Chapter 17: Reunions

The S.H.I.E.L.D. base was slowly crumbling away, the force of the Cosmic Cube's power eruption having a devastating effect of the building's structure. More than that, it had brought an unexpected complication onto the playing field. Standing before the heroes and their allies, Loki Laufeyson looked down upon them all, like a regal prince just returning from a journey.

"I'm sorry," Tony spoke up. "Who are you again?"

"I am Loki, of Asgard." he introduced. "And I am burdened with glorious purpose."

"Spare us the theatrics Loki." Thor interrupted.

"Wait, Loki?" Jan repeated. "Isn't he like the god of pranks or something?"

"The Norse God of Chaos actually." Jane clarified.

"And my brother." Thor added.

"Adopted." Loki corrected. "Or have you forgotten how our 'father' stole me and raised me to be nothing but a measuring stick for the great Thor Odinson?"

Tony let out a whistle.

"And Pepper says I have an ego." he remarked.

"What are you even doing here, Loki?" Jane questioned. "I thought Odin gave you to Ymir as a peace offering after you murdered your true father. You should be rotting in the Frost Giant's prison."

Clint blinked, feeling a headache coming on.

"This day just gets more and more complicated." he groaned.

"He did, and I should, but thanks to the animal over here," Loki explained, gesturing over to Wolverine. "I was able to escape my icy prison."

Wolverine snarled, his claws coming out.

"I thought you looked familiar." he sneered. "You're the snake from the bar. You mind controlled me!"

"Indeed." Loki replied dismissively. "But I'm afraid I don't have time to waste on mortals any longer. Not when the nine realms await their true King."

"You honestly think anyone would fall into your tyranny?" Thor asked.

"You misunderstand me, brother," Loki explained. "I seek not to enslave this world, but to free it."

"From what?" Hank questioned.

"Freedom." Loki answered.

"Umm, that makes no sense whatsoever." Jan quipped. "You sure your brain didn't get frostbite?"

"Freedom is life's great lie." Loki told her. "Once you accept that, in your heart,"

He then quickly spun around and thrusted his scepter at Hawkeye, who had been moving in for a sneak attack. This caused his eyes to turn the same shade of blue Wolverines had been while under Loki's control.

"You will know peace." Loki finished.

"You know, you talk about peace." Tony remarked, gently setting down Rick and sliding his visor down over his face. "But I think you mean the other thing."

"Sir, I hate to interrupt, but there seems to be an exponential energy build up right above you."

Tony looked up to see the large mass of blue energy over them. Everyone else's eyes drifted upward, Hank gulping visibly at the sight.

"The Tesseract's unstable energy will eat this entire building apart." Jane hypothesized.

"If the building doesn't fall down on us first." Hank added.

"They're right." Tony confirmed. "From what I can tell we got about two minutes max before this goes critical!"

"Well then," Loki let out.

Hawkeye then took out an explosive arrow and fired it at Iron Man, knocking him back. While Hawkeye kept the team at bay, Loki grabbed the Tesseract, plucking it from its stand with his bare hand.

"Make your choice, brother." He declared. "Save the mortals you're so fond of or stop me."

Thor just stood there, gritting his teeth at the choices before him. Loki just smirked at the sight before him.

"That's what I thought."

With that, Loki disappeared into thin air with the Tesseract. Natasha stepped forward, her eyes never leaving Hawkeye.

"Make sure everyone gets clear of the building." she ordered. "I'll handle Barton."

"Right." Cap acknowledged.

"Hulk..." Rick let out. "I need… to find Hulk."

"There should be a jeep or two still intact down in the garage." Nat suggested. "The kid's gonna go no matter what, might as well make sure he gets there in one piece."

Tony nodded, recovering Rick and making his wait out. The others followed suit, leaving Clint and Natasha alone.

"Come on, Barton." she coaxed, trying to draw him out. "Snap out of it. You're stronger than him."

Clint only responded by firing an arrow at her. She ducked out of the way, moving in for a jab at the throat. He stumbled back a bit before trying to swing his bow at her. She side stepped out of the way, powering up her stingers and trying for the throat again. This time though, he was able to grab her hand, and attempted to twist her arm. She merely twisted with it, delivering a kick right under Clint's chin. Taking advantage of his stunned state, she grabbed him by the arm and threw him into a wall. He bounced off it hard, stumbling back.

