Basil ran up to the door leading to Loki's prison and ducked as bullets ricocheted around him. Black uniformed men were swarming the entrance. He cursed as he unsheathed a knife. One of the smaller ones on his belt and gripped the handle. Dammit. The enemy had already gotten there. He took a breath (even though bullets could go through him, it was still nerve racking every-time he stepped out into live fire) and stepped up tho through the weapon. The knife sailed through the air, the moment it left his hand it became solid. It hit its target and the men fell with a cry of pain. Basil disposed of the other three men quickly in a similar fashion. When he had finished, he collected his blades and wiped the blood on the dead men's uniforms with a huff of annoyance.

When he was done, he turned through the door just in time to watch as Loki stepped out of the glass cell. "Well done", the god smiled. "I'm impressed by your technique. Nice knives by the way".

"Thank you", Basil replied as he stuck the last of them into his belt. He unsheathed the long blades on his thighs and twirled them. (Over the last three months of being out of the ice, he had gotten a lot of practise in). "You know I can't let you escape right?" He dropped into a lower stance, blades pointed as he prepared for combat.

"I wouldn't expect you too", Loki nodded and held out his hands. Two blades of his own formed in the air. Their hilts gold and the knife edge sharp. The long haired male stepped back and copied Basil's stance. "You do know you won't win this", he smirked. "I have hundreds of years of experience under my belt".

"Still", Basil return the smirk. "I can still say I tried. Shame were on different sides. I think we could have got on well".

"I agree".

"I thought that. But you know", Basil shrugged. "World domination is not really my thing". Then he charged.

The fight was almost a complicated dance. As he moved, Loki twisted his hand and green smoke tried to pull at him, push him into the wall or over the railing. Basil went intangible and the smoke disappeared. Loki frowned in annoyance and raised his blades. Basil struck first but his dagger clanged against Loki's. For a second they both pushed at it, testing each other's strength. Then Loki threw him off and went for a slice to the stomach. His blade passed through thin air then Basil was back and striking harder. Each blow was blocked and they danced for a minute. Loki taking a few steps back as Basil surged forwards, then Basil taking a few steps back as Green magic sparked. Basil turned, twirling under Loki's arms and surging up. Blades locked together, both men panting.

Loki grinned and Basil glared. Emerald green vs jade green. "Your fighting style is truly fascinating", Loki commented.

"Are we flirting or fighting?" Basil asked. "Cause if we're flirting, sorry but my heart is already taken".

Loki chuckled. "Why not both?" Then Basil was dancing back and the fight continued.

It ended when Basil made the mistake of staying solid for too long. Loki caught him by surprise by dropping his blade. The knife disappeared and as Basil struck, taking advantage of the empty hand, Loki caught him arm and flung him over the railings. Basil dangled over the metal shutters below. He scowled at the loss as Loki dangled him. One hand sheathed the blade and grabbed on to the lower rail to anchor him. "Are you going to drop me? Or are you waiting for something?"

Loki grinned and let him go. Basil grunted as his body hit the metal side and his arm jolted as it took the weight. Loki walked smoothly over to the control panel, as smug and as calm as a cat. "Any moment now", he announced. Basil huffed at him as he tried to pull himself up. But the railings were at a weird angle and it was proving more difficult than it had seemed. The metal around him was completely smooth. No foot holds of to help him.

Outside the room came a cry of "no!". Footsteps came thundering and Thor leapt through into the open door of the glass cage. It shut behind him with a click.

""Are you ever not going to fall for that?" Loki asked as he watched his brother fume. Below him, Basil was slowly pulling himself up. (He really needed to work on his strength. Let's not skip arms day next time).

Thor snarled and bashed his hammer against the glass. It cracked and a mechanism clanged. Basil froze as Loki chuckled. "The humans think us immortal. Should we test that?" He reached over to press a button on the control panel.

"Move away please". Basil pulled himself up just enough to hook his arms round the bar. He turned to see Coulson standing in the doorway. A massive gun with a glowing yellow barrel was pointed at Loki. The dark haired god stepped back. Coulson gestured with the weapon. "You like this? We started working on the prototype after you sent the destroyer. Eve I don't know what it does". He clicked something and it began to audibly power up. The yellow energy sparking. "Do you want to find out?" Coulson smiled slightly.

