Loki still hasn't come up with a plan and sees how things have suddenly became more harder and how he has to get Darcy out of there. Especially since The Other and the Chitauri now has Darcy in their grasps and one wrong move then they will not hesitate in killing her. He doesn't even know how he is going to do it or if there is another option outside of surrendering. But every time he thinks of a plan, it always leads to a failure, one that would end up in Darcy dead and him still having to fight the Chitauri or worse. Loki knows that he can't go back to that place, he just can't and the only way to guarantee Darcy's survival is by surrendering and he can't find a way out of this, that is unless...
He doesn't have to figure out some way out and he has to give the Chitauri exactly what they want, then they will let her go and they have to leave the planet peacefully. He just needs to make sure that they are pleased with what they see and wouldn't question any of it. That they would bringing Thanos a lie that they would believe without any other question and to see that they are the ones that ended up victorious in this little fight between him and the Chitauri. He knows what he has to do and he just hopes that it would work and the Chitauri will fall for it, they just have to or else Darcy will meet a terrible fate. He simply sighs as he faces the Other with a look of defeat on his face and wanting nothing more to get it over with.
"If I give myself up to you then would you really let her go?" asked Loki hoping that they are not seeing through his act and maybe they haven't changed their minds.
"That is the agreement, she will be free from all of this." said the Other. "What is it going to be?"
Loki sees the situation and how things are falling into place and it will be the start of moving his plan into action and then the next part will play it on it's own and then it will slowly start to head towards the rest of the plan. With only the hope that they would somehow believe him and things work exactly how he is now hoping it would happen. Then he and Darcy can make their escape the first chance they get and then the only thing that would happen is them being discipline with Thanos after they return with him. But first he needs to make sure that they are telling the truth and he is not going to walk right into a trap or put Darcy in more danger than she is already is. Loki knows that the Other has a history of twisting the truth and he would have to make sure that they do. Darcy's life depends on it and he has to do this to make themselves even and then it will be enough for the two of them, it has to work...
"I will go with you, only under the condition that you will let her go." said Loki. "I offer you my surrender."
At that moment, Darcy stares in shock as she sees the sight right in front of her, Loki is standing there and instead of running away and not even caring if she lives or dies, he's choosing to save her. She knows that she can't let him do that and has to figure out how to save him and get him out of this or somehow defeat all of the Chitauri, though that would be easier said than done. But the only thing that she knows is that she has to help him somehow and the real question is how? How does she get both of them out and get out of there without being caught?
"Are you willing to finally take responsibility for your failure by giving yourself up to us?" asked the Other with an evil glint and yet disbelief in his eyes.
"I am, only if you let her go right now." said Loki. "I see no reason why I should let you take me to Thanos and face my imminent death if she's dead. I will only agree if you keep your end of the bargain and let her go right now, then I will leave with you peacefully without a word said and meet my fate."
"Loki, you can't give yourself up to them! Don't do it!" said Darcy as she makes an effort to break free. "Just find another way to get out of here, you do this!"
"But I do, Darcy it is my fault that they are here and you are now in their crutches." said Loki. "It might be best for everyone if I go with them, not only you would be free, but it would be better for everyone if I surrender."
"For once you have made a wise decision." said the Other and turned to the Chitauri. "Grab him."
The Chitauri all start to race towards Loki and with their staffs lifted ready to hit him in their attack, thinking that this will be nothing more than a easy win. They are about to strike that is until a blast of magic pushes them back and away from the scene. Loki knows that if it were up to them then he would be walking with them on to the ship, badly beaten and lost the will to fight. But he's not going to have any of this or will be willing to give up the fight, especially seeing Darcy trapped and not knowing what is going to happen to her if he looses. Loki makes a tighter grip on his daggers, ready to fight and not going to let the Chitauri push him around especially without a fight and will stand his ground.
"I will only agree to go with you if you release her first, right now." said Loki as he stands his ground, ready to fight if he needs to.
"We would prefer it if you come with us now and we release the Terran later." said the Other as he stares at the Asgardian suspiciously.
