Chapter Five.
Loki was now a prisoner being escorted down the long, daunting hallways of the S.H.I.E.L.D Helicarrier in cuffs, a dozen armed agents flanking his sides and a twisted smile on his face.
When Loki passed the lab Bruce Banner was working on his scepter in he sent a devious smirk his way through the large glass window.
Arriving in his cell, the one not quite made for him, he began toying and twisting the emotions and minds of the watching Avengers.
Nick Fury, oblivious to his oncoming plan, continued in what he saw as triumphant, the fact he had captured the God.
"In case it's unclear. You try to escape. You so much as scratch that glass."Fury presses a large, red button which opens up a hatch underneath Loki's cell leading to a 30,00ft drop below. Loki peers as much as he can from his glass confinement; the sounds of gusting wind attacked his ears.
"Ant. Boot." He tried to explain pointing to the panel of buttons to the unbreakable glass cage and the daunting drop straight below Loki.
Loki looked straight at the Director of SHEILD and smirked, "It's an impressive cage. Not built, I think, for me."
"Built for something a lot stronger than you."
"The mindless beast, makes play he's still a man. How desperate are you, that you call upon such lost creatures to defend you?"
"How desperate am I? You threaten my world with war. You steal a force you can't hope to control. You talk about peace and you kill cause it's fun. You have made me very desperate. You might not be glad that you did."
"Ooh, it burns you to have come so close. To have the Tesseract, to have power, unlimited power and for what? A bright light for all mankind to share? And then be reminded what real power is."
"Well, you let me know if real power wants a magazine or something." Came Director Fury's snarky remark.
In the meeting room aboard the high-tech Helicarrier, Dr Banner broke the silence that followed the confrontation between the one eyed Director and the God , "He really grows on you, doesn't he?"
"Loki's gonna drag this out. So, Thor, what's his play?" Captain America asked, trying to figure out Loki's game.
"He has an army called the Chitauri. They're not of Asgard or any world known. He means to lead them against your people. They will win him the earth. In return, I suspect, for the Tesseract." Thor stated his voice grim
"An army? From outer space?"Rodgers asked, slightly put off from the very idea of this concept.
"So he's building another portal. That's what he needs Erik Selvig for."Concluded Dr Banner.
"Selvig?"
"He's an astrophysicist."
"He's a friend."
"Loki has him under some kind of spell, along with one of ours."the deadly Natasha Romonoff informed the God.
"I wanna know why Loki let us take him. He's not leading an army from here. I also want to know who this Emrys is?" Asked Steve Rodgers.
"I don't think we should be focusing on Loki. That guy's brain is a bag full of cats, you could smell crazy on him. I think it's this Emrys we should be looking into."
"I don't care how you speak, Loki's of Asgard and he is my brother." Thor said defending his brother.
"He killed 80 people in two days." Came Natasha's monotone reply.
"He's adopted." Thor shrugged.
"So, who's this Emrys?" Asked the usually unserious Tony Stark.
"What did he say? 'Not even Emrys could save you now?' What could that mean?" Asked Steve.
"Is this Emrys another threat?" Asked Fury as he strolled into the meeting room unoticed.
"Wait I do not understand. Emrys, as in the Migardian warlock?" Questioned Thor.
"Warlock?" Asked Steve Rodgers, confused over a term he had only heard before in fairytales.
"A Migardian sorcerer born with magic is it not?" Said Thor.
"I don't know how to tell you this big guy but Earth doesn't have any sorcerers." Tony told the other worlder.
"I believe they were practicers of the Old Religion." Thor said ignoring Tony's remark.
"What else can you tells us, Thor?" Asked Steve.
"I'm sorry friend Steve but I do not know anymore on Migardian sorcerers, perhaps you can require your information from elsewhere."
Tony strolled over to the one of the many flat screen computers at the front of the meeting room and began to type at a speed no one seemed able to follow.
"Here" He said as he looked at the screen and back to his fellow team mates. "It says that The Old Religion is the customs and way of life belonging to the magic users of Albion. It is based on the philosophy of a sacred balance between all people, creatures, and elements of the universe which must be eternally preserved. At the heart of the religion is the balance between life and death itself.
The structure of the Old Religion remains unknown, but brief revelations indicate that it was lead by the High Priests and High Priestesses, who were among the most talented and dedicated practitioners of magic."
"Wait are you saying that wizards exist?" Questioned the skeptical Captain America.
"Loki can use magic." Pointed out the Black Widow.
"Yes but he's not from Earth."
"Anyway." Tony said bringing the attention, once again, back to himself."Despite the ban of magic in Camelot, followers of the Old Religion still existed. A significant minority of these people appeared to use dark magic with the intent in acting revenge on the king due to the loss of loved ones during the Great Purge."
"Ah I recall that now." Thor said happy at remembering the information on this topic. "The king Uther killed many mortals for being suspected of the art of magic. He used trickery and betrayal to capture and kill the mighty dragons."
"Thor, are you saying Earth had Dragons?" Bruce asked, unbelieving over this factor.
"That I am brother Banner, I never got to witness one of these mighty beasts but I have heard many stories upon their wisdom."
"Emrys' magical abilities went far beyond that of normal sorcerer. For most, magic needed to be studied and perfected for many years but Emrys' magic developed from birth with no training. Emrys' was considered to be the most powerful sorcerer in the world of magic to ever will and has ever been to walk the Earth. He was considered to be a creature of magic as magic was a part of his soul and blood, unlike usual sorcerers who borrowed the magic from the Earth."
"Wow, that's impressive." muttered Bruce.
"There are many prophecies based around Emry's in the time of Camelot all stating that he will, along with the once and future king, unite the lands of Albion in a time of peace and prosperity and bring about the Golden Age in which magic is welcome back into the lands. However a new prophecy was soon foretold, it stated; The Once and Future King will return in the moment the world needs him most, in the time of fire and destruction. In the time of old, new, blue, gold, green and red. In the time Earth meets new." Stark finished reading off of the screen in front of him.
"I wonder what it means." Questioned Steve Rodgers, but before anyone else could comment the sound of an explosion and failing motors filled the air. They were under attack.