(Hi! I have posted more than one chapter per day, but the visualization graph indicates that some people are directly accessing the last chapter posted and missing the previous ones. So if you are one of the people who have come this far please check that you have not missed anything and know that in the next few days I will also be publishing at least three chapters. Thank you very much for your attention!)

- Ah, you finally woke up, I've been thinking if it would be harder to take the other stones if you were dead. – Stephen spoke when nearing enough to see his partner tried to get up from the bed.

- Shut up! – He complained, grumpy. – Send me to Wakanda, quick, I need to see Lin. – His whisper seemed to be so needy that there was no space for contestation. Lin, Lin Stark, it was really good to think about this name clearly, she was the only person who could comfort him somehow now.

- Who's Lin? – Strange asked, confused.

- WHAT?! – No, that wasn't possible, he hadn't changed the past that much, he made the things he knew that happened to happen, all seemed to be so correct now he was back, it wasn't possible that his actions caused a so sudden change in the time line. The wizard just looked like being angrier with himself.

- What have you been doing of so grave in the past to believe Lin doesn't exist? – his frown was very puckered, foreseeing many complications. – I knew it was a terrible idea letting you go back there, but the time stone wouldn't let me to bring you back and I decided to wait its cycle to pass. Whatever you have done may have altered even more our time line and…

- No! Calm down, it's all right. It's clear I didn't cause anything much grave, we're already living in the time line that was changed and if no Celestial charged the price for that in one thousand, one hundred-two years, I don't think they're going to claim it now. – Stephen didn't seem convinced at all, he was still very angry and strongly considered going back in time and impeding Loki to act around there. – I didn't do it on purpose, it was Alanes who sent me there and it was her who was controlling the stone, your ancestor seemingly thought it was the only way to stop Asgard's war against the Frost Giants.

The god loyally considered to make a few of blood gush from the throat of the protector of the reality, he had already been through a lot in the past hours to take a fright like that as soon as he could go back to his own time, however, he was too tired to make any effort and his magic wasn't stable enough yet to confront his ally.

- And have you put an end to any war? – the war crossed his arms, he didn't believe any word.

- We live together for time enough for you to know I'm amazing! – The prince threw himself again to the bed and stretched his own muscles. – I arrived, saved Thor, saved Frigga, conquered my grandfather's confidence, made Odin jealous, masqueraded myself as Borr when he died, was taken to fight on the war because Odin also found me awesome, met the god of war and wanted to punch his face, met one of the most ancient Odin's girlfriends, saved everyone with Borr's image, but then Odin let his father die not knowing he technically was already dead; I have always known he was a son of a bitch, now I'm righter than ever, I met the real heir of the Asgard throne and my mother, who was a wonderful woman, together with the most perfect baby in the world, me. I prevented the giants to starve to death and I guided Odin to the place where the Casket of Ancient Winters was, he tried to kill me, but I survived because of all my superiority, I plucked his eye and used again grandpa's image to convince him to adopt me. – His speech was lazy, as if he didn't give much importance to what he's done, while, in fact, he was boasting for each one of his acts.

- How creative you are! Have you ever thought about writing a book? – Strange rolled his eyes, trusting so much his partner to the point of not even looking at him anymore, on the contrary, settled his tie for the occasion he would go to.

- Yes, as a matter of fact! Many times, actually. I used to visit some cartoonists and writers to make them to write about me, it has always helped to spread the fear my subjects felt, I like to read what they create.

Even though it wasn't impossible for the prince to have done all those stuff, it wasn't wise to believe in the god of lies and the wizard surely wouldn't. Loki seemed to be exhausted, as physically as mentally, but made an effort not to let the consequences of having been in a time he didn't belong to overloaded him; exposing his body to something like that would always bring some sequels to his mind and organism, even with all their resistance.

It was weird for the jotun to see the human dressing up like that, he was completely conscious of the years of luxury and wealth of Strange, but it wasn't normal for him that he, by free will, wanted to wear that kind of clothes again, nor that he was satisfied with whatever he had to do.

- Its Christmas. – the man answered, feeling the curious eyes of the god behind him. – Starks will prepare a small celebration and we, as some of other heroes, were invited.

- And you accepted because you're a great citizen who loves to gather together with friends and family every year to celebrate the existence of a sick fat man or the birthday of a semi-god who died more than two thousand years ago.

