Note: The rating is subject to change. Right now, it's rated T just to be safe. Also, you can leave comments on my writing Tumblr, which is linked in my profile.

Over all warnings: Cursing, Violence, Homosexuality (kissing, groping,)

Warnings for this chapter: None

It was chaos. The Doombots were easy enough to get rid of, but there just so many. There had to be over a thousand of them, and their only goal seemed to be to keep the Avengers away from the aerial battle. And they were doing a pretty good job.

Tony couldn't understand what had even caused all this. While the "super-villains" had often skirmished with each other publicly, this was like nothing Tony had ever seen. For starters, the fight hadn't started until after the Avengers had shown up. For another, this was more than just a skirmish, or a fight. This was full-blown war between von Doom, Amora, and Loki.

Tony had gotten the order from Fury that a bunch of Doombots were rampaging through the city. Tony, being closest, had been sent out. When he arrived, he found twenty bots destroying things randomly. One flipped an empty car. Another dissembled a fountain. They weren't really causing any harm, but they were a nuisance just the same. Tony shot a couple of blasts at them, but that didn't seem to even phase them.

And then, suddenly, Amora, Doom and Loki were in the air. Tony immediately called for back-up, fully expecting to be dead by the time anyone got there. But the trio didn't seem interested in him. Amora – shockingly without Skurge – and Doom were both facing Loki, who looked as he were using every once of strength to stay in the air.

Loki was a sight to behold. His hair, normally swept neatly away from his face, hung in disarray, lank and tangled, around his head. His normally clear, pale skin was marred with bruises, gashes, and black smudges. His clothes, normally all pristine leather and metal, were torn, hanging in shreds around his body. He was skinny – too skinny – almost skeletal like, all jutting bones, and sunken cheeks. It was eerie, shocking, and it caused Tony to pause for a moment. Loki hadn't looked like that the last time they'd fought.

At that point, the trio didn't appear to be doing anything more than talking. But Tony was too far away, and their voices were too soft for him to hear anything.

Tony Stark was not a man who scared easily. But the sight of the three "villains" just floating in mid-air while the Doombots wreaked havoc unnerved him. Why weren't they doing anything? Why hadn't they come after him?

The Avengers came quickly, and that's when it all went to hell. The twenty bots – prompted by Tony didn't even know what – rushed the group. It confused Tony. Surely Doctor Doom didn't think he was going to take them all out with just twenty Doombots? He snuck a glance at the floating man – still speaking to Amora and Loki – only to have his attention diverted by the sight of a flood of bots appearing for seemingly thin air.

Out of nowhere, a fight between Amora, Doom, and Loki broke out. Or, rather, a fight that consisted of Amora and Doom tag-teaming against Loki. Despite how weak he looked, Loki held his own for a little while. He dodged, twisted, turned. He bent himself into impossible maneuvers to avoid the magic shooting towards him.

But it wasn't enough.

Amora let loose a high pitched cackle, pulling Tony's attention from the tide of bots. He turned just in time to see her blast Loki out of the air. The god flew backwards, and fell, tumbling head over heels. Unable to right himself, he smacked into the ground. After a few moments, his limp body rose slowly into the air.

Tony batted away another feeble attempt at another bot's attack. He found himself unable to look away from the eerie sight of Loki hanging in midair. He knew he should – the his life, and the lives of his friends depending on him paying attention to the Doombot army. They were what was important. The battle in the sky wasn't a danger to him right now. But he could not look away.

Which turned out to be a good thing.

"Um, guys? Problem."

"Ya' think?" Clint spat, warding off another bot.

"Yeah. Doom has Loki's staff."

"What?" Thor bellowed, moving into Tony's line of sight, red hair wild around his face.

"What the hell is going on?" Fury demanded.

"Good question."

"Well," Doom's voice boomed outward, filled with undisguised glee. "You seem a little off today, Loki. You could have at least tried to put up a fight." He twitched the staff, causing Loki to jerk around in the air.

"Loki..." Thor's voice was strained. He moved forward, toward his brother, almost unconsciously, but another swarm of bots surrounded him.

Tony had thought Loki had been knocked unconscious when he'd hit the ground, but apparently not because he raised his head and looked straight and Doom and Amora. He must have said something because Doom laughed.

