Disclaimer: I do not own anything pertaining to The Avengers or any of its associations.
''During the construction of Loki's machine, there was an accident,'' Director Fury explained. ''One of our agents was knocked unconscious, and woke long enough to get a message to me before Loki... disposed of him.''
''So he'll know we're coming,'' Steve stated.
''Or he'll be gone by the time we get there,'' Tony remarked dryly.
''We have eyes on the location,'' Director Fury continued. ''There has been no movement.''
In the next few minutes, they were on board a S.H.I.E.L.D. helicopter, sailing through the sky toward the outskirts of New York City. Thor and Tony stayed with them instead of flying ahead, wanting to provide a united front despite the turmoil within the group.
When they landed, they spilled out of the helicopter and towards the church that Loki had taken refuge in. Steve had been angry when he'd found out the location, and shook his head again in disapproval as they approached the structure.
There were civilian vehicles in every space of the parking lot, and they surmised that none of them had made it out of the building after Loki had entered.
They split up before they reached the grand doors at the front of the building, Thor and Stark moving to the rear after dropping Clint to the open steeple. Natasha and Bruce stayed behind and flanked Steve as he pushed open the doors.
The light spilled inside from the sun at their backs, and cast their shadows all along the floor to the base of the minister's podium, where Loki perched, smirking.
The benches were filled with the people of the congregation, all sitting and staring forward as if they were listening to the sermon. There was no movement, and it was eerily silent except for their footsteps as they padded slowly inside. When even the children did not stir, they knew something was wrong.
Loki moved from the podium in one swift, graceful movement, turning his back to them to stand in front of the altar. He turned his gaze up, to the man on the cross, then turned back to look at them, now stopped at the center of the room.
Banner was bent at the waist, looking into the face of one of the church members, checking his vital signs. He was not dead, but he was unresponsive to all stimulation. Natasha and Steve did not risk taking their eyes from the God of Mischief.
Loki put his hands on the podium, but the slightest flickering gave him away.
''That's not Loki,'' Natasha said, spinning just in time to see the doors slam shut behind them.
Loki smiled at her from before the doors, and his hand moved to hover over the handles. The metal whined as ice formed over it, and Loki's hand remained blue for a few moments before resuming its usual camouflage.
He blinked the red from his eyes, and a smile flickered on his lips when he noticed their obvious tension.
''You are of the faith, Captain?'' Loki drawled, his eyes moving from Natasha to Steve.
''I am,'' Steve said without hesitation.
Loki chuckled softly at his response, and it sent shivers up each of their spines. ''Steve Rogers... Captain America... The symbol of justice... and righteousness...'' He took a dramatic pause between each line, and a slow step nearer with each as well.
''And a prime example of the stubbornness of the humans of Midgard,'' Loki sneered.
Steve rose his chin in response, and his jaw clenched in anger.
Loki's eyes narrowed before he continued. ''You pray to a god that is not there to listen, begging for answers and truths and words of wisdom. You clutch to the words of a book written by liars as if it were spouting water for your thirsting throats.''
''And when you have a real god standing before you, you refuse to acknowledge me as such because I am not your false god,'' Loki growled condescendingly.
He sighed, closing his eyes for a moment to cool, before opening them again. ''I only wish to restore your people to their greatness, to their most worth, and I will do so as your king. Under my rule, they will know the answers and truths that they seek.''
''But not freedom,'' Steve said, his hand tightening on his shield.
''No, not freedom,'' Loki breathed, his eyebrows raising slightly.
''You wonder why we refuse to accept you,'' Steve countered. ''Maybe we just want to believe that there is a better god out there for us than you.''
Loki's jaw clenched tightly, and a series of projections formed around him the next moment. All of their mouths moved as he spoke, and they spread about the room.
''I am the god you deserve.''
Suddenly, each of the projections were attacking, dissipating when they would come in contact with the Avengers. When the real Loki finally made contact- at the point when the Avengers became discouraged and satisfyingly off of their guard- it was a blow from which they would not recover easily.
Thor and Tony and Clint all burst into the room to join them, their arrival having been slowed by their encounters with the army of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents that Loki still had at his disposal. They came to a stop at the edges of the room, their chests heaving from the exhaustion and the exertion of their battles.
Their arrival was parallel to Loki's small victory, their eyes widening in horror as Loki pressed the tip of his scepter to Steve's chest.
Every effort made to stop it was in vain or too late.
The blue had already seeped into Steve's eyes when Natasha knocked the scepter aside with her boot. Loki cast her aside easily, but she caught herself on the edge of one of the benches to stop herself from falling to the ground.
Banner began to change beside her, his body cracking and reforming and changing color.
Loki cracked the end of his scepter against the ground, and all at once every member of the civilian congregation stood and turned to face the Avengers.
''Banner, no!'' Clint cried out. If Loki turned the civilians against them, Hulk would destroy them.
But Bruce was too far gone to revert, and his eyes were horrified as his body was taken over more and more by the beast.
''Get out of here!'' Tony yelled.
Loki shifted only slightly to the side with a smirk to let the beast pass him, and the Hulk smashed through the doors at the front of the room and disappeared.
Loki's eyes flickered to each of the Avengers in turn, lingering slightly on Natasha before smiling. He cracked the end of his scepter on the floor again, and Steve moved to stand at his side. The agents that remained intact from their battles with the Avengers a few moments before spilled into the room and gathered at his back.
''Shall we?''
Author's Note: I realize... Loki's dialogue is both my favorite and the most challenging part of writing this story. It's a double edged sword I suppose. On another note, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please review!