Chapter 9

Within only a few feet between me and the black street pavement, I managed to turn myself into a Northern Goshawk and flew up high above Loki and the cat-like creature, creating a gust of wind with my wings to blow into his face. 

"Ugh, I should've known you were a shapeshifter too!" hollered Loki, with frustration in his voice.

As I looped around the rampaging beast, the Asgardian started to shoot bright blue energy balls at me with the Chitauri Scepter. As I dodged each one, I thought about how I could counter attack him. 

I can't get close enough to Loki with that powerful staff in his grasp.

Then Dr. Strange's voice came into my thoughts. 

Focus on stopping the monster and leave Loki to me.

I can handle that bastard. 

Alright, I will, I replied back.

After looping around another time, I glided down beside the cat-creature's moving paws and scooped up a small little boy with my talons, saving him from being stepped on. Flapping steadily, I gently dropped him into the open arms of a police officer, who was standing only a couple of blocks away from the attack. I quickly flew back towards the raging creature, landed 2 kilometers away from it and shapeshifted into the Indominus Rex; the dinosaur that brought down Jurassic World. I stomped my way to the cat-scorpion creature and paused to watch Loki levitate up into the air from its back. 

"Now you're challenging my monster?".

"I wish Strange wasn't around so I could watch you die" he said, giving me a sinister grin.

 I bared my teeth and growled at him, before charging and slamming my giant, scaly reptilian body against the cat-creature, knocking it onto its back. Right after it landed, the cat-scorpion creature got back up onto its four paws without any trouble and raced towards me, hissing and spitting in rage. I dug my huge toe claws down into the black pavement beneath me and prepared myself for the impact. The cat-creature reared up onto its hind legs and thrusted its forepaws down at me, with its claws unsheathed. I grabbed a hold of them with my sharp forearm claws and pushed against the cat's weight.

After a minute or two of neither of us budging, I could feel my hind legs starting to slide out from underneath me, ruining the city street. 

Damn, this furball is strong. I'll have to wear it out. 

Using my strength, I managed to shove the cat-scorpion creature back for a few seconds, before I headbutted my massive head into its soft furry stomach, driving the monster into a nearby office building. 

I backed up a few steps and let the enemy fall to the ground with a loud THUD!!!! 

Surprisingly, it got back up again, arched its back and raised the hair on it, hissing even louder than it first did. I roared back at it and practically threw myself on top of it, pinning the creature down on its back.

I gripped the cat-scorpion's forepaws with my claws and coiled my thick, long white scaly tail around its scorpion tail, to prevent it from stabbing venom into me. Then I started to snap my jaws at its face, trying to close my teeth around its neck. The cat-scorpion suddenly kicked my abdomen with its muscular hind legs and sent me flying into a tall building across from it, knocking the wind out of me when I collided. Once I got air back into my large lungs, I forced myself up back on my feet and faced the monster, with a few visible bleeding cuts on my tough, scaly body. 

"You can't defeat me, you stupid lizard" taunted the cat-scorpion in a rough scratchy voice, as it got back up from its back with no problem. 

I let out a snarl, refusing to recede. It started to bound towards me, before it leaped up high in the air, pouncing onto my head, snout and shoulders.

The creature's weight instantly threw me off balance and I tumbled backwards, creating a deep indent in the ground with my heavy weight. Then it hopped down on my stomach, pinned my long thin arms on both sides of me, and pointed its scorpion stinger at my white throat. 

"You should've backed out when you had the chance; you can't beat me in combat" rasped the snarling cat-scorpion creature.

Out of the corner of my beach ball sized brown eyes, I spotted Dr. Strange and Loki having a battle of their own in the air. Loki was shooting blue energy balls at him with the Chitauri Scepter, while Dr. Strange was reflecting them off of his magic orange sparking shields he created with his hands.

As Loki was about to create another energy ball, Dr. Strange bounced the previous ball that was thrown at him with his right shield and hit the staff out of the Asgardian's hand. Then Strange made his shields disappear and created a bright orange sparking whip and whipped it towards the free falling staff, with the end wrapping itself around the middle.

Using his powers, Loki teleported himself right next to the staff and grabbed onto the end of the pole, starting a tug of war with Stephen. 

"Let go Loki and stop this madness; you're behaving like a child" said Dr. Strange, calmly.

"I won't! This staff doesn't belong to you wizard!" replied Loki, struggling to keep his grip tight on the staff. 

"I know, that's why it won't be in my possession".

 Dr. Strange jerked the whip towards himself and the staff slid right out of Loki's hands. The Chitauri Scepter flew towards Stephen and slipping on his sling ring from his sash, he opened a portal as big as a doorway and let the staff fly into it, before closing it back up again. Before Loki could make a move, the cloak of levitation that hung around Dr. Strange's neck flew down to the asgardian and coiled tightly around his arms and waist. 

"Where did you send my staff?" demanded Loki, as he made his golden helmet vanish before the supreme's eyes.

"I sent it to someone who can look after it better than you," replied Strange, coolly. 

The god of mischief moved his gaze from him to me and the cat-scorpion, that still had its stinger up against my throat. A smirk spread across Loki's face as he looked back at the sorcerer supreme. 

"You think you've won the battle wizard, but you haven't yet". 

Dr. Strange let out a small chuckle as he took a few steps towards him. 

"I don't think you understand what's going on here".

 "Really wizard? Are you sure it's me who doesn't understand?" replied Loki, with a sly grin on his face. 

It took a moment for Dr. Strange to realize what he was talking about. His smile turned into a grim look. "What did you do to her?" he asked, with concern in his voice as he locked eyes with Loki.

"Oh, I haven't done anything yet, but if you don't do what I ask then I will".

 Dr. Strange turned his head towards me and the cat-scorpion, now looking like he's about to lose his temper. 

Oh no, not again, I heard clearly in my mind. 

What does he mean by not again? 

I could sense a range of emotions coming off of him. Fear, anger, and sadness, all at once. 

"If you dare to hurt her, I'm going to-". 

"Push me through one of your portals? Suffocate me with your 'Ferocious' cape?" mocked Loki, interrupting Strange.

 "If you don't give me back the Chitauri Scepter and free me, my new Allie and I will kill your dear friend".

 "Don't do it, Strange; I can think my way out of this" I croaked, struggling to get all of my words out.

Surprisingly Stephen didn't respond, he just stared down at the cracked road beneath his boots, deciding what to do.

 "What's it going to be, Wizard? Watch your friend die or save your friend and give me what I asked for?". 

"Just so you can accomplish what you came here to do?" replied Dr. Strange, moving his gaze back to Loki. 

"Exactly. if you choose the second option, we both get what we want" suggested Loki, trying to persuade Dr. Strange. 

Get ready to turn yourself back into your human form, directed Strange in my thoughts. 

Why does he want me to be ready? 

 What are you going to do? 

You will see.