You were all waiting for it. I know.

Twenty-Fifth Installment: Bad Omen

Steve wasn't thrilled to hear the news when Loki and Clint returned. "Guess it can't be helped," he said after a moment. "Why didn't we think to bring canisters of gas? We could put everyone to sleep and be long gone before they woke up."

Loki gave him a curious look. "Canisters of sleeping gas? You humans certainly do have the most interesting and useful technologies."

Steve almost smiled. "I don't want to have to kill unless it can't be avoided. These dark elves aren't guilty of anything except being in the wrong place."

"That won't be easy," the green-eyed Aesir warned. "Dark elves fight like demons."

Thor shifted. "Would I be able to use Mjölnir?" he asked. "I could most likely take them all out without a single casualty."

Loki gave his elder brother a faint smile, and Steve thought it looked less mocking than usual. "Yes, actually," he said, "but that wouldn't at all be quiet. There are dishonored all around that area, scattered amongst the buildings. They would arrive quickly."

Turning, Steve looked to Natasha and Clint. "Any ideas? This is more your area of expertise."

Natasha's lips pursed, and she glanced at Clint. "It's harder to quietly deal with a group. It's a quick and simple affair to pick off people who are spread out."

The captain sighed. "And we can't wait and see if they'll disburse."

At his side, Loki stirred. "I could use a silencing stone," he said, "but that would only work if you can take care of fourteen dark elves in thirty seconds or less."

"What's a silencing stone?" Steve asked, frowning.

"In short, a stone that is enchanted to silence all within the enchantment's radius," Loki explained. "It's magic, and as soon as I activate it, others will sense it. So I ask again. Could you deal with that many dark elves very quickly? I will need to immediately open the doorway."

Steve looked at his friends and comrades-in-arms. "We'll have to."

"Is there a point to a silencing stone?" Bruce asked. "I mean, if magic will draw dark elves anyway, why waste the time?"

Loki shook his head. "Magic will not give the dark elves in the area an exact location. Sounds of a fight will. This will buy you another ten to twenty seconds."

"Twenty seconds can make a victory," Steve said. "Do it."

Something briefly flickered through Loki's eyes that said he didn't care for the order, but he surprised the captain by offering no smart comments. "I can't cast the enchantment here." He clasped the pendant around his neck. "I will return as soon as I'm done." And he vanished into that place he called the 'Astral pocket'.

"I wonder if I'm ever gonna get used to working with him," Steve murmured, shaking his head.

Everyone, including Thor, gave him smiles that said they agreed. Natasha, never one for public displays of affection, simply bumped her shoulder against his.

Loki reappeared with a plain gray stone in his hand. He held it to Clint. "As soon as you throw that, it will activate. You likely possess the best aim."

"No likely about that," Clint said, taking the stone.

To that, Loki smiled. The faintest, tiniest smile, but it actually looked genuine. Steve inwardly smiled. I think he's warming to us. Maybe we'll make an ally out of him yet.

Using Loki's enchanted mirrors to make sure no one was coming, the Avengers slipped back down into the city. Clint used the mirrors to check over the sill of a long-broken window, and he nodded to Steve. Steve gave his companions one last glace to make sure they were ready, then he nodded at Clint.

Hawkeye threw the silencing stone into the room and leaped in after it. The rest were in right behind him.

Steve's eyes took everything in, assessing the situation in a split second. The room was enormous, and it looked like once it had been several rooms. The walls were all crumbled, creating a sort of huge anteroom. Shabby furniture was scattered here and there, and a few dirty blankets hung up as privacy barriers.

The dark elves were scattered about, but they converged quickly on the Avengers. Steve saw Loki slip to the side, unnoticed by any who didn't know he was there. He moved to a protective position. Finding the doorway was more important right now than anything else, and he meant to make sure the slender Aesir didn't have any trouble.

The next thing Steve noticed was that he couldn't hear anyone. In fact, he himself couldn't speak. He gave a rueful smile. I guess the silencing stone couldn't discriminate between friend and foe. Oh well.

As quickly as he noticed these things, the dark elves very quickly realized it was magic. They didn't immediately throw themselves into the fight. Several of them drew back to better vantages, and Steve grimaced. Not good. He didn't need anything drawing this fight out. He charged toward the enemy closest to him, ducking behind his shield when it threw a dagger.

Fortunately, Clint didn't miss the dark elves who scattered. He immediately leaped to a better vantage of his own and drew a blunted arrow from his quiver. Steve felt a pang of gratitude. Those would hurt like hell when they hit, but they wouldn't kill.

Natasha slithered through the dark elves on the ground like a living shadow, appearing behind one to wrap her arm around its neck and squeeze. A second one sprinted toward her, and she shoved her captive right into its comrade. They both went sprawling.

