Warning: torture
Chapter 11- My Boyfriend Says No to the Kidnapping
Tony bit his tongue against the urge to scream as they stood in the middle of Asgard's throne room. It was like they'd been thrown back in time, and Tony could almost see the shadow of Loki standing in chains in the middle of the room. As fascinating as the first visit had been, what with the science and magic and learning just where Loki had come from, Tony wasn't sure he'd ever have wanted to come back if he had a choice. And being back without Loki, without even knowing if he was… if he was….
It just wasn't pleasant.
And he couldn't even complain to Jarvis since he'd shorted out as soon as they landed. Because, you know, Asgard apparently had something against comfort.
"What do you mean you can't see Loki?" Thor asked, pacing down the length of the room. His cape swept behind him, brushing along the floor with a drama that Loki would have been proud of. Odin simply sat on his throne and watched Thor pace with his lips pursed in disapproval. Frigga stood a little to the side, her hands clasped in front of her and her expression unreadable. She was dressed in the same type of fine gowns she'd worn the last time Tony had been here, her hair done up in an intricate braid as she watched Thor pace. Everyone but Thor and Tony had been politely 'asked' to wait outside while the four of them talked to Heimdall.
"Exactly what I say," the golden-eyed Asgardian answered. Heimdall. Tony wanted to choke him for sounding so calm. Except he probably wouldn't actually manage to choke the god—was he a god? Demigod? Who even cared anymore.
"Then what are we supposed to do?" Tony asked, his voice a sharp snap in the large room. Thor's footsteps echoed around them, his hammer banging against his leg with every footfall. "Search the whole solar system?"
"Perhaps that is not necessary," Frigga answered. "Loki has not intentionally hidden himself since his attack on Midgard. It seems doubtful he would start now, meaning his disappearance from Heimdall's sight is most likely caused by the titan."
"But how does that help us?" Thor asked, low and frustrated.
"Because, my son," Frigga answered, somehow still entirely patient. "If Loki's disappearance is caused by Thanos, it stands to reason the titan would also be hidden from view. We need not look for Loki himself, but—"
"We search for a hole," Tony interrupted, and Thor whipped his head around, his eyebrows furrowing with almost endearing confusing. "If Thanos is blocking himself and Loki from Heimdall, there must be a space where Heimdall can't see anything."
"A hole…" Odin answered, tapping his finger against his golden staff thoughtfully.
"Is it even possible to see such a thing?" Thor asked. "How would you see what you can't see…."
"I shall try," Heimdall answered, his golden eyes flashing in the low light of the room. He clutched his sword to his chest, his knuckles clenched on the hilt. His eyes went unfocused, and the throne room descended into a restless silence. Tony shifted his feet and clenched his fists. He felt like running from the room and screaming, probably would have if he didn't know it would help absolutely nothing.
Thor continued pacing, his feet stomping louder than Tony even knew anyone was capable of stomping. Frigga was unmoving, her eyes following Thor tirelessly, and Tony wondered if she ever ran out of patience. Having raised both Thor and Loki—since it was becoming more and more clear that Odin had remarkable little to do with it—she must have run out at some point.
Finally—finally—Heimdall opened his eyes, his knuckles so tight on the handle of his sword that the blade trembled faintly.
"I believe I found them."
Tony had thought it was chaos before they knew where they were going. It was nothing compared to the chaos of being given a ship to travel through space with, of Thor turning to his father with an expectant look only for Odin to look down at him, his one good eye expressionless as he explained that he couldn't go invading solar systems with the Asgardian army because it might cause war no matter how much he wanted too. Right. Like Tony believed him.
Frigga pulled Tony aside as the ship was being prepared, his hand almost painfully tight on his arm and her face lined with stress in a way it hadn't been the whole time they were planning.
"Bring my sons back," she said. "Both of them."
"I will," he answered, and she swallowed hard before letting him go, the drape of her dress sweeping against the golden ground as she left.
