Chapter 20
By: MysticFantasy
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Bruce felt his nerves working over time as he waited to any sign of his friends returning from Earth. To him, it felt like they had been gone for hours.
Maybe it was just the other guy inside him, wanting to come out and help beat Loki into the floor.
He hadn't heard much noise coming from inside the palace and that was worrying him. He was scared that something happened to Thor and Steve. That maybe Loki had finally come up with something that would stop them in their tracks and allow him to take what he's always wanted.
With each slowly passing minutes, Bruce was debating if he should turn into the Hulk and go help his friends but he kept himself in place and telling himself that the others would be there soon.
As if on cue, a sudden bright light appeared and, when it finally faded away, Bruce sighed with relief when he saw that it was his friends. All suited up and ready to fight.
"How is everything?" Volstagg questioned as they walked over.
"I haven't heard anything in a while and that's scaring me." Bruce answered. "Thor and Steve went in alone to see what they could do but I haven't heard anything in a while."
"Then we best not keep them waiting any longer." Fendral declared as he unseathed his sword. "Let us remind Loki of his place."
"I'm ready." Clint declared with a smirk as he strung an arrow.
"I'll catch up with you guys." Bruce said.
"Ok. Let's go." Fandral declared and the group charged down the chilled hallway.
The three Asgardian warriors led the way to the throne room. As they hurried to the room, everyone noticed how cold it was getting.
Their breaths were coming out in white puffs and the chill of the cold was brushing on every inch of exposed flesh.
They finally came to the large doors in time to see Thor fly by and miss being hit by a blue beam.
"Loki is trying his tricks again." Hogun declared. "He means to win by freezing us all."
"We better get in there and help him and Steve." Natasha declared, knowing full well how the captain dreaded these types of situations.
The group hurried into the throne room were stunned when they saw everything was covered in ice. The walls, the throne, columns, everything was iced over.
"Thor!" Volstagg shouted.
"Be careful!" Thor declared. "He froze the captain and he wishes to do the same to us!"
Natasha, Clint and Tony snapped their attention to a tall piece of ice to the side and their eyes went wide with horror.
Steve had been encased in ice.
"I shall do the same to all of you that I did to him!" Loki declared. "None of you shall live through this battle."
"You say that far too much and it never comes to pass." Volstagg declared. "You are believing your own lies, Loki."
"This time it is not a lie you fat pig." Loki snarled. "This time, I will succeed and I will be the new ruler of Asgard."
"You shall have to beat all of us first!" Thor declared and charged for the prankster.
As he did, Loki let out a blast of ice that narrowly missed the thunder god.
Tony shot his repulsor rays at Loki but they only went straight through the raven haired man.
"It's another of his tricks." Thor declared. "Be cautious."
Clint kept his arrow ready, just waiting to be able to put it through Loki's eye like he had wished during the battle of New York.
He'd suffered greatly under the mischief maker's hands. He'd lost the trust he'd worked to hard to gain from fellow SHIELD agents and the organization itself. He had been forced down the road he thought he had left behind when he joined the secret organization.
Even though Clint had gained the trust and friendship of the Avengers, he still felt that he had a lot to make up for while he'd been under Loki's control.
But right now, he wanted to make the said man pay for what he did. To him and to his friends.
Then, a warm breath hit the back of his neck. He whirled around in time to see a bright bluish white light.