we aren't looking. Loki smirks. "Exactly." All of the Avengers grin happily. Suddenly, JARVIS breaks into our conversation.

"Director Fury is here. He demands that all of the Avengers assemble into the kitchen right now, if they value their jobs and lives," the al's voice informs us. A collective sigh goes up among the Avengers.

"What could he possibly want?" Tony gripes. Everyone shakes their heads, but start to file out of the room. I sink back into the bed, massaging my stomach. Within minutes, sleep overtakes me.

Bruce's P. o. V:

Director Fury is leaning against the table when we walk in. "Sit," he commands. We all follow his word, not wanting to anger him anymore than he already is. "What's this I hear about our prisoner being pregnant?" he asks, voice deadly. Nine of us speak up, and Fury pounds his fist on the table angrily. "Dammit, answer me!" he demands. Finally, I speak up.

"He is pregnant, and you will do nothing to harm his child or him," I growl, a threat barely concealed. Fury looks taken aback, surprised that I would threaten him. My heart is pounding, adrenaline rushing through my body. I look down at my hands, not surprised to see the green tint they are taking on. Fury sees it as well.

"As long as you keep him locked up and concealed, he will be unharmed. Break my rules, and both of you will regret it," Fury growls, just as threateningly. I breathe deeply, trying to control my rising temper. Fury turns abruptly and leaves. "One mess up, and I will be coming for him," Fury warns us. I turn and storm away from the table. My feet carry me to Loki's room. He is propped against the pillows, fast asleep. I turn to leave, but he calls me back.

"What did our dear director want?"

"He was going to harm you and Emaralyn, but I convinced him not to."

"What do you mean by "convinced?" Loki asks warily.

"I threatened him," I admit. "I almost let the Other Guy out, but I managed to control it." Loki rubs my back.

"Good job. I'm proud of you," he beams. I blush.

"Thanks?" I say, unsure of what to make of the compliment. Loki gently smacks me.

"I compliment you, and you don't even respond correctly. What is this world coming to?" he jokes. I roll my eyes.

"If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't still be living here, and you probably wouldn't still be carrying Emaralyn," I say seriously. Loki nods, suddenly looking weary.

"I know. Thank you for that, by the way." I nod.

"I won't let anything happen to our daughter, or you, for that matter. I love both of you too much." Loki smiles, then yawns.

"Well, I'm exhausted. You may stay if you like, but I am going to go to sleep." I nod, gently kissing him. Loki sinks back into the pillows. Within seconds, he is asleep. I quietly excuse myself, then exit the room.

Loki comes down to the kitchen about three hours later. "How do you feel?" I ask him.

"Tired, but I'm coping. Emaralyn healed my back." I twist Loki around, then gently lift up his shirt. Sure enough, no mark remains on his pale skin. I pull him into a gentle hug.

"How far along are you? That is, if you don't mind me asking." Loki sighs.

"I'm roughly about three months along, but I'm already so huge. This is going to be one of the most difficult pregnancies I've ever gone through, especially since the infernal Allfather stole my magic," Loki snarls angrily. I rub his newly healed back gently, trying to calm him before Emaralyn gets upset. He leans into my touch and lets out a content sigh. "Em really likes you. She only starts moving around when you're talking, and she calms down when you're near," Loki informs me. I lay a gentle hand on Loki's hugely swollen belly. Sure enough, a few seconds later, a kick meets my hand. Loki winces and rubs his belly. "She sure packs a punch!" I grimace.

"Sorry about that," I offer. Loki shrugs.

"It's half of my heritage too. Frost Giants are fairly strong too." I nod seriously. Suddenly, my pager goes off. Fury's voice emanates from the device.

"Avengers, assemble! Doom has struck again, and Doom Bots are overrunning the streets. We need you to get this situation under control, now! There is already a fatality count of seven people." I sigh and shoot Loki a sad look.

"Do you have to go?" Loki asks, looking worried. I nod.

"More than likely. Doom keeps upgrading the bots, and I'm the only one besides Tony that can take out more than one at once. Besides, if there's already seven fatalities, that means trouble." I get a worried look in response.

"Bruce, I really don't think you should go. I have a bad feeling about this," Loki pleads, a desperate look in his eyes.

"I promise, Loki. I'll be home, safe and sound before the day is over. I love you." Loki leans down and kisses me urgently.

