—Shouldn´t we intervene Sir? —Coulson asked Fury worried about Lea´s safety

—Not yet. —Fury replied —I want to see how this plays out. —

The hellicarrier had been hovering over the Tower in camouflage mode for a while now.

—I don´t understand why are we here if we´re not going to step in. —Coulson confessed. —We should´ve revealed ourselves when Leah stabbed Doom. —

—I wanted to see what she was capable of, I got to admit I´m a bit disappointed that she didn´t killed him. We´d finally be rid of him once and for all. —Fury pointed out.

—But all the international ramifications Sir? —Coulson asked alarmed by Fury´s statement.

—We would already have the perpetrator, besides can you think of a better way to coerce her to work for us? —Fury asked.

—But what about Loki? —Coulson asked in return.

—He will follow her wherever she is. Eventually we would be able to … convince him to work for us too. We might even be able to set them as a team, can you imagine that? Magic and super soldier abilities working together, that´s one hell of a combination. —Fury added excited at the prospect.

—She´s no agent Sir, even if she´s learn to fight like one. —Coulson volunteered.

—Nothing we can´t fix. —Fury calmly told him with a smile.

Leah was well aware she was trapped; on one side there was Doom and his doombots, on the other side a 1130 ft. fall. Her weapons completely out of her reach and with one dislocated shoulder she had only one good arm to fight with. Doom was walking threateningly towards her.

—You should´ve killed me when you had the chance. —He chided her.

—I won´t make that mistake twice. —Leah answered him with a confidence she really didn´t felt, she couldn´t retrieve any further; not unless she wanted to fall of the building again.

—You´re not going to get a second chance. —Doom icily told her as he swiftly caught her by the throat and raised her off her feet, Leah desperately gasped for air as Doom mocked her —Don´t worry, I´m not going to kill you … yet. — Then he threw her against the floor towards the entrance of the penthouse making her fall on her injured shoulder on purpose.

As the elevator finally arrived to level 86 they all could hear Leah screaming in agony again, Loki bolted out of the lift and desperately called for Thor.

—Over here Loki! —Thor answered as he strived to finish half dozen doombots. There was pile after pile of crushed doombots scattered all around the floor; no wonder Thor had been caught up in that level.

Loki swiftly ran towards them when he heard Clint warned him. —Loki quick, duck! —As soon as he had an arrow passed by him, it exploded on its target destroying the doombots that had begun to chase after him and Eerika. As he jumped behind the barricade both Thor and Clint had made out of broken doombots he checked on Eerika, after making sure she was all right he sighed with relief.

—Thor! —Loki called for his older brother as he demanded anxiously. —Take this things off me! —

It only took Thor a second to release him of his shackles, with a stern voice he told Loki. —The tower isn´t a safe place for Eerika, you need to take her elsewhere. —He haven´t even ended his phrase when he threw his hammer against another approaching doombot.

—I see that. —Loki growled between clenched teeth, he knew what he had to do but he didn´t wanted to do it. —I´ll be back, I´m borrowing Clint. —He barely informed Thor before disappearing taking both Eerika and Clint with him.

He had caught Clint totally of guard, as he suddenly found himself inside of what appeared to be a huge mansion he uttered. —What the fuck? Where are we? And what do you meant by borrowing? —

Loki explained him as fast as he could, he had no time to waste, he feared to imagine what Doom could be doing to Leah. —Consider this a sanctuary, if you don´t get out no one will find you, you will be safe here. —

—Wait Loki, you can´t leave us here! —Clint told him alarmed.

—I´ll be back as soon as I can. —Loki volunteered as he started walking down the hall.

—No, you don´t understand! A baby needs to eat every couple of hours, what am I supposed to feed her with, air? And what about diapers? —Clint stated worried, the battle could still last for hours.

Loki grunted annoyed, Clint was right. —Follow me. —He ordered Clint as he walked quickly through the hall, suddenly he stopped in front of a wooden door with golden letters that read Eerika. —“The nursery without a doubt” —Clint figured out.

—I think you will find here anything you might need. —Loki volunteered.

—What did you do, stole a babies department store? —Clint asked surprised, he could already see formula and diapers among other hundred things.

—No, I bought one. —Loki told him.

Clint opened his mouth to say something but decided against it, instead he told Loki. —I´ll take good care of her. —

—I know. —Loki acknowledged, suddenly he noticed a red stain in Clint´s uniform —Are you hurt? —He asked with a worried frown.

—It´s just a flesh wound. —Clint volunteered.

Loki sighed exasperated as he walked to Clint and without saying another word healed him. Clint noticed Loki´s face paled when he used his magic. —Loki are you all right? —He inquired concerned.

—Walking through the paths of Yggdrasil always drains my magic. That´s why I planned for a situation like this. —Without waiting for Clint´s response Loki went out of the nursery and directed himself to another door in the same hallway. Clint followed him closely, the room Loki had entered looked like a studio. Over the desk was a crystal case with maybe over a dozen gems in it, Loki snatched a pair and quickly explained Clint. —This gems work as your batteries, I stored my magic on them and now I´ll use them to rescue Leah from Doom. —

Clint nodded in agreement —We´ll be here waiting. —Loki had disappeared again leaving him alone with Eerika.

