Chapter 3
Capture The Fallen Bird
Tony Stark definitely didn't want to start his day with the obnoxious alarm that was the Avengers call.
"Jarvis! Turn that damn thing off!" He yelled, trying to cover his head with as many pillows as possible.
Thankfully, the noise stopped. Thank god for Jarvis.
"Sir, the Avengers are being assembled. Captain Rogers is rather insistent you show to the meeting." The A.I spoke.
Tony shook his head… but then pulled himself up. "Alright. Tell them I'll be there in a few."
As much as he wanted to stay in his bed and sleep the day away, he knew Steve wouldn't get off his ass about skipping yet another meeting.
Jarvis, being the amazing being that he is, already had coffee ready when Tony left his room. Taking the hot cup of god brew, he headed down to the Avengers part of the tower. Everyone got their own floor in the tower, and everyone shared a few floors for team building and training and what not.
He walked to the large meeting room, everyone already present. Well… except Thor but that's because he's still in fairy land.
"What's going on Cap." Tony asked as he sat down.
"S.H.I.E.L.D. sensors picked up on the bi-frost last night."
Tony only stared on, clearly not getting it. "And that's an Avengers problem why?"
"It's an Avengers problem because if it was Thor it would have been in New Mexico or he would have came to the tower by now." Natasha chimed in.
Okay. now it might be a problem.
"So where was Rainbow Road blasted? Russia? Tokyo? Oklahoma-"
"Here in New York." Clint answered, his feet kicked up on the table, tilting his chair back as he messed with an arrow.
Okay. That's definitely a problem…
"So, do we know what came from Asgard?" Tony asked.
Steve only shook his head. "It touched down in central park and whatever came from it was already gone when S.H.I.E.L.D. showed up."
"Why don't we just call Thor? Didn't he say some dude was watching, so if we needed him just to… you know, yell into the sky."
Bruce smiled at that.
"If you want, I'll do it. The roof has a nice view anyway. You guys do what you gotta do and I'll try to get Thor down here to figure out what was sent from the wonderful land of Oz."
"I understood that reference!" Rogers said happily, before looking at the room and slowly sitting back into his seat.
With that, Tony took his leave. Time to yell into the sky.
"Oh come on!" Tony yelled.
He'd been screaming for ten minutes. Sure. it's not long, but it's still abnormally long for yelling into the sky.
This isn't even doing anythin-
Dark clouds gathered quickly, coming together and swirling around in the sky. The familiar blast of rainbow light touched down on the roof, leaving an ornate (And slightly annoying) burn cycle into the concrete.
Isn't that nice. Pepper is going to love it.
At least a damaged roof gave way to the very god that he and his merry band of super heroes needed.
Thor stood there, ever present hammer in hand, he scanned the roof. Eyes instantly meeting Tonys. Rushing in front of him, the guy grabbed his upper arms painfully, panic in his gaze.
"You found him! Please tell me you found him! That must be the reason why-"
"Thor, big guy! Holding on to tight…"
The big blonde let go quickly. "I'm sorry friend Stark. But I must know-"
"Know what? Who did we find?"
Thor's eyes instantly widened. "You haven't found him…" He muttered quietly before taking off for the roof's door. And taking off the roof's door as he entered. "We must gather everyone, I have much to tell you."
Tony ran to keep pace with the god's long strides.
Fucking tall people.
"Jarvis, gather the Avengers in the meeting room, would ya? I think this is important."
"Yes sir."
Tony practically ran in after Thor, everyone else already there were just barely sitting down.
"You- you need to take smaller steps!" Tony huffed walking past Thor to a chair. Thor at least looked apologetic before looking back to everyone in the room.
"My friends, I must give you warning about what has transpired."
Steve and Bruce looked to each other, the tone Thor was using instantly caught everyone's attention.
"Loki's punishment was delivered two days ago-"
"Was it death. It better be death." Clint spoke, anger clearly present.
"... The all-father sentenced him to return to Midgard."
