The next evening, Jane is busy trying to research whatever properties that she might think of that might be somehow connected to the Stones, she has to admit that she has been enjoying learning about the Stones with Loki. Not only she is getting to know more about the stones that existed before the universe was created and her least favorite out of the Infinity Stones that nearly destroyed everything. At least she doesn't have to worry about finding a way to get along with Loki, she must admit that Darcy is right, he changed somehow during his time on Earth living with Darcy. She just hopes that the two of them can be able to find the words that are needed to make things right so they can be friends at least. Jane can tell that there are some feelings between the two. It's really obvious and the only ones that can't see these feelings might be Loki and Darcy. She hopes that they can try to make things right and that their bond won't be ruined forever, at least she can try to uplift any tension that is now between the two and that she can help them out. Jane knows that the bond that Loki and Darcy built is strong and she doesn't want to see them throw it away over an argument or let this Thanos destroy it.
At least Darcy doesn't have to wait unknown periods of time waiting for Loki to return to Asgard, so that's a bonus on their part and she always wonder what might be happening in Asgard or if Thor might ever return. Well it looks like that it might be a lot sooner than she might have thought that he would, all of the sudden she heard saw a giant flashing light from her balcony. Jane quickly goes to see what might possibly have been causing the light and once she sees that it's the Bifrost, Jane knew that it is Thor. But she is quickly stopped when she notices that the light that was right in front of her starts to flicker, she notices that there must be something wrong and the last time that she saw the Bifrost it didn't flicker or take this long for Thor to come out. Maybe she's just worrying herself over nothing and things are just still normal and the Bifrost can regularly flicker like that. She should ask Loki later on if that's possible because out of the two brothers, he seems to be the type that would want to know these things.
That might not be necessary and when Jane least expected Thor came flying down on the ground and hit it hard, Jane does not need Loki to know that this is anything but normal. She raced to see if Thor is ok and to ask what is going on, something must be wrong if Thor is crash down rather than still standing in one place as he always does. Did something happen back on Asgard? Now that Jane thinks of it, it is very surprising how Thor came at this time rather than during the morning as he would normally do during his occasional trips to Asgard. She doesn't need any more confirmation to know that something is going on and it must have been something really big must have happened. She just hopes that it has nothing to do with Thanos or else it's going to be a long day for Loki and Darcy tomorrow...
"Thor, are you alright?" asked Jane concretely as she helps him up. "What happend? Is everything alright?"
"I wish it was as simple as that, I wish what happened back in Asgard never happend and I will need to borrow your Earth communicator to contact the Avengers because I am going to need all of the help that I can get if I want to win this-" begins Thor before Jane stops him wanting to know what is going on and to be there for her boyfriend.
"Thor, it's clear that there is something bothering you? Do you want to talk about it?" ask Jane. "Was it really that bad?"
"It was horrible, the threat is still roaming and I was sent back to protect this planet from it. Apparently this threat is worse than I thought and it's a universal threat that have a power that is one of the worst that any of the six Infinity Stones have to offer." said Thor. "They are these six powerful stones that were created once the universe is created and they can be really dangerous if one puts them together and it falls into the wrong hands."
"Does all of this have to do with these Infinity Sones?" asked Jane nervously. Wondering if this has something to do with Thanos and if he's coming after the Stones...
"Yes apparently an old foe of Asgard returned and he wants to gather all of the Infinity Stones, he already has two and used one of them to kill Heimdell." said Thor capturing Jane's surprise and sympathy. "This isn't the first time that he hurt Asgard, apparently he killed my sister in order to get that horrible stone..."
"How could he have possibly have gotten two so quickly?" said Jane in shock. "Why would he do something so horrible? What's his name? Is he even Asgardian?"
"No, he gained one of the stones after he murdered my sister and that was how he got the worst stone and took Heimdell's soul and let him die from his injuries." explained Thor. "I have no idea where he could have found the other one, I am going to safely assume that he must have found the other one somewhere in Space, before he died, Heimdell said that Thanos might come to Earth..."
"Why would Thanos come to Earth? There can't be one of these stones here right?" asked Jane nervously and knowing that she's going to be giving a big report to both Loki and Darcy later because they are going to need to know that they don't have as many Infinity Stones as they thought. "What is he planning to do after he gets all of these stones?"
"Thanos believes that the remaining four is here and the reason he attacked is because he believes that Loki has all of them. But that's impossible, Loki is dead and he couldn't have gotten the four remaining stones in his prison cell." said Thor. "Besides Loki would never do something like that even when he had those twisted idealogies in his head and that horrible desire for power and attention, he knows how dangerous the stones are and knows not to meddle with something with the power to destroy universes. I'm surprised that he was using the powers of the Mind stone and was after the Teaserract when he was doing his attack on Earth."
"Maybe there's more to the story, I mean it couldn't have been a coincidence that Loki had the scepter out of nowhere and wanting to find another one of these stones and this Thanos coming to Asgard with two and demanding to find Loki for the other four. What if there is more to the story than we thought and this Thanos might have met Loki at one point leading to the attack on New York?" Suggested Jane. "Maybe Thanos wants nothing more but revenge on Loki for his failure of taking over the planet and due to him being seen as a trickster, he must have came up with a crazy idea that Loki somehow gotten the stones or have a secret plan to try to outdo him or something?"
"It seems possible and even if Thanos met Loki and he is somehow responsible for what happend, it wouldn't change the fact that I failed Loki and let this monster do who knows what to him." said Thor. "The worst part is that Thanos believes that Loki is alive and going to continue to make these attacks until he finds what he is looking for. We tried to tell him the truth but Thanos refuses to believe us and demanded that we hand over Loki and the Infinity Stones or else he will continue to make these attacks."
Jane couldn't help but feel guilty at the fact that she is now keeping a secret from Thor and this secret is the one that is hurting him more than she wishes. At least she got Loki to agree to reveal himself after all of this is over, but it doesn't help make things any easier and she just have to wonder what is going to happen once Loki reveals himself. At least she won't have to worry about Thanos trying to take over the world or hurting others anymore, then maybe this could help Thor, he can finally move on and start things over with his brother. After everything they have been through and Loki now being a better person, then there is a huge possibility that they could go back to the way things were and have that brotherly bond. It's clear that they both miss it and with Loki now being Mysto, it would make Thor more open to giving Loki a second chance. She just wishes that she doesn't have to lie to Thor about this even if it is a temporary thing, she can also see why Loki is worried about his identity and survival being known if Thanos is after him. But that doesn't make things any easier...
