Once the pod is connected to the ship and a safe path for both Loki and Gamora to cross, they got out of the pod to enter the ship and to finally be in a more stable condition than how they were just an hour ago. Loki knows that the best thing to do is to have them drop him off on some planet where he can figure out everything on his own, but judging from Gamora's determination to help stop Thanos in anyway she can possibly can, he knows that it won't be easy to convince them is thinking that it's the right thing to do. Even then he also knew that Gamora is right and he will need some kind of team if he wants to get anywhere close on possibly defeating Thanos. But still he can always figure out how to defeat Thanos without getting anyone involved and to maybe even find Thanos's weakness. That is if he has a weakness...
As they continued to head towards the hallway, Loki continues to think what might be the best thing to do next and if there might be a way for him to do this despite the odds in being nearly impossible. He has to find a way to stop Thanos and these thoughts alone are not going to leave his mind until he figures something out and finish this. Before Loki can even start to think of a possible plan of action, he is surprise to see the sight of group he is now seeing. Even after seeing all of the nine realms, fighting and later working with the Avengers, discovering all of the things that Earth has to offer, then eventually going through the impossible journey of gathering all six of the Infinity Stones has not prepared him for this.
Standing right in front him is a weasel or raccoon of some sort that he must have seen at least once on Midgard on Darcy's television, two human like people, one that looks like a regular human and the other grey painted with red lines around him without a shirt on and before he can even turn to Gamora, he felt like something hitting his boot. So Loki quickly looked down and saw that a tiny childlike sapling or tiny lifelike tree plant bumping into his leg and the sapling looks up to smile at him. Along with give him a tiny wave from the bottom.
"I am Groot!" said the little sapling happily.
Loki just waved back at Groot and quickly turned to Gamora wanting an explanation, since when she said that help was coming he thought it would have been more of an army or at least not this. Not that he's saying that a childlike plant and raccoon can't fight in a battle or the six of them doesn't stand a chance against Thanos. But after hearing about the Guardians and how they saved the galaxy from Ronan and with no power or magic of any kind, he was expecting a group that would fit Thor's ideas of Asgardian warrior heroes when they were children. But still he can't underestimate them this quickly, the last time he underestimated another not only he was so underprepared for defeat from the Avengers, but he was smashed by the Hulk. Not too mention that it was the final step in his downfall and later on the beginning of going on this journey where he wound up meeting Darcy and having to hunt down the Stones. That alone is the most challenging thing he has ever done in his life, at least he found better place, made a friend and it was better than how he was in the beginning of this journey. Despite any self reservations, he is willing to give them a chance and maybe things will be better than how it looks.
"Yeah, these are the friends that I told you about and now that we're here let's start thinking of a plan on what to do next." said Gamora. "Rocket, do you think you have something that can melt highly indestructible metal because we need to melt those handcuffs that are stuck on his wrists."
"Uh ok and who's that?" said Rocket almost immediately looking at Loki with some interest.
"I'm Loki of Asgard, let's just say that I am one of Thanos's most hated living being in the entire universe at the moment." said Loki. "That I am ready to take him down before he ruins my life any further than he already did."
"Thanos just took him captive and let's just say that Loki's experiences in the last couple of days is anything but peaceful." said Gamora.
"If you mean by the fact that I can no longer return to Earth without getting myself arrested and now hated by everyone that I know including and especially my own brother." said Loki with a groan as he remembers the biggest event that is now haunting his mind.
"Why would everyone including your brother hate you?" asked the grey human like alien confused of Loki's story.
"We'll explain everything before we start coming up a plan Drax, but if we are going to stop Thanos before he starts to think of a way how to use stones in more dangerous ways than he may already be planning just to make sure that he capture us again." said Gamora as she starts to head towards the main room where the Guardians usually hang out or figure out a plan on how they might possibly defeat whatever creature or villain they have to face.
"Wait, Thanos is still after you?" said the human. "Don't you want to relax? I mean you did go through a lot just now."
"I grew up with having Thanos as a father and he tortured me constantly and Loki spend the last two months hiding his identity and you are asking me if I want to take a break?" said Gamora a little annoyed as Loki rolled his eyes at him.
"No, I just thought that since you just got here and that since we haven't seen you in the past two weeks. I just thought that maybe you want to have some time off and we can catch up or-" he begins before Loki just turn to roll his eyes and Gamora gave an annoyed sigh as they continue to focus on the task at hand.
"Can we just focus on the fact that we have to stop a mad titan from using an unlimited amount of power tot destroy us all?" said Loki a little annoyed. "I'd prefer it if we get these handcuffs off me while I'm still alive and before Thanos comes in to ruin my life even further than he already has."
With that Gamora begins to continue head that way with Loki and the other Guardians following, once they arrive to the room, both Loki and Gamora got to work on explaining everything to the other four members of the Guardians of the Galaxy the most recent events and how Loki got to the place where he is now. Let's just say that the Guardians are really interested in Loki's story and found it really exciting and they can even relate to some aspects like how Loki has a colorful past where at one point he was seen as a villain, that he lost people, try to do the least expected and that he has been trying to do everything he can to make sure that he could grab the stones and stop Thanos. Let's just say that Loki impressed the Guardians and that they want to see what is going to happen next and maybe even join in the fight, since not only because they want to help Gamora and to some extent Loki, want to stop Thanos before he tries to grab a hold of Gamora again and kills everyone including them.
