CHAPTER ELEVEN
Tony, ever the gambler, had made a bet with Clint that Loki would break his house rules by day two. However, he could have never imagined that not only would Loki have abided by their conditions but now Tony would have to sit and watch Loki and Thor fight over who finished the hamburger leftovers from the night before.
"They were right here, Loki. I wrote my name on the container!"
"And, like I already said before, I did not take them!"
"You were saying last night that you rather enjoyed the meal and everyone else here respects one another's food!"
"If you irritate me anymore, I will gladly turn you into a dog. It will be quite impossible trying to save the world with no opposable thumbs!"
Tony couldn't help but notice in the god's short residency that Loki liked to seem pretentious about staying with them. However, he had his earthly vices. Day one had surprised everyone when Clint had shared with the team that Loki had already been to Dunkin' Donuts three times in that one day. Luckily, there were no negative caffeine side effects as far as they could tell but when Bruce went to throw away trash at the end of the day, he counted a total of eleven empty coffee cups in the bin.
Another thing Loki pretended to despise was television. He made it very clear the first day after walking in on the team switching between CNN and ESPN to try and watch for any news on Thanos while allowing Steve to watch the Dodgers game.
"How you allow yourselves to waste your time sitting around and watching pictures on a screen is beyond me."
The next morning, Natasha shared over coffee that she had walked on Loki in the middle of the night sitting in front of the TV, absolutely enthralled by an airing of Star Trek.
"He would like Spock." Thor had responded. "Loki likes dramatic theater and takes to intelligent characters with stoic personalities."
Everyone looked uncomfortable at the thought of Loki being a connoisseur of art while Clint looked at Thor in bewilderment.
"Who showed you Star Trek and why wasn't I there?!"
Other than his sometimes unpleasant attitude, Loki had been a rather decent house guest. Only once had he broken the magic rule which had sent Bruce sprinting from his lab to where JARVIS had detected the energy. As the scientist burst into the kitchen ready to hulk out, he was caught off guard when he found Natasha sitting on the counter opening and closing cupboards while Loki used magic to instantly wash them and levitate them to their rightful place. It only took a minute to realize that is was Natasha's night to do the dishes and she had just found a rather efficient loop hole. Bruce had simply rolled his eyes and encouraged Loki not to do it again cause snitching on Natasha was not an option.
The most unsettling thing about the whole situation was the absence of Thanos. No one had heard or seen of him since the evening Fury had visited the tower and Clint had gone to get Loki. In the two days since, both the team and SHIELD (at least agents in facilities cleared from any cases of mind control) had scourged the internet and the news for any sign but had come up empty handed.
"We can't just stand around and wait for him to strike first!" Thor exclaimed. "This is a war he wants!"
"But why not just hit us now? He has five of the stones. That is still a lot of power that he can easily destroy us with." Natasha asked.
"Yeah, thanks for reminding us, party pooper."
Natasha gave Clint a look. "Did you just call me a party pooper?"
"How do we prepare ourselves against this?" Bruce asked, ignoring the assassins. "Do we risk the lives of other civilians in a war they are inept to fight in?"
"If we don't get government help, we are on our own." Steve pointed out. "And then the question becomes are we willing to risk everything and possibly lose."
"Well," another voice cut in, "the solution is quite simple, is it not?"
The team turned to find Loki leaning against the door frame leading into Tony's personal living room on his floor. How he had managed to get through JARVIS's security, Tony didn't want to know and made a note to look into a magic blocking upgrade.
"Really," Loki continued when all he got were blank stares, "you do realize you have a housemate who can quite literally create illusions of himself."
"And your suggestion is?" Steve prompted.
"You use me as the bait." The god explained. "And as I'm 'being captured,' someone will find a way to slip off the gauntlet."
Tony blinked. "The what?"
"The gauntlet." A quick glance around the room informed Loki that they were all at a loss. "You know, the very thing that you put the stones on to wield their power."
Steve looked about ready to punch him. "And when were you going to tell us about this gauntlet?"
"I assumed you already knew this. Don't most intelligent beings?"
Thor swept in, already noting how Steve was about ready to pummel his brother into the floor below. "What he forgets to realize is that not every realm is as knowledgable of the universe as ours."
Natasha leaned over to Clint, "I think he just called us dumb."
"Even so, Loki had rather… unique interests in his youth— becoming more knowledgable on the subjects of magic and dark histories. He was quite witchy growing up."
Loki looked offended. "I am not a witch!" Then he immediately snapped his head towards Clint who was already chuckling next to Natasha who wasn't even trying to hide her smile. "Don't you dare."
"Whatever you say, witch."
Before Loki could say anything back to the archer, Steve stepped in front of him with a stern look on his face. "We need every piece of information you have on this guy and what we are up against. I would like to think that you value your life and ours more than to toss around jokes all day long."
