Hey everyone! I know that it's been a while but I wanted to finish this story off strong. I've been busy with school I had a hard time finding time to write this. That being said, I hope you enjoy this last chapter!
Chapter Twenty-Seven: Coming Full Circle
The wail of sirens slowly faded as the Thor and Sigyn made their way back up the mountain. Fenris and Hela had decided to join Pietro while Bucky and Jormungandr stayed with the still unconscious Sleipnir. Sigyn and Thor had wanted to go back to the collapsed base to try and find Loki's body. The chances of anyone, including a Frost Giant, surviving that were extremely low but not impossible. Despite this, they were dreading on what they were going to find.
The sun had started to rise, painting the sky orange and pink. Finally being able to see where they were going, Sigyn noticed how thick the forest truly was. Branches hung low on many of the trees, the culprit for the countless scratches Sigyn and the others had received when they were fleeing down the mountain. The trees were almost bare because of the autumn season, which allowed for more sunlight to shine through. Fallen leaves covered any footprints that they would have left, and roots and underbrush threatened to trip anyone who were not looking where they were going. All in all, it was a miracle that they had made it as far as they had considering how fast they were going and the lack of light.
Relying on memory and gut instinct, the duo managed to find the Hydra base.
Or what was left of it.
A large, unnatural hole stood gaping where the base had stood. Huge chunks of concrete lay in a pile, most of them cracked and several were completely broken into smaller pieces. Rocks and dirt had fallen from the mountain, taking a couple trees along with it. Large poles of metal plumbing and wiring stuck up through the concrete like a tree growing through rock. Several small fires dotted the ruins, sending smoke curling up into the air. Dust and smoke made the air hazy. Shards of glass gave the rubble a shiny glare to it, turning the sunlight into rainbows that were the only source of color.
Sigyn's knees suddenly turned into jelly and she fell hard onto a dusty, gray concrete slab. Thor stood frozen with his mouth dropped open in shock. Any hope of finding Loki alive immediately diminished.
"Brother…" Thor whispered in hopes that saying his name would somehow compel the younger prince to rise out from underneath the rubble.
Sigyn grabbed at the ground, trying to find something solid to anchor her back into reality. She would much rather be anywhere else other than here but she needed to know. Needed to know if Loki…if Loki…
She couldn't bring herself to even think about it - never would she speak it. Admitting it would only confirm the inevitable truth and she didn't want it to be real. He had to be alive; he wasn't the type to die easily.
Any yet, deep down, it was only a matter of time before she would have to let him go. Loki had died, truly died, only once before and that had shattered her heart. Although she had seen him while she was in Valhalla waiting to take down Thanos, for the first time for her, the thought of never having a chance to live together while alive was unbearable. They had talked about marriage before and Sigyn had told Loki to wait three Asgardians years, when they were legally considered adults, with the belief that both of them would remain alive until then.
They were supposed to get married - even the myths believed so. He couldn't be dead - Sigyn wouldn't allow it.
Determined to prove the myths right, Sigyn pushed herself to her feet and picked up a chunk of concrete. She threw it away from the pile and moved onto the next piece. Thor shook himself out of his stupor and joined her. Together, they dug through the pile of rubble, piece by piece.
Although they were several times stronger than humans, the going was slow, mostly due to the fact that both of them were exhausted. They were running a low amount of sleep, food, and energy. The blazing autumn sun, now uncomfortably warm in the noon sky, only made it worse.
Both of them were silently praying to the Norns, hoping to at least find Loki's body. Of course, finding him alive would be preferred but considering how heavy the collapsed base was, nobody could stop themselves from being crushed by the weight.
Most people would have given up by now; however, Sigyn and Thor's determination finally paid off. After hours of searching, around one o'clock in the afternoon, Sigyn spotted something peeking out from underneath a fallen beam. Moving closer, being careful to not slip and twist an ankle on the ruins, she found a patch of green laying in a small cavern in the concrete.
"Thor!" Sigyn shouted in excitement, bringing the other Asgardian rushing over from the opposite end of the ruins.
Sigyn pointed down at the cavern once Thor reached her. A fallen beam held up chunks of concrete, creating a little space big enough for someone to lie down in. Thor, fueled by anticipation, readied himself to hold up the fallen beam so that Sigyn could crawl in there and bring out whatever, or whoever, lay underneath.