"Maybe Thanos wants to have this belief that Loki going after the stones to try to give himself more motivation and to start a panic for the world. He must really want these stones if he's willing to go this far for them, instead of wondering why he wants to find Loki for these four Stones. You should try to fight him and stop him, I know you really miss Loki but he wouldn't want you to let him stand in the way of you fighting Thanos and avenging him for whatever he did to your sister and him..." said Jane nervously. "I mean the world is in danger from Thanos and it won't be saved if you are grieving for both Loki and Heimdell right?"
"But that doesn't change the fact that I have failed both of them, they are now dead because of me." said Thor feeling extremely guilty and gloomy about the current situation.
"You haven't failed anyone, but you will if you give up now and we are going to get through this." said Jane. "So you still want to use my phone to call the Avengers?"
"Uh yes... they will need to know that Thanos is coming and to prepare for the upcoming battle ahead, we can't afford to leave Earth's protectors." said Thor. "Uhh Jane..."
"The phone is in the kitchen and I need to get ready... I have some big science project with Darcy that I just remembered that I have to do..." said Jane in a hurry. "You do remember on how to use a phone right?"
"I do recall some details... but Jane-" begins Thor confused at the urgency that Jane suddenly developed and really wish that she could stay a little longer.
"Sorry that I have to rush off on you, but this is an really important project that I have to do that could help deepen our understanding of the universe." said Jane briefly. "I will see you later tonight once I get back home, so bye."
With that Jane hurried off leaving Thor surprised and confused, he has never seen her this much in a hurry and excitement about her work since he arrived on the planet. But it is surprising that she and Darcy is going to work on a project right now at night, maybe it's something important that has to be done as soon as possible. Maybe they both have a deadline to fulfill, but it still strange that Jane acted this way and just got up and leave. Either way he has the feeling that he's going to find out soon and right now he has to make a couple of phone calls to make. So Thor picked up the phone and start to call the Avengers to tell them the recent news and to prepare for the ongoing and new threat of Thanos.
Jane doesn't want to leave just like that but she's going to need to tell both Loki and Darcy of what's going on and all of the information that she just learned. Since right now just the fact that Thanos had a secret Infinity Stone changes everything and this stone gives Thanos the power to hurt anyone the moment he puts that stone on them. They are going to need to know or else the world is doomed, but at least they have one advantage, Loki already has the other four stones and Thanos is coming to them. They all have some time to prepare for the upcoming fight ahead and for Loki to think of a plan on how to deal with Thanos before it's too late...
Meanwhile in Loki and Darcy's apartment
Both Loki and Darcy are hard at work on trying to figure out how to get the Stones out, though they aren't really on speaking terms or in a place where they can figure out how to repair their friendship. Darcy has been trying to do her best to have both Loki and herself on better terms, she knows that Loki didn't mean what he said the other night. She knows that deep down Loki knows that she would never use him to do anything, all she wanted was to help Loki and she managed to see the good in him the moment that he chose to save that family and regardless of the reasons that Loki might have come up with. He still went to save them and Loki didn't have to and could have just walked away or found another way to save them without putting himself in danger. But he didn't...
That was the moment where she knows that Loki is not like whatever the news may have said about him during the New York thing and he has proven that he could be a good person if he chooses to. It looks like that Loki is choosing to be a good person if he is putting all of this effort to try to stop Thanos, not just because he sees Thanos as this evil villain that needs to be stop or revenge on whatever things Thanos must have done to him when they were working together. Loki wants to do this for something more and it's clear that it's more than just being personal. Either way she just wants to make things right with Loki before he eventually have to face Thanos, in case worst case scenerio happens she just don't want to have to loose Loki in someway and may have to live with the fact that she ruined their friendship. It's not like Loki would care about her the same way she does and at least she can now feel more ok with feeling these feelings that she has been trying hard to keep in when she was with Ian.
So far she has managed to get Loki to talk to her and answer her questions about the Stones, it wasn't much but at least she's off to a better start compared to how it was last night. Maybe she could even try to get Loki to explain to her of some complicated magic thing that she is going to forget about later, something that Loki would be excited about and would be hours on talking about it and excited about sharing his knowledge. At least that could help them repair their friendship or at least let that argument slide from Loki's mind. She hopes that she will be able to pull this off, she can't imagine what her life might be if Loki never forgives her or if he does leave Earth...
"Wow I never thought that these things would be a tough nut to crack or let alone that delicate to try to take apart." said Darcy. "Now can you really do anything with these Stones?"
"It is often believed that the Infinity Stones when they are together it would give the user a wish." explained Loki. "It is one of the most dangerous powers that-"
"Wait if all of the Stones are put together, we might get a wish for whatever we want? This is wonderful we could use that wish to solve half of the world's problem like world hunger or stop some crazy disease or maybe even send Thanos to a different dimension or any other bad guy out there." started Darcy "The possibilites are endless and-"
"First of all the Infinity Gauntlet is a powerful artifact if we overuse it then we will have no control of any possible outcomes that could happen. Every single time someone tries to use the power of the Infinity Stones then it will lead to a possible chance of more problems that are beyond anyone's control." explained Loki. "Secondly if one has the Gauntlet then they are not going to be wishing for everything that may cross our minds, it's might only allow us to wish for whatever we may truly desire."
"So your saying whatever we want the most is what might possibly come true if we really want it?" said Darcy. "Is it kinda like the three wishes from a genie thing or a one time thing that we would have to be very careful on what we wish for thing?"
"You don't choose whatever wish that first comes to one's mind, it has to be something that you must truly want and something that you would give anything for it to come true." explained Loki. "I will use myself as an example, one of my truest desires is to undo everything I have ever done in the past couple of years. That way Thanos wouldn't be after me and it would have delayed him for a while longer or at least make sure that my relationship with Thor would have never been damaged and my mother would still be alive."