- So, you decided to do research about Jesus? – Stephen clearly wanted to change the subject about his reason of going to that celebration.

- Yes, I find it very interesting what humans made about his legacy, a good man who preached the love above all, but who had the spreading of hatred and intolerance in the name of their God as a result of his teachings. – Loki got up and used his magic to change his clothes to something more usual in Midgard.

- I thought that you, being a god, would deny his existence. – Strange looked at him with his eyebrow lifted.

- The universe is too big for tying up to beliefs. – He shouldered. – I don't care whether this man existed or not, but he might be right, even though humans are wrong in the way they act about it. We, Asgardians, are gods, but this doesn't change the fact that we didn't create the sparkle of life, all people have legends about the being who would have created all we know, I know him as One-Above-All, you, as god, I can't tell which of us is closer to the truth.

- You also have your own heaven and hell, some things always repeat, no matter where. – the wizard wasn't completely adept to any belief, but he knew that some things made sense.

- You're starting to learn. – Loki smiled, but there was a kind of mockery on his face. – What did they do to convince you to go? – Stephen rolled his eyes, feeling ashamed about what happened and he told the god just because he knew the other would discover anyway.

- The mind stone made me to handle it to Linna. I need to spend Christmas with them, it was its condition to have it back. Pepper want us to turn off of our second identity, so she gave me these clothes.

The prince narrowly escaped from the things that flew towards him after the laughed out loud. Manipulating him to get what he wanted seemed a lot to be something Lin would do, but he still didn't understand why she needed the stone if she was strongly connected to it internally. Whatever the reason was, the god would discover when he met her.

It didn't take long to the time of the celebration to arrive and Loki went with the wizard straight to Stark's mansion, where the others soon would be. It snowed a little bit outside, but that seemed to feed the Christmas spirit of people, the jotun would definitively never understand humans' logic. Everything in the room they were was decorated with pine tree branches, colorful balls and flashing lights. A nightmare for the stranger.

- Welcome, Mr. Strange and Mr. Odinson. – Friday's electronic voice echoed through the place. – Please, head to the living room on the left of the corridor, some of your friends are there.

They made no objections in following the advice of the artificial intelligence and as they got closer, the voice noises were louder. From afar, they could notice Thor was there because of his powerful and thunderous voice, even not being his intention to show any of this, but when they finally arrived, they saw Peter, Lin, Wanda, a woman the prince didn't know and an android accompanying the god of thunder; it wasn't hard to deduce that that was just a private meeting while the other people were spread around there, since it was possible to hear the noise of their talks even if they were not near.

It wasn't known what they were talking about, but the subject ended as they saw them both arriving. No one expected they would really come, since they have passed the last months without giving any news and none of them was close enough to Doctor Strange to expect something from him, they were surprised, however, not less happy for that.

- Brother! Strange! How good it is to see you here! – Thor greeted the introverted with a large smile. – Come gather together with us, or if you'd rather, we can walk around the mansion nonchalantly, showing everyone you're really here. – Both of the newcomers lifted their eyebrows without understanding anything and headed to the seats as far as possible from the blond one and his weirdness.

- All of us bet about whether you'd come or not and now, as winners, our wish lists will come true. – Wanda explained, also with a suspect smile on the face.

- Just as well as that you came! – Peter commented. – I have no idea how we would do everything the others asked.

- I have already told the other bettors that they lost and Morgan that she also won. – The android informed them, his voice was quite familiar for the god and the wizard.

Despite happy with the victory, this didn't change the fact that most of them wasn't used to be in the presence of their former and probably current potential enemy, just as they weren't not even a bit motivated to socialize with the newcomers. The unknown woman, for example, at no other moment was together with most of those people and was almost hyperventilating about the constraint of her nephew, now, it wasn't her fault if they had put her inside a room with two Nordic gods.

Lin was quiet on a carpet, clearly not as excited about her possibilities as the others, even having been her the responsible for the victory. Her eyes indicated she hadn't been sleeping for days and his body lost some weight, she seemed to be not only exhausted but also sick. Loki chose to stay by her side when stepping away from his brother, however, he didn't say a word. He knew that she would tell him what was going on when she thought it was the right time.