"Natasha...?" he mumbled.

Unsure if it had fully worked or not, Nat spun on her heel, giving him a hard kick to the head. He crumbled to the ground, fully unconscious. She stood there for a minute, panting slightly. Unfortunately, she didn't have time to fully recover her breath as the building was coming down faster. Straightening up, she grabbed Clint, pulling him over her shoulder before fireman carrying him out of the room.

Tony got to the garage as fast as he could, scanning the wreckage for anything usable.

"JARVIS, tell me one of these hunks of junk can still drive." Tony practically begged.

"I found one, sir." JARVIS declared, indicating a functioning jeep on the visor screen.

Tony made a beeline for it, placing Rick in the driver's seat. Unfortunately, his head was still lolling about and his eyes were fluttering open and close.

"Damnit, the kid took a hit..." Tony cursed. "He needs adrenaline or something..."

"Might I suggest the first aid kit in the glove compartment, sir?" JARVIS offered.

Tony opened it up and pulled out the kit. He rummaged through it until he found what looked like an adrenaline shot.

"Bingo." he said. "Alright kid, this is gonna sting a little."

He jammed the needle into Rick's neck, shooting the entire shot into him. Rick's eyes flew open and he sat up.

"Woo!" he let out. "That cleared the cobwebs!"

He then slapped the sun visor on the jeep, the keys falling into his lap.

"I'll find Hulk and bring him back to New York." Rick told Tony as he gunned the engine. "Something tells me we're gonna need all hands-on deck to deal with the would-be King."

With that, Rick sped off into the night, determined to find the Hulk. Once he was gone, Tony called into the others.

"How's the evac coming?" he asked.

"Most of the agents began evacuating after Rick signaled the Code Green." Wasp informed him. "Widow managed to get Clint and his making her way outside."

"A few on the lower levels are still clearing out, but they'll be out of danger in a matter of seconds." Hank added.

"Good, because this building won't last much longer." Tony explained. "It's time to bolt."

The building began to finally give out just as the last of the agents escaped. It was a loud and cacophonous sound that resonated for a good mile as the Tesseract energy swallowed up the debris. Soon, all that was left of the S.H.I.E.L.D base was a barren crater, and a large audience of shocked and horrified agents.

Natasha regrouped with the heroes, including Thor and Jane, depositing a semi-conscious Clint on the ground.

"Did everyone make it out?" she questioned.

"As far as we know, yes." Hank reported.

"Donald- err, Thor?" Janet began. "No offense, but your brother sucks."

"Loki has always been… troubling." Thor replied.

"Thor, he sent the Destroyer to kill you while you were powerless." Jane reminded him. "Not to mention the rest of the town."

"So, the New Mexico incident, that was about you?" Tony asked.

"Unfortunately." Thor admitted. "Loki and I have always had our differences, and it would seem that he has set his sights on earth again."

"And this time, I don't think he'll be satisfied with just taking out some small town in the middle of nowhere." Jane added.

"So, we go from wannabe world conquer to another." Cap remarked

"Not exactly." Thor corrected. "Loki longs for more than just conquest. He seeks vengeance on me, and all I hold dear."

He pulled Jane closer as he said that last bit.

"Then stopping him just became top priority." Cap decided.

At that time, Clint was regaining consciousness.

Everyone turned to him, each of the heroes ready in case he turned out to still be under Loki's control. Thankfully, his eyes were clear.

"Barton?" Natasha questioned, cradling him gently.

"It's me…" Clint told them.

Nat let out a sigh of relief, helping him to his feet.

"How'd you snap me out of it?" he asked.

"Cognitive recalibration." She answered. "I hit you really hard on the head."

Logan snorted.

"Worked with me."

As Clint regained his senses, Natasha turned to the others.

"What's Loki's game?" she wondered. "You mentioned vengeance, but we're going to need more than that if we want to stop him."

"If he took the cube, he'll probably use it to open another portal." Hank hypothesized.

"That didn't exactly work out for anyone." Jan pointed out, gesturing to the large crater before them. "It could barely hold long enough for him to get through."

"Meaning he needs some kind of stabilizing agent." Tony suggested.

Hank immediately perked up, snapping his fingers.'

"Iridium." He let out.

