A/N: Speedy update! I really should have been revising, but I wanted to write this. I'm not too sure about it, but... I don't think it's too bad. I found the Collector a tricky character. Now, I'm not too familiar with the comic books, so my knowledge of the Gems, the Collector and the non-cinematic universe aspects are all from research on the internet. I hope it's okay.
Enjoy!
Loki had been awake all night again. He had spent his time on the roof of the tower, trying to see the stars that were almost invisible through the pollution of the city.
(Everything will be fine. Thanos would have slain us all by now if he had the Time Gem.)
(Or maybe he's just waiting. Letting you suffer while you worry yourself to death.)
When morning came, he made his way down through the tower. Looking up at the ceiling as he walked through the halls, feeling rather foolish, he said, "Jarvis?"
"Yes, sir?"
"Would you kindly wake everyone?"
"Of course, sir."
Loki went into the lounge and stood by the window. He rarely sat with the others when they were in the same room. He always stayed away. (Everyone I get too close too gets hurt.)
"Hey, Lokster, it's like four in the morning," Stark said, yawning loudly. Loki did not reply, merely raising an eyebrow as eh continued to stare at the city below. So early, and yet there were still mortals driving their cars up and down the road.
In about half an hour, everyone was in the lounge. Loki finally turned to them. They were all dressed, albeit some- and by 'some', he meant Stark- rather shoddily. It would have to do.
"So, where are we going exactly?" Romanov asked.
"The Collector has ten museum-worlds, where he stores his artifacts. The Aether will be on one of these. He travels through the Universe in his ship, and so that is where we are going," he replied, clasping his hands behind his back. "Now, if you would all go outside onto the Bifrost site."
Once outside, Loki ordered everyone to stand in a circle. (Interesting. They follow my orders now.)
"Anything we should know before we go?" Banner asked.
"A few things, actually. Firstly: do not anger Tivan if you value your lives. Treat him with the same respect that you would give a king. He will seem strange in his behaviour, but you must realise that he is one of the Elders of the Universe; he is far older and far wiser than any of us here. If we get in a fight with him, we will lose.
"Secondly: remain with me at all times. There are many lifeforms in his museums that are dangerous. They may be manipulating or violent, so you must not stray from my side. If Tivan asks to speak with me alone, then stay with Thor and Sigyn. Always stay with one of us.
"Finally: do what I say. If I tell you to be silent, then you must be silent. If I tell you to speak out, then you do so. If I tell you to run, then you run. Am I clear?"
They nodded, and Loki met Sigyn's eyes. The same stood for her, and she knew it. This had to go perfectly. There was no room for mistakes or miscalculations.
Raising his head to the sky, he said, "Heimdall, to the Collector, if you would."
There was a moment of nothing, and then a vortex of colour pierced the sky, crashing down around them.
And then they were flying.
Bruce forced himself to remain calm as he flew through space. Dear God, he could see stars and nebulae and whole galaxies. He couldn't wait to tell Betty about this. But first he had to make sure the Other Guy didn't decide to come out and say hello. It was a few seconds before he felt ground beneath his feet again, and he stumbled slightly from the sudden feeling of actually weighing something again. Slightly breathless, he worked on keeping his pulse steady while working through everything he'd just seen.
How fast had he just travelled? How far had he just travelled?
A hand on his shoulder snapped him out of his daze, and he opened his eyes to see Steve looking down at him with a concerned expression.
"You okay?" He asked.
Bruce smiled and nodded. "Yeah.. Just a little overwhelmed."
Steve nodded, and Bruce looked around at his surroundings.
He definitely wasn't on Earth anymore.
It was dark, with patches of lighting shining on glass cabinets filled with God-knows-what. Everything was ornate and elegant, yet with a distinct feeling of ancientness that made Bruce feel like he was younger than a child in this strange environment. Plants and ornaments stood in these cabinets, in pristine condition. The air was warm, and the air smelt of dust. This place was old. Older than anything he'd ever encountered before, even when he'd visited the Aztec temples in South America.
Loki looked them all over, his gaze seeming to linger on Bruce for a fraction of a second longer. That piercing, emerald gaze made him uneasy. But it was gone as soon as it came, and Loki addressed them all.
"Remain silent. If you are asked by the Collector to introduce yourselves, then do so. Other than that, hold your tongues," Loki said, pointedly staring at Tony. The billionaire merelgy gave him a thumbs up in response.
And then someone rounded the corner, and Bruce very nearly took his glasses off to clean them before he realised that he was not, in fact, seeing things. The woman was clearly an alien; she had pink skin. She walked with short steps, and kept her hands clasped in front of her waist in a strange way.
Bruce honestly didn't even know why he was surprised anymore. He could transform into a huge, green monster, after all.
"Welcome, Lords and Ladies. May I ask why you have journeyed here?" She had an odd accent, and she tilted her head to the side.
"We are here to speak with Taneleer Tivan, regarding an item we stored here not long ago," Loki said.
"Of course, Prince Loki. Please follow me," she said, bowing. The she turned away and started hobbling in that strange way down a path lined with glass cabinets.
Bruce shared a glance with Tony. He looked as though he was about to comment, but Bruce shook his head. Something told him that getting Loki annoyed wasn't a good thing to do in this place.
They were led through winding corridors for a long time, but then the woman finally stopped in a darkened place. If not for the lighting, it would have been just like any other place in the strange ship. They rounded the corner and came to a stop.
"I present to you Taneleer Tivan, the Collector," she said, bowing once more.
Tivan was... oddly human looking, if not for the strange clothing. He was tall and well built, with the appearance of a middle aged man. His hair was bone white with streaks of iron grey, and his eyes were a pale, silver colour. His clothing was a deep crimson; quite simple in contrast to what Bruce had seen Thor and Loki wear. He had a heavy cloak draped over his shoulders, pinned at the neck by a solid metal clip.
