The Trickster God

Proxima Midnight

Proxima Midnight was a fearsome warrior. She had led Thanos' army to glory on multiple occasions, so it was an obvious choice when the order to retrieve the Space Stone came. The Other gave her the Chitauri army to lead, the Scepter and the location of the stone. Planet C-53. It was one of the Nine Realms, a group of planetary bodies aligned by the cosmic nimbus Yggdrasil, and was also the central Realm that all the others revolved around. It orbited around one single star, the Sun, and had only one permanent natural satellite, called the Moon. A sub developed world, if she thought about it.

Easy job, really.

Go in through the bridge the staff's stone and the cube's stone would open, get the cube, open a portal, let the Chitauri in and kill half the people. Been there, done that.

Okay, not exactly the same, she'd never wielded an Infinity Stone before. And the chitauri was not her go to world domination army. They were reather stupid. But so were terrans, the only people to have two stones and zero attempts of Total Universe Control.

Pathetic. Half of them would die.

She was prepared.

The Other was by her side.

"Go on, then, Child of Thanos" He said "fulfill your destiny and bring back the stones".

"I will. They will bow before me and the might of Thanos." She responded.

"I will keep a link to Terra open, in case you need back up."

"Don't be absurd, their technology is so primitive and their biology so weak. I will be done in a week."

"Thanos might trust you, I don't."

With a wave of the scepter a cosmic cloud appeared. She walked through it.

Her first view on the planet was the inside of a big grey building. Tall ceiling and rows of tables in front of her. Metal stairs on each corner of the room. The place was empty. The cube in front of her. It was positioned inside of a circular pedestal. Most likely being studied for its power supply. Terrans had really no idea what they were dealing with.

Proxima raised her hand towards the Tesseract. This was too easy. One stone down, one more to go.

"I am terribly sorry, darling, but I cannot let you take the Space Stone." There was a man sitting on one of the tables. Smiling.

He was dressed in a golden armor with a long green coat over it. Fur on his shoulders and a horned helmet. That wasn't a terran outfit, if anything it looked like Asgardian armor. Green, horns, in a place where he is not supposed to be and with a smile on his face. That was Loki. She had heard of him. Thanos had not faced Odin directly, but they were peripherally aware of each other. So they gathered information on his allies and family.

They knew of the estranged daughter, the golden son and the dead one. Loki had fallen in the destruction of the Rainbow Bridge, he was not supposed to be here.

"Well, I am sure your internal monologue must be going great, but a long time ago the internet showed me a way of defeating Thanos and I am testing it on you."

What was he talking about?

The Trickster God

Clint Barton

She had no time to react. Loki used his magic ring to open a circular portal on top of Proxima Midnight's head, slide it down and close it.

THUD.

Blue blood everywhere.

"That is really gross…" He screams from his spot on top of the stairs "Kind of awesome, but mainly gross!"

"I know." Loki screams back. "Wanna go get something to eat?"

Loki appeared beside him. Clint was getting used to that. Loki was a fun guy to have around. They had been working together for a couple days, then. Director Fury called for a general Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S meeting and presented the situation.

Alien invasion, blah, blah, Asgard is friend, blah, blah. Loki had a plan to end the reign of an intergalactic nazi, I was on babysit duty. Keep your eyes on Loki, Director Fury said. The guy can appear and disappear, Director Fury didn't seem to understand.

"Sure, when will they send, and I can't believe I'm saying that, the next alien?"

"Not sure, but I'm guessing we have another week. And if you think about it, I'm also an alien."

"Yeah, yeah, but your blood isn't blue… ...Is it?"

"No, it's golden."

"Well, at least in a week you get to meet Romanoff, she's cool."

"Sure thing, archer man, sure thing."

The Trickster God

Natasha Romanoff

The russian sat on her kitchen counter with a bottle of vodka in hand. She had just got back from the Stark Expo debrief. It was bad, not Budapest bad, but bad. Trying to explain why nobody knew about the Murder Russian Guy TM was not her job, but they asked her nevertheless. Maybe because she was a russian murderer as well. She took a sip.