While they were telling the others everything, Rocket is listening while he looks for something that might be strong enough to break Loki's handcuffs off. Until finally he found a little torch that is small enough for Rocket to not hurt Loki, but big and strong enough have it break apart the metals of the handcuffs as quick and as efficiently as he can. Once Rocket checked the battery, he quickly goes towards Loki and got him to sit down and begins to get to work to break off the handcuffs. Rocket manage to successfully get one of the handcuff off and as he is about to continue on to the second one. He notices something that he wants to ask and have been wanting to ask ever since he just got the full story.
"Ok let me ask you something, why are you wearing that outfit? I mean if you are supposably this masked hero that was hiding his identity, wouldn't you be wearing a mask?" asked Rocket. "Plus if you were trying to get all of the Infinity Stones then why didn't you just used the stones to I don't know fight off Thanos before he decided to take you captive?"
"Well this costume did have a mask, but Thanos left the mask back on Earth before he took me to his ship and besides there's no point in continuing if everyone already knows who I am. I wouldn't be surprised if they are ready to come after me to arrest me on the spot and... I can't go back..."
"What? Loki, are you really planning to run away from your problems and to never return?" Said Gamora surprised. "We're going to need all of the help that we can get if we want to defeat Thanos."
"I know that this is not the best idea or if we will be able to stand a chance against Thanos, but it might be best if we stay away from Earth and focus on trying to try to defeat Thanos before he does anything with the stones." said Loki. "No one would be willing to hear me out if I go back, so for the sake of the universe and our sake then it might be best if we try to deal with this ourselves."
"You do realize not facing your brother to try to make things right or at least be honest with him is what got you in this mess in the first place right?" pointed out Gamora. "What about your friend? She seems to truly care about you and I doubt she would be happy if you leave forever due to fear. Plus from what I've seen and spoke to your brother, I really don't think that he would send an army to take you in for revenge. If he was going to send out an army then he would to try to find you."
"Why would I go back? To face the disappointment of the Avengers, not that I care but let's just say that there is no way that they would trust me or at least listen to what I have to say." said Loki. "Darcy already thinks so low of me and believes me to be a monster, but then again we never did clear up that incident and had a conversation about it. Though Darcy wanted us too..."
"Wow, talk about not being everyone's favorite person at the moment." said Rocket in disbelief.
"With my past history, can you really blame everyone for having a negative opinion on me?" said Loki. "I wouldn't be surprise that Thor is ready to disown me the next time he sees me, though I wouldn't blame him simply because I must have been the worst brother in the past year alone."
"I am Groot?" asked Groot confused, while Loki looking confused at the sapling and is about to ask why he would introduce himself again before Rocket already figured out what he might ask.
"Groot can only say three things and they happen to be I, am and Groot. But when he talks then he actually means more than a simple introduction." explains Rocket. "He said 'How are you the worst brother ever?'"
"Well... let's just say that the past year, our relationship is not exactly at it's best and I did most recently lie to him over two months." said Loki. "I pretended to be dead for the past two months and he didn't find out until just recently, I don't even know if I can go up to him and..."
"I may not have met your brother, but I do know if my wife and daughter was alive this entire time and if I just found out then it would be the happiest day of my life." said Drax. "Maybe it will be the best day in your brother's life if he sees you again and yours as well."
"It might, but let's be honest if Thanos ever tries to go after me then Earth would be the first place he'll look." pointed out Loki. "I would rather just have us focus on trying to defeat him before he tries anything. So does anyone have any suggestions on what we can do right now to do so?"
"Maybe if we try to take him down from within might work?" suggested Quill.
"It might if we didn't literally tricked Thanos just now through our escape plan then it would have worked." said Gamora. "The best plan might be if we get some kind of help or something that might be powerful enough to stop Thanos."
"I doubt Yondu or any of the Ravengers would be happy campers if we ask them to go up against Thanos." joked Quill.
"Well there's always Xander if they ever had the chance to rebuild what is left of their army." said Rocket. "But that's... or what if we go after it?"
"Rocket, if you are saying what I think that you might be saying then there is no way that will work and it's too dangerous." said Quill. "Remember what happened last time when we tried to get it to try to rescue Gamora, it nearly blasted the three of us out of the planet and that's only for just getting near it."
"So you guys tried to get this mystery object without me?" said Gamora defensively. "Don't you remember that the mystery person said that this object is extremely dangerous and that we needed to make sure that it doesn't try to hurt us when we try to find it?"
"We just thought that it would make an effective weapon when we go to fight off Thanos after he took you." said Drax pointing out the fact that there's no way that they will be able to pull something off in that magnitude.
"Well that would explain what took you four so long to-" begins Gamora annoyed.
"What are you all speaking of?" asked a confused Loki as he is getting more and more curious of this mysterious object.
"We were called for a mission prior to my capture in order to find this object that is really powerful, our first attempt to retrieve it Thanos caught them and threatened to kill my friends and destroy the planet we are on, he said would release them and leave the planet peacefully for my surrender." explained Gamora. "We were on that planet to find any information or lead to find this object, I'm guessing that you have managed to figure out where it is."
"Yeah, let's just say that creepy red head guy, that monster guarding it and being in that planet is the biggest waste of times of my life." said Rocket in disgust remembering their failed attempt on getting this object.
"Where did you go?" asked Loki intrigued of the idea of an object that might be strong enough to possibly defeat Thanos.
"To some planet called Vormir or something, but even then-" started Quill before he noticed something off about Gamora. "Hey Gamora, are you alright?"
"What were you four even thinking of going there?" said Gamora who is obviously doesn't even know what to think about this revelation. "That's a planet full of danger and items that are too dangerous to even wield! We need to call this person that the mission is off and that we do not do these sort of things and-"
"Whoa Gamora, calm down for a second before your head blows up. What so bad about Vormir then what makes what we already mention before look like nothing?" said Rocket who doesn't whether or not he wants to know.