"Look whatever happened to your mom is not your fault, you could have not known that it was going to happen after you did all of that stuff that you did. We all makes mistakes that we later regret, but that doesn't define us from who we are." said Darcy. "You have changed so much and now your ready to give up your life to stop Thanos, only a good person and a hero will be willing too do that and you are both."
"That's flattering and you have no idea what happend back then, it's more complicated and darker than you can imagine." said Loki. "Now changing the subject, what would your truest desire be that you would wish for if you had the Infinity gauntlet in your grasp?"
"Now that's a tough question and to be honest I have never thought of what something like that could even be." said Darcy. "I'm guessing it might be something cool or maybe it could be something that I have always wanted and I don't even know what it is. Give me a couple of weeks and I'll get back to you on that one. I don't think we even need to know what Thanos's truest desire might be or even try to figure out what your brother's is. What would happen if he has the Gauntlet wishes for you to come back somehow, would you just appear out nowhere right in front of him when you least expected or something?"
"Theoretically I can safely assume that might happen and you do realize that Thor does not have to yell at the top of his lungs to make his wish come true?" said Loki. "But then again he always has to raise his voice to get whatever he wants, I don't even know how the servants must have felt every time he yells for another."
"Yeah I kinda figured that he didn't seem to be the asking nicely for things before he got banished to Earth. He even broke a cup in a cafe once and let's just say that it wasn't a good first impression when it comes to manners." said Darcy. "At least you didn't break anything when we first met other than..."
"You can no longer complain about that, I got you another one of those horrible things to replace the old one. I even got you two and so far I don't know if I should be happy that I made up for the damage that I did or regret on obtaining two of the worst pieces of technology in the history of Midgard."
"Wow you definitely hate cell phones, now I know what not to get you if I ever want to get you present for Christmas or your birthday, that is if you guys celebrate those occasions." said Darcy. "So... I'm guessing that you must have made some progress in the whole taking the stones out of priceless magic object right? It must be that tough if it has taken you this long to try to figure out how to break open them."
"I have conducted some theories but I don't know if it will work and how safe it would be, maybe once Jane arrives then I can discuss these theories and we can both figure out what might be the safest option." said Loki.
"What are you planning to do with the stones once you eventually get them out of all of these things? I mean after we defeated Thanos and we are free to live our lives without needing to worry about the fate of the world being in the balance." said Darcy. "It's clear that you are not going to be happy to keep four and later on six Infinity Stones in a vault in our back closet everyday."
"I'm thinking of maybe either separating all of them or just putting the gauntlet with all six stones in place and with the protections of the vault and no one knowing that we have the stones and put it back with all of the stones in position, that will be the last place that anyone would look." said Loki. "But I have not thought very far on what could be a good plan on what to do if we manage to survive this fight and the future aside from leaving Earth."
"You are still on the 'I must leave this planet forever and nothing will ever make me change my mind' attitude?" said Darcy. "Are you ever going to stop and think about the good times that you had here and make your decision based on that not on whatever arguement that came between us? Won't you miss everything that you have here and the new home that you found or at least me for that matter?"
That caught Loki off guard and he turned away from Darcy, of course he would think of her everyday during his travels after he leaves Earth. He has grown fond of her and despite whatever feelings that he is now feeling towards her now, he still cares about Darcy and doesn't even want her to deal with Thanos or at least not without a backup plan. But he needs to leave because not only it would keep Darcy safe from whatever trouble that may be following him in the future and it will also be best for both of them. Whatever unspoken thing that is between the two of them and he needs to put a stop to it, even if what he found out happens to be true, Loki can't afford to be feeling this way towards anyone and there is no way that he would ever forgive himself if Darcy has to deal with the consequences of his past or anything that might be connected to Thanos. It would be best if they just go their separate ways and never see each other again or at least until Thanos is gone and a couple of years pass by to let these feelings fade away and they can resume being friends in a distant future. That is if Darcy would be open to being friends in the future that is...
"It would be best for everyone if I just get up and leave all of this, you would be able to move on and live a normal and safer life." said Loki. "A happier life, when this is over you are going to be living a better life than the one that I put you in. You can actually try to fix your relationship with Ian and your friendship with Jane and later on my brother without me interfering."
"Don't you think that my life would never be the same again whether or not you stay or not? I can't imagine my life without you and I don't think I even want my life to be like that way." said Darcy. "Loki I know that-"
Before any of them can continue the conversation and Darcy can even try to convince Loki to stay and not to think of leaving. All of the sudden a window broke out of nowhere and creates a crashing sound that caught both of their attention. That is never a good sign and both of them hopes that Stark didn't invent something that winds up taking an Infinity Stone again. Whatever it is, they both know that they need to deal with it before it cause them more trouble and Loki is silently hoping that this has nothing to do with Thanos. They quickly headed towards the balcony and they are both surprise to see the sight right in front of them. Loki can't believe that he's seeing one of the last person he would want to see in any galaxy and knows that this has to be something Thanos related, he just hopes that he doesn't have to fight her. While Darcy is surprised to see that she is now seeing a blue alien girl right in front of her, she may have seen a lot during her adventures with Loki but blue alien people is one of the last things she expected...
Nebula quickly got up and is ready to fight them off if necessary, but she knows that she can't hurt them because not only it would go against Thanos's orders. There is also the fact of the shared history that Loki and her shared when they were prisoners of Thanos's wrath. She still has a job to do but that doesn't mean that she has to do it in whatever way Thanos may be hoping for, she is going to do this her way. Nebula just hopes that Loki decides to make things easier for both of them, she is not in the mood to give Thanos exactly what he wants...
"If I were you I would listen to your boyfriend, at least he seems to be the wisest of the two of you." said Nebula with a sneer. "Now let's get this over with shall we?"
"Uh yeah... let's start by clarifying that we are not dating in anyway and Loki is not my boyfriend." said Darcy confidently before she realize that maybe that could have come up the wrong way. "I mean Loki is my friend who happens to be a guy and we are very close. But not that close that you would consider us... a thing or together in anyway and-"
"Darcy, you do realize that you are embarrassing yourself right? I already know the basic terms on this planet when it comes to courting from that television set and the books I have read, I learned a couple of things during my time here." said Loki annoyed at Darcy's attempts of trying to explain to him of one the most simplest Earth terminologies. "Are you really doubting my knowledge of this planet?"
