I am so sorry! I've been struggling with this story, and had an epiphany today. While I was updating said epiphany, I realized that I never posted this chapter. Again, I'm sorry! Please let me know your thoughts.

Chapter 12

Reacquiring the Tesseract from his Witchling, enabled Loki to officially open the portal allowing the Chitauri to pour through into the Midgardian skies, and rectifying the delay she had caused. Loki chose to focus on creating a protective dome around the girl, ensuring her survival through battle, rather than dwell upon his anger over the dozens of setbacks he'd endured. The iron covered ant had been most helpful in ensuring the strength of the Tesseract shields he was creating.

Loki had little doubt that the fools aligned with his brother would endanger the Witchling if they were given the chance to drag her into battle. He was not willing to risk her safety. Despite his concern, observing the chaos he had willed into being, was intoxicating. His victory was inevitable. Midgard would bow before him, and his Witchling would be a vision in royal robes beside him.

He was confident that the vision he implanted within her mind sway the Witchling's loyalty to his side. Few could resist the call to rule over the insignificant. Despite his confidence over her safety and loyalty, Loki couldn't resist looking over her once more before leaping into battle.

Natasha successfully guided the Quinjet into New York City, despite the insurrection of alien military. She, along with Captain America, Clint and Thor, watched the skies grimly before a scarlet and gold blur streaked past them while leading dozens of insurgents. Natasha didn't hesitate before launching the Quinjet into pursuit of the enemies trailing their ally.

"Targeting," Natasha said over the comms, alerting Tony to her plan. As the Quinjet successfully attacked, many of the Chitauri crashed into nearby buildings, earning winces from everyone on board except Natasha.

"Nice of you to join the party," Stark said after Jarvis alerted him to the success of the Quinjet. "Thanks for the assist."

"Where is Loki?" Thor bellowed before Natasha or anyone else could speak.

"No need to shout Shakespeare," Tony answered as the rest of the team aboard the Quinjet winced from the Asgardian's volume. "We had a minor confrontation in Stark Tower."

"How minor?" Steve asked warily.

"He tossed me out a window from the penthouse," Tony said casually. "Rock of Ages had Glinda cornered as I was falling. Check on her will you?"

"You left the Enchantress alone with him?" Thor demanded angrily.

"She's a big girl," Tony answered in the same blase tone. "Besides, did you miss that i was tossed out a window of a skyscraper or that your idiot brother let loose an army of aliens? "

"How'd she look?" Captain America interrupted before Thor could continue to squabble with Tony.

"From what I saw as I was flying through a window, I believed Glinda had a handle on things," Tony answered. "Although I didn't see her when I reappeared and shot him. Considering Rock of Ages is a psychopath, it might be prudent to check on her."

"I will rescue the maiden," Thor declared, spinning his hammer in hand as he exited the jet.

"...Could someone record that?" Stark asked earning grins from Romanov, Rogers, and Clint.

Thor reunited with his little brother on the Stark Helipad. The younger, clad in his Asgardian battle armor, turned as the elder landed. Despite the chaos of war around them, the two studied each other.

"Brother," Loki greeted with a mocking tilt of his head, carefully watching his blonde older sibling.

"Brother," Thor returned warily, as they continued sizing each other up.

"Come to reason with the alleged mad man?" Loki asked, obfuscating his question with a beguiling smirk. Before Thor could answer he added, "You are far too late."

"How far you have fallen," Thor said conveying his disappointment at his little brother's choices. "When did this madness take root? Surely…"

When Thor's voice faltered, he looked at Loki, studying the man opposing him, before his resolve hardened, and he spoke. "I have no further illusions."

"Nervous Brother?" Loki asked amused by Thor's determination.

"When have you ever known me to be nervous?" Thor asked. Choosing to ignore the fond memory Loki was trying to provoke, he asked, "Where is the Enchantress?"

Thor had not expected his younger brother to react, and was surprised to see Loki stiffen at the question. Seeing the change, Thor tried again, "If any harm has befallen her-."

"What concern is she to you?" Loki interrupted angrily. "Have your feelings for the science ant waned so soon?"

"Guard your tongue!" Thor yelled, losing his temper "Jane is no concern of yours! Do not speak of her. You will relinquish the Midgardian Enchantress and banish this army."

"Brother. You doubt I would ever relinquish my army," Loki said darkly as he gestured above him. "Why would you believe I would ever bequeath such a treasure as the Sorceress to you? Have you not acquired enough of my desires? Stolen all the glory? Demanding my loyalty and talents only to spit on me as you were celebrated? Must you demand the jewel as well?"

"Turn the tesseract off. Else wise I will destroy it." Thor said, dismissing Loki's angry questions. The dark haired Asgardian bowed his head, before speaking.

"You cannot. There's no way of stopping it. There's only war," Loki answered solemnly.

"So be it," Thor answered, bowing his head as he began to spin Mjölnir. Loki menacingly leapt towards him, and the two violently collided fueled by jealousy, betrayal, misunderstanding, and ignorance above a city devolved into chaos.

Americans were running and screaming in the streets, seeking safety while buildings erupted above their heads. The Chitauri shot liberally at all of them, murdering relentlessly as Iron Man flitted around targeting the alien ships, and preventing what little damage he could.