On the count of three, Thor lifted the beam up with a grunt. Sigyn quickly but carefully slipped down into small space and landed on something soft. Looking closer, Sigyn noticed that she had stepped on someone's leg, a man's leg. Using her hands to feel around, Sigyn found the man's face, which felt cold to the touch despite the heat.
Getting no reaction, Sigyn wrapped her hands under his armpits and dragged him out of the small space. There wasn't much room to stand up so she had to crouch and walk out backwards while watching her step on the slippery rubble. Once Sigyn had dragged the man all the way out and laid him down on the ruins, Thor set the beam down and joined her.
Out in sunlight, they could see that the man was really Loki, rather beat up, but Loki nonetheless. His eyes were closed, scrunched up in pain. His right leg was twisted in an uncomfortable position, most likely adding to the list of injuries that he had with his right leg. Bruises and scratches criss-crossed his face. Blood had darkened his already black leather jacket because of a shoulder wound - a metal rod had managed to bury itself into Loki's left shoulder, the rusty tip sticking out as if to mock them for being too late to save him.
"Loki," Thor breathed a sigh of relief or dread or a mixture of both. Considering how bad he looked, taking into account his inevitable confrontation with Amora and Thanos would only make his condition worse. He needed immediate medical attention but Sigyn had no energy left.
"We need to get back to the car," Sigyn said, trying to focus on Loki's dire condition. She couldn't find a heartbeat and he wasn't breathing. But she still refused to let him go out like this.
Thor nodded and carefully picked Loki up, being mindful of his injuries.
But before the two could make their way back down the mountain, an orange circle of light lit up around their feet. Recognizing what it was from when the same thing happened to them in New Asgard, Thor quickly stepped out of the circle and motioned for Sigyn to do the same.
"What is that?" Sigyn asked, stumbling as her foot slipped on a loose piece of concrete.
"A portal," Thor answered. "We have to move."
Sigyn followed Thor off the collapsed base but the portal chased them, trailing ever so slightly behind them but gaining speed.
Little by little, the portal caught up with the group. Sigyn tripped over a root and collided with a tree. Thor almost dropped Loki when his foot slid on a pile of leaves.
They were trapped and too tired to keep going.
Quickly, the portal swallowed them whole, leaving no sign that anyone had ever been there.
/\/\/\/\
The polished, hardwood floor looked rather hard, even from a distance. And it felt no different when all nine of them landed on it.
Fenris let out a rather unmanly scream as he plummeted towards the floor, barely catching himself in time to maneuver into a clumsy roll. Sleipnir fell flat on the ground, the impact doing nothing to help his unconscious form and inevitable concussion. Jormungandr, Hela, and Pietro all landed on their feet although Pietro stumbled and would have fallen if Hela didn't grab his arm. Thor fell on his rear, his knuckles white from where he had a death-grip on his brother, refusing to let him go. Sigyn caught Bucky before the ex-assassin could land on his already broken wrist.
"What in the Nine Realms?!" Fenris exclaimed and looked around, his chocolate brown eyes wide with shock.
They were standing, or for some of them, sitting, in front of a large staircase that split into two staircases leading in opposite directions. A set of double doors led to the busy street outside. The whole building had the feel of being ancient yet had a powerful aura. A man in blue garments and a red cape stood at the bottom of the stairs, a disapproving look plastered on his face as he stared at the disheveled group.
"Doctor Strange," Hela said, confirming that they were inside the Sanctum Sanctorum, the New York City stronghold for the Masters of the Mystic Arts.
Thor struggled to stand up while holding Loki. Eventually he got to his feet and glared at Strange.
"What do you want?" Thor questioned, getting right to the point. Loki needed immediate medical attention and standing around talking would do nothing to help his younger brother.
"It concerns your brother," Strange replied with no emotion in his voice. He seemed angry for some reason. Loki would have done a better job of reading his facial expressions but considering how the prince was still unconscious, the Sorcerer Supreme's intentions remained shrouded in mystery.
"He's in no condition to do anything right now," Thor retorted, a hint of hostility flowing into his voice. Although Strange had helped him find his father, he didn't trust him in the slightest. The fact that Strange acted like he was above Thor and treated Loki as threat (which was understandable but he didn't need to send Loki in a free fall for thirty minutes) and as a lesser sorcerer infuriated Thor to no end. He could add more to the list but right now he just wanted to go home, shower, and take a long nap.
Strange glanced at Loki and nodded in agreement. "I'm sorry about your brother but I am sure that he will eventually be alright," Strange said. He held up a hand before Thor or the others could say anything.
"Now, I'm sure you are all wondering why you are here," Strange said.