The other Avengers tried their best to stay out of their way, moving when Thor told them to move and boarding the ship when he told them to. It was only as they were about to leave that a black-haired woman in full battle armor came running up to their ship. She had a sword and shield strapped to her back and three large men flanking her. She and the man to her right with a bright red beard looked vaguely familiar and it was only after Thor called out "Sif! Hogun! Volstagg! Fandral!" his voice painfully bright that Tony remembered that she was the one who'd arrested Loki and brought them both to Asgard after that stupid ice-planet.
"Thor," Sif answered, locking her forearm with Thor's. Her eyes flicked over the Avengers, locking on Tony for a beat too long. "We would come with you."
"But—" Thor said.
"We know Odin's not mobilizing the army," the guy with blonde hair said, stepping forward to put his hand on Thor's shoulder. "But we would not leave you without backup."
"My friends," Thor answered, sounding entirely too touched. Tony bit his tongue; they needed the help too much to turn the three of them down, but it rankled him that they were only coming for Thor. Like Loki was just a side note in their agendas.
"Well, if you're all done," he said, his voice short and annoyed. "We need to go. We've wasted enough time."
"Too true," Thor answered, waving his friends aboard with an anxious expression.
Loki no longer cared if the green woman was with or against Thanos. If she kicked him one more time, he would find a way to rip her intestines out through her throat.
"Cease your stubbornness, Laufeyson," Thanos said, and Loki felt the satisfaction thrum through him, hot and inspiring from how annoyed he sounded. Ebony Maw stalked behind him, black energy crackling between his fingers, and Loki's mind ached from the first few hours of fending off his mental attacks.
He panted against the wall, held up only by his wrists chained to the wall. His whole body was on fire from the woman's punishments, his mind teetering on the edge of his control, and he so desperately wanted to be anywhere but here. He spat on the ground, blood and spittle mingling.
"There is no need for you to suffer," Thanos said, stepping around the spit to grab Loki's jaw, his fingers so gentle that it was almost embarrassing how relieved Loki was. Thanos lifted his chin, forcing his face even with his own swollen purple one. Poor thing was still just as ugly. "It is not as if your humans would return the favor."
His fingers were soft, his voice low, and Loki hated him, wished with everything he had that he would just drop dead. Ebony Maw's footsteps continued, a constant beat against Loki's senses, his probe lashing against Loki's defenses even as Thanos' false sympathy felt like a balm. He missed Anthony desperately. Loki swallowed. The woman's eyes flicked over his face, her own expression unreadable.
"You should consider a make-over," Loki answered, and Thanos smashed his head against the wall at the same time Ebony Maw's probe smashed into his barriers with a vendetta. Loki cried out once before biting down on his tongue. Thanos held him against the wall, pain ricocheting along Loki's nerve endings as Ebony Maw continued his onslaught.
"You will give me what I want if I have to pull you apart and piece you back together to get it," Thanos said, his voice nauseatingly calm.
They more crash landed onto Thanos' ship than boarded it. Which Tony couldn't even be surprised about after how easy the rest of the mission had been. He'd sort of expected the ship to be hard to find. Like if he had kidnapped one of his enemies' lovers, he would have cloaked his ship, but apparently Thanos never expected than to come after him. Or maybe he was hoping they would.
Either way, it didn't matter. Loki was in here, and Tony was not leaving without him.
The ship itself was pretty big, easily six times the size of their borrowed Asgardian dingy with no visible windows or guns, which seemed unlikely. No way Thanos didn't have a way of knowing and then attacking when people were sneaking up on him.
Anyway, finding it had been the easy part. They'd barely seen the ship before it had started firing columns of light that Thor assured them would "tear their tiny Asgardian vessel to pieces" if they landed. Not good at pep talks that guy. Sif had promised to get them close enough to board, and to her credit, slamming into the side of Thanos' ship hard enough to tear a hole through his hull did count.
