The Next Day
It is a busy morning in Avengers tower, as they begin to wrap up the finishing touches of their new ship. Well at least they hope that the work they put in the ship finally makes it functional and that maybe they will be able to take off as early as tonight. Depending that they manage to figure out the final things that they may have to deal with and maybe even possibly see if it can survive one final test before they launch the ship and begin their mission to space. It is promising progress that they are all happy that they somehow managed to pull off and that maybe they will be able to finally get somewhere.
Darcy is just happy that they are finally getting somewhere and maybe they will finally find Loki and Gamora. She just hopes that they are both ok, Darcy knows that Thanos might take it easy on Gamora just because she's his favorite kid, but she knows that Thanos would focus on hurting Loki the most. She just hopes that they are not too late and that maybe they will get there before Thanos does something to Loki. But either way she is going to go out there and to help get both of them out of there. At least she thinks that she has become a better fighter than she has been a couple days ago, maybe she can at least take down one of the Chitauri and then she will be able to play her role in this.
There is also the fact that she also feels like that she needs to apologies to Thor for the role she played in keeping Loki's secret, creating the whole Mysto identity and. helping him find the stones before Thanos does. She is definitely not going to win friend of the year anytime soon, especially with the fact that she also helped Loki continue to fake his death rather than tell Thor the truth about his brother being alive. How is she going to make up for all of this?
If they had time to prepare to sit Thor down and tell him the truth about everything about Loki's survival, Thanos, Mysto and their quest to get the stones before Thanos can. But no, they can't even have that time simply because Thanos had to blackmail Loki, make him give up the stones, capture him and reveal his identity to not only Thor but to the other Avengers. She should feel grateful that Hawkeye left the team to spend more time with his family and probably is focussing on trying to keep them safe, War Machine is helping to handle Thanos's threat in an operative level on Earth in case Thanos tries anything in the towns and cities and Falcon is helping him. Though he said that he might come by to see if they need any help later on, Darcy just hopes that he doesn't no matter how cool it would be to meet another Avenger. At least they are trying to come up with the excuse of why they all have everything under control and that maybe they don't want to deal with having to explain everything to him or have to hide Loki being Mysto a little longer.
At least things are going smoothly now and that maybe they will be able to move and launch the ship. She notices that Wanda is out of her room , that she is the only other one in this living room part and she seems to be doing alright. Well as alright as one can be when they just found out the robot that she really cares about sacrificed himself to not only try to stop Thanos and to also try to save Loki. But still it's good to see that she is out of her room and that she is doing alright, maybe she might help with the Loki situation, sure she knows that now might not be a good time to talk about it. Why is she even considering that especially since that might only make things worse later on and the idea of having her use her powers to somehow manipulate everyone into thinking that Loki's a hero and maybe just maybe have the spell be permenant. She knows that this is not the solution to the problem, but she really wish that it was that easy.
She decides that it might be best to go talk to her, Darcy knows that Wanda is going through a tough time and that she doesn't know what might be the best course of action. But someone might want to talk to her and check in with her before they continue on with possibly planning whatever they may be planing to do when it comes to the plan on how to find Thanos and get Loki and Gamora out of whatever place they are now trapped in. At least things are starting to get better than how they were two days ago and that maybe they will be able to pull this off.
"Hey, I'm guessing that you are now ready to get back to action?" asked Darcy. "Ok sorry that came out all wrong, but then again I never thought that I would be having this conversation or all of this would ever happen."
"It's fine, to be honest I have never thought that convincing Vision to hide in the ship and wait for the right moment to attack and maybe even throw them off then maybe he would still be alive, Thanos wouldn't have gotten all of the stones and maybe Loki would still be on this planet." saiid Wanda.
"Yeah, but still it wasn't your fault things went down the way it did." said Darcy. "We had no idea that Thanos was planning all of that or how big this plan was going to be. If we did then maybe Loki and I would have come up with a better plan, maybe he wouldn't be up in space right now and we would be one step closer on defeat Thanos."
"At least they are reacting better than you both imagined, all Loki has to do is just prove himself being on our side and maybe they won't be too hard on both you." said Wanda. "They gave Pietro and me a chance even after all of the things we did before Ultron and our past history with the Avengers."
"Yeah but you two didn't try to take over the planet with an evil alien army that works for Thanos or faked your deaths and lied to one of your friends about your survival?" asked Darcy. "Since it's seems clear that you guys don't have a record that goes as far as Loki's, I mean you guys weren't necessary evil more like misguided."
"According to the news, some people don't share the same mindset or at least want to think that same perspective." said Wanda. "But still it doesn't stop us from doing any 'hero work,' maybe you both will be given the same chance to live your lives without the past interfering with it."
"I hope your right, it's either things magically work out or two scenarios might happen to us once everything is over and they decide to put us in the penalty box." said Darcy. "The best case scenario would be that Loki and I will be under house arrest for realistically two years at our place and worst case scenario would be both of us get life sentences and end up in jail, we'd be lucky if we were in the same dungeon or jail."
"I don't think that it's going to go that far, I think that the others aside from us, Pietro and Jane are mostly surprise and confused by all of this. This is the same guy who dare to try to take over the planet and destroyed a city in the progress, it's not surprising that they don't have a high opinion on him or any fond memories." said Wanda. "They fear that this might be some kind of trick and that they need to stay on high alert in case of anything, take me for example people are more afraid of what I might become with my powers that they are more focused on trying to keep me under control rather than trust me. Just give them time and then they will start to see that Loki really has changed and that you two were just trying two help."
"Yeah depending if things do work out that the Avengers would see us as someone who was trying to save the world not helping Thanos or who knows what crazy theory anyone might come up with." said Darcy. "I just wish I can find a way to make things right with Thor and how I practically help Loki keep his secret and lie to him for the past couple of months. It also doesn't help that he was already guilty of Loki being dead, but the fact that not only I knew the truth but didn't tell him as he spends most of the time feeling guilty. That is definitely going to make me win worse friend of the year and I'd be lucky that he would even consider me as a friend after this."
"Well if it makes you feel any better from what I saw in Thor's mind, I saw that he's mostly worried about Loki and angry at Thanos for what he did to him in the past." said Wanda. "Any anger that he seemed to have towards you or Loki seems to have past, but he is still angry at Loki for the whole faking his death and for not telling him about Thanos. Even then it's not something that you should worry about, it's not the amount of anger that would throw you and Loki in jail."
"Well that's good to hear, all I need to do now is aside from practice fighting in case of any emergencies but to find a good time to apologies." said Darcy. "So do you have any tips on how I can do that?"
"If it were me, I would find a good moment to talk or just continue find ways to show him that you are truly sorry." said Wanda. "Actions speak louder than words and from what you two did in the past to get the stones and how you are helping to find a way to save Loki, Gamora and save the world from Thanos. I think that's more than enough to prove that you and Loki are the good guys of this story. The unlikely heroes that wanted nothing more but to help or at least in Loki's case to make up for his past misdeeds. I think Thor and the others will definitely understand that, just give them some time before you start to worry about the worst."