"I am Groot?" asked Groot agreeing with Rocket's question.
"Vormir is a planet where it holds the most dangerous and powerful objects that are the most protected in the entire universe." explained Gamora. "There's monsters, inhumane tests and objects that if one goes to the wrong hands then they can be completely dangerous."
"So is the Infinity Stones if one puts them all together, I don't see Thanos from restraining himself especially if I'm in the same room." said Loki.
"The Soul Stone was located there and the only way for one to obtained it was performing a sacrifice of something they truly care about." said Gamora capturing the five by surprise.
"I am Groot." said Groot nervously as he got closer to Rocket because of that revelation.
"That would explain where he got it, though it would have been helpful if I had known that before accidentally stealing and destroying Odin's scepter with the false mindset of having the Soul stone in my possession." said Loki sarcastically.
"There's more, Vormir also has this keeper that has been trying to get one of these objects to find an escape or something. He is bound in protecting them and he can't leave from the planet unless he either can fight his way to the object or if every single object on Vormir is obtained." said Gamora. "Any one who knows about Vormir either stays away or is foolish enough to attempt to obtain one of these objects. I think it might be wiser to go to Terra ad find the Avengers and ask them to help us and then go after Thanos and try to put up a fight."
"Or we can go find this object that might have the power to defeat Thanos, if we can come up with a plan that might possibly work then we will be able to have something powerful and strong enough to give us a chance." said Loki. "All we have to do is go to Vormir and find this possible weapon."
"What? Loki, our top priority is to stop Thanos before he locate us and eventually use the stones. He might even be using the stones right now and we might not even know it." said Gamora. "If we are going to stop Thanos then we're going to need to get all of the help we can get, even if we have to go to Terra to see all of them. Thanos will make sure that he has an army, the Black Order and Nebula ready to deal with the five of us and will only focus on trying to do everything he can to kill you."
"Even if we have an army or let alone the Avengers with us, we are going to need to have the same amount of power to face him if not more." Said Loki. "If there's a chance for us to have something that might allow us to stand a chance against Thanos then we need to take that chance."
"I understand but there are better ways of doing it and going on wild goose chases or suicide missions is not the way." said Gamora. "The only way for us to have a fighting chance is to build from the power that we already have and get the Avengers on our side. Look Thanos has been going out of way to obtain the power of the Infinity Stones once he found out of their existence and even before this, when he was conquering planets that power made him a monster."
"I have gone a wild chase for the past two months looking for these stones and only had Darcy as a form of assistance. I didn't need the Avengers back then, if we are going to finally stop Thanos then we're going to need to put ourselves on his level." said Loki. "With this object then it might give us that same amount of power, that's the whole point of exploring the possibilities to have the courage to find something that might be able to defeat Thanos and use it for its capabilities."
"But there is also the question of what if we fail in this search? Thanos is not going to stop on his quest for power the moment he finds out that we have something that has the same power if not possibly more than one Infinity stone alone." said Gamora. "If we don't go to Terra now then Thanos will use the stones and we can't predict what he might do or if he is already using the stones to try to find us."
"I agree with Gamora, going after Thanos should be our top priority." said Drax. "He will wipe out planets and do everything he can to find both of you, so we should go after him before he can do anymore damage."
"Thanos will make sure that he does everything in his power to make sure that we are back under his custody and if we are going to defeat him before he uses the stones." said Gamora. "Are you sure that you think that this is the only way or are you too afraid to see your brother that you are ready to go and put our lives in danger on going to find something that is so heavily guarded that it's a miracle you all made it out alive."
Loki doesn't even know what to say or if he can say anything, sure he is not happy with the idea of seeing Thor again this soon after he found out the truth. Along with possibly dealing with the fact that he might have to face the consequences of his actions and the fact that his brother might not want him back. Sure from what Gamora just said and everything that Jane and Darcy has said in the past has given him some hope that maybe Thor would forgive him. But can he really take that risk?
No, he can't and even if he wanted to this idea of a mystery object is too good to pass, they need to go and find it before Thanos does anything else. To finish what he has started and to make sure that he defeats Thanos for good. If this object can give them a power boost that might give them a higher chance to stop Thanos, then he's going to take every opportunity to find it and to make sure that he takes Thanos down. Now all he has to do is convince them to show him where on Vormir is this thing and he can grab it before anything else happened.
"Even if we go back to Vormir, what will make this time any different?" said Quill who doesn't seem to be happy with the idea of going back to this potentially dangerous planet.
"This time, you have me." said Loki confidently. The moment that Rocket is finished with breaking the second handcuff off Loki's wrist, Loki got up and used his magic to quickly change from his Mysto costume to his regular Asgardian armor, catching the Guardians except Gamora by surprise. "I think I can stand a chance against whatever that planet can throw at us.
After a couple of seconds more for the Guardians and Loki to debate about what they should do next, they ultimately decided a compromise. They will try to get this object and see if they might be able to get it this time. But if they fail once again or if something happens before they reach Vormir, then they will head to Terrra or try to figure out a way to attract Thanos's attention to see if they might possibly stand a chance. Loki does realize that this is a fair deal and just hopes that nothing happens between now and then. Once that brief meeting is over, Loki starts to head towards a window on the ship to admire the view of space. This might possibly even be the start of the end of Thanos and who knows how things are going to end.