Luckily their ship was doing a pretty good job plugging the hole so there wasn't a vacuum into space. Unluckily a bunch of not so friendly looking six legged creatures with fangs and claws were already gathering outside. There were so many of them that they ran each other over as they moved. A black mass surrounding the ship like a plague.
"Show yourself!" a woman's voice called. Tony could just make her out through the shattered window in the main cabin, a three-pronged spear clutched in her right hand and black horns curled up around her head with black hair falling behind them.
"Know her?" Tony asked Thor, who stood at his shoulder. His knuckles were white around his hammer, his expression more determined that Tony had ever seen it.
"No."
"We will handle them," one of Thor's Asgardian friends said. The one with the bushy red hair. He clapped Thor on the shoulder, and the three other Asgardians nodded. "The rest of you push on."
"I'll stay with you," Bruce said. "Big groups of enemies are my forte, and I should probably stay near the ship in case…"
"Stay safe, Bruce," Steve answered, nodding to the five of them, and then they were gone, meeting the horned-lady's call to battle. Sif's voice echoed over the growl of the six-legged things, one of the Asgardian's loud bellowing laugh answering.
"We should be able to sneak off to the side while they're occupied," Steve said, pointing out the opposite window. A tunnel carved into the ships dark metal was visible in the low light.
"Let's go then," Natasha answered, slipping an extra gun into her holster. Clint unfolded his bow. Thor adjusted his grip on his hammer. Bucky Barnes tucked his rifle against his shoulder, and Steve nodded, smashing the glass before leading the way down.
The sound of fighting and war cries echoed faintly behind them, whatever metal the tunnels were made of doing nothing to dampen the sound. At least their footsteps were drowned out.
"So…" Clint cleared his throat awkwardly. "Not to be that person but, uh, does anyone actually have any idea where we're going."
No one answered. It didn't matter. Tony would tear the whole ship apart if he had to.
He didn't know how long they were walking, how many turns they took and then double backed on, how many rooms they opened before Bucky Barnes stopped abruptly, his head whipping from side to side as he raised his rifle. The ship seemed deserted, whoever had been aboard already dedicated to fighting the Asgardians and Bruce, but something had obviously startled him.
"What is it?" Natasha asked.
"Someone's coming," Barnes answered, his eyes trained on the far tunnel. Steve hefted his shield, positioning himself defensively against Barnes.
"I hear it too."
It only took another minute for Tony to hear the sound of footsteps as well and then for the three figures to come into view. The first was a hulking grey figure with a giant hammer dragging behind his feet. Next to him stood, a slight grey man covered in a black hood with a large blade on a long handle. The last one was another slight blue woman, two batons crackling with energy clutched in her hands.
"I am Corvus Glaive, son of Thanos," the figure in the middle said. "And we order you to stop and surrender."
"Nah," Tony answered, firing a repulsor blast at his face. Corvus raised his glaive with one quick motion, the blade blocking Tony's strike and sending the energy blast veering off to the side.
"Cull, Nebula," he said, jerking his head, and the two next to him lunged.
The big guy, who must have been Cull—no way he was named Nebula while his little sister was named Cull and if that wasn't the case, Tony didn't ever need to know differently—, went right for Natasha and Clint, his hammer coming down so hard the floor cracked as they scrambled out of his way. The blue woman, Nebula, leapt at Steve and Barnes, her electric baton connected with Steve's shield and then Barnes arm in quick succession.
Corvus slashed at Tony, his glaive cutting a deep gash in Tony's chestplace that send alarms blaring in his helmet. Thankfully, it didn't pierce the first layer. He raised his arm to fire another repulsor blast, but Thor brought his hammer down on Corvus' head—only for the guy to block the blow with the side of his glaive. Tony sent a blast at his face and again the glaive was there to block the blow, sending the bolt of energy careening off to the side.
Natasha cried out as she ducked out of the way of the deflected repulsor blast. Cull lumbered toward her, slamming his hammer down at her. She barely managed to roll out of the way. An arrow sprouted from his shoulder, and he yanked it out impatiently, ignoring Clint's yell to get his attention as the wound closed up in a second.