Even not looking fine, she was also happy and welcomed her friend/fiancé with a hug when he got closer… ok… they were not hugging, the god was actually using her as a cuddling pillow. Thor, even though already talking to spider boy, watched them from where he was, he couldn't help observing that those two had the most weird and lovely bond he had ever seen on a couple, it was clear for anyone who knew the trickster prince as he did that there was something bothering him a lot when he arrived, but together with her, everything seemed to be easier and lighter, they relaxed just by feeling each other's smell and it seemed that everything went better when they showed affection to one another.

- They seem two cats rubbing faces, it's weird, but also cute. – Peter commented when staring at what caught the avenger's attention, in fact, both friends had their own way of comforting themselves and this didn't make them less lovely.

- I never thought that someone would make me thing that thing he is as something cute, I definitively can't get used to the idea of someone falling in love with Loki, and the most nonsense thing is that he repays it.

- I think understand you, when aunt May and Happy started to date, I got shocked for some weeks, but then I got used to the idea and today I even think they make a cool couple, it's good to see her happy with him.

On another corner, aunt May was working it out with those so different people. When Peter invited her to spend Christmas in Stark's mansion, she was worried about how she could get along with all those heroes, gods, robots and super-humans, she thought she would end up isolated and alone (or possibly with her boyfriend), but now she noticed that they weren't as divergent as she had thought, she used to forget that behind all that power, most of the time there were humans too. May talked with the wizard Stephen, the witch Wanda and the android Vision, apparently the concern of the Stark girl having created an artificial life was a subject that all of them could talk about and that arose a lot the interest of each of them, they had the most different experiences to share about it just because their lives were completely different, it was a pleasant day and some delicious snacks they brought some hours ago to follow a good conversation were still remaining! She would never stop finding it funny to see her nephew in a cookie shape, the buffet that decorated them was really talented and made really beautiful treats, she even wanted to keep some as a memory.

On the carpet, near to what reminded a common fireplace, involved in their own comfort bubble, were still the engaged ones. They clearly had things to be said to each other, there were pains in their souls which her partner had no idea of, but there were also that will of staying still exactly where they were, free from problems and from thinking about their own demons.

- Why am I in a cookie with this ridiculous shape? – Loki asked after taking one of them from the plate that probably belonged to his partner and encountering an image of his on it, the Chibi design definitively didn't please him.

- Because the Stark industries earn money with the image of the biggest heroes and villains of Earth. – Lin answered, simply, while cuddling the god's hairs.

- I thought there was a law around here giving me the right to ruin you for this, being a good boy, of course, prosecuting you instead of destroying you with my own hands.

- There is, but they have your signature in a document that authorizes them to use your image however they want. – The prince looked up, where he could find the divergent eyes of his friend, pretending indignation.

- I didn't sign anything.

- Yeah, but no one knows that and we must agree that they wouldn't believe you if you told them that someone using your image went to a very boring meeting and signed the papers. – She had a bright of fun in her eyes.

- You're such a little snake! I don't know whether I should be proud of you or punish you for this. – He pretended very well about how worried he was about the situation.

- You wouldn't punish me, I'm lovely, it makes me immune to penalties. – Loki was tempted to remind her she was one of the most horrendous people he has already seen in Midgard, but she was right, he wouldn't punish her and found her too lovely for doing it either. – C'mon, destroy this Thanos. I'm sure you will feel better. – Stark handed him a Thanos Chibi cookie to the prince, confident about what she was saying.

In fact, it was kind of pleasant to destroy the mini titan and the taste of the small Loki snack was really good, so he forgave the girl for associating his image to cute things.

"I met my real mother and I saw her die in front of me, for my fault" – The god said to her telepathically, he didn't allow feelings to go with the message, but he knew she would understand.

"The end of the war and my transformation in god" – he sighed. – "She was already sick, probably wouldn't survive much longer and I would end up dead too, since I was too little and fragile for a giant".

"What was her name?"

"Farbaut…"

"I won't forget, she must have been an awesome woman if you felt something for her in so little time." – Loki nodded. – "While you've been away I let Subtiliter to use my body to build Vision and your Christmas gift. It was a terrible idea… I'm not ready, after he finished, I put the stone in the center again, my body collapsed and an urgency evolution started, it didn't stop, it's still happening and it's quite uncomfortable, I feel I'm losing what's left of my humanity". Lin seemed really different, the magic used to give her a goddess appearance, but now it was natural, nothing influenced the aura that emanated from her and the sensation he had when looking at her; it was almost like she was turning into a real infinity stone, since this was the same feeling he had when facing one of them. "I have won a Nobel, too, Shuri, Bruce and me, actually, we cured the cancer and most of other diseases, the world sees us as big heroes. Everything is going on as planned".

