Chapter 4: Chapter 4

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For the fourth time, Ash sprang up from the ground gasping and grasping for something that was just out of reach...relief from the torture of dying over and over in a never ending cycle of pain and despair.

'No, no not again!'

He was back to 10:40. The faint feeling of multiple people hovering around him supported this conclusion.

His second thought was, 'shit magic exists!'

Then 'Someone tried to kill Captain America!'

"Are you okay son?"

Anthony's voice still held the same gentle concern as the previous times.

"Yeah I'm..."

Ash opened his eyes and was in the middle of answering when something caught his eye.

Tucked neatly at the corner of his eyes was a blinking icon of a circle. On closer inspection it turned out to be something more sinister. The image of a snake eating it's own tail. The Ouroboros sign. Used to express unity in all things, material and spiritual. A never ending cycle of Eternal destruction and rebirth. Just like this Loop he was stuck in.

Ash ignored everything, his mind racing with conclusions and more questions. Who was capable of plucking him from the real world and putting him in a movieverse? And why would they even bother doing that to someone like him? He had nothing. No friends, one estranged family member and zero prospects for the future.

He was literally living each day like a robot, aimlessly. His grades had slipped badly and after countless 'talks' with a the school guidance counselor and even the principal, the 'slump' they had diagnosed him with was yet to end. There were better, more adjusted playthings for whoever was responsible for all this to pick from. So why him?!

He had an idea that the answers he was looking for could be found if he clicked on that icon. Taking a slow breath, he lifted his finger and brought it to the corner of his vision.

The crowd of office workers looked at him as if he was crazy and then one by one they left to do something better. The kid who had crashed through the glass was no longer interesting, he was now a problem for security.

Anthony signed to Linda, nodding in thanks when she handed him a coat that he wrapped over Ash's young shoulders. The boy threw an absentminded thanks, his attention fully on the blue interface that had appeared in his vision.

(Active Missions)

(Prevent Captain America's death by Nazi Sorcerers)

Reward:-

Escape the Loop.

Random Superpower.

Loop attempts remaining: 16 (4/20)

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Holy shit. He was going to die after 16 times?! And not to mention he had to stop Nazi Sorcerers from taking advantage of the Alien Invasion to kill Captain America? How was he going to be able to do that!? He was just a normal guy! No powers or cool tech, just a displaced dude wearing nothing but a boxer and towel.

The weight of the coat on his shoulders brought him back to the real world like a jolt of electric light. He looked up at the Clock and saw it was 10.46.

"Oh no."

Ash had gotten so lost in his wallowing that he had forgotten about the Chitauri.

"We have to run!"

He grabbed Anthony's hand and started pulling him towards the exist.

"What is..."

Ash stumbled and fell to his knees as something managed to hit him on the side. A hot pressure of pain as his shoulder bone folded and snapped under the weight of the concrete from the floor above them. Pain was something he was not totally used to. He didn't even think he would ever reach a point that he became used to it. 

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The agony on his shoulder was disorienting. something wet flowed down the sleeve of the coat he was wearing and he stumbled gasping in pain, strength leaving his legs. Ash lost his footing and fell, unluckily on the torn shoulder. The action sent another explosion of pain to his left shoulder and he vomited to his side.

The fall had further damaged his injury. 

Ash tried to move but every action, even breathing sent jolts of pain across his left side. Something was still clutched on his right hand though and craning his protesting head, he saw a torn off hand, sinew of flesh, bone and blood on the other end.

Ash closed his eyes and looked away. Anthony was dead...

Blaster fire and the sounds of several screams reminded him that the enemy was still around. In his current state, getting up to run was basically impossible, not to mention ill advised. Anyone trying to escape through the elevator and stairs was promptly mowed down. Gunshots rang out as the cops who had answered the call about a teenager falling from the sky traded bullets with the aliens.

One of the Aliens was caught by a lucky bullet to the eye and fell, sending the gun in its hands skittering on the ground and landing a few feet away from Ash. He contemplated going for it when the pain on his shoulder reminded him he wouldn't even be able to lift it. There had to be another option he could use to save his life.