Darcy can't help but smile a little bit, touched by Wanda's words and touched that she provided some comfort to the dark situation. She might be right and that maybe all they need is time and then Loki will be able to prove that he is on their side. Then maybe just maybe they won't end up in jail, at least she hopes that it doesn't end like that. Before she can say anything, all of the sudden there is a buzzing sound from the giant tv and just about every electronic that is in the tower. It was just like the last time when Thanos is about to make a grand announcement. Whatever it is, they knew that this is going to be a big deal and they don't even know what is about to come down. Soon the other Avengers and Jane came right on down to see what is going on and if it's Thanos and if so what does he want this time, they ere all ready to see what's going and to hear what's going on. They are about to get their answer as the screens slowly begins to get a picture.
Meanwhile on the Guardians' ship
The Guardians and Loki are hard at work to prepare for whatever fight Thanos might throw at them, when they eventually find him of course. Quill and Drax are driving the ship and keeping an eye out for anything and making sure the ship continues to fly smoothly. Rocket is making sure that they have enough equipment for a potential impossible fight against the mad titan. He doesn't know if it might be enough even with Loki and a powerful magic sword on their side, but it's better than nothing and at least it's better than nothing and they might barely make it out alive. He does not really like the odds that are stacked against them, he just hope that whatever plan they come up with works. While Loki and Gamora are practicing sword fighting, so far Loki seems to be getting the hang of it even though he's more into daggers and magic. But if he is going to continue to use the sword and face Thanos, then he is going to need to start focusing on practicing his skills and see what else he might be able to do with the sword.
This might be a reckless idea, but he thinks that it might be best if he just try out whatever abilities the sword possesses during this fight against Thanos. It may not be the best idea or at least the one that he would be willing to go with, but what choice does he have? It's either do it then or risk hurting someone or destroying the ship in the progress. At least he can focus on perfecting the art of swordplay while he still has a chance to practice, he just wishes that he can better prepare himself as he continues to practice. Then that way he might be able to know what he is doing when he does use the sword's powers against Thanos, he feels like he is at a disadvantage because of the fact that he doesn't know the sword's full capabilities and powers outside of what the story already. says. At least he can say that he is getting better at defending himself in a simple fight with a sword.
He and Gamora has been practicing for a while now, the only other person in the room is Groot who is watching the two of them fight and enjoying the show. Groot is enjoying seeing them train and that it seems like that they are doing a lot during the fight that they are at least having some fun while they are practicing. He is at least happy to enjoy watching the two of them practice and that they were able to prepare themselves for the better. Groot does wonder when might be the moment that they will face Thanos again and what are they going to do once they do find him and how are they planning to stop him?
"I have to say that you are improving when it comes to fighting with a sword." said Gamora. "Maybe you might be able to stand a chance in a fight if they put you in those handcuffs again."
"At least one good thing of fighting with scepters in the past is that it helps with this form of fighting surprisingly." said Loki. "All I need to do is continue practicing and maybe we will be able to pull this off."
"But then again you have powers with this sword and you can just experiment with seeing how you can use these powers to hold of against Thanos." said Gamora.
"If I do that then I would risk destroying the ship and all of us, though Thor is more of an expert on using objects that increases one's own powers." said Loki. "I doubt that he would be open into letting me keep the sword if he knew about the power that I can access."
"Well you are trying to stop Thanos now, he knows about your past and how Thanos tortured you as well. He might have a better opinion and be open to giving you another chance." said Gamora. "At least have the faith that Thor will give you another chance and consider making things right."
"Why are you so concerned about whether or not I should make amends with my brother?" asked Loki. "You never seemed to be the type to care about these things when we first met."
"I have changed a lot since then, I am not the same person that you met on Thanos's ship and even then I was starting to see the monster that Thanos is." said Gamora. "The same can be said about you, you have changed a lot since we first met. Loki, the life you had on Earth, the friendship you have with Darcy and simply everything that has happened made you a different person. If I ask you about how you feel about your brother last year, you would have told me that you wanted him to pay for everything that happened and putting you in a shadow. But now you are caring about his safety and worried about what he is going to say to you if you two ever see each other again."
"You still did not answer my question." pointed out Loki the obvious.
"I know what it feels like to make a mistake and loose someone because of it, if I didn't blindly follow Thanos and if I helped Nebula when I had the chance then maybe she wouldn't be stuck with Thanos now." said Gamora. "She lost an arm because of me, we were on a mission and was looking for the power stone. It happened a couple of months before you came, she fell into a trap and I was going to help her but Thanos stopped me claiming that's what she deserves. She was already starting to resent me over the years just because I was winning our spars to survive. But after that she hates me for it and any chance she gets to spite me or hurt me, she even let go during the fight against Ronan when I tried to save her."
"To be honest it sounds like it's more Thanos's fault rather than yours, it does seem clear that Nebula is blaming you for things beyond your control." said Loki. "That she is now going towards this path because you did better than her in any training station, while Thanos was manipulating and torrturing both of you to submit to him and work for him without any choice but to accept your fate and to obey him without any question."
"But still I still had the choice whether or not I obeyed him or not, all she wanted was a sister and Thanos refused to let me be one. I let my desire to survive cloud my judgment and abandoned and hurt Nebula in the process." said Gamora. "I just don't want the same thing to happen to you and the difference between the two of us at least you have a chance to see if you can fix things with Thor. That is if you really want to fix things or you might loose him forever."
Loki turned away from Gamora, not even knowing what to think and at least he now knows what is driving Gamora in the argument of going back to Earth to ask the Avengers for help and to try to see if he can make things right with his brother. He wishes that there is a way for them to save their relationship or whatever was left of it, but Loki knows that it's too late and the damage has been done and that things would be better if they never cross paths. He just hopes that she doesn't bring up Darcy because he doesn't want to think about he has made her life even more difficult than she deserve.
The connection that they have has gotten during their time together has gotten stronger and he tries not to think about her simply because he doesn't want to feel anymore guilty than he already is. Every time that he is reminded or thinks about her, he suddenly remembers how he has possibly made Darcy take the blame for everything he has done and how they left things before all of this started. It might be best for the three of them if he just says up in space and never return to Earth, that way they can all focus on moving on. Before Loki can even have a chance to say anything to Gamora or figure out what might be the best way to say it with hopes that Gamora would give up on trying to get him to go back to Earth.
"Guys, the screens are going all fizzy like the last time." said Rocket entertering the room in a hurry. "You know before Thanos attacked Earth to get Loki to give up all of the stones he collected."
"What?" said Gamora surprised at the sudden development and suddenly groaned. "It looks like that Thanos might have something planned if he is making this announcement out of nowhere, it's probably is about our escape."
"I am Groot?" asked Groot confused and unsure if this is a good thing.
"Uh no, Groot I don't think that he wants to make a peace offering. We'd be lucky if he hasn't already got some humoungus battle ship right behind us." said Rocket.
"Whatever he wants, I doubt that it would be any good." said Loki and he quickly starts to exit the room to see what the titan might want.
