Welcome back avid readers! Its been a while. Life got ahead of me. Once again thank you to my readers. I'm still so dumbfounded that this story has received so much support. its cray cray. Don't worry, I'll be writing the other guys in the next chapter, but for now its just Tony Loki goodness. I'm glad many of you have voiced your hatred for Nancy. I don't like her either...but she is a joy to write. XD UPDATED and edited by my fantastic beta 3
It's finished.
That's all Nancy cared about. Things were finally finished.
Nancy stood away from her test, clutching her hands against her chest in an attempt to hold the joy she felt so deep in her heart. Unshed tears lingered on her eyes as she looked up. My legacy, she thought, taking in a deep breath of content. Turning around she looked again at the monitor. The readings proved that Loki's energy could withstand anything S.H.I.E.L.D. could throw at her. Her test against Tony Stark's reactor proved it could last far longer than his durability. The NX3's would never need to recharge nor upgrade. They would run forever. They would even last through an E.M.P. Nancy smiled - S.H.I.E.L.D. could not counter science fueled by a god.
It was then that Nancy Fischer decided her next move. Fury was no doubt holding all his cards with the Avengers. The six freaks … that defeated the god standing before her. But Nancy saw no godly being before her; she merely saw nothing but a used experiment. No, the Avengers were not a threat, not anymore… S.H.I.E.L.D. was. The longer Nancy dwelled on this thought, the more she realized. The entire system was a threat.
A threat to itself.
S.H.I.E.L.D. had always had an influence in the government and other large organizations. Nancy herself had worked on projects that benefited S.H.I.E.L.D.'s grasp on the world. A world that was now corrupt and sullied by the organization she had been once proud to be a part of.
Nancy widened her eyes. Fury had dismissed her because of her attempts to correct the balance. Once S.H.I.E.L.D. had recognized the good she was doing…. was going to achieve, they threw her away.
Madness crept into Fischer's mind as she began to see the world in a whole new light. The hope of acceptance that once kept her ability to continue was now plagued with anger. Too many years religiously working on her project had caused the scientist to frown with disgust.
She did not want S.H.I.E.L.D.'s acceptance.
Nancy bared her teeth.
She would destroy S.H.I.E.L.D.
Bypassing Tony Stark Nancy rushed to the nearest computer and activated her program. As she pushed the final confirm the facility whirred into life. The walls began to pulsate with the flow of electricity as the NX3's began to power up nearby. Nancy turned to Tony Stark and frowned.
Such a waste, she thought.
Tony kept his head slumped on his chest as he concentrated on breathing. Sadly, it sounded more like wheezing than anything else. Though his Arc Reactor still remained connected to him, it hung loosely outside of its cavity, preventing full power. Tony's skin was slowly turning ashen as blue veins were starting to become visible around his neck. Tony looked up from his position. Together they made eye contact.
"It is a shame to end things now." Nancy knelt down in front of Tony. To Tony, her face seemed almost apologetic.
"Leaving… the party…. so soon?" Tony managed to say.
"My work is done." Nancy dismissed him and put her hand around Tony's reactor.
Nancy tugged the cord ever so slightly and Tony stiffened.
"Tell me one… thing," Tony rasped.
Nancy paused.
"Go on."
"Are you going to use these … NX3's … to hurt people?" Tony asked.
Nancy smiled softly.
"Yes. Why?"
"Okay good… I'm not going to feel bad … when my team kicks your ass."
Nancy scorned at Tony before she pulled hard on the reactor. Tony's body rippled with spasms as he felt the attachment break away. He screamed only once. Of all the times his Arc Reactor had given him pain… having it pulled out was certainly the worst.
Nancy stood up discarding the reactor with a toss, and removed the necklace, keeping it in her hand.
"Let's see them try!" She screamed.
Tony slowly raised his head to look at someone he felt, in his honest opinion, had lost their mind completely, but his gaze couldn't reach her face. Instead, Tony saw a burst of emerald light behind Fischer. With his eyesight blurry and beginning to fade into darkness he slowly pointed.
"Behind you," he whispered, slumping as he finished.
"What?" Nancy said flustered, unable to hear him.
"He said 'behind you.'"