He wonders what might be going on back on Earth and if things are hopefully going better than he is hoping for. That maybe Darcy is not in some prison, The Avengers didn't tell everyone that he was Mysto and Thor is so angry that. But still maybe things wouldn't go that far and that maybe Jane would tell them everything, either way it would allow them to know the truth. At least they will never have to deal with him again, once he gets this object and find Thanos then he will be able to finally to put a stop to him for good. But there are a few challenges that he is going to have to face and these challenges are not going to leave him alone. Aside from the fact that Thanos is after him and Gamora, there is also the fact that he's still has the burn marks that are really putting him in so much pain at the moment. Fortunatly Loki is able to readjust his armor to not touch his chest, that way it will still protect him without causing any pain in his weak spot.
Sure it's puts him a little bit of a disadvantage because he can't take any heeling potion with the bottle and the half being back on Earth. Especially when it comes to combat and he don't even know what might happen in Vormir if they need to fight for this object let alone face Thanos again. But still what choice does he have? It's either doing this or let Thanos destroy the universe faster then he would have if he had stayed on the ship. He has to get this weapon and maybe he will be able to defeat Thanos, that is he hopes that he will manage to pull all of this off.
Meanwhile Back on Earth
The Avengers and Jane are doing everything that they can to make sure that this ship works, so far they have built a sturdy foundation for the ship and so far things are going smoothly. There hasn't been any word from Thanos or a sign of where he might strike next, so far all of the test runs are working and maybe just maybe they will be able to pull off the impossible. Thor tried to give as much insight as he can with the ship and the main concern of Loki is going through his mind and he just hopes that by the time that they finally built the ship, they were not too late to save him and Gamora. He doesn't know what might happen once they finally take off, how they are going to find them or what is going to happen once they do. But Thor is determined to do everything in his power to find his brother, he doesn't care whether or not Loki will be happy to see him. All he wants is to find him, see Loki and save him from Thanos. No matter what the price may be...
At least they are now making progress and at the moment, they are doing test runs and making sure that the ship not only will be able to take off but will make sure that it's safe for everyone once it's time to take off and they embark on their journey to space and to stop Thanos for good.
"Well, if things continue on with the pace we are on then maybe we'll be able to get this thing flying as soon as tomorrow." said Bruce.
"Is there any way we can speed up the progress? So that way we can start the search for Thanos sooner and we will be able to stop him without having to worry about what he might do next." said Thor. "The sooner we complete this ship, the sooner we will be able to find Thanos's ship and the sooner we'll-"
"Ok I know your worried about Loki, but we're not going to help anyone if we just shoot ourselves into space and later find ourselves lost because this ship broken down and we would be floating off for who knows how long." pointed out Tony. "If we are going to do this then we are going to need to do this right and make sure that we will be able to at least go out and come back alive to tell the tale."
"But it's Thanos, we can't allow him to keep the Stones any longer and hope that he will not do anything to something somewhere, go through with trying to use the stones against Gamora or might even..." started Thor and stopped himself because he doesn't want to think of the worst, he just hopes that Loki is alright in some cell and Thanos hasn't hurt him or better yet if he has somehow found a way to escape from Thanos.
"Look if Loki's dead, then wouldn't we have known by now? Since Thanos would have made a grand announcement or gloat about it?" pointed out Natasha. "Thanos hates Loki, was after him for the past year and Loki and Darcy dared defy him by trying to obtain all of the Infinity Stones before he does. He would have made some big announcement or at least come back to brag about it."
"Besides he might try to use Loki for his bidding again but I highly doubted Thanos would do that again simply because of what happened last time. That's the best case scenario and the unlikely scenario would be that he would leave both of them alone." said Bruce. "The worst case scenario would be if Thanos uses the stones on both of them or if he just spends most of his time to try to torture Loki and doing whatever he wants to do with the stones. If we look at the facts and from what Darcy told us, Thanos is not the forgiving type. Whatever he is going to do to Loki and Gamora is going to bad to say the least."
"Well, let's just focus on trying to get this ship off the ground and to make sure nothing happens." said Steve. "Does anyone know how Wanda is doing? I haven't seen her ever since we found out about Vision."
"The last I heard from Darcy, she said that they were at the training room and Wanda is practicing her powers. While she said something about Pietro helping her train." said Jane. "At least she's putting that anger into good use, well if we continue to focus on the the flight and oxygen then we will be able to get this thing off the ground. Luckily I managed to update my technology to possibly make an even better communication system where we will be able to communicate from here and space."
"At least we will be able to communicate to each other from Earth to Space." Said Steve. "But now we need to figure out what might be the best plan and to see if we can test this out."
"Uh ok, who wants to see if this thing can work?" Said Tony. "I designed it to be as easy as driving a car but at the same time it also have some complicated factors like how to elevate the flight and landing sequences."
No one answered, they don't even know if it's a good idea or if they want to test it. There's also the fact that they are going to be trying to see if this ship can actually fly, they know that the ship is more promising then they initially thought. But there is one little problem, so far the ship has been failing in the taking off and landing sequences. There are some problems that were occurring while they are trying to make sure that it is able to do the take off sequence and landing, that is what keeping the Avengers from taking off and going after Thanos.
Before anyone can say anything, Bruce decided to go into the ship to try to see if he will be able to get the ship to start and maybe even to see if maybe their luck has changed and that maybe they will be able to have some better luck. Once he got in and start the engine and begin the launch sequence, it looks like if things are going to start smoothly and that maybe their worries are about to be over. Unfortunately the ship starts to malfunction and started to make a strange noise where it's not part of it's initial programing and it even begins to shake around. They all watch the ship rapidly and Bruce quickly try to do everything he can to make sure that the ship is still one piece and they won't have to work on the engine all throughout the night or worse to redesign the whole system.