"Have I ever mentioned how brilliant your mind is?" – the flattery came so spontaneously that if she didn't know him enough, she would notice that it wasn't exactly a compliment. The god didn't expect any less from the woman, he wasn't surprised and not even minimally impressed. He lifted his hand and took it to her face, retributing a bit of the cuddle she gave him. The perfect staging. "How far have you gone with the gift?" Her smile could be gentile and lovely for anyone, but Loki saw insanity there, just as he realized, because of that, that she had taken what she had to do to an unthinkable level.

"I can't tell much about yours, it's a surprise. But about mine…" – she glanced friendly at the blond king, who stared at them not subtle at all. – "Not even Stormbreaker could scratch it".

"You're making me to arise expectations".

"I know I'm going to exceed them, no matter what you imagine". – As a particularly used to lies god, Loki knew she was saying the truth. Why the hell wasn't he married to that magnificence yet? Both shared a complicit look, they thought how funny it was to be among those people while conspiring for something that anyone there would, with the greatest delight, do anything to stop. Stephen was partly complicit, he didn't agree or participate of the other half of the plan.

Even the wizard would interfere in what they were doing if he only knew how they would actually act. They weren't heroes, they wouldn't behave as someone with this status.

(…)

The supper wasn't as embarrassing as it seemed it would be for the wizards, most of the invited wasn't happy with their presence, since they lost a big bet because of them. But among everything, what instigated the most the god was that he was accepted, free of questions, doubts or suspicion, they treated him as one of them, drank and ate with him as if he didn't represent any risk, they even laughed at his jokes and tricks, all this stuff coming from giants that didn't know about his past and his grandfather's, who judged an exemplary and lovely grandson, were still comprehensible, but from those people… he felt he would be attacked at any moment.

He couldn't help thinking that they suspected of something and that they read each one of his actions with the most different possible interpretations, just waiting for him to make a slip to have true reasons to expel him from there once and for all. When he laughed at a ridiculous joke that one of the insects told, he wasn't thinking about it, but yes about the fact that they treated as a so dangerous threat that it was better keeping him as an ally than treating him as enemy not knowing for sure if they could beat him.

The murders to the names of the black list had never stopped and many of the witnesses chosen to survive remember vaguely seeing Loki around just before the attacks happened, but they were so confused that they could also have seen a platypus and would say it was the trickster god. According to Stephen, that was the doubt and the lack of evidence that still impeded the informed heroes and the agents from acting against the Asgardian. It was really hilarious, they were worried about his little game while he reunited the likely most powerful weapons in the whole universe, or better, the most powerful singularities, he wouldn't like them to reject him for not to know the basics about their existence.

Maybe that was already the moment for them truly act. They wouldn't take much longer to get the missing stones and it was strictly necessary that this other part of the plan was concluded so that everything went alright. Yes, it was time, he would let the things in the hands of his beautiful pawn when the little play was over and then they would head to the end game.

The exchange of gifts started and it was a real surprise that people despite Lin were worried about getting something for the liar king. Pepper gave him a luxurious watch, covered with small gems and Loki found it very useless, but he liked, anyway. Peter gave him what humans call "puppet", it was a quite exclusive one apparently and what pleased him the most was that it was a replica of himself, the spider boy always surprised him with this kind of attitude. Thor, on his hand, who has never been good in choosing gifts, handed him an artisanal vase with a little seeding inside. The god was just ready to mock him when recognized the plant and, from mockery and sarcasm, he felt the subtle desire of hugging him, saying that he was an awesome brother, he didn't, of course, but truly smiled and this seemed to be enough for the blond one. There it was planted a young Tree of the Souls, species that was common through a whole valley where he formerly lived and used to be the only thing that connected Asgard and Valhalla. Loki, as a child, considered them as the greatest wonder of the universe and felt extremely comfortable when near to one of those. But there were no longer any of these trees as far as he knew and to think that Thor bothered to find something like that just for him was something very recomforting.