"Well then I believe the agreement is off, I can't really trust that you will keep your side of the deal." said Loki rather nonchalantly. "Maybe it would be best if I simply leave now and walk away. Since I don't know if you would really set her free first and I have no reason on stay here, especially if I have to stand by and watch her die, I might as well do us all a favor by simply leaving. That is of course ,you would rather let her go and you don't want to disappoint your master."
At that moment there is a tense silence overtaking the room and one that really got The Other to think about the gravity of the situation and how if he doesn't make the right choice right now then he would pay. If he simply orders the Chitauri to get rid of her then Loki would simply walks away and then they would lose him, even if they keep the girl as a bargaining chip. Not too mention, he doesn't want to stay on this planet any longer than he has to, especially if it means that he would have to search for Loki after this confrontation. But if they release the girl then they will have Loki right in their hands and then they can simply get past the trouble and take him to their master and the conflict would get resolve.
As the Other thinks about what the best solution to this problem, both Loki and Darcy stares at the Other rather nervously and the take a quick glance at one another as they start to worry and see the gravity of situation. Darcy hopes that whatever Loki is planning to do, it works or at least ends with both of them leaving this place alive and away from the Chitauri and never having to deal with any of them again. She doesn't want to die in the hands of the Chitauri and knows that she will be forever mad at Loki if he just gets up and leaves her like this. Especially if it might end up her dying in the end, then she is going to be really upset with Loki and yet at the same time she doesn't want to see him get captured by the Chitauri and they do whatever they are planing to do to him.
Loki looks at the Other rather carefully, he knows that the Other would do anything that cross his mind if it not only succeeds in his goals and yet hurts him as well. Ever since the two first met, the Other has always hated him and no matter what Loki may do whether it's making a mistake, excelling in his mission or making progress with any of his training, the Other couldn't stand him. Loki always figured that maybe Thanos always chose him to lead the invasion and later be in charge of the Chitauri leaving the Other as second in command. It didn't help matters when Thanos made them work together and the failed invasion, that the Other must have made sure that he got all of the blame for everything. But he doesn't have a positive opinion towards the Other himself, especially after how he has tortured Loki in the past and would continue to do so if given the chance.
Right now, he is not at all worried about what the Other may think of him, he is more worried about whether or not his plan will succeed. If there is any hope in the two of them making their escape and to somehow win this victory and then he can figure out his next move and leave the planet before things get out of hand and worse from there, that it would draw more attention than any attempt of stopping some crime would be and then it would mean more trouble than anything he can even imagine and he would need to leave right now. Loki watches the Other as he continues to think and every single time he looks at the Other, the more nervous he becomes and with the hopes that he would be able to succeed and yet is unsure if he would have to fight. It took some time, but eventually...
"Fine, release the girl and grab him." Ordered the Other.
The Chituari quickly obeyed the Other by dropping Darcy to the ground and races to get a hold of Loki, Darcy slowly got up from the ground to see the sight right in front of her in horror. She sees the Chitauri grasping Loki's arms with their clawed fingers and how they are holding Loki, seeing him wince in pain and in real trouble. That is the moment she knows that she has to help him, that Loki is in real trouble and needs to get both of them out of there before it's too late. She doesn't know how she is going to do it, but she is going to do something and will do something before it's too late. Though the question is what?
"You can't take him like this!" said Darcy defensively as she puts her fists up. "I won't let you do this!"
Darcy's defesiveness and her eager to fight for Loki, simply caused the Chitauri to laugh at her and the entire street filled with laughter and mockery. The sight and idea of a normal human girl daring to stand up to them, to stop them on their tracks and somehow defeat them without any powers of their own? It is not only absurd in the eyes of the Chitauri but laughable and besides they have already complete their mission. They have grabbed a hold of their former ally turned enemy, now all they need to do is get him to Thanos, not waste their time fighting off a Midgardian that is so underpowered that she doesn't even have any superpowers. So the Other slowly approach Darcy, giving her a menacingly glance as he looks down on Darcy.
"He is no longer your concern and if you dare try to fight us, if you think of following us or try to cause us any trouble." said the Other. "We will kill you without a second thought and our little agreement with Loki will no longer be applicable, we will make a grander attack on Terra and we will torture him harder, take him to the ship, it is time for our master to finish what he has started."