"What? No! I just wanted to clear things up in case you are confused that's all. Plus I don't know how to handle this, you're practically the only Asgardian that I have ever lived with..." said Darcy rather awkwardly.
"I have been on this planet, sharing your home with you for the last two months and you did not believe that I would learn a few things about the planet and some of the elements of the human lifestyle and culture?" said Loki defensively.
"I just thought that, well you never seemed to care about some, well rather all of human culture and would be seeing everything as a waste of time and never living up to Asgard's standards." said Darcy. "But hey it's great to see that you are not some uptight-"
"Have you both forgotten that we are in the middle of a fight or rather a confrontation?" interrupted an annoyed Nebula. She is starting to regret on even saying that, but they both look like that they are more than just friends and anyone would be an idiot to not to see that.
"Nebula, it has been a while..." said Loki quickly forgetting the little scuffle that he and Darcy was in and getting defensive. "I see that you are still working for Thanos or rather let him continue to control you until he will finally breaks you."
"I see that you are living the easier life and even then you are still trying to find ways to get into trouble." said Nebula. "You know why I can't leave him, I even tried that once and it didn't work out and never will as long as Thanos is alive to make sure that I pay the price for ever daring to defy him."
"Listen Nebula, you can find a way out of this and get a better life than anything Thanos can offer you." said Loki. "You can stay and leave him, you can help us defeat Thanos and I'm sure that Gamora would be happy to-"
"Gamora already escaped my father and I can hardly wait to make her pay for the pain that she helped inflict on me. Why is it that when Gamora does something she is let off easily and when I do the same thing I have to pay for it?" said Nebula. "Regardless on what you may think, I can't escape it and someone has to tell you what he is planning to do. So you both can watch your backs and your Stones..."
"Ok then what is this message that you are constantly mentioning or has Thanos just sent you here to be an overdramatic distraction?" said Darcy. That statement earned her an annoyed glare from both Loki and Nebula, while Loki is worried that Nebula will make her move and try to attack both of them. Nebula is annoyed at how one of them can be so casual and act like that these situations can be a laughing matter. She is now starting to think that all humans are like that and really wants to know how Gamora and now Loki puts up with. She can't wait for all of this to be over and leave this planet.
"Thanos simply wants to let you know that he's coming two days from now. He's after the stones and he is definitely not going to leave both of you alone until you give them to him." said Nebula. "I managed to put in a good word with Thanos and he agreed with this idea, give us the stones and surrender yourself Loki and we'll leave the planet in peace and spare the girl."
"What will happen to Loki if he goes with you? How is Thanos planning to hurt him?" said Darcy defensively. "You can tell Thanos that he better not mess with us or else... he is definitly going to be regretting it for the rest of his life."
"Really, that's the best you can come up with?" said Loki not even knowing if he should be more annoyed or worried for Darcy's well being because right now she's on thin ice.
"What? It's your safety and this guy is after you, I have to be defensive because the last thing I want is to loose you or see you get hurt if you decide to give yourself up to save the world." said Darcy. "I know that this is a bit much but at least it's better than letting you die in the hands of that maniac."
"Now that's a statement about Thanos I can agree with and to answer your question, I don't know... Thanos never said anything about what he is planning to do with you once you give yourself up." said Nebula. "But I know one thing, it's going to be really painful and you might not want to be facing his wrath once he does finds you. Unless.."
"Unless what?" asked Loki unsure what to expect if what Nebula is going to suggest or do that might possibly bring a fight.
"Why don't you give the Infinity Stones to me? Thanos might leave you alone if you give up the Stones and I will take the credit, it will not only free me from Thanos and you won't have to worry about anything that may be in store for you in the future." said Nebula. "It will be what's best for you and the universe if you give me these stones now, are you tired of running around trying to find all of the Stones? Protecting them from us? Never having a break or living a somewhat normal life? But if you give it to me then I will be able to put a good word in for you and you will never have to worry about Thanos again. We'll both be winners if you just give me the Infinity Stones and we will be free."
"How about I keep the stones and you give up whatever plans that Thanos may have planned? I know that you don't want to do this Nebula, you don't have to follow Thanos's orders any more." said Loki. "Don't make the same mistakes that I did, you still have a chance to start a new life and Thanos can't control you-"
"He will continue to control me until this is over and this time Thanos is more powerful than ever. I already have a plan that can't fail and I am going to make sure that Thanos pays for everything that he has ever done." said Nebula. "If you are not with me then you are against me..."
Before any of them could say or do anything, Nebula grabbed her batons and is ready to fight off Loki and is ready to do this the hard way. How dare Loki to question her plan and the side that she has to fight on? This is the only way to escape her life with Thanos and she is not going to let anyone's reckless ideas get in her head. Both Loki and Darcy exchange a surprise look, they don't even need to know Nebula for long to know that is not a good sign for anyone. It looks like she is going to be doing some thing that is going to guarantee that they are probabley going to have a trashed apartment that will need to be cleaned that will keep them both up the entire night. Either way they are going to have to fight off Nebula and with the hope that things don't get from bad to worse.
"How did things escalated this far?" asked a surprised and confused Darcy. "Were you friends with this girl or something? I mean it is really obvious that you two know each other? Does she really work for Thanos?"
"I will explain everything later Darcy, but right now we have bigger problems." pointed out Loki as he pushed Darcy out of the way from Nebula's first attack. He quickly turns to Nebula as she glares at both of them. "We don't have to do this Nebula, we just sit down and talk about this rather than using daggers and batons."
"I have no choice and you should know better than anyone that Thanos will never set me free unless I do this." said Nebula. "If it makes you feel any better, I never wanted things to go this route."
