The king of Asgard observed from afar his partners against the threat to the multiverse. They didn't seem even close to defeating her, not even with powerful beings like the bastard brothers he had in this reality or with so grand warriors like the ones still standing when he arrived. He hadn't stopped even to breathe better since the weird spaceships with shootings of what was going on in another reality appeared under his domains, the defeat would mean the end of everything. Now, so close to Original, he guided his medical team to join Bragi, commanded the monsters to help those who were already in the sky against the enemy and gathered together with the monarchs of that Midgard so that they organized the remaining troops of each one.
With Namor, T'Challa and Valkyrie it was possible that they could find a formation. The prejudice of the Asgardians of that place towards the Jotun that the leader of the newly-arrived showed to be could have been an obstacle for his plans, so as the reluctance among all of them to follow the orders of an unknown, but they had no better options. Even though the troops of each one of them had been reduced to an almost insignificant number of participants, it was still possible that they contributed for a greater good in the case of not positioning against that Loki.
The god of the truth galloped among the warriors he had at his disposal and analyzed each new face so that he didn't forget these strangers when paying tribute for those who gloriously had passed away to Valhalla on this day. He ordered the best gods in war he knew to start the movement by his side and opened a space for others who were strong enough to be there.
To see the goddess of thunder with Mjolnir wasn't a surprise, but yet he felt grateful when he saw her by his side. Jane in his world as a great friend and Asgard ally, a mere Midgardian who showed to be worthy of her status uncountable times and made her so-powerful weapon to correspond her so perfectly that no other being in all history was able to be equal to her. The woman was a magnificent ally and would have become worthy to reign in his place in the future if the circumstances hadn't caused her sacrifice.
- Lady Thor. – The king greeted her with a calm smile under the suspicious looks of the other monarchs and of Foster herself.
- Your majesty. – She answered, distrusting, but felt no angry or insecurity that the Loki she knew usually caused to her. That god weirdly inspired her peace and the comfort of a friend.
Their looks kept united for some seconds, but soon another presence caught the attention of the blue-skin being. Near there, as if waiting to be welcomed, it was the reflected image of her brother Odinson. He had an easy smile and the most splendid weapon ever forged for his kingdom as it had not the weight of its value, even seeming to be someone kind. If she didn't know so well the figure of her reality she would have easily believed in the goodness he emanated, but as trusting wasn't one of her greatest attributions, he stared at her questioningly as if waiting for an explanation about the non-hostility of the other.
- The Frigga where you came from was infertile and recognizing a god like your brother around here is a surprise? – The Valkyrie asked sarcastically, allowing Chris to near her naturally.
- I no longer see the god of the evil as my brother for a long time. – His voice became as cold as Jotunheim herself, however, he stopped bothering about the actor quickly, he didn't intend to allow his familiar disagreements caused unnecessary conflicts. His eyes looked for one of the loyal beasts that came to die by her calling, and there was even caring in his expressions when he shouted its name. – FENRIR! – The gigantic wolf stopped its race to stare the king and came to him as an obedient dog, stopping by the side of that who looked alike so much one of his greatest enemies just as the gesture command of its master ordered. Hemsworth stepped back from the monster for precaution and didn't avoid showing he was being intimidated, while he neared it again, impatiently.
- Hmmm. – The actor looked at the monarchs and gods clearly waiting for instructions. The beautiful little dog is staring at me as if I were its lunch, this is quite uncomfortable.
- Quite uncomfortable? – Namor asked, debouching, clearly having fun.
- Yes, when you cut the arm of someone like her to save a friend – He pointed to Nemesis, still trying to step back from the wolf. - while kings, gods, wizards and mutants had done anything better, some things become much less scary.
The aquatic highness closed his expression comically, clearly offended while the others looked at the man who became a god as if now they were more sympathized to him. Loki, who shared with the opinion of the beings of the other reality about the stranger, just smiled and turned his attention to the other's protection tool as if seeing someone there.
- Fenrir is a support for your shield, since I know you can fly and its abilities seem useful to me.
Chris received the questioning eyes of all who payed attention to the conversation very fearfully, he wasn't sure about straying from the partner and theoretically brother, but the vibration that the object showed seemed to him an advice that Tom agreed with whatever that Loki was proposing. Putting it to the ground, he allowed that the other transformed back and then the so-alike-to-the-trickster-jotun human that most of them knew appeared.