Nancy spun around and widened her eyes as Loki grabbed her by the neck and threw her across the room. More emerald sparks lit the sterile white room and Loki swiftly broke the restraints on Tony's wrists with his bare hands. The god then pulled the inventor out of the chair without any remorse for his injury. Loki grunted through gritted teeth as he dragged Tony to where Nancy had let go of the necklace as she was thrown. Loki curled his fists as the pain intensified. Dropping Tony next to the necklace he shook the mortal. Tony didn't respond.
"Fool of a mortal! Wake up!" Loki slapped Tony.
Loki raised his head to search for the mortal woman. She was rising slowly to regain her bearings as she drew a weapon Loki was familiar with.
Loki didn't have time. Tony's scream had pulled him from wherever he had been, but only momentarily… and the effect was now beginning to wear off. Loki could slowly feel himself being plunged back into the darkness.
Loki began to shake Tony furiously.
"Stark…." Loki blinked a few times, but the pain was persuading him to go back under.
"Release … my … commands," Loki whispered as he fell back under 'yield'.
Tony took a gasp of breath as he slowly opened his eyes again.
Why was he on the floor?
Looking around he saw Loki kneeling next to him with a blank expression and the stone within his reach.
It didn't take a genius like Tony Stark to know his next move.
"You alien bastard!" Nancy screamed stumbling forward with her gun drawn.
Slowly reaching around Tony used his fingers to crawl his hand towards the stone. When he felt the cool surface of the stone and grasped it with what little remaining strength he had, Tony pulled it close to him.
"Retract …" he gasped unable to breath. "All … commands," he said before going falling unconscious.
Loki's eyes focused and immediately turned towards Nancy Fischer. He would thank Stark later by not killing him. Standing up slowly he bared his teeth in loathing excitement.
"I want you," he said, voice dripping with utter determination.
Nancy fired her gun with one hand as she ran across the room to a screen. Loki waved his hands at each bullet, reflecting them like child's play. As he advanced, grabbing the edges of trays and throwing them out of his way Nancy hit one of the buttons.
"Nancy Fischer!" She yelled into the screen before rolling to the side, dodging Loki's grab.
-Voice recognition activated,- spoke the monitor.
Nancy fired more shots at the alien. All she had to do was buy herself a few moments of time. Another dodge of a clawed hand aimed at her face and Nancy emptied her clip. Suddenly she felt herself be thrust upwards. Loki had teleported with strained effort in front of her and picked her up by the neck. Loki squeezed.
"I want to paint the walls red with your blood," he said viciously.
But before Loki could rip the mortal woman apart, the wall to his left was blown away. Looking annoyed he noticed a few figures step through the newly erected door. Loki narrowed his eyes … these were the metal mortals he had given his magic to - he could sense his own aura within them. But this aura was tainted with something unknown to the god. Loki lowered the woman without letting her neck go as he watched one figure after another pile into the room.
"Save… me," Nancy chocked out.
Loki looked at her and back at the figures. They appeared exactly as mortals would, but they held neither flesh nor emotion. Instead, a light grey film of rubber defined all their features. One robot tilted its head, its plastic eyes gazing at Nancy.
-Voice recognition confirmed-
Loki frowned as three NX3's raised their hands.
This move was familiar to the god. The man of iron often attacked in such a fashion.
Loki released Fischer and was about to teleport, when he was blasted across the room and through the other wall, breaking into an adjacent room. Skidding across the floor on his back, Loki quickly stood up, as if the blast was a nuisance. Still, compared to the attack Stark brought upon him a long time ago, this left a strong sting of pain in his chest. It surprised Loki. He did not expect an attack almost equal to Thor's. An attack in where Thor had not resorted to using Mjölnir against him. It had caught him off guard nonetheless. As he climbed through the hole in the wall angrily he saw Fischer standing behind her protectors smiling. Loki's gaze fell momentarily on Tony.
The god chided himself. Stark needed his blue heart.
"Ten more units to my position. All others proceed to hanger!" She spoke to the nearest droid to her. All NX3's were connected to the same system and thus obeyed orders.
Loki narrowed his eyes as he watched the woman. Fischer's eyes lingered for far too long on Tony until she gazed back at him.
Both individuals came to an understanding.
The stone.