With that Nebula is about to start her attack again and before she could have a chance to do it, Loki pull out his daggers and is able to stop the potential attack from hitting him and Darcy. Nebula stepped back as Loki got up and is now ready to fight one of the few that was kind to him during his time with Thanos, Loki doesn't want to fight her and knowing the treatment that Thanos gives his children and the punishments that he is willing to do for everyone's failures and the torture that he gave them. Loki knows that this situation hurts Nebula the most and how Thanos picked her as the example and was the least favorite out of all of Thanos's children. He knows that Nebula can escape from the prison that Thanos trapped her in and she doesn't need to get revenge on Gamora to find the happiness and justice that she is searching for. But it's really clear that Nebula is not going to listen to a word that he has to say, now he is starting to have the idea of how Thor must have felt during their fights in the past. He really wishes that it doesn't have to be this way...
The fight between Loki and Nebula is getting more and more intense by the minute, it's not clear on who is going to win and this fight might last for hours. Nebula is trying to give Loki a hard fight, while Loki on the other hand is trying his best to hold back because of the desire not to hurt Nebula. As for Darcy, she managed to get behind the kitchen counter and knows that no matter what the history between the two, she has to help Loki somehow and can't just sit here and do nothing. It doesn't help that she is starting to dislike Nebula more and more by the minuete because of the facts that she not only wants to hurt Loki for her own selfish reasons and she is also trashing her apartment, Darcy has no idea on what Loki sees in her as a friend.
It only took a quick second, but Darcy already came up with a great idea on how she could do it. She quickly grabbed a ton of fragile dishes and cups that she has been keeping on the back of the cabinet and begins to throw it at Nebula to try to hit her or distract her. Along with being careful not to hit Loki in the process, so far it seems to be helping and Nebula is trying everything in order to avoid being hit by any of the incoming plates and dishes. Unfortunatly it also got in the way of Loki's ability to fight and he also had to get out of the way from getting hit from a plate as well, he doesn't know if he should be angry at Darcy's attempt on trying to help or understanding because she is trying to help. Maybe he should just try to teach her some basic fighting skills so that way she could at least stand a chance in case Nebula or another one of Thanos's goons tries to attack her and he can't come to save her at that moment. But right now he has to deal with Nebula and so far it is an even draw.
The fight continues on and it looks like things are not going to be stopping anytime soon, though from both of their relief Darcy is now starting to run out of fragile cups and bowls to try to throw at Nebula. But they are making a mess and even then they are giving the fight everything that they can to win against one another, it would have gone that way for hours until Nebula got a message from her communicator. She quickly checks it and from one look at the message, Nebula knows that she needs to go now and she can't believe that she wasted her time inn fighting Loki when she could have been looking for the stones herself. She quickly got up and put her batons away and stares at both Loki and Darcy, as much as she wants to continue to fight and make sure that Loki knows that he can't make her escape this life and she knows what's best for herself and that she is not going to give up until Gamora and Thanos pays for everything. Nebula doesn't want to add one of the few that has ever been kind to her on the list, but she will do it if Loki dares try to stand her way or stop her in her goals. But she will do what she must no matter how much she wishes that she wouldn't have to do it this way.
"This is not over, wait until Thanos comes and he is going to make sure that he gets the Stones. You are going to regret not accepting my help when you have the chance." said Nebula and before any of them can say or do anything...
Nebula quickly goes through the broken window and starts to make her escape as she climbs down and runs through the streets of the city. Both Loki and Darcy watched Nebula as she continues her run through the city and they don't even need to say anything to know that it looks like that their plans are about to be altered drastically. They have to stop Thanos before he does whatever plans that he may be planning for Earth, the moment that Loki knows that is going to happen is finally going to happen. He wishes that they could have more time, but it looks like they are about to be entering the next stage of the fight against Thanos...
"Well she seems nice..." said Darcy sarcastically before she turned to Loki wanting some answers. "Who in the whole crazy universe is that blue girl? Why would you even be friends with her if she's Thanos's number one employee?"
"We are not friends, more like aquantences and we met when I was trapped with Thanos. Nebula and Gamora were the only ones that were kind to me and treated me decently." explained Loki. "Gamora was the kinder of the two and the only one that was there for me, if it weren't for her, then Thanos wouldn't have spared me and we wouldn't be having this conversation right now. She convinced Thanos to spare me after they first found me, he wanted to kill me and after that it was mostly Gamora and Nebula who was overseeing my training..."
"Well things kinda worked out in the end right? I mean your free and this Gamora is now freed from Thanos, the only downside is that he's coming after us for the Infinity Stones and that the Nebula girl is still working for him and have a twisted idea on how to escape him." said Darcy. "Do you want to talk about what else happened back there? What Thanos did to you? It's clear that you are bothered by everything that happend back there."
"Even if I wanted to... I can't... After the first couple of weeks most of it has been a blur and I can only remember a few details that it wasn't until my first visit to Earth I was able to gain some memories of the experience. I can not believe that I agreed to do half of the things that he made me do, but I was so angry and I thought..."
"Look we have no one to blame but Thanos and he is definitely not going to win this time, we are going to come up with a plan and stop him in his own game." said Darcy. "But still maybe it's a good thing that you don't remember much from your time with Thanos, I mean it doesn't seem to be the type of memories that anyone would want to go down memory lane for fun."
Before Loki can say anything to Darcy or try to tell her the gravity of the situation, the phone starts ringing and Darcy quickly goes to see who could it possibly be and Loki just ignored the entire phone conversation to reflect on the fact that his worst fears are about to come true. Thanos is coming in two days and this is the day that is going to change everything, all of the things that he has exspirenced and the fights that they have to face to get the next Infinity Stones, to the point that they even managed to have collected almost all of them. Now they are about to fight the fight for the universe and they can't loose or else everyone will be doomed, Loki can't help but feel some guilt over all of this. If he haven't taken the opportunity to work with Thanos and maybe escaped after the first day then maybe none of this would be happening. At least Loki can try to fix things now and make things right now, he has to and is the only one that can stop Thanos at the moment. Soon Darcy quickly comes back and she doesn't even know to feel about this new development and hope that Loki is ready for what she is about to ask of him.
"Jane just called me and she says that she is on her way with something really important to tell us, Jane made it clear that whatever she has to tell us simply can't wait." said Darcy. "But there is one problem... Our place is trashed thanks to that Nebula girl and there is no possible way that I can clean this up in time, so maybe you can use your magic to somehow... I don't know make this mess magically disappear with your powers?!"