The Chitauri starts to take Loki away, leaving Darcy in the dust and ready to do more than they have ever done before and ready for a larger plan than anyone may anticipate. She doesn't know what to do or how she is going to help, she can always just tell Thor and Jane, explain to them what's going on and tell them that Loki's alive. Though the only downside is that she and later on Loki might not be able to fully live it down and get some lecture on how it's important not to lie about stuff like this. That is best case scenario, they can always react worst than that, for starters they could never believe her and it would take her forever to convince them that she is telling the truth, once she does then things would get worst.
Not only that they would be angry at both of them forever, but there is also the fact that there will be big consequences waiting for them and how they are more than likely not going to live it down. Loki would end up in jail and might never see the light of day again and that alone will be bad, since he will never have a chance to be free again and would have to be in a trapped area for the rest of his life and with no hope of escaping. Plus she would not only lose her internship, but she would ruin her friendships with both Thor and Jane. They would probably be so angry at her, for not only trying to help Loki but keeping him alive a secret, they would probably be ready to shun her and never forgive them for the rest of their lives. Plus it doesn't really help matters that Loki is trapped with the Chitauri and there is now a chance of an alien invasion on the horizon, that is set to come really soon and it might lead to another fight against world domination scenario. What could be better than that?
"I was beginning to think that they would never leave." said a voice right behind Darcy.
She quickly freezes from shock from the familiarity of the male voice that she really hopes that it would be a a good sign. One that at least gives her some relief and that gives her the hope that things are going to work out fine. So Darcy slowly starts to turn around and when she makes the full turn, she sees Loki standing right there and completely unharmed. Darcy can't believe her eyes, that Loki is still here and he's not on some alien ship under tight security. She wonders if she was dreaming or did the Chitauri did succeed in killing them and that they are now in some twisted after life that she needs to find out. So Darcy punches Loki as hard as she can, to make sure that she isn't hallucinating and she wasn't.
"Sorry, I just wanted to make sure that you were real and really here. Not an illusion." said Darcy before Loki can even say anything, she punches him yet again. "That was for giving me a heart attack and lying to me like that!"
"I only did that to ensure that they would not suspect that there might be something going on or to distract them long enough to make our escape." Loki quickly explains hoping that it would stop Darcy from punching him again. "I only needed your reaction to be as realistic as possible if I wanted to fool them and it was the only way I could think of that would guarantee that we would escape and we'd be alive in the end."
"You still should have told me!" said Darcy angrily. "I could have kept a secret and played along with the plan pretended that I was against you sacrificing yourself to save me or something."
"There was no way I could have told you without looking too suspicious or making a wrong move and putting the whole plan in jeopardy." said Loki. "Besides it was the only way I could think to save you that guarantees that you wouldn't get killed."
"Alright, fair enough, but still it wouldn't have hurt if you gave me some kind of sign or at least apologies for making me freak out." said Darcy. "Just do me a favor and don't pull off anymore stunts like that again."
"I was never planning it or had any intention on doing so." said Loki. "I only needed for all of them to get distracted long enough for us to make our escape and by the time they realize the ruse, they will be back with their master and it will be far too late for them to rectify their mistake."
"Ok, not big on apologies. But still what was that all about? asked Darcy. "Why are they after you? Does it have something to do with New York? If it is, that all happened a year. ago and they still haven't moved on from all of that? What is-"
"Darcy, right now it is not a good time to answer any of these questions. We need to leave right now, I will explain everything once we get back to your home and let's leave before anyone shows up if we brought attention upon ourselves." said Loki. "I had about enough of this place and I do not want to be here if more Midgardians show up and it only draws attention simply because they will know that I am here and I already have enough trouble to worry about."
Darcy gives Loki an nod and they both start to hurry to the apartment and to head towards safety and to avoid any crowds that might soon be gathering right at the scene. She already has a ton of questions going through their mind and it continues to flow through her mind and she is not going to let go of them. The problem that Loki must be trying so hard to hide and yet might come back to haunt him, the last thing she wants is to get the problem to escalate and cause trouble. But she is starting to see that there is more to the story and that maybe Loki is more complex than she thought and that he is more than she thought and maybe even is in trouble. That he needs help and might deep down even feels trapped in the past and doesn't know who to break free from it. She may be overthinking it, but she knows that she is going to do everything to help him.