The three members of the Guardians all begins to leave the room following Loki, they all knew that Thanos is going to make his next move. It's going to be a moment where they are going to see what Thanos is planning to do next, knowing how Thanos can be to anyone that might dare to go up against him or at least someone who he can't stand. That Thanos might be thinking of doing something that is not only going to try to get to her and Loki, but something that innocent people will get hurt and Thanos will do more than have an empty threat to convince them to do whatever Thanos wants them to do. She doesn't even know what to make out of the situation and have the feeling that this definitely not going to end well. She just hopes that for the sake of whatever fight they are going to face, she is wrong of what Thanos might be planing to do.
Soon the four of them arrived to the main room where Drax and Quil are starring at a frizzled screen that the picture is starting to slowly form as the six of them begins to watch Thanos fully appear on screen and to see what he might possibly want and what might be the biggest announcement that might change the course of the overall fight against Thanos and the current status. Loki just hopes that his ship is not behind them or he thought of catching the others and try to blackmail him for their freedom again. When the screen stops frizzling, Thanos begins to make his announcement with a furious demeanor.
"I have an urgent message that needs to come to your attention. Yesterday that two prisoners has escaped from my ship, fortunately they didn't take any of the six Infinity Stones or the gauntlet during their escape." said Thanos. "Unfortunately, I will have no choice but to take immediate action to locate both of them, they are my favorite daughter Gamora and Loki."
Both Loki and Gamora exchanged a nervous look at each other, both can tell that this is not a good sign and that Thanos will be doing everything he can to make sure that they are going to pay. But they both knew that if anyone is going to get the shorter end of the stick, it's Loki who Thanos is going to make sure that he doesn't get out of this alive He knows that whatever is going to happen right now and once the message is over, then he is going to need to think of a plan on how he is going to defeat Thanos for good.
"If anyone has the audacity to turn them in to me, I only want Loki to be given to me unharmed and alive and as for Gamora do whatever you want with her." said Thanos, as they all became defensive at the request. "Unless if you Loki, turn yourself over to me and I will spare not only Gamora but Terra as well. I already have an army of Chitauri stationed around Terra ready to attack on my order and I might pay them all a surprise visit. If anything happens to your brother or any friends. of yours, rather one particular friend then you will have no one to blame but yourself."
Loki really wishes that it is Thanos himself is on the ship, so that way he can unleash the power of the Laevatein and make sure that he defeats Thanos for good. There is no way he would ever let Thanos hurt anyone from Earth especially Thor and Darcy. He would even get mad if he hurts Jane, the Maxioffs, The Guardians (fortunatly they are all in space with him) and maybe even the Avengers to some extent. He knows that Thanos would be to blame for it, that he would have done all of that to make sure he falls for whatever emotional trap that he wants him to fall. While maybe with the hopes that he will go after Thanos for a quest of vengeance, if it does happen he knows that he would use it as a sense of motivation to make sure that Thanos is defeated for good.
"But for a little hint of motivation, that is if you truly are a hero and really want to do the right thing then surrender is the only option. Unless you want anyone else to meet this fate..." said Thanos with an evil grin. "Proxima quickly managed to find a Terran that is surprisingly stranded on a planet last night and quickly alerted me of this human with immerse power. He could have defeat me if he didn't hold back his true power, but he was too much of a weakling or rather foolish to even consider of doing so. Children of Thanos, bring him out."
The next thing that they all knew is that the Black Order came into the same room as Thanos, they brought the human tied up with chains and Asgardian hand cuffs on his wrists. Once Loki sees the human, he can't believe his eyes or even know what to think of the sight right in front of him...
"Strange?!" said Loki almost immediately after he recovered from the shock and finally found the only thing to say.
"I know right, it's strange to see another Terran out here." said Quill who is surprised as well but doesn't know what is the major cause of shock that Loki is now feeling.
"No, that's literally his name; Doctor Strange. He is a human that I encountered back on Earth, he was holding the time stone and I had to fight him and accidentally trapped him in a portal/world of some sorts." explained Loki. "I'm surprised that he ended up on another planet or let alone in the hands of Thanos this quickly. But he does have a point, Strange could have easily defeated him even without the time stone or that magic portal ring thing. I'm just surprise that he didn't put up more of a fight."
"Thanos, whatever you are planning to do to this universe think of the consequences that you going to create if you continue using the stones." said Strange. "You are only hurting yourself and not too mention thousands of others by continuing to make the universe unbalance through your quest of power. Not too mention whatever crazy obsession you have with Loki is only making things worse, no one should be pay for the price of your anger and desire for revenge."
"I believe that you do not have a right to say anything to me, I used the mind stone to see through your mind and know who you are and everything that happened to you." said Thanos. "It's ironic and humorous once you think about it, Loki was telling the truth about my existence, my intentions for the stones and the desire of him to obtain them before I do for his foolish heroic goals. But you were too busy to suspect that Loki is planning to use the stones for his own personal gain and fight him because of an unproven accusation to even stop to listen to him and take the time to see that Loki's claims are correct. With your power, you could have defeated me even before I entered this galaxy and save Loki, these Avengers and everyone else the trouble."
"Another good point, it's true is Strange stopped to listen to me then he wouldn't be in this situation or do some of his magic to at least help better protect Earth." said Loki.
"Aren't you a criminal back on that planet?" pointed out Rocket.
"Well I am not exactly welcome on Earth and if I ever make my presence known publicly then I will probably have an angry mob coming after me for what happened last year and most recently unintentionally making Earth, Thanos's target." said Loki. "I do know with my record that it doesn't make me the most valued person in Earth's book, but still he also has the power to see if I am telling the truth through his magic tricks."
"Loki has a point, if you have some magic powers that might possibly see someone's mind then why not use it to see if someone's telling the truth?" said Quill agreeing and seeing Loki's point of view of the entire situation.
"Guys, I. think we should leave the commentary for later." said Gamora. "Thanos isn't done making his little announcement and I don't think that this guy is going to have a happy ending from one look at that argument."
Loki quickly turns his attention back to the screen and notices that Thanos has the guantlet on, he doesn't know if it's from the footage but from one look he notices the soul stone seems to be glowing brighter than the others. Part of him wishes that this is just a trick of the light or that Doctor Strange would somehow used his magic to send Thanos to another dimension or something. Now that he thinks about it why didn't he just keep the ring and learned to use it and maybe send Thanos to another dimension when he had the chance it would have made everything easier. Before Loki can continue to think about what he should have done in that would have made the situation better and end it quicker than the rate they are now. Thanos isn't done just yet...
"Loki, if you don't turn yourself in and continue to pursue this futile quest then I will have no choice but to attack Earth and hunt down every single planet to make sure that I gather whatever information that I can obtain to make sure that I will destroy you." said Thanos. "If you continue to believe that you can live out your days without ever having to face me again, then you are wrong and deep down you know that you can't hide from me forever or else your brother and friends will face the same fate as Mr. Strange here."