Thor tried to intervene, "Please, he is—"
"Look, I love you, Thor," Bruce interrupted as he took off his glasses in buried frustration, "really, I do. But if your brother is going to stay and help he needs to hold his own. You can't vouch for him anymore."
The god of thunder opened his mouth as if to say something in response, but decided against it. Instead, he turned to Loki and nudged him forward.
"Well, you have a lot of explaining to do."
Loki look around at his peers, making sure to avoid Steve's disappointed look before admitting, "You might want to take a seat. This may take a while."
As they situated themselves on the sofas, Thor patted Bruce on the back and led him aside, "Please know I am very flattered by your proclamation of love earlier but I must say that I, unfortunately, do not feel the same way." Bruce's eyes comically widened as his jaw fell open. "And, as you know, I'm with Jane—"
"Thor, it's… it's a figure of… I didn't mean…"
"It's okay!" Thor smiled at Bruce as if he had told him something mundane, like where he could find the best burger on the Lower West Side. "There's nothing to be ashamed of and know that, if I were seeking the company of men, you would not be someone I would kick out of bed."
Bruce could feel the burning in his ears as he quickly walked away from his smiling teammate and took a seat next to Tony who was poorly pretending like he hadn't overheard the entire conversation.
Through a muffled laugh, Tony managed to ask, "Bruce, you good?"
The scientist didn't move but simply stated, "We will never speak of what just happened. Ever."
"How is it that we went with Loki's plan, no questions asked?"
Natasha turned to Tony. "Isn't that part of the deal of him being on our team?"
"Well, I don't like it."
Currently, the Avengers plus Loki were wandering around the forests surrounding Rochester, New York. In order to minimize injuries and damage, Steve had suggested they carry out their scheme in a less populated, more green area which was a relief for Bruce. Whether Loki's plan was going to work was another thing entirely.
"Let's go over it one more time." Steve's voice came over the coms. "Loki places himself into an open area and calls Thanos to surrender. As Thanos goes to take him, we ambush him and the hulk comes in with the main attack. When he is secure, we close in. The main priority is to get the golden gauntlet. You cannot let him touch the surface of the planet while he is wearing the device. Tony!"
"I've got the trees off to the right!"
"Clint?"
"I'll grab the high ground in the branches above!"
"Natasha, can you be on their 6?"
"Already on it."
"And Bruce-"
"On your signal. Got it."
"Do you need Thor to cover you while—"
"No! Nope! I'm good!" Bruce was shouting. "Keep Thor far away from me."
Steve, confused, looked across the field to Natasha who just shrugged at his silent question. "Okay, Thor can stay with me… Loki, be in position and turn your coms off before confronting him. We don't want Thanos to know you're here with us."
The god nodded and walked into the center of the clearing. While the day had started as overcast and gloomy in Manhattan, upstate the weather was much warmer with skies that were clear and slowly changing in color, signaling the end of the day. Loki seemed to bask in this warmth for a minute before bringing his hands together in front of him. A slight glow began escaping his fingertips with the intensity growing the farther he pulled his hands apart. When the ball of light seemed to be no bigger than a basketball, Loki threw it into the air where it cleared the trees before exploding into a white burst of light.
"Remember what I said about the stones." Loki said in a whisper only heard through the coms. "They are capable of many types of manipulations. Do not be fooled."
"Roger that." Steve replied. Loki brought his right hand to his ear and gave it a light tap. "Loki is offline and on his own for the time being."
At first, nothing happened. The light seemed to vanish and the forest went back to feeling peaceful and serene. Then the hairs on everyone's arms and neck rose as a shadow fell across the empty field and the god standing alone. In a matter of seconds, a portal seemingly made of swirling, black ink appeared and from it stepped Thanos who was now wearing a gleaming gold glove on his right hand. However, this time he was not alone as two other figures emerged from behind him. Loki had never seen the likes of these two men before but Tony knew immediately who one of them was as did Steve, who hadn't seen that face since the plane went down in 1943.
"Please tell me I'm seeing things." Steve whispered.
"I could but then I'd be lying." Tony replied.
"That can't be him!" Natasha added with a whisper. "He's been dead for over seventy years!"
"So was I."
It took everything in Steve's power to keep his cover as he watched the Red Skull take a place at Thanos right side while the other man, who looked intimidating with his blue skin and black getup, took the left.
"Loki Laufeyson." Thanos voice, even though some of them had heard it before, sent a chill through everyone's spines. "Here to beg for mercy? I assure that you won't receive any."
"Thanos," Loki dropped to his knees, "I have come to see the error of my ways and humbly surrender myself to you."
"I see…" Thanos seemed pensive for a moment before saying, "Even the Midgardians didn't want you."
"No."
"And why is that?"
"They think I am good. That I can be saved." Loki lifted his gaze and gave a sinister smirk to the others. "They were gravely mistaken."
