Chapter XVIII

"Even death cannot stop the king"

"I'm sorry, but Loki is dead. Loki is dead. Loki is dead…"

Those words were ringing in Tony's head. Distant voices were coming on from somewhere around him, but Stark tuned them out. This couldn't be possible. Loki couldn't be… couldn't be… Tony couldn't even think those words connected with Loki. No, Loki wasn't dead. He couldn't be!

"He's hypervalent!" someone shouted above him. Who was hypervalent?

"Tony you have to breathe!" Bruce was in front of him with a worry written on his face. "Tony, can you hear me? Tony?"

"He shut down," Strange was next to Bruce, pointing ahead. He moved his finger up and moved it from left to right. "His eyes are not moving. His pulse is too fast."

"Tony?!"

"You shouldn't tell him about Loki…"

"Loki?" Tony's voice was hoarse as if he was screaming lately. It was raw and scratchy. He needed some water. Tony shook his head and looked around. There was Strange and Bruce kneeling in front of him with worry written all over their faces. Why were they worried? Tony moved his brown eyes further around the living room. There was no sign of his lover. Where was he? Shouldn't he come with Bruce? "Where's Loki? Bruce?"

"Tony, Loki is de…"

"Don't!" Strange plastered his palm over Banner's mouth and gave him a pointed look.

"Loki is what?" Tony parrot his best friend, when he remembered.

Loki is dead. Thanos killed him. Loki is dead. Loki is dead. Loki is dead.

"NO!" Tony let out a painful howl.

He felt his body tremble, as he gripped his hair strongly. Suddenly, he felt as if he was dying himself. His heart was breaking into a million pieces. His soul was slipping away. Stark felt as if something shattered inside of him, cutting him to pieces. He could feel every part of his body burn with pain.

This wasn't true. Loki wasn't dead. No. This was a cruel joke of Bruce.

"No, no, no, no," Tony muttered under his nose. "He's alive. He must be. He cannot… no…"

"I'm so sorry, Tony," Bruce put his arms around Stark's shoulders and pulled him closer. Tony saw that happening, but he couldn't feel it. He couldn't feel anything. He was numb. "It's ok to cry, Tony. Let it go. I know you loved him."

And so Tony did. He let go of the emotions building inside of him. Tears started to flow like a river from his eyes. His body was shaking in a stronghold of Banner. Bruce was rocking with him back and forth, back and forth for god knows how long. Everything around Tony was blurred. Every sound was tuned out. The only thing he heard was the words of his best friend. Loki is dead. It was like a bad mantra, that didn't want to leave his head. Stark couldn't even hear his voice, as he was screaming out his rage.

Eventually, Tony's eyes had no more tears left. His body slumped against Banner. His voice died with his screams. There was nothing but a hollow inside of Iron Man. The colors in his world greyed out. And his heart, the real one that Loki awoke, died. There was nothing more of it or him for that matter.

"Maybe we should lay him down?" Strange proposed. Tony didn't hear an agreement from his best friend, but soon, Strange's magic was lifting him up and gently lying on the couch. "He truly loved him."

"I believe so," Bruce replied and brushed Tony's cheek full of dried tears. His eyes followed his body into shutting down. "They were ready to die for each other up in Asgard. I was shocked to discover it, even as the Hulk. But I guess… they were very alike and they match each other perfectly. Tony said that Loki wasn't to blame for all of New York's invasion. He told the Hulk the whole story. When he was talking about him, his eyes were shining so brightly and there was so much devotion in his voice. I didn't know Tony personally before New York, only from his life in public, but when I met him… indeed, he and Loki were very similar, both intelligent beyond anyone and both very brave. When they were fighting in Asgard, I could see it clearly."

"When they came to look for the Eye of the Agamotto… I was reserved. After all, Loki invaded Earth and Stark was helping him as if it never happened," Strange was saying. "But, when they disappeared from Earth for almost a year, and I studied more into the stone I'm carrying, I got a few visions of them. However, now that you're saying Loki is gone… I know they must be from other timelines, possible futures."

For a moment, there was silence between the two men.

"We must shape Stark back into the form," Strange stated firmly. "If what you say is true, and Thanos is coming, we need the Iron Man. We will need other Avengers too."

"There is only one person that can shape Tony back into himself," Bruce sighed loudly and looked up. "Hello? Is there any AI here?"

"Hello, doctor Banner," Friday greeted him. "My name is FRIDAY. We've met briefly in 2014, during Socovia events."

"Can you contact Colonel Rhodes for me? Tell him Tony needs him and also, can you contact me with Steve?" Bruce asked again. "I think we need him too and the rest of the Avengers."

"There's no more Avengers, doctor Banner," FRIDAY corrected him. "However, I will contact the Traitor and his little group for you. Shall I invite them all here?"

"Yes, and have Vision come here as well," Strange ordered her. "When he wakes up, he will be in shock again. It will be good to have some more familiar faces here for him."

While Tony was sleeping numbly on the couch and two men were sitting in the adjoined kitchen, a small, brown, leather sack showed up on the coffee table, surrounded by the green mist of magic.

…

"He disappeared for over a year and now you're telling me he was with Loki? Weren't he dating this Luke guy? I distinctly remember Pepper telling me he's dating his new PA, Luke Silver… Oh… I get it… Luke is Loki… I should have thi…"

"He's waking up, guys," some male voice broke through Tony's mind.

It was so hard to open his eyes, but he eventually managed to do it. The light around him was dimmed and the air was cool. Pleasant, as Stark lately slept with a human-ish popsicle. Not that he minded.

"Did you turn blue on me, Lo?" he whispered, trying to turn on the bed, only to fall hard to the floor. A wooden floor? There was no wood on the ship that they were flying. It was odd. Where was he? And where the hell was Loki?