The good Dr. Banner had transformed, and a single blow sent two dark elves flying. It was strange to see it with no sound. Thor had dispatched a few of his own, and he was heading toward another. Steve felt a flicker of hope that this would end quickly and without bloodshed.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw two of them make a mad dash for Loki. Steve whipped around, bolting to the mage's aid. He needn't have wasted his time. Loki executed a beautiful duck and roll at the last possible second, and the two dark elves collided. With near-blinding speed he delivered a single spin-kick that took them both out.

Okay, guess I don't need to worry about him.

Perhaps because the silencing stone had a more impressive radius than Steve had supposed, no one heard the approach of others. Clint nocked one last arrow and knocked down the only dark elf still standing when small bolts came flying into the room through the large broken window on the other side of the room.

Steve couldn't keep track of them with his eyes until Clint and Natasha both staggered and went down on one knee. Steve let out a silent grunt when one scored a deep path along his thigh, sending him down as well.

Probably a good two-dozen dark elves poured in, brandishing small crossbows and oddly-shaped short swords. They had twin blades spaced probably a few centimeters apart, and he knew they would deliver vicious wounds—wounds which would be difficult to heal.

Thor was the first to rush to meet them, and Steve had to close his eyes against the painfully bright blue-white lightning. Dark elves went flying, and Steve ducked behind his shield to avoid another pair of thrown daggers. Dr. Banner mowed into their midst, face fixed in a roar. It was one of the strangest things Steve had ever witnessed: a perfectly silent fight.

Then a sudden and short pulse of green light made the Avengers look at Loki. The Aesir had his hand pressed against an ominously black wall, and he beckoned them come. The meaning was clear, and they weren't the only ones who understood Loki had just used magic.

The random attacks of the dark elves changed as they swarmed toward the mage. Loki immediately held out his other hand, and the silencing stone appeared in it. With a flash, Steve could suddenly hear again.

"Don't worry about them!" Loki snapped. "Just hurry!"

Bruce flattened probably half a dozen dark elves as he stomped to Natasha and Clint. He scooped them both up, and Tony swept through four more with his suit as he zipped to Steve's side to offer him an arm. Thor brought up the rear, and this time it was Steve who took Loki's hand. It was slender and cool in his own.

Then that terrible, terrible darkness swallowed them.

Steve almost gasped at the sudden spike of pain. Then he realized he had gasped, but he couldn't hear it because the shadow had swallowed the sound. For some reason, the new wound on his leg felt a million times worse in the dark. Cold so powerful it burned spread from the injury, and Steve felt like he was drowning.

Then he was tumbling out of the dark and into yet another frozen landscape. Loki's face was gray and his entire body trembling as the rest of the Avengers fell out of shadow and into . . . wherever they were now. The green-eyed Aesir drew himself up with fury painted on his features, looking over Steve's head.

"Fool!" he snarled. "Do you have any idea what you've done!"

Startled, Steve followed his eyes to see the doorway to darkness was gone and a single dark elf was now lying on the snow, shaking like a leaf. Damn, he thought, struggling to his feet, he must have followed us through. He managed to reach Loki in time, placing a hand on the other's chest to stop him.

"Wait," he said, low and urgent. "Don't kill him. Just let him go."

"I will have to search for days for a new doorway!" Loki spat, shaking Steve off and once more advancing on the dark elf.

This time Steve grabbed his wrist and tugged gently. "The damage is done, can't do anything about it now. Please, Loki."

The Aesir stopped, pinning Steve with a fierce glare. He wrenched his hand free and stalked away. "Fine."

Steve looked at the dark elf, who had finally gotten to his feet and was giving Thor and Dr. Banner a wide-eyed look. "You better go," he said quietly.

The fellow didn't waste time, sprinting off into the lazily drifting snow.

"Why did we exit so soon?" Tony asked.

Loki's tension was visible, even though his back was turned. "That fool—" he made it sound like the vilest curse—"had an anti-magic . . . contrivance. Since I have to use magic to take you fools through the shadow, it caused my artificial bridge to collapse and throw us all out."

Steve didn't take his anger personally. He looked around. "Where are we? Is this still Niflheim?"

"Yes," Loki snapped. "The city is less than two leagues from here." He waved a hand. "I had planned to be in Nidavellir by tonight. It will take me three days to lead you there on foot unless I can find another doorway. Unlikely."

It made his anger quite understandable.

"We can't stay in the open like this," Thor said after a somewhat awkward silence.

Loki pointed to a nearby bluff. "I need to heal those injuries." He looked at the three wounded humans. "They will only grow worse with time."

"Can you make it?" Thor asked them.

