Chapter 33: Loki

It was strange, Loki mused, fighting a battle in this city with Chitauri all around but completely different allies. So much had changed. So much was still changing. The battle was far from certain at this point.

More Chitauri kept coming from the two ships hovering stationary above the city, but at least there didn't seem to be any more Leviathans on the way.

Loki wasn't exactly enjoying the fight, but he couldn't deny it was stimulating. Each encounter with an enemy was a new challenge – one he met with knives and wits and deadly blades. And tricks. That was the best part.

He had felt content to remain on the ground, engaging any Chitauri that made it to the streets in search of prey. He'd lost count of how many of the creatures he had slain, but for every one he killed, there were always more to take its place.

Now, as he paused beside the crumpled body of his last opponent to catch his breath, a flash of movement and a familiar voice calling out in fright caught his attention. He turned in time to see an Iron Legionnaire several yards down the street fall to pieces from a Chitauri blaster shot, and a terrified-looking Jane backing away from the alien responsible.

As Loki watched, Jane tripped on the curb and fell backwards onto the footpath, looking up as the Chitauri approached, raising its weapon.

Loki raised his scepter and fired.

The Chitauri disintegrated and Jane looked past it, her gaze landing on Loki.

"Loki," she said, her voice breathless from the fright.

"Jane," he replied smoothly, walking forward to help her up.

She accepted his hand. "Thank you."

Thor landed with a thud beside the pair. He looked to Jane, noting her destroyed Legionnaire. "You're not safe here," he said.

"That's a joke, right?" Jane half-laughed, glancing at the destruction that surrounded them.

"No," Thor replied seriously.

Loki rolled his eyes. "It was a rhetorical question, Brother."

Thor, naturally, ignored him. "If this is anything like last time, then the Chitauri will die if we take out their ships," he said, adding to Jane, "but I cannot leave you here."

"Then take me with you," she replied instantly.

"I'm coming too," Loki added. "You can't simply blast those ships to pieces over the city. You'll need help."

Thor wrapped his arms around Jane as he prepared to take off. "You can come if you can get up there," he said. Then he was gone.

Loki smiled. Oh, how he loved a challenge – especially when issued by his brother. That made victory all the more sweet.

But he had to succeed first.

Loki ran to the end of the street, a plan forming as he went. There was a Leviathan flying through the intersection, and he fired his scepter at it.

As expected, the attack – while it did little to the monster – drew the attention of three Chitauri charioteers. They swooped down at him with their blasters blazing.

Loki stood still as the blasts rained down around him. The chariots were practically skimming the road as they bore down on him. They were coming closer … closer … closer…

At the last moment, Loki let the illusion of him standing in the street vanish.

In that same moment, he jumped from the roof of the truck he'd climbed onto and landed on the last of the three chariots. Moving quickly, he threw off the Chitauri passenger and destroyed the other two chariots with his scepter. Then he moved up behind his Chitauri pilot and brought the scepter around to touch its chest.

"What say we return to your ship?" Loki asked with a smirk.

The Chitauri obeyed his command, and moments later they were soaring up to the partially-shattered windscreen of the second ship. Thor must have entered that way, Loki reasoned. He directed his pilot to hover the craft and stepped lightly through the windscreen onto the top of the control panel. "Did I miss anything?" he asked, jumping down.

"You can show me how to get this thing moving or you can push," Thor replied shortly, fiddling with the controls. Jane stood anxiously at his side.

"I can do better than that," Loki replied. He moved to the controls, but a movement reflected in the windscreen caught his eye.

The Other.

Loki spun and fired with the scepter, but the Other evaded the blast and fired his own weapon – at Thor.

"No!" Jane yelled. She leapt forward, shoving Thor out of the way. The blast hit her, throwing her backwards through the glass. She fell from sight.

"Jane!" Thor leapt out after her, Mjolnir in hand.

Great.

Loki turned to face the Other. "Can we talk about this?" he asked.

The Other smiled without any mirth. "I see no reason to," he said, raising his spear to fire.

Loki swiped at the controls with his hand. The ship tilted sideways suddenly, throwing them both against the wall. Loki was the first to his feet, slipping as he moved to grab the Other's spear off the slanted floor.

The Other got to the controls and turned the ship on its nose before Loki reached the weapon. Loki fell, grabbing onto the window edge with both hands. The Other's spear fell past him into the void below.

The Other crouched on the control panel above Loki as he hung by his fingers. "Any last words?" he asked mockingly.

Loki looked down at the massive drop to the city. It was a frighteningly long way down. But as he looked back up at the Other, a mirthless smile curved his lips.

Then he vanished.

The real Loki appeared behind the Other, also balanced on the control panel. He knocked the Other onto his back with his scepter, then drove the tip through the Other's chest into the metal beneath.

He leaned forward as the Other gasped a dying breath. "That's why we should have talked," he said simply.