Suddenly, Tony spotted three pairs of feet in front of his face. They were strangely earthly. Aesirs didn't wear such things. Their boots were leather and high. Stark moved his eyes further up and saw three familiar faces. Banner, Strange, and Rhodey were looking down on him with concerned faces. How the hell did they come to the ship? And Bruce turned back into a human? When did it happen? The last time he remember…

Loki pushing the Tesseract into his hands and confessing his love. Then Tony was falling, like in a wormhole only to wake up in his bedroom in the Stark Tower with no lover and a blue cube in his hands.

"You son of a bitch!" Tony shouted in the space, gripping the cube. He started to look and move it in his hands to activate it somehow, so he could go back there and help them out with Thanos. But to no avail. The Tesseract was shining, but Stark was no mage. He didn't know how to use the item.

How could Loki do this to him?! They were a team! They were supposed to fight together! They were supposed to kill Thanos off, together. They were supposed to save the entire galaxy. They were meant to do this together. They were meant to be together… How could Loki send him off? How could he let go of Tony?

No. Stark will find a way to get back to space. He will get back on that ship and fight along with Loki. They will do this together. Tony will figure it out. Time was on his side now. It went faster on Earth, so Tony won't miss a lot in there. He just needs to read some books that Loki left behind. He could do it. He will do it. He will get back to Loki.

Tony was engrossed with books for hours until Strange stepped out of his fancy, orange portal with Bruce hot on his heels. And then Banner said those words.

Loki is dead. Thanos killed him. Loki is dead.

Tony thought that he felt rage when he saw how Barnes killed his parents. But it wasn't as near as strong as what he was feeling now. He was seething with rage, as he jumped to his feet. Without much thinking, Stark called on his new nano-suit that he ordered FRIDAY to complete the moment he realized he's back on Earth and have to get back into space. He pushed the faceplate down and looked at doctor Strange.

"Open me a portal to space, Strange," he grunted towards the magician. "I have to get back there."

"And do what?" Rhodey asked him.

"I will rip Thanos's heart out."

"Tone...I know you're hurting, but we have to…"

"Um, gentlemen?" Strange addressed them, looking behind Tony. "Stark, does your table usually lights up like that?"

All eyes in the room turned to the glass table and realized Strange was right. The table was lighting up in a green mist. There was something on it and that thing was emitting the light. Tony knew this light. This shade of green was too familiar to him. He raised his faceplate and stepped out of his suit. Before anyone could stop him, Tony made a beeline to the table and grabbed the small, leather sack. The green mist circled Tony's palm and brushed it gently as if they were lovers for years. Stark couldn't help but smile. Whatever it was, it belonged to Loki.

"Tony!" the three of them shouted behind his back and soon they joined him, looking down at the sack in his palm. Golden letters showed up on the front of the sack. "What does it say?"

"Elskan minn," Tony read out.

"And what does it mean?" Rhodes asked.

"It's something Loki used to call me…" Stark pulled the golden thread that was closing the sack and waited. More of this green mist seeped out of the sack and twirled around Tony's feet like a snake. Wait. It was a snake. When the mist died down, the reptile with poison green eyes swirled up around Tony's right leg.

"Oh shit, what the hell?!" Bruce looked down at the reptile that was moving up Tony's body.

The man in question was stiff, waiting for the end. Eventually, the snake raised his head and faced Iron Man. It hissed at him and pressed his snout to Tony's lips. A moment later, the snake puffed off in a green mist and a cool pair of familiar lips was pressing into Tony's.

After the internal shock, Tony let himself loose in the kiss. Only to open his eyes widely and push Loki off himself. The mage gave him a surprised look.

"You son of a bitch!" Tony regretted that he stepped out of his suit. He should shoot Loki off with his repulsor. The mage deserved that for pulling such a stunt! However, he could still use his fists. It was so tempting.

"My love…" the mage started, but Stark quickly cut him off.

"I thought you're dead! Bruce said Thanos killed you! You're a dick, Loki! I'll kill you for this!"

"Oh, my love," the mage came closer to him and put his palm over Tony's wet cheek. Tears were streaming down his face again when he finally realized that Loki is with him again. He was so happy but hurt as well. Loki kissed his lips sweetly and whispered to his ear. "Nothing can keep me away from you for too long, elskan minn. Not even death herself."

"You're a jerk," Tony whispered into a kiss. When he threw his arms around his boyfriend, the mage knew he was forgiven. Stark couldn't stay mad at him for too long anyway. He loved him too much. "I love you."

"I love you as well, my sweetheart," Loki pulled away from Tony and turned them back to the other men in the room. "Hello. Doctor Banner, it is nice to see your human form." Loki regarded the scientist. "Strange." A curt nod into the direction of the magician. "I hope you studied your Midardian magic well in my absence."

"I have."

"Very well," Loki turned his head towards Rhodey. "You must be the brother of Anthony. James, correct?" Rhodes gave him a small nod. "Well, it would be a quite lovely meeting in other circumstances, gentlemen. However, we must hurry and gather the rest of the Avengers. Thanos is coming. He destroyed the ship that we used before. It is a matter of time before he will find a mage that will open him a gate to Midgard. We must get ready."

"Where are the other Aesirs?" Banner asked, touching Loki's shoulder. "Where's Thor and Valkyrie?"

"I couldn't save them all, doctor Banner," the mage admitted with sadness. "But those who were alive wear my protection over themselves. Before I disappeared, I made sure that the ship we were calling on is close enough. They will be saved. We will see them again if we survive the encounter with Thanos."

"We will," Tony squeezed his hand encouragingly. "We will do it, together. Let's face the bastard and send him straight to hell."