"Please," Jormungandr said sharply. "Go on. I'd like to hear why you are stalking us like some crazed fan, you pathetic jac-"
"Let him explain," Sigyn interrupted before Jormungandr finished his sentence that would surely anger Strange even more. To Strange she said, "I want you to know that we are no threat to you or Midgard. We merely want to be left in peace."
Strange pursed his lips and paused before saying, "A group of unregistered Asgardians on Earth is not something that I can let go lightly."
"You're following us?" Bucky accused but it came out more like a question. He still held onto his broken wrist, having given up on hiding the pain.
Strange tilted his head, signaling for Bucky to go on.
"You were the one who opened that portal in Romania and then in Seattle," Bucky explained, the pieces all falling together. "Then in New Asgard and later on the mountain. All that was you, wasn't it?"
Strange's lips curled upward in a small smile. "Yes, it was me," he confirmed. "And I did it for a reason."
"Why?" Sigyn asked, one hand on the hilt of her sword, ready to draw at any moment. The tension in the room didn't ease her distrust in the former surgeon. "Why would you let us get captured by Amora? You knew, didn't you? You knew that Amora was planning something and yet you did nothing but mess with our lives."
Anger flashed in Strange's blue-gray eyes. "Amora had the power stone, one of the stones that disappeared after we defeated Thanos. I had no idea that she would have Gorr capture you, and for that, I am truly sorry, but you needed to be together and work as a team to stop her from bringing Thanos back."
"And why couldn't the Avengers deal with her?" Bucky questioned, taking a step forward. "Why us?"
"That was my original plan but once Gorr captured the five of you, I doubted that you would want the Avengers to know that Loki is alive. Well, barely," Strange answered. When no one replied, he continued, "The Avengers would want Loki to have a trial and he would most likely lose even though Loki did help defeat Thanos. You said it yourself, Sigyn, that your family wants to be left in peace, and I granted you that."
"What do you want? Our thanks?" Jormungandr retorted. "You could have helped, you know."
Strange's pale cheeks flushed red, showing through his usual, concealed self. "Loki and Bucky needed to meet, and if I told them why right away, then the chances of them actually following through with my plan would decrease."
"Plan? What plan?" Bucky asked. Although he liked Loki and had even started to consider him as a friend, he didn't like how Strange set them up. "Are you playing 'matchmaker' or something?"
"You needed to meet - for a reason," Strange continued, not even caring that he had some snippiness in his voice. "When I looked forward in time, I saw many futures. And the future that we won, this one, there is a group that is striving to bring Thanos back, much like Amora. Thanos's followers are angry for the death of their master, and his son is the leader of this group."
Pietro tentatively raised his hand like student waiting to be called on by a teacher. "Woah, hold up. Thanos has a son?"
Hela's eyes widened. "Thane." She had heard of him before but had never met him in person. Hearing about him again when she thought she had heard the last of Thanos and his 'family' only brought feelings of dread. Maybe he was right; maybe Strange knew what he was talking about.
Strange nodded. "That is right. I couldn't believe it at first but we need - the universe needs - more than one team out there that is willing to take on threats like these. The Avengers cannot do this alone and I'm sure that Loki knows a lot about Thanos's ideas and plans."
The group stopped and looked around at each other, nervousness and confusion on theirs faces. Thane? Thanos's son? Thanos's followers converging to bring him back? Amora had mentioned something like that, but hearing it from someone a little more sane was different and brought a whole new understanding to the conspiracy.
"We'll deal with it when it happens," Thor finally said, breaking the silence. "Until then, leave us alone."
Strange raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry but I cannot let you do that."
"Why not?" Jormungandr said. "You said that you were not going to get the Avengers involved. This seems like a matter that the Avengers should know about, not just us. We've fought with the Avengers before, so why wouldn't we help?"
When Strange didn't reply, Sigyn cut in.
"There's something else, isn't there?" she questioned. "Something that involves us."
"I never said anything like that," Strange replied.
Sigyn scoffed. Years of medical study taught Sigyn how to tell when patients were lying. And now, she could tell that Strange was holding something back.
"You're hiding something. Something about Loki," Sigyn continued. "And don't say that he and Buky needed to meet because of fate or something because I know that you are lying."
"Loki is a threat," Strange finally snapped. "When Odin died, his block on Loki's magic faded, granting Loki access to his full store of power. That much power, left unchecked, is a danger to people. Magic is easily traceable and wherever he goes, Thane and his ever growing army are sure to follow. Thanos's followers want revenge on him for killing their master; if Loki remains on Earth, he could bring devastation upon us all."
