A week after Loki and Darcy's successful heist at the H.Y.D.R.A base and getting a hold of the scepter and moving one step closer on getting the remaining Infinity Stones. Thus making both of them are happy to see that they are making progress in their quest. That they are more than halfway done and all they need to do is find the other three and then they will find a way to get the guantlet and to get it without Thanos giving them a fight that they will both lose. Though right now, that would be easier said than done, simply because they don't know where the other three stones might be and so far the best they have been doing is simply going around on various planets with the hopes that they would find a lead. But so far, there has been nothing...
Darcy has been looking up on anything that might be an Infinity Stone or something so heavily guarded on Earth that might possibly be a Infinity Stone. Though it often leads to even more dead ends or Loki simply dismissing it, especially once he sees the structure of the object and sees if it can possibly hold the power of an Infinity Stone within it. But the two of them continue to keep on looking and to try to see if they can find something, anything. During that time, they have been working together to try to find something and even then the two of them continue to enjoy each other's company as they work through finding the Infinity Stones and their locations.
They also haven't heard anything about or from Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver, they don't know where they are or what they might be planning. That alone is what is making both Loki and Darcy stay on their guard, to be ready for anything they may throw at them. Loki knows first hand on how the desire of revenge can consume someone's mind and make them do things that they might regret, how it starts as a simple desire with one goal in mind and then over time, it consumes one and it continues to make one not think straight until it reaches to the point of no return. He may not know either one of them well, but he knows that Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver will not stop at anything until they get the vengeance that they are so desperate in gaining and that alone is what makes them more dangerous.
At least the Avengers now knows about them, since once they got back, Darcy makes a quick phone call to Jane and she was able to pass that message along to them. Though he knows that his brother did have some questions on how she found out and remembers her spending hours on her phone until she found them and that alone was already a challenge as they try to figure out how to avoid all of the questions that are being ask and try their best to get out of it. Even though Darcy got a concerned response and some concern phone calls from Jane, they were able to successfully keep Loki's secret safe.
Though both of them starting to feel a sense of guilt over this secret keeping and from the sound of Thor's voice, he still sounds as though he is upset about what happened in the Dark World and hasn't gotten over Loki's supposed 'death.' Since now Thor is living a lie and one that Loki feels as though he can not tell them the truth. Especially now, since Loki is worried that if he tells Thor and if Thanos finds out that Thor knows, then he might use Thor against Loki to get back at him or for information or get the stones. Plus Loki is just worried of what would happen if Thor ever does find out the truth and how he would react to all of this, not only the moment would be tense, but he doubts the situation would end well. For starters, both Earth and Asgard would know about his presence, but then he would be back in a cell, trapped in a cage for the rest of his life. He can't go back, not after he just be free and as much as Loki feels uncomfortable about having to live in a world where Thor may never know the truth, he knows that it has to be this way.
Right now, Darcy is on the phone for the fourth time this week and now talking to Jane, after having to call in sick again. She has been mostly doing it to help Loki in their research and keep needing to find a good believable excuse that would convince her friend that she needs this time off. But still after taking one too many sick days and if your boss happens to be your friend, then it only leads to some questions...
"Yeah Jane, I'm fine." Said Darcy standing in the living room, as Loki continues to do his research watching the scene. "I just have a cold that's all and it's been really bugging me."
"Darcy, this is the fourth cold you said you had in less than two weeks." Said Jane. "Are you sure you're doing alright?"
"What? Yeah of course I just had bad luck that's all." Said Darcy as she faked a cough. "Tell me, what's the game plan here? The big news that you said that you wanted to tell me and one that might lead to some changes."
"Yeah, as you know Thor left to help the Avengers to take down H.Y.D.R.A and he has been held up with a situation that has been going on for the past few days." Said Jane. "So I was thinking to make things easier for him and for all of us to stay close is for us to move to New York."
"Wait, are you saying that we are moving back to the U.S.A?" Said Darcy nervously and then looks right at Loki. "To New York?"
"Yes, that is if it is alright with you and plus it won't just be for Thor. There is important research we need to do over there, so we have to go there to study it." Said Jane. "Would you be alright with that?"
"Uh... it's no problem, I just have to deal with a few things and then I can move over there after I find a apartment..." said Darcy as she becomes nervous of the idea of being in New York and having to hide Loki in the last place on Earth he should ever be.