As they continue to see another failed attempt of the launch of the ship and the possibility of needing to go back to the drawing bored. While they are all focused on the ship and trying to help Bruce in getting it under control, Darcy quickly head in to see another failed attempt of the ship. Something tells her that they are not going to be saving Loki anytime soon or at least until they manage to figure out how to launch the ship. At least she doesn't have to ask how it is going because that scene speaks for itself. She approach towards Jane, knowing that this is the perfect opportunity to ask her about the current situation for both her and Loki. The last thing that she wants is to find herself in a situation where Loki finds himself in jail and she doesn't even know how things will turn out if he has to be in some cell for the rest of his life.
"I'm guessing that things are not going well when it's comes to the transportation?" Said Darcy.
"Yeah, this has been the 12th time that there has been some kind of a problem." Said Jane. "But at least things can't get any worse than it already is, though I just hope that Loki is having better luck than us."
"Yeah, that maybe he and Gamora managed to find a way out and that they are on their way here. That is I hope that they are alright and coming here, I don't know if Loki is going to come back if Thor knows the truth but I hope he does." said Darcy. "Do you think Thor is going to be cool with knowing the truth?"
"I think that Thor has already forgiven Loki and will show him that he doesn't need to prove himself or to run away to be happy." said Jane. "He's doing everything in his power to try to find him and plus Loki wants to make things right, so I have the feeling that things will work out for them."
"Yeah the way you put it, just shows that we could have avoided all of this drama with both brothers just having a simple conversation." said Darcy. "But still do you think that Thor is going to be cool with me now knowing that I not only helped Loki keep his secret but to lie to him and think of the whole Mysto thing? I mean I wouldn't blame him in being mad about that and wouldn't blame him for not wanting to be my friend anymore."
"I don't think that he's going to hold anything against you, I mean after all you did try to help Loki and I think the good overrides the bad in this case. You could have walked away from him or told someone from SHIElD or find a way to contact one of the Avengers about Loki." pointed out Jane. "You had no reason to trust him or even want to help him but you still did it anyway and gave Loki a chance. You gave him a home and friendship that many wouldn't even bother too just because of his past, that alone is something that is a special gift where Loki can have a new chance for a better life and the freedom to see the world and to learn from his mistakes."
"Yeah, having Loki as a roommate is cool and it is nice hanging out with him. Plus the cool thing about it is going on the occasional adventure when we had to go after an infinity stone." said Darcy. "I just hope that things work out in the end and that Loki comes back or at least just find a to send us some kind of message."
"You miss him don't you?" said Jane.
"Yeah of course, we knew each other for the past two months and been through a lot together." said Darcy. "I am going to do everything I can to find a way to get him back and I know that Loki can take care of himself but I really want to know if he's ok and plus we're dealing with Thanos and if Loki is trapped with him then he will kill him. You should have seen how ready Thanos was to use the Soul stone on him and even used the power stone on him to make him give up Vision."
"Let's just hope that we get there before things get out of hand." said Jane. "At least things are going on the right track even if we are going in this pace, but still don'tt worry we will get through this."
"I'm not worried it's Loki, it is going to take more than Thanos to defeat him and besides I have the feeling that he severely underestimated us." said Darcy confidently. "Especially since Loki is probably going to find some way to escape or survive, he is a fighter and a very smart one that is one of the things that I really like about him. I just hope that we get this ship ready for launch before it's too late."
Eventually the Avengers finally manage to bring the ship down and get Bruce out, they still have a long way to go if they want to go up to space. There is no telling what things are going to like once they are done and the mission to space will start, they are about to enter a new frontier. No one knows what sort of trouble Thanos might have in store and if they are able to defeat him for good. Darcy also knows that she also have to apologies to Thor, find a way to convince them not to send them to jail and to maybe to somehow convince all of them that they weren't the bad guys and all they wanted to stop Thanos. She just hopes that she not only solve that issue but find a way to go with the Avengers when they finally take off. Since she wants to do everything she can to find Loki and now that she has started to become a better fighter in the past couple days, she is ready to go rescue Loki and Gamora too.
Darcy doesn't know if she can fully stand a chance against the Chitaurii or let alone Nebula, but she will have to try for Loki, Gamora, herself, everyone else and the universe. Everything really depends on this mission, she just hopes that things will work out, she is ready to do everything she can to play a part and to make sure that Thanos is defeated for good. Even if Loki wants to leave Earth after all of this then she wants to at least see him one last time and maybe try to convince him to stay, though she doesn't think that things will ever go that far with Loki. But he is still her friend and she is going to find a way to save him from Thanos and to stop him for good.
Two hours later in space
Loki and the Guardians soon arrived to Vormir and they all soon landed on the planet and got out of the ship. Quill, Rocket and Drax start to head towards the direction of where this mysterious object is with Loki, Gamora and Groot following them. Loki notices on how deserted the planet is and he can't believe that anything might be on this planet let alone an object or an Infinity Stones. So far there has been no sign of any danger or something suspicious that might be happening under their noses, there is no telling what might be here. But still there might not be any other choice and soon if luck is on their side, then maybe they will be able to grab the object without needing to go to Earth.
"To be honest Gamora, when you said that this would be really dangerous I was expecting something more." said Loki. "Not that giant cliff that we just passed by and even then no one would ever go up there for anything unless they want to put one's life in danger."
"Well don't brag about it just yet, we just got here and have yet to face any real danger." said Gamora.