Loki hesitated as he quickly scanned the room, stopping when he saw the blue glow of Tony's 'heart'. It was on the opposite side of the room where Fischer had thrown it. Loki took one step before stopping at a standstill. The ten drones Nancy had ordered had arrived, climbing through the hole in the wall and standing still … awaiting orders.
Loki clenched his jaw. It had been a few minutes already and he could barely sense Tony's aura. Loki felt a strange sense of confliction. Nancy bent down near Tony and tugged the necklace away.
"Aww," she said, straightening up and staring Loki down. "He doesn't look too good."
Loki took another step but stopped again, glancing at the glow. He needed the stone to heal.
Nancy noticed the alien's hesitation to take the stone from her. She would keep it for 'insurance' against the one in red. Loki looked down. Even if he killed the woman and all her machines, by the time he would have dealt with them, Tony's aura would be no more. If all mortals and machines were dead and he were to teleport back to Thor, the stone would be left behind. Loki had no idea where he was, and that would complicate the retrieval of the stone.
Was this Odin's true test? Loki began to understand.
His shoulders began to sag.
So this is the beginning of the end. Loki looked to the mortal woman as she began to leave, taking a few droids with her.
Turning around Nancy stopped at the doorway.
"Kill the alien," she said, rushing out.
Ten droids remained as Loki lunged for Tony's blue heart. The metal beings were upon him as he secured the glowing object in his hand. Loki could feel his magical energy reserves stretched thin, but this feeling always accompanied him in battle… he knew how to ration his attacks.
I'll need most of it to teleport the stupid fool and myself away, Loki decided as he dodged a blast. Loki easily ducked under a machine's swing and using both his hands the god secured them around the face of the droid and twisted. Loki repeated the same for all the machines in the room until one by one they lay at his feet. The mortal woman was daft to ever think these 'imitations of life' could defeat him. Loki rushed to Tony and turned him over. Holding the heart over the cavity, the god frowned.
What do I with it? He thought, frustrated, glancing between the two.
Loki quickly pushed the object into the cavity when he felt Stark's aura sink further into oblivion.
Nothing happened.
The god tried turning it and pushing it in further. Fiddling with the object like a child.
Unable to elicit any response that the placement had worked Loki pulled it out again and truly observed it. It was strangely beautiful as he held it between both hands. Loki narrowed his eyes; he was a great problem solver… the best in Asgard. A mere mortal object would not confound him so. Loki looked with greater depth into the cavity of Stark's chest. It was strange, to say the least, but the god noticed a copper looking coil and a small bar welded into the middle. Loki looked back at the glowing heart. A black cord lay attached to the cylindrical blue object and at the tip was affixed a strange clip.
Loki didn't have enough time to properly think of any more possibilities and immediately put the clip into the cavity. Reaching down the god grimaced in disgust as he felt something slimy coat his hand. As his finger found the small bar Loki pushed down until he felt a 'click'.
The god immediately felt a change in the human's aura.
Taking his hand out Loki pushed the blue heart in place and turned it like a key until he heard another 'click'. Tony's body shuddered and the color in his skin began to return. Loki smirked … not the 'best', I am the greatest. As he awaited the 'stupid fool''s consciousness to return, Loki massaged the strange clear ooze on his hand between his fingers, inspecting it. Loki had always been fascinated by new things, and a mortal whose heart did not shed red blood was one of them. Bringing it close, the god smelt it.
He had definitely seen Stark bleed red once before and yet this… it did not smell like the red liquid.
Mortals are strange creatures.
The fascination did not last long when Loki heard a familiar whirring noise. Standing up and in front of Tony the god watched the fallen drones push themselves into mimicking positions. Each droid placed their hands on their twisted heads and turned them back into the correct position in sync.
Loki stood confused.
He had killed these beings. Why were they reanimating?
Looking down on his slime covered hand he realized.
The heart.
Loki had animated these beings under Fischer's command… and had used his own aura to do so. The god's magic naturally healed all his injuries without command, and so it was with these beings.
The droids began to rush forward to obey the order they were given.
Loki didn't look back as he rushed forward to meet them in battle
An alert will let you take the stone from Nancy a Review will let you command Loki to get his revenge
-Brought to you by the Broadcasting Service of Mimbillia-