"Irr-what?" Clint asked.

"Iridium." Hank repeated. "It's a specialized metal found in meteorites that forms anti-protons. If Loki needs a stabilizing agent, it's that."

Natasha brought up her wrist communicator, bringing up a holographic keyboard and typing in something.

"I'll see if any of my contacts can find a chunk of Iridium large enough." she declared. "Dr. Pym, how much would Loki need to be able to stabilize the Cube's portals?"

"At least… 20 pounds, give or take."

Natasha nodded, then turned to Clint.

"You up for a trip?" she asked him.

Clint gave a nod, checking his bow.

"Hey Thor!" he called out. "Just a heads up. If I see your brother, I'm gonna shoot him. Fatally. Many, many times."

"I'm afraid you will have to get in line, archer!" Thor called back.

Natasha and Clint left the group, no doubt to hail some sort of transport. Once they disappeared, Cap got right back to business.

"While they focus on the Iridium, we need to focus on Loki." He announced. "He talked a big game about freeing the world, but even with his power, he can't do it alone."

"Well I don't think he'll be asking any 'mere mortals' for help." Jan quipped.

"What about that ice world, Jotunheim?" Hank asked.

"Nay." Thor answered. "Loki severed all ties with the Frost Giants when he murdered his true father, Laufey in a vain attempt to win Odin's approval. As I said before, he was given to Laufey's successor, Ymir as a peace offering."

"You know, you could have stopped at 'Nay'." Tony quipped.

Hulk walked through the dense forest area, his fists clenched tightly and his face set in a firm grimace. In his mind, he saw Rick trying to stop him, only to get punched out of the way and into a tree. Imagining the blood running down Rick's face, Hulk's pace stopped. He lashed out, punching a tree hard enough to split it in half before it came crumbling down.

As the tree fell, Hulk heard the sound of a car engine coming closer. He turned towards it, seeing the distant headlights approaching him on a nearby trail. For a moment, he thought it might have been some S.H.I.E.L.D. agents trying to stop him, or maybe even Ross. However, it was someone else entirely.

"Hulk!" Rick called out, laying on the horn to get Hulk's attention. "Big guy, it's me!"

Hulk watched as Rick pulled up in a jeep, coming alongside him and coming to a stop.

"Hulk, thank heavens I found you." Rick told him. "You can't run off like that, big guy."

"What do you want?" Hulk asked.

Rick blinked in surprise and confusion.

"What do I-? Hulk, c'mon. It's me. Rick Jones. Your best friend."

"... go away."

Hulk turned to walk away, Rick slowly following him in the jeep

"Hulk, what are you talking about? I'm not going anywhere."

Hulk kept walking, so Rick pulled in front of him, slamming his foot on the brakes.

"Is this about me getting hurt?" He asked. "I've been hurt before."

"Yeah, but you never got hurt because of me." Hulk replied.

"Whether I get hurt because The Leader has a headache, or you accidentally cut loose a bit too much, it doesn't matter." Rick insisted. "I made you a promise. I promised that I would stick with you 'til the end. I'm your best friend, Hulk. That's never going to change."

Hulk just stood there silent for a moment, before raising a fist and smashing the jeep's engine with it.

"Leave Hulk alone!" Hulk told him before leaping off.

Rick watched him go, then looked at the front end of the jeep. With a groan, he climbed out of the driver's seat, taking off after Hulk.

"When I find him, I'm going to show him that I'm no picnic when I'm angry either!" he exclaimed.

...

Hulk landed a few miles away before he continued walking again. Before he could get much further though, something stopped him.

"You know, Rick cares a lot about us." Bruce Banner's voice declared. "About you."

Hulk stopped, looking to see Bruce Banner, or at least a mental figment of him, sitting on a rock next to him.

"What do you want?" Hulk asked.

"For the world to see you the way Rick sees you." Bruce answered. "As a hero."

"I think we both know I'm no hero." Hulk remarked.

"No, we don't." Bruce replied. "If you were really a monster, you wouldn't have cared if Rick got hurt."

"And he did get hurt!" Hulk shouted. "And next time, he might-!"

Hulk cut himself off, unable to fathom the thought.

"And the fact that you care proves you're not a monster." Bruce reiterated. "You care what happens to him."

Hulk sighed in response, knowing Bruce was right.