"Are you saying that Loki has to leave?" Bucky asked.
"If he left, then Thane would find him. It would be better off if Loki...passed."
Shouts of protest arose and Sigyn looked ready to stab Strange through the chest for even suggesting such a thing when Strange held up his hands for silence.
"It would be better for him, and for the rest of the universe," Strange explained, his voice rising above commotion. "Letting Loki live would bring him pain if Thane manages to capture him. This is a better option for everyone. I know that it is hard but try to understand that you are saving him from a life of suffering. There is no telling what Thane would do to Loki."
"I thought for certain that Barnes would tell the Avengers or end up killing him. The future predicted that you, Bucky, were the one to kill him, saving us from a war more devastating than both World Wars combined."
"Am I nothing but an assassin to you?!" Bucky snapped. "In case you haven't noticed, I've stopped doing things like that. I'm not a cold-blooded murderer and Loki is my friend."
"If you would just listen to me-" Strange protested.
Thor finally had enough. He took a few menacing steps towards Strange looked him straight in the eyes.
"I am done with you controlling our lives, playing the role of the Norns. My brother is dying and yet you insist that the universe would be better off if he was dead. People change and Loki is a better man. He is still learning but with a little help, he could do wonderful things. We are capable of defending ourselves and we will get involved if the Norns allow it, but we are not going to be taking orders from you. If there is going to be a war, then killing Loki will do nothing to prevent it. I personally believe that this matter should be decided by Loki, not you."
The tension in the room escalated as the two glared at each other, neither backing down. Lightning crackled in the air from Thor's anger. The sound of car horns and the rush of the city outside filled the silence.
"Send us home, back to Seattle, and then you and I will have a private conversation about this," Thor ordered, his statement final and intimidating. "And the Avengers will never know about Loki and the kids."
Seeing no other option and not wanting to be on the receiving hand of Thor's wrath, Doctor Strange assented. They would never listen, not when they were all exhausted from the deadly adventure that he had some hand in. He waved his hand and opened a portal, the other end showing the disheveled living room of their house.
"Very well," Strange said before Thor could step through the portal. "Just know that the future is pointing towards intergalactic war. And your brother is the reason for it."
/\/\/\/\
A few days had passed since their meeting with Strange. Thor had come home angry after his conversation with Doctor Strange. He had stomped his way up to his room, refusing to talk to anybody and only leaving to get food. Everyone made an unspoken agreement to leave him alone until the god of thunder calmed down.
Sleipnir, finally, had woken up, confused but otherwise alright. Hela and Pietro busied themselves with organizing the cardboard boxes, both of them giving each other some space while making sure that the other never left their sight for fear of losing each other. The effects of when Pietro was stabbed by Hela had shaken them up and it threw a hurdle in their relationship that they would have to overcome but they were already looking like they were almost past it. Jormungandr joined in for a while but lost interest and went to help Fenris set up their Xbox.
Bucky kept mostly to himself. Sigyn had put a cast on his wrist but he avoided doing anything too strenuous. They had moved an extra mattress downstairs into the empty room where he stayed. Sigyn lent Bucky some of Loki's clothes that Bucky promised he would give back once he left, if he left.
After all that they had been through, Bucky had no desire to leave Loki. They had survived together and considered each other friends; leaving would hurt but Bucky had no way of getting back to Romania.
Sitting cross legged on his borrowed mattress and blankets while cleaning his gun, mostly out of habit and also because he had nothing else to do, he heard a soft knock on the closed door.
Bucky called from his spot for the person to come in, not entirely sure why someone would knock when he technically didn't live here.
"Hey," Loki said, prompting for Bucky to look up.
Loki stood against the doorframe, a soft gray blanket wrapped around his shoulders and a plastic water bottle dangling from his left hand. His short, black hair stuck up in uncombed curls that made him look like a scared cat. Dark circles under his eyes were strikingly prominent against his pale skin. His feet were bare and he looked ready to collapse at a moments notice. For someone who many assumed had a large ego, seeing the prince wearing nothing but dark sweatpants and a loose green T-shirt and looking like an overall mess was quite a shocking contrast.
"What are you doing up?" Bucky asked and set his gun down.
Loki gave a tired half-smile. "What? No hello? No 'how have you been?'"
Always the one for jokes, Loki could still crack a wise-one even if he could barely stand. Bucky stood up and helped Loki over to the mattress where the prince sat down with a heavy sigh.