"Great, I will give you more details on the information I gathered and keep you posted." Said Jane.
"Cool, I guess I will talk to you later." Said Darcy, as she adds find a new apartment to the to do list.
"Well I hope that you feel better, though if you are going to keep getting sick like this maybe you should go to a doctor." Said Jane not even hiding her concern for her friend.
"Hey, I can handle whatever life throws at me. I don't think I need a doctor." Said Darcy. "Bye."
"Well if you're sure..." starts Jane and before she can continue, Darcy just hangs up and is happy that's over.
"You are aware that you can not continue pretending to be ill forever." Said Loki as he writes down his latest findings. "One of these days, she might come over to check on you or might start to see that you have been pretending this entire time."
"Hey, it's not like I can tell her that I am helping you hunt down the Infinity Stones before we have to fight off a big bad guy who wants to destroy everything with a magic glove." Said Darcy. "So pretending to be sick is the best option at the moment."
"Well until Jane starts to get really concern and send one of those healers in the speeding loud vehicles to come over here and catch us in the act." Pointed out Loki.
"Alright, you got me there, I am going to need to come up with a better excuse before I run out of sick days or just go back to work." Said Darcy. "Maybe I can be the spy that would go around finding out the info and the secrets that are impossible to find."
"If you can keep a secret for longer than five minutes then maybe someone would apoint you for the job." said Loki. "Simply go on your daily life and we can focus on gathering the remaining stones during your time off."
"Right, since we also have to get Mysto out in the world and get you to make a name of your hero identity." said Darcy. "So we are going to need to find something for you to do and get people to trust you or rather Mysto, we need to start training you to act like a hero."
"There is no way I am going to go around with a ridiculous catchphrase and smile at every single person I meet." said Loki rolling his eyes at the thought.
"First of all, how are people going to see you smiling if you are wearing a mask?" said Darcy. "Secondly, you don't have to do all of that, none of the Avengers have catchphrases. But we need to make you a little more approachable, especially if we want the public on our side if things go further than how we are keeping this contained and to get everyone not only see you as a hero, but trust you as well."
"Have you forgotten who I am? I am the last person that anyone should trust, even with the mask on my face." said Loki. "I do not even know why we are even having this discussion, our top priority should be going off to find these stones with the hope that we will be able to defeat Thanos instantiously, making friends with the public even if it would be nice of receiving credit for my heroic deeds."
"I don't think that it works that way and besides we are going to need to build the Mysto image if worst case scenario happens." Said Darcy. "Though I don't know if we should start before or after we move to New York. Are you cool with that?"
"I will try to be, but you do recall the history I have with city don't you?" Said Loki.
"Yeah, which is why I am asking if you are ok with us having to possibly move there." Said Darcy. "Especially after everything that happened and you needing to act more like a superhero while wearing the Mysto costume and going out saving people."
"As long as it doesn't interfere with gathering the remaining stones and the Gauntlet, then I am open for it." Said Loki.
"Speaking of the Infinity Stones, don't you find it wired that we still haven't found a sign or a hint where the next one might be?" Said Darcy. "I mean, sure no one is going to go around bragging that they have a jewel that has intense power and all that stuff. But I would think that we would have found something by now, especially before it somehow leads to some kind of trouble like it always does."
"Well, since most of these stones have been separated for centuries, it is not that much of a surprise that we have not had that many leads." Said Loki. "It is not as though we are going to expect Thanos to give us a daily report on his status."
"Yeah, but here's a question. Do you think that he might have gotten some or at least one of these stones?" Asked Darcy.
"At this point, it wouldn't surprise me if he does have at least one of the stones. With all of the resources he has and probably knows where the next few are." Said Loki. "If only we can find out for sure and we can find a way."
"Maybe if we-" starts Darcy.
"Please do not suggest to infiltrate Thanos's lair, not only it would be a reckless idea and we might not be able to make it out of the situation." Said Loki. "Besides we are not ready to face Thanos yet, so I do not believe that it would end well."
"But we still have to try right? All I need is to learn how to fight and then we will be all set." said Darcy.
"You? Fighting hand to hand combat against the Chitauri?" said Loki trying hard to imagine Darcy fighting off the Chitauri singlehandedly, but is failing to see it. "I apologize ahead of time if I offend you, but I can hardly see you the type who would go out to try to fight off the Chitauri with your fists."