"Oh, no," Amora said sweetly. "No, no no, no, Trickster. Killing you won't be enough."

Beside, Thor was going crazy, taking out heaps of bots with a single sweep of his hammer. But it was no use. More and more bots kept coming.

Amora was floating around Loki now, throwing taunts, occasionally shooting him with blasts from the staff. Tony had been blasted enough with that staff to know that it hurt like hell, but not once did Loki cry out.

When she was behind him, she floating closer, extending the staff so it touched his back. He glowed for a moment, an odd, bright, yellow-green glow. Then, Amora blasted him again, sending him careening straight into Doom. The sorcerer grabbed his shoulders harshly, and brought Loki very close to his face.

"Loki Laufeyson," Doom's voice boomed outward again. "God of Mischief and Lies. Trickster. You thought yourself powerful. Look at you now! Beaten. Bound. Let us see your power now!"

And then, he let go.

Time seemed suspended. There was no sound, no movement except for Loki's falling, flailing body. Even the bots had frozen.

Loki hit the concrete, less than ten feet away, with a sickening thud that Tony didn't think he would ever forget.

Thor lost it. He swung his hammer upward, lifting him off the ground, into the sky, inhumane bellows ripping out of his throat. He aimed straight for Doom.

"Fuck," Clint swore. His voice held less bravado than normal.

Tony turned his head, taking in the sight of his friends. Clint was covered in various gashes and bruises, but nothing that looked life-threatening. Steve was breathing heavy, cradling his left arm close to his chest, but didn't seem injured beyond that. Hulk seemed uninjured, but was covered in black grease. Natasha seemed somehow both uninjured and clean. Her head was tilted up, watching the new battle in the air.

"Amora's fighting Thor now, too." Her voice was steady, calm, and it brought Tony away from the images of falling, twisted bodies. "Go help him, Iron Man."

Tony didn't need telling twice.

He zoomed up and over, shooting a blast at the sorceress to catch her attention. But he missed, hitting the staff in front of her. He expected the blast to bounce back, like usual. Instead, it hit the staff straight on, snapping it. There was a white light that exploded outward, engulfing everything.

The sound of the explosion hadn't even reached Tony's ears before he was knocked unconscious.

When Tony came too, he expected to feel the cool hardness of his helmet, to smell burning rubber, to hear screams. Instead, he heard nothing, smelled nothing, and the warmth, softness, and comfort caused him to open his eyes and see where he was.

Coulson was standing at the foot of his bead.

"I've died and gone to heaven, haven't I?" Oh. Speaking hurt.

Coulson gave a ghost of a smile. Had Tony been that bad off? "Haven't reached heaven yet. Your judge hasn't arrived."

There must have been some secret button that Coulson pushed, because Fury was suddenly walking into the room.

"Glad to see you're awake."

"Glad to see I'm alive."

"That too."

Tony tried to sit up, ignoring the pain in his head. "What happened?"

"You got lucky," Fury said grimly. "The explosion and-or fall should have killed you, even in the suit."

"Everyone...?"

"Amora's dead." There was no emotion in the Director's voice. "We're pretty sure she was killed instantly. Doom's disappeared. Banner and Rodgers are alive. Clint is still in the hospital, but he'll be fine. He's already heckling the nurses. Thor was laid up for a few days, but he's still not a hundred percent."

"What happened?" he asked again, knowing Fury would know the difference in the similar questions.

Coulson answered, "We're not entirely sure. Doom and Amora went after Loki, but they wanted the Avengers there to see the fight – the Doombot's orders were to hold you back."

"Is Loki really dead?" Despite seeing him fall, Tony refused to believe that he was truly dead until he saw or heard viable proof.

"Thor seems to think so. Apparently, the spell Amora cast bound his powers. Given how weak he already was...

"Unfortunately, we weren't able to find a body."

"Weren't?" Tony asked sharply. "But you're still looking, right?"

Coulson shook his head. "That area was demolished in the explosion. If there's a body, there's not much left."

Tony grimaced at the images that brought up in his head.

"We're not giving up. But we have no team, and no leads. Finding him isn't our biggest priority. Finding the staff is."

Tony frowned, pushing the images of twisted, crumpled bodies out of his mind. "The staff broke."

Fury nodded. "But Thor is adamant that it can be fixed. And that's not something we want to see happen."