Tony raised his hand to help Natasha as Cull hefted his hammer over her again, only to be thrown off his feet by Corvus' Glaive slamming into him. He slammed into the wall, his ears ringing painfully as Thor stepped in front of him, exchanging blows with Corvus like they were sword fighting, sparks flying around them.
Steve's shield flew in front of Tony's face, slamming into Cull's face and stunning him for just a second. Just long enough for Barnes to sprint along the length of the hall, set one foot against the wall and leap up high enough to wrap his hands around Cull's head and yanking him down and off balance.
Steve dove for his shield, barely raising it in front of him before Nebula struck, and Clint circled around her, an arrow lodging itself in her shoulder. Thor was forced back three steps, electricity crackling all around him as he tried to hold off Corvus by himself.
"Hit him, Stark!" Barnes yelled, his voice high and strained as he struggled to hold on to Cull, and Tony shook his head hard as forced both arms up, aiming for Cull's face. His hammer swung wildly over his head, trying to knock Barnes off, and Natasha was set under them, and Tony hesitated. His repulsor hadn't been enough for Corvus.
"Now!" Barnes yelled. "I can't hold him."
"Natasha," Tony said. "The hammer." Her eyes widened, and she leapt from the ground, grabbing onto Cull's swinging arm and kicking out. Tony swallowed hard and fired right as she slammed into his hammer. Cull shouted, his hammer slipping from his grip and impaling itself in his own skull.
Corvus and Nebula froze. Thor slammed Corvus in the side of the head, throwing him back against the wall. Steve struck out at Nebula but she ducked away, raising his batons up in front of her face. Barnes kicked Cull's remains off him, cuts littered across his skin as Natasha followed him up. She locked eyes with Tony and swallowed.
"You need to go, Tony," she said. "Find Loki. We can handle this."
"But—"
Corvus was already stirring, shoving himself against the wall as he tried to stand.
"Go," she said, moving to stand beside Steve, and Tony didn't want to leave them. He didn't want to leave Loki alone with Thanos any longer than he already had. Thor grimaced and nodded, following Tony out.
The ship rocked from side to side, throwing Loki sideways and wrenching his shoulder painfully. Thanos, somehow managing to keep his feet, glared at him balefully like Loki had somehow been the one to rock his ship. Loki sneered back.
"Father—" the woman started.
The door flew open, and another of his 'children' came in. Loki had only seen her once before when he'd been prepared to invade Midgard. He was fairly sure her name was Proxima Midnight, her black and grey outfit just the same as he remembered. Black horns curled around her hair and a black mask covered her eyes and forehead.
"An Asgardian vessel is attacking," Proxima Midnight said, his eyes flicking to Loki and then away again. "They are almost close enough to board." Thanos grimaced, his ridged chin rippling grotesquely.
"What was that about my humans not coming after me again?" Loki asked, and Thanos' lip curled even higher.
"Take the Outriders and destroy them," he said. Proxima Midnight bowed her head and swept from the room, the door slamming closed behind her.
"Not going to go help your children. They're going to need it," Loki said, lilting his voice up. Ebony Maw stalked behind Thanos, his eyes narrowed dangerously. The woman still hadn't taken her eyes off Loki's face, and Loki wished he could understand her expression. He needed to know what she would do when this turned into a fight.
"Or do you need two people here with us just to feel safe?" Loki asked. Thanos slanted his eyes to look at Loki, tense and annoyed. Loki was truly proud of his undamaged ability to provoke. "I wouldn't blame you if that was the case."
"Allow me to silence the Jotun runt, Father," Ebony Maw answered, stepping toward Loki threateningly, and Loki smirked. It wasn't much, just barely a crack in Ebony Maw's mental defenses as he grew distracted by his frustration, the Avengers attack, his own bodily movement, his own fatigue, but it didn't take more than a crack. He'd been hovering on the edge of Loki's mind too long, unaware that Loki was watching his own defenses, and he was utterly unprepared.