The agent then took a step forwards and there was a sickening wet noise. Thor cried out in anger as the agent crumpled. Loki stepping over the body, his sceptre in his hand. The sharp tip wet with blood as the illusion of Loki by the control panel faded into nothing but light. Basil pulled himself back on to the walkway with a groan. He rolled over on to his feet and hurried over to where the agent had fallen. Loki swung his sceptre and he ducked, hand pulling his knives from his belt. He threw one and Loki batted it away. The second the god caught. Basil blinked in surprise as Loki laughed. It was due to this surprise that he didn't react in time when the god threw the knife back. He turned swiftly and the knife sunk into his upper left arm instead of his chest. Basil cried out in pain as it sank through the skin. (He was very suddenly glad that he had thrown one of his smaller knives at the god. If it had been one of his larger ones, then he would be dead).

He staggered back with pain and Thor pounded his fist against the glass. Loki walked right past him as Basil shuffled towards where Coulson was lying crumpled against the wall. The arm with the knife sticking out of it was useless. Basil gasped with pain as he knelt down at the agent's side. He ripped open the white shirt, which was rapidly becoming covered in blood, and sighed. The stab wound from Loki's sceptre had pierced right through his gut. Even with two functioning arms Coulson's chances of survival were low. Behind him he heard as Loki opened up the air vent underneath the glass cage. He turned and caught eyes with Thor just as the cage dropped and disappeared.

"Dammit dammit", he cursed as he began trying to pull rolls of bandages from his belt pockets. He pressed the material to the open wound on Coulson's stomach, keeping pressure to slow the blood loss. He would have to turn the agent round to access the bigger wound on his back. Basil grunted, stifling his own scream ad he pulled out the knife in his arm. He sheathed the bloody blade and grimaced as he put more pressure on the wound. His own blood dripping down his arms and Coulson's blood covering his fingers. It was seeping out underneath him. Basil could feel the wetness as it began to soak into his trousers.

Coulson coughed. Blood wetting his lips. "You're going to lose".

Loki turned to them. "Am I".

"Stop talking", Basil murmured as his injured arm scrabbled for more bandages. "There's too much blood. Dammit". He didn't have anything nearby to help. His comm had been lost durning the fight and if he moved then Coulson would just bleed out quicker.

Coulson smiled slightly. Blood staining his teeth. He was watching Loki. "It's in your nature".

Loki took a few slow steps towards them. "Your heroes are scattered. Your floating fortress falls from the sky. Where is my disadvantage?"

"You lack conviction", Coulson stated.

Loki went to reply but a powerful orange blast knocked him back and he disappeared through a wall. On the floor, the massive gun powered down. "So that's what it does", Coulson muttered. Basil gave a slight chuckle.

"Very good but please stop moving. You're bleeding out. I'm going to have to turn you and find some way to patch up the wound in your back".

"Don't bother". Coulson smiled slightly at him. "We both know I'm not going to make it".

"Shut up", Basil snapped. He could feel frustrated tears forming in his eyes. No. This was not the time for crying. "I am a doctor. I have had too many people die in my hands and I don't want another. So shut up and let me roll you over".

"I never got to ask you and Steve to sign my cards", Coulson muttered. His eyes had become glazed.

"I already said I would", Basil replied. He didn't have enough bandages. The bandages he already had were sopping and red. He could hear footsteps on the metal. "Help! I need help over here!"

Fury was at his side. The man moved the gun and knelt down. "He's bleeding out", Basil stated, still desperately trying to keep pressure on the wound.

"Sorry boss, the god rabbited", Coulson murmured.

"Just stay awake", Fury commanded. "Eyes on me". He turned to Basil. "How bad is it?"

"Pierced right the way through", Basil said with wide panicked eyes. He was going into shock, he could feel it. It was strange. He had never been stabbed before nor had be gone into shock before. He guessed that the heightened stress of the last few months was finally dropping on him. It felt like a ton of bricks. "He's bleeding out. I need to roll him over and get to the wound on the back but I also can't remove any pressure form here".

"There's medics coming".

"I'm clocking out here", Coulson coughed and blood wet his lips again.

"There's blood in the lungs", Basil muttered.

"Not an option", Fury commanded.

"It's okay boss", Coulson was whispering now. "This was never going to work if they didn't have something to"... Then his breathing stopped and his eyes became hollow. Basil had seen death many times before but every time it was someone he knew it still knocked on his chest like a blow.

"It's okay now", Fury said, hands gently prying Basil's away.

Basil blinked and raised his hands to check the agent's pulse. "Time of death", he muttered. He glanced down but found no watch on his wrist. He stared at it blankly, arm still burning and throbbing from the stab wound.

Fury sighed and checked his own watch. "Four fifty eight".

"Time of death is four fifty eight".

Unedited