The king and the actor felt in their skins that they were like an extension of one another and their thoughts flowed barrier-free and with an extremely in-common naturality. "Maybe things were simpler for you if you hadn't read the story to the end" echoed in Hiddleston's mind his own voice coming from the other being. "I did what I had to do", he answered, trying to look not that hesitant. "You lied to them too, this reality is much more dependent of yours than you made them to believe". The accusation was painful, but true. "So dependent that I couldn't not to say what the others wanted me to say", was his answer. "I understand".
- Is it just me who thinks it very weird when two people talk mentally and all the others outside don't understand anything? – Chris asked trying to catch his friend's attention, now, indeed, paler, back to him, what worked and made him to answer with a fake fun smile. It was each time more normal to look at Tom and see much of Loki on him.
The king of Asgard got off his horse and walked to his correspondent of his version who grew in that fragment of the multiverse. He was taller and no one would deny him his nobility title after noticing some of his details. He was a creature that exhaled trust, respect and power, but even so, could be compared to someone as flawed as the liar being. A look to Fenrir and the wolf got down to allow the actor to mount it.
Jormungand distracted Original behind, together with the Bastards of Odin, however its time was running out.
- Go, you know what to do.
Hiddleston neared the animal that lowered its ears for him and slightly jiggled its tale, resting to put himself on the back of the enormous and furry body. He knew that they were heading to a decisive moment and his effort to say what was expecting them against the will of who really commanded them caused him even a latent physical pain, it was terrible and constant, but knowing that lives could be saved if everyone knew what he knew was the worst part. No word about the future that wasn't of interest of the puppeteers came out of his mouth and since he put his feet on this reality he felt terribly conscious about the others' control over his actions, being naturality near to be achieved only when he realized his character really manifesting in his body.
Looking at the chaos on the giant wolf, a more disturbed part of Tom answered trembling with an excitation he didn't have, whatever was going on with his correspondent, it didn't seem possible for him to manifest his intentions in his own body, soon the actor was being the best link with the real world that the god could reach.
- I'll need you to stay with them. – The so-alike Jotun commented when realized Chris attaching to the animal as if planning to attack not straying from his friend. I'm planning something now, and you're not included.
The man left not giving space to any commentary or contradiction and Hemsworth realized kind of terrorized that he couldn't identify in the last words and expressions of hisj someone that wasn't Loki himself.
Two of the bastards fell to the ground violently and then the gigantic serpent closed his mouth, swallowing the threat to the multiverse. Each living being observing froze where they were, fearing the counter-attack that that would result, but the monarchs seemed to interpret the attitude of the beast as a sign, because, soon after, they changed their position to a formation of invocation. Chris wasn't sure of how he knew what was that about.
The king of Asgard was in the middle, letting himself to be involved with the flames that were quickly conjured. He suddenly became a dark figure like the Frost Giants that haunted children stories of the Odinson people, only much more real and powerful just like the most terrible monsters that thousands of warriors dreamed of fighting against to conquer their glory. Black magic will always be some remarkable thing to see.
That Laufeyson took the fire in his hands while Nemesis got out of her confinement crossing the flesh of the serpent effortlessly, killing it. Maybe the woman had read their intentions when stared at them, but didn't stop them from doing it.
- With the eternal flame… - The jotun whispered while everyone got ready to attack. – I bring them back!
The flame touched the ground and spread for miles resurrecting the still useful dead and putting them at the disposal of who called them. The monarchs moved forward together with their troops, all of those still able to fight understood that they would win with this onslaught or there wouldn't be any other hope in which to believe.
(…)
Original saw herself in the middle of a massive suicidal movement, the same way that that confront had started and with nothing more than desperation moving most of her adversaries. There was an instant in which she almost felt pity for them, good warriors dying for nothing, but this didn't last more than the time for the first mad one to use its power against her.
Thrud, the naïve bastard who usually was the first to attack was who started the series of frustrated attempts that followed. She was strong and talented, but was already injured and near to exhaustion, she wouldn't have another chance to survive if depending on the enemy. Lucky her that one of her brothers, the strongest and quietest Magni, took her out of the way that would have taken her to Valhalla, while others arrived to cause their own deaths.