"Hey, I think I can put up a good fight if I try and if I master some moves then we can pull this off." said Darcy. "If we head out and find wherever Thanos might be hiding and we sneak in and grab the stones and the guantlet and then after we sneak out, without anyone finding out. If we can get in Asgard that easily, then we can do it anywhere."
"Darcy, that will not be anywhere similarly close to Asgard and that idea is nothing more than a reckless attempt to try to get the job done." said Loki. "Unlike Asgard, there will be guards and they are loyal to Thanos. They will do everything in their power to make sure that the stones and the guantlet would be protected at all times, they would make sure that we are both dead before we even make it out of the planet."
"But still with your ability to create illusions in a blink of an eye, it wouldn't surprise me they won't know that we're there." said Darcy.
"Even through illusions, we can't predict if they will find out and if we can avoid the danger that lair possesses." said Loki. "If we were to do this then we will need a team and a plan that would work, but as of right now, we do not have either of those at the moment."
"So should we call we call the Avengers or something?" asked Darcy.
"Are we really going to have this conversation again?" asked Loki wondering when she will give up on this idea.
"Yeah, I mean I'm sure they would be willing to help us defeat Thanos or at least help us get the stone and protect it from Thanos." said Darcy. "If you just give them a chance then maybe you would be surprise and you guys can put all of that under the rug."
"When I agreed to become Mysto and look for the Infinity Stones, I did not agree to work with the Avengers." said Loki. "Do you have any idea on how much risk we would be putting ourselves in and the chances of my identity being exposed?"
"Yeah, but we are going to make sure that doesn't happen." said Darcy. "All we need to do is just play it cool and you keep the mask on and we will be fine. We can pull this off and all we need is to believe that we can and then it will be enough, we can do this."
"Darcy, we can't walk around feeling over confident and hope that it would turn out alright." said Loki. "At this rate, I am surprise that you did not suggest that I reveal my survival and my new identity to the public by now."
"There is no way I would ever suggest you do that, especially if it would get you in trouble and not to mention it would get us both in a jail cell." said Darcy. "Besides we're friends and we have each other's back and we are the only ones that know what's going on and the only ones that can stop him."
"Unfortunately." said Loki as he thinks about how they still have to face Thanos and what trouble they would face.
"It's not like we have that much of a choice anyway, it's either us or we face six angry superheroes which also includes your brother." said Darcy.
"Do you have to remind me on that? Do I need to be reminded that my brother will never look at me the same way again or feel the same way?" said Loki getting annoyed at Darcy. "Why would I want a reminder of the biggest mistake I have ever made in my life? I do not need a constant reminder of my past offenses to- We really should focus on finding the remaining stones and protect the ones we do have before Thanos finds out and tries to make an attack on this planet. He is not going to hold back once he comes and that is the real danger."
At that moment, Darcy starts to see something that Loki is trying hard to hide and a side that she doesn't think that she has ever seen from Loki and that maybe she is seeing possibly his true feelings of what happened. That is she thinks, Darcy has never heard Loki talk about what happened back in New York, well aside from any information about Thanos and if it's relevant. But never anything that would show how he would feel or if he has any regret on the entire situation or everything that happened before the entire incident and that alone is making her see that there is something else going on, that maybe there is more to him than she may think. But there is one thing on her mind that she has to ask to make sure that she's right.
"You miss him don't you?" asked Darcy catching Loki by surprise.
"What makes you say that?" asked Loki still off guard and trying hard to be defensive, yet failing all the same.
"It's just that you were just talking about how you didn't want a reminder of the past be with you all the time, plus you seem to be regretting it and worried of Thor finding out and hating you, so..." starts Darcy.
"I am only trying to stop him before it's too late and to fix what I have done, everything I have done let to my mother's death and by doing this then it would make up for it. She would have wanted me to do this and it would make things better." said Loki. "Besides it is already too late for me to make amends with both my mother and Thor, so I might as well try to do this and hope that it would bee enough."
"You know maybe it's not too late for you and Thor to talk and move past all that, I mean Thor misses you and he would be happy to see that you're alright." said Darcy. "I'm sure he would be more than happy to help and most importantly he wants you back. Maybe if you guys-"
"We can't Darcy, we just can't. It is too late for us to mend our bond and reconcile, I would not be surprise if Thor wouldn't even want anything to do with me and even if he does then it is too dangerous." said Loki. "Thanos would try to use him against me and Thor will not back down, I can not risk that. As much as it pains me to do this, but I have to keep this a secret to protect Thor from him."