"And if you fight alongside other heroes, and continue to save lives," Bruce continued. "Then the rest of the world will see the Hulk as something more than a monster. That you can be a force for good."

Hulk mulled over Bruce's words, seeing the wisdom in them.

"If I do this… then you got to do something for me."

"What's that?" Bruce asked.

"I stay in control." Hulk told him. "I decided when the Hulk comes out, and when Banner comes out."

Bruce gave a nod.

"Alright, but I have a condition of my own." Bruce declared.

"What?" Hulk asked.

Bruce smiled.

"You go back for Rick." he declared. "And you never, ever, leave him behind again."

Hulk just stood there for a moment before nodding in response.

...

Meanwhile, Rick was leaning against a tree, trying to catch his breath. The adrenaline had worn off, and his head was beginning to swim badly. He lost his footing, plummeting to the ground with a soft crash.

"Following… a large… raging monster… while nursing… a concussion… bad idea..."

As he got back to his feet, something large crashed down next to him. Through bleary eyes, Rick looked up to see the Hulk standing over him.

"Either a large green fuzz monster just fell from the sky… or Hulk came to his senses and came back." Rick mused, smiling a bit.

"Hi." Hulk greeted.

Rick smiled, then promptly fell again. This time though, Hulk caught him in one of his hands.

"Easy there, pal." Hulk told him.

Rick gave a thumbs up, still sagged in Hulk's grip.

"Let's go into the city..." he said softly, fighting back unconsciousness. "I need bandages, antiseptics… and enough Advil to last a month."

Hulk nodded before jumping towards New York.

Fury had arrived with the Helicarrier not long after the base's destruction. Nat and Clint had immediately grabbed a jet, saying something about Geneva and an old friend. Leave those two to handle the Iridium, the heroes gathered in the Helicarrier's meeting room to discuss strategy.

"Okay, what do we know about Loki?" Cap questioned.

"Loki's a psychotic sociopath, that much is obvious." Jan noted. "Not to mention a superiority complex that puts Tony's to shame."

"And that's saying something." Tony remarked.

"He's also smart." Hank added. "Considering how he was able to use the Hulk to try and take us out, it's clear he's been watching us for a while. Probably ever since Fury gathered us to get the Cube."

"That's probably why he sicced the big guy on us." Jan suggested,

"I don't think so." Tony mused.

"What do you mean?" Cap asked.

"He had the Hulk after us, and he had control over two of us at the point and yet, he just took off with the Cube. why?" Tony asked

"Because the place was collapsing on top of us?" Wolverine told him.

"Well yeah," Tony relented. "But Loki knows he has to beat us to win right? He doesn't just want to take us down, he wants to be seen doing it. Parade our corpses for the world to see… he wants an audience."

"Loki has been one for the theatrical." Thor informed them all.

"Hell, his entire plan against Odin was practically a huge production." Jane added. "With all the nine realms as his audience."

"Exactly." Tony said, snapping his finger and pointing at Jane. "That's what he wants. He wants an audience, not slaves. He's wanting to make our defeat a show."

"Like his little speech back at the base." Wolverine added.

"Yeah but that was just a preview," Tony told him. "This is opening night, and Loki, he's a full tilt diva. He wants flowers, he wants parades, he wants a monument built to the skies with his name plaster-"

Tony stopped for a moment, thinking about what he had said. Suddenly, an idea came to mind.

"Son of a bitch." he let out.

"What's wrong?" Janet questioned. "What is it?"

"The portal… He's going to need more than just the iridium to get it working. He's going to need a power source, one with enough power to jumpstart his portal. And I know where he can get it."

"Where?" Cap asked.

"Stark Tower." Tony answered.

"You mean that big, ugly-" Cap paused, then let out a small cough as he recovered. "-thing, in the middle of downtown New York?"

"I remember reading about that in the paper." Jane mentioned. "It has its own arc reactor, right? That thing in your chest?"

"Yeah, except much bigger." Tony confirmed. "If my math is right, the building should run itself for about a year or so."

"With that kind of power, the portal would be able to turn on easily, especially if Loki manages to get ahold of the Iridium." Hank calculated.

"Then we need to cut him off at the tower." Cap decided, grabbing his shield. "Let's get moving."

...

I am seriously looking forward to the next part. Stay tuned!