The god, of course, had nothing to give them in exchange, but just because he wanted to impress his malicious observers, he invoked out of the nothing some junk that would please the people who tried to make him to feel better. For the red-haired one, he handed a bouquet with the most beautiful flowers he had ever seen in all his trips around the whole universe and that were grown on his personal herbs garden. To Parker, he gave a colorful and curious rock that he got in Uranus. At last, to his brother, he gave a perfect cop of Mjolnir, what almost made the blond one to cry, but that wasn't much extraordinary, since it wasn't nothing but a shoddy decoration and had no power.

There was a moment of embarrassment when Stark said she wanted to be alone with the god to hand what she had for him. The malice of all was evident and Loki knew that he girl felt dirty for each one of the looks she got, therefore, he took her out of there so that they could talk in a more private place, he'd end up freaking out if he kept looking to those people for more time. It was only when they entered her room and activated Friday's protection and security that he noticed how Lin was feeling better, there was no remnant of fear or disgust on her face, she didn't recall at all the girl humans terrorize, she just couldn't restrain the involuntary tremble of her body, but hid it enough so that the prince could only notice if he touched her.

- You're pretty full-grown to listen to what those idiots say. – Loki whispered touching his forehead on hers. – You know they can't and don't want to hurt you, yet. – It seemed that those words brought a special meaning to the woman, almost as if it was a kind of code, for, soon after, a shame expression took over her face and she started to look like a little girl in love.

- I-I have something to give you… - Lin turned around, stepping away from the god, extremely red-skinned. – I changed a little bit the appearance from the original, I hope you don't mind.

On his hands laid a helmet with retorted horns, which were much smaller than what he was used to use, and some energy spheres that reminded jewels. In silence, she asked him to come closer, put the objects on the bed and lifted one of her hands, analyzing its palm.

- Wear your Asgardian clothes again. – That wasn't an order, but the god did what she said without hesitating. The human put one of the spheres in the place she was looking to. – I warn you it's going to hurt, so, don't complain about it later.

What seemed to be a jewel broke into thousands of bright particles. What Stark was doing was no magic, but pure and advanced science. The fragments entered under the skin of his new host and it hurt, it hurt so much that the god thought about cutting off his own hand to stop the pain, but his face didn't show anything, he was still tranquil as if he felt nothing but a slight prick, though letting out an agony sound when the genius turned around to take the next one and noticed that, apart from the one already in his body, there were four more left.

- Couldn't you have found something more practical to use? – he grumbled, extending the other hand to repeat the process.

- If it makes you feel any better, I have the same things in me. – Lin seemed to find it funny the reaction of her friend.

- And did you pass out after putting them inside you?

- No, but I broke Vision's prototype when he prevented me from throwing myself in acid.

- You motivate me a lot, you know? – Loki murmured, unbelieving.

- Relax, I don't even have acid enough to throw myself in. – She mockingly smiled and escaped the deathful reaction that would come because the fragments acted again.

Hands, knees, thorax, all the parts of the body that the god thought for a second to be happier without them. He was wheezing and when his partner was over, he couldn't stand up anymore, so he just sat on the fluffy carpet, sweating a lot and trying to remember how to breath, he was weak before and now he was feeling worse. A funny thought crossed his mind, anyone who saw him now would really believe that he was gifted with the most savage sex, despite that the new shining spots on his body were not normal at all to see.

Stark put the helmet on his head as if it was the cherry on top and got closer to her friend to be with him while he was recovering, the worst was over and now it was only needed that Subtiliter explained him some essential things before she gave back the scepter and the god could enjoy his newest gift; but she couldn't help noticing that the prince was weird. It had begun, nothing could stop him now.

(…)

Friday couldn't hear or record what happened next, she could only watch and film what happened in that room. The artificial intelligence saw the expression of its current mentor to change into a complete stranger's, it saw the greed shining in the eyes of the god, saw that the woman began to look at him as if she didn't know him anymore and didn't believe the blade coming towards her; it filmed the blood and the supposed laugh of the one who caused it, so as the kick that the genius got in exchange of what she built with so much sacrifice, if it had feelings, it would be desperate with the lost sight that took over the younger one's eyes when the one she considered her friend got out through the window he had won and she just stayed on the scarlet-liquid-dirty carpet, waiting for her wounds to heal while looking where the other had gone as if already expecting that was going to happen, even with each fiber of her body hurting, the betrayal was obvious and she had no reaction when it finally happened.