Thanos quickly lift his gauntlet and quickly placed the soul stone right at Doctor Strange's chest to begin taking away his soul. Loki and the Guardians watch as Thanos makes Doctor Strange live out the final moments for the sorcerer supreme. Loki stares at the sight feeling partially responsible because he was the one that accidentally sent Strange through the portal that eventually led him to Thanos. Gamora and Drax are disgusted by the sight and they really can't wait for this to be over, Gamora wasn't surprise to see the lengths Thanos is willing to go. Drax hoped that for some reason the Soul stone would fail because this is definitely not a good sign for Strange or for them. Quill turned away from the screen, feeling awkward and uncomfortable at the scene and knew that Thanos is definitely is crossing the line with the soul stone. While Rocket quickly cover Groot's eyes from the sight and even though Groot has seen a lot ever since he was turned back to a sapling, there are some things that Groot is not ready for. Though it is a struggle for Rocket because Groot is trying to find a way out of Rocket's paw and when he finally succeeded, Rocket quickly use his tail to block Groot's view before using his paws again.
They all continued to watch the scene unfold and despite the odds, Doctor Strange tries to see if he can put up a fight and maybe even find a way to escape. But to no avail because of Thanos's grasp and the soul stone fully managed to get a hold of Strange's soul, over the course of the process Strange seems to be loosing his power and any strength that he might have had to fight back Thanos. He tried to see if maybe he can try to use astral projection to try to see if he can somehow see if he can separate his soul from the stone and keep it apart long enough to make an escape. But it is no use the stone has a tighter grip on Strange and is about to finally complete it's job.
Strange knows that even if he dies right here then he might as well try to see the outcome of a future where things do end well, he quickly cast a quick spell and he is a little surprise of the outcome. At least there is hope, but Strange is surprised from what he has seen and knows that this is the moment where he needs to say something right now. If it is true and that this needs to happen, then he needs to say something now before it's too late and he needs to do it discreetly so that way they will get the message and that Thanos won't realize what's going on and do something more rash to Earth. He just hopes that Loki is watching this and that he will be able to figure out what he's trying to say.
"He... They... will stop you..." said Doctor Strange as genetically as possible and trying hard to make his message stand out for Loki to hear. "You will never win or get Loki, as long as... the... A..."
With that Strange only lets out a gasp and when Thanos sees that the stone's work is done, he pulls the Guantlet away from Strange's chest and with an evil smile. Thanos lets Strange's body drop and the sorcerer supreme is no more, the sight of the dead sorcerer makes Loki feel not only a mix of disgust and shock from what just happened. The idea that Thanos was able to overpower and take someone as powerful as Doctor Strange's life is not only sad but there is also the fact that fighting against Thanos with just a sword that enhances his powers being underprepared power wise and the Guardians on his side might not be enough to finally stop Thanos.
Though he does notice that Doctor Strange seem to be trying to him something, it is almost like if he is trying to tell him something about needing something else if he wants to stop Thanos. Even then he doesn't know that if he can fully trust Strange after that little confrontation that they shared back on Earth, but he knows that there is no time to let his personal bias get in the way of the situation. He knows that Strange had this amount of power to see things beyond the room right in front of him, that's how he managed to find Loki on Earth for their first time. So he must have seen something that he needs to do or get if he wants to finally beat Thanos, he spends the next couple of seconds to think about it as Thanos continues to make his threat.
"It looks like he was weaker than I thought, here is an example of what might happen to your brother, any allies that are foolish to support you or any innocent people that dare try to stand up to me." said Thanos quickly using the Space Stone to let Strange float out into space and turned to face the screen. "You have forty eight hours to turn yourself over to me, if you do so then I will leave all of them alone and let Gamora live her life freely. But if you don't then I will send the Chitauri to destroy everything in Terra and beyond, I might even send them a little surprise later as a warning. I am sure they would love my gift, if you want to avoid all of this trouble then surrender is your only option."
The next thing that Loki and the Guardians knew is that the screen suddenly starting to frizzle, they all were quiet at what just happened. Rocket slowly removed his paw from Groot's face and Quill turns off the screen. They all are taking a good look at the situation and trying to think of what might be their next move, it looks like that Thanos is pushing all of them into a corner and a fight even earlier than they were hoping for. They all know that this is the moment that they all knew where they will all have to face Thanos and the inevitable fight that is about to happen and the endless amount of outcomes that might happen when it happens.
Loki can't help but feel that things are now hopeless again and that in two days, Thanos will not only destroy Earth but everywhere else in the universe to make sure that he hunts him down. At least he has the hope that the sword might be powerful enough to stop Thanos and even then he still has to figure out how to master the sword's power and can't rely on the same luck he had while fighting Red Skull to magically make things work out. He knows that things are going to really depend on whether or not he will be able to fight with the sword and use it's power to overpower Thanos.
As Loki continues to think about the current situation, the message that Thanos just sent and Strange's last words. He begins to realize something that is now making him more uncomfortable by the minute and he quickly realize that the Chitauri is not just going to stand by and wait for Thanos's orders. His warning must be to send them to Earth on a rampage and if this theory is ok then Earth might be under or still have yet to be attacked by the Chitauri. Thanos must be using Earth as a way to get him to come out and give himself up to Thanos, once he's done with this preview and if he still doesn't surrender. Then Thanos will use it as an excuse to destroy Earth, then Asgard and then all of the other planets and realms until he eventually does find him.
"I think that Thanos is planning to attack Earth, that's why he must have the Chitauri stationed, to have them attack in hopes that I would feel a sense of guilt strong enough to surrender." said Loki. "He hopes that if I let my guilt get the best of me or worry too much on Thor, Darcy and anyone else on Earth then I might have the idea that the only way for things to end peacefully is through surrender."
"That definitely sounds like Thanos, that's what he does. Manipulate, lie and torture others until he gets what he wants." said Gamora.
"I am Groot. I am Groot." suggested Groot. "I am Groot."
"We are not going to openly attack every Chitauri soldier we find, not only it would give Thanos an idea where we are but there is also the fact that we'd find ourselves in a bigger problem simply because of the fact we'd be dealing with an army that will continue to give us pathetic attack attempts." said Rocket. "Everyone knows that the Chitauri is the worst army in the galaxy."
"I led that army and they did a good job in causing damage, we would have won if it weren't for my brother and the Avengers." pointed out Loki.
"Or you almost led them to victory due to your skills and intellect, I may have not known you for long but I can tell that you are the type that would be able to make them get their act together and have an awesome plan that make them do whatever you want."
"To be honest, I had two Infinity stones on my side and one of them I can mind control others to my bidding." said Loki. "So that probably helped in my case or rather didn't help when it comes to the gravity of the situation and Earth's standing after the invasion and the overall aftermath. At least I know that the Chitauri are not the best, otherwise things would have and still might be worse."
"So we have two days to figure out a plan before we have to deal with whatever trouble that Thanos is going to throw at us." said Quill turning to Loki and Gamora. "There is no way we are going to give up either of you to him, Thanos will be stopped and we are going to give him a fight that he'll never forget."