"Are you really trying hard to keep this a secret to protect Thor or yourself?" asked Darcy as she sees Loki become uncomfortable with the question. "I think Thor would forgive you in a heartbeat if you tell him, plus I don't know about you but I really don't like keeping this a secret, he deserves to know the truth."
"It is better this way, we can not afford in anyone else finding out what is happening. Even then my actions are unforgivable and I doubt Thor can ever forgive me for the pain I caused him, not that it would matter anyway." said Loki. "I know it is hard to keep me and all of this a secret, but this is the only way to make sure that we can get these stones without having to worry about the potential consequences."
"Yeah, but still there is other ways for us to go around this, ways I think that can work." said Darcy. "If you just be open to wonder the possibilities and dare to try them."
"I doubt that those possibilities are possible, what I did was unforgivable and I would rather have Thor think I am dead, than make things worse between us." said Loki. "It would be better if we just focus on the stones and Thanos, I doubt that Thor and I can ever repair our bond and it would be better if he doesn't know, no matter how much it hurts..."
Darcy notices that Loki starts to become more filled with guilt and one that she knows that Loki might be starting to feel some regret, though she doesn't think that she is going to get far in getting him to admit it. But at that moment Darcy knows that she is going to do everything she can to help him and see this through to the end and they will get the stones and stop Thanos. Darcy knows that she will make a hero out of Loki and help him save the universe from Thanos, even if they have different perspectives and ways to go about it. She is going to show Loki that it is not hopeless and will be there by his side, sure this is probably the last thing they both thought that they would be doing and that they would still have to face the challenges that are up against them and it may seem impossible, but they are going to try, especially before Thanos beats them and anillates the universe.
Though for now, she is going to try to lighten the mood and try to see if she can try to see if she can cheer Loki up. Maybe if she just change the subject and stop bringing up the entire New York incident for the good of Loki's mental health. Besides it would be best if they move past that or else Loki might be so annoyed that he doesn't want to be Mysto anymore and she wouldn't blame him though. Maybe they should try to move from it and they should get to know each other now rather than who ever they were in the past and they can build a stronger friendship through it. She just hopes that Loki would be open to it, that he sees that Darcy wants to be his friend and Loki doesn't have to feel as though he is alone and that he can see that he deserves a second chance if he really wants it. Hopefully he will start to see that as they enjoy some company with one another and they have a break from their search for the Infinity Stones.
"Hey, why don't we watch some tv to get our mind of things and wait for something to happen?" said Darcy. "We can just lazy around and just relax for bit."
"Are you sure that it would be wise to let our guard down and have us leisure around your home when you have more pressing issues to attend to?" asked Loki not believing at Darcy's attitude at the moment.
"Yeah, we both could use a break and we might as well try to enjoy these moments while we can." said Darcy. "Besides watching tv beats going down memory lane and worrying about the next alien invasions. Let's watch a movie or maybe we will find something so good that we have to sit down and watch it."
"I still don't like the idea of us dropping everything and stare at a screen for the remainder of the day." said Loki. "Especially knowing that there is a more pressing problem we have to deal with. I fail to see the purpose of this activity and why would we voluntarily do something that clearly have no other motive but to sit and do nothing."
"Well, I fail to see how you don't want a break and don't see that watching tv is one of the awesomest things anyone can do to relax." said Darcy. "Trust me, you'll thank me later when you start having fun."
With that Darcy picks up the remote and turns on the tv, ready to see what's on and all of the things that would be exciting and be great to see as Loki rolls his eyes at the scene right in front of him. As he tries to figure out if there might be a purpose to this activity after all and every single time, he often finds himself falling flat and still have that sense of unsurity as he continues to stare at the screen. Darcy starts to change the channels and see what might be on, with the hope that she can find a good movie they can watch together.
The two of them are starting to feel a sense of relaxation as they spend some time together, Loki is even starting to feel as though as maybe Darcy might be right and they might need a break, that this is his chance to get one. That he doesn't have to worry about Thanos or the Infinity stones, he can simply rest and enjoy not having a care in the world, though he would think it would be more productive if he simply reads and maybe learn more about this planet. But this is the next best thing and he will be happy to take a break, that is until...