"You still have yet to see what kind of monster we faced the last time we were here." said Quill. "Let's just say that you two are in for some surprises."
Loki and Gamora quickly exchange an unsure look to one another as they continue to walk through the planet. It continues to be a walk where it feels like forever and there is even an awkward silence growing. The Guardians agreed to help Loki find some object that it was almost impossible to get the first time around and the four adults knew that this might not be the best answer. Gamora knew that even if they managed to grab a hold of this object and if it really has the power to possibly stop Thanos then what? Is Loki going to be hopping around planets in hopes that he would never see his brother again and run away from his problems? She may have been free with the Guardians for a couple of months, but even she knew that someday her past will be running up to her someday. That she would have to face Thanos or her past sooner or later, she just hopes that if things doesn't work out or even if it does that Loki will decide to go back to Earth and face everyone. Even with this object it might be wiser to have some form of backup.
While Drax on the other hand knows that this might make things worse between Loki and his brother, he thinks that it might be best for both brothers if they talk about what happened and try to fix their relationship. He may want to see Thanos be defeated for good but at the same time he wants to see Loki repair his relationship with his brother especially under the circumstances that he is now in. The difference between Loki and him is that Loki still has the chance to get his family back or at least his brother. He doesn't want to see Loki to miss the chance in possibly having his brother back and getting a happy life on Earth.
Quill also knows that maybe things will be easier for the six of them if they just go back to Earth, even though he's not comfortable with the idea of going back to Earth but even he knows that it might be best to go there. Not only because they might need more than six to fight off Thanos, plus they also have Groot on the team and he's just a baby and they might as consider it as five against an army. Not only that, Loki might regret not fixing things with his brother and it might be as bad as how things turned out with his mom and the guilt that he felt before he finally was ready to move forward and to live his life with the Guardians and to make the most of his life.
Rocket on the other hand is not happy to possibly have to deal with the monster again, he is keeping a close eye on Groot and making sure that nothing is going to make a surprise attack. He doesn't like this idea anymore than the others but if this might be the only way for them to get something powerful enough to defeat Thanos and to possibly go on the direction that might possibly be the better idea. The awkward silence continues to grow and Rocket knew that it needs to be broken and he might as well do it, no one else is going to do it at the rate things are going.
"So I'm guessing that you are mostly having us do this to get something that might defeat Thanos without having us go to Terra and see these Avengers, your friends and brother?" said Rocket. "Don't you think that this might be a little reckless? That there might be a better way in possibly stopping Thanos rather than doing this."
"It might, but this is our only option and if we fail then we won't have enough power to stop Thanos." said Loki. "The worst part from our agreement that we have to go to Earth, but I am willing to do whatever it takes to stop Thanos and if it means that I am going to find this object and might have to fight whatever monster we are going to face then so be it."
"Ok, but don't you have someone else to go to? What about that girl you and Gamora keep mentioning? That Marcie girl or something, can't you go see her?" asked Rocket. "You know to clear things up and then maybe she can talk to them for us."
"First of all it's Darcy... I don't think that she ever wants to see me again..." said Loki quietly. "I not only ruined her life but there is also the fact that we left things in an awkward place. If the Avengers understand then they might let her off easy that she can start a new life and besides she's better off without me..."
"Loki, I shared a cell with Darcy and from our time together it's obvious that she really cares about you." said Gamora. "She was ready to try to break out of our cell and find a way to escape if it means that she would get herself in bigger trouble."
"Darcy would definitely do that..." said Loki. "But still there is no way we can contact her without the Avengers finding out, she's not the best at keeping secrets and I doubt that my magic would be able to reach that far."
He turned away from the Guardians, knowing the last part is a lie and that his magic can reach that far to create a illusion for only Darcy to see. But he knows that will only lead to trouble, they would ask him to see if he can possibly communicate through magic. Loki knows that he can't do that, not only it would lead to a conversation where he knows that won't end well. There is also the fact that he also will have to tell her that he might never come back to Earth, he doesn't want to leave Darcy in the dark about how he is doing, what's going on and thinking that she needs to find a way to go up to space in order to try to save him. He can't say goodbye just yet, not until he finally defeats Thanos so that way Darcy will know that they did it, that Thanos is finally defeated for good and to also maybe possibly apologies for everything that he has put her through. That is if she would listen to him...
"So Gamora also said that you are from some other planet, this Asgard place. Do you have any friends or family over there that might be willing to help us?" said Quill joining in Rocket's attempts to try to dissuade Loki from doing this. "Anyone that might be willing to come with and still see you as good guy?"
"The only one that would be my mother but she died two months ago, Thor's friends would be happy to either have a fight with me or call the guards to help them take me back to the dungeons." said Loki. "As for my father or rather the man that was the closest thing I had to one, after all of this, I don't even know what he is anymore. He now believes that I have died performing a heroic sacrifice and would be furious if he ever finds out that I faked my death. Along with the mere fact that I never mentioned that Thanos was the one that made me try to take over Earth and is now after me with the goal to make sure that I pay for my failures and trying to stop him from his life goals."
"Yeah that sucks..." said Quill who can relate to Loki for his current situation.
"I am Groot?" said Groot. "I am Groot."
"What is he saying?" said Loki who really wants this conversation to end, but at the same time curious of what the sapling has to say.
"He said 'why don't you go talk to them instead of assuming the worse?'' translated Rocket. "'It might be nice for you to go see them again.'"