Each nodded. Steve was grateful that exiting the shadow had caused the pain to ease off a little.

It was slow going, but soon they reached the rise in the land that provided crude shelter from the storm. Loki had all three of them sit down and directed Thor and Tony to keep watch. Bruce had finally reverted to his normal state, and he stayed close.

"This one is the worst," Loki murmured, obviously mostly to himself as he carefully peeled Clint's vest away from the wound. He placed his palm over the wound, and a pale green light sprang up.

Clint instantly relaxed. "Damn," he whispered. "That feels better already."

Loki gave him an amused look. "I haven't even started."

"Why don't our doctors have magic?" Hawkeye mused with a sigh. "This is better than a painkiller."

Loki snorted softly.

It took him maybe half an hour, and when he was done there wasn't a mark on Clint's skin. The green light faded, and Loki sat back on his heels. After a few slow, deep breaths, he turned to Natasha. Her face was drawn in pain. Steve commiserated. The pain in his thigh had grown steadily worse, and even though he'd been applying pressure constantly it had yet to stop bleeding.

As soon as Loki placed his hand over the wound and the green light reappeared, Natasha's face relaxed. "Wow," she sighed, "it really does feel better as soon as you touch it."

Loki smiled a bit. "Healing magic was my mother's specialty. I learned it well. I am likely the best healer in Asgard."

The words didn't sound boastful. They were spoken plainly and without special emphasis, a simple statement of fact. Steve found himself needing no proof to believe it. I'm starting to feel really grateful he wasn't in earnest about conquering Earth. I think we'd all be bowing to him now if he was. A chilling thought.

Or maybe that was just this icy realm. He almost laughed.

Loki had been working maybe ten minutes when Thor came and knelt beside him. "This locale is too open," he said. "We need to find a better place, Loki."

"We don't have time," Loki said, voice oddly serene. "The good captain cannot walk on that leg. Do you see those mountains, away to the east?"

"Yes."

"That is where we must make it by nightfall. Nights here are too dangerous to traverse. All manner of creatures prowl the open plains, and they will be all too happy of the chance for hot, fresh meat."

A thought Steve didn't relish. Thor went back to his keeping watch, and Loki continued his healing effort on Natasha. When he was done, again not a mark remained. He sat again paused, and Steve thought he looked a bit paler. I hope this doesn't exhaust him overmuch.

"You okay?" he asked, low and hoping he didn't sound too concerned.

Loki nodded, shifting so he could face the captain.

The Avengers weren't wearing typical clothing, and Steve had foregone the stars and stripes. His outfit was of a thick-yet-supple material that might be leather but felt too soft. The pants were dark gray, and finely-tooled leather boots protected his feet. The shirt was cotton with a fine-spun wool tunic for warmth and extra protection, all in muted colors of cream and leather-brown. All simple but well made.

Because, as Loki had pointed out with a glimmer of mischief in his eye, spandex wasn't practical outside of Midgard. Actually, the Aesir had said spandex wasn't practical at all. It was enough to make Steve smile at the memory.

"I'm fine," Loki said, putting a hand on Steve's thigh right below the wound.

The fingers of his other hand dipped inside the fabric, and Steve couldn't help gasping at how cold they were. Loki flicked him a look that might have been apologetic. But maybe it was a warning to suck it up. Hard to say with Loki. The Aesir carefully pushed the fabric aside, tearing it only a bit more. Each movement was gentle and delicate. It was so at odds with Steve's perceptions of Loki it was jarring. He placed his hand over the wound.

Just like Clint and Natasha, Steve's eyes closed at the instant cessation of pain. A slightly warm tingle set in his skin, pleasant and soothing. When he opened them, Loki was giving him the faintest hint of a teasing grin.

Teasing? Loki? Strange. The captain wondered if his world would ever stop growing stranger by the day and just start being normal. Maybe strange is my new normal. He found it difficult to think with that pleasant tingle in his skin.

As time began to elapse, Steve noticed the warmth intensified. In fact, it was just beginning to feel uncomfortable when Loki finished. He looked down in time to see the wound was gone without a trace, and Loki even repaired the hole in the pants.

And he definitely looked a little tired.

"Thank you," Steve said, getting to his feet and offering Loki a hand.

After a brief hesitation, Loki accepted and let the captain pull him up. "Thor," he called, "we need to go. Now."

His brother nodded, blue eyes on the distant horizon. "I can see a storm gathering," he said, voice tense. "Storms in Niflheim can kill mortals."

"I'm aware," Loki said, following his brother's gaze and grimacing. "Come. And hurry. We will have perhaps an hour before it is upon us."

Steve felt a sliver of unease. Enemies he could fight were one thing. Enemies he couldn't touch . . . that was another thing entirely.