"It is going to take more than a determined attitude to stop Thanos, we are going to need a plan if we want to stop Thanos." said Gamora. "The question is how are we going to do it? If Loki's right about the Chitauri being stationed and ready to attack Terra, then we don't have any time to loose. Thanos will start small and continue to make larger attacks until he eventually find us and do what he wishes to all of us."
"What are we going to do?" asked Drax. "How are we going to stop him?"
Loki turned away from the Guardians to start to think about the situation itself and all of the things that Thanos might be planning to do to Earth and beyond. He knows that Thanos might send more than the Chitauri if he doesn't just give himself to Thanos. That everyone is already in danger or if not about to be, once Thanos sets off the attack and might do more than capture a human, all of the current living Avengers and the occasional Asgardian. He starts to think about all of the things that Thanos has done and how things got this far. He knows that Thanos is not going to stop until he gets exactly what he wants. Loki doesn't even know what might be the best course of action, the last thing he needs is to fall into Thanos's traps again.
As he is thinking about the situation, he starts to realize what Strange was trying to say and how things got to the place it did. All of this hiding, keeping this secret and avoiding to face Thor and reality is what got them in a bigger mess in the first place. If he had revealed himself alive from the start and explained to Thor about Thanos, his quest for the Infinity Stones and his hatred towards him then Thanos wouldn't have the stones, everyone would have been better prepared, Hiemdell, Vision and Doctor Strange would still be alive and things wouldn't have escalated this far. Darcy, Jane, Gamora and in a twisted way now Thanos was right, he can't keep using illusions, a mask or even space to hide from his problems.
"We need to go to Earth, this is getting completely out of hand." said Loki. "Thanos is going to do more than do multiple attacks on Earth and later on other planets to try to get me out of hiding. I am going to give him exactly what he wants, but not without a fight and we are not going to face him alone."
The Guardians all exchanged a surprise glance with one another and they all knew that this is a big moment for Loki and the fight up ahead. They all knew that there might be some trouble up ahead due to Loki's past and whatever feelings the Avengers might have towards him. But they all hope that they would stop to hear them out and that they would put aside any distrust towards Loki to cloud their judgment. At least they will stand by Loki's side no matter what happens once they get down there, whatever happens they all hope that the Avengers will listen to them and anyone who knows Loki's true intentions. While Gamora on the other hand is happy that Loki said that they need to go to Earth, they are going to need all of the help they can get if they are going to win this.
While Loki on the other hand is heading towards one of the windows to get a good look at space, as he is about to face his doom in one way or another. He knows that this is a big risk and one that he doesn't even know if they will even listen to him. Not too mention if they told anyone else that he was Mysto and have everyone on higher alert compared to whatever Thanos might be. Though he just hopes with one sight of Gamora and that would be alone to show them that he is on their side and is asking for their help. He still worries about the reaction he is going to get once he faces Thor again and how things probably have escalated for the worst between them. Loki wouldn't be surprise that things are now beyond repair between the two of them, he doesn't blame Thor for being angry about everything that happened for the past few days. He can't imagine what Thor must be thinking about the past two months, let alone the past year since New York and all of the things he did before meeting Thanos.
Even if Thor is angry with him to the point that he never wants to see him again, the Avengers finding every excuse to put him in a cage or simply refuse to believe him despite Darcy, Jane, the Maximoffs and Guardians' defense, whatever awkward tension that he may have with Darcy due to whatever feelings or connection they share and if Thanos does exactly what he suspects him in doing then he knows that things will only get worse when he is given the excuse to finally attack until he just shows up to surrender. But he has had enough of this and knows that the only way for them to finally defeat him forr good is for Loki to drop the illusion and to face the Avengers and ask them to team up with them and to finally stop Thanos.
As the Guardians begins to navigate the ship to head towards earth, Loki is already starting to come up with a plan on how they can approach the fight against Thanos and he knows that Thanos planned everything in hopes that everyone would turn against him. If he can convince the Avengers to help them, then they will be hopefully have Thanos underprepared. All he needs to do is figure out how to execute the plan and maybe get some practice with the sword then maybe they will be able to pull this off. Along with to prove to them that he is not the monster that they believe he is, the one that many like Thanos wants otherrs to believe. Sure he's not the ideal hero that many would look up to admire like the Avengers or the fictional overrated ones like super alien man or some other genetic hero that he would roll his eyes at.
But all he knows that he is going to make sure that Thanos is defeated for good, no matter what might happens next on Earth or how they may feel about him. Loki just hopes that all of this works out and even if they don't want anything to do with him, then he'll leave and never look back once this is over no matter how much it would hurt him to do so. While the Guardians are talking in the background trying ease the tension for both Loki and Gamora to relax before they reach Earth, Loki is developing a plan that might possibly work and one that he just hopes that he can finish developing it before they reach Earth.
Meanwhile back on Earth
The Avengers, Jane and Darcy start to process the message that has been sent, the brutal death of the wired Earth guy that they have never met and the mere fact that Loki and Gamora managed to escape from Thanos. At least they don't have to worry about having to locate Thanos's ship and make rescue attempt that they are really underprepared for. The bad news is that now Loki and Gamora are now somewhere in space and they have a two day time limit to find them and they also have to deal with the fact that there's an army of Chitauri that is ready to attack Earth at any moment or two days later if Thanos doesn't get a hold of Loki. Everyone is in deep silence and thoughts as they face the gravity of the situation, that is until...
"This is awesome!" said Darcy happy and relief. But unfortunately from that she reaction, she earned an a "seriously" look from everyone in the room.
"Can I ask how is having an unplanned deadline to figure something out, being blackmailed and an army of Chitari ready to attack on Thanos's orders all because Loki is missing, he wants him back and we're back to square one 'awesome?'" asked Tony who doesn't know what to think about the entire situation.
"It's awesome because Loki and Gamora escaped him, that they are alright somewhere in space." said Darcy happily. "That we now know or have an idea on what Thanos might be planning, all we have to do is find them before Thanos does and then we will be one step closer on finally defeating Thanos."
Thor has to admit that Darcy has a point and he is honestly relieved that Loki and Gamora are no longer trapped on Thanos's ship with no hope for them to escape or worst being tortured by Thanos or his Black Order. All they really have to do is get the ship off the ground and make sure that they somehow find them before Thanos does sometime between the next two days. It may not be a lot of time, but at least it's better than having to spend hours wondering what Thanos might be doing to either of them or worse worry that Thanos might have used the stones to make Gamora return to his side and by the time that they arrived it would be too late. Though he does wonder where they might be and hopefully wherever Loki and Gamora may be, they are somewhere safe and far away from Thanos. He just hopes that they reach them before Thanos does...
"At least they are out of the ship and nothing much might have happened between now and then." said Jane. "If you guys some how get the ship to launch or if we figure out someway to communicate to them in space then maybe we can somehow reach them."
"But the question is how?" said Bruce. "Wanda, couldn't you somehow send a message to them with your powers? Like how you put vi... those hallucinations into our heads?"
"If I was a couple feet close to Loki or Gamora then I might be able to, but I haven't tested the extent to my abilities yet and even then I would need to know exactly where they are to somehow do so." said Wanda.
"That is surprisingly informative." said Darcy unsure what to make of this new piece of information.
