They spend the next few hours deep in conversation, planning.
Living in the past is harder than Loki expected. He knew it would be difficult, of course – but pretending he has little knowledge of, and no shared history with, the Avengers is a complicated affair. Luckily, a combination of Barton's shock and the power of the scepter has made it easy to act as if the archer told him the details he should not know. Barton is still struggling to remember his time in the tunnels.
"So that's the game plan," Stark finally says, gesturing to the hologram before them. "Reindeer Games, what were Thanos's daughters names again? I'm gonna put 'em into JARVIS's database. Makes us less likely to kill them."
"Gamora and Nebula. They are vicious fighters, but as I explained, neither truly wants to be a part of Thanos's army." He had been hesitant about revealing this information, but Hela had ordered him to leave the sisters be – without them, there will be no "guardians of the galaxy." Whatever that means. He can't imagine Gamora and Nebula acting as the guardians of anything, let alone the entire galaxy.
Stark types their names in, adding them to the information that Loki had provided about Thanos. "Got it. We'll suit up and meet back here in an hour."
The room empties except for Thor, Stark, and himself. Thor only lingers because he is still worried about his brother. He hovers by Loki's shoulder, appearing uncertain; it is a look that Loki really sees. Though he is touched by the concern, the part of him still fighting off the effects of the mind stone finds this display of sentiment to be terribly tedious.
He turns as far as the wires in his arm will allow, eyeing Thor. "You have a battle to prepare for, do you not?"
Thor frowns. "Loki – "
Loki raises a hand, breaking him off mid-sentence. He does not wish to have this conversation – again – so soon. "I know, Thor. But this is not the time."
His brother nods, steely determination hardening his expression. "We will speak afterwards, then."
"Wonderful," Loki says wryly, but he gives Thor a small smile. After a moment, Thor returns it, patting Loki's back before he exits the room as well.
Loki is left alone with Stark.
Silvertongue, he reminds himself. If you can win over Stark, you have a chance against Thanos.
Of course, Stark breaks the silence first. "You know I still don't trust you, right?"
Loki laughs. "It is a mutual distrust, I assure you." More lies. Of all the Avengers, Stark is the one he trusts most.
"There's still something I don't get, though." The mortal is looking at him with that same intensity from before – as if Loki is a broken machine in Stark's workshop, and all the genius has to do is find the right tool to fix him. "I don't trust you, but a part of me thinks that I should. I feel like I know you."
"That's absurd," Loki replies, careful to keep his expression blank. "We only met last night."
"Yeah, but…I remember you."
Loki raises an eyebrow in question. "Oh?"
"It's fuzzy," Stark admits, frowning, "but I can picture you standing in my living room. I remember offering you a drink."
Loki freezes, mind sputtering for a moment as he tries to form a reply. This is impossible. Stark is brilliant, yes, but he should not have any memories of the future that is being undone. Searching for anything to say, he manages, "Perhaps you were dreaming."
Stark only stares at him for a few more seconds before shrugging. "I guess we'll find out."
"Or," Loki continues, already regretting bringing this half-truth up, "perhaps you were affected by the Tesseract's power as well. Even from a distance, it is possible that you were given a glimpse of that same future that I explained."
The mortal nods, thoughtful. "Makes sense. In that future you saw, did I tell you that we had a Hulk?"
Loki laughs before he can stop himself. "You did."
"Well," Stark says, grinning, "then I guess I should congratulate you for picking the right side this time. And while I'm still not offering you my trust…maybe we can work on it." He extends a hand in Loki's direction.
Loki takes his hand without hesitation, shaking it. "I look forward to it, Stark."
"Tony."
He inclines his head. "Tony, then."
"Welcome to the team, Loki."
"You are being ridiculous," Loki growls, gritting his teeth. "I am perfectly capable of handling myself in a battle such as this. I have done so countless times before."
Banner doesn't budge. "I doubt you were on the verge of passing out all those other times."
"Actually," Thor calls from the other side of the room, "there was this one battle, in Vanaheim – "
"Thor." Loki glares at his brother. "If you speak one more word, I will throw my dagger at you. And I will not miss."
Thor laughs, but he ceases speaking. Good. There is only so much of Thor that Loki can take right now. He runs a hand through his hair tiredly, temporarily forgetting how tangled it is in this time.
Banner continues to watch him. "You're exhausted, Loki. You can stay here, on the helicarrier, and get some rest while the team deals with this."