"I thought Sigyn told you to rest," Bucky said and leaned against a bare wall with his arms crossed in front of his chest.
"That woman is going to end up killing herself by worrying over me," Loki said. He tried to twist open the cap on the water bottle but his hand kept slipping. Sighing, he reluctantly handed it over to Bucky who opened it with ease.
"Well, no offense but you look like you could fall over if someone breathed too hard," Bucky joked but he had some truth to it. Loki did look horribly beat up and exhausted.
Loki gave a tired laugh. "I could probably also fall over if I breathed too hard."
Sliding down the wall, Bucky rested his back against it and splayed his legs out in front of him.
"Speaking of her, where is Sigyn?" he asked.
Loki waved his hand in the air, motioning at nothing. "Off on a job interview after her first boss fired her for not showing up to her new job for several weeks."
"Well, wouldn't you?"
Loki shrugged. "Maybe but he's still an inconsiderate jerk. I mean, nobody fired Stark after he went missing for three months, so why wouldn't they do the same for Sigyn?"
This time, Bucky shrugged. "No one knew about that except us. I wouldn't hold against him; I'm sure he had his reasons."
Loki hummed in thought and took another sip of water. The silence in the room became stifling as small talk died out so Bucky tried his hand at a conversation starter.
"Did you come here for someone or-"
"I couldn't figure out how to set up the television in our room and I had nothing else to do so I thought I would come visit you," Loki cut in before Bucky finished his sentence. "The kids are still unpacking and Thor won't come out of his room for some reason."
Bucky hesitated. Did Loki know about what happened at the Sanctum Sanctorum? Did Sigyn tell him?
"Have you heard-"
"I know," Loki interrupted. He tilted his head to look at Bucky. "Apparently Doctor Strange said that a war is coming or something along those lines. It's really not surprising that Strange messed with our lives again. I should have known that the portals were actually him but I was too focused on Sigyn and the kids to notice."
Sigyn must have told him then. It must have been hard to break the news to him when Loki was still pretty much out of it but at least Bucky didn't have to explain everything to him.
"Strange said that you know about Thanos's plans and followers," Bucky said. "Did you know about Thane?"
It took a while for Loki to reply but he eventually sighed and leaned his elbows on his knees, preparing himself for a painful explanation. The mention of Thanos most likely brought up bad memories but Bucky's curiosity got the best of him to notice.
"I met him once. Looks just like his father, acts like him too. I pity the poor soul that had to deal with two of them," Loki answered.
He didn't want to press but if Loki didn't want to answer, then he would let Bucky know.
"What is he like?" Bucky asked, trying his best to go easy on the questions. "Is he really someone who would raise an army to bring his father back to life?"
"Yes and anything that gets in his way would be wiped out. I hate him but it's kind of hard not to hold resentment when you are the one who is tied down…" Loki's voice faded as his eyes staring at the blank wall, reliving a painful memory.
Startled by the sudden information, Bucky stuttered on trying to apologize. Loki rarely opened up, and learning about something that Thor probably has never known made Bucky uncomfortable. He wanted to say something, anything, to try to make better but nothing could undo what happened to Loki.
"I-I-I am so sorry," Bucky stammered. "I-I didn't know..."
"Not many do," Loki said. "Not many know about Thane to begin with. It's really no surprise that he would follow in his father's footsteps. I guess Amora was right; she might have even been working for Thane. But who knows? Thankfully, that wench is dead."
Bucky picked at a loose thread on his cast, avoiding Loki's eyes. Loki had told him a bit about what happened to him in the Void - the unseen, vulnerable side of him that few knew about - but hearing more about it still unsettled him a bit. Nobody should have to suffer what Loki went through at the hands of Thanos. Hearing that an army wanted to resurrect his former master couldn't have been easy for him. Despite being smaller and considered weaker than most Asgardians, Bucky had to admire Loki's bravery for facing his former tormentor.
Bucky racked his brain in an attempt to form a response to Loki's sudden confession but Loki had already past it. Lingering on the topic for too long was difficult enough so it came as no surprise that Loki brushed it aside and continued talking.
"I heard that Strange also wanted us to meet," Loki stated, his daze fading and his eyes shining a little brighter than a few seconds ago.
Not wanting to bring up the Void again in case it hurt Loki even more, Bucky nodded.
"Yeah, apparently it was 'destiny' or something."