"Our top priority should be try to launch the ship and then find them before Thanos does." said Thor. "I don't know what we should do after we find them, but I do know that I want to talk to Loki and then we can figure out from there how to stop Thanos. I hope that we are not too late, the last time Thanos dealt with an Asgardian that chose to work with him... It didn't end well..."
"Maybe this time it will be different, at least you guys are going to be fighting back this time and Thanos will have to deal with all of us." said Jane. "He is not going to hurt him like that, Loki's smart enough to find ways to not let Thanos hurt him and if he found a way to escape then at least he won't be able to do anything to Loki. Besides at least he's not alone if Gamora is with him and they will be able to find a way to get back here or at least find a way to stop Thanos that is I hope that is what they are doing and he is not going to end up like her."
"What are you guys talking about?" said Darcy confused with all of that talk and the vagueness of the conversation. "Who's she?"
"This is not the first time that Thanos pose a threat to someone of Asgard, he once teamed up with the sister I never knew I had." explained Thor. "He murdered her to sacrifice her for the Soul stone, they had a toxic relationship and Thanos used her to do his evil deeds. My father tried to reason with her to no avail and by the time that she saw the truth it was too late. He told me all of this before I left Asgard and I fear that Thanos is going to do the same to Loki, even if there was no other reward except revenge on Loki."
That alone caught the Avengers and Darcy by surprise, they all weren't expecting that and the idea that Loki and Thor have a sister this long. Along with how far Thanos would go to get the stones, they all know that if they are going to win the upcoming war ahead then they are going to need more than a plan to help them. That maybe they might need to get better prepared. Darcy just hopes that the other Avengers will be willing to help because it's going to take more than five experienced fighters, a beginner and a scientist to stop Thanos for good. Fortunately, for everyone it seems like that the four other Avengers in the room are willing to at least help just because of the whole stopping Thanos thing.
"We're not going to let that happen, we will stop Thanos and even with some of our past history with Loki... We are not going to just simply give up on a life just because of any reservations that we may have." said Steve, while Tony, Bruce and Natasha look unsure but yet determine in the background. "There is also the fact that Gamora also needs our help and that the whole universe now is in jeopardy, plus if Loki really has changed then I am willing to hear him out. They know the most about Thanos and we are going to need their help if we want to stop him for good."
"Yeah despite the fact that we are going to be helping the same guy who threw me out a window." said Tony. "But right now we have bigger fish to fry and I can give him a piece of my mind about that and everything else after all of this is over."
"But still you guys had a long lost sister, that alone is crazy and I don't know how more complicated your family is." said Darcy. "So I'm guessing that Loki doesn't know about all of the secret sister that is basically the ex-girlfriend sidekick of Thanos?"
"In other words, Harley Quinn." said Tony with Natasha nodding her head in agreement trying to hold back her laughter from that statement.
"No, father never told us about Hela and that was the first time he has ever mentioned her to me." said Thor. "Apparently she begun this relationship with him when my father and Hela's relationship began to strain over the course of the relationship and my father's turn from conquering the nine realms."
"Did Thanos happen to call her mistress death by any chance?" asked Darcy. "Loki said that Thanos is trying to impress some girl called mistress Death, that's why heis trying to collect all of the stones and thinks that destroying the world and everything in it is the best way to impress her."
"Thanos only wants to destroy the universe and everything in it for his quest for power, I wouldn't be surpirsed if he lied to Loki and his followers to get them to do his bidding without question." said Thor. "Though father did say that Thanos did call her mistress death and that must be what he still calls her in order to make them believe that he truly cared about her and to make him look more innocent then he is."
"Loki is going to have a big surprise when he finds out that you guys have a secret sister and that Thanos is just the biggest jerk who just wants to do all of this just because." said Darcy. "But then again who can blame him for being surprise?"
"At least he might react better than I did when I found out that he was alive this entire time." said Thor can't but chuckle at the response and the fact that Darcy has a point on that one. "Now all we have to do is find him, so I can tell him myself and see if we can repair whatever relationship we have left."
"Ok, we know that they escaped and the ship is almost fully completed and ready for launch." said Steve. "How early can you two get the ship ready?"
"If everything goes well and if the ship passes any final test runs that I want to do prior to it's launch." said Bruce. "This is space travel, we can't just shoot ourselves into space and hope that things work out, it's either we successfully get this ship off the ground or we're back to square one or worse we're lost in space for an unknown period of time. If everything works out then we might be able to launch the ship as early as tonight, depending if we can get it ready in time."
"Now that's finally some good news, let's just hope that this ship is ready to take off in time." said Natasha. "Before Thanos tries to do anything to Earth and beyond, he is not going to stop unless we magically bring Loki to him and even then he might do more than just focus his time on hurting Loki. He will keep using the stones more and more until there is nothing left."
"Guys, I don't think that Thanos is going to withhold his attacks even before Loki have a chance to think about surrendering." said Pietro who is staring at the window, surprised by the sight.
"Why do you say that?" said Wanda who is confused and yet becoming defensive at the same time as she was starting to feel like that there might be some trouble that is about to happen.
"Since there is an army of those crazy and creepy looking aliens flying down here, they are attacking the city like the last time they were here." said Pietro.
With that they all head towards the window and is surprised to see that there is already an army of Chitauri flying down to Earth ready to make their attack on the city. No one needed to be told that Thanos called out the order, as the Chitauri arrives closer and closer to Earth to begin their second attack. The Avengers wasted no second to quickly get ready and suit up for this unexpected fight that is about to happen. They are ready to fight off whatever attack Thanos is planning and to make sure that they do everything to make sure that they stop them.
"Ok, it looks like that these things want a round two." said Captain America.
"Darcy, can you and Jane go to the control room and lock down the tower?" said Iron man. "The last thing we need is a broken tower when we get back and who knows what else that they-"
"Are you sure that you want them to lock the tower so we can still have a place to still meet under all of these circumstances or you don't want to pay another bill like the last two times that the tower got trashed or looses because of something Loki related?" said Black Widow.
"It's just a precautionary measure, that's all. It's not like I am worried that I might have to pay a large bill or anything, but... it's for keeping the girls safe." said Iron man trying to make his reasoning sound heroic.
"You do realize your talking to the person that not only took Loki and help him gather four out of the six Infinity Stones right?" pointed out Darcy. "I think I can handle myself in a battle or anything Thanos can throw at me."
"Yeah I am tougher than I look, sure I messed up with the whole Infinity Stone thing but I have been to alien planets, have one of those things inside of me and faced many evil aliens with Thanos the most recent one." said Jane. "Why does everyone think that I can't handle anything dangerous and that I am a damsel in distress that needs to be rescued or be protected?"
Darcy and the Avengers minus Thor, either turned away or try to look as less uncomfortable and more reassured as possible. Darcy may have not been at the Dark World or seen anything more than the destroyer and an army of evil elves, but she knows that Jane is not the type who would go up to start a fight with something out of this world without needing Thor to rescue her. The other Avengers can't help but feel uncomfortable, they may not have known Jane for long and ignoring most recent events. They all knew that it might not be a good idea to put Jane in a situation where she is facing something that might not be resolved by science. At least Darcy is prepared from her experiences, probably went to places beyond Earth and faced many things with Loki. Plus Loki seemed to handle the situation well and that Darcy seems to handle these things well especially if she was able to hold off against Nebula.