The moment the word left his mouth, the room was in an uproar. Mostly Clint doing the roaring.
"That's bullshit! Where is he!?"
"Clint. Sit." Natasha said calmly. Her eye's however sharp as a knife.
That she was probability carrying on her person.
"But- But that bastard is-"
"Please friend Clint, let me explain…"
Clint looked to Steve and Natasha. "But-" When seeing Steve shake his head and Natasha only narrow her eyes, he huffed in anger sitting back down. "Fine."
Thor gave him a nervous smile. Pulling out a glowing blue crystal, which instantly got Tony's attention, he placed it on the meeting table. "There have been cries for change in the universe, and Midgard got included in this… game."
The crystal gleamed bright before showing what looked like a map. It branched out, having large pockets of galaxies in them. Nine different names listed in each pocket of space, Midgard included.
"Midgard doesn't know this, since they have only come to know of our existence recently, but there is a ranking order in the realms. Powerful lead while the others follow."
"Let me guess, Asgard is incharge?" Tony asked, watching as the crystal changed to only show the names in a list.
"That is correct, man of iron." Thor answered as squares blocked off the names. "Asgard is in rank 1. Niflheim, Vanaheim, and Alfheim are in rank 2. Svartalfheim Nidavellir are rank 3. Muspelheim and Jotunheim are rank 4, while Midgard sits in rank 5." Thor explained.
"Midgard is last?" Bruce asked curiously.
"Yes my friend. Since it never interfered with galactic issues, wars, or conversations before, it's been sidestepped for millennia."
"Can we get back to this game and the madman the king just set back here?" Clint but in angrily.
Thor only nodded. "The Norns. Urd, Verdandi, and Skuld," Three beautiful women appeared on the blue… screen? Tony liked em. "They say people want a change in the ranks. So they proposed a game. Each realm will have a person to represent them, these people are called ashikabi's."
"Ash-a-what-ey's?" Tony interrupted, instantly getting slapped by Bruce on the shoulder. He only laughed quietly.
"They are people that are to be the representors of each realm. They will have 5 people under them called Sekirei's that will fight each other to raise the status of their realm."
"Wait. If each realm has this… then Midgard is participating in this?" Steve asked.
Thor nodded. "Many thought that Midgard should not have a say and stay in rank 5. But the Norns thought it fair if you at least had a fighting chance."
"But who's the ashikabi?" Natasha asked.
"We do not know. Which… which brings up my brother's punishment…"
Clint sat up in his chair a bit more.
"Asgard was charged to pick your Sekirei. Midgard only gets one, so your realm can at least participate," Thor answered before the question was asked. "And my father thought Loki would best suit the position."
"Thor. Buddy. Your dad means to have Loki fight for this realm? How?" Tony chimed in, still not able to understand why this king would send their invader back.
"Asgard didn't know what to do with him and thought it best to have him fight for the realm he tried to invade. That and… and since no one knows Midgards ashikabi, he is forced to travel around, facing the punishment of the mortals to find his ashikabi."
Natasha's eyes grew wide, but only slightly. "They hope he will never find this ashikabi… I'm assuming if Midgard doesn't have one, then the game can't happen. Right?"
Thor nodded, his face showed not even he had figured that out.
"So they are gonna have him wander around, be imprisoned and treated however we wanna treat him, so the game will never start?" Tony asked to make sure he heard right.
"The Norns said that the second phase of the game will only happen once all Sekirei's emerge. While all other realms have picked their five champions, Midgard has yet to 'emerge' Loki. So the game can't start.
"Anyone else worried about whatever this emerging thing is?" Tony asked the room.
Everyone only looked at him oddly, Thor did look a little scared however.
"So… we just gotta find him." Bruce spoke.
"We must. I- I can't go back to Asgard knowing my brother isn't at least in the custody of people I trust." Thor answered. His eyes shining with hope and nervousness.
"I think we have to find him, regardless of whatever the universe is deciding at the moment." Natasha said, everyone in the room nodding along with her.
"Then it's settled. We have to find Loki before anyone else does."