The Collector bowed his head at them before waving a hand at the woman. She hobbled off down a corridor.
"You are here about the Aether, correct?" Tivan asked. He, too, had a slight accent.
"We are. Something has come up, and we need it back. Only temporarily, of course, but we are in dire need of it," Loki said smoothly.
Tivan raised an eyebrow. "What has happened to cause such immediate action?"
Loki smiled grimly. "I believe you are familiar with Thanos of Titan, correct?"
The Collector's face turned deadly serious. Something flashed in his eyes. "I am."
"Well," Loki began, "He's after the Gauntlet and the Gems. He knows where they all are."
Tivan raised an eyebrow. "He does not know where the Aether is. Its whereabouts had not yet been discovered when you were... with him."
Bruce thought Loki tensed slightly, but he wasn't sure. Loki was good at this. "True, but if he gets the others then it is only a matter of time before he comes after you and the Aether. There are none that are a match for the power of the Gems, Taneleer."
Bruce realised that Loki must have known the Collector personally. Tivan didn't seem like the type of person to just let anyone call him by his first name so casually.
"I am well aware of what the Gems can do. But, I must ask, why not simply use the Reality Gem to twist the Universe so that you already have the others? No one would know. You have never been the type to do things the hard way, Loki," Tivan stated.
Bruce raised his eyebrows slightly. He hadn't thought about that. Why didn't Loki just use the Reality Gem?
"You know as well as I that the Gems are not to be used lightly. The simplest change in reality can alter time, space and everything that inhabits it forever. And that is not counting the fact that the Gems don't work on each other."
For the first time, Tivan's lips curved upwards at the corners slightly. "Your mind has not lost its edge in these long years."
Loki smirked. "Nor has yours."
"Despite this, I am afraid we must get down to business. What will you offer me if I return the Aether to you?"
Bruce saw the Asgardians tense up at this, and he realised that they probably thought the Aether to be theirs. Apparently they'd only given the Aether to the Collector for safekeeping.
"The promise that, should I fail to return the Aether to you within the next century, you may add myself and my company to your collection."
And there it was. A reminder that Loki was a god and that the mere mortals were bargaining chips to him, and the Tivan was practically immortal. It really was an eye opener to how human he was.
"You have a decade. Your mortal companions are no good to me almost dead, Loki, even if the others will be unchanged," Tivan retorted.
Loki narrowed his eyes. "And if Thanos has not attacked by then?"
"Then you will have to find another way to defeat him."
Loki considered the Collector for a moment before nodding. "Very well then. You give me the Aether, and you have my word that if I have not returned it to you in ten years, you may add myself and the beings you see with me now to your collection."
Tivan waved his hands in the air in front of him, and- out of nowhere- a dark coloured box appeared. It looked heavy, and there was a strange, red glowing emanating from the cracks that flickered every now and again. From what Bruce had seen on the news, this was the Aether that had been over the skies in London.
Loki took it and waved his hands in a similar way that Tivan had, and the Aether disappeared. He inclined his head to Tivan, and the Collector responded in kind. Loki turned to them and nodded that they leave the way they came. They rounded the corner and walked down the length of the corridor before Loki picked up his pace, his long strides meaning that Bruce and some of the others had to jog to keep up.
"Loki, what-"
"I knew it was too good to be true," Loki hissed through clenched teeth, cutting Thor off. "He's going to try and capture us. We need to hurry- Damn." Loki stopped walking all together and stared back the way they had just came.
"What?"
"Sh!" Loki hissed, frowning. All was silent for a moment, but then Loki's eyes widened slightly. "Run."
"What?"
"Now!"
And they all took off down the corridor, following Loki.
Bruce just prayed that he could keep his heartbeat steady.
(Damn Taneleer to Helheim!)
As Loki ran in front of everyone, remembering the way back to the Bifrost site, he cursed himself for not expecting this. Tivan was insane. Or at least, he was to a certain point. Of course he would not just let them go; not when there was the chance that he would not be able to collect them. No matter how well the Elder hid it, he was well and truly mad.
"Sigyn, do you remember the way back?" He asked the elf as they ran. Why did the humans have to be so slow?
"Yes," she replied, by his side.
"Get everyone to the Bifrost site and get them out of here."
"Loki-"
"Do it!"
He stopped running and started shielding the path with his magic, setting traps along the way. Tivan had many different aliens in his collection; there was no saying what would come after them. Once he was sure the way was well enough protected, he started running again.
He had always been fast- that had always made up for his lack of strength when compared to other Aesir- and so it was not long before he caught up with the others. They were almost there.
Behind him, he heard several angry exclamations, and then shouting in a language he recognised.
"Thor, they're Skrull!" He yelled to his brother.
The Aesir all stopped, and Sigyn continued to lead the others to the Bifrost site.
"How many?" Thor asked.
As Loki reached him, he grabbed his arm, trying to yank him forward again. "Don't stop, you oaf! Run!"
Thor and the warriors started running once more- why they even stopped, Loki had no idea- and they reached the Bifrost site just as the others did. Banner was looking a little green, Stark was clutching his chest and heaving, Romanov and Barton had their weapons out and Rogers had his shield raised. Sigyn's magic crackled around her hands as she beckoned them all onto the Bifrost site.
Loki pushed Thor and the warriors inside the circle before walking on himself.
"Heimdall!" He shouted urgently, just as the Skrull reached them.
Their hulking bodies meant that they could only walk down the corridors two at a time, and their green skin reminded him a lot of Banner's alter ego.
He sent them flying backwards with a wave of magic, just as the Bifrost activated, carrying them away.