Definitely because she was a russian murderer. Assassin, there was a big difference, but they didn't care.

It had been a long day, and a longer week. Working with, and then around, Tony Stark was not a test of strength, but one of patience. Much like giving a super smart 5 year old all the money in the world.

While working with Pepper, she was in an organized and calm environment, even when dealing with the problems of running a multi-billion dollar technology conglomerate.

Working with Tony, on the other hand, was much more like Spain's Running of the bulls, then she could have ever guessed. But the six bulls released into the small cobblestone streets of Pamplona were more predictable than the man. Just because your dyeing, doesn't mean you have to try and kill yourself. She took another sip.

She was looking forward to the days off she'd be getting. Agents are assigned a week off after long assignments. She would spend a day in bed and the next one on the couch. She would eat popcorn and watch the shitty TV shows Barton had shown her when she first came to Shield.

There was a new season of Glee airing.

She was taken out of her very important planning by her phone ring.

"Fuck" She said as she read "Nick (eye patch)" on the scream. She took another sip.

"Agent Romanoff, I know it's your week off, but I need you at the facility."

"The week off is a right to every agent, sir."

"I made sure to put in y'alls contracts that alien invasions are all hands on deck situations."

"Aliens? Fun, see you in a minute, sir."

Aliens it was. She took her last sip.

Her phone vibrated, an email. She got into the elevator.

"Situation analysis" from M. Hill. to all agents level 7 and above.

"Hard to understand, harder to explain. As of today, the Agency is working with Mr.Loki Laufeyson as a consultant. His knowledge and abilities are of great importance, try not to kill or get killed by him. He is a peculiar individual. It was brought to our attention that the Item Recovered From The Sea is of interest to otherworldly parties, hostile ones. We have a plan, but, in case of emergencies, this is an all hands on deck situation. It's on your contracts. Until further notice stay put and reachable."

Level 7 agents were few. Natasha and Barton were an 8. She got into her car, a black Dodge Charger, people shouldn't drink and drive, but she wasn't people, she

was The Black Widow. Great Mother Russia would be proud. Drink vodka, drive fast cars.

The research facility wasn't close to her California place, it would give her the few hours of peace she needed before dealing with Barton, and Fury, and Maria, and aliens, apparently.

The Trickster God

Agent Phil Coulson

He sat by Agent Barton's side, on top of the left corner stairs. The readings of the Cube indicated that someone or something was trying to get through. Coulson much rather be in another location.The one with the Man Recovered From The Sea, instead he was stuck with the Item Recovered From The Sea. He was still sleeping, but maybe he could sign his vintage collectors cards.

Loki was sat at one of the tables in front of the future portal. Not that they could see him.

The asgardian was an interesting man. Nothing like his brother, many would say, but not Coulson. He thought they were fairly similar. Both had this puppy look in their eyes and smiles on their faces. Different smiles. Where Thor's was a confused happy, Loki's was a "I know something that you don't" one, but they both had a mostly chill attitude. Unless they were wronged, then they would both show their rage. Loki's cold rage versus Thor's rampant one.

They were similar, in the same way that a coin has two sides. Coulson liked them, they were funny.

On one of the nights Barton and Loki had gone out for drinks, they invited Coulson. By the end of the night Clint had passed out and Loki told him his story, how he'd fallen from his world and made his way to Earth. He told Phil how he used to escape from Asgard to come here and meet people and have parties.

A grey cloud formed in front of the pedestal holding the Tesseract. A nose-less grey creature walks out of it, tall and strange looking.

"Creatures of Earth, my useless sibling has failed to save you, but I will not. You may think this is suffering. No... it is salvation. The universal scales tip toward balance because of your sacrifice. Smile... for even in death, you have become children of Thanos." He didn't even look around before starting his speech, there was no one there. "Where is everyone? I thought there would be an army protecting the stone."

"Just me, oh Grand Councilwoman. Are you here to capture experiment 626?"

"Experiment? Woman? Do you mock me?"

"I would never!" Loki says. "Just watch out for the head…"

"What…" a portal opens over his head, slides down and closes.

THUD

"Ouch, this is grosser than the last one" Barton says beside him.