Clint sighed as he looked to Eerika who hadn´t stopped crying —Well kid, is just you and me. We´d better start looking for the kitchen so I can make you a bottle. —Fortunately he had experience with babies, while he walked down the hall he wondered if Loki knew that.

—That´s what I wanted to hear. —Doom exclaimed with glee as he approached Leah again, she tried to get out of his reach without success, he kicked her side before she could get up. She whined painfully as she curled trying to protect her injured side from another attack.

Doom was preparing to kick her again when all of a sudden a large green figure landed behind him and smashed him against the ground reveal times before throwing him against the penthouse windows which broke on impact.

Leah had remained curled up while it happened trying to cover her head from the debris that scattered around, as it all went quiet she nervously opened her eyes as she raised her head she was met by a couple of huge eyes staring at her. She´d never seen Hulk up close before, he was really an impressive sight, she doubtfully asked —Bruce? —. As the creature grunted annoyed she corrected herself —Hulk? —This time she received and approving nod. As she slowly got up she winced in pain and nursed her wounded arm.

—You hurt? —Hulk asked with a worried frown.

—It´s not broken, at least I don´t think it is, don´t worry I´m sure y… uhm … the Doctor could fix it just fine. —She explained making an effort to smile.

—Need Bruce.—He stated firmly, then he closed his eyes with a sigh, before her own eyes Hulk changed back into Bruce before she could protest against it.

—Leah? —Bruce asked confused. —What happened to you? —

Leah´s eyes were overfilled with tears, she´d never been happier to see him before and at the same time she hated the fact that he made her feel like a 5 year old who scrapped her knees while being disobedient, she quickly dry her tears with her sleeve as she told him. —Doom. —

Bruce could tell immediately something was wrong with her arm for the way she was holding it. —Is it broken? —He asked with a frown.

—No, just dislocated. Don´t worry it can wait. —Leah acknowledged.

—Will you stop playing the martyr? —Tony’s irritated voice suddenly sounded on her comlink.

—But … I …—Leah tried to defend herself but Tony didn´t give her a chance.

—What the hell were you thinking staying alone with Doom? He could´ve killed you or worst …—He sounded extremely angry —We could´ve lost you …—His voice broke down at that point.

—You fought Doom alone? —Bruce asked surprised as he examined Leah´s shoulder.

—I did what I had to do if I hadn´t Doom would´ve taken us to Latveria as his prisoners. And I would do it again … —

Out of the sudden she screamed painfully, Bruce had seized the opportunity to set her shoulder back into place while she argued with Tony. —What the …?—She looked at Bruce shocked.

—It´s easier to set it straight if you´re distracted. —He told her as he shrugged his shoulders

—I´d rather you don´t do something like this again. — Tony finally told her.

Without a warning a ray engulfed Bruce as he was thrown off the Tower.

—No! Bruce! —Leah leaned into the rail as she observed Bruce fell, when suddenly a metallic glove seized her hand, it was Doom.

—Leah, what´s happening? —Tony asked her disturbed by what he could hear over her comlink, as he received no answer he told Jarvis. —Set up Mark 283, and hurry. —

—Sir, that suit hasn´t been tested yet. —The A.I. reminded him.

—I know, but it’s the only suit with big enough guns, we´ll just have to test it on the go. —Tony told the A.I.

Doom started dragging Leah towards a descending aircraft —We´re going to Latveria now, I´ll be able to deal with you without further interruptions. —

Leah resisted his pull leaning all her weight against it as she desperately tried to wiggle her hand free of his grasp. —No! Let me go! —She screamed at him when a tremor made her fall to the ground, it was Hulk, he´s jumped back to the rooftop and placed himself between Leah and Doom.

—Hulk protects. —He growled at Doom who released Leah´s wrist as he prepared to fight Hulk.

—Did you really thought I would come unprepared? —He mocked the green creature as he threw a magic beam against Hulk, the beam grew into a bubble that imprisoned Hulk.

Leah observed the turn of events with despair, all her instincts told her to run, so she did exactly that. When Dom realized she was trying to escape he threw another ray against her which exploded as it hit the ground sending Leah flying a couple of meters away.

—This should keep you busy at least until we are gone. —He told the Hulk with an evil smirk, even if he was pounding the sphere with all his might his prison was holding. Next Doom walked towards Leah who was trying to crawl away from him, she was too disoriented to get up. Within seconds Doom had grabbed her through the hair on the back of her nape and forcefully pulled her up, he shook her up angered by her resistance as he yelled at her —Stop fighting! —

—Never. —Leah yelled back as unwilling tears rolled from her eyes, she felt helpless, but she wouldn´t give up without a fight.

Unexpectedly Doom slapped her with such strength Leah fell to the ground, as she looked up at him in disbelief she cleaned up her mouth with her hand leaving a smudge of blood on it which infuriated her.

As Doom contemplated the rage in her eyes he mocked her. —That´s only a taste of what awaits you in Latveria. —

She clenched her teeth and against all prudence snatched an arrow from her quiver and tried to stab Doom with it. Doom caught her hand and squeezed it until Leah had no choice but to release the arrow when the pain became unbearable.

Doom laughed amused at her failed efforts. —Enough I said! —He yelled as he threw her towards the aircraft.