Loki stared in silence, not even knowing how to answer that question or if he can even answer it at all. Of course he would want to see both Thor and Darcy again and try to do everything he can to make things right and to maybe even see if he can possibly start over with them. But he knows that for Thor it can never happen and he might not be that happy to see him if he shows up, it might be easier for both of them if they go their separate ways before things get worse between them. Plus things might be better for Darcy if he just doesn't get involve in her life anymore. Not only it would help make things better for Darcy, but it might help these strange feelings fade away. This is for the best for both of them. It has to be this way and Loki knows that he may not want things to end this way but things needs to be this way.
"So can one of you tell me what is your past history?" Said Loki not only wanting to get out of this conversation but to also to get to know the Guardians. "I already know Gamora's history prior to meeting all of you, but I would like to know how all of you met and who you all are. Especially now if we might possibly be facing our doom soon if it's not from this creature than from Thanos."
"Well, our stories are really a messed up origin stories where everyone thought that we are nothing but criminals that only thing that we deserve is to be locked up." Said Quill. "But we eventually proved ourselves, save the galaxy from Ronan and his plans to use the power stone and I literally beat him with an awesome dance battle."
"So you saved everyone by dancing with Ronan?" Said Loki who is surprised to hear that statement is unexpected let alone sound absolutely absurd.
"No, Quill was mostly distracting Ronan in order for Rocket and Drax to destroy the hammer that he put the stone in." Said Gamora. "Then we managed to grab the stone and managed to defeat Ronan by using the power stone as fast as we can. You have to be there if you want to get the picture."
"Yeah cause before we met, Quil here was a thief working for Yondu and the Ravengers, Gamora as you know was working for Thanos and did his bidding until she realized how much of a jerk he really is, Drax was going on a rampage for revenge against Thanos and Ronan, while Groot and I were bounty hunters." said Rocket. "With our colorful background, you can't really blame people for not liking us at first."
"Wow, I believe can relate to that and perhaps our journeys are not as different as I thought they are." said Loki who is starting to like the Guardians surprisingly. "May I ask why Drax is on a roaring rampage on revenge? Who are Yondu and the Ravengers?"
"Yondu is the leader of the Ravengers, they took me when I was a kid and Yondu practically 'raised me' to be a thief." explained Quill.
"So, basically he's like a father to you?" said Loki.
"I wouldn't say that, but if he haven't took me on that day then I would still be on Terra doing who knows what." said Quill. Loki is surprised to see that he was right, he suspected it from one look but he never thought that he might be right.
"At least you didn't find out all of that the moment where you least expected or if this Yondu kept it a secret and you find out the hard way later on." said Loki.
"I am Groot." said Groot who's not even sure what he is agreeing on.
"I wish that I can have the same luck as you have when it comes to having at least one member of my family alive." said Drax trying to be honest and connect with Loki. "Thanos sent Ronan to my planet to slaughter half of my people including my wife and daughter, before I met the Guardians I went out to get my revenge and to make sure that Ronan pays for my lost and to get justiice for them."
"That's... My apologies, I had no idea that happened..." said Loki as he quickly apologizes for letting his curiosity get the best of him.
"It's fine, their deaths has been avenged, Ronan is dead and all we have to do is stop Thanos." said Drax. "But if I haven't met the others then I wouldn't have a real family again."
Loki stayed silent as he thinks about the situation itself and part him is happy that Ronan payed the price for his crimes. At least there is one less of Thanos's allies to worry about and that he can continue to focus on Thanos. But still he can't help but think about his past actions and how it put him in a place where there's no return and that he will never have a chance to get his family back or create a new one. The only one who might have possibly accept him back, probably now hates him and it might be better for both of them if he just stay in space. Maybe he should just stop thinking about Earth, for the good of their mission on this planet and to at least have a clearer mind as they are about to face who knows what. He should just continue to get to know the Guardians and discuss on any possible ideas on how are they going to defeat Thanos.
"Well, at least there are a happy ending to all of your stories and soon there will be one for mine once I get this object and finally defeat Thanos." said Loki. "Then things will be better, we will never have to deal with him again and then maybe I will start a new life somewhere. I don't think that I even want to go back to Earth and might as stay out here and explore the universe beyond the nine realms."
"Then what Loki? Are you really going to be happy being trapped with your own guilt and never truly knowing if there is is a chance for you to get everything back, you're brother, Darcy, freedom and the chance of a better life?" Said Gamora hoping that this question will give Loki a new perspective.
Loki didn't know what to say or think, he didn't expect to hear that question out loud or the possibility that there might be some hope for this problem and maybe even possibly make things right. It does sound really appealing and that maybe... he can't risk it or take that chance without considering the consequences and that there might be some kind chance that he might be able to not only get his brother back and make amends without worrying about any chance of him going back to his cell. That maybe he can continue his life on Earth and continue his friendship with Darcy, with a future with endless possibilities with never having to worry about Thanos again. But he knows that it might never happen, no matter how much he may wish that it would happen this way.
Soon Loki found himself and the Guardians at the cave where the mysterious object is inside, soon they might have to face whatever danger that might be waiting for the six of them. Dealing with whatever might happen is the least of his problems, as they are about to enter an unknown territory (well for Loki and Gamora at least). When they arrived closer, a mysterious hooded figure that look like a human red skull start to approach them and from one look at the mysterious figure Loki was surprise to see that he is literally red and even from encountering and discovering his heritage, meeting Gamora, Nebula and Thanos and most recently the Guardians of the Galaxy with Groot and Rocket in the mix. From all of those times that he spent time studying and learning about other worlds beyond Asgard and the other realms, he has never read about any species that might be all red. While the Guardians minus Gamora and Groot gave a quick groan at the mysterious figure, they are not eager to deal with him again.