While Thor on the other hand can't help but admire Jane's determination and knows that she is strong in many ways, he knows that she is strong if she can handle the Infinity Stone and is smart enough to figure out everything science related then she can handle everything that can be thrown right at her. Even then he knows that he doesn't want to put Jane in danger or at least hopes that she can use that brilliant brain to find a way to defend herself or at least find a way to escape from whatever may be up against her. Sure he had to save her sometimes, but still he would still be ready to do that even if Jane was as skilled as Black Widow in fighting. He knows that Jane is not someone that would simply be helpless in a situation.
"You two are not helpless and are capable in different ways." said Black Widow trying to reassure both of them.
"Yeah sorry about that." said Iron man awkwardly to Jane and Darcy before turning to the other Avengers. "So are we going to go stop these or what?"
The Avengers quickly leave the building to go fight off the Chitauri, from one look they all knew that the Chitauri is more viscous than the last time they fought them in the battlefield prior to their capture. When they made it outside, Bruce quickly turned to the Hulk and they quickly headed towards where the Chitauri is causing the most trouble. Once the Avengers arrived at the scene, they noticed that the Chitauri is now causing more damage than they did the last time they invaded Earth and the Avengers wasted no time to try to stop every single member of the army in one way or another. The fight itself is challenging and that every single time they took down some Chitauri, they find themselves fighting even harder against the Chitauri.
Fortunately for all of them (especially for Iron Man and Thor's relief), Darcy and Jane managed to lock down the tower successfully. No Chitauri will dare be able to get inside the tower and they will be able to focus on beating them and making sure that they are doing everything they can to make sure they stop the Chitauri right in their tracks.
It isn't an easy fight or one that the Avengers would be able win in an easy fight, the Chitauri continues to make their attack on the planet. It got so bad that they had to ask Scarlet Witch to put many in a trance in order to evacuate them from the city. The fight continues on for hours and it looks like that the Chitauri are more relentless in the fight that they are fighting with the Avengers still having that same determination over the course of the fight. But they all knew that this is nothing compared to whatever else Thanos might be planning in the future, they don't know what other things that Thanos might have in store or if they will be ready for it. They still have to fight him and hopefully this will show Thanos that it is going to take more than sending more Chitauri to get them to back off. Not too mention, find Loki and Gamora before Thanos does and hope that he will be willing to answer some questions. That is if they will be able to find them in time and if they will somehow finally get this ship to launch, all they can do now is hope that everything turns out alright and fight off the Chitauri before they cause any more damage.
Two Hours later in Space
After two hours of navigating through space, almost running out of fuel, arguing whether or not they should stop for supplies or which song to play next (well it was mostly Quill and Rocket arguing.) It was a long couple of hours for everyone to the point that an annoyed Loki exit the navigation room to get a break and see if he can practice some combat with the sword or any moves on his own when they made it past the first hour. The Guardians and Loki finally arrived at Earth, well above the planet trying to figure out where might be the]e best place to land and how quickly they can get to Earth. At least Loki told them that they were in New York and used his magic to cloak the entire ship and them so that way the Chitauri won't see them and they won't drag any attention to themselves.
Right now, they are trying to figure out what might be the best way to find New York and to land there. So far they seem to be going on the right track and they are just putting the coordinates and about to start the landing sequence. It won't be long until they are finally on Earth and hopefully in the right city and maybe even find a way to get to the Avengers' tower. Then the hard part will begin, trying to convince the Avengers that Loki and the Guardians are truly on their side and to see if they might be able to get their help for the plan.
Loki knows that all of this can go wrong and that they need everything to work out if they want to not only have an advantage over Thanos, but to also hopefully have one aspect of the plan to work and maybe just maybe it will be enough to finally stop the mad titan. Though Loki does wonder how will they react to his return and if they will listen to him even with many already know that he has changed and would believe that he is truly there to stop Thanos. The four Avengers never really have a reason to trust him and he wouldn't be surprised if they don't even want anything to do with him. As for Thor, Loki wouldn't be surprised if the moment that he steps into the room, there will be yelling, an argument and who knows what more trouble that might be in store for him. Then again he has been lying to his brother and half of the problems could have been avoided if he told the truth even before Thanos made his attack.
No matter what happens when they land, whether or not they listen to him or not or Thor and Darcy never wanting to see him again. Loki knows that he has to try to convince everyone that he is no longer a monster that they would need to stop and that the only one that they need to stop is Thanos. That they will need to put all of their differences aside if they want to stop him, at least stop Thanos before it's too late. Even if they refuse to listen or at least stop to think about what he is offering and is willing to at least hear the plan. All he knows that he is going to leave the planet and never come back, it will be best for everyone and he is only going back because this is the right thing to do. Even if the outcome will hurt him more than they will ever know...
Gamora soon enters the room with Groot and Rocket following behind her, she knows that Loki is feeling guilty about every single thing that has happened in the past few months. That this trip to Earth can change everything and that Loki have some reservations in facing Thor, Darcy and the other Avengers, especially for his past actions. So she might as well talk to him and tell Loki what they all agreed on after he left, that will at least make the situation a little better on his side and that they will get it out there. Once she approaches him, Gamora knows that this will be a good moment to tell him, their decision and that they are ready to start the landing sequence for Earth.
"We believe that we finally found the coordinates to this New York city, Quill is going to start the landing sequence at any moment." said Gamora.
"When she said Quill, she means that I did most of the work, while he goofs around and acting like an overgrown man child." said Rocket. "So this is it huh? You are finally going back home to see one of the last people that you ever thought that you would see again, well rather go to and see if they can help us out over here."
"That is if they are willing to listen to us and if we are not being chased out of the planet afterwards or worse." said Loki. "At least the sword can help us in case we need to make an escape, though I really don't want to use it if I have to..."
"I am Groot. I am Groot." said Groot positively. Loki quickly turns to Rocket for a translation and just hoping that he can share the same reassurance and sense of positivity.
"He said that 'everything will be fine'" said Rocket. "Besides we have your back in case they are going to cause you any trouble."
"At least there are some who don't see me as a villain that needs to be stopped and refusing to see that I might have the capabilities to change my ways." said Loki. "Don't be surprise if we have to deal with the stigma of my past history and it's unfortunate reputation that has proven to be nothing but trouble."
"It can't be as bad as bad as the reputation we had before we saved the galaxy." Said Rocket. "Before we can't even go anywhere without watching our backs and now that we're one of the good guys, everyone loves us."
"Well almost everyone..." Said Gamora. "But still at least you have the luxury of having two planets against you rather then the entire galaxy."
"It's technically three planets, I didn't leave Jontunhiem in good terms the last time I interacted with them." Said Loki. "But still at least I still have the freedom to go wherever I want, depending if everyone has the same mindset as Thor did and no one believes a word that Thanos says."