Darcy reaches the news and the breaking news builtin catches their eyes and that alone is making Loki feel annoyed as he realize that he is not going to be taking a break just yet. They see a park and it look as though if a tornado hit it and they see some blasts as the reporter is trying his best to dodge all of the blasts of whatever is creating the attack. The two of them watches the breaking news bulletin, wondering what might be happening or if there is something going on and if they are going to have to put a stop to it. But from the look of things, it doesn't take a deep thinker to realize that someone is going to have to step in and stop it, but first before they can go out to do anything, they are going to need to find out what's happening and what they're up against.
"There seems to be a strange situation happening in Richmond park, what once a beautiful day, suddenly turn into a day of destruction." said the reporter. "This is still a developing story and we are still receiving more information as we have been receiving footage of the attack."
The tv turns to a blurry footage of some thing creating blasts right at the park and people running away from the danger, while the screen starts to fizzle out as it doesn't look like whatever is going on is not going to be stopping anytime soon. The tv continues to show all of the footage that continue to show the attack and how it constantly show the attacker making these blasts and the people trying to escape from the danger. Loki sighs at the sight of the tv and how deep down he knows that he is going to have to do something. Not only because the Avengers is not going to do anything surprisingly, but for some reason he is feeling an urge and one that he has never felt before and it is making him feel as though he needs to do it and nothing is going to shake the feeling. Darcy turns to Loki and is about to say something, that is until Loki has a couple of things to say to her.
"You were going to propose that I put on the Mysto costume and risk my life to save those people from whatever that is terrorizing them right now as we speak?" said Loki completely annoyed.
"Yeah, you guessed it, so are you going or not?" said Darcy excitedly.
"Unfortunately." said Loki as he uses his magic to change into the Mysto costume and is about to leave the apartment, right before he glances at Darcy. "What are you smiling at?"
"It's about time you start to embrace your new superhero life!" said Darcy happily as she goes to a cupboard and grab a bag and place it in the microwave. "Don't worry I"ll be sure to leave some popcorn for you and maybe we can watch a movie when you get back."
"I am not embracing the foolish ideas of super heroism." called back Loki as he makes his exit. "I am only agreeing to this in order to avoid another pointless argument. I will see you once I return and hopefully still be in one piece."
"Good luck!" said Darcy excitedly.
With that Loki left the apartment and on his way to the park, to stop whatever may go on and the threat that he would have to face. Though she's sure that Loki can handle whatever he is up against, simply because he is tougher than he looks and he can easily beat anything in a fight. All of it will be done soon and she figures while she waits for Loki to return and to hear everything that happened back there, she might as well watch some tv and watch a movie. She might as well enjoy some downtime and wait to see what happens next.
Forty Minutes later, in the park
After having some trouble finding his way to the park, Loki races to and arrives at the park, only to stop when he arrives and sees what he is up against and stands there with a mix of shock, disbelief and not even sure how he should feel at the sight. He sees that the park is being destroyed by grey robots that are flying around and blasting at everything in sight and making sure that they can hit with their blasts. Loki stares at the sight right before him, not even knowing what to think of the situation and feeling a bit disturbed by what is happening right in front of him and all of the destruction that has already occurred. Sure Loki tried to take over a planet and he might have led the Chitauri to help him destroy a city, but he would have never thought that an army of advance technology would have been capable of creating this much destruction.
After recovering from his surprise, Loki quickly starts to fight off the robots and with the hope that they will be easy to defeat and that none of these robots are connected to Thanos in any way. Though the idea that Thanos would be having a secret robot army is odd, but at this point, Loki really wouldn't be surprise if it was the case and if the titan has literally built a robot army to not only capture him, but to gather the Infinity Stones. Loki fights off the robot right in front of him and not even bothering to hold back in case the worst is right underneath the metal and to destroy whatever function that might be tracking his every move or get anywhere close to where it would end up causing trouble for him. The harder he hits the robot, the weaker it becomes and it is almost as though that it is failing to put up a fight and Loki doesn't waste a minute to take advantage of it. He continues to hit the droid until it eventually breaks and Loki hurries to see if there is a clue or a marking that would give him an answer. But from what he seeing, there is no indication that these robots came from Thanos and now that he is seeing it, the robot looks as though it is made from Earth and the metals indicated anything otherwise.