Loki nodded and raised the water bottle to his lips before saying, "That's cute. He's playing matchmaker, how adorable. Well, I'm glad to call you a friend."
Loki reached over and patted Bucky's foot, a half smile on his face. Bucky blinked in response, taken aback from Loki's innocence. Loki didn't know. Oh, how to word this gently...
"I-I don't think...that was what he...wanted," Bucky admitted slowly, earning a raised eyebrow from Loki. "I think...he...intended for me to...kill...y-you…"
Loki didn't all that shocked, definitely not the reaction that Bucky expected. He let out a little 'huh' and finished the rest of his water.
Well, that went...well?
"You're not...you don't…" Bucky stammered.
"Does it really surprise you?" Loki questioned with a blank look on his face. "Strange hates me, I hate him. What better way to get rid of me without his status being ruined by having you kill me."
When Bucky didn't respond, Loki added a further explanation.
"'I keep a watch list of individuals and beings from other realms that may be a threat to this world. Your adopted brother, Loki, is one of those beings,'" Loki quoted in an impressively accurate impression of Strange. "It's quite touching, being considered like that, but honestly, I'm sure he wouldn't mind if I'm dead. He and I don't exactly get along."
He had a point but Bucky wouldn't let it go. It's not everyday that someone is told that your friend was supposed to kill you.
"You're not even the least bit concerned," Bucky pointed out, quietly judging him for not caring about how he and Bucky were in the same room. Bucky could have easily killed Loki right now, considering Loki's state, but Bucky had sworn that he would never backstab his friends. Killing said friend was a big 'no-no' n his list. Killing anyone, unless they were part of Hydra, or Nazis - then he made an exception - went against everything he stood for. Being in the Army taught him that even though you are on opposite sides, it doesn't mean you just get to kill whomever, whenever you want. There is a difference between war and cold-blooded murder.
"Should I be?" Loki retorted. "I know that you aren't going to kill me; I'm not going to kill you. I would prefer to keep it that way."
"Well, yeah, I agree, but there's a war coming. And apparently the only way to stop it is to kill you and you don't look like you care at all," Bucky pressed.
Loki set his water bottle down and slowly turned to fully face Bucky.
"I do care but sometimes worrying about little things that are still in their developing stages is a waste of time. Do I believe that we should stop wars before they happen, yes, but killing me is not going to change anything. This is the first time that we have heard anything about this and Amora and Strange are not the most reliable sources."
Bucky opened his mouth to protest, to say that Loki was delusional in his weakened state, but Loki held up a hand to stop him. Heaving himself to his feet, Loki crossed over to stare out the window.
"Bucky, this is the first time in millennia that Earth is the center for fighting power in the Nine Realms," Loki exclaimed, his voice getting excited. He turned to look at Bucky, energy lightening his step as he paced the room. "We have the Avengers, SHIELD -which I know is being rebuilt- the rest of the Asgardians, Valhalla if need be, us, and many other defenses that haven't existed until now. Earth may seem like the weakest planet in the universe but it has never been conquered, never been wiped out, obliterated. Humans, if anything, are resilient. If anything threatens them, then they will fight back. This is why Earth has existed for such a long time when some planets can't even last century. Earth is under its own control, not Asgard's, not the Kree, and definitely not Thane's."
If this war was really true, then Earth would fight back. Earth has always fought back.
And this time, they were ready.
Bucky was ready to stand and fight. Loki was too, once he got back to his normal self.
Loki was right, Earth could hold its own in a battle. After New York, after Ultron, after Thanos, they had always come back from tragedy. Thane could throw an intergalactic army in their faces and humans would always find a way to fight back, to bounce back.
And they wouldn't be alone. If Strange really wanted them together, then they will fight together. Maybe Strange was wrong, Loki didn't need to die to prevent a war - he needed to live to stop it. And Bucky, Sigyn, Thor, and others would stand behind him every step of the way.
He had been lost before but now he had found a team, a home. He decided that he would stay, stay with his team. They had been through a lot together; he would never forget how Loki jumped into the water to save him and how Sigyn helped his broken wrist, how happy everyone was to be back together.
Because they were more than just a team...
They were family.
THE END
I might do a sequel but right now I want to start another story that I've been thinking about for a while. If I get enough requests, then maybe but I don't have any ideas for a sequel at the moment. Thank you so much those who've been to the end, favorting following, and reviewing. I appreciate every little thing that shows that people are paying attention and are actually liking my writing. My next story should be coming soon, so stay tuned. Until then, I should probably go study. ;) 3