Avengers: The King of Kings.

Summary: "One year after Ceil Zak'Vael's defeat, tensions are running in all new highs as anticipation for the Black Hunt's return takes its toll. After reaching a breaking point with Loki, who has grown distant as "the inevitable" looms closer, Thor returns to Earth in hopes of clearing his head before the fight that is to come. However, his "pity party" is quickly interrupted when he inexplicably reunites with the Avengers, who give him some disturbing news: millions of people have been disappearing, and some of the biggest cities in the world have gone dark. With S.H.I.E.L.D scrambling for answers, they're finally forced go after the one man they believe capable of such chaos- Loki. Now, tasked with saving the Earth from certain doom- and his brother from wrongful imprisonment- while at the same time trying to find a reason to keep fighting, Thor's got to decide what's worth what and, most importantly, why, before an old enemy returns to wreck havoc on the one place that was supposed to stay safe- and with a near-silent, morose Loki by his side and constant infighting within the Avengers to boot, Thor's got his work cut out for him… but when tragedy strikes too close to home, it's time to get serious again."

Warning: "This will be a relatively tame fanfic, with the exception of some blood, violence, angst, some language, a character death or two, and other adult situations. So, to be on the safe side, we'll be going with Rated T. I have watched the Avenger's movie and all relating Marvel movies, but this does not mean that I am perfect and/or know absolutely everything there is to know about, and I'm bound to forget or misuse some small detail. So, with that, please forgive me if I screw up, and just enjoy the story."

Disclaimer: "I do not own Thor. Please don't ruin my day by thinking I do."

Author's Note: This story is dedicated to PhantomLilac AND MischievousChaos."

N._.s._.S

Chapter Thirty-Seven: Stark VS. The Magic Maniac.

"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."

- Arthur C. Clarke.

If Tony Stark hadn't been smart enough to dive through Thor's violent, jagged spate of lightning, already knowing full-well that it would overcharge his suit and allow him to use the extra power for a full-powered repulsor blast, he would be dead right now.

It was that simple, and that terrifying.

Just as Thor, Axel Hernsson, and pretty much everyone else had told him; Kai'Vael lived right up to the whole "super-insane-right-hand-man of the bad guy" thing.

And not to mention, he wielded magic.

There were two big reasons why Tony Stark hated the very idea of magic; the first being that, as one of the most brilliant, weapons-designing geniuses in the world, he refused to believe that magic was just something "science couldn't explain," because to him, science explained everything.

Magic was just something science hadn't figured out yet.

Unlike Banner, who took an interest in Thor's lengthy explanations, Stark remained steadfast in his belief that he could figure out Thor's "magic tricks" if given enough time, and while his attempts usually either failed miserably or ended getting him put in the Med Bay, he kept at it just to make a point.

And maybe just to be a little bit of a troll.

"I shall gladly show you that these are no tricks, Stark."

"The only way you can do that is to explain exactly how it works."

The second reason was that Stark just did not want to acknowledge that some part of his world, a world created and run by some of the greatest technological advances in the history of mankind, could be overrun, and even one day overshadowed, by something that couldn't be explained by any of it.

It insulted- and maybe even scared- him to think that all his work could mean nothing, if only because of people like Thor and Loki, or creatures like the Vael.

"I cannot."

Now though, he was up against Kai'Vael; who, lo-and-behold, was a bonafide sorcerer. This wasn't going to be like taking down super-terrorists like HYDRA, the Mandarin, or even Justin Hammer in all his stupid glory, because Kai'Vael, put simply, wasn't like any of them, if only because of his magic.

He was an alien, literally and figuratively; someone Stark couldn't predict, couldn't anticipate.

"Then they're just magic tricks. Simple as that."

Hell, he could barely even keep up with him.

(Sir! Hostile rapidly approaching the left!)

Snapped out of his thoughts, Stark veered right- but it was too late.

Darkness clamped down over him, crushing over the suit and pulling his limbs back together, rendering him completely paralyzed as Kai'Vael emerged from the clouds after another jagged stroke of lighting struck dangerously close between them.

Thor must see him, Stark belatedly realized, Is he trying to get me free from down there?

It sucked to realize how helpless he was against the onslaught of magic- it was like a slap to the face, to think that he was just so far behind when it came to all this nonsense; it made him (almost) regret not learning about it when Thor had offered to show him.

They told me you were a scientist, someone who doesn't believe in what you mortals call "magic," Kai'Vael sneered at him, dark brown eyes flashing in what only could have been sick mirth as Stark struggled underneath his suffocating grasp, But if that is true...why do you pit yourself up against me?

Stark had gone after Kai'Vael for several reasons- the big one being that Thor obviously had dibs on Lor'Vael after what happened to Loki; and Stark wasn't fool enough to infringe on that even as much as as he did, in fact, want to.

He respected Thor far too much than to just take his vengeance away from him like that.

Unlike Cap, Stark totally believed in the whole "an eye for an eye" mantra, especially in Loki's case, because he knew for a fact that the God of Mischief would have done the exact same thing if it had been Thor murdered in his place; and maybe even if it had just been anyone else on the team.

"Because I wanted to," Stark declared, as another strike of lighting came down dangerously close again, so close that it sent a powerful jolt through the suit and even caused a few errant strands of Kai'Vael's thick, black hair stand on end due to the conducted static.

(Suit power at 291%. I highly recommend releasing extraneous power.)

How very courageous of you, Kai'Vael answered, shortly, though the way he rolled his eyes as he spoke clearly conveyed the opposite, But it is no wonder you mortals live such short lives.