"Well it looks like you all came back and brought two more to see if you can get the Laevatein." said the stranger as he notices both Loki and Gamora. "Gamora, daughter of Lalnehe and Loki son of Odin and Frigga."
"You know of us? How? Did you somehow got connected with the Soul Stone?" asked Loki almost immediately.
"I was and still cursed by not one but two stones, I am not only know all the ones that I have ever encountered but at the same time can see their souls and know their whole story like Gamora's mother's name." said the stranger as he even begins to levitate. "This is not the first time that I have encountered an Asgardian or in your case Jontun if we want to be exact."
"Are you going to let us in there without any trouble or are you going to tell everyone's life story before you decide to give us all a fight?" said Loki defensively as he got ready to fight.
"You all are going to be facing many challenges as it is, so it wouldn't make much sense if I give you all problems right now." said the stranger. "You are all free to go and be prepare for the dangers that are up ahead."
They all gave a suspicous look at the red skull like human and begin to head inside the cave, they all are ready for the fight of whatever creature that may be waiting for them. This might be a game changer and Loki knows that this is the moment where everything can be changed for the better. He just hopes that they will be able to get this object without any trouble and that this Red Skull is telling the truth. There is also something that he doesn't like about Red Skull and it's. something that he knows that they can't trust him and there is something that he knows about this object that none of them do. What is the Laevatein? What was he talking about the encounter that he had with Asgardians in the past? If this might be the keeper that Gamora was talking about then he must have something planned and he just hopes that his suspicions are wrong but he has the feeling that he's not and should keep his guard up.
Once Loki and the Guardians entered the cave, the mysterious Red Skull gave an evil smile behind them, he can't believe his luck and now knows that maybe the odds are in his favor. All he has to do is wait for them to retrieve it and maybe use these powers to try to get the object, though the problem is that they have an Asgardian now and at the same time, they need him if they want to get the Laevatein and to defeat the monster that is guarding the object. All he needs to wait and get ready when Loki and the Guardians exit with hopefully the Laevatein in their hands, then he'll make the first move to get it...
Wow, the moment that things are starting to look up, they might have to deal with Red Skull if they get this mysterious object and we will see how things are going to play out in this little quest. Special thanks to wiredhead for this idea and we will be seeing what this new object is and the possible connection that it has to Loki.
I feel like I owe you guys an explanation for this chapter, some of the things that happened in this chapter and why I decided to go on this direction for the story and planned it this way. Though seeing Thor, Darcy and the Avengers having an epic awesome rescue mission and battle on Thanos's ship is an awesome idea. This is a part of Loki's character journey and will give him the strength and power that he needs in order to face Thanos again. This will all add up to the big reunion and the final battle and this mystery object will change the odds of the final battle. Let's be honest even with the Guardians on Loki and the Avengers' side, it's not enough to stop an Infinity stoned powered Thanos, this object will give Loki a power upgrade to say the least.
Yeah, I like to think that Loki will only come back to Earth if the situation will call for him to go back to Earth or if Thor or maybe even Darrcy proves to him that everything will be alright. Other than that I don't think he would go back to Earth unless he has a plan on how to go around doing what he needs to do without worrying about a possible one way trip to jail being on the horizon. But still I think going back to the Asgard dungeons are the least of Loki's problems because things are definitely going to be heating up for Loki with Thanos now going after him. But still Thor is going to do everything in his power to save Loki and is going to go after him, though he is getting a little delayed thanks to the... technical difficulties when it comes to transportation...
At least Loki's in a better place now with the Guardians of the Galaxy, they are going to be playing a huge role beyond helping Loki get this Laevatein and being a mode of transportation. Let's just say that like Gamora, they are also bond with Loki and let's be honest, it would be cool to see Loki and the Guardians interact. Sorry if I disappointed anyone with the route that I went with the portrayal and the recap to their backstories (but Loki just met them and they are going on a dangerous journey as is. So they are going to be enjoying every moment and Loki will be wanting to get to know tthe only few that are still be willing to give him a chance and get to know him.) But they are going to be making more jokes and be closer to their movie portrayal in the unpredictable next chapter.
Ever since Infinity War, I was kinda curious of what else Vormir might be on the planet aside from Red Skull and the soul stone. Say what I wanted about the movie, but that mystery intrigued me and I really wanted to explore and expand it. Same goes with expanding Gamora's story and how she slowly broke away from Thanos with having Red Skull mention her mother's name. Since we never really got to know who her real dad is or anything about Gamora's real dad and saw more of Gamora's mom beyond a flashback. So I named her and we will explore more of Gamora's connection to her past, her distancing from Thanos, relationship with Loki and the other Guardians and the type of hero she will become by the time of the final battle.
On another note, 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 (I still want to do it and would be happy to do it in a one shot) or maybe even Loki ad 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. 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?) Though I would be mostly doing Loki ones but I am open to the idea.
The next chapter will come out two-three weeks earliest and it might take even longer since it's going to be insane to say the least. :)
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 will they succeed in their mission? Will the Avengers' ship take off the ground? Will Thor ever find Loki? Will Darcy make things right with either one of the Asgardian brothers? What is the Laevatein? What is this monster that Loki and the Guardians going to face? Will Red Skull get this object and escape? If so then how? What has been Thanos doing this entire time? What is he up to? How about Nebula? The same goes for the Black Order and the Chitauri? Will Loki ever return to Earth? Find out in the next chapter of Redemption, see you in the next update or as Groot would say "I am Groot." :)