Without a smile on her face and already tired of big slow massacres, Nemesis repealed those still too near and hit the ground destroying the others who had the bad luck to get close so fast. She moved faster than anyone there could follow and took out lives of uncountable women and men who she didn't care about enough to remember their names. It would continue till the very last of them if a Captain America hadn't hit her with his n-technology shield. Evans couldn't say if he'd been lucky to hit something he couldn't even see, or completely unfortunate to put a great target on his own head.
She came to him more slowly, as if desiring to retard this moment just to scare him and had also got back to smile predatorily. Being it her intention or not, the actor was terrified and improvised a defense position, may they blame it on his courage to stay there without running away! No one needed to know his legs weren't answering. The purplish arm crossed his armor and arm, but deliberately missed the head.
- You're hurting an old man with osteoporosis, you bitch!
Death didn't come, just as the pain, other people decided to intervene and aim the adversary now stopped. Cyclops, Vision, Robert, Scarlett, James Rhodes, Human Torch and Riri forced her to step back with their energy blasts, however, the most beautiful to see (in the kneed being's opinion, trying to equilibrate his hand on what still remained of that part of his arm, as the armor gave him stability again) was when Thor, Thunder, his namesake and a strange Loki appeared in the sky among the rays and freezing fragments, ready to unite their forces to those who now attacked.
Electricity mixed itself with the already disposed energy in a so perfect way that Nemesis had to step back a little bit more, sustaining her strengths with just one leg and with the right arm to deviate them from her crown. That was when she noticed another curious thing happening. On her extremities, her forming cells were dying faster than usual and this behavior slowly spread through all her body as if something was challenging her regeneration more efficiently than any other attack could. Original was freezing, her physical form reached the absolute zero and one of the weapons aiming her was the responsible for this. Jotuns can be surprising when they want to.
It wasn't hard to ban them and let the others to get near, however, just when she did it, more mad ones came, some of them dead, others about to die and others worthy to pay attention to. A human beast called Logan got close enough to had the chance to hit her, but his arms were held strongly enough to break them before succeeding and even so the man didn't stop. Grunting and snarling, being more hurt than hurting her, he struggled as an animal and forced himself against her, determined to make her bleed. A useless effort till another person helped him penetrating a long and sharp blade through the skin of the immobilized to the flesh of the enemy.
- This is satisfying in so many levels… - Deadpool murmured.
The vibranium of the stolen weapon clearly helped the blue liquid to drain through Nemesis' belly, but they weren't even close to be considered threatening by her and were hit with a so-absurdly-powerful explosion that not even dust of them would remain if they hadn't got that so-good regeneration skills.
More and more warriors fell by his hands, an army that represented hope began to be decimated much more easily than they were willing to believe and not even the restless dead ones could make any difference. Though, even with all these flaws and sacrifices, it was still possible to realize they were planning something else. The newly-arrived had an idea they thought to be good enough to defeat her, something interesting to the point of the woman to allow herself to succumb to the distraction that the suicidal caused.
Ant Man and Sam Wilson opened a tumultuous gap for Spider kid, instigating more of the destruction around and allowing the boy to get close. Parker was an unthankful fool who didn't take advantage of her intervention to survive, he didn't deserve anymore her mercy. She allowed everyone to come to her, to try and to fail with their spells, technology and powers. She also recognized the efforts of common agents with their helicopters, planes and other objects, so useless until now that she hadn't even noticed their existence. One by one, she defeated them and overtook them.
Valkyrie and Namor challenged her together, a noble attitude, though stupid. Odin's blade was a mere needle in her hands and even with all the resistance the king's genetics offered him, for her, the man was nothing but an annoying little fish. Soon both were so injured that were lucky to be still breathing. Shuri and T'Challa were another proof that there were no possibilities of victory for that people. Even though the girl pleased him and was close to a friend before, all she made in retribution to that time was not to coup her and her brother with enough power to kill them immediately.
So, there he was, Peter Parker, someone who as like a brother for a less perfect version of Original, someone she honestly didn't want to have to kill, but wouldn't hesitate again to save him. She had his neck in her hands in instants and squeezed it, breaking her father's gift and smashing his bones. It was good to see him suffocating and trying uselessly to escape from her, soon there wouldn't be life left in that body to worry about, the finishing crack would be heard then…
Something made her to stop. A characteristic noise of an armor about to shoot. Nemesis looked around, Robert was there to save the boy, however, it wasn't from him that it came what was annoying her. Looking further, she understood, near to a gigantic and down wolf, Black Widow aimed someone who shared her blood, Morgan.