"Three heading north east," Romanov said over the communications device.

"What, did you stop for drive-thru?" Tony asked. "Swing by that park. I'm going to lay them out for you." He didn't need to hear a response from Romanov to know she was rolling her eyes at his directive. Regardless, Tony had more important concerns as he was leading a troop of Chitauri past his tower. Turning sharply, he smirked when he heard several of the aliens crash.

"Sir, we have more incoming," Jarvis said. Tony sighed before answering his a.i.

"Fine, Let's keep them occupied." He dove back into the foray, trying to ignore the two Asgardians currently destroying his tower as he sped past them again. Inside the jet, the Avengers were trying to out maneuver the Chitauri, while avoiding the numerous buildings.

"Nat!" Barton shouted inside the jet, as it rounded the building, trying to alert her to the fight on Tony's tower.

"I see them," Romanov answered as she watched Thor smash Loki's head onto the catwalk of Stark Tower. Before they could react, Loki gained the upper hand by throwing Thor to the ground and blasting a beam of blue light from the Tesseract towards the jet.

"We're hit," Romanov said. "Brace yourself." Seconds later, the jet collided with a building, only to ricochet into several more before it finally crashed onto the street. Once outside the jet, they were able to surveil the situation, before Rogers started making a plan.

"We gotta get back up there," Captain America said as he led the group onto an overpass. They froze as an armored Leviathan flew through the portal

"Stark," Rogers called through the comms. "Are you seeing this?"

"Seeing. Still working on believing," Tony quipped. "Where's Banner? Has he shown up yet?"

"Negative. We haven't heard anything from him," Romanov answered.

"Just keep me posted. In the meantime, Jarvis and I are going to wreak some havoc of our own."

"Look at this! Brother, look around you!" Thor said gesturing towards the invading aliens. "You think this madness will end with your rule?"

"It's too late. It's too late to stop it."

"She'll never join you," Thor bellowed. "The Enchantress will not abide such needless destruction."

"Please brother, if you refuse to prevent this, relinquish her to me. She will never forgive you for enslaving her." Thor's plea only served to anger Loki. The dark haired Asgardian suddenly slipped a knife into his hand and stabbed Thor. The blonde cried out in pain, allowing Loki to slip off the roof. He landed flawlessly onto a Chitauri airship, flying off with a troop.

Captain America, Black Widow, and Hawkeye were spread out amongst the streets, fighting the aliens from the ground, while civilians and police streamed past them chaotically. Above them, the aliens fired relentlessly, strategically trapping citizens, and then murdering them. Natasha and Clint were crouched down behind a yellow taxi, trying to create a plan.

Rogers slid across the street, dodging fire from the Chitauri, joining the other two Avengers.

"Barton, we've got civilians trapped. It's like shooting fish in a barrel," he said as Natasha fired her guns at a group of incoming Chitauri.

"We've got this," She said. "It's good. Go!"

"You think you can hold him off?" Rogers asked.

"Captain it would be my absolute pleasure," Clint answered as he shot an alien in the head, before targeting more aliens. As Captain America left, the two Avengers started evacuating citizens from the vicinity, while covering each other's sixes.

"Just like Budapest all over again!" Natasha called out as she continued to take down aliens. Clint looked over at her with a slight grimace.

"You and I remember Budapest very differently."

Rogers sprinted through the streets, until he spotted a police squad shooting at the invaders. He used every available surface to make his way through the cluttered roads until hi reached them.
"It's going to be an hour before they scramble National Guard," a cop said as he defended their position.

"National Guard!" His sergeant scoffed as they ducked to avoid a blast. "Does the army know what's happening here?"

"Do we?" The Rookie asked as Captain America landed on the car in front of him.

"You need men in these buildings. There are people inside, and they can be running into the line of fire. You take them to the basement or through the subway, but keep them off the streets. I need a perimeter as far back as 39th."

"Why the hell should I take orders from you?" The sergeant demanded, seconds before two Chitauri attacked Steve. He turned back to the police after handily defeating both aliens, to see them staring at him with astonishment before the Sergeant started commanding his officers to follow Steve's instructions.

After his brother slipped off the platform of Stark Tower, Thor paused momentarily to check his wound, while grimacing about allowing Loki to achieve such an attack. Despite his advanced healing rate, he still felt pain, and the shame of allowing another to inflict such a wound. The blonde Asgardian, turned from the Midgardian sky, full of Chitauri, to focus on locating the Enchantress.

The obsession with the Midgardian Enchantress, which plagued his little brother had surprised Thor. Throughout his memories, Loki had dismissed females who displayed interest in him. More often than not, his younger brother would declare them vapid and shallow, while assuming they had ulterior motives. Thor never had understood Loki's dim view of such lovely creatures, and often partook in their offerings until he'd met Jane.

Jane had instilled humility within him, often by force, from the moment she hit him with her car. Perhaps the Witchling could do the same for his brother. Her temper rivaled that of his beloved's and Thor feared the day the two Midgardian females met, although he'd be willing to endure it for the sake of his brother.

There were two different domes, which caught his attention. He walked towards the smaller of the two, before catching sight of the Enchantress lying prone inside of the smaller.

"Brother, what have you done?"