Clint shifted uncomfortably in his hidden perch. "The way he's selling this you would think that it's real."
"Yeah." Tony responded though not entirely convinced.
Thanos took a few steps forward as he began circling around Loki who kept his gaze forward. "You know there is only one thing I could want and I imagine you were smart enough not summon me empty handed." Both men there with Thanos took a step forward as Loki rose to his feet. "So where is it?"
"Where is what?" Loki asked with feigned innocence.
"We should strike him where he stands!" The blue man raised his staff towards Loki who tried his best to look unbothered by the threat. "He has failed you once before. Who is to say he won't do it again?"
"Ronan!" Thanos snapped. The man known as Ronan scowled but reluctantly lowered his weapon. "He knows his position as you should know yours." As he moved back to stand with the Red Skull, Thanos stepped up to Loki and extended his hand. "The tesseract, if you will."
Loki took a deep breath before swiping his empty hand behind him. As he pulled it back out, everyone, both hidden and in view, saw a blue glowing box appear. Thanos' grin grew as Loki placed it in his hand.
"Bruce, on his mark…" Steve whispered, fixing the grip on his shield.
"We have completed the gauntlet!" The Red Skull uttered in excitement as Thanos joined his minions.
"Yes, it is complete!" Thanos gave a sinister grin to Loki. "Thank you, little prince, for you incredible loyalty. However, it seems that your services are no longer needed."
Loki nodded his head. "I thought you might say that." And in a quick motion, the god tapped his right ear and gave a loud whistle. From a distant came a loud thud as the ground seemed the shake. The sound of rustling trees grew closer with every second.
"What sorcery is this?" Thanos bellowed in curiosity and anger.
"In case you forgot," Loki turned back to Thanos with a gloating smirk, "we have a—"
The sentence was left uncompleted as a green hand swiped Loki off of his feet, tossing him across the field and into a large pine tree. The Hulk looked over his shoulder for a moment to smile at his handy work before jumping the rest of the distance to Thanos with a loud roar. The giant was unprepared as the Hulk wound back his arm and knocked him clear off his feet, the box sliding away from his hands as he landed.
"NOW!"
At Steve's command, the Avengers rushed the scene. Arrows rained down on Thanos' associates sending them in a scramble to avoid their aim. Natasha had rushed in shooting at them but quickly found that her bullets were only effective on the former nazi who was shooting aimless into the trees at Clint.
"I'll take Red Skull!"
"No," Steve interrupted as he sprinted across the field, "I'll take him."
Ronan raised his staff to strike Steve as he ran by. In one swift motion, Natasha grabbed the weapon and pulled the man backwards to falter his balance. A swipe at his legs and Ronan was flat on his back. Natasha reached for her gun but was interrupted as Tony grabbed her and flew her off of the ground, the two just missing the Hulk as he stumbled back into the nearby trees with Thanos on his tail. Tony placed her back down at a safe distance from the two and rushed to stop the Red Skull from escaping the clearing.
Thor flew in and grabbed the imitation tesseract from Thanos' side before rushing to his brother who was tangled on the lowest branch of the tree.
"Come on, brother! There's a battle raging on!"
Thor grabbed him by the back of his garment, ignoring Loki's orders to let go of him, and lifted him out of the branches and back onto the ground. Giving him a smile, Thor passed the box to a grumpy looking Loki just as the Hulk and Thanos passed by them, wrestling to pin the other down.
Loki was pulling out leaves from his hair as he glared at the green monster who was currently uprooting a tree to beat Thanos with. "I'm going to kill him for that."
Thor, missing the recipient of the threat entirely, let out a hearty laugh, "That's the spirit!"
The two of them rushed back into the action passing Tony who was flying past them with the Red Skull in his grasp. As he flew closer to Steve, the Iron Man suit dropped the villain at the soldier's feet before taking off to help assist Hulk with getting Thanos into position.
"He's all yours, Cap!"
The Red Skull rose to his feet but faltered back at the sight of Steve standing in front of him with his shield in hand, prepared to attack.
"That's impossible." He whispered.
Steve couldn't help but smirk. "Oh, you better believe it!" And with one swift blow from the shield, the Red Skull was sent flying back towards where Natasha was trying to dodge both Ronan's staff and the Hulk who was fighting to be released from Thanos' grasp.
"Really, Steve?" Tony rolled his eyes knowing fully well that the other man would be able to hear it through the coms. "That's the line you're going with?"
Clint was on the ground now shooting arrows at Thanos' hands. After a few blows, Thanos, yelling out in pain, let go of the Hulk who took that moment to grab the villain and toss him towards the center of the clearing. Natasha managed to dodge Thanos and watched at he toppled into the unsuspecting Ronan. As if on cue, Steve appeared switching between hand to hand combat and his shield to herd the Red Skull into position. When everything was aligned, Steve threw the shield into the man's stomach. Upon impact, Tony flew in and caught the man by the shoulders. Flying him towards the heap of his fellow villains, Tony took back the shield and dropped the Red Skull onto the pile. Thanos sat up in anger and raised the gauntlet high.