(Suit power at 309%. Discharge required before unit overcharges.)

("Give me a sec!")

"We live long enough," Stark retorted heatedly, with another fruitless jerk of the black, converging binds tying him, "Long enough to stop you!"

Kai'Vael rolled his eyes again. We are the harbingers of Midgard's doom, just as we are Asgard's. My people are superior, and we will crush any who dare question that.

(Suit power up to 348%. Sir, power discharge required now, or the result will be-)

("I know!")

Just then, there was another strike of lightning, right over their heads, and as it came down it lit up the black, angry swirling clouds encasing them, and Stark noticed that they had, by chance, drifted right out over the sea- and that was enough to get Stark's (in)famous mind straight to work.

("JARVIS, activate the water mod.")

(But the charge-)

("Just do it!")

(… Yes, right away, sir.)

"Your magic might be strong, but there's something you're missing!"

And what's that?

"Science!"

(Activating mod now!)

N._.s._.S

They blew up.

Well, that's not totally, technically accurate, but it's close to what actually happened. JARVIS wasn't lying when he said that the charge was too much- in fact, that's probably what the reliable old AI had tried telling him before he engaged the mod.

But that's exactly what Stark had wanted.

He'd been accused a number of times- mainly by Pepper and Cap- of being suicidal, especially after what happened in New York, when he got hold of the nuke Fury's goons had shot at them and flew it into Loki's portal-of-doom; knowing full-well he probably wouldn't be coming back.

Well, thank God, he did come back, but that wasn't the point.

And then, a few months before Thor came back, before all this nonsense with the Vael started, there had been an "incident" in Malibu. While, thanks to a few HYDRA goons- and a certain wayward former Sergeant- it was eventually proven that it hadn't been Stark's fault at all, Cap (who was later found to have unintentionally made him a target in the first place) initially blamed it all on him. Initially, they all thought that Stark himself had caused the explosion that left him with broken bones, a nasty concussion, and pretty much comatose for exactly six days.

Of course- before they found out what had really happened- Rogers was absolutely livid, but it took forever for Stark to realize why.

You can't put yourself in danger like that, Stark! You could have died!

I could have died plenty of times! Stark had brilliantly retorted, But I didn't, so there.

That's not the point!

Of course, when he was finally vindicated Stark had wanted to rub it in when they found out the truth-

Or he would have, anyway, hadn't it not been so damned complicated.

And he not been totally pissed off with an entirely different matter.

Anyway, during the first argument, Banner had prevented a complete blowout between Stark and Rogers by dragging Stark off, and had looked over the healing wounds back in the Med Bay, and when he was asked what he thought, Banner looked at Stark for a long moment, then chuckled and shook his head.

I don't think you're suicidal, no.

Good, because I'm not-

But I do think you like the dramatization of it.

What?!

You like the idea of being a martyr; the dramatization of death. Maybe it's just because you're you... or because you genuinely feel that it's better you than us, Banner had said, quite casually, pulling out a few more bandages and tape as though he were just discussing the weather, But that's not true.

You're as much a part of this team as I am no, if not more. If it weren't for you, then I probably wouldn't have lasted here for as long as I have. If you suddenly weren't around... it'd probably tear everyone apart again... For as much as you like to play the lone wolf, Stark, you're the glue that keeps us all together.

I never thought about that.

That's because for all you've learned about yourself these past few months... you are still selfish.

Okay, that one had hurt.

Those words were like a knife, clean and piercing.

N._.s._.S

Obviously, Kai'Vael met his end in the depths of the raging water; but that didn't stop the darkness that his writhing form still sent out through his last, dying breaths, much like a pseudo-materialized Curse with the sole purpose of dragging Stark down with him.

(– Sir!)

Try as hard as he might, Stark failed to fight his way out of the drowning, suffocating blackness that dragged him further and further down. It was as though thousand-pound chains had locked onto him, and even the water-mod couldn't cut through them.

But you tried.

I did try to hurt myself once, but I'm not proud of it; and I've told you that several times already, Banner had answered, patiently, without looking up from his work, But after that, after I knew it was futile, I didn't try it again. I didn't blatantly chase death, unlike you. If it doesn't work once, why would I tempt fate?

The blackness converged again, and Stark finally let his eyes close as JARVIS' panicked voice was finally drowned out by something else, a roaring, odd pulsing that wracked through his entire body and seemed to make everything else disappear as the memory continued on, unbidden.

You wanted to try again though, didn't you?

I knew the result would be the same.

But you wanted to, right?

For a long time... yes, I did. But then I realized something that made me loose all desire to try again.

… What did you realize?

I realized that I had somewhere to belong. And as long as I had that, I had a reason-

(- … Activating automatic emergency pulse!)

N._.s._.S

They found Stark on the beach. They found him even as Thor's battle raged far, far above them and the city, and despite the lightning practically threw itself down through the black, furiously swirling clouds above, blocking out the rising sun in the distant horizon, and the ear-piercing thunder roaring though the suddenly empty, burning air.

And, miraculously, he was alive.

Injured and just barely conscious, but alive.

"You were right," He told Banner, staring up into the black sky, "You were right."

Banner just smiled at him.

"Thanks JARVIS," Banner muttered to the AI when Stark finally closed his eyes, and Banner easily lifted the young man, suit and all, over one shoulder and carried him off, "Thanks for saving him."

(Of course, sir.)

N._.s._.S

Hope you guys liked this one! XD

We're so close to the end that it's not even funny!

So this will be done by Sunday-

Because I'm starting school on Monday!

So this is it! The dramatic end and stuff!

Please look forward to it, because the next chapter is coming soon!