From the moment Tony had been let in on Lokis and Nebulas plan, he wasn't allowed to take shifts.
Loki would take Tony's place every single time. Like he of course also would take Tony's place when Supergiant had her big cult sessions.
It was undeniable, Loki was growing stronger. Little by little, now the shifts he needed to take for Tony didn't stop him from finding scraps and parts for Tony to use. Not just that.
Tonys eyes couldn't possible become any wider as Loki had given him a gift.
"Is that…. Bread?" Tony asked. "Actual bread?"
"You really think Supergiant and her loyal followers would eat the same slop as us?" Loki asked as he threw a small half loaf of bread to Tony.
Tony eyes watered as he held the small half loaf, he had never seen anything so beautiful before. His stomach was protesting in sheer hunger. He swallowed. "Isn't it running a risk taking things we don't need?"
"Not when they had already tossed it into the trash." Loki sighed.
Tony halted, he held the bread. "You… picked this out of the trash?" he asked.
"So?" Loki asked. "You want it or not?"
Tony swallowed. "Sorry, I should have thought about that. Thank you Loki." he breathed and took a bite, and his insides were singing. Never before had simple bread tasted this damn good. "Nebula, do you want some?" he asked.
A person stepped towards him, each of her steps were noisy due to the robotics. Ugly legs as well, but they were working and Nebula glanced down at him. "That's all right, everything tastes the same for me."
Tony sighed. "Dammit Nebula." he broke his bread into two and offered Nebula the part he had not taken a bit out off. "Just take it."
Nebula looked at Tony, but finally took her piece of bread with one of the claws which was her makeshift hand.
"How is it going with the explosions?" Loki asked.
"It's coming along." Tony sighed. "Are you sure that's enough though?" he asked.
"Nebula has informed of the key locations where we must place them." Loki stated. "How-ever, this time I would say rather too much than too little."
Tony swallowed lowering his bread. "Do we really need to do this? Why can't we just leave?"
"I want this moon gone!" Loki seethed. "Someone took away my chance to get satisfaction killing Thanos. At least I can destroy every last bit of his legacy!"
There was fire in Lokis eyes, rage. It made Tony shiver, it seriously reminded Tony of… Of New York.
"The great Titan, talking about his fairness." Loki seethed. "There was nothing fair about his actions when he caught up to us! Most of Asgard had already perished the day before! We had been a nation in the tens of thousands and only a couple of hundred were left! A couple of hundred all hid away on one space ship!" Loki held up a finger as his body was burning in anger. "Thor was wounded, he had lost an eye the day before and it hadn't even healed! This is what Thanos found on that spaceship and he ripped the spaceship apart! Let his soldiers have fun on the Asgardian refuges and tossed Thor around as his own toy! I watched it happening Tony. Do you understand? I watched." he hissed. "If he had taken me and left the others alone…. I could have accepted that. That is fair, we did have a deal and I broke it." then he looked up and his eyes were filled with tears as well as that burning anger. "But not them, they hadn't done anything. It was murder. That's all it was. Murder."
Tony swallowed. "We have a saying on earth… Stare long enough into the abyss and you become the monster."
Loki smirked. "I thought you knew Tony. I already am a monster." he stated.
Tony closed his eyes and he remembered.
"I… I don't wanna go."
Tony… was a killer. So many had died because of him. He deserved to die… But not the kid… Not the kid. He couldn't deny it, a side of him. It was burning, it wanted to see everything Thanos had ever created turned into ash. He wanted it gone.
But was it worth it? What kind of destruction was Tony in the process of unleashing? He had had the feeling from the start. Ever since he put Lokis head into place.
That he was unleashing something bad, something that couldn't be controlled! Maybe it was already to late.
It was already done. Loki had grown stronger now, so much stronger and honestly. It scared Tony.
It scared Tony just how much he wanted Loki to go out there and destroy everything in a storm of rage. But also how many could be hurt in his blind hatred of Thanos.
So many times Tony had wanted to do something good and it ended up in the most horrible consequences. Was this just his latest and biggest blunder?
Loki turned around and was walking away.
"LOKI!" Tony shouted and the god halted, then he just stood. "In New York… You didn't seem to care who got in your way. You didn't care if innocent people got hurt or killed. Is that really what you are like?" he asked. "Is that what you intend to do? Destroy everything in your path not caring about who stands in your way? Is that what you are?" he shivered.
Loki stood still.
"If that is the case." Tony swallowed. "I.. I'm not sure I can go along with this."
Loki shook his head. "It is what Odin accused me of being." he admitted. "Thor said I could be more… if I wanted to." he turned to Tony. His green eyes filled with pain. "I'm the god of Mischief Tony… Not the god of malice. Yet it does seem that that is what I'm turning into? Does it not?" he asked.
"If you just mindlessly kill everything that stands in your way, you wont be any better than him." Tony stated. "You wont be any better than Thanos who just stumbled upon a refuge ship! People might worship you, but for what reasons?" he asked. "As you said, you'll just be an empty vessel for other peoples stupid ideas."
"Thor is dead." Loki said. "Odin is dead… Asgard is gone. Who is left I should need to prove myself to? I do not much care for my own fate. Being a king or even being a god. I do not care much for it anymore. I just want my satisfaction."
"But what if Asgard isn't gone?" Tony asked. "What if someone survived? Just one Asgardian?" he asked. "An Asgardian who looks to you for help. Then what?"
Loki silenced, absolutely silenced. "Then…" he swallowed. "That would change everything."
Tony stood up. "Then don't become like Thanos just yet. Come to earth, make sure all Asgardians are really dead. If just one Asgardian is alive. You need to help that person right?"
Loki was quiet as he looked down, his rage did look like it had left him. At least for now.
Tony as well was quiet.
"You would invite me back to earth?" Loki asked.
"Well earth doesn't belong to me or anything." Tony sighed. "But I will give you a ride. And hey you are covering for me all the time here. Makes sense I would cover for you on earth."
Loki smirked lightly, then glanced down. Then finally he sat down leaning against the wall.
Tony swallowed, it was clear Loki was hurting… hurting a lot. So was Tony, and he knew Nebula was to.
Everyone was in so much pain. All of this, was such a mess.
"If it helps anything." Tony swallowed. "I... I was wrong about you. At least I think I was." he whispered. "I thought you didn't care about anybody. Clearly that's not true. And you know something weird?" he asked. "I think I kind of like you, you are pretty fun company." his smile faltered. "It would be really nice if you wouldn't prove me wrong about this."
Loki smirked as he shook his head. "You should have stuck to your first assumption." he sighed.
"Why do you insist on being a villain?" Tony asked. "You don't need to.."
Loki shrugged. "Never seemed like I had much of a choice." he commented. "Thor was always the light and I was his shadow. It was the nature of things. I just... got tired of denying it anymore." he quieted. "Now the light though is gone." he wrapped his arms around his leg. "Then... what is a shadow?"
"Of course you have a choice." Tony breathed. "There is always a choice." he stated.
"Is there?" Loki asked then shook his head. "It's to late to turn back now Tony. The moon has to go."
"I know, but after that?" Tony swallowed then sighed. "Yeah." he looked down. "Lesser of two evils huh? You or supergiant?" he asked. "Right now you don't seem so bad next to her."
"Not much of a compliment." Loki smirked grimly. "But thanks anyway."
And Tony smirked before he sat down and continued his work.