Now that Loki thinks about it, Thanos is definitely not the type who would play around with pieces of technology. The technology he would use is his ship and whatever spare parts he places on Nebula. Every single time, he deems her as a failure, Thanos would chop off a part and then replace her body with a piece of metal. Always believing that she was a failure and whenever she loses a battle with her adopted sister Gamora. Even before all this, that is one thing Loki has always hated about Thanos and he couldn't stand the moments where he sees Nebula get tortured and seeing Gamora being uncomfortable and manipulated. Wherever they are, he only hopes that he doesn't have to fight either one of them because their father's actions were not their fault and he does not want to cause them any more pain.
Either way, no matter where the robots came from, Loki knows that he is going to have to fight them off and start doing so without even holding back. Trying to defeat as many as he can as many robots continue to make their attack and Loki is finding himself fighting all of them off. Destroying every one that stands in his way and with the determination of finishing this. With the questions on where these robots came from and why are they doing this and do they have a leader telling them to do floating around Loki's mind. He fights all of the robots an only using his magic to push them away and only if it is getting so much. No matter what the attack may be, Loki is always a few steps ahead of them and tries his best to fight back.
Though every single time, the robots try to fight back, Loki only fights harder with hopes of defeating them all. The fight as a whole is incredibly one sided as more robots continue to fly in and Loki keeps taking each and every one of them down. It looks as though the fight will never end and Loki only just hopes that there won't be any more robots and that there will be a chance that all of this will be over soon. So that way he can get this task over with and focus on getting back on trying to locate the rest of the Infinity Stones. To make up for lost time and to somehow make progress on getting the Infinity Stones out of their objects. It looks like it is going to be an easy win for Loki and a victory that will lead to him leaving not only the area, but maybe grateful Midguardians and get a good first impression in tact, one that would please Darcy. Though Loki feels that it might take an hour or two to finish and win this fight, that is until...
Suddenly a huge lightning bolt comes out of nowhere, hitting most of the robots. The next thing Loki sees is someone is fighting these robots and the person doesn't seem to be trying to attack him, so Loki keeps on fighting. The two of them continue to fight more and more of the robots, then out of nowhere more begin to aim towards the ground with the hope that they would stop the two of them before they possibly meet their defeat and to have a chance to fight back. That maybe they will have a chance to win, if they all put their efforts into the battle then they might be able to turn this around. Loki and the mysterious stranger stares at the robots, ready to fight them off and with the confidence that they would win.
So without a second thought, the two of them are doing everything in their power to defeat every single one of the robots and so far it is working. They are working together even if they don't even know who each other is, Loki hasn't taken a good look at whomever is now helping him, but for now his top priority is simply to stop these robots and he would deal with speaking with this mysterious stranger later. Right now he is focusing more on taking down all of the robots and winning this battle, though he is relieve that they are defeating all of them, the robots continue to fall and the numbers are diminishing more and more by the second. The stranger quickly throws something that seems to be knocking some of the remaining robots out and it goes around them in a circle before he catches it, adding more to Loki's questions and determination to end the fight, so that way he can get his answers. The fight continues on, that is until, the final one falls and most of the remaining ones start to malfunction as the remaining ones start to collapse on the ground.
Loki simply feels relief as the final one falls to the ground and glad that this was the end of the fight, despite having many questions going on in his mind. But right now, he is going to find out what they are and see who is as Darcy would put it, 'his faithful sidekick.' Loki simply continues to hold up his daggers, ready for any attack or trap that may be on the strangers' mind. Loki looks at the person who is just as happy as he was when it comes to defeating the robots and yet has a sense of familiarity that he is trying to shake off. Despite that Loki keeps his guard up and is ready to fight against whatever he is might have to face, while keeping a fighting stance, Loki faces at the person ready to find out some answers.
"Who are you?" demanded Loki aggressively. "Why did you help me?"
"I was on my way back and saw you fighting these monsters and figured that you might have needed help." said the person. "I have made a vow to protect this planet and you are no exception, but I should really be asking why were you here fighting this treacherous machinery alone in the first place?"
With that he turns to face Loki, who is grateful for once wearing a mask as he stares at who he is now talking to. The very last person that Loki ever thought that he would have a chance to talk to again or even know what to say. There are many thoughts that is now going through Loki's head and he is not even sure how he feels about any of this, yet a sense of regret is already clouding his mind as he tries to fight the happiness that he is now feeling and the urge to take off the mask. Knowing deep down that he has to keep this secret no matter what, no matter how much he would give anything for things to end out alright and it would be fine, but he doesn't know if it's possible...