He sliced out with his mind, quick and brutal, and Ebony Maw staggered just close enough, his mental shields shuttering once before breaking. He struggled against Loki, Thanos and the woman's voice echoing faintly, but Loki ignored them, throwing his legs outward and wrapping them around Ebony Maw's shoulder and neck. He twisted brutally, delight searing through him at the snap of Ebony Maw's neck echoed through the room. He let his body slip between his legs, thunking against the ground without ceremony.
"Oops," Loki said, his mind throbbing faintly. It would take him so long to heal from the battering Ebony Maw had done, but it was worth it to see him dead. Thanos stared down at the body, his face cold and unfeeling.
Before he got the chance to say anything though, the door was swinging open again, revealing a bright red Iron Man suit. Loki yanked against his chains, his heartbeat kicking up so fast he felt dizzy. Anthony was here. He was right there.
The helmet popped up, revealing his strong jawbones, that ridiculous beard, and that little wrinkle he got between his eyes when he was worried, and Loki wanted him.
"Loki," Anthony said, his voice barely a whisper of a breath, and Loki wanted to scream. He yanked against his chains again, his wrists and shoulder and arms splintering from pain.
And then Thanos was stepping toward them, his face a mask of anger, and Anthony's helmet lowered back over his face, his knees bracing for the blow as Thanos struck out.
"Nooo!" Loki wailed, scrambling to get his feet under himself, to get his shackles off, to make his magic work through the chains Thanos had placed around him.
Just before Thanos' blow struck, Thor slid between the titan and Anthony, his hammer colliding with Thanos' jaw in a sickening snap. Thanos staggered a step back, shook his head and then stepped toward them again. Blood ran down Loki's arms, the skin rubbed raw around his wrists and he—
"Stand still," the green woman said, coming to stand right in front of him.
"Leave me!" He kicked out, his legs missing her as she easily side-stepped him. She raised her hands to his wrists, a glimmering silver key dangling from her fingers.
Tony gasped as he was thrown, his back connecting painfully with the wall. Thor swung his hammer in a wide arc of electricity that slammed into Thanos' face and barely made him stagger. Tony's ears were ringing as he raised his hand, his hands shaking so badly he could barely aim at Thanos instead of Thor.
Thanos swerved toward Thor more quickly than he should have been capable, catching Thor across the chest and sending him flying off in the other direction. The metal dented under Thor's body, and Thanos stalked toward him. Tony tried to get his legs under himself, but the room was spinning too quickly, and Tony needed to—he needed to—
There was a flash of silver and green, and then Loki materialized standing in front of Thanos, one knife embedded in the titan's stomach, the other deep in his throat. Thanos stiffened, and the green woman who'd been in the room with Loki before leapt onto his back, swinging a sword in a wide arch that lopped his head off.
It landed with a wet thunk, and Tony couldn't take his eyes off the trail of purple blood from where his head had rolled. Footsteps started toward him, black boots stopping next to him, and whispers piercing his head. He was really about to throw up on someone's very nice boots.
Someone touched the side of his face, fingers cool and nimble, and energy flooded into him, his head immediately ceasing hurting. Tony jerked his head up, and Loki smiled at him. His left eye was deep black, a dark circle etched under his other eye, a brown bruise on his left cheekbone, and his wrists and arms covered in blood. Tony suddenly wished he could revive Thanos so he could kill him slower.
"Loki," he said, cradling the side of his face. He was so cold, Tony's fingertips burned everywhere he touched. Loki leaned his head into Tony's hand, his eyes fluttering closed. More footsteps behind him, someone called his name, the brush of a cape covering Loki's shoulders, but Tony just pulled him close. He hated the way Loki shook against him, the way he buried his face in Tony's neck, his tears so cold they felt like they would freeze them together.