Steve turned to Thor. "NOW!"
Thor pointed Mjolnir to the sky, bringing forth a storm of clouds. With a shout, the god summoned a bolt of lightning and aimed it towards the group. Thanos and the others fell back onto the floor on impact. With out a second to lose, Loki grabbed the box he had passed off as the tesseract and took aim as a smirk broke across his face.
"Oh, how I've missed this."
With a jolt, an icy cold air shot out from the Casket* and encircled the villains where they stood. Loki held the position for a few moments before lowering the device to reveal an impressive mountain of ice that trapped Thanos and the others. Tony flew to the ice closest to the gauntlet and placed his warm suit hand against it. Immediately, there were droplets of water dripping down the structure.
"Let's get the gauntlet and get out of here!" Clint turned to do a headcount, a habit he had picked up in the field, when he spotted Loki behind him. "Holy shit!"
At his exclamation, Natasha turned around as well to find Loki walking towards the group with his brother in tow. However, the younger god was looking at them with red eyes and there was a deep blue hue to his skin. Seeing their bewildered expressions, Loki stopped in his tracks and dropped the Casket.
"Well, that's a neat party trick." Natasha commented.
Thor turned around to see his brother fighting off a clear look of uncertainty and shame as the pale color flooded back into his skin. It was not like Loki to show his insecurities- a skill he most likely learned from childhood and perfected over the years, Thor noted- which meant he was either very uncomfortable with who he was (unlikely) or trying to fit in. Trying his best to normalize the situation, Thor walked over and grabbed the casket off the floor as he said in a low voice only Loki would be able to catch, "There's no need to feel ashamed."
Loki scoffed in response and walked towards the glacier he had created. Thor shrugged and followed behind but was stopped by Clint who whispered, "That's a normal thing for him to do, right? Him turning into the Blue Man Group?"
"I assure you it is quite normal."
Just then the ground shook as the sound of ice cracking echoed through the clearing. Tony, who had almost completely melted and chiseled away the ice surrounding the gauntlet, called to the group down below.
"We need more ice! They're breaking through!"
Thor turned to Loki, "I can try and use the casket if you'd—"
The younger god grabbed the device from Thor's hand and gave a hint of a genuine smile. "Like you said, nothing to be ashamed of."
Loki pointed the casket at the mountain of ice and released onto the group, missing the look of hope that Thor had plastered on his face. However, the new ice was useless as cracks began forming all around the base of the structure.
"Tony, get it out now!" Natasha yelled, watching as the Hulk began preparing for the villain's escape by circling the perimeter.
"Give me a few more seconds!"
Loki didn't need to see Thanos to know something sinister was at play. The hairs on the back of his neck were standing and a feeling of heat seemed to wash over him. As the feeling continued through the rest of his body, Loki's hands, which were gripping the casket, began to burn at the combination of both hot and cold. It didn't take long to recognize the feeling he had so desperately wished to never experience again.
"Everyone needs to leave! NOW!"
The team turned in confusion at Loki's exclamation as Tony pulled the gauntlet out of the ice. Thor was already running towards him when, against him own will, Loki turned and outstretched his hand, sending a stream of gold light towards the ice. Upon impact, the tall standing glacier gave way with a large crack, sending everyone flying off their feet, Loki included. Off in the distance came a scream that could only belong to one team member and the sound sent a panic through them all.
"NATASHA!"
Steve's voice cut through Clint's scream. "Who has eyes on Natasha!?"
Loki struggled to fight the mind control, watching through a haze as the Hulk lifted the Natasha's body from off the ground. Her eyes were closed tight in pain and a large gash was bleeding out on her forearm. Before he could try to say anything in his coms, Loki sensed movement behind him. Turning around, he could see Thanos back on his feet and furious. The giant looked around until he spotted Loki who was crawling away as fast as he could.
"You little snake!" He rushed towards the god, easily catching up. "I will make you wish for something sweeter than death!"
Loki grabbed the casket and sent a blast towards Thanos. However, before it could hit, Loki felt the piercing pain of a foot kicking him in the ribs before he flew a number of feet back. Then came the impact of Thanos' fists on his head. Loki had felt physical pain in this way before but could not find the strength to fight back.
Seeing a glowing light to his side, the god, desperately hoping the rest of the team had heeded his warning and ran, closed his eyes as he waited for the seconds between Thanos' punches to aim one last blast of magic towards the casket.
Everything burned in a glorious blue light before Loki's world turned into complete darkness.
*Casket from Thor (2011; dir. Kenneth Branagh)