A few minuetes later right after the apartment
Both Loki and Darcy entered the apartment completely exhausted and relieved that they got back to the apartment right before someone spots them and tried to follow them. But then again, with Loki by her side, he could have created an illusion where it would be hard for any of them to detect and that would solve that problem, at least they are both alive and safe from the Chitauri. Loki is simply glad that entire ordeal is over and knows that he would have to leave this planet tonight, for now he is just going to relax and heads to the couch to sit right on it to rest. He doesn't even know how he is going to escape from the Chitauri, especially if Thanos is now after him and he will ever leave him alone until they grab a hold of him and then he will do worse than anyone can ever imagine.
Darcy on the other hand is not going to let things go that easily and she is going to find out what's going on and to try to figure out what the next plan looking forward. That it is the start of something bigger and she needs to figure out what's going on and that she has to help in anyway she can. She stares at Loki, waiting to hear what he has to say, hoping that he would either start or get the hint. Especially since there is the fact that this is not going to be over and might come back to cause trouble, she wants to help stop the trouble before it gets out of control. She waits for Loki to start and yet he hasn't and she doesn't know if or when he'll starts, as she crosses her arms and stares at Loki, hoping that he would start.
"Well?" said Darcy as she decides to break the silence.
"Well, what?" said Loki annoyed.
"Are you going to start telling me what happened and explain why they are after you?" said Darcy. "I'm ready to help and want to know what's going on, I need to know right now."
"It is none of your concern." said Loki with the hope that Darcy would drop it.
"What? This is totally is so my concern or whatever you say that means my business." said Darcy. "Not only because these guys are going to keep bugging us until we eventually give in and then later take you to their leader. But you are in trouble and I want to help and I can't help if you don't tell me what's going on."
"Darcy, you can't get involve in this, no one who dares to get themselves involved ever gets out of this free much less alive." said Loki. "You would be doing yourself a favor if you simply forget about this and let me handle this on my own."
"Come on Loki, we're roommates, we are supposed to be cool with each other and be ready to help in anything that might be going on." said Darcy. "I mean isn't it what roommates do? Try to be friendly and-"
"We are not friends and you would't want to be my friend." said Loki. "Besides I wouldn't want to be friends, for the fact... that it is against my nature and Midgardian and Asgardian bonds are always destined to fail."
"Uh, I am friends with Thor and he and Jane has a romantic relationship going on." pointed out Darcy. "It seems to be working out so far and we haven't had big fights that would guarantee the end of our friendship or worse the end of the world."
"It's not that, aside from the fact that the idea of someone of Midgard and an Asgardian being companions is not only just absurd, but it's look down upon and it's really humiliating." said Loki. "Besides all of this is a long and complicated story that I don't even think that you would at all be interested and it wouldn't really matter anyway. All hope is already gone and that alone is more than enough reason for you not to know."
"Didn't they see me with you? If anything, it's kinda too late for me to turn back and pretend nothing happened, these guys know that I was with you and they might later target me." said Darcy. "So I should know what I have to deal with and I have a right to know, not only that I just want to be there and help, if you just give me a chance."
Loki stares at Darcy, surprised by her stubbornness and yet impressed by her persistence and thinks about everything she just said. He realizes that she has a point on many things and thinks that it might be best if he does tell Darcy. As she points out, they might not stop until they get any information that would lead to his capture, they would be more likely ready to kill her. Not that he would care or anything, but he has to make sure that no one would dare try to do anything, in order to do so then he would have to tell her. Loki just gives a sigh as he faces the reality of the trouble up ahead and the gravity of the situation and he doesn't know what might be the best choice or if he is making the right decision, but he knows that he has to figure it out soon and then act upon it, somehow...
Here it is, the thirteenth chapter rewrite! Sorry it took so long, I have been pretty busy for the past week or so and it's finally here!