Ash looked around and spotted something interesting. The section of the upper floor that had caved in and fell on the current floor had brought with it a few things. The mahogany desk and computer screen lying haphazardly on the floor provided a perfect hiding spot.

Thanking the dust clouding the place, Ash firmed his resolve and pushed off with the heels of his feet, sliding himself roughly across the marble floor. The pain he was in was so agonizing, tears fell down his cheeks in rivulets.

'Come On Ash, you're so close...'

He encouraged himself, wondering why he was even trying so hard to live through this. For starters, there was no way his shoulder would work normally after this. He was basically fighting for a disabled life when he could accept death and just start over again. Secondly, Ash himself knew he had nothing to live for. So why...why didn't he simply stop, lay on the ground and accept to be found and then killed?

'Because I'm not a Quitter!'

He remembered his dad, looking so thin and weak on the hospital bed. The cancer had done great damage to his body and the chemo was not helping. Through all that, his dad had kept on smiling. Never once did he break down when Ash was around. He was being so strong for Ash yet Ash felt like his world was ending, he cried himself to sleep everyday for those three months.

The last conversation Ash had with his father, he couldn't hold in the question. He'd looked at his dad's smiling face and asked him,

"Why?"

Even without explaining the context of the question, his dad had known what Ash meant. Why was he smiling despite the hopelessness of his state? He was going to die, went unsaid.

"Because I am not a quitter."

Ash stammered out his Dad's answer as he pushed himself the rest of the way, inside the rubble. He could now hide and...

A yell of surprise escaped him when his foot was grabbed before he could completely hide underneath the debris. His heart hammered so loudly, he felt as if he could hear it in his ears. The hold started pulling him out.

"I'm not quiting!"

Ash reaffirmed to himself.

His other leg started hitting the hand that was wrapped around his ankle to no avail. Ash looked around for anything that could help him and grabbed onto the cord of a keyboard sticking out under the concrete with his good arm. He tried to hold on but the force under his leg grew bigger until he was torn away from his hiding place with a sudden jerk.

He blinked his eyes to get the dust out while trying to scramble away. A heavy foot landed on his chest, eliciting a pained howl as the agony from his shredded and broken shoulder increased tenfold. Ash felt darkness creep up in the corner of his vision. With all his will, he bit his lip and tasted blood, using the momentary flash of pain to focus his drifting thoughts.

His sight picked up on not one but three Chitauri hovering above him, chittering as they stared down at his form. Ash's eyes shifted from one to the other. A glider was behind the three of them, humming in place as they eyed the last human alive on this floor.

Ash knew his fate was decided when one of the Chitauri raised his blaster gun and pointed it at Ash's face. Ash looked around and spotted the gun from before. It was too far away from him...

Another round of chittering turned his attention to the alien invaders. Ash wanted to do nothing more than cry out. To shout for help. But this far in, his voice wouldn't reach anyone on the outside. The hopelessness of his situation ignited his anger. Something he thought he had lost.

"Well what are you waiting for assholes? Do it! Kill me!"

The Chitauri on the left stopped his colleague from pulling the trigger to put Ash out of his misery. 

Instead the Alien walked forward and stopped above the boy, cocking its head to the side. A sudden long sword sprouted out of it's wrist. Ash widened his already wide eyes.

Screams rang out of the building as Ash realized first hand how cruel the Chitauri could be. The alien sliced his flesh, cut off his body parts, his ears, his limbs. The last thing Ash saw was the cruel and sadistic look in their eyes as they chittered in glee. Then the sword was thrust into his neck, leaving him choking on his own blood.

His hate for Chitauri had reached an all time high. Any creature so despicable enough to do that to another living thing was labeled as not worth to live. Ash would kill them. He would kill them all!!

'I promise you, you pieces of shit... I'll make you pay. I'll make you hurt worse than what you have done to me. You will PAY!!'

The fifth time he woke up, he had decided he wouldn't be the victim any longer. It was time for some payback. Ash was going to fight for his life.

Loops remaining: 15/20.

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