Original didn't think, the son of bitches had found a way to really damage her. She dropped Peter and disappeared, showing up again where the kid was exactly when Scarlett shot, putting herself in front of her like an unbreakable shield. Her hatred didn't take over her, she didn't pay back immediately the courageous woman. What seemed to be the righter to do was to verify if little Stark was fine.
Her long arms involved her sister desperately, but it was everything alright now. Nothing could hurt her, nothing would surpass her barrier. She was safe and sound. It wasn't possible to notice her tears until the girl used her little hands to dry them, as delicately and carefully as they were when someday touched the marked skin.
- It's okay. – the infantile voice whispered on her years. – You're not alone anymore.
Her first instinct was to leave that planet and go to a place where she could be completely alone with Morgan, but soon after, this possibility was forgotten. She wouldn't let humans to live for her precious gem, she would protect her from all evil no matter what, but things would finally end up on her way. She strayed one of her hands from the little baby, a hand that would finish everything much more easily. Everyone terrifyingly noticed that Nemesis would snap her fingers.
A quick ending would have been a much easier choice, she could stop playing with their sanities and make them to face once and for all the fact that they had no chance all this time, that would be her mercy. But then the little hands touched the borders of her crown and made it to be lifted for a few millimeters… Her first reflex was to smash that little thing she was holding so that the extension of her body got back to its place, and that's exactly what she did, seeing the baby to turn into a man very alike her partner.
She threw him, already broken, to the floor with an uncontrollable fury and decided that she would definitively would finish that goddamn race, but before she wanted to give them the most unbearably painful ending she could think about. May her snap of fingers cause the greatest torment that the miserable planet has ever experienced.
(…)
When his sovereign left, Loki stood still where she had thrown him. For a while he didn't feel anything but the ground pressing against his skin, then he started to blame himself for having been a bad company for the woman he admired so much, but soon it came the sadness and angry, together with an urgent need to say sorry. He wasn't thinking about betraying his queen when he tried to expand his magic, he just wanted to get to her and beg for a hug. However, when he succeeded for the first time and entered the mind of a pleasant Midgardian, his perception started to change, his own energy flowed again in himself more naturally and he started to ask himself about his own thinking.
Sometimes it seemed to him that he was getting better and reminding who he was, but sometimes he had an almost unstoppable will to look for his master and ask her to come back home. It was in the middle of this mental mess that the prince suddenly felt himself held and welcomed, despite the uncomfortable place in which he was, and soon later started to feel threatened and without knowing why, his bones were suddenly broken. It was the pain that could bring him back.
Breathless, the jotun tried to stabilize his powers to heal himself, however, it was a terrible fail and the magic chain that turned him into a prisoner seemed to drain more his gifts in each attempt to relief his increasing discomfort. For some seconds, he struggled uselessly willing to break that goddamn thing, but soon after the shiver that the immense and familiar power caused on his skin made him to remember he was in a planet fated to death.
His own life would be spared, he knew, and even though this was very good, he wasn't disposed to live under the other creature's domain. Loki saw himself in a blind alley with a terrible beast just waiting to destroy him and then a useful memory came to his mind, as vivid as his current circumstance. The mind stone had given him a choice, it gave him a powerful weapon and a great risk with it, but besides, the opportunity to be able to fight against an existence he didn't want to. His armor has the ability to transmit a copy of the gifts of each living being in an indeterminate reach for his own body, what seems to be great if not considering that this recipient can't stand everything that this offers and its overload would cause an explosion massive enough to destroy a country, a continent, a planet or even a galaxy, depending on the dimension of what is absorbed.
Dying and taking with him a whole galaxy would be indeed remarkable, for sure it would be a so memorable fact that some species would even mention it on their historic records! Among his options that was a very attractive idea. No one he cared about was alive anymore, he didn't have to worry about these useless things, but would love to see that perfect face to bleed before dying. Not to mention that he could make a deal with Death too at some point, maybe he could come back and… There's no time to think about it!