"That is something we don't need to worry about, if everything works out and Thanos doesn't make a grand announcement of how he succeeded in his goals." said Gamora. "Since there is no announcement and no one aside from some people on Terra and us saw you alive and well, the thing about Thanos he would have done something like he did to Strange to you right about now if we haven't escaped. At least you can use that as an advantage and then everyone else over time will start to move on with their lives and will forget everything that Thanos claims."
"But it won't erase the fact that they know that I'm Mysto and that I have been alive this entire time." said Loki. "Any lingering bonds that I may have back on the planet or the fact that... he knows..."
"We have been doing some talking after you left the room earlier, we all decided that if things doesn't work out when we arrive and if you still believes that it might be better to leave and never look back." started Gamora. "You are welcome to stay with us and join the Guardians, to start a new life and yet not completely start it off on your own."
"Really? You would let me join your team and let me stay on the ship?" said Loki surprised of the offer that the Guardians are giving him.
"Yeah, we are always ready to welcome someone that is on the same boat as we were and besides we have all been through too much together in one day that we are just not going to ditch you." said Rocket. "Either way we would have offered you a spot on the team despite the messy situation that you have back on Earth."
"I am Groot." said Groot with a big smile that Loki didn't even need Rocket to translate what Groot is saying and he is starting to grow fond of the sappling.
Loki quickly gives the three a grateful smile and they spend some time talking and enjoying each others company until Drax came in and said that Quill needs Gamora and Rocket's help with the landing sequence. They left to help while Loki and Groot stay behind to look through the window as they are about to land on Earth and the moment that Loki knows can end in a lot of ways. Though part of him is happy to see Darcy again and it would be nice to at least have one more moment with her before he faces his doom. Along with see anyone else that has stood be his side, it will be reassuring to see some that are still loyal to him after everything that has happened and he wouldn't be surprise if Jane is happy that Thor finally knows.
Though he does wonder how would his brother react to his return and if things will somehow work out between the two of them. The best scenario would be that Thor would listen, understand and accept him as a brother again and agree to help. But the scenario that is more likely to occur is that Thor would be angry beyond words and never want to see him again, that the damage is irreparable and that they will never be brothers again. That is the one thing that is holding him back and he just hopes that whatever outcome is waiting for him on Earth is better than he is imagining.
Groot looking at the blue and green planet in awe, he seems to be really excited for their trip to Earth and is ready to see what happens next. Along with maybe to see what Loki is going to do next and he can't wait to see more magic in action. He quickly gives Loki a smile that Loki can't help but returning, then returned to look out of the window. Loki knows that he is starting to grow fond of Groot and for a sappling, he is starting to become fond of him and a little protective of him in a way. Same goes with the other Guardians for their quick acceptance of him and their willingness to let him join the team. He might even be ready to take them up on that offer if things don't work out and at least he can start a new life with them. Besides they might need someone with wisdom on their team, he wonders how they managed to survived this long without having some wisdom on their side.
As they start head closer to Earth, the moment that can change the course of the fight and the step that the plan really depends on the fact if the Avengers will be willing to help them. He just hopes that he is wrong about the Chitaurii attack and that Darcy is not in some Midguardian jail right now. But still there might be some hope that things might get turned around, he didn't expect things to go this route and maybe things will work out and that there might be some hope after all. That maybe they might be able to win the fight against Thanos and that they can do this. All he can do now is hope that they will hear them out and agree to help them out, then they will be one step closer on stopping Thanos. At least Loki hopes that this happens and that all he can do, as the ship is about to enter into Earth's atnesphere.
Well it's finally here, chapter 45 and at least we can happily say that Loki is back on Earth and the big reunion is about to happen! I can't wait for the next chapter and how everything is going to play out. Speaking of the next chapter, the earliest for it come out might be sometime in April since for the story progression as a whole and since I need more time for this chapter because let's be honest ever since chapter 40 part 2 came out, it is a moment that we have all been waiting for ever since the big reveal. :)
Speaking of which there is only two more chapters left before the epic final battle, it might be a three part finale battle where we get to see everyone have a moment to shine and it will be worth the wait.
I also forgot to say in the last chapter that I got the inspiration for Loki's new sword from Norse mythology because there was a sword/object that Loki created called the Laevatein and from Marvel future fight where there's an update for Loki where he was fighting and his magic got ahence due to a sword. Special thanks again for Wierdhead for giving and letting me use that idea. :)
Yeah I kinda thought that it would powerful to have a moment where Loki has a moment where he says enough is enough and is ready to face Thanos and the problems that he was forced to leave behind on Earth. Since a big reunion is coming and one that will be really heartwarming, one that will be really sweet and make us say finally.
Plus sorry for any Doctor Strange fans out there, I kinda needed something that Thanos could do to give Loki the push that he needs to make the choice that he needs to make if he wants to win the final battle. So yeah killing off Strange was the way to go and at least it solved the mystery of what happened to him and if he was able to escape that dimension. Sorry again. :(
On another note, I'm also thinking of possibly doing one-shot chapters for Redemption that takes place during the time skip and it can be anything like slice of life fics, Loki teaming up with the Avengers or just Thor and Loki as Mysto of course. teaming up (it can be a midquel story with multiple chapters), maybe even a Loki and Hiemdel team up (I still want to do it and would be happy to do it in a one shot) or maybe even Loki ad Darcy's adventures of searching for the Infinity Stones. But it has to take place during the time skip and not be something that would add more to the main story that it would be necessary to read them. They are mostly would be stand alone stories that still in the Redemption canon. I'm open to any idea that you guys might have, just put a review or pm me with your ideas and I'll be happy to use your ideas to write them into one shots. (Maybe even a Guardians of the Galaxy prequel/midquel before Gamora got caught by Thanos?) Though I would be mostly doing Loki ones but I am open to the idea, if I don't make the deadline I might put one out in between to make it up to you guys.
Lastly, I want to say is that I am dedicating the Redemption fanfic to a good friend that has been there for me for the last couple of years. One that I will always appreciate that our friendship happend for the rest of my life. I am dedicating this story to Brigitta Pekelharing, a friend that helped me out of the darkness that I often take for granted. But I want to thank her for everything and helping me during the darkest time of my life, her friendship has made me grow into a better person and writer. I am always going to be grateful for the friendship that we shared and the impact that it made on me. In a way if it weren't for our friendship then there might not even be a Redemption because she got me into Marvel movies and helped me at the beginning of writting the fanfic. Thanks Brigitta for everything :)
So did the Avengers defeat Chitauri in their second attack to New York? Will the Guardians and Loki arrive in the middle of a huge battle? What will Loki's plan to stop Thanos be? Will the other Avengers listen to him? How will things go with Loki and Darcy when they reunite and talk? What is going to happen when Loki and Thor finally reunite after the big reveal? Will things turn out terribly and both brothers be in a worser spot then before or will there be a happy reunion? One where they both make up and become brothers again in time for the final battle? We will have to wait for the next chapter to see and find out, see ya in the next update. :)