"Stark used that word earlier as well – team. How quaint." Still, he grins, pleased with this development. It seems that things are continuing to go in his favor. Wonders never cease.
But he will not be bullied into inaction by these humans.
He slowly rises to his feet, using a touch of his magic to tug the wires from his arm. When he speaks, his voice is low and dark. "I will fight. And I will have my revenge on Thanos." Hela promised him that, at least.
"I really don't think – "
"Doctor Banner," Thor interrupts. He approaches the two of them, straightening his right vambrace. "If my brother wants to fight, he shall fight. He deserves this chance."
Banner sighs in frustration, lifting his hands in surrender. "Fine. But the first time you get hurt, you tell us. You're not dying on my watch."
"Of course," Loki lies.
He realizes that something is wrong just before the quinjet lands.
They had agreed that it would be best to initiate the battle in the middle of America's west, far from civilian life. Miles of empty fields stretch into the horizon on either side of the craft. The area should feel still – calm, like it is simply waiting for them to arrive. Instead, it feels…off.
Rogers and Romanoff move to exit the quinjet as it settles, but Loki lifts his arm to block their path. "Wait."
He reaches out with his seidr, seeking anything that might have malevolent intentions.
There.
Thanos.
He feels the titan pulling at the Tesseract, calling on its power to open a portal from the other side of space.
He whirls around to face the team, eyes wide. "He knows. He is trying – "
The sky opens with a sickening rip, a beam of energy from the Tesseract revealing an all-too familiar sight: Thanos's ship, and a legion of Chitauri warriors.
The Avengers immediately rush out into the field, ready to fight. Loki moves to follow.
ASGARDIAN.
He falls to his knees in the tall grass, clutching his head as the Other's voice thunders in his mind.
YOU HAVE BETRAYED US.
Get out, he thinks desperately. Without the scepter, the Other should have no way to contact him. How is this happening? Get out, get out, get out.
The Other only laughs.
DID YOU THINK THAT YOU COULD HIDE FROM US? FROM HE WHO PUT THE SCEPTER IN YOUR HANDS? YOU ARE OURS, ASGARDIAN.
"I am not," he whispers. The battle rages around him, but he is oblivious to it.
YOU WILL FINISH WHAT YOU WERE SENT TO DO.
"I will not. You will never – " His voice breaks off as pain lances through his head.
YOU WILL!
"I will not!" he shouts, magic exploding out of his control. It clears a small circle around him, felling the Chitauri that dared to come within his reach. Letting his hands fall back to his sides, he turns his gaze to the sky, directing the most powerful glare he can muster at the ship looming through the portal. "Thanos," he continues, knowing the titan will hear him despite the distance, "you hold no power over me. I am Loki, beholden to no one, and I will end your life today."
The Other scoffs. YOU HAVE NO POWER WITH WHICH –
Loki severs the tether in his mind connecting the Other to his thoughts, heedless of the pain it brings.
"Do you hear me, Thanos?!" he screams. He stands, letting his power flow through him like it never has before. All across the field, Chitauri fall. "You are a dead man walking!"
"Loki!"
He turns, finding Stark standing next to him.
The mortal taps a metal contraption labeled "EXPLOSIVES – STARK" held loosely in his armored hand. "I'm bringing Thanos a gift – the last of its kind, in fact. You want in?"
Loki grins, knowing he looks mad. "You may not even need that if you can get me close enough."
"Good."
Stark grabs Loki's arm, pulling him along into the sky. They race towards the portal. When they have just reached its threshold, they stop.
"On three," Loki commands, and Stark nods.
Together, they fling Stark's weapon directly into the center of the portal, aimed for Thanos's ship. The titan's forces immediately converge on it, but Loki throws up a shield around it with his magic, even adding as much seidr as he can to the explosives themselves to make them deadlier.
Stark tugs Loki back a foot, bringing them back into the Earth's atmosphere just as the explosives hit the ship. "Close the portal," Stark says into the team's communication system.
They watch as the portal closes on the most glorious sight Loki has ever seen – flames billowing from the ship that has haunted his nightmares for six years. The explosion leaves nothing but scattered bits of metal in its wake.
He and Stark return to the ground.
Thanos is dead.
Loki sways on his feet, overwhelmed; Thor steadies him with a hand on his shoulder.
Rogers continues to watch the sky, his disbelief clear on his face. "We won."
Loki laughs, filled with joy and relief. "We won," he agrees.
A/N: Only one chapter left! :)