This is the beginning of the main plot and the first phase in Loki's Redemption arc. I hope that you guys enjoyed this rewrite and that they live up to the original chapter, that we are seeing the expanded version of the earlier chapters and yet stay as good as the original chapters are. I am hoping that the rewrites will expand the story and the character development and the grammar improves.
For any old time readers, I hope that you guys are more than excited for the final chapters of Redemption and as for the fifty third chapter, I am hard at work on it and making sure that it is the best it can be. As I am writing the next chapter and plan out the final chapter and let's just say that we are in the finale, the fifty third chapter is the next part of the beginning of the end and the start of the pathway to the finale. The next chapters before the finale will be the set up before we reach it, I hope that it will live up to your expectations and the ending will be the best and an ending that will be satisfying and yet leave some small loose ends that I could pick up if a sequel is ever made.
I think the next rewrite will come out in three weeks earliest, since I have so much going on in my life and the fourteenth chapter is really important when it comes to the overall story and I want the next rewrite to get to the point and allow us to see an expanded and yet better chapter as we go into new territory. Especially with the start of the main plot and we are about to see the plot start to unfold, I am hoping to finish the next seven chapters for this round of rewrites sometime before August.
But just because the main story is ending, it doesn't mean that this will be the end of Redemption. I'm also thinking of possibly doing one-shot chapters for Redemption that takes place during the time skip and it can be anything like slice of life fics, Loki teaming up with the Avengers or just Thor and Loki as Mysto of course. teaming up (it can be a midquel story with multiple chapters), maybe even a Loki and Hiemdel team up or maybe even Loki and Darcy's adventures of searching for the Infinity Stones. But it has to take place during the time skip and not be something that would add more to the main story that it would be necessary to read them. They are mostly would be stand alone stories that still in the Redemption canon and yet still be part of the story (think of it like a spin of series of a movie that the story takes place between the previous movie and the sequel like How to Train your Dragon (the first and second) or Tangled (for the movie and Ever After short) for example.) I'm open to any idea that you guys might have, just put a review or pm me with your ideas and I'll be happy to use your ideas to write them into one shots. (Maybe even a Guardians of the Galaxy prequel/midquel before Gamora got caught by Thanos or even one before she even met Loki or went through the events of the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie?)
Though I would be mostly doing Loki ones but I am open to the idea, but I was also thinking of having them to be more interconenctive than one may think, that it would be telling an overall story which would serve as a prequel, but at the same time they would be stand alone stories and within them, they will have a story arc that will lead into the rest of Redemption after the Age of Ultron arc. But the Gamora one is definitely going to be a prequel and I think I would probably at least have that one up, so that way we will see the start of her journey before meeting Loki and how she started her journey. (It's the only thing I can promise that will come soon whether it's before or straight after the story is done.) Other than that I am open to doing more Redemption, but before I make any decisions I want to finish this story first before I get started on one shots or any sequels. Especially since the next two chapters and the rewrites are my top priority at the moment. :)
If you guys want to share a favorite moment or have any questions, you guys are so welcome to leave a review or pm me. I'd be happy to answer any questions and be happy to hear from you when it comes to anything you all may have to say. :)
Lastly, I want to say is that I am dedicating the Redemption fanfic to a good friend that has been there for me for the last couple of years. One that I will always appreciate that our friendship happend for the rest of my life. I am dedicating this story to Brigitta Pekelharing, a friend that helped me out of the darkness that I often take for granted. But I want to thank her for everything and helping me during the darkest time of my life, her friendship has made me grow into a better person and writer. I am always going to be grateful for the friendship that we shared and the impact that it made on me. In a way if it weren't for our friendship then there might not even be a Redemption because she got me into Marvel movies and helped me at the beginning of writting the fanfic. Thanks Brigitta for everything :)
Well, will Loki tell Darcy what's going on? What is Thanos planning and why did he send the Chitauri after Loki? Is it to make sure that Loki pays up for the past or is there something else going on? What are they going to do about this before it becomes an even bigger problem.
Find out in the next chapter of Redemption, whether it's the original chapter or the upcoming rewrite. See ya in the next update. :)