"Uh I don't think I can do that, the best I can do is create an illusion on making this room look exactly like before Nebula came crashing in." said Loki. "But I have to be honest, it doesn't seem like a safe option we would be tripping over everything or accidentally step on something that might be breakable or an injury."
"Good point, it looks like I am going to have to do this the old fashioned way and try to clean this place up manually." said Darcy with a groan. "I might as well get started, let me know if Jane makes another phone call, I know I will be able to hear it but at the rate this mess is going than it wouldn't surprise me that I will run out of cleaning supplies and garbage bags."
"My apologies for the mess, it is partially my fault as well. I was the one that was fighting against Nebula and help create an even bigger mess than it was after Nebula crashed through and 'delivering her message about Thanos." started Loki unsure how to continue on with what he is about to say. Fortunately for Loki, he doesn't need to worry about finishing his sentence.
"Thanks for the offer Loki, but I think I can handle this and can clean this place up in no time." said Darcy. "That is I hope..."
An Hour Later
Loki is waiting patiently for Darcy to be done and for Jane to finally arrive, the last they heard is that she is being held up by a standing by subway car. But the good news is that she almost made it to her stop and the wait will be finally be over. Loki just sits down to watch Darcy try to clean and throw out many heavy bags of garbage, every time he asks he could give her a hand, Darcy immediately rejected it and it got to the point that Loki just gave up and start to watch her. Just because he is not on good speaking terms with Darcy that doesn't mean he is going to be completely hold a grudge against her. Whether he wants to admit it or not, she did help him during his time of need and he knows that no matter what happens, he'll always remain loyal to her and won't turn his back on her. Regardless of the situation or whatever unnecessary feelings that he may have towards her.
Loki just hopes that Darcy returns before Jane arrives to tell them whatever she is going to tell them, he just hopes that it's good news. The last thing he needs is to hear anything more that could put him in a panic, but to be honest the idea of Thanos making a surprise visit to Earth has already put him in a panic. Darcy just left on her seventh trip to take out garbage bags, Loki just waited patiently to see what happens next or to see if Darcy has changed her mind and he could help in anyway. Before he knew it, the phone begins to ring and there is some knocking on the door, Loki slowly goes to see the caller id and sees that it's Jane, he might as well let her in and Darcy wouldn't like the idea that he kept Jane outside waiting until she comes back from this trip of taking out the garbage. He went over the door and opened it as quickly as he could letting Jane in to the apartment.
"Hey Loki, you won't believe all of the things I have to tell you of all the things that I-" started Jane before she see the state of the apartment and the lack of Darcy. "Where's Darcy? What happened in here? It looks like if a tornado hit here."
"We had an unexpected vistor prior to your arrival, she unfortunately still works for Thanos and made it clear that Thanos is coming in two days." explained Loki. "As for Darcy is busy cleaning up the apartment and it looks like it's going to take her longer than she thought it would be. So what is that you found out? How did you even find out?"
"Well it's a good thing that Thor just came back then-" begins Jane.
"Wait, Thor is back?" asked Loki nervously. "Did he say anything? Has something happened back in Asgard? Did he somehow found out that I... faked my death?" Loki knows that the last question is the least likely but with how things are going from bad to worse, he wouldn't be surprised if Thor somehow found out.
"Yes he's back and if Thor somehow found out then he would be breaking down the door." pointed out Jane. "There's so much to tell you and... if this place is such a mess after this alien girl left after she came to tell you about Thanos and did all of this... Why aren't you helping Darcy?
"I offered my assistance and Darcy politely refused and no I have no knowledge of a spell that could possibly make this mess disappear unless you want to come in to an accident prone apartment because of my illusions." said Loki. "But let's focus on the fact that a mad titan is coming to the planet and possibly create a larger scale attack that makes my little tantrum in this city look like nothing."
"Right, where do I begin?" started Jane and before she could even continue to tell Loki more. Darcy opened the door and quickly heads to the couch to sit down, she is completely tired and doesn't even know if she could do more for the room. If she sees another bag of garbage then it would be too soon...
"You look tired..." said Loki sarcastically. "Did you enjoy overworking yourself?"
"Hey you don't have to rub it in, at least I got most of it done and I only stopped because we are expecting company." said Darcy trying to defend herself and failing miserably. "Hey Jane, how's it going? Did you know that Thanos is coming?"
"Yeah Loki kinda told me just now, but anyway Thor came back earlier because of Thanos." explained Jane. "Apparently you two are not the only ones that got a surprise visitor, Asgard was attacked recently."
"What?" said Darcy surprised at the news. "Why would someone attack Asgard now? I mean no offense Loki, but your home world really needs to work on fixing up their old relationships with whoever that you guys go against the past because it's clear that the past always comes back to haunt you in the end."
"Actually it's Thanos who attacked Asgard and he was looking for you Loki and the Stones." said Jane. "He also demanded that you give yourself up to him and-"
"Yes I am aware of the whole surrender and Thanos will leave everyone alone because Nebula, one of Thanos's associates and his daughter made it clear." said Loki capturing both Jane and Darcy by surprise. "Did someone get hurt during the attack?"
"Uh yes... someone died in the attack..." said Jane nervously not even knowing how to break the news to both Loki and Darcy. "Thanos was holding Heimdell right in front of everyone and since everyone thought you were dead and didn't believe his demands. They tried to tell Thanos, but he didn't believe them and took Heimdell's soul or something."
Both Loki and Darcy stared at each other the moment that Jane is finished, they couldn't believe what they just heard and both of them have many questions. Darcy now is having many questions going on her head on everything that revolve around Thanos and how he can possibly have the idea that the Asgardians would know about what she and Loki have been doing and that they are hiding him. Was he that desperate to find Loki and make him pay for everything that happened the last time they teamed up? Loki on the other hand couldn't believe what he just heard, Thanos having the power to take souls and could hurt others to the point that they can reach death? How in the world could Thanos have gotten this power? What is he planning to do with it if Thanos continues to go down this path? How is Thor taking the death of Heimdell?