His body hairs shivered as his armor covered his naked skin, but it had nothing to do with the material it was made of, but with the panic spreading through his senses while Nemesis' angry was reflected on the world. He felt the tension in a snap of fingers and this made him to act more quickly, before no one powerful enough stayed alive so that its powers contributed with its purpose.
His hands raised towards the retorted horns of the armor and a truth came out of his lips, fulfilling the requirement for the power to be conceded to him. "I am Loki, from Asgard. I was born to reign and I won't allow this disgusting creature to take what is mine". The repugnance in his words would have caused trembles to his enemies in other times, but at that moment, it was nothing but an odious appeal to stick to the only thing that kept him awaken.
Subtiliter advised him about how terrible it would be to use the weapon he'd got this way and, for this, the words were added as a resource to exist a last chance to give up in the case of the situation forced him to turn to this ability, however, when the energy started to take over his cells, Loki felt awesome! Midgard was connected to him and his perception of the world became so unique that he could believe he was one with that inferior planet, it was simply magnificent.
He had never before felt so grand and imposing, he could adapt himself easily to live like a so full of life celestial body, or at least that was he thought until the plagues to become noticeable. The time distorted and many pains started together, animals starving to death, thirsty and violence. Whole species disappearing, the garbage overfilling the oceans, pollution, slavery, glaciers collapsing and its natural landscape being undone, extensions of his life being cut, enormous disasters, catastrophic explosions, wars and much, much blood shed. The jotun noticed he was dying, but that wasn't the worst part, and he couldn't come back anymore. HE felt the pain and the loss of billions of sentimental beings, just as started to absorb them for himself and not standing them. He felt his core to shake threateningly and desired to blow up, he felt the ground under his feet to falter and felt he was turning into something different from the god he knew.
Thoughts flooded his mind uncontrollably, fear, angry and love, all of this came as if it was part of himself. Suddenly he was Mary and then Jacob, Valentina and Enzo, Glenn and then Angel, Anthony and then Joseph, until he didn't care about the names anymore as the lives passed through his eyes. Infinite memories were absorbed by his brain, overloading him much more than it should be possible, but not destroying him. If he had any control over his body now, he would scream and run away, however, as nothing else seemed to be controllable, he stood still, absorbing the cycle, not remembering why he was there.
More interesting people started to appear, different and skilled people, some of them so subjugated that shrank in terror, others so pure that could stand in face of what was terrifying them. The prince felt the power of each one of them pulsing in his veins, each memory stored and each gift copied. His mightiness seemed limitless, but by contrast, the pain he felt on the process was so absurdly severe that gradually his conscious side dissolved and even with all the new resources he had, there was nothing but instinct to guide him now.
Images of another reality appeared when an as grand being as him was seen, and at that point, he contemplated magnificent forms of lives around of a very familiar woman, a possession of his, his precious gem. It was really beautiful, what could calm him down to gain the power of those seven as if it were a completely-his part and to come back to his body not as the creature he once was, but as the one who deserved the name of his armor, the Emperor.
When Original stood up, tens of cosmic entities fell when ceding their places, however, when He stood up, no one of the remaining had the chance to keep themselves and one by one, each being lost its function until everyone under One Above All were recessed to mere existence of someone, like the newly-created monster.
(…)
Nemesis snapped her fingers and all of them kneed towards her in clear agony while she destroyed gradually with the suffering they deserved. There wasn't satisfaction on her face, only the cold calm of a finally accomplished realization. Killing living beings used to make her unable to feel things, but this time, specifically, there was a kind of remorse inside her, which made her to feel regret. Humans were corruptible beings who would only bring destruction to the future, not to mention their natural cruelty and unworthiness of their privileges. She knew that more than anyone, however, even so, the guilt took over her in such a way that it even seemed to come from another person.
Observing the suffering that she afflicted should be pleasant for relieving her angry as she recovered her breath formerly taken by his wrath for the annoying things, however, it still seemed for her that the balance wasn't set yet and that there was something wrong. It wasn't possible yet to appreciate the glorious sensation of eradicating a universal curse and the entity couldn't understand why she had this bad feeling.
The woman didn't recognize the shivers down her spine, she wasn't used to this uncomfortable feeling and it made her so restless that she had to keep her guard up more seriously than at any other moment since she came back, looking for whatever was kidding her. She had never felt that scared.