"I love you, Bruce. Don't break that promise." I nod, give him a quick hug, then run to meet the other Avengers.

Tony's P. o. V:

When our ragtag group makes it downtown, a devastating scene meets our eyes. Doom Bots are running everywhere, shooting lasers at anything that moves. Bruce immediately Hulks out and start smashing. I can see the rest of my team trying to deal with the epidemic as well. Suddenly, I go down, Doom Bots swarming my suit. Bruce's massive form plods over to me and rips the bots off. The removed robots are slammed into a nearby building, causing them to explode. I scramble up, finally managing to achieve take off. From my aerial view, I can see the rest of my team battling. Natasha and Clint stand back to back, slowly spinning, taking out a bot with every shot. Steve is smashing the bots with his shield, and Thor is summoning lightning to obliterate the robots. I shoot a glance over at Bruce. Somehow, the bots have managed to overtake his massive body, and are busy firing on him. Bruce lays motionless. I can't tell if he is breathing or not. Suddenly, the Hulk's voice rings in over my earpiece. "Hulk hurt!" Almost immediately, he starts to shrink, until only a naked Bruce remains. I swoop down and try to get rid of the bots swarming his body, but there are too many of them.

"Natasha, Clint, we have a problem. Bruce is down, repeat, Bruce is down! The bots managed to overpower the Hulk, and now they're attacking his human form! We need to get him out of there!" I see both assassins spring into action, going towards Bruce's prone body. They manage to wipe out the bots surrounding him, and I swoop in again. This time, I manage to grab Bruce's still body. He is badly burned, and almost all of his body is scraped and bleeding. Several deep gouges secrete blood, making Bruce look deathly pale. I shake him gently. "Come on, Bruce, you have to wake up! Loki and Emaralyn need you! Hell, I need you! You're my science bro! Nobody else can hold an intelligent conversation with me!" Bruce coughs weakly, managing to crack open his eyes.

"Take me back to the Tower. I need to see Loki one last time," he wheezes.

"No more talk like that!" I beg. I put as much energy as I can into the thrusters, then head towards the Tower. Loki is waiting on the roof, looking terrified.

"What happened?" Loki demands, rushing to Bruce's side.

"I'll explain in a minute. Help me get him down to the lab!" Loki grabs Bruce's legs and helps me maneuver him to the elevator. At last, we reach the lab. I clear a table, then have Loki help me set Bruce on it. Bruce groans weakly, managing to crack his eyes open. When he sees Loki, he tries to sit up. Loki pushes him gently back down. I grab a towel and cover Bruce's lower half, trying to preserve some of his dignity. Bruce grabs Loki's hand, and a tear glistens in Loki's eye. I quietly excuse myself, knowing that they need the time alone.

"Sir, I called a doctor. He will be here momentarily," JARVIS informs me. I nod. Hold on, Bruce. Hold on.

Loki's P. o. V:

I clasp Bruce's bloodied hand, a single tear rolling down my cheek. Stark excuses himself, and I lay my head down next to Bruce. "Don't cry, Loki. I did what I had to. I'd rather die because of battle wounds than any other way," Bruce tries to reassure me. A quiet sob escapes me.

"No, Bruce, you can't die! You're going to be fine!" I try to say, but Bruce shakes his head and laughs. The laugh quickly turns into a gut wrenching cough, and blood sprays from Bruce's lips, splattering the table around him.

"Loki, take care of Emaralyn for me. Let her know how much I loved her," Bruce whispers, eyes shining with unshed tears. He coughs again, weaker than before. I lay my hand on his head, willing desperately for some spark of magic to spring to my fingers. Alas, my magic remains as dormant as ever. A string of curses fall from my lips, cursing the Allfather, Doom, the world. Bruce's breath hitches, and I squeeze his hand tighter.

"Bruce, you can't leave me! I need you! Emaralyn needs you! Please, Bruce. I love you!" Bruce manages a small smile.

"I love you, Loki. Try to remember that when I'm gone," Bruce whispers, gasping for air. I grip his hand even tighter. Suddenly, the room is silent, aside from my pained sobs. Bruce's hand relaxes against mine. I look over at him. His eyes are half open, glassy and empty. I gently push them shut, then collapse, sobbing. Emaralyn will never know her father. Bruce is gone.