He knows that both of them were close, the lost of Heimdell is probabley not helping matters when it comes to getting over his "demise." Loki knows that Heimdell and him did not always get along, but even he felt saddened by the fact that Heimdell died in the hands of Thanos and got in the way of Thanos's wrath. It's his fault for the entire tragedy and disaster, if he haven't teamed up with Thanos or cause the invasion or just gave himself up either through Thanos or stayed in his cell, Heimdell would still be alive and none of this would be happening. He needs to know how Thanos got this power or what could he possibly be using that would give him the power to steal Souls. This changes everything and has turned the upcoming fight into a more dangerous one, from his studies in Asgard the only way... It couldn't be could it?
"How did he managed to remove his soul? There's no way that Thanos could have possibly have done it on his own without magic or..." started an astonished Loki, he refusing to believe that there might be a possibility... No he won't believe until he hears it... "The Soul stone, but that's impossible... We have it and... It's Odin's scepter..."
"Ok now I'm lost, what makes you think that..." started Darcy as she starts to make the same realization as Loki is. "But it can't be... There's no possible way that Thanos could have an Infinity Stone unless he either stole it from us, but if he did why didn't he take the other three while he's at it or go after Vision? Unless..."
"We took the wrong object..." said Loki in shock. "I'm going to grab the Stones right now, so we can fully check and be sure." With that Loki quickly went into his room to try to grab the other Stones, he just hope that this horrible theory is wrong and Thanos just found another horrible way to steal soul. But Loki highly doubts it and quickly go inside right in front of both Darcy and Jane's eyes, they can both agree that they have never seen Loki this stressed out and worried before. Jane wants to tell them that Thanos has the Infinity Stone but now that Loki is even more stressed out, she doesn't know how she is going to tell him or what trouble that the two of them are now in because they took the wrong object, maybe it's not that bad...
"What did you guys take that you thought was the Infinity Stone?" asked Jane nervously and not even sure if she wants to know for sure.
"Funny story really, we both thought... You know that big scepter thing that is placed right next to the throne in Asgard?" said Darcy nervously.
"Yeah I remember seeing it when I was in Asgard." said Jane hoping that Darcy is not going to say what she thinks that she is going to say.
"You see... we thought that scepter had an Infinity Stone on it and we took it with us when we were in Asgard..." explained Darcy. "Apparently that scepter belongs to Loki's dad and is one of his most valuable possessions. Oops..."
"Oh boy, I hope for both of your sakes that Loki left an illusion on your way out." said Jane. "I really hope that you two have a good explanation of this once Loki eventually reveals himself, but I need to be honest things are not looking good."
"Yeah I doubt that we would have a good one too." said Darcy. "We need to figure something out, we're going to need to say something. I just hope that we're wrong about this."
Loki quickly came back and he was only caring one thing in his hands... Gungir. He carefully places it down on the table, afraid about what is about to occur and the truth that is about to be revealed. Loki really wishes that he doesn't have to do this, they are already in enough trouble as it is but they have no choice. This is the only way to know for sure and it's not going to be good...
"I have narrowed down on all of the Infinity Stones that we obtained and I tested them, at least we don't have to worry about anymore counterfeits. Fortunately we don't have to worry about Vision because if that was a fake then we all would have learned that the hard way." explained Loki. "From my quick study and analysis, I have concluded that we need to evaluate Gungir. I have always thought that Odin wouldn't hesitate to have an Infinity Stone in his grasp and a powerful one, I always suspected the worse in him and when I found out my true heritage. But now I'm not so sure..."
"Loki, you were hurt and people do a lot of crazy things when they're hurting." said Darcy. "What is this plan that you are going to do when it comes to trying to figuring out that we have the right stone or not?"
"I am thinking of doing an demolishing spell and either two outcomes will occur." explained Loki. "One of them will be that the best case scenario it is the Infinity stone and that just only a small amount of damage to the building like the power going out and the other alternative will be if it's not the Infinity Stone... I would completely destroy the scepter beyond repair. I would suggest that you two take cover who knows what is going to be the outcome and I don't think I want either of you be caught in the blast."
"Loki, I don't think that will be the necessary." started Jane before Darcy got her to hide behind the counter with her and that didn't stop her from trying to tell Loki what she knows. "Thor said that-"
Before Jane could even finish what she has to say, Loki starts to concentrate to do the spell and in a quick second before everyone could even have a chance to do anything. The scepter breaks right in front of them and the three of them stared at the sight in shock, Loki just felt like if Thanos came in out of nowhere and punched him in the stomach. He can't believe that Thanos now have one of the most dangerous Infinity Stones and realize that the upcoming fight is going to be harder than he thought. Loki doesn't even know if they have the same chance as before with the fact that Thanos have two Infinity Stones and the most powerful ones out of all the six stones. It looks like they are now getting themselves into a situation that is more than anyone could bargain for and a fight that it is going to take a miracle to win. But Loki has to win it somehow or else the world will be doomed, well apparently there are already two that might beat Thanos in making sure he pays for his past actions; Thor and Odin might beat him there...
"Thanos already have two Infinity stones..." finished Jane as she grimaced at the sight of Odin's once priceless scepter being completely destroyed and really don't want to know how to deal with this, let alone try to tell Thor what happened.
"Oh boy, your dad is definitly going to kill us if he ever finds out that we took the scepter and trashed it." said Darcy in complete shock. "It's bad enough that we don't have the missing stone but this definitely does not look good. Do you think we can glue it back together? I mean it can't be that hard to fix a magic scepter right?"
"It was a priceless artifact that is made from the rarest Asgardian metals and magical properties, we can't just glue it back together and even if we could then it wouldn't have the same power and prestigue as it had before." said Loki. "I just don't know how to explain this Thor once he eventually finds out and realize what happend."
"We can worry about that later, right now the best thing to do is to try to think of a plan and try to figure out how to fight off Thanos without having someone's soul taken." said Jane. "Maybe you know a way on how to protect yourself when it comes to the soul Stone?"
"Here's a better idea, why not just call the Avengers and just ask for their help? There is no way that we stand a chance now if Thanos have two stones and he will be more than happy to use the soul stone. He could kill you with that thing Loki..." said Darcy. "We're going to need all of the help that we can get if-"
"Before you continue with your speech on why we should ask for unnessicarry help, I would like to clarify a few things. First of all, there is no protection for your soul if it ever makes contact with the soul and the only way to have a soul return is to place the stone right back on it's victim's chest. But the problem is that the longer the soul is away from the body the weaker it becomes and the easier it is for the victim to die." explained Loki.