"Thor?!" said Loki once he is facing the blond-haired man, not even bothering to hide his surprise.
Now wondering how he is going to get out of this one? Wanting nothing more to tell Thor that he is sorry for everything and tell him every word that he has left unspoken. Words that Thor might never hear simply because his brother now believes that he's dead and a risk that Loki does not want to take because of the fact that Thor would be put in danger. The fate of the universe is at stake and Loki knows that he has to keep up the act and fight off whatever desire that he is now feeling to make sure that he doesn't reveal himself and drag Thor into danger. As much as it pains Loki to do this, he has to do what is best for both of them, by creating an illusion...
Here it is the twenty second chapter, the rewrite is here and we are now five rewrites away from the finale!
Wow! I can't believe that we have gotten this far and we are getting close to the ending of the story. Not to mention, this chapter is coming out a lot earlier than I thought and if I keep this up, than we might get the finale a lot earlier than scheduled. At least if I keep up with this consistent schedule and keep the rewrites and the finale the same quality as I have been keeping and continue to add more depth to the story as a whole.
But before I can get up and celebrate, we still have to remember that there is five rewrites and the final chapter itself to look forward to. The final chapter is currently being written simultaneously as the rewrites are happening and I am hoping for it to come out in November, but depending on how long it takes me to rewrite the next five chapters, it could possibly get delayed to January- February. Sorry for that potential delay, I want to try to get the rewrites done as efficiently as possible and I want the final chapter to be the best it can be. Something that will not only be worth the wait, but give us a satisfying ending that you guys would be happy to read.
I hope that you guys are enjoying the rewrites though, I think the next one will come out as early as two weeks and I am going to try to see if I can get two more before the end of October to come out. Then from November to December, the final four will come out and that gives me wiggle room to write and finish the final chapter in time for it's possible release. If I put my effort into these rewrites then I can get them done by the end of the year and I might even be able to get the final chapter out earlier then I am planning it so far.
At least this chapter allow us to see a smoother storyline and see the character develelopment for Loki start to shine through as he starts to become the person that we will see him become. Since it is important for a character to grow in a story, especially if we are going through a redemption arc like the one that I am giving Loki in this story. So it is important for us to see it and for us to see the character development of the other characters like how we are seeing Loki and Darcy's friendship grow and it will continue to grow over the course of the story. That is what I am hoping that these rewrites will offer an expanded edition for the story and ones that makes it stronger than the original chapter and allow us to see more of Redemption's growth and expansion, for us to enjoy the first twenty two chapters of Redemption again.
Though I am happy to report that I am almost done with the planning stages of the fifty fourth chapter and I have started a little bit of it and now working on the second scene of the final chapter with the first scene just being completed. :)
The final chapter is set to and will wrap up the story arcs that are present in the story, well at least the most prominent ones. Along with it being a celebration of the story and for all of us to see the story wrap up and the characters' journey. But one thing is for sure that the next six rewrites will come out before the final chapter does, so that way they will all be up as a way for us to relive the story and it lives up to the standards of the other chapters for you guys to reread them and for future readers.
Though 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?)
I might also be thinking of possibly doing a holiday special (it's an idea that I have been playing around and been thinking of for a while now), depending if the rewrites and final chapter doesn't take too long and if you guys really want it, since it might happen...
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 final chapter 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, hear you're favorite moments 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 :)
So what is Loki going to say to Thor? What does he mean by creating an illusion? Will Loki be able to fight off the desire that he has deep inside him? What was the deal with the robots? Will Loki find out what's going on? Will he find himself involve in this entire situation? Will Loki get out of this situation with his identity safe still being a secret and be able to return to study the Infinity Stones and get them out of their objects? Will Loki and Darcy be able to find the remaining stones and retrieve the guantlet? Will this sidetrack them or will they push through and find a way to continue making the great progress they have been making? How will this encounter ultimately affect Loki? Will he forget the secret and tell Thor everything or will he keep the mask on and continue on with the quest he is now on? How will Thor leave this conversation? Will the two brother find a hidden connection, one that they don't want to let go?
Find out in the next chapter of Redemption, whether it's the original chapter or the upcoming rewrite. See ya in the next update. :)