"Whoa that definitely turned dark really fast." said Darcy. "What is your second point and does this mean you might change your mind about calling the Avengers for help? They are going to find out anyway either through Thor or Thanos causing a rampage, either way they are going to be trying to fight him."
"We are not calling the Avengers because not only-" begins Loki. But before he could have a chance to finish what he is about to say, the phone is ringing again and that caught all of their attentions. Darcy decides that it might be best to see who it might be because after all of these surprise developments, she wouldn't be surprise if this has something to do with Thanos. Once she picks up the phone, part of Darcy is not surprise to hear who is on the other side of the phone.
"Hello Darcy, I have been trying to call on Mysto's number but so far there's no answer on his end." said a voice that sounds a lot like Captain America. "Do you know if there's any other way we could talk to him?"
"Uh yeah, you're in luck he's here right now and we're just hanging out." said Darcy. "Has something happened that you need to talk to Mysto right away?"
"Yes we have an emergency that we need to talk to Mysto as soon as possible." said Captain America. "Can we talk to him right now?"
"Uh yeah I'll see if I can put Mysto on, please hold." said Darcy as quickly as a she can and put the phone on hold.
Darcy quickly heads back towards Loki and Jane, both of them could tell that so far the situation is definitely is not looking good. It looks like that Thor has been making some phone calls after Jane left and really wished that Jane haven't taught him on how to use a phone. Loki's wishes to not involve the Avengers especially Thor is about to not come true. He just hopes that he doesn't get a big "I told you so" from Darcy if she turns out to be right about letting the Avengers help out and things become easier and they win this fight sooner they expected. But then again, it's not like Loki have a choice now because the Avengers are ready to fight Thanos, it looks like he has to accept it now. Loki just hopes that Thanos will be in a good mood to face all of them and no one would get their soul taken or at least get hurt from all of this. It looks like he needs to start to figure out how to take the Gauntlet and both stones from Thanos before it's too late.
"It's Captain America and it looks like he wants Mysto to help with the Thanos situation." said Darcy. "It looks like this option has now been picked for you, it also sounds like they need your help if they are asking for you. Is it too early to say I told you so?"
"Yeah it's definitely a little too early." said Jane trying to soften the blow that Loki is now facing. But before any of the girls make any kind of statement or remark, Loki quickly realize something that they all need to take into account.
"I think I may have an idea why Thanos might be coming here and he is not just coming to pick up the remaining stones and to deal with me." said Loki horrified. "He's going to try to break me by destroying everything I care about and..."
"He wants take your soul too..." said Darcy nervously. "We can't let that happen and what if he is planning to destroy Earth?"
"That is exactly what he might do with the power and soul stone in his gauntlet, what happened in Asgard was basically a preview of what he might do and how he is capable of doing it. But then this is just theory and one that I really hope that I am wrong." said Loki. "We also need to worry about protecting the stones that we do have and Vision. This is a fight that we can not afford to loose or else disaster will strike, but it might already strike with Thanos's vendetta against me..."
"So what are you planning to do? How are you going to get the two last stones?" asked Jane nervously.
"The first thing I need to do is to take this call and then figure out how to stop Thanos before he does something else." said Loki confidently. "I have had enough of this, Thanos can't keep doing this and I am tired of hiding from him. We are going to have to face him eventually and right now it's time, at least I have a hulk on my side this time and I am not going to let him continue to control my life with Stones and fear."
With that Darcy give Loki the phone after she stops it being on hold, Loki picks up the phone and now having the confidence that he have never felt before, ready to end this. This can't keep going on and if Thanos is looking for a fight then he's going to give him exactly what he wants, Loki is going to make sure that they win the upcoming battle. He is going to make sure that Thanos doesn't hurt anyone else and don't get his hands on the Infinity Stones, even if it means that he will have to sacrifice himself to do it. Loki takes a deep breath as he about to speak to Captain America and probably going to say the most important things that he might ever have to say.
"Rogers, it is I Mysto and I may have acquire some important information about the upcoming threat of Thanos just now." said Loki. "He is said to be coming to this planet in two days."
"Wait what?" said Captain America completely surprise. "How did you-"
"I fought off an attack with one of Thanos's children in an hour ago and I have managed to gain some information, we need to get ready for anything that may happen." said Loki. "We already have an advantage with Thanos coming to us and enough time to prepare for ourselves for whatever he throws at us."
"I'm guessing you want to help us?" asked Captain America.
"Oh believe me when I say this Captain, I can hardly wait to get started." said Loki. He is ready to finish this and to do whatever it takes to stop Thanos once and for all...
Wow! I can't believe it, we're finally here and the next chapter will be the beginning of the fight against Thanos. This is the moment where everything will change and we'll see what Loki, Darcy, Jane and the Avengers are planning to do with their unwelcome visitor. I can't believe that we're finally here and I can promise that there will be many more twists and surprises in store. The next chapter will possibly come out in a week or two, but who knows because it's definitely going to be a long one.
But we can definitely agree that Loki just had his hero moment, the moment where he is ready to fight against Thanos and defeat him for good. But the next chapters are definitely going to be a roller coaster of a ride, then again we are slowly entering the final battle and it kinda needs to be exciting to see how things get to Loki vs Thanos. I wish I could say more but I can't do it without spoiling half the of the final battle right?
There is also one thing we all need to remember, there's a reason why Gamora is being mentioned this much...
But the last thing that 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. 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 :)
What's the first plan on how to defeat Thanos? How are the Avengers and Loki going to deal with him? Will Loki and Darcy ever admit their true feelings for each other? What do I even mean by my last comment? What does Gamora have to do with all of this? Will Nebula find the freedom that she is looking for? How is Thor doing in all of this? I mean after "loosing" Loki two months ago, seeing Heimdell die right in front of him and learning about Hela, Thor has definitly been through a lot in the past two months. At least he has it easier than his movie counterpart or has he? Will Loki survive this whole ordeal?
Looks like we're going to have to wait for the next update to find out what happens in the first half of the fight against